South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks are trying to introduce big horn sheep the the Deadwood area. Back in 2002, Deadwood almost burned in the Grizzly Gulch Fire. Thanks to hardworking firefighters only a few homes were lost. From the bad comes something good. The good in this scenario is the fire created the perfect habitat for big horn sheep. We have some herds of big horns in the southern hills, but haven't seen any here in the northern hills.
My husband was lucky enough to see the 26 sheep released. They were brought down from Canada in horse trailers. After 38 hours in a trailer, they were ready to go. When the gates were opened the sheep took off and never looked back. It was a good thing he had the camera ready.
You can tell from the photo above that the burned area has provided plenty of grass. A few days after being released one got a little confused and ended up in Deadwood. Maybe she wanted to do some gambling. Somebody thought it was a pet goat that had escaped.
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Before you know it we will get photos like this one a co-worker took. They are a common sight at this gas station outside of Hill City. Thus, the statue. This big guy wasn't sure if it was real or not. Pat, the photographer, said the ram looked like he was going to nail the statue with everything, then at the last minute he would just tap it. They are great photos.
I love living in the Black Hills. There is always something to do or see. I am excited to see if the project is a success. I will keep you updated.
My husband was lucky enough to see the 26 sheep released. They were brought down from Canada in horse trailers. After 38 hours in a trailer, they were ready to go. When the gates were opened the sheep took off and never looked back. It was a good thing he had the camera ready.
You can tell from the photo above that the burned area has provided plenty of grass. A few days after being released one got a little confused and ended up in Deadwood. Maybe she wanted to do some gambling. Somebody thought it was a pet goat that had escaped.
That is so funny that the Ram thinks the statue is a rival. We don't have many sheep around us. When we were back in Britain last month that was one thing I noticed a lot of sheep; they were everywhere. I hope they thrive in your area and grow into big flocks.
ReplyDeleteLovely creatures to enjoy. Going to school in Tucson, we often backpacked into the mountains to catch a glimpse. I have seen them in Custer when working out there.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. I hope the project works.
ReplyDeleteI love the pictures of the ram sparring with the statue! Only in the west! :) I can't imagine anything even close to that here...unless you count a group of heifers kicking up their heels on the neighboring golf course!! (thankfully not ours...they caused some damage!)
ReplyDeleteThat is just amazing seeing that sheep but that statue. I think I would love to have big horn sheep around. That would be an amazing sight.
ReplyDeleteIt'll be fun to see if the project takes hold. Keep us updated, Bonnie.
ReplyDeleteHow cool! I hope the reintroduction is successful and that we'll be seeing big horns in later posts of yours :)
ReplyDeleteThe poor guy, it must have really been confused! Your gas prices look great, ours are not that low.
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat to see the animals. Thank you for sharing, XOXO
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