The Chocolate Ram!!!

[Slider]

I shot these today. Pope get out your book and tell me what he scores!!!

[Slider]

 

[WDFW-SUX]

 

[boneaddict]

Great shots! Great Rams. 

[Red Dawg]

 

[klickriverchromer]

nice pic's man.  that lighter colored ram is a dandy.

[Timber]

Great pictures! Those are some tremendous California Bighorns! What do you guys think, 175?

[Ridgerunner]

IT would be interesting to see what someone who really knows something thinks about those rams.  At first I really like the chocolate ram with all the character his horns have, but then the shot of both of them and the other ram dwarfs the chocolate ram. 

[Bigshooter]

those are a couple of toads....

[jackelope]

awesome rams...disclaimer...i don't know squat about rams and how to judge them or anything other than the fact they are bighorn sheep...but they look young to me. their horns are not broomed, i tried counting rings, but not really sure what i am looking for but i think i see 6 growth rings on the chocolate ram... they're dandys, all of them, but i think they are young and will grow a lot heavier in a few more years.
anybody?

[archery288]

that gets the ol' blood flowin'!!!!  

[DOUBLELUNG]

Nope.  They're both at least 9 y.o, and I'm pretty sure the darker guy is at least 10.  The annuli (growth rings) are widely spaced at ages 1 1/2 to 5 1/2 (occasionally 6 1/2), then horn growth slows way down - 1/8"-1" between years.  They're both broomed to the base of the lamb tip, so you don't see the ring from the juvenile winter; nor is there enough growth to see the ring from the past winter.  They'll get a little bigger, but don't have many years left either (if they're not shot, rams in Swakane die during their 12th-14th winter). 

I've seen an old Rocky that added 2" of horn length his last 8 years of life (he was 14).

[Ridgerunner]

I know a little and from what I can tell the lighter color ram is the older ram, definately in his prime, look at how he carries the weight all the way to the tip of his horns, the chocolate ram still has some growing to do but is probably 6-7 years old and just needs a couple more years to put the mass on.  

[jackelope]

thanks doublelung. i will take your word for it.

[popeshawnpaul]

I recognize those rams...  I gotta say, your lens is nice and sharp.  I don't think you realize what you got for photo equipment.  With a little composition and Photoshop (my fault) I think you are good to go.  

The chocolate ram is nice, but I like the broken nose grey ram...  Stone?  I only count 7-8 years from his horns...leaving him some time for aging.  Score?  I dunno, lets let ramslam score him or some other expert.  I gotta guess at least 160 and from there I have to get out my book and compare him to other cali rams.  He might push 170 but I'm not sure...  Man I gotta get over there and do some more hiking.  That was fun.

Shawn