Different wildlife

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firesilage
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Joined: October 9th, 2021, 8:42 am

Different wildlife

Post by firesilage » October 9th, 2021, 8:57 am

I enjoy taking photos of different animals while hiking. I would like to take some photos of the neat looking sheep. Sometimes people call them aoudad other times they say Barbary sheep. I don't know which one is its real name. Has anyone seen these during their outings? Thank you

johnspeth
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Joined: July 30th, 2013, 8:33 am

Re: Different wildlife

Post by johnspeth » October 9th, 2021, 9:33 am

According to several google hits, only bighorn sheep are found in Oregon. They are usually found in NE Oregon.

firesilage
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Joined: October 9th, 2021, 8:42 am

Re: Different wildlife

Post by firesilage » October 9th, 2021, 11:11 am

I have found several videos on YouTube of them, I belive somewhere in the central part of the state. I don't know how many there are. Maybe they are all on private ground?

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Waffle Stomper
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Re: Different wildlife

Post by Waffle Stomper » October 9th, 2021, 11:17 am

If you are looking for close to Portland, Bighorn sheep can be seen along I-84, between Biggs and the Dalles, I've seen them several times in the morning, but parking to photograph them could get you a ticket. There are areas where they have been introduced and you might see some along the lower Deschutes River and John Day. Otherwise most are in NE Oregon.

You can easily find resources online if you are seeking them out, but they are very elusive critters.
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." - John Muir

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retired jerry
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Re: Different wildlife

Post by retired jerry » October 9th, 2021, 11:18 am

hmmm... something fishy here :)

I often see bighorn sheep along the Deschutes River

are you out of Portland?

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Waffle Stomper
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Re: Different wildlife

Post by Waffle Stomper » October 9th, 2021, 11:22 am

retired jerry wrote:
October 9th, 2021, 11:18 am
hmmm... something fishy here :)
I have similar thoughts. It is hunting season and some controlled hunts are open or opening up.
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." - John Muir

johnspeth
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Joined: July 30th, 2013, 8:33 am

Re: Different wildlife

Post by johnspeth » October 9th, 2021, 1:40 pm

firesilage wrote:
October 9th, 2021, 11:11 am
I have found several videos on YouTube of them, I belive somewhere in the central part of the state. I don't know how many there are. Maybe they are all on private ground?
You're probably right about private land. This private hunting ranch near Fossil has them. I hope they're keeping them confined to the ranch.

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bobcat
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Location: SW Portland

Re: Different wildlife

Post by bobcat » October 10th, 2021, 4:36 pm

Barbary sheep a.k.a. the aoudad are native to the mountains of north Africa (Morocco to Egypt). In Oregon, they along with various other exotic goats, sheep, and antelope are present on a couple of private ranches east of the Cascades as trophy targets (for the price tag of a few thousand $$$) for those willing to pay the price. To each their own.

If you really want to photograph them, I'd go to Morocco (pretty safe), Algeria (less safe), or Libya (not safe at all) to get them in their native habitat.

cfm
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Re: Different wildlife

Post by cfm » October 14th, 2021, 5:56 pm

I met this guy on Steens Mountain a few days ago:
ram2.JPG

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bobcat
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Location: SW Portland

Re: Different wildlife

Post by bobcat » October 15th, 2021, 7:05 pm

Great shot! Photographers can take as many pics as they want; hunters get one tag per lifetime. Just to be clear to those who may not immediately recognize it, the ram is a California bighorn, not an aoudad. Bighorn sheep are native but became extinct in Oregon; successful reintroduction efforts began in the 1950s.

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