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ALBERTA, Canada — What do black bears, grizzly bears, tule elk and non-typical whitetail deer all have in common? Each of these animals that hold a world record, as recognized by the Boone and Crockett Club, were not taken by a hunter. Instead, the massive animals died of other causes and were found later and reported.
Bighorn sheep have now been added to that list. A ram that was killed by a vehicle collision in Alberta, Canada, has been determined to have the largest horns ever for the species. Fifty percent of the top 10 bighorn sheep ever recorded have come from Alberta.
According to a report from the Boone and Crockett Club, the record ram was hit on a roadway near Longview, Alberta. Residents in the area had seen the animal on many occasions and expressed sadness after hearing of the accident.
“This ram and a younger ram had lived on the ranch where I worked since 2009,” a local rancher said in the report. “The older ram would go down to the highway a couple times a month, but the younger ram would rarely follow. We always wondered if one of these trips to the highway would be his last.”
The previous world record was taken about 15 years prior by a hunter near Luscar Mountain, Albert. That ram’s horns scored 208-3/8 B&C points. The team of official measurers that convened in Alberta in March determined this new ram’s horns have a final score of 209-4/8.
Click here to see photos for the ram.
Grant Olsen joined the KSL.com contributor team in 2012. He covers outdoor adventures, travel, product reviews and other interesting things. You can contact him at grantorrin@gmail.com.
