Author Topic: How old is this Ram? (Read 3951 times)

340 · « **on:** May 09, 2012, 02:25:04 PM »

Big guy from Waterton. Rings are pretty easy to see but I'm no expert.

What say you?

12?

[attachment deleted 180 days old]

Guido · « **Reply #1 on:** May 09, 2012, 03:03:47 PM »

Me say 11

nube · « **Reply #2 on:** May 09, 2012, 03:15:37 PM »

Guido · « **Reply #3 on:** May 09, 2012, 03:33:32 PM »

I don't think it is .5 as it is still spring. But 13 may be correct.

sheepguide · « **Reply #4 on:** May 09, 2012, 03:37:58 PM »

Ill give him 12.90yrs but is just on the verge of his 13th birthday if its a recent spring picture. I think he has broomed his lamb tip and one full year off, approx 4-6" and 2 annuli. You wont see the 13th year ring as it will be right below the hair line.
SG

JIMMY 808 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 09, 2012, 03:53:42 PM »

Bang........ There we can have a closer look

340 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 09, 2012, 04:21:33 PM »

Sheepguide, the picture is from last Sunday. So pretty recent, I was thinking/guessing 12-14, but I'm not very good at ageing Rams, ones this size anyways.

sheepguide · « **Reply #7 on:** May 09, 2012, 04:32:50 PM »

Thaks 340 and Like was mentioned this ram is best aged in fluorescent lighting after about 30 celebration drinks!!!! That is if he wasn't in the park of course 😜

nube · « **Reply #8 on:** May 09, 2012, 10:25:02 PM »

Quote from: Guido on May 09, 2012, 03:33:32 PM

I don't think it is .5 as it is still spring. But 13 may be correct.

You would be right if it was taken this spring and it sounds like it was last week so my .5 of a year is not going to win the pot

I figured it was a picture taken a while back. Either way it is a nice ram.

Wctbowtech · « **Reply #9 on:** May 11, 2012, 09:34:35 AM »

Looks to be 13, in any regard a shooter for sure. Thanks for posting.

MAV · « **Reply #10 on:** May 13, 2012, 10:42:46 PM »

Quote from: sheepguide on May 09, 2012, 03:37:58 PM

Ill give him 12.90yrs but is just on the verge of his 13th birthday if its a recent spring picture. I think he has broomed his lamb tip and one full year off, approx 4-6" and 2 annuli. You wont see the 13th year ring as it will be right below the hair line.
SG

These are always good debates and me and you would end up drinking a flat of beer and drying up a couple of sharpies drawn lines on our computer screens before we,d end up leg wrestling for it. I was taught that you really cant see year rings from the lamb tip and first year growth so the first ring counts two years. After that on this boy it seems pretty easy to count ten with eleven just starting out of sight. I dont see him broomed so much that he would be missing that first ring. Maybe in his twilight years he,ll get a little senial and give someone a chance at him out of the park and we won,t have to ruin our computer screens.

sheepguide · « **Reply #11 on:** May 13, 2012, 10:58:12 PM »

Yep on the odd ram for sure the lamb tip is tough to see but on many its pretty easy and on most bighorns is at the 1-2" mark. My rams it sticks out like a sore thumb.

MAV · « **Reply #12 on:** May 13, 2012, 11:21:27 PM »

So on this guy you think that first ring is year three.

This is where i always get the argument as I was taught that next faint ring that you say is broomed, and I agree it is, is actually year one and the one that is visible here is year two.

All that being said i think we are both in agreement how he would look in the trophy room.

sheepguide · « **Reply #13 on:** May 13, 2012, 11:40:55 PM »

Easiest and best way to learn the length of a lamb tip is to be in the field this time of year. Yearling rams in the spring have usually 2" or less horn this time of year. Some areas this may extend to 2 1/2 or 3" but that's pretty long for a yearling. I'll dig through some pics tomorow and see if I have any spring yearling pics.

MAV · « **Reply #14 on:** May 13, 2012, 11:59:19 PM »

Agreed best to see them in the field but when you look at the pics see if you can find a distinct seperation in that length of horn. There should be a lamb tip and then some growth beyond that. Come this time of year there will be a regular but shallow and faint ring that will form for year one. Then a real good length for year two, this summer and fall, wth a good distinct ring. This one can be 12" or more, that is what i think is the first visible ring on this pic.

See how this could take a lot of beer.

MAV · « **Reply #15 on:** May 14, 2012, 12:05:38 AM »

Agreed best to see them in the field but when you look at the pics see if you can find a distinct seperation in that length of horn. There should be a lamb tip and then some growth beyond that. Come this time of year there will be a regular but shallow and faint ring that will form for year one. Then a real good length for year two, this summer and fall, wth a good distinct ring. This one can be 12" or more, that is what i think is the first visible ring on this pic.

See how this could take a lot of beer.

Have a good night.

walking buffalo · « **Reply #16 on:** May 14, 2012, 09:26:18 AM »

I'd like to play and take a guess, but the pic only shows the top half of the ram when enlarged. ??

From what I can see, the ram has broomed of close to the 2nd year annuli and will be 12 in a couple of weeks.

MAV · « **Reply #17 on:** May 14, 2012, 05:32:05 PM »

Oh Oh!I'm feeling the walls closing in and the pressure mounting.

OK I'll need some google pics and a couple of my own but for starters how old is this ram...

[attachment deleted 180 days old]

sheepguide · « **Reply #18 on:** May 14, 2012, 08:04:58 PM »

I'd say roughly 2 + hard with straight on looks but he has an easy to see lamb tip or 1 year ring and going by length an such I'd say in that 2.5 to 2.75 range.

MAV · « **Reply #19 on:** May 14, 2012, 10:43:18 PM »

Only picked this pic because it shows the debate well. What i was taught is that there is a lamb tip which is the first couple inches then there is the first year ring again easy to see about 3 or 4 inches from there. On this guy you can,t see a second year ring in fact i would say he is right on two.

The problem is a lamb tip doesn,t end at year one it ends at around six months.