South Dakota Bighorn Sheep Hunting
Bighorn Sheep Hunting in South Dakota 2010
A limited number of licenses are available to residents only for specific areas in the southern Black Hills.
Take a look around at the tools and information on the left to find Season Dates, License and Application Requirements and much more.
South Dakota Bighorn Sheep Information
Bighorn Sheep are named for the large, curved horns borne by the males, or rams. Females, or ewes, also have horns, but they are short with only a slight curvature. They range in color from light brown to grayish or dark, chocolate brown, with a white rump and lining on the back of all four legs.
Bighorn sheep graze on grasses and browse shrubs, particularly in fall and winter, and seek minerals at natural salt licks. Bighorns are well adapted to climbing steep terrain where they seek cover from predators such as coyotes, golden eagles, and cougars. They live in large herds, but do not have the strict dominance hierarchy of the mouflon: that is, they do not automatically follow a single leader ram, unlike the Asiatic ancestors of the domestic sheep.
Prior to the mating season or "rut", the rams attempt to establish a dominance hierarchy that determines access to ewes for mating. It is during the prerut period that most of the characteristic horn clashing occurs between rams, although this behavior may occur to a limited extent throughout the year. Ram's horns can frequently exhibit damage from repeated clashes.
Bighorn Sheep are considered good indicators of land health because the species is sensitive to many human-induced environmental problems. In addition to their aesthetic value, Bighorn Sheep are considered desirable game animals by hunters. The Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada Bighorn occupy the cooler mountainous regions of Canada and the United States. In contrast, the Desert Bighorn Sheep subspecies are indigenous to the hot desert ecosystems of the Southwestern United States.
If you are ready to hunt Antelope in South Dakota, or need more information, stop by our Galleries, Forums or Blog to get the latest scoop on the the 2010 South Dakota Antelope Hunting Season.
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South Dakota Hunting provides information on Pheasant Hunting, big game hunting, small game hunting, waterfowl hunting, and predator hunting. If you are looking for a professional outfitter to guide you on your hunt, South Daktoa Outfitters is where you will find it.
