The Arizona Game and Fish Department is offering two unique opportunities to view one of Arizona’s most iconic arid land animals, the desert bighorn sheep, in an intimate, small-group setting on Canyon Lake. The three-hour morning boat tours will take place on June 18 and 19.
Participants will board department work boats to explore the canyons and bluffs of this scenic lake in search of these spectacular animals. Biologists aboard each of the boats will share and interpret bighorn behavior and biology during the trip. Due to limited space on the boat, attendance is restricted to 22 people per tour.
“Arizona’s hotter months provide the best opportunities for seeing sheep up close,” says Joe Yarchin, Game and Fish’s watchable wildlife program coordinator. “Sheep stay close to the water during June and July, and since the mating season is still under way, we occasionally see rams fighting or chasing ewes. But, the thing I enjoy most is watching lambs born earlier in the year cavorting around near their mothers; their agility is a marvel.”
Game Management Units 22 and 24B are home to some of the largest bighorn rams found anywhere in North America. Canyon Lake forms the border between these two administrative areas, and animals from both areas congregate near the lake’s shore at this time of year. This is an excellent opportunity to view, photograph, and enjoy bighorn sheep in their native environment.
The tour will leave Palo Verde Recreation Area at 7 a.m., heading up lake towards the dam to look for sheep. In addition to bighorn sheep, bald eagles, herons, and a variety of waterfowl are often seen. The area is also home to a myriad of other wildlife including deer, mountain lions, javelina and numerous small mammals, birds, and reptiles.
Parking for the event will be at Acacia Recreation, a short 5-minute walk to the west. Participants will need a $6 Tonto Pass for each vehicle they park at the lake. Tonto Passes are available at a variety of convenience markets and sporting goods stores around the Phoenix Metro area or from the Tonto National Forest Mesa Ranger District Office at 5140 E. Ingram Street in Mesa.
“It’ll be warm out on the lake,” warns Yarchin. “People should dress comfortably and appropriately for a summer’s morning outdoors, including bringing sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, water and snacks, and don’t forget your camera and binoculars.”
Each boat will have an ice chest for the participants to use.
The cost is $75 per person, payable by check or money order only. For more information or to register, contact Joe Yarchin at (623) 236-7589 or jyarchin@azgfd.gov from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For additional information, contact Randy Babb at the department’s Mesa regional office at (480) 466-1334 or rbabb@azgfd.gov.