When danger approaches they flee to the rocks and crags to elude pursuers. They are generally high country animals but sometimes occur in rocky gorges below timberline in Alaska. The diet of Dall sheep varies depending on the range. In summer when food is abundant, sheep eat a wide variety of plants. In winter, their diet consists primarily of dry, frozen grass and sedge stems available when snow is blown off open ridges.
Some populations eat significant amounts of lichen and moss during winter.
Behavior Sheep have well-developed social systems. These clashes occur throughout the year and become more frequent just before the rut when rams are moving among the ewes and meet unfamiliar rams of similar size. Identifying Full Curl Rams Rams resemble ewes until they are about 3 years old. Horn growth occurs from spring through early fall. In late fall or winter, growth slows and becomes dormant.