Post by Mountainman on Dec 23, 2005 18:45:32 GMT -7
Possible World Record Bighorn Dies Of Old Age In Colorado
FORT CARSON, CO-The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) announced last week that one of the state's oldest bighorn sheep--and possibly the largest bighorn ram in the state--has died of old age on the southern end of Fort Carson.
The DOW says the ram died in late November after spending most of his life on a piece of private property along the Arkansas River. An autopsy showed the ram was 12-13 years old, which the DOW says is a long life span for a bighorn sheep. The DOW says the autopsy also revealed the ram suffered from heart and lung problems, arthritis and a chest infection. The animal also had broken several ribs sometime in the past.
The DOW says based on the size of the ram's horns, it has little doubt that he's the largest bighorn ram to ever live in Colorado. It says whether the ram will qualify as a new world record will have to wait until after the mandatory 60-day drying period, when the DOW says it will have the ram's horns measured by an official Boone and Crockett Club scorer to determine whether the ram will challenge the current world record bighorn, a ram killed by a hunter in Alberta in 2000, that scored 208 3/8 B&C points.
The DOW says regardless of what the ram's horns score, it plans to have the animal's body mounted by a taxidermist and then put on display at the DOW's headquarters in Denver.
FORT CARSON, CO-The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) announced last week that one of the state's oldest bighorn sheep--and possibly the largest bighorn ram in the state--has died of old age on the southern end of Fort Carson.
The DOW says the ram died in late November after spending most of his life on a piece of private property along the Arkansas River. An autopsy showed the ram was 12-13 years old, which the DOW says is a long life span for a bighorn sheep. The DOW says the autopsy also revealed the ram suffered from heart and lung problems, arthritis and a chest infection. The animal also had broken several ribs sometime in the past.
The DOW says based on the size of the ram's horns, it has little doubt that he's the largest bighorn ram to ever live in Colorado. It says whether the ram will qualify as a new world record will have to wait until after the mandatory 60-day drying period, when the DOW says it will have the ram's horns measured by an official Boone and Crockett Club scorer to determine whether the ram will challenge the current world record bighorn, a ram killed by a hunter in Alberta in 2000, that scored 208 3/8 B&C points.
The DOW says regardless of what the ram's horns score, it plans to have the animal's body mounted by a taxidermist and then put on display at the DOW's headquarters in Denver.