Georgetown – Although it was still early, the morning sun slowly illuminating the Clear Creek Valley had been joined by an air of disappointment. As layers of clothes were peeled from our warming shoulders, layers of cold doubt and frustration settled in.
“This is impossible,” my hiking partner lamented as we kicked stones along the high, windy ridge separating Georgetown from Empire. “They could be anywhere.”
“They,” in this instance, were the nearly 400 head of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep known to the local Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) office as the “Georgetown Herd.” And while, yes, they could be in just about any rocky nook or sheltered cranny making up the hoof-friendly habitat of the surrounding mountain landscape, it stood to reason that the massive Georgetown Herd might be hanging around somewhere near, say, Georgetown. It’s not like we hadn’t seen any of them from Interstate 70 only a few days before.
Today was meant to be different, though. Designated the inaugural Georgetown Bighorn Sheep Festival by a friendly collective that included the namesake community and the Watchable Wildlife department of the CDOW, the event was presented as a sort of “can’t miss” opportunity to catch an up-close view of the herd in peak rut on this second Saturday in November. Our plan was to get a bit of exercise while getting just a little closer.
Like a majority of local residents, my companion and I consider wildlife-watching an important part of life here in Colorado. In fact, based upon a 2001 study conducted for the CDOW by the College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University, almost all Coloradans report that one of the reasons they visit the outdoors is for the chance to view wildlife. And, like us, the majority of survey respondents prefer to combine their wildlife watching with other activities, whether it’s day hiking, camping, picnicking or simply sightseeing from the car. Interestingly enough, the somewhat dated study indicates that non-consumptive wildlife viewers actually outnumber hunters in Colorado by 6 to 1.
But just as most Coloradans report a preference for viewing wild animals in a wild setting, studies indicate there is generally far more interest in seeing those animals than actual success. Perhaps my partner’s pessimism had merit.
Still, the inclination toward a wilderness setting lacking any guarantees suggests that some of the enjoyment in wildlife viewing comes from the challenge of learning about and finding the animal you’re looking for. So you might imagine the pleasure I took in leaning down to study what appeared to be a fresh hoof print as my partner looked over my shoulder and proudly announced, “There they are!”
It is unlikely that any of the dozen or so rams and ewes congregated maybe half a mile from our perch had left the tracks at my feet, but as we traded the binoculars back and forth to capture close-up views of the storied clashes between dominant rams, that didn’t make a lick of difference. The sounds of head-butting horns resonated throughout the hills like hardball on hickory at a home run derby and we scrambled down the slope for a better perspective.
CDOW offers workshops
As it turns out, many of the best opportunities to view the massive, coiled horns of Colorado’s state animal really are from the roadside, especially during the fall rut that typically peaks around Thanksgiving. And one of the best opportunities to learn techniques for spotting the animals in the wild are offered through the CDOW’s Wildlife Watch viewing skills workshops, a brief abridgment of which we were treated to during a Bighorn Festival program later that afternoon.
Designed to sharpen your senses to the sights and sounds of nature, the four-hour workshops help anyone age 10 and older discover where, when and how to watch wildlife responsibly, how to choose and use binoculars, how to use a range map and field guide, and how to interpret wildlife habitats and signs on a nature walk. The workshops are designed for individuals, families, community groups and others for a fee of $15 per person (or family), with special group rates available. Space must be reserved by calling 303-291-7258 or e-mailing wildlife.watch@state.co.us (forthcoming workshops are scheduled for Nov. 24 in Grand Junction and Dec. 3 in Aurora).
“We just want people to be aware of all the opportunities that exist to view these animals and the ways to do it respectfully,” said Ty Petersburg, the CDOW district wildlife manager for the Georgetown area.
As the final big game rifle hunting season (for deer and elk, not sheep) wraps up at the end of the week, less experienced wildlife watchers can take their turn at tracking and observing Colorado’s big animals in relative solitude. For those seeking a mellower perspective on bighorn sheep viewing, volunteers will continue to staff the CDOW’s wildlife viewing station along the banks of Georgetown Lake every weekend throughout November and much of December, helping spectators spot the camouflaged mammals through well-positioned scopes. Lines rarely are long.
Two gulches recommended
Local wildlife biologist Sheri Huwer and Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society president John Legnard recommend hikes in Watcher’s Gulch or Herman’s Gulch (just east of Eisenhower Tunnel off I-70 at Exit 218) for those seeking a more adventurous undertaking. A comprehensive list of viewing sites for all the state’s wildlife can be found in the Colorado Wildlife Viewing Guide, Second Edition, by Mary Taylor Young.
Beyond bighorns, deer, elk and moose are among the most popular spectator species around Colorado. Elk viewers who don’t want to compete with the crowds at Rocky Mountain National Park might try the Dowd Junction Elk Viewing Area found at the White River National Forest Ranger Station just north of Minturn at Exit 171 off I-70. The area serves as winter range for several hundred elk.
If you want to incorporate a hike to observe elk, consider Mueller State Park, just south of Divide on Colorado 67.
The Colorado State Forest State Park and Moose Center near Walden (970-723-8366) has the largest concentration of moose in the state, along with interpretive displays and checklists to aid your search. Two self-guided nature trails, a self-guided auto tour and a viewing deck 7 miles into the State Forest along County Road 41 offer opportunities to observe mule deer and elk, in addition to moose and other species.
Noticing nature
Wildlife watching tips for bighorn sheep:
* Pick a spot far enough away from animals that you won’t alert them to your presence.
* Leave the dog at home (wolves are natural predators).
* Use binoculars or a scope to find animals.
* Look for movement, the white “long-johns” of bighorn sheep hanging on the hillside or sun glinting off their horns.
* Check ridgelines and rock outcrops.
* Don’t spend time looking in the trees.
* If you find one, there probably are more.
* Search the area multiple times (bighorn sheep blend in really well).
– Courtesy of Sheri Huwer, DOW wildlife biologist
Staff writer Scott Willoughby can be reached at 303-954-1993 or swilloughby@denverpost.com.
