It slows with age, so rings tend to be closer together toward the base in older rams. Growth is typically fastest during the second year, resulting in a wide spacing between the first and second rings. Winter is the time of stress for Yellowstone bighorns (mating season is early winter and food resources are more limited in winter), so growth slows considerably, resulting in an annular ring. Similar to tree rings, the growth varies during the year according to conditions like favorable nutrition. Unlike the antlers of members of the deer family, the horns of bighorn sheep continue to grow throughout their lives (they are not shed). I present below what I have gleaned from a variety of web resources. Indeed, there is a lot of information out there, but it seems to me that aging rams by their horns is somewhat of an art form. I had heard that you can approximate the age of a ram by counting annular rings on its horns, so that had me searching the internet when I got home to see what I could find. On our Yellowstone trip last month, we were lucky to see a few nice specimens of mature Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep rams (males). But that had me thinking…how do you age a ram? Sources claim that going into the 2021 season, the LA Rams were fielding the youngest roster in the NFL. They also have cool horns that fit nicely on a helmet. Methinks the choice of a ram as a team mascot is a wise one – they are sure-footed, brawny, and capable of withstanding hard hits. In honor of today’s contest between formidable members of the animal kingdom, I offer this short meander into the world of rams. ~Jack O’Connor Los Angeles Rams helmet (click photos to enlarge) The wild ram embodies the mystery and magic of the mountains…
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