Head buttin'

Gallery: WildlifePosted May 6, 2014227 views9 comments

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I've posted here, so I figure it's time to start again. We were in Waterton National Park trying to spot some early season bears. My mom spotted a huge herd of Bighorn Sheep grazing on a small slope. My dad, brother, and I got out with our gear and set up. There were three rams in particular that were feeling frisky. They would each take a turn rubbing and head butting a tree and then turn to the others and ram them. The two pictured here were the most active. This is actually the moment of impact, even though it looks like they are just rubbing heads. If you look really close you can see hair flying above their heads from the force of the impact! I couldn't believe how loud it was! The bang from the rams colliding echoed through the mountains.

Thanks for lookin'!

Nikon D7100
Nikkor AF-S 300mm f/2.8 IF-ED VR
ISO 2000
1/250sec @ f/9
Tripod mounted

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Marsel van Oosten on May 6, 2014 at 7:56 AM

Nice one Jenaya. You're right, it doesn't look like there's much action going on. Before reading your story, I thought they were just rubbing heads. In a perfect world (my perfect world that is) I'd love to see a more symmetrical angle, but I realize these animals don't listen very well to photographic instructions

It looks pretty sharp for 1/250s, I would have expected a bit more motion blur.

Registered on March 9, 2004, 285 Posts, 2277 Comments

Comment posted by John Tobias on May 6, 2014 at 4:32 PM

Nicely composed and exposed. But, I think to show the head butting action a wider shot would have been better. Any chance you got one? Like the hair in the air. Thanks for sharing.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments

Comment posted by Carol Nichols on May 6, 2014 at 5:15 PM

Hi Jenaya - Congratulations on winning the Birds as Art photography contest (Youth Division) for the second time in a row! And nice Bighorn shot too.

Registered on November 7, 2007, 161 Posts, 1420 Comments

Comment posted by William Bickle on May 6, 2014 at 8:08 PM

Hello Jenaya

Great to Witness ! good Details , and enjoy the encounter explained so well.

Bill

Registered on June 13, 2011, 183 Posts, 1702 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Cloran on May 6, 2014 at 11:54 PM

Great angle on this take. It may not look like much action, and then you look at the larger version and notice the grass bits flying in the air around the horns. Well done. I think this qualifies as Excedrin Headache No 41.

Registered on April 6, 2004, 119 Posts, 1989 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Watkins on May 7, 2014 at 12:37 PM

Jenya,
This to my eyes is far better than your earlier post, pity you could not get the sound as well

Registered on December 15, 2010, 1537 Posts, 4877 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on May 8, 2014 at 4:48 PM

Nice one Jenaya - I actually like your close-up perspective here. I see Marsel's point though, perhaps an even slower SS to show the motion might have worked better? Can imagine these guys hitting each other hard!