A NATURALISTS DREAM

Have you ever wanted to get “up close and personal” with a Bighorn Sheep? Tours led by the National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Center in Dubois get up close to the majestic animals. I didn’t know anything about this until a recent article in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle pointed it out.

I believe they are some of the most amazing animals in Wyoming. Throughout the year, the National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Center offers wildlife viewing tours of sheep habitat that meander several miles through a section of property owned by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The area butts up against the Fitzpatrick Wilderness Area, which is a gateway for the sheep from their summer range high in the Bridger-Teton National Forest to their winter range. The tours are most popular this time of year when the annual breeding season, or rut, turns the male sheep into reproductive machines.

Interested? Wildlife viewing tours cost $25 per person, regardless of age. They start at 9 a.m. and can last up to five hours but average three to four hours. The center can accommodate six people on each tour. Binoculars and spotting scopes are provided.

The Whiskey Mountain Habitat Area is open, wind-swept country. Dressing in layers is strongly advised, paying particular attention to head, hands and feet. Reservations are required 24 hours in advance. For more information, call 1-888-209-2795, e-mail info@bighorn.org or write to National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Center, P.O. Box 1435, Dubois, WY 82513.