I believe these sheep were out on the river to get a drink of water. They seemed to be a bit nervous about being so exposed to potential predators and soon retreated to higher ground.
Ice crystals create rainbow like spectrum in the sky on a cold January day in Alberta.
Escape behaviour in bighorn sheep usually involves running as fast as possible into steep terrain to avoid predators.
The bighorn rut in late fall leaves the rams bruised and battered.
Breathing through the mouth exposes olfactory glands that are sensitive to the pheromones of ewes in heat.
This bighorn sheep has seen a few battles.
In pursuit of a mate, it never ends.
Single file conserves energy when travelling in deep snow.
I have witnessed Bighorn Sheep just start to run for no apparent reason. Sometimes I think they do it for the sheer joy of running.
Strength in numbers