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Buford Posts: 459
4/18/2019
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Summer is coming
Bighorn Sheep count 2019
Orientation June 22 (Mandatory for first time counters)
Checkin July 4th
Count dates of July 5-7th
I know a couple people on here regularly volunteer for the count. For anyone interested, see the attached signup sheet.
From a previous year:
edited by Buford on 4/19/2019
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Links to my photos: ABDSP photos, Bighorn sheep photos, ABDSP time lapse video, Wildlife photos (mainly birds)
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
4/18/2019
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Thanks Buford....if anyone is interested, sign up and go to the orientation, there will be several new counting locations this year and there are sites available for all skill levels from park and sit to backpacking.
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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Buford Posts: 459
4/18/2019
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I noticed the new locations. I don’t know about Sentenac, but Agua Caliente sounds cool. I have seen lots of sheep near there the last couple years.
For those interested some past count reports:
http://www.anzaborrego.net/anzaborrego/forum/topic123-bighorn-sheep-count-.aspx
http://www.anzaborrego.net/anzaborrego/forum/topic578-bighorn-sheep-count-.aspx
http://www.anzaborrego.net/anzaborrego/forum/topic1074-sheep-count-.aspx
http://www.anzaborrego.net/anzaborrego/forum/topic1300--sheep-count-info.aspx
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Links to my photos: ABDSP photos, Bighorn sheep photos, ABDSP time lapse video, Wildlife photos (mainly birds)
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ziphius Posts: 911
4/19/2019
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Sent my form in this morning! See ya'll at orientation.
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http://www.coyotelearning.org
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
4/19/2019
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I sent in mine also...I will not be counting RS Spring this year due to my back surgery but we have a more than qualified person to fill in for me. Will be curious to see how the new count sites work out.
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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ziphius Posts: 911
4/19/2019
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Daren, glad to hear you will have recovered enough to participate. 
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http://www.coyotelearning.org
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
4/19/2019
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ziphius wrote:
Daren, glad to hear you will have recovered enough to participate. Thanks Jim...not sure where just yet...maybe the pup fish pond..?? 
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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Buford Posts: 459
4/19/2019
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I sent my form in as well. Always a good time to see the desert in the summer.
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Links to my photos: ABDSP photos, Bighorn sheep photos, ABDSP time lapse video, Wildlife photos (mainly birds)
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ziphius Posts: 911
4/20/2019
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dsefcik wrote:
ziphius wrote:
Daren, glad to hear you will have recovered enough to participate. Thanks Jim...not sure where just yet...maybe the pup fish pond..??
Easy sheep man! Shaded bathrooms!
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http://www.coyotelearning.org
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rockhopper Posts: 668
4/20/2019
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dsefcik wrote:
I sent in mine also...I will not be counting RS Spring this year due to my back surgery but we have a more than qualified person to fill in for me. Will be curious to see how the new count sites work out.
Looks like we will be in Colorado around the time of the BHS count. Need to make it one year. Daren: Good luck with the back. Trick worked for me: Two tennis balls on the carpet floor. Roll back and forth. One ball each side of spine. Loosens the tight muscles up. Old Chiropractor told me this trick. Lots of Tumeric and fish oil also helped. Good luck with it and you will be backpacking again.
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Buford Posts: 459
5/20/2019
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Reminder, anyone thinking of doing this should attend the orientation.
Some more pics from previous counts:
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Links to my photos: ABDSP photos, Bighorn sheep photos, ABDSP time lapse video, Wildlife photos (mainly birds)
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Buford Posts: 459
7/9/2019
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Another fun count this year.
I took the backroads to the desert and saw this guy run in front of me. I pulled over and took a picture as he buried himself to try and hide.
The remarkable thing was we saw 99-100% lamb survival. Every single ewe that came over the hill had a lamb following her. The lambs ranged in age.
Even the pros get cholla bombed:
Some more pics:
Messing around in the slow hours to kill time:
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Links to my photos: ABDSP photos, Bighorn sheep photos, ABDSP time lapse video, Wildlife photos (mainly birds)
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ziphius Posts: 911
7/10/2019
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I'd noticed the 20:20 lamb:ewe ratio in the final count and was amazed also. Nice photos. How was the water at the spring?
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http://www.coyotelearning.org
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ziphius Posts: 911
7/10/2019
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Short blog about the Big Spring 2019 experience.
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http://www.coyotelearning.org
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
7/10/2019
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Buford wrote:
The remarkable thing was we saw 99-100% lamb survival. Every single ewe that came over the hill had a lamb following her. The lambs ranged in age.
At first glance the 1:1 ewe:lamb ratio did not surprise me as it seemed like we always saw the ewes with lambs....however, looking back at previous years results it was roughly a 70% ratio.
I would swear I have taken pictures of that same agave.....
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
7/10/2019
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Photos from the new Agua Caliente count site...
https://www.darensefcik.com/Photography/Anza-Borrego-Desert-State-Park/Bighorn-Sheep-Count-2019
Drive right in, kick out the cooler, swim in the pool, chase out airplane landing guests looking to sneak into the park, count BHS, have a few ice cold drinks.....twist my arm to go back next year.....
Oh wait, forgot...USE A CHAIR!!
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
7/10/2019
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ziphius wrote:
Short blog about the Big Spring 2019 experience. Ramsey is bad ass...!!
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
7/10/2019
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The final BHS count totals attached
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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ziphius Posts: 911
7/10/2019
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Love the photos Daren, particularly the trail cams. Agua Caliente was long-overdue to become a regular count site (or was it also a count site long ago?). Chairs, ice chests, swimming pool .... you've paid your dues.
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http://www.coyotelearning.org
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Buford Posts: 459
7/10/2019
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Agua Caliente sounds resort like. Great pictures too. I carried in a real chair to our count site and it was worth it.
That Ramsey stuffed animal is awesome. Too bad it didn’t bring in sheep.
We are 100% confident in our ewe lamb ratio with a margin of error of 1. It was either 19/20 or 20/20. There was some water in the spring, but it was drained by the sheep each day. It replenished at night.
That agave in our photos is probably the same one. It is right in front of the count site.
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Links to my photos: ABDSP photos, Bighorn sheep photos, ABDSP time lapse video, Wildlife photos (mainly birds)
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Buford Posts: 459
10/5/2019
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I finally got some video together from the sheep count. All of it is pretty shaky since it is hand held and a long long lens.
A ewe fending off the attention of a young ram. This went on for hours. I only took a short video clip:
Here is a composite of clips showing more sheep:
->Edit to add full res link to second video.
edited by Buford on 10/5/2019
edited by Buford on 10/5/2019
edited by Buford on 10/5/2019
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Links to my photos: ABDSP photos, Bighorn sheep photos, ABDSP time lapse video, Wildlife photos (mainly birds)
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deborah Posts: 115
10/6/2019
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Thanks for sharing these! When I'm lucky enough to see any it's usually just for an instant before they disappear. The lambs are cute as can be.
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