Bighorns Are Easiest to Spot When the Weather Is Hottest

The Peninsular bighorn in Anza-Borrego can be difficult to find, but August and September are the best times to try.

Of course, those are also the two hottest months in the desert, so be prepared. Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, light shorts or long pants and a shirt. Always carry at least a gallon of water per person; to fail do so is to risk your life.

The heat during these months forces the sheep to free water more often, since they are not normally able to absorb enough water from the plants they eat. These are also the months of mating. Females go into season in August and males often engage in ritual combat for breeding rights.

Spotting bighorn can be difficult. Carry a pair of binoculars with at least 8X magnification. The animals are camouflaged with light hides, live on elevated hillsides and can see people walking in the desert from a mile away.

Try listening for the sheep. Stop periodically and stand still. Bighorn ewes will often bleat to alert lambs to their location. When males butt heads, the crack of their horns can be heard for more than half a mile.

Borrego Palm Canyon, about a mile north of the park headquarters and directly west of Borrego Springs, is a prime bighorn habitat. Out of 149 sheep counted in the park on July 4, 54 were found in the canyon, almost all near one of the palm groves growing near free water sources.

Box Canyon, Lower Willows and Middle Willows, all in the north end of the park near Coyote Canyon, were other top locations for finding sheep.

Never disturb the sheep, make loud noises or approach an animal. Bighorn will sometimes abandon an area if they are disturbed. It is against the law to hunt Peninsular bighorn sheep.

To get to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park from North County, head east on California 76, 78 or 79. Enter the desert on S22, S2, or S3. The Visitor Center is just west of Borrego Springs on Palm Canyon Drive. During the summer, the center is open Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.