Rex Trulove
Shown here are the hills on the other side of the road. There are also bare spots here. These are partly because of fire, but not the same fire. Most of the damage here was caused by fires that raged in 2016. Part of the bare spots here is also because of the talus slides that periodically run down the hill. A talus is a pile of rock debris that accumulates at the base of steep slopes and in one of these rock slides, trees and shrubs are uprooted and destroyed.
Incidentally, the hills in this picture are prime bighorn sheep country. This section of road, from here to the other side of the clouds in the draw in the middle left of the image, is one of the worst in the state for collisions between cars and bighorn sheep. Over 438 bighorns have been killed in this small stretch of road, according to Montana Department of Transportation.
Two things to note about car/bighorn collisions. 1. They are almost always fatal for the bighorn and nearly always totally destroy the car. 2. In Montana, there are big fines for hitting a bighorn with a car, even if the animal jumps out in front of you. Many people find themselves not only needing to replace their cars and pay for a hospital visit, they get an automatic fine from the state, too. Anyone driving this section of road needs to slow down and stay alert.
Thanks for the driving tips. Maybe it’s better I never try to drive in Montana. It hardly seems right to automatically blame the drivers who were being careful if the accident is the fault of the bighorn.
The reason for the automatic fines is that there are so few bighorns and people very often aren’t being careful and aware. We’ve even had highway patrol officers who’ve hit bighorns accidentally and who get fined. Part of that is about safety, though, and it is an attempt to get drivers to slow down and pay attention. If a car is moving at 70 mph and it collides with a bighorn, it is like slamming into a 250-pound boulder. Bighorns weigh about the same as large deer, but they are stockier, with a lower center of gravity. A deer will do a lot of damage, but it gets lifted up and over. Bighorns rarely get lifted up, so the damage is much greater. A considerable number of drivers have died after hitting a bighorn and many others have found themselves in the hospital with severe injuries.
Thank you for the warning on how to drive in this area.
I just hope that people start driving with more care here. Too many bighorns have been killed. There are numerous signs and the speed limit is lowered in this area, yet people still tend not to pay attention.
That is true since there are some drivers who just do not get the message to drive safely.
That is so, definitely. People often drive close to 80 mph while there is snow on the road. That isn’t wise. The speed limit in most of Montana is 70 mph and in this stretch of road, it is 55 mph, but people still drive it too fast, regardless of conditions. It is no wonder that so many bighorns are hit.