Bighorn Sheep | Photography

Did you know that they is a herd of Bighorn Sheep that live near John Day, Oregon and sometimes you can see them from I-84?

Whenever my husband's family and I head over to Hermiston (and beyond) we keep our eyes on the rocky, steep hillside. We recently made a trip to Owyhee and on the way out there was no sign of the herd. It was a beautiful sunny day, so the herd was probably high up on the plateau or hidden in a canyon relaxing in some shade.

But on the return trip, John spotted the herd. He got off at the next exit and pulled off I-84 so that I could shimmy out of the Highlander and walk along the guardrail to photography the mighty Bighorn Sheep. Now, pulling along the shoulder of I-84 is not for the faint of heart, there's quite a blast from semi trucks barreling down the freeway at 60+ miles an hour.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the time made by John to photography these serene creatures. There are seven in the herd and about a month ago there were two more. Sadly those two were poached. Only two tags are released a year to hunt the Bighorn Sheep a year in Oregon, that's how low the population is and with people poaching, it benefits no one. Thankfully, both poachers were caught in the act and they had no chance at getting away.

I hope you enjoy these photos and keep an eye out for wildlife.