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Abstract

I investigated sexual segregation of California bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis californiana Douglas 1829) in south-central British Columbia. Results revealed that male and female sheep were segregated temporally and spatially during the three seasons (winter,spring,summer) outside of the fall mating period (or rut). Of the males that associated with females outside of the rut, 78 percent were immature, yet mature rams comprised 72 percent of the males found in mixed groups during the rut. While segregated, percent fecal crude protein differed significantly between males and females in winter (P0.05). Male and maternal group sizes differed among seasons (P