Is Bawana59..... your secret identity STAGMAN

Oh man- better than I expected for sure ! great sheep

They look a lot like the Hill Country Bighorns Thompson Temple had been breeding. Big Horn, Mouflon, Stumberg, Transcaspian Urial

Thompson has some great sheep in other breeds just not the Hybrid Bighorns.

These are way better output of a Bighorn then Thompson Temples version of the Bighorn Hybrid.

Here are some of his sheep.
http://www.hillcountrybighorns.com/

One thing is when you mix anything with European Mouflon. The Mouflon traits seem to always show through even with a small percentage.

I am wanting to try and crossbreed some 6/8 with a pure embryo or AI and get some to be as close as possible to be pure.

Beautiful rams! Wish I had the extra cash

You have got that breeding program sorted out. Beautiful rams!

I can certainly see the differences and you're absolutely right about the Mouflon traits. Beautiful Rams all around! I'm headed down to Thompsons' this weekend and excited to see what he's got.

Kimber1911,

It will be interesting to see how you make out. Much of the literature I've read on cross breeding bighorns suggests that pure bighorns are more susceptible to diseases. Maybe with the herd that you have (and the Mouflon pedigree) you will end up with some level of immunity as you move forward. All that said, those are some good looking rams that you have already.

Texas A&M has been studying the cross breeding of bighorns for quite along time. Back when I spoke with them about 25 years ago they were cross breeding sheep and only keeping the ewes. They were working to hopefully find answers to helping wild sheep become less susceptible to diseases. They said the key was within the ewes and they had no interest in the rams.
I wonder what the mortality rate is on the ram's. I have not seen any 6/8 until now. Wonder if the 6/8 will be bred back to pure ewes. Thanks for sharing.

These Big Rams we have are pushing 10 years old.

They are very hardy.

We are in the process for this upcoming year to go back up to Texas A&M to crossbreed back to 100% pure Bighorn. Then they will be as close to pure as possible. We should have around 15 offspring possibly more if any have twins.

Which for the Rams it will be 8-10 years out on them to be shooters.

We have our ewes as well of course which they are the key to this breeding operation.

Our goal is to get pure as possible to sale ram hunts at the fraction of the cost of a bighorn hunt.

allot of people dream about harvesting a bighorn ram but with the pricing its will never happen for the majority of the hunters out there.

I have 5 Rams that are all uppers 30's a couple might touch 40" plus mark.

The difficulty of drawing a trophy unit tag for bighorn is a bigger obstacle than the cost I would argue.
Those of us that put in for tags every year have a financial plan.

Your sheep will fill a niche for sure.

For a Bighorn 40" would probably be B&C material.....so you are doing something right

Well depends where you draw a tag if your ever so lucky.

Most states require you to have a guide and just for that most are $20,000 plus to guide.

They have a monopoly on it due to the state requires you to have a guide and they charge a premium price.

My old Mexico Desert Bighorns for $35,000 sale quite well being as their reasonably priced.

That is our plans to achieve people's life long dreams of killing a Bighorn.

Nice Pics....

I got a deposit pending on one.

We still have more available.

I can say these pictures do not do them justice. A few fellow THF members have seen the sheep in person and were blown away.

I have a hunter booked for this big guy. We should have him on the ground within a month.

I still have 4 monster left to hunt.

I have a fellow THF me member debating about shooting another one of these amazing Rams

These sheep are truly a rare find and will make amazing mounts.

Awesome looking animals. I hope it works out and you get that 7/8 bighorn thing up and running. Can see some mouflon in these, but the prominence of bighorn is unmistakable. Very, very cool stuff.

I'm not interested in one, but I enjoyed the pictures and the info. Thanks!

The Rams have finished transitioning their coats and look awesome.

The pictures truly do not do them justice.

If all goes well and the weather is good we will be hunting one next week.

I still have some amazing Hybrid Bighorns available. As stated before the pictures do not do these Rams justice.

There will be pictures and a story to come soon from a fellow THF member and his Exeperience with me on his amazIng trip.

Robert, I have seen the pictures from the hunt (the ram and lodge). In my opinion you delivered as promised and more.

I'm looking forward to hunt details