MOAB — A chance to view desert bighorn sheep in sunny southeastern Utah will be available Nov. 19 and 20 as the Division of Wildlife Resources hosts its annual Moab Bighorn Sheep Festival. The event is free to the public, and participants of all ages are invited.

Sheep watchers are encouraged to bring a pair of binoculars or a spotting scope, snacks, beverages and a camera. DWR staff will guide participants to locations where bighorns have recently been observed. DWR personnel will also have extra spotting scopes and binoculars for people to use. They'll also have several Ford Expeditions on-hand for those who don't have the type of vehicle needed to reach the areas where the sheep are.

The event begins on Friday evening, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. in the Moab Information Center, located at the corner of Center and Main. Bill Bates, the DWR's wildlife manager for southeastern Utah, will present a PowerPoint program on bighorn sheep ecology and life history. Bates studied desert bighorn sheep in the Moab area for his Master's Degree thesis. He will display skulls and horns of bighorn sheep and answer any questions people have.

At 8 a.m. the following morning (Nov. 20) participants will gather again at the Moab Information Center, where they'll split into groups to go in search of bighorn sheep. A DWR wildlife biologist will guide each caravan of vehicles. All parties will be in radio contact with one another, so everyone can be advised of another group's success at finding sheep.

Those who wish to drive their own vehicles may leave the group at any time. For those who ride-share, fieldtrips generally finish by noon or early afternoon.

The festival has been scheduled for the Nov. 19–20 weekend because DWR biologists will have completed their aerial bighorn sheep surveys by then. This will help them locate sheep for festival participants.

Another reason for the late November scheduling is the fact that bighorn sheep are in the rut at that time. Bighorn rams seek out ewes for breeding and engage other rams in head-butting and other ritual showmanship. This makes for exciting public viewing.

For more information, contact Brent Stettler at (435) 636-0266.

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