Do Sheep Rub/Ram Trees?

[Big Bull]

Just wondering if any of you sheep hunters have ever seen Bighorn Sheep rubbing their horns on trees or using the trees to practice head butting?

[ishootbambi]

i watched a ram...the one i killed....rub a small pine tree quite vigorously. he looked just like a whitetail rubbing his antlers. i never knew they did that....but after discussing it with other sheep hunters, they said they too have seen it. i havent seen one headbutt a tree though.

[sheepguide]

Ive watched alot of rams rub trees. They seem to do it at all times of the year too. They will even rub rocks on occasion.
My uncle has a ram that he killed that is broomed perfectly smooth from using trees, and the rams horns are blackish from rubbing on spruce and pine.
SG

[ishootbambi]

darcy, have you ever seen a ram brooming? i have heard a few theories on it. one is that the horn blocks their view so they break them back to be able to see. i dunno.....i think the thought that makes more sense is that they break tips off when they ram their heads and dont hit squarely. the glancing blow then is directed to tips sweeping up. the world record is a great example. he curls in so tight to his cheeks that his vision had to be impaired a whole bunch as the tips then came up in front of the eyes. for that matter, has anyone seen a ram whacking his horns on rocks?

[sheepguide]

Rams end up broomed both ways mentioned. Lots of tips get busted when fighting but lots are self broomed also. I watched a ram up Indian Head creek in the park broom at least an inch and a half off one horn that was already broomed a bit on a rock outcropping and many others rubbing on rocks and trees in the same matter.
If you look at thin horned sheep the broomed rams tend to have horn configuration more like a bighorn. The wider flairing typical thin horn rams tend to not broom near as often(from my personal experience anyways).
and they say this is because it flares the horns away from the eyes so they have better vision.
SG

[Tundra Monkey]

Yup.....killed a ram that was doing just that a month ago. I've heard stories about "dark horned" rams living in the spruce trees.....I would never have believed it but the guy who was telling me this a few years ago is a total sheep nut....and I've learned to trust them old fellas. We finally found one this year I'll post a few pics later this week once they're all downloaded.

As far as brooming goes I fall into the category of them doing it to see better. Most 8 yr old horns I've seen have very little if any brooming but by 9 they've really started to do it.....don't find too many "pretty" 15yr old rams.....but what they lack in "pretty"......they make up for in the "cool factor"!!!!!

tm

ps....2 months away from you guys is waaaayyyy toooooo long

[ovis40]

Years ago I would head west of Mtn Aire (?) lodge in the spring and spend Sundays with the rams before they headed for the park. One Sunday I was hanging out with three very nice rams. They would allow me to get about 40 yards from them before they would move away. I was taking pictures and pushed them a bit and as the largest ram started to walk away he reared up and smashed into a pine tree. I managed to get three fast pictures of this. After they move away I took some pictures of the tree also. This wasn't the first time that tree had been beat up. If I was home I would post a picture of him nailing that tree. If I remember I'll post one in November when I get home.

[spurly]

I have seen them beating the hell out of little spruce trees quite a few times, in burnt areas, they like to chew the charcoal off the tree trunks. Have also seen them rubbing on rocks, but I think they mostly end up breaking the tips from fighting.

[Big Bull]

Thanks for the replies guys! Now, if I could just get a pic of a ram butting a tree?

[nube]

Just found a little hole that was littered with trees all rubbed like the one in the picture. The whole area stunk like a barnyard full of sheep. They usually rub only on pine and spruce type trees. Lots of old rams are flat on the bases as they fill up with sap and rub them flat. If you find an area like this you are in the right spot. I only know of 2 spots like this that have significant amount of rubbing. Too bad one happens to be 2 miles into a park with about 40 rams that make the area home. I found a few dead ones in these areas as well as it seems they live there all the time and die of old age. Coupel cranker old rams I have found at the bottoms of the hills from these places of in the creek bottoms. Too bad you can't bring them out of the parks or I would have a few treasures for sure.

Check the wooden power poles out net time you are in Cadomin. Those huge divots are from sheep. Watched one ram butt a power pole for nearly 30 minutes one day. I'll see if I can find the pics.

[Skinnydipper]

The only picture I have is of one rubbing a pine tree: