Desert bighorn sheep typically enter their breeding season in November, and the state Division of Wildlife Services will present its Bighorn Sheep Festival in Moab Nov. 20-21 to take advantage of the annual sheep mating ritual.

“The way the rams act this time of the year is fun and exciting to watch,” said Brent Stettler, regional conservation outreach manager for DWR.

The festival will be held in and near Moab in southeastern Utah and is free and open to the public.

Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars or a spotting scope along with snacks, drinks and a camera for the Saturday sheep viewing.

DWR biologists will watch the sheep before the event and will guide participants to locations where bighorns have been observed recently.

The festival begins on Friday evening, Nov. 20, with a discussion at the Moab Information Center at the corner of Center and Main streets.

At 7 p.m., Justin Shannon, regional wildlife manager for DWR, will give a presentation about bighorn sheep ecology and history.

Shannon will also have bighorn sheep skulls and horns on display and will be available to answer questions.

On the morning of Nov. 21 at 8 a.m., DWR biologists and festival-goers will meet again at the Moab information Center to travel to various areas near Moab in search of desert bighorn sheep.

Participants may drive their own vehicles, or ride along in a vehicle with one of the DWR biologists.

“You can almost always see bighorn from asphalt roads in Moab Canyon and along the Colorado River, so don’t worry about your vehicle’s off-road capability,” Stettler said.

Because bighorn sheep are wild and unpredictable, the DWR does not guarantee that sheep will be seen at close range, or even at all, Stettler said.

“We almost always see sheep,” he said. “But even if we don’t, you can still enjoy the unmatched beauty of the Colorado River Scenic Byway.”

For more information, contact Stettler at 435-613-3707 or by email at brentstettler@utah.gov.