In November and December I had the privilege of shooting bighorn rams in far northwestern Montana. I had never been to the area before, and was thrilled to discover the furthest inland temperate rainforest in the world and the existence of a small band of grizzly bears. On top of that were the bighorn. They emerged slowly from tree line one morning, breath frosty and eyes wild.

Although not the tallest range in Montana (Snowshoe Peak is the highest at 8,738 feet), the Cabinet Mountains tower 6,000 feet over the river valleys, which is what counts when considering potential “oh wow” factor.

In my time spent in the Cabinets in sub zero temperatures, I came to realize these rutting bighorn were the true ambassadors to country I had never seen before. All through the morning I heard the crack of their horns as they smashed heads. Sitting here in the sprawl of Chicagoland, I can still hear them if I listen close enough.