2017 Wildlife Photo Contest

Species: Sierra Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae) | Location: Inyo National Forest, Sierra Nevada Mountains, United States of America

My brothers and I were backpacking in a remote region of California's Sierra Nevada Mountains, near the Baxter Lakes, when we turned a corner and surprised a herd of 20 endangered bighorn sheep. Startled, they raced up a nearby ridge, then as a group turned around and stared back down at us, as if posing for a photo. I could almost picture one of the leaders whipping out a camera and taking a shot of us. When I spoke with a ranger about them later, he told me the leader is tagged so the group can be followed.

About The Photographer

I've been taking photographs since I was a boy, both family pictures and photos of desert and mountain wilderness areas. All my life I'd hoped to see a bighorn sheep in its native habitat, but never a one--until this herd of 20 deep in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains.