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Not the same old rut: go eye-to-eye with bighorn sheep on Wyoming's Whiskey Mountain - Travel

Kurt Repanshek

Autumn may have greeted northern Wyoming with snow and single-digit cold, but the bighorn ram about 50 yards up the mountain from me had other things on his mind besides the weather. While six ewes in his would-be harem were intently browsing frosted clumps of grass and rabbit brush, the large, taupe-colored ram was eyeing us and shaking his magnificent head.

"What a stud! 'See how big my horns are?"' said June Sampson, executive director of the National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Center in Dubois, Wyoming, narrating the scene that was playing out before us. "He's showing off his horns!"

Nearby a younger ram gazed on. He was still learning the finer points of the fall rut on Whiskey Mountain, home to North America's largest wintering herd of bighorn sheep.

Most of the year bighorn sheep are skittish and elusive; if you are lucky enough to see them at all, it's typically only through powerful binoculars and spotting scopes. But come fall, Whiskey Mountain--nearly 11,000 feet tall and stubbled by stands of lodgepole pine that embrace open patches of windswept slopes--serves as the mating ground for as many as 900 sheep.

Preoccupied with propagation, a surprising number of the dusky animals allow visitors to get amazingly close during the rut. At one point during our photo safari, we were watching a solitary trumpeter swan flying high overhead when a ram Chasing one of the ewes darted through the aromatic sagebrush, not 10 yards away. While there are no guarantees when it comes to wildlife, this is one of the best sheep-viewing sites in the West.

After quickly snapping a series of photos, I took my time as I loaded another roll of film and changed lenses. These sheep, I concluded, were not about to let humans deter them from their seasonal fling.

RELATED ARTICLE: Whiskey Mountain travel planner

Whiskey Mountain is about 1 1/2 hours east of Jackson. From Dubois take U.S. 26/287 south 3 1/2 miles and turn south on Forest Service Rd. 411 (Trail Lake Rd.).

The best time for viewing--before too much snow piles up--is mid-November to mid-December. Dress for cold: daytime highs are typically in the 20s, but winter temperatures can plunge below zero. You can sheep-watch on your own, but it's best to join a tour; advance reservations are required.

National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Center. The best source for information, the center also leads three-hour tours year-round. $25 per person. Six-person maximum per trip; reservations required. (888) 209-2795, (307) 455-3429, or www.bighorn.org.

Wildlife Expeditions. Part of the Teton Science School, it offers two daylong bighorn tours from Jackson. Dec 7 and 8; $205 per person. Two-person minimum; reservations required. (888) 945-3567. (307) 733-2623, or www. wildlifesafari.com.

Dubois dining and lodging

Cafe Wyoming. Overlooking the banks of Horse Creek. Dinner Thu--Sat through winter; lunch Tue--Sat year-round. 106 E. Ramshorn St.; (307) 455-3828.

Rustic Pine Tavern and Steakhouse. Steaks, pasta, and seafood are served in an Old West setting. Dinner nightly 1235. Ramshorn; (307) 455-2430.

Twin Pines Lodge & Cabins. Historic log lodge dates from 1934. Warm quilts cover beds made from hand-peeled logs. 16 rooms from $40. 218 W Ramshorn; (800) 550-6332.

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