WILD SHEEP Summer 2022

Summer 2022

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 2

the journal of the mounta in hunter a nd committed conservationist

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HEAT THAT’S NO SWEAT A M B I E N T H O O DY A C T I V E I N S U L AT I O N T H AT ’ S M A D E T O M O V E

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®

CONTENTS the journal of the mountain hunter and committed conservationist

Departments: 10 14 18 22 24 26 88 92 94 96 112 138 140 140 144 148 153 156

President’s Message Chair’s Corner Biologist’s Corner Ensuring the Future Legislative Affairs Awards Basecamp Dispatches Chapters & Affiliates List Chapters & Affiliates Banquets Chapters & Affiliates News Conservation Education Sheep Shorts Adventure Profiles <1 Club® Kicked Out Last Sheep Camp Travel & Gear Advertiser’s Index On the Adventure Trail

Special Sections:

Features:

28

What Are The Odds?

by KC Ramsey

28

Predation and persistance—and the pay-off on an Idaho ram.

36

41 Days

by Larry McDermott

Preparation meets opportunity for a Colorado rocky.

44

44

Toktomat

by Alexander Sharif

A trubute to the legendary guide behind so many adventures.

52

52

On Hope & Promises

by Paul Taylor

Breaking down the COVID borders for an Alberta ram.

62 62

In The Footsteps Of Teddy Roosevelt

by Peter Spear

Tramping Teddy’s old haunts for a North Dakota ram.

84 WSF Ambassadors - Part II 110 Sheep Shop 117 2023 Donations

66

Desert Dozen

74

by Scott Bestful

Your guide to the top twelve desert trophies.

74

So You Want To Be A Sheep Hunter? Are You Sure?

by Craig Boddington

On the Cover:

Again, are you sure?

Photo by Victor Trujillo. A South Dakota Badlands ram that survived last winter’s die-off.

SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD SHEEP® 3

®

the journal of the mounta in hunter a nd committed conservationist

Official publication of The

Wild Sheep Foundation

WSF World Headquarters: 412 Pronghorn Trail • Bozeman, MT 59718 • 406-404-8750 Cody Office: 1285 Sheridan Avenue, Suites 260/275 • Cody, WY 82414 USA • 406-404-8750

OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

CHAIRMAN: Glen Landrus • ramslamvideo@gmail.com............. Term Expires 2025 VICE CHAIR: Kyle Stelter • kylestelter@gmail.com................... Term Expires 2024 SECRETARY: Larry Jacobs • lljacobs4@aol.com....................... Term Expires 2024 TREASURER: Charlie Kelly • azsheepguy@gmail.com................ Term Expires 2023 Tony Caligiuri • tcal@boytharness.com..................................... Term Expires 2024 Julie Chapman • jhelmchapman@yahoo.com............................... Term Expires 2025 Wayne Henderson • henappram@hotmail.com............................ Term Expires 2023 Larry McGovern • ltmcgovern67@gmail.com.............................. Term Expires 2025 Glen Pyne, DVM • pawsnclaws@sbcglobal.net............................ Term Expires 2023 Emilio Rangel W. • emiliorw@me.com..................................... Term Expires 2024 Peregrine L. Wolff, DVM • falcolupus@gmail.com...................... Term Expires 2025 PRESIDENT & CEO Gray N. Thornton • gthornton@wildsheepfoundation.org

HEADQUARTERS STAFF PRESIDENT & CEO - EDITOR IN CHIEF, WILD SHEEP® MAGAZINE:

Gray N. Thornton • gthornton@wildsheepfoundation.org Kevin Hurley, Vice President of Conservation —Thinhorn Programs Lead khurley@wildsheepfoundation.org Kurt Alt, Conservation Director Montana & International Sheep & Goat Program Lead kalt@wildsheepfoundation.org Terry Ziehl, Finance Director tziehl@wildsheepfoundation.org Kim Nieters, Auction & Awards Director knieters@wildsheepfoundation.org Keith Balfourd, Director of Marketing & Communications keith@WildSheepFoundation.org Paige Culver, Development Manager pculver@wildsheepfoundation.org

Maddie Pennaz, Membership Manager/<1 Clubs Manager mpennaz@wildsheepfoundation.org Megan Costanza, Banquets & Events Manager mconstanza@wildsheepfoundation.org Mike Aiazzi, Expo, Exhibits & Store Manager maiazzi@wildsheepfoundation.org Hannah Stewart, Expo & Membership Assistant hstewart@wildsheepfoundation.org

CONTRACT

Greg Schildwachter, Lobbyist greg@watershedresults.com Washington, DC Ashley McEnroe, Staff Writer aoliverio@gmail.com

CONSULTANTS

Shane Mahoney, Special Conservation Consultant shane@conservationvisions.com

Dr. Ryan Brock, Youth Education Coordinator rbrock@wildsheepfoundation.org Reno, NV

PRODUCTION STAFF Gray N. Thornton, Editor in Chief Scott Morrison, Editor Ashley McEnroe, Field Editor/Staff Writer Craig Boddington, Contributor Andrew McKean, Contributor

Contributing photos, articles, stories, and research pertaining to wild sheep or the interests of the members of WSF are always welcome. Contributed material will be published at the editor’s discretion. Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you wish materials to be returned.

DISCLAIMER While Wild Sheep Foundation strives to attract quality advertisers and donors, it cannot be responsible for the ultimate quality of the products which they may present to our members and buyers. Neither the Wild Sheep Foundation nor its Officers or Directors is a guarantor of your satisfaction with the products it makes available to you. Our dedication is to the wild sheep of the world and not to policing our advertisers or donors. We cannot, under the law, reject an advertiser or donation simply because of a prior complaint from a dissatisfied consumer.

We will strive to make available quality merchandise and hunts, but without warranty or guarantee.

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION®, WSF®, FOUNDATION FOR NORTH AMERICAN WILD SHEEP®, FNAWS®, WILD SHEEP® MAGAZINE, PUTTING AND KEEPING WILD SHEEP ON THE MOUNTAIN®, PUTTING AND KEEPING SHEEP ON THE MOUNTAIN®, THE SHEEP SHOW®, SHEEP WEEK®, MARCO POLO SOCIETY®, <1 CLUB®, <1iCLUB®, MOUNTAIN HUNTER HALL OF FAME®, and the CHADWICK RAM SOCIETY® and their respective logos are registered trademarks and cannot be used, commissioned, or otherwise represented without permission of the Wild Sheep Foundation. WOMEN HUNT PROGRAM™, WOMEN HUNT™, and WH™ are registered trademarks of the Wild Sheep Foundation.

Wild Sheep® (USPS# 009-460) is published quarterly

by Wild Sheep Foundation, 412 Pronghorn Trail, Bozeman, MT 59718 Morrison Creative Company, Inc. Magazine Design/Production Yellowstone Graphics Graphics/Design

Advertising & Editorial Submissions Wild Sheep Foundation Headquarters 412 Pronghorn Trail, Bozeman, MT 59718 ATTN: Editor

For more information on submission guidelines, meetings and convention information, and service, conservation and hunting award criteria, please visit our website at www.wildsheepfoundation.org. All membership dues include $28/year for a subscription to Wild Sheep® magazine.

PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA, IN CONJUNCTION WITH MORRISON CREATIVE COMPANY, INC. OF LIVINGSTON, MT.

4 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

The tradition began on a November weekend at Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin, in 1974. Thirteen wild sheep enthusiasts passed the time by sharing stories about their encounters with the majestic mountain creatures.

After realizing how fortunate they were to have all shared such incredible experiences, they decided it was time to give something back. They forged FNAWS so men and women everywhere could get more involved in the positive management of wild sheep. It was incorporated as a non-profit corporation in Iowa on September 14, 1977, and began accepting paid memberships in 1978 as more people joined the cause.

The commitment and noble spirit of FNAWS quickly helped the foundation become the fastest-growing wildlife conservation organization of its kind.

GRAND SLAM® is a registered trademark of Grand Slam Club/Ovis. Used with permission.

Ken Nowicki, Field Editor Greg Schildwachter, Columnist Legislative Watch Wayne van Zwoll, Contributor

CONTACT THE PUBLICATION

The Wild Sheep Foundation’s mission is to enhance wild sheep populations, promote scientific wildlife management, and educate the public and youth on sustainable use and the conservation benefits of hunting while promoting the interests of the hunter.

Periodical Postage Rate is paid at Bozeman, MT 59718 and additional mailing offices.

Subscription Price $28.00 All membership dues include $28/year for a subscription to Wild Sheep® Magazine Postmaster: Send address correction to Wild Sheep Foundation, 412 Pronghorn Trail, Bozeman, MT, 59718

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MISSION STATEMENT VISION Our desired future state

To be the best managed, most respected, influential and relevant conservation organization benefitting wild sheep worldwide.

PURPOSE Why we exist

To Put and Keep Wild Sheep on the Mountain®

MISSION What we do

We enhance wild sheep populations, promote scientific wildlife management, and educate the public and youth on sustainable use and the conservation benefits of hunting while promoting the interests of the hunter.

VALUES The principles that guide us

Honesty Integrity Respect for Others Hunting Ethics

Teamwork Positive Attitude Respect for Wildlife

Accountability Stewardship Loyalty

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

by Gray N. Thornton President & CEO

I

WHAT’S NEW WITH WSF?

n December of last year leading up to our 2022 convention, I was asked by a radio personality in Reno “what’s new for the 2022 Sheep Show®?”

I paused, hesitated a bit more to collect my thoughts, took a breath, and then attempted to wax on about our plans for the live streaming Basecamp Studio seminar and event stage. It was a weak reply and a far cry from our usual list of innovations and new offerings. That hurt.

I expressed my personal angst in a staff meeting afterward and reluctantly had to admit to the fact that what was “new” for 2022 was actually conducting an in-person show despite the lingering pandemic, the news on the “Omicron variant” on the horizon, and the uncertainty of what this latest scourge would bring to restrictions and even WSF and our industry partners executing in-person conventions.

To be frank, like most of us, I’m sick and tired of the pandemic, the words “virtual”, “online”, “remote” and all things Covid. WSF is an innovator, the pandemic tested us and our innovation and we shined through, but I am looking forward to bringing new innovations to our foundation and industry.

WSF has a great history of introducing programs and initiatives that are new to us and our community.

We started the Chapter Summits in 2008, then with our host WSF Alberta, we launched the Chapter and Affiliate Summits in 2010 in Edmonton. These were moved under a “new banner” conceived in May of 2008 titled “One Tent – One Campfire” to describe the WSF C&A Family. We conceived and created the Marco Polo and Chadwick Ram Societies to broaden and diversify

10 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

WSF funding sources. We created and launched the <1 Club® in 2012 to attract aspiring sheep hunters to the family and send them on sheep hunts to be “kicked out” of the club. We launched Floor Credit Drawings at the Sheep Show® to be a win, win, win, win for attendees, our exhibitors, our sponsors, and WSF. In 2013, we launched the Take One Put One Back program as a donordirect funding program whereby 100% of the donations are directed to put wild sheep on the mountain and keep them there. To date, we have directed $1.4 Million to enhancing wild sheep and their habitat through that program alone. We offered a tattoo parlor at our 2018 convention so our members and guests could “ride for the brand.” In the summer of 2020 we pivoted, sourced, and then executed a fully immersive and truly “virtual” convention in 2021 including an interactive expo—the only organization in our space to do so.

We are innovators.

Yet, in December 2021, I had to think hard about what was “new” for WSF and our 2022 convention. We collectively held our breaths and all of us conducted our 2022 shows thank God. We’re grateful but it is time to kick in the afterburners.

So what is new with WSF? What’s new for the 2023 Sheep Show® and Sheep Week®? Plenty!

Digital Version of Wild Sheep® – We’ve been discussing the merits of producing a digital version of Wild Sheep® magazine for years. While we are still a group that like to be hands on and touch and feel printed product, last summer we decided to launch the first digital version our of publication with our spring 2022 issue and

ensured all content included clickable links. Turning a printed version of a magazine into digital is simple. But we wanted to do it right to benefit our advertisers, sponsors, and partners.

We’re anxious for feedback from our members.

WSF’s Sheep Fever Podcast – Admittedly we wanted to launch this in July of 2021, but the pandemic put this project on hold. We’ve been gathering content this spring and look to launch SHEEP FEVER – The Official Podcast of the Wild Sheep Foundation about July 15th. Watch for it on all podcast mediums. We’ll cover all things wild sheep, wild sheep conservation, and wild sheep hunting!

Legacy Projects & Chapter & Affiliate Focused Grant in Aid – WSF directs more than $6 million annually to Mission Programs including wild sheep enhancement, restoration, habitat improvement, disease research & mitigation, advocacy & education, and industry support. We’ve directed more than $50 Million in the past 10 years alone. Our conservation Grant In Aid “bucket” of funds we solicit projects from, represents typically $1.2 Million of the $6+ million, but often we do not receive requests for the total funds we budget for, nor do we get large landscape style “legacy” proposals.

To be more impactful to the resource and more relevant to our purpose, I proposed to the board a revised GIA process for the next two years where we seek out $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, and even $250,000 projects to fund, and for the majority of them, we’ll solicit through our Chapters and Affiliates who are our eyes and ears and boots on the ground. The board approved this new process during their

recent meeting in San Antonio and it was announced to the C&As present at the C&A Summit XIV. I’m excited about this new focus and way of executing our conservation mandate! <1 Club® – 4 hunts to be given away – Plus, <1 Club® Veteran for the 5th! – Since it’s launch in 2012 and first Beer Reception in 2013, the <1 Club® has been one of the most innovative membership recruitment campaigns in our industry as well as an invitation to the WSF family for the aspiring sheep hunter. We’re celebrating a decade of kicking members out by adding a fourth hunt for <1 Club® members and we are building a platform for veteransonly to win a fifth! Watch for more information as we celebrate the <1 Club’s Tenth Anniversary. <1 Club® Social Community

– Adding to the current WSF Women Hunt™ social community on Facebook and Instagram we’ve launched a <1 Club® community on both platforms. Find us on Instagram and follow Facebook and come along on the journey!

2023 Sheep Show® and Sheep Week® – There are a bunch of new programs and events on the horizon for the 2023 WSF convention January 11-14 in Reno, Nevada.

We’ve also adjusted the schedule for some of these changes.

We have increased the show footprint to allow for requested booth expansion from our current exhibitors and to allow for new partners as well. Booths will be located in all three halls including surrounding the usual WSF association displays for Membership, WSF Store, Silent

Auction, Societies Lounge and Ride for the Brand Tattoo parlor in Hall 3 of the Reno Sparks Convention Center (RSCC.) For our exhibitors we will kick off the Expo component of the convention with a full breakfast Thursday morning in the Mt. Rose Ballroom of the RSCC. We are moving the Friday Ram/ FNAWS/Mountain Monarch Awards breakfast to a Luncheon Awards Program on Thursday afternoon also in the Mt. Rose Ballroom of the RSCC. The Thursday Annual Membership Meeting will be moved from Thursday morning at the RSCC to Friday morning in the Tuscany Ballroom of the Peppermill Hotel. We’ll get members out in time to get to the expo hall before opening at 10 am.

The Friday Ladies Luncheon will be a Ladies Cocktail & Hors d’ouerves Social from 1-3 pm Friday in the Naples Ballroom of the Peppermill.

We’ve got a number of other updates, changes and improvements to the show in planning stages and look forward to sharing as they are completed.

We kick off the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year July 1st with some exciting changes on the horizon. It is good to be back in the innovation business!

Enjoy this summer issue of Wild Sheep® and good luck with the thinhorn hunts up north! WS

Gray N. Thornton President & CEO, Wild Sheep Foundation

Editor-in-Chief, Wild Sheep® magazine Summit Life Member Chadwick Ram Society® Member Legacy Society Member SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 11

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WILD S HEEP® 13

CHAIR’S CORNER

by Glen Landrus Chair

YOU HAVE DONE A LOT FOR WILD SHEEP, BUT THEY STILL NEED YOUR HELP

I

hope all of you are enjoying your summer, be it family vacations, preparations for upcoming hunts, or just some rest and relaxation at home, or all the above! As I sit here typing my first “Chair Letter” for the summer edition of Wild Sheep®, I want to begin with some thank you’s.

First, thank you to our members, donors, exhibitors, staff, and volunteers that made the trek to the Sheep Show® in January. It was sure nice to re-connect with old friends as well as meet new ones. Sadly, the Omicron variant still disrupted attendance for some, so we hope to see you all in Reno in 2023. A huge thank you to our donors and members for their commitment to the Wild Sheep Foundation. The conservation world is a crowded space, and we know you have many options on where to spend your time and your money. On behalf of your board of directors, thank you for your continued support of our purpose and mission!

Thank you to our outgoing chair, Dr. Peregrine Wolff. She led us through some of the most unpredictable and challenging times with a calm voice and steady hand on the gavel. From the time she was elected, the words “flatten the curve” no longer meant it was time for a new mountain rifle and “Corona” was no longer just a celebratory beer after a successful desert hunt. Despite the unprecedented challenges, Dr. Wolff led your foundation with great resolve and professionalism. Thank you!

I want to thank Dr. Sam

14 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

Cunningham and the Texas Bighorn Society as well as all the Chapter & Affiliate representatives that attended the summit in Texas in late May. It was a resounding success to see all of the great collaborative work being done in the name of wild sheep everywhere. It was great to see the connections between C&A leaders and the willingness to support each other’s’ projects. Wild sheep know no boundaries and neither do our Chapters and Affiliates. The final numbers are not in yet, but it looks like well over $40,000 will be raised for water projects in Texas as well as over $165,000 to support our friends in Nebraska with their aggressive plan to rescue their Rocky Mountain bighorn herd in the northwestern part of the state. The cliché that, “everything is bigger in Texas” applies to wild sheep conservation, too, as the synergy from the summit should lead to some great things for wild sheep.

I am very excited, motivated, and humbled to serve as your chair of the board, so thank you to our board for the vote of confidence. We have a board of directors that is highly motivated, engaged, and committed to make sure our conservation and grant model is efficient, effective, and relevant to our mission. We are evaluating every aspect of our business model to make sure we are maximizing every dollar donated to ensure the future of wild sheep and your foundation.

Finally, I’d like to share a few of the goals I have as chair for the

coming year: • Tell Our Story – The Wild Sheep Foundation is deeply involved with such a wide-range of projects and issues related to our purpose and mission. We must do a better job telling our story, telling our members and our donors what we do each and every day to promulgate our purpose and mission. We can’t do it without you, and we owe it to you to keep you informed on our progress.

• Be Better – I challenged our board and our staff at our May meeting to simply “Be Better.” We need to communicate better, serve our membership better, serve our mission better, be better directors and to simply be better for wild sheep. Our Operational Excellence Committee is leading this process and I look forward to giving them the resources necessary to make it happen.

• Conservation Funding Model – Work closely with the conservation committee, staff, and board to modify and improve our funding process to be more responsive and relevant.

I closed out my first chair report in San Antonio in May and to the Chapter/Affiliate delegation with this challenge: Do Epic Sh!t! Our members deserve it, our exhibitors deserve it, our donors deserve it, and most importantly, our wild sheep deserve it. I’m looking forward to an epic year of conservation with the Wild Sheep Foundation! WS Yours in Conservation,

Glen A. Landrus

SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 15

FOR THE FULL LIST OF CRS MEMBERS SCAN ME

LIST UPDATED QUARTERLY

YOU CAN HELP WSF PUT AND KEEP WILD SHEEP ON THE MOUNTAIN BY JOINING THE CHADWICK RAM SOCIETY! In 2013 the Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) launched a legacy campaign, Ensuring the Future of Wild Sheep, that includes tax and estate planning opportunities, counsel and advice, major gifts, and giving societies to raise the funds required to ensure the future of the wild sheep resource by directing even more dollars to wild sheep restoration, repatriation and conservation. Our vision is to build a series of funds from which a targeted annual offtake of ~4% will allow WSF to direct 100% of our convention fundraising to mission programs. Our goal is $5 to $6 million annually in mission focused Grant-In-Aid and other funding to “Put and Keep Wild Sheep on the Mountain.” With your help we can achieve this vision and goal.

The Marco Polo Society was established in 2008 as WSF’s premier giving society. To compliment the Marco Polo Society and expand this giving concept to ALL WSF members and wild sheep advocates, WSF created a new giving society in the fall of 2013 – the Chadwick Ram Society with five

benefactor levels enabling tax-deductible, donor directed gifts from $250 to $5,000 per year to mission areas of the donor’s desire. Donations can be made to the WSLF Endowment Fund, WSF Conservation Fund, our annual Convention and/or Area of Greatest Need to fund specific programs and initiatives. Chadwick Ram Society members are recognized with an embroidered badge displaying their Copper, Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum benefactor level.

Members may also “upgrade” their benefactor levels within the Chadwick Ram Society as well as to the Marco Polo Society.

For more information on the Chadwick Ram Society, the Marco Polo Society or the Ensuring the Future of Wild Sheep campaign, contact WSF President & CEO, Gray N. Thornton, Development Manager, Paige Culver, or visit our website.

We cordially invite you to join the Chadwick Ram Society and help Ensure the Future of Wild Sheep!

The Chadwick Ram Society®, Marco Polo Society®, Putting and Keeping Wild Sheep on the Mountain®, The Sheep Show® and Sheep Week® are registered trademarks of the Wild Sheep Foundation

16 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

(List is current as of press time)

WSF SALUTES

THE 2022 NEW/UPGRADE CHADWICK RAM SOCIETY MEMBERS ®

CRS MEMBERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHA ORDER BY BENEFACTOR LEVEL

PLATINUM - $50,000 George and Grace Vandenberg (CO)

SILVER - $10,000 David Antley, Jr (OR) Kemp Copeland (TX) Jeff Geiger (OH) Lucas Humbard (AK) Dan & Jessica Kluth (ID) Zachary McDermott (WY) Craig & Laureen Nakamoto (IA) Michael Opitz (WA) Greg Pope (WY) Steven Quisenberry (VA) Gary Sessions (NM) Jeremy & Jessica Tripp (ID)

BRONZE - $5,000 Aaron & Amy Burkhart (MN) Alan Day (OR) Hal & Emily Frye (AK) Paul & Tami Hanson (WA) Shad & April Hulse (UT) Rachel Kidwell (AK) James Lewis (AK) Christopher & Kari Loomis (MT) Robert E. Mays, Jr. (NV) Elliot Niemi (AK) Jerry Remaklus (AZ) Mike Schmillen (MN) J.T. “Skip” Tubbs (MT) Bob Van De Rostyne (WY)

COPPER - $2,500 Thomas Adrien (GA)

Michael Avery (LA) John Blankenship (MA) Angie Bloomquist (AK) Jason Gentz (MN) AD Hancock (FL) Charles W. Hartford (CA) Grant Hill (AK) Scott Homrich (MI) Anthony & Chris Lingenfelter (CA) Brendon McCarney (AK) Kenneth Mee (CA) Jacob Mock (AK) Carl Nelson (AK) Shawn Nelson (WY) Laura Pettett (CO) Daryl Reid (CA) Alan Shultz (CA) Jay Stanford (AK) Kelli White (AK)

Sheep Family Snapshots LARRY & JOANNE MCGOVERN

My name is Larry McGovern. I have lived in Billings, MT for 35 years and have been a member of the Wild Sheep Foundation since my first sheep hunt in Alaska in 1989.

I have watched the progress of the Wild Sheep Foundation most closely since the arrival of Gray Thornton, CEO. It’s been a rocket ride to be sure. The progress of this organization is remarkable. The staff is as good as it gets. I am honored and proud to be part of this group of conservationists.

STEVE “QUIZ” QUISENBERRY

As a young man, my days in the field were primarily hunting the east coast and my conservation focus was on bird and deer habitat.

As my hunting world expanded westward, I

became educated on the variety of huntable species and the survivorship of those species.

This led me to the discovery of and membership in the Wild Sheep Foundation and several state chapters of the WSF. What I found was a community of passionate conservationists facing some of the toughest environmental and biological challenges on behalf of wild sheep.

As I became more educated, I realized what the well-being of these animals truly requires. The survivorship and replenishment of wild sheep herds isn’t measured in short history. It is measured in decades. The WSF understands this at every level necessary to achieve their Mission and I can tell you that their culture mirrors that

I became interested in the Chadwick Ram Society as soon as I heard about it. My wife, also a Summit Life Member of the Wild Sheep Foundation, and I became members of the Chadwick Ram Society and are both impressed with the accomplishments of this society.

The Chadwick Ram Society is one of the many opportunities to support the mission of the Wild Sheep Foundation for its members, as we are and will always be.

Mission. WSF is relentless in the pursuit of wild sheep conservation. There came a time when I realized I needed to become more invested in the Mission; the kind of involvement that spans generations. As I investigated different vehicles to accomplish this, I found the Chadwick Ram Society. I challenge you to become engaged with the Wild Sheep Foundation. At whatever level you are comfortable with.

Let’s keep wild sheep on the mountain!

-WSF Chadwick Society Member -WSF Summit Life Member -ECWSF BOD and Pinnacle Life Member -WYWSF Ramshead Society Life Member

To Join/Upgrade contact: Paige Culver • 406.404.8758 • pculver@wildsheepfoundation.org SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 17

BIOLOGIST’S CORNER

by Brittany Wagler Research Scientist, Monteith Shop, University of Wyoming

C

Photos: Ben Kraushaar

“RISK AND REWARD CAPTURING BIGHORN SHEEP VIA HELICOPTER NET-GUNNING”

apture of bighorn sheep and associated data collection has provided critical information to biologists and managers in the past few decades. We have identified pathogens associated with pneumonia die-offs and have implemented surveillance programs, across the West.

Furthermore, advancements in understanding movement behaviors of bighorn sheep have assisted with 18 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

prediction of the risk of contact between wild and domestic sheep in different habitat types. Present-day conservation efforts of wild sheep, including translocations, rely heavily on capture.

Helicopter net-gunning is the standard capture method for bighorn sheep. Wildlife biologists and managers prefer this method because it allows for efficient and targeted capture of bighorns, in all types of

terrain. It does not require chemical immobilization, which is appealing for wild sheep because they tend to get into pretty nasty terrain in the time it takes for drugs to kick in, which can be dangerous for both the animals and the personnel involved.

No matter the method used, wildlife capture can impose risk to animals such as physiological stress, short-term changes in behavior, and mortality. Capture-related mortality

MPS Reception - Reno, NV - 2022

T

he Marco Polo Society® (MPS) is the Wild Sheep Foundation’s premier major giving “society” whose members have given and/or pledged a minimum of $100,000 to the Foundation. Gifts are donor-directed, tax-deductible and can be made to the WSLF Endowment Fund, WSF Conservation Fund, or Area of Greatest Need. Additionally, funds may be allocated to specific grant-inaid, education or advocacy initiatives and programs. The $100,000

pledge can be contributed in annual installments up to a maximum of 10 years.

Since its inception in 2008, more than $7.5 million in MPS gifts/ pledges have been directed to WSF and mission programs. WSF’s objective is 100 Marco Polo Society members resulting in a $10 million major gift campaign.

WSF SALUTES OUR MARCO POLO SOCIETY® MEMBERS TO DATE - Alphabetical Order Shane & Angela Alexander (TN) Lee & Penny Anderson (FL) Anonymous Anonymous Stanford & Pamela Atwood (CA) John & Jane Babler (MN) Scott & Erica Barry (MI) Brian & Debbie Benyo (OH) Gary Bogner (MI) Dan & Kathy Boone (TX) Jerry & Amy Brenner (NC) Steve & Jackie Bruggeman (MN) Peter & Wendy Burchfield (PA) Tony & Virginia Caligiuri (IA) Ron & Billi Carey (AB) Oscar & Valerie Carlson (MN) Walt & Joan Coram (TX) Guinn & Betsy Crousen (TX) Denis & Diane Dale (AB) Dean & Paige Darby (MI) Monty & Becky Davis (TX) Jeff & Jann Demaske (CO) Chris & Jaimie Dianda (NV) Mike & Julie Dianda (NV) Mark & Janice Dickson (CA)

Billy Dunbar (AK) The Fiedeldey Family (OH) Ronald S. Gabriel, MD (CA) Brian and Susan Ham (AZ) Marc & Cheryl Hansen (PA) Jim & Sue Hens (NY) Tom & Denise Hoffman (NY) Steve & Jill Hornady (NE) Larry & Jane Hunts (OR) Kevin Hurley (ID) Ross & Nicole Jackson (CO) Scott Jesseman (IL) Kaan & Nurgul Karakaya (TUR) George & Kelly Lawrence (WA) Doug & Dana Leech (WV) Thomas Lemmerholz (GER) Jeff Lindgren (MN) Paul Mattes (MI) Kyle & Joanne Meintzer (NV) Craig & Therese Mueller (ID) Richard & Linda Murphy (NM) The Olmstead Family (BC) Mark & Gabriela Peterson (MI) Ron & Vicki Pomeroy (WY) Larry & Brenda Potterfield (MO)

Paige Culver - Development Manager 406.404.8758 or pculver@wildsheepfoundation.org

Rancho La Palmosa (MEX) Joni & Gary W. Raba (TX) Terry Rathert (TX) Gary & Yvonne Rigotti (OR) Christopher Ring (TX) Kevin & Janine Rinke (MI) Alan & Barbara Sackman (NY) Doug & Shelly Sayer (ID) Roger Segebrecht (WI) Kip & Sue Slaugh (UT) Kevin & Tuesdy Small (CA) J. Alain Smith (WA) Mike Snider (MI) Daryll & Shauna Southwick (CO) Brandon & Kristi Stokes (OR) Jelindo & Sandee Tiberti (NV) Matt Tomseth (OR) Tim & Ruth Van Der Weide (IA) Ken & Anna Vorisek (AK) Craig West (NC) Steven & Ardyce Whisler (MT) Clayton & Modesta Williams (TX) Russ & Debi Young (TX) Gary & Penny Young (WV) Alan Young (YT)

Gray N. Thornton - President & CEO 406.404.8750 or gthornton@wildsheepfoundation.org

The Marco Polo Society® Ensuring the Future of Wild Sheep

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WILD S HEEP® 19

typically occurs during or shortly after a capture event, and is often related to physical injury caused by the fall during netting of the animal.

Mortality may also occur following capture from over-exertion during capture and handling.

I recently was part of a team from Wyoming and California using data from over 700 capture events to assess how helicopter net-gunning affected survival of bighorn sheep.

Our capture and handling methods imposed low and short-term risk of

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mortality to bighorn sheep. Total capture-related mortality was 1.9%.

Though often assumed to potentially affect mortality for two weeks or more following capture, the effects of capture on bighorn sheep survival lasted only three days following a capture event. Survival returned to levels observed in the weeks before a capture event within three days of capture, and there were no differences between survival of captured and uncaptured animals in days 4–35 following capture.

To further assess efficacy of our capture methods, we assessed how age, nutritional condition, season of capture, the number of times an animal has been recaptured, the time that the helicopter chased the animal, how long we had the animal in hand, and initial body temperature affect probability of capture mortality. Of all these variables, only body temperature had a slight effect on mortality—a result consistent with previous work, and in support of protocols to mitigate elevated body temperatures in animals during handling.

When done responsibly, capture and data collection associated with repeated capture, longer handling times, and a wide range of capture seasons may be done while imposing minimal risk to bighorn sheep. The low level of mortality observed is related to every aspect of the capture and handling process—a safe capture event starts with the skill and expertise of the pilot and helicopter crew, and goes down to the level of care an animal receives during handling. Based on our capture and handling approach, there is relatively low risk of mortality involved with helicopter net-gunning, and relatively high reward in terms of information gained, to inform sound management to Put and Keep Wild Sheep on the Mountain®.

This research was a collaboration between The Monteith Shop at the University of Wyoming and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. It was made possible through support by Wyoming Game and Fish Department, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wyoming Governor’s Big Game License Coalition, Federal Assistance in Wildlife Grants, Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust, Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming Wildlife/Livestock Disease Research Partnership, Bowhunters of Wyoming, and Wild Sheep Foundation. WS

WSF’s Legacy Society recognizes individuals, families and foundations making testamentary bequests or contributions of major gifts, gift annuities or other charitable-giving instruments. Since inception of the Ensuring the Future of Wild Sheep (ETFOWS) campaign, 42 Legacy Society members have been recognized through WSF’s Legacy Society for contributions or pledges of future gifts.

Anonymous Anonymous Lee & Penny Anderson Jack, Jr. & Cindy Atcheson Derek W.O. Berry Mike Borel Cabela’s Outdoor Fund Rick & Heather Carosone Dr. Robert W. & Cynthia Cassell David & Sona Combs Monty & Becky Davis Howard & Mary Deters Doug & Patty Dreeszen Buddy DuVall

Bequests made through the New Beginnings Campaign* or other bequests may be recognized through the Legacy Society by contacting WSF. For more information on the Legacy Society or Estate Planning resources available through WSF, please contact Paige Culver at 406.404.8758 or PCulver@WildSheepFoundation.org.

Tom Grimes Eric & Sue Hansen Robert & Arlene Hanson Dr. Paul F. & Kathy J. Havey John R. & Mary Ann Justus Blair A. & Victoria M. Kenewell Robert M. Martin, Jr. Roger McCosker Kyle & Joanne Meintzer Chuck Middleton David Mode Brad R. Plaga Robert L. & J.P. Puette Kevin & Janine Rinke

Lanny Rominger Louis & Pauline Rupp SCI Foundation - Hunter Legacy Fund (HLF-100) Roger Segebrecht Kasie and Jason Sheridan Tim & Roxane Shinabarger Steve & Sue Skold Curt & Marcia Thompson Gray & Renée Thornton Jim Travis Tim & Ruth Van Der Weide The Estate of Robert B. Johnson Wayne W. Webber The William H. Donner Foundation, Inc

*New Beginnings Campaign was the FNAWS Capital Endowment Campaign conducted 1998-2003.

NEED ONE MORE SHEEP TO COMPLETE YOUR F.N.A.W.S.?

Bernie Fiedeldey has once again generously offered to match donations (up to $25,000) to the “1 MORE FOR 4” drawing for a FREE sheep hunt of qualified individuals needing one more ram to complete their Four North American Wild Sheep (F.N.A.W.S.) 2022 1MF4 SPONSORS Bernie Fiedeldey Darin & Tonya Fiedeldey Charles & Denise Swanson Darla Fiedeldey Kevin Gilbert

Leon Phillips Jeff Haynie Midwest Chapter WSF Kris Kohlhoff Richard Pierce

Renee Snider David & Sona Combs Kip & Sue Slaugh Washington WSF Eastern Chapter WSF

You can help keep the tradition going for the 2023 Convention “1 MORE FOR 4” Drawing and have your contribution matched by Bernie (up to $25,000.)

Our sincere appreciation to Bernie Fiedeldey and the “1 MORE FOR 4” participants for making this drawing and hunt of a lifetime possible!

For more Information Contact: Paige Culver: 406.404.8758 • PCulver@wildsheepfoundation.org

Scott Clark onstage with Denise Swanson shortly after winning the 2022 One More for Four Drawing SUMMER 2022 ~

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ENSURING THE FUTURE

by Paige Culver WSF Development Manager

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YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE

fter another successful Sheep Show® in Reno, we were excited and looking forward to the incredible line up of events that our hard-working friends at the state Chapters & Affiliates had planned.

It takes a strong community of conservationists to ensure that the mission-critical work gets done. I want to give a huge shout out and heartfelt “Congratulations” to the Alaska Wild Sheep Foundation (AK WSF). Kevin Kehoe and his incredible team of officers and volunteers executed another bang-up fundraiser. It felt great to be back at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center with good friends. In addition to an awesome boost in membership for both AK WSF and the Wild Sheep Foundation, the Chadwick Ram Society gained several new members which translated to $40,000 in new pledges that will be received and directed to mission and program funding! To date, the Chadwick Ram Society has brought in more than $2 Million to wild sheep conservation efforts. Each member, no matter the pledge level, is part of this incredible success and your contributions matter! By the time you receive this issue the Wild Sheep Foundation will have already announced the winner of the Chadwick Ram Society exclusive desert bighorn hunt drawing provided by our friends at Sierra El Alamo. We are so excited to be able to offer this opportunity to our Chadwick Ram Society members each year. Your odds of winning are good, and at the end of the day,

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your money is going to wild sheep conservation. It’s a win all the way around.

Our Marco Polo Society has hit the 75-member mark and we are looking for those who will help us reach our 100-member goal! As $100,000 donors, this special group has committed $7.5 Million dollars to Putting and Keeping Wild Sheep on the Mountain®. We have always said that while we are a smaller conservation organization relative to many others…we cast a big shadow. That is evident with this group. Thank you to our existing Marco Polo Society members who have stepped up and made an incredible impact by supporting our efforts to enhance wild sheep populations and educate the public and youth on sustainable use and the conservation benefits of hunting. Will you be one of the final 25?

Our Legacy Society is growing each year. We are honored to have so many people who consider the Wild Sheep Foundation and our efforts worthy enough to be included in their planned giving. Appropriately named, this society gives our faithful members the opportunity to create a legacy. Whether an individual or family legacy, your gift will be used to Put and Keep Wild Sheep on the Mountain® in perpetuity. In addition to creating a brighter future for conservation, we can help you with present-day frustrations that come along with this type of planning. We have trusted resources to help you plan your charitable gifts so that it

provides the greatest benefit to you and your family as well as the Wild Sheep Foundation.

If there is ever a question as to why your gifts are critical, then look no further than the many resources available to members and non-members alike. Our annual reports, which break down our program funding to state and tribal agencies, newsletters, articles from our exceptional biologists, our legislative affairs committee reports, and our professional resource advisory board cumulatively paint a broad but detailed picture of all the issues that the wild sheep resource and hunters face in today’s world.

We are always on the front line and fighting to make sure that our way of life and the natural world we love stays intact and available for future generations. Thank you to all of you who are on the front lines with us.

If you have any questions regarding ways you can help, please reach out to Development Manager, Paige Culver.

WS

For more information on the Wild Sheep Foundation’s giving societies or to make a donation, please contact WSF Development Manager, Paige Culver at 406-404-8758 or pculver@ wildsheepfoundation.org.

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LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

by Greg Schildwachter WSF Lobbyist

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SHEEP BUSINESS AS BUSINESS GETS BACK TO USUAL

ongress and the administration are returning to more usual courses of business. The Capital is not there yet, but more like it.

The subsiding pandemic is no longer all-consuming. Ukraine is a defining foreign policy issue but not precluding debate on fuel prices. Even the broader economic issues, some of which are frightening, and threatening, have risen to priority without waylaying other business. The Senate is back to voting on judges and executive branch nominations—and many bills to name post offices (yes, every Congress spends significant time on this).

WSF sustained its efforts through the worst of the pandemic crises, getting some things done and others moving, and we are carrying on the race—along with everyone else—for more.

We do our thing by working a broad agenda, building alliances, and telling our compelling story.

As stewards of a public trust asset, we face public policy issues and programs in nearly every aspect of our work.

The bill we opposed to designate the DNWR as Wilderness—which would have needlessly further complicated our management struggles there—has been defeated (note: it could come back in the next Congress).

Our attempts to re-mission the US Sheep Experiment Station have progressed: we helped secure a new range ecologist position there and are working now on a second position to oversee disease research.

In management removals such as mountain goats in the Teton National Park, we have engaged on the Qualified Volunteers policy of the Park Service. The bill we support to improve that program is moving through Congress now.

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We rely on photography and filmmaking on public lands to tell our story. The bill we support for eliminating fees and permits for small crews is moving through Congress now.

Budgets for our state wildlife agency partners are stretched by demands for more non-game conservation. The bill we support to add money to the Pittman-Robertson program is moving through Congress now.

People’s ability to visit wild lands and live the mountain conservation life generate the passion that fuels our mission. The bill we support for easing that access for the most deserving— veterans and Gold Star families—has become law.

All of these and other active issues advance sheep conservation and build our strength to handle the bigger issues of disease management and climate effects on water.

Some issues are more directly mission-relevant than others, but they all move the ball and build our strength for other and future issues.

Strength begins with ideas and actions—we are strong in both.

Because we know what we’re doing in the field, and because we are supported by the most generous members and supporters in conservation, we know what needs to be done in public policy. Water hauls and projects, translocations, test-andremove projects, and the vital work of monitoring herds bring to the surface the problems and the better ways of doing things. Solutions and opportunities are what issues are all about.

Most of what it takes to move an issue is beyond anyone’s control, which is why it’s vital to do all that we can on the requirements within our control.

Our program of technical conferences builds our expertise. Our projects and issue advocacy build working relationships and alliances. Our communications tell our compelling story.

Sheep conservationists have long been experts on the technicalities, and our storytelling is now coming on strong. Our films like Wild and Wool and the new Transmission demonstrate our sincerity and skill in working out solutions. Sadly, these are not the strengths that reliably move issues on their own, but they are necessities.

An example of how this works is the other disease priority of the American Wildlife Conservation Partners alongside pneumonia. Chronic Wasting Disease in deer and elk has a wider urgency in our community and a more direct cost, but even those factors have not been enough to move the issue.

What has moved the issue is the coordinated teamwork of several partners who are working with agencies and broadcasting a compelling message just as we are doing with pneumonia.

After three years of winning small, but growing appropriations from Congress, the CWD partners during this Congress have rallied behind a bill that formalizes a program. The bill passed the House quickly on strong votes and is now introduced with bipartisan support in the Senate.

The ingredients of success are the same for issues on every scale. It begins with the sort of work the WSF family does every day, channeled through partners and communication. We’ve got a steeper hill to climb than others, but we’re doing everything necessary to get to the top. WS

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AWARDS AWARDS

by Jason Peak Awards Committee Chairman

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CHANGE IS IN THE AIR

ome old Greek guy said, “the only constant in life is change.”

Then a chubby Englishman said, “to improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” With all that in mind and the assistance of the board, the Ram Awards Committee is making a few changes to the way the awards ceremony will be conducted at the 2023 Wild Sheep Foundation Show between January 11-14. Buckle up, pay attention and get those entries in before the deadline.

First, the event will now be a luncheon held between noon and 2:00 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2023. This decision was not made lightly. Several factors came into play with changing the event from a breakfast gathering to a lunchtime boondoggle, some of which included making sure outfitter exhibitors could attend without being hurried to get back to their booths at the Convention Center and moving from an early morning event that usually becomes difficult to attend for those of us who may have enjoyed things a bit too much the night before.

Next, the event will be moved from the Peppermill’s Tuscany Ballroom to the Mt. Rose Ballroom at the Convention Center. This move to the actual site of the convention eliminates the need for folks to travel back and forth from the Ram Awards lunch to the convention and saves a ton of time. Rather than finding a shuttle or driving and parking, its an easy stroll from the convention past the registration area and into the Ram Awards event.

Rather than a formal sit-down meal

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Photo: John Herbst

with buffet-style food, we are working on having food stations set up and possibly sponsor/donor involvement.

We are working through those details now and hope to have more to report once the event gets closer.

And finally, we are planning to give away an aoudad hunt to one lucky attendee! The hunt will be donated by a sponsor and we will give it away during the awards lunch to someone in the room. You have to be present to win, so plan accordingly.

As for the awards themselves, all entries (for both the Ram and Mountain Monarch Awards) must be received by no later than November 1, 2022. The information needed to enter for an award can be found on the website. Any ram or

international sheep or goat legally and ethically taken between August 30, 2020 and August 30, 2022, will be eligible for the 2023 Ram and Mountain Monarch Awards program. As for FNAWS winners, qualifying members must have legally and ethically harvested all four sheep in a free-range environment and be recorded with Wild Sheep Foundation using the WSF Hunt Report Form found on the website.

The new day, time, location and format of the Ram Awards Program will be quite a change, but change is good according to Uncle Winston.

Adding in an aoudad hunt giveaway, it’s going to be quite the event. We hope to see you there. WS

NEW EXCITING CHANGES! RAM • FNAWS • INTERNATIONAL AWARDS NEW DATE: Thursday, January 12, 2023 NEW TIME: 12:00 noon - 2:00pm NEW LOCATION: Mt. Rose Ballroom - Reno Sparks Convention Center LOTS OF FUN: Hot Dogs • Hamburgers, Aoudad Hunt Giveaway • Must be present to win.

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: NOVEMBER 1, 2022 RAM AWARDS: Rams taken August 30, 2020 through August 30, 2022 will be eligible for the 2023 Ram Awards Program. Hunter must be a member in good standing prior to the hunt! *Rams that have already received a WSF award will not be eligible.

FNAWS AWARDS: To qualify for a FNAWS a member must have legally and ethically harvested all four sheep in a free-range environment. Each sheep harvested must be recorded with WSF using the WSF Hunt Report Form.

MOUNTAIN MONARCH AWARDS: To be considered for a Mountain Monarch Award, International sheep or goat must be taken August 30, 2020 through August 30, 2022 to qualify. Hunter must be a member in good standing prior to the hunt and submit a SCI score sheet.

For more information on Rules & Regulations visit our website at www.wildsheepfoundation.org or contact Kim Nieters - Awards Director 406.404.8764 • knieters@wildsheepfoundation.org

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WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

BY KC RAMSEY

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ost hunting stories start out talking about winning the lottery-type odds we all face trying to draw a coveted sheep tag. And rightly so, the popularity of big game hunts in general has become an unlikely dream for most hunters. This hunt was no exception and the odds were very unfavorable for the hundreds of applicants that applied.

After applying for ten years, my number was pulled. This hunt had some very special meaning and memories for me and I wanted to do everything in my power to justify it.

I had been lucky the last ten years scouting and helping guide some other hunters that had beaten the odds and looked to fulfill a dream they had also been chasing. In those years I had made some great friends and witnessed some life-changing moments. Those times are priceless and just make you want it even more.

2020 found me out there looking again in early July, trying to turn up a ram for a lucky hunter that had booked a hunt with us at War Eagle Outfitters. This would be a hunt that, if successful, would complete a FNAWS. Weeks of scouting paid

off, and a hunter was able to walk away with a giant California ram, completing something very few will ever experience.

During that year of scouting, we had turned up three rams that would be a trophy in any state. After seeing one of them taken off the hill, I could only hope 2021 would be my year. I had lost a great friend that year—one that had spent every minute with me out there. Ken Jafek was a hunting legend that had been guiding people for almost 50 years.

Call it fate, but somehow I talked the sheep gods into letting me draw.

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The area we had to glass the rams from was over a mile away and at times made it hard to identify him.

July came quickly, and once again I was out looking in the country where we had left the big rams the year before. That morning I had located a small group of rams with great potential, but not the one I was looking for.

Later that morning we had moved down the canyon to glass a well known area that ram had been in the year before. Not long into it, a great friend of mine (Toad) got my attention and said he had seen something move through his spotting scope. He quickly explained the location and we both started picking the hillside apart.

It was then that the subject of this story begins. At the same time we both noticed something in our scopes that was a dream come true—and a sheep hunter’s worst nightmare.

In the same field of view I could see a giant ram sleeping totally oblivious to its surroundings, and a tom mountain lion tucked in the rocks and ready to end this ram’s ten-year career. At that point I don’t know how to express my thoughts. At 1400 yards away, all I could do is sit back and hope this 10-year-old ram could escape one of nature’s top sheep killers.

After about ten minutes of watching this standoff, the lion couldn’t find the right angle in the steep rocky terrain and simply moved off to try another day. We finished out the day talking about what we had just experienced, trying to be optimistic knowing we had found our number-one ram, but also knowing the danger he would have to overcome with this lion in his domain. Having hounds and spending over twenty years chasing this predator, I knew the chances 30 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

of our ram getting killed with other younger rams around was low, but definitely a possibility. Lions don’t pick what they want to kill based on age and size.

I mean really, a ten-year-old ram with only a month until my hunt opening...what are the odds, right?

I had taken some great pictures and video of the two bigger rams on August 20th, and at that time determined the ram I wanted. Both rams were phenomenal, but I felt one was just an inch or two better. Really the only way to tell them apart was one ram had a very distinct white dot right between his eyes—an old scar from his days of fighting.

Finally, the weekend before my hunt was upon us and a game plan had been set. We would show up Thursday night and watch him until the opener on Monday.

Friday morning we were up early and making the long hike out to the area we had watched him and his buddies for two years. I had no doubt he would be there. As the sun was rising over the desert, the shapes of rams started to appear. With all the time and effort prior to this hunt it was shaping up just like I expected.

We all started talking about the rams, looking at each one and trying to find the ram with the white dot.

The area we had to glass the rams from was over a mile away and at times made it hard to identify him.

Not long into it, I quickly noticed my trophy and another up-andcoming ram were missing. A little weird, but not something that hadn’t happened before. This was huge country and nothing was stopping them from wandering off for a day or two.

We spent all day Friday and

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Saturday splitting up, getting different angles and trying to locate him.

By Sunday, I knew something was up. He was the dominant leader of this group and it was just not like him to be gone this long. The other rams seemed really spooky, never bedding in the same spot like earlier in the summer. They were jumpy and always on the move, bedding, then for no reason, getting up and traveling in the heat of the day, sometimes a mile or so. They seemed lost and unsure of what to do.

Sunday morning the decision was made to spread out and go deeper into the area and try to locate the lost rams.

Later that afternoon, I got a message on the Inreach that had some news; the ram had been found, but not the way we had hoped.

Trying to be excited but knowing something was wrong, we packed up and headed back to camp confused and full of questions. These hunts have so much emotion and pressure already—so getting this message only added to the story.

We got to camp first, but not long after, headlights appeared. In minutes I would find out the answers I had been nervously waiting to hear. My friends pulled in and right away their faces told the story. Both of them never said anything and just walked to the back of the truck and opened the tailgate. We all gathered around, and sitting there was the remains of the big ram with the white dot between his eyes.

While glassing that morning, Toad and Jason noticed some birds flying around in the bottom of a canyon.

Having a bad gut feeling, they knew it had to be one of the two missing 32 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

rams. Nature deals with some cruel and unfair situations and this was one of them. That lion had stayed the course of survival and killed the ram I had set my hopes on just days before my hunt was set to open. He was everything we already knew: a ten-year-old, giant ram.

The timing of this was something you just can’t make up. He had escaped this situation more times then we will ever know and finally got caught. What are the odds right?

The damage had been done and all I could do was focus on the other ram that was still there. And luckily for me, he was no slouch and still a ramof-a-lifetime.

The next couple days we spent watching him and waiting for the right opportunity to make a move.

On day three he finally was in a place that allowed us a chance. Toad agreed to stay behind and keep an eye on him while Trison, Jim, and I drove two hours around to a place we could access him from. We left the truck at 10 and got in position around 1:30.

At that time the rams were just over a rise and out of sight to us. The wind was wrong and getting closer was too risky and not an option. We SUMMER 2022 ~

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stayed ready knowing anytime they might feed up to us and hopefully allow a shot.

Less than an hour went by when it happened—one at a time the rams appeared single file feeding quickly, racing each other to each clump of green grass. The ram I was after had since established dominance and was in the lead. Jim was on the spotting scope and I had my scope dialed and just needed him to clear for a clean shot.

He finally separated and allowed me a 480-yard broadside shot. The sound of the rifle went off and the rams lifted their heads and took off running like I had just shot straight in the air. I scrambled to get another round in, dumbfounded he didn’t just drop. The rams headed back to the safety of the cliffs with the big ram leading the way.

It all happened so fast, and at the 34 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

time, we couldn’t tell if I had hit him or completely blown a golden opportunity. Unsure, we grabbed our gear and frantically headed for the rim where we had last seen them drop over.

Getting to the edge, I knew something wasn’t right. He had taken the band of rams into a dead end of 100-foot-plus cliffs with no escape route. This big ram knew better than that, and if not injured, would have easily maneuvered down the canyon and escaped me.

After ten minutes of hearing rocks rolling and seeing rams run right past me trying to escape, I spotted the big ram 100 yards straight below me looking up...with nowhere to go but straight off a giant ledge to the canyon below. I could see a small blood spot on his shoulder, easily identifying him as the ram I was after. I had to make a quick decision

to finish him off knowing when I pulled the trigger he was going to take a horrible fall. I didn’t have any choice, so that’s what I did.

It would have been quite a scene from the opposite side of the canyon seeing a ram leap off the ledge and come to a complete stop at the bottom of a canyon not meant for humans to be in. It was within an hour of darkness and we had our hands full just trying to find a somewhat safe route to get to him.

Within an hour we had picked our way through the ledges and rock slides and reached our prize. He was a beautiful nine-and-a-half-year-old ram that I was more than happy with.

It was a long and grueling night hiking out, but one I wouldn’t want any other way. These opportunities don’t come along very often, if ever, for most people, so I never take them for granted. I was able to check in my ram and keep the other ram the lion had killed.These are two incredible rams in any state and bittersweet seeing them both together. It sounds great and I can’t complain, but the lion problem out there is real. He has killed two rams in a month and will continue to kill. Fish and Game are aware of the problem, and hopefully, can help out. I got to fulfill my dream and want to see other hunters have the same opportunity I did. When it’s all said and done—and even though the pictures are with me holding a ram in one of the most picturesque places Idaho has to offer—the reason these pictures exist are because of the great friends I have who were willing to set aside time in their busy lives and make this happen. You all know who you are, and I can’t thank you enough. But really, what are the odds? WS

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14 DAYS

BY LARRY MCDERMOTT

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omewhere on our trail of life together, my son Zach developed a passion for wild sheep. He is a resident of Wyoming and current president of Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation. This has led us both on several big game adventures and relations with great people, hunters and non-hunters alike.

He also has an uncanny knack for drawing limited quota tags. Many in Colorado. Drawing a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep tag in Colorado was another example and carried a special meaning for us both.

During my youth I spent more birthdays in the Colorado Rocky Mountains than anywhere else including my home in Omaha, Nebraska. Family members owned

land parcels and cabins near Central City and Walden. Zach was five years old when my wife Candice began taking him, our oldest son, Shane, and their neighborhood friends to the remote cabin and country west of Walden on annual summer outings.

I’d been exploring the Mount Zirkel Wilderness area since my teenage years, now our sheep hunting son had drawn a coveted nonresident tag in that area. I can’t put into words the euphoria we all felt.

Congratulations and commitments came pouring in.

Passionate board members of the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society, John and Zac (Z-2) were extremely helpful and supportive throughout.

Another first, along with his horses, was avid sheep hunter and good

friend, Frank. His horses turned out be a great compliment to our two saddle mules, Tammy and Salty.

A trial run and scouting trip was planned, first for late July or early August. Then the fires started. My anxiety and training in the desert heat of Cave Creek Arizona (our new home) began to wear me down. Zach often reminded me: “Stay the course, be comfortable being uncomfortable.”

August 25th. Packed my gear.

August 26th. I met my nephew Ryan on I-17 and trucked to Walden, CO. After checking at the Forest Service office for any fire updates we rendezvoused with Zach, Frank, his horses, and our mules. We traveled to a trailhead on the south end of our unit which was not closed but had on open fire ban in effect. At this

SUMMER 2022 ~

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point we were not sure if the hunt was going to happen. The opener was in twelve days. Our scouting trip was declared a success. We rode the Wyoming Trail on the Continental Divide and enjoyed quite a few bands of sheep. NO RAMS. August 29th. We broke camp and packed out. By noon the crew was loaded, going our separate ways. Zach and Frank to Sheridan, a six-hour drive on a rough graveled, potholed two lane. Ryan and I traveling for a taxing thirteen hours to Phoenix.

August 31st. My wife and I were on the road to Sheridan, Wyoming, Zach’s home, to make ready for his hunt and my adventure. He was in constant contact with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Forest Service, 38 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

and other hunters. Our hunt area continued to be closed west of the divide and the total fire ban was still in effect. This meant no campfire, a staple in any hunting camp.

September 3rd. Zach and I, with our mules, left Sheridan for our hunting unit and opener on the 7th.

Ryan met us at a different trailhead, late in the day, drizzling, we decided to go forth. This meant setting camp after dark in a spot we had to find, in an area we had never been to.

September 4th. We finished camp and started learning the territory.

Frank and friend rode into camp to help anyway they could.

September 5th. Comparing notes over Mountain House dinners heated by Jetboil water, Zach and

Ryan disclosed they had seen a group of rams on a distant ridgeline from Flat Top Mountain (elev. 12,118 ft.) despite contending with the everpresent smoke. This became Zach’s favorite vantage point; climbed too many times to count. I stated that I saw two rams on a ridge not far from camp. Because of this country’s vastness, distance is a relative thing.

Frank asked, ‘’What time did you spot them?’’

“It was 1:00 straight up,” I declared.

They became the 1:00 Rams on 1:00 Ridge.

The following four days were uneventful, saw sheep every day. NO RAMS. September 9th. Returning from glassing skylines and ridgetops, we ate a late lunch and the group decided to change course and try another approach. We broke camp and packed out. NO RAMS. September 10th. Frank had received a tip from a tourist who said she saw a great big mountain sheep.

She even produced a picture. “Low and behold, that’s a 170-class ram,” Frank responded. We decided that the ram had to be migrating to Sheep Mountain, of all places. We saddled up and rode the hell outta Sheep Mountain. NO RAM. September 11th. Acting on another tip, Zach and I rode and hunted Red Canyon. Near the top I decided to traverse a small glacier (BAD IDEA). I no sooner got out of that mess when the lightning and thunder rolled in. Meeting up with Zach, we hustled down to where we left the mules and started our ride out. The weather just got crazier and crazier as mountain weather often does. An hour or two from our horse trailer, riding through a forested area

We glassed until dark. NO RAMS.

that could use a good burn, the trees were popping, cracking, and crashing.

Our mules quickened their pace. They knew we were riding through the “Goblin Forest.” NO SHEEP. September 12th. Sunday, we stopped in Walden for a coffee on our way back to Sheridan. Zach still works for a living.

September 16th. Back on the road heading to our high camp.

September 19th. After seeing no rams for three days, with a heavy fog covering the mountain tops we packed out and headed for Sheridan.

September 21st. Candy and I left Sheridan for home. I had to keep my promise. She agreed to ride along

and watch Zach’s dog, Elvis, provided I’d have her home for her Arizona scheduled activities.

Zach also had to contend with the fact that his wife, Gina, was traveling back and forth to Salt Lake City helping nurse her father, Sam. He was on death’s doorstep from Covid-19. Sam was a trooper, encouraging us to not worry about him, “Keep huntin’. Get a big sheep.”

A bit of good news arrived via a personal phone call from Chris at the Forest Service field office in Walden. If Zach could inform them of our daily in and out of the fire closure area using his inREACH, we had their permission to go into that

portion of the unit that had been off limits.

September 28th. I prepared to leave early on the 29th.

September 29th. Again, it took almost thirteen hours to reach Walden.

September 30th. We both were in possession of limited deer tags. Tags left unfilled due to the sheep! With a report of a 170 ram on or near Sheep Mountain, I decided to hunt and glass the mountain again while Zach was in route. This area is surrounded by private land and excellent habitat.

Unfortunately, no sheep and only a few small deer. Fortunately, being able to watch a beautiful cinnamon SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 39

Releasing our pent-up emotions together as father and son was a moment never to be forgotten. black bear and monster bull moose, made the day very worthwhile.

October 1st. After spending the night in our horse trailer at the trailhead, we packed the mules and started for our high camp. Now it’s just the two of us. In order to get all our provisions in for a possible eight days, I took on the role of sherpa.

Four and a half hours later, upstream, I arrived to find camp set and water bags filled. A nice touch for a seventy-two-year-old sherpa. Zach left for Flat Top, me to a place I’d been using to glass from near camp.

We glassed until dark. NO RAMS. October 2nd. Zach decided to get on the backside of the ridge where the group of rams had been spotted days prior. I am along for the ride.

With Forest Service permission slip in hand, we rode and glassed ridgeline and drainage after ridgeline and drainage. Not a soul had been in the area. It took four hours of riding and hiking (downhill), three hours after dark to reach camp. Zach led riding Tammy, never made a wrong turn. I was glad and impressed. NO SHEEP, no elk, no deer.

October 3rd. Giving our mules the day off, Zach hiked Flat Top again. I stayed low to cover the rocks and ridges surrounding “One O’clock Ridge”. Near dusk two nice rams appeared grazing south to north. Glassing them, suddenly they abruptly turned and ran back from whence they came. Later we met at camp for Mountain House meal number??? Our mules were turned out happily grazing bunchgrass. When I told Zach of my ram sighting and their hasty about face, he stated he had not seen them. “I usually glass that ridge and One O’clock.

I’ve been down that way umpteen 40 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

times. I don’t know why I didn’t check it out.” The trail was a rocky, treacherous, switch backed 500yard descent. He scoffed when I mentioned fatigue. Over and over, we knew and had been saying the rams have to be somewhere. Now we had proof. These were the first legal rams we had seen since before the opening on the 7th of September.

Days were winding down. Four days left of a thirty-day season. One of the more remarkable things about Zach’s demeanor was his lack of anxiety.

His ardent persistence was inspiring.

Seeing sheep almost every day we were, to a small extent, starting to clock and pattern their movements.

Over a shot of Jack, our night cap, we concluded seven a.m. would be the time to be in position.

October 4th. Not being where I wanted to be, crossing a meadow below camp, through the trees I looked to the ridge where I saw the rams the previous late afternoon.

There they were casually munching their way south to north. Garnering Zach’s attention, he geared up and moved to try to intercept them. Off hand, I tried to settle my Maven 15x56 binos while keeping the rams in focus. Not knowing where he went, I glassed as they moved out of sight. Much to my surprise and amazement, came a third ram.

OMG, what a ram! Minutes later, a shot rang out. Seconds later, a follow-up shot. The crescendo that followed was music to my ears and told me everything I needed to know.

Running to find him, I dropped gear along the way. At 10,600 feet and climbing, it didn’t take long for this old timer to slow down.

Releasing our pent-up emotions together as father and son was a

SUMMER 2022 ~

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moment never to be forgotten.

Knowing all that Zach had been through, his resolve, his resilience and fortitude made me as proud as a father could possibly be.

After thanking the sheep gods and pictures aplenty, the work started, including getting our mules to the downed ram. A majestic twelve-anda-half-year-old chocolate. Willfully, Tammy and Salty fulfilled their roles.

Back at camp we hung and boned out the meat. Then fleshed out the cape on our “kitchen table,” a sizeable deadfall log near a vacant fire ring. Time and again a resplendent red fox joined for a snack.

Later, we put the mules to bed, celebrated with a shot of Jack and called it a night. What a Monday!

October 5th. Turned out the mules at first light, broke camp, caught and packed our mules, micro-crumbed the area then hiked out. Two and a half hours later we were at the horse trailer, tired and hungry with a lot of busy work yet to do.

First and foremost, we had to find the field office of Parks and Wildlife in Walden, hoping an officer would be present to record and plug the ram, cooler the meat, and find an overnight for the mules.

Anyone who has been on a DIY hunt knows you need help along the way. The folks working the field office could not have been more helpful. One had a place for our mules, her ranch. A walk-in cooler was available for the meat and an officer arrived in the nick of time, near closing, to record and plug. This turned out to be a fun and rewarding experience in that Zach’s ram was marveled at by all the personnel and hunters coming for check-ins and other various dealings.

I left Zach at the field office to finalize his paperwork while I tried to find us a room. During all this we contacted home to tell our story. After a quick burger and beer at the bowling alley we showered 42 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

and hustled to Stockton’s bar, an old family destination. It sits on mainstreet in the center of town and has been in the same building with the same sign as far back as I can remember. Chris of the Forest Service met us there, he and Zach had become friends during their many conversations concerning the fires and their windswept directions.

We three told stories and toasted our good fortune.

October 6th. Up before dawn, it was decided I would leave for my arduous trek to Cave Creek. Zach would retrieve the mules and meat

when the field office opened at 8:00 am.

Zach and I want to thank my wife Candy, his mother, for her unbridled support and patience listening to our adventure time after time.

I personally must thank Zach for including me on many of his adventurous hunts and outings. Our friend, Ron Dube, once told me an old saying I had not heard, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” So it was. It goes without saying I thank my lucky star that I’m still willing and able to be part of a sheep hunt. WS

“HUNT THE BEST OF TAJIKISTAN WITH EKENLER BROTHERS”

Record Bukharan Markhor December 2021

www.wildhuntingagency.com • info@wildhuntingagency.com SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 43

TOKTOMAT

BY ALEXANDER SHARIF

T

he irrefutable fact is that the lion’s share of all world-class sheep and ibex taken by Western hunters on a guided hunt is not because of their own abilities, but those of their guides. Whether it is pre-scouting before the hunter arrives or the way the stalk is formulated and conducted, it is the guide who deserves the most credit.

The hunter’s job is to follow the guide and administer a calm shot.

his r Toktomat and It’s all smiles fo their “ger” of hunter in front

44 WILD S HEEP ~ SUMMER 2022 ®

Unlike here on the North American continent where there are designated awards such as the Dalziel, Golata, etc. for guides annually, guides in Central Asia get the short end of the stick and are hardly even mentioned by their actual names.

They are the true mountain hunters, which with minimal gear, a meager diet and a pack of cigarettes find the royal game and put their clients within reach of their rifles.

Toktomat in his element

In Tajikistan where the stakes are high for the mighty Ovis ammon poli which incidentally wears a very high price tag on his horns—and the fact that the hunts in the Eastern Pamirs take place above 14,000 ft and all-in wide-open country—the guide’s job is further complicated and is more critical for success.

This tribute is slated for a Tajik guide with Kirgiz origins by the name of Toktomat. I had heard

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Toktomat and his signature smile mak

about him through my late uncle Nouri who had hunted with him in Tajikistan in 1996 and was always intrigued to learn more. I reached out to my contacts at ANCOT in Tajikistan, and thanks to technology, I eventually got in touch first with his son Esenali, and subsequently with his granddaughter Batma via WhatsApp. Here we go…

Kenzhebaev Toktomat Zhoroevich or commonly known as Toktomat was born on December 10, 1940, in 46 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

the small village of Chechekti near Murghab in Eastern Tajikistan. He had a very difficult childhood. His parents died when he was only seven and was left orphaned together with his younger brother. A generous lady from their village took both under her household, but it was still tough.

When he turned 12, he lost his only brother and was left alone. This is also the time when he started to hunt, perhaps to get away from it all.

At 18, he joined the army, and upon completing his compulsory

ing field chai in the Pamirs

military service, quickly returned to his village, started doing odd jobs and used hunting as a supplement for subsistence. For Toktomat, having all these wild animals in the mountains was like a fairy tale, and having lost all his family members, they would be his only consolation.

He hunted them but also loved them, and at times, would even talk to them knowing that they also understood him. He mentions that in a few instances, the wild Marco Polo sheep would approach him and

Toktomat (left) with a Central Asian ibex

those experiences reinforced his love for the mountains and the game that lived closed to him in his village. He was enamored with wandering in the mountains and hunting to the extent that he never received a formal education. Part of the reason was, of course, having to provide for his small family that he had just started.

In 1961, he briefly worked as an electrician at the Aksuu hydroelectric power generation station near Murghab. However, he never quit hunting and was able to provide fresh meat not only for his own family, but for several other families that lived in the Karakul and Murghab villages.

After Tajikistan’s civil war ended and the country opened its doors to Western hunters, there were attempts

made by some outfitters to hire him as a guide, but for one reason or another, it never materialized. In 1990, and by sheer coincidence, he crossed paths with Russian-born Yuri Matison, a medical doctor by trade, but more importantly, a mogul figure in the Marco Polo hunting scene in Tajikistan. Yuri was setting up his business and was looking for poachers to hire them as guides. After all, the poachers know more about the game than anyone, eh?

He eventually became Yuri’s head guide and guided many of the recent/ famous sheep hunters such as the late Soudy Golabchi and others to worldrecord trophies. And that is how the long-time relationship between him, and Yuri started and lasted until 2009, when he finally retired from guiding.

To this day, they remain good friends.

Upon retirement, he returned to his native Kyrgyzstan and lives in Sarymogol village surrounded by the Alai mountains. After Toktomat had experienced and realized the value that trophy hunting brings to the table for the betterment of the local’s lives, he became a big advocate of conservation and despised poachers.

How many successful hunters he had guided in his guiding career, only God knows. He had eyes of an eagle and legs of steel. His nickname was “Kuchuk” which translates to a dog, referring to his unparalleled speed to get to game.

Through his granddaughter Batma, I asked him what his toughest and most memorable hunt was, and his response was: “Of course, with Soudy and Nouri in November of 1996 where we spent 30 days in the mountains watching Soudy pass SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 47

up numerous heads of monster poli rams in search of a giant ram that Yuri and I had spotted earlier in the season. We finally found that ram and Soudy killed what was then the new SCI world record Marco polo ram measuring 66 ½” around the curve.”

He almost always had success on the hunts which he was guiding. Perhaps because of his wife Abakirova Pazilet whom he adored and considered as a taliswoman. She was a kind soul and told a story about how poor they were when they got married, yet would still share their only piece of bread between themselves and their two dogs equally.

After her death in 2007, it was as though Toktomat’s luck had disappeared and he retired from guiding. He and his wife only had one son, whom, after growing up and starting a family, was able to give Toktomat what he longed for all his life—and what he missed in his own childhood—four grandsons and five granddaughters to decorate the old man’s life. His son was able to provide education for all nine of his children by working hard and with financial help from what Toktomat had saved all his life as a guide.

On a poli hunt in the Pamirs in 2004, the Canadian sculpture artist Rick Taylor was so impressed by Toktomat, that upon returning to Canada, made a sculpture of him holding a set of colossal poli horns.

He named it “Weathered” as both the guide and the ram skull shared the same character.

Here’s hoping that in our next hunt in faraway places, we all take note of the tough men who guide us. Tip them well and get to know more about their personal lives and immortalize their legacy! WS 48 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

Toktomat with Soudy Golabchi and a

Toktomat holding “Weathered”, a gift

from Rick Taylor

64” plus Poli

Conklin Award Recipients 2022 Sergey Yastrzhembsky 2021 Bela Hidvegi 2020 Alan Sackman 2019 Jay Link 2018 Alexander Egorov 2017 Jim Shockey 2016 Renee Snider 2015 J. Alain Smith 2014 Edward D. Yates 2013 Pepe Madrazo 2012 Kenneth L. Barr 2011 Thomas J. Hammond 2010 Larry B. Higgins 2009 Craig Thornton Boddington 2008 William Edward Poole 2007 Robert Edward Speegle 2006 Pete Papac 2005 Jesús Yurén 2003 Gary Ingersoll 2002 Donald G. Cox

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ON HOPE & PROMISES

BY PAUL TAYLOR

A

soft thump against my bedroom door followed by a scratch and then a low whine by first one, then by my other Wirehaired Griffon, made the alarm about to go off at 4:15 am unnecessary. Flipping the switch on the clock, I mentally sorted out

52 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

whether it was a “pack” day or a “gym” day. The tails excitedly beating against the walls reminded me that, to them, it’s always a “pack” day. And so starts another round of stretching and body weight exercises. I know that the stairs and hills on our four-and-a-half-mile

walk carrying a pack loaded with 60 pounds won’t fully prepare me for the rigors of my Alberta backpack bighorn hunt—.a hunt that I have been dreaming about for over three years—and due to COVID, is a year delayed. While I stay in relatively good shape year-round, I had stepped

SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 53

The ride in to our base camp was spectacular...scenery so beautiful that unless you’ve seen it cannot be truly appreciated. up my exercise regimen for a hunt that might not even happen. The daily refreshing of my internet search for Canada border status had joined the ritual of post-walk protein shake and coffee. The anxiety of trying to get in some semblance of “sheep shape” was compounded by the gnawing fear that my hunt might be doomed by something completely out of my control. But what else could I do other than be as ready as possible and hope for the best?

My outfitter, André van Hilten of Willow Creek Outfitters, did his best to keep me informed of what he was hearing regarding the border status.

The hopes expressed on hunting and fishing social media posts were tempered by U.S. and Canadian news stories, which led to even more confusion and uncertainty. However one thing was certain, the adverse

54 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

economic impact on Canadian outfitters was very real and if the border remained closed for another season, it would most likely result in many of them not being able to stay in business. I realized that it would simply be too much to ask Andre to hold my spot for another year… so I could only try to be as ready as possible and hope for the best.

Through the spring and into the summer I alternated workouts between gym days, combining rigorous cardio and weight training with days carrying my pack while being towed by two Griffs. I felt pretty good about my conditioning for a sixty-four-year-old.

Then the call I had been hoping for came from André in mid-July… the border would open on August 9 for non-essential travel to Canada

by Americans! At last I finally found

myself going through Canadian customs in Calgary without a hitch.

André and his brother Hans arrived right on schedule and while driving to the trailhead filled us in with a few more details of our hunt in a wilderness area. We would all horseback in together, and then once in the mountains, Hans would serve as one of our guides and another guide we would meet at the trailhead would take the other hunter. It was great to see Quinn Chattaway whom I had met with André at the Sheep Show® in 2020.

As soon as the group saw me around the stock I really didn’t have to inform them that, while I am from Texas and I love barbeque and country music, I know absolutely nothing about riding horses. My inexperience was obvious, yet the guys guided me through the process

and made me feel like I belonged.

An older Palomino gelding named “Cash” would soon become my new best friend. He has been with André for many years, and like all of his stock, was well equipped, in excellent shape and very steady. The coordination of efforts while tacking up and packing the horses is akin to a NASCAR pit crew. There was no wasted effort, and other than good-natured kidding, very few words were exchanged. Everyone seamlessly moved between blankets, saddles, bridles, panniers, etc. It’s was very apparent that André, Hans and Quinn were very experienced, enjoyed working together and were focused on getting us into sheep country as efficiently as possible.

The ride in to our base camp was spectacular...scenery so beautiful

that unless you’ve seen it cannot be truly appreciated. Unlike driving at highway speeds, being on horseback as part of a pack train, you experience snow covered peaks, jagged draws, and pristine lakes like never before.

The serpentine trails going up and down through multi-colored forests takes you back to another time...a time without the pressures of modern society, work stress and global pandemics.

Just over eight hours in the saddle seemed like minutes and we arrived at André’s remote base camp.

Greeted by packers/wranglers, Levi and Ty, each of whom despite their youth, were capable horsemen and integral to the operation.

After a night in the comfort of a wall tent, we each selected enough oatmeal, protein bars, freeze dried

meals and snacks for ten days. We then loaded up for another full day ride deep into the backcountry.

Spirits were high as we made camp in a gorgeous valley near a creek surrounded by mountains and drainages known to hold sheep. As the sun set, I was reminded of how fortunate I was and I vowed to never take the privilege of being in country like that for granted, ever again.

The following morning, guides Hans and Quinn assisted by Ty, Chris and myself backpacked up a drainage above camp with provisions for ten days. The hike would take pretty much all day with the initial ascent serving as a stark reminder that my training regimen wasn’t nearly enough. Especially when the additional twenty pounds of food, full water bottle, and rifle was added SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 55

to the weight that I had been using for training. Fortunately, Hans and Quinn made sure that we understood that this wasn’t a race and that we had plenty of time. Nevertheless, I constantly sought confirmation that we were progressing at the rate that they desired, and felt relieved that I not only was keeping up, but able to stay a bit ahead of the pace that they were hoping for. The enjoyment of the hike with the splendor of the views gave way to a sense of accomplishment as we made camp at the end of the day.

We decided to spend the first real hunting day as a group of five going up together over a saddle between two peaks. As we started the hike, the steepness of the route ahead was intimidating. Following switchbacks along well-established sheep trails helped take some of the burn out 56 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

of the thighs. But as we stopped and looked back down at where we began the day, our tents increasingly appeared to be nothing but small dots before disappearing completely.

At first, through binoculars, the sheep were barely discernable shapes, but as the guides quickly found them in their spotters, rams came into view! Three along a two-mile-distant ridgeline appeared to be young, with only one close to

being legal. However, all three were clearly interested in something in the opposite direction from us and were displaying the look animals often do when watching another animal. To get a closer look it would take a full day to close the gap, and since we were already quite a distance into our hike, we decided to continue to stick with our original plan. We continued the climb, paused for a snack on the very saddle that had seemed so difficult to reach earlier that morning and surveyed a breathtaking landscape. We enthusiastically glassed for quite a while. The wind picked up dramatically as the shadows lengthened and we opted for a return to our spike camp while we had plenty of light. Even though not in our immediate area, we were buoyed by our earlier sighting of rams and those thoughts helped pacify a windy night.

dS START SMART SEE THE UNSEEN SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 57

As the hours of glassing passed, I imagined what it must have been like for the First Nation’s people and early explorers to see this for the first time and wondered if they shared my same sense of awe or was this feeling outweighed by their quest for mere survival.

The next morning over coffee and instant oatmeal, Hans and Quinn decided that we would break camp and split into two separate groups.

Hans and Chris would go in the direction that we had seen the three rams the day before, while Quinn, Ty and myself would go back up and over the saddle where we had glassed the previous day, but push a bit farther out and establish a new camp. We would then hunt the many drainages in that area. I was surprised that even with the added weight of additional food, tent, etc., I made it fairly easily back up the steep climb, over the saddle and down to our new camp site. Quinn estimated the 58 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

trip to take five hours and we made it in just over four. We excitedly got our tents set up, quickly ate a snack and headed up a drainage toward an area where sheep had been seen in previous years.

As the hours of glassing passed, I imagined what it must have been like for the First Nation’s people and early explorers to see this for the first time and wondered if they shared my same sense of awe, or was this feeling outweighed by their quest for mere survival? I was snapped back into the present by Quinn telling Ty and me to remain at this spot while he hiked to the top of a nearby peak to look into the other side. We watched him

ascend at an astonishing rate. While it may be easy to think, “Oh to be young again…,” I have to admit that I was never in that good of shape and doubted that even if I were, I wouldn’t be able to move over the skree with the ease that he did. He returned with a smile saying that he found what looked to be a legal ram.

Unfortunately, it was quite a ways off and there was no way for us to get anywhere close in range from our location. And, any other approach would be cut off by shear cliffs and thus impossible to reach. Quinn’s experience and hunting savvy became very evident as he decided the best thing to do was to be patient, stay in the same glassing point, and hope that the ram and perhaps other unseen rams might make their way toward us. We remained at that location right up until he felt we were in the time frame needed to get back to camp in the twilight.

Safely back at camp over a quick meal, we exchanged favorite lines and scenes from movies, talked about other hunts, and laughed at follies from each other’s lives. Though four decades separated us in age, you can always find a common bond in the mountains.

We got up a bit earlier than we had before as we wanted to be back up on the peak at our glassing point as the sun came over the mountains.

We found our spot, glassed for a while and then decided to edge a bit further up the ridgeline. Quinn crawled up to a group of pickup-sized boulders and peered over the top.

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SUMMER 2022 ~

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He quickly slid back down and his wide smile told us what we had been hoping to hear. There was a ram in view below us a couple of hundred vertical feet and just over 1,200 yards away. He took his spotting scope and tripod as he crawled back up to his position between some rocks. After a few minutes he waved me up to take a look. The majestic ram was feeding and appeared to be alone. He had the distinct sway back, large belly, massive shoulders and neck and rump of a mature ram. His right side was beyond full curl, while his left side was broomed back a bit. The mass of his horns was obvious even at that distance. I softly asked Quinn what he thought of the ram—was he worth going after? Through a wry smile he whispered, “Paul, that’s a dream ram!”

For over two hours he only moved perhaps 50 yards. Then he nonchalantly eased over to the edge of the bench and stepped down into what appeared to be a small coulee.

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Just as he did, we looked up to see a beautiful rainbow cresting over a distant mountain. We watched for a few more minutes to make sure that the ram didn’t re-emerge, and once satisfied that he was likely bedded near the cusp of the coulee, Quinn decided our best (and only) tactic, was to go back 400-500 yards, drop down into a series of drainages and carefully work our way toward where we had last seen the ram. Quietly walking in single file, we stealthily closed the distance keeping boulders and rock piles between us and where we believed him to be.

As we were reaching the vicinity of about where I thought he might be, Quinn crouched down and held the palm of his hand in a sign that everyone who has been in the field recognizes as “Stop”. He then turned, smiled, and gave a “thumbs up.”

Duck walking the few feet back to me, he said that the ram had come back up out of the coulee and was

feeding again roughly 350 yards just ahead of our location. He pointed out a group of boulders 70 to 80 yards in front of us and said if we’d slowly inch our way to them, we should have a great shot from there.

Laying down I slowly opened the action on my Hill Country Custom .300 WSM and quietly slid a live round into the chamber to join the other three in the magazine, making sure that the gun was on safe. With a slight breeze in our face, the few moments it took for us to get positioned behind the boulders without the ram in view seemed like hours. Peeking through an opening, Quinn ranged him at 264 yards. As I leaned against one boulder and rested my stock on another, my first glimpse of the ram through my scope was shocking—my sight was bouncing all over the place. With panic on my face, I looked at Quinn and said that I couldn’t get steady.

He calmly smiled and said “Don’t rush…we’ve got plenty of time… take a couple of breaths…you’ve got this…” Just then, my crosshairs became rock solid and as I settled in on his shoulder.

The recoil wasn’t even felt as the ram dropped at the shot. Quinn and I just looked at each other as if neither of us could believe what had just transpired. As he broadly grinned with a look of absolute satisfaction, I became emotional and my feelings poured out. I picked up my brass, carefully saving it in my shirt pocket, and after waiting a few minutes, we walked to the fallen warrior. He was every bit of the ram that we imagined. Heavy mass, a lot of scars, dark cape, one very distinct chunk out of his right horn, and 10 years of age. InReach notifications

With panic on my face, I looked at Quinn and said that I couldn’t get steady. to my sons Cole and Jake and father Joe were returned with heartfelt congratulatory messages from each, while my wife Brenda simply admonished me with “No more full body mounts!”

After caping, quartering and deboning, we divided up the load and laughed at Ty’s constant one-liners on the trek to our camp arriving early afternoon. We decided that while still full of adrenaline, we would break this camp down and go back to our first spike camp. Evidently the adrenaline effect wore off about 15 minutes into our pack out and we were all relieved as we reached our objective five hours after we started—and just after sundown. Topping off the freeze-dried food with hot cocoa and chocolate bars, we all slept very soundly.

A good night’s rest and the jubilation of a successful hunt propelled us down the mountain and back to the horse camp where we would be joined by the others prior to the two day ride out.

In addition to running an outstanding outfit with excellent

equipment, stock, and staff, André van Hilten’s attentiveness to detail continued as he coordinated the ram inspection as well as assisting with getting my ram to one of Canada’s premier sheep taxidermists. Further,

I can’t say enough good things about my guide Quinn Chattaway. His enthusiasm, encouragement and yeoman-like efforts made all the difference and turned my dream into reality. WS SUMMER 2022 ~

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IN THE FOOTSEPS OF

TEDDY ROOSEVELT S

ometimes you overthink the booking of hunts. Sometimes, you don’t. Make no mistake, I plan as many controllable details as I can after I commit to a hunt. I enjoy, even revel in, some spur-of-the-moment decisions. Other decisions like the home I bought on a whim in Nova Scotia, I rue. I didn’t put a lot of worry or thought to the North Dakota Governor’s Sheep tag in the spring of 2021.

Despite COVID, things were going well and I was weary of staying home. So I bought the license at the Midwest Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation’s live auction without a lot of research. I never regretted the decision...not once.

For maximum flexibility I decided to drive to ND. I could bring all possible needed gear, guns, loads, boots, etc. I enlisted the help of a number of friends for the ram hunt and for subsequent upland and waterfowl gunning. With the truck I didn’t have to skimp on gear and the four-wheel drive gave me added security for bad weather driving. I had some last-minute medical issues but was able to work them out. I wasn’t in the sheep-shape of earlier years, but, as I was to learn, the Badlands had a lot of ranch and oil development roads. I didn’t know it at first, but this was an old-man’s sheep hunt.

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BY PETER SPEAR I left NH a week early to allow lots of scouting. Sheep were easy to locate, rams were plentiful and rutting behavior was on the rise.

Mega-rams were a little scarce early in the week. But the old fellows started to move around more as the days wore on. The weather was grand and I was having a lot of fun seeing new country.

Two evenings before the Friday opener, we located a big symmetrical ram but it was late, he was distant and the light was poor. He was on the move, and we didn’t get great views of him, but there was no question that he was a contender.

We were unable to relocate him the next day, but we had an idea where he was headed—a ranch that often held ewes in abundance this time of the year. He was on par with a big fellow that we’d located early in the week who spent much of his time in a secluded canyon. Fortunately for that first ram, he’d busted off seven inches of horn from his left side. Make no mistake, he was a magnificent ram, but he didn’t quite move the adrenalin meter the way I wanted.

On opening day, we glassed our way into a hidden little valley, slowly and cautiously. We saw three pods of ewes scattered about with a number of nice (but young) rams in attendance. There was even one

group with a 10-year old, mature ram, but he didn’t carry his mass well. Sometime in the late morning we spotted a dandy ram coming across a flat, having apparently satisfied himself about the estrousstatus of a small group of ewes at the head of the valley. He was clearly on a mission to visit as many ladies as possible in as short a period of time as possible. He jumped a stock fence along the way.

In no-time he covered over a mile and was with a sizeable group of ewes that held the aforementioned old ram and a handsome, but younger ram. He ran the old ram off and took his time checking and re-checking the receptivity of the ewes. This endeavor took a little time and it was enjoyable to watch him perform the flehmen-display, posture for, kick at and butt heads with the old ram.

We had been sizing him up all the while and I did not yet want to have to decide the fate of this ram. I wanted to milk as much excitement from the hunt as I could.

The truth is: We had spent the four previous days sneaking into and away from numerous wonderful rams and their courtiers. This hunt was the scouting, and I had sensed it all along. This tag conferred no exclusivity to me. There were two other resident tag holders who could hunt the same areas I was hunting.

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I suppose a more disciplined man may have held out, awaited future possibilities.

Not me, not today…

So, like it or not, there was an element of competition. We had, in fact, met one other sheep hunter in a prime area several days previous.

I’d honored (that is, avoided) their general areas, but for at least one fellow, there was no reciprocity.

Then this great ram abandoned this band of ewes and started trotting out of my life, heading in the general direction of the old ram. It triggered the chase-response in my predatory genes. Like a bear seeing a potential dinner running away, almost without thought I decided HE WAS THE ONE. I suppose a more disciplined man may have held out, awaited future possibilities. Not me, not today…

It wasn’t as simple as dropping prone and slipping one into the chamber. There was some drama, a muffed stalk, the need to reshuffle the chess pieces a time or two. But in the end, I found myself with a comfortable rest off my daypack looking at the beautiful dark chocolate ram and a lone ewe on a small butte all by themselves. The shot was a little further than I like, but there was no way to close the distance without spooking them.

Because of the steep uphill view he looked further away than 300 yards.

A few hunts ago I down-sized to a lightweight Kimber “Montana” rifle in 30:06 caliber. I’d taken less than a handful of animals with it, but I was eminently confident in its ability 64 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

to shoot a dime-sized, three-shot group the weekend before heading west. The gun roared and the ram collapsed and rolled down the butte toward us. It was over just like that.

We celebrated like kids and then troubled over photo/sun angles for more time than truly necessary.

It’s hard to conjure up the right words to describe a fallen monarch like I had just taken. I hunt with as few gadgets and modern conveniences as possible. I want the animal to be able to get away, I don’t want to snipe it from a thousand yards. I do employ good glass, but mostly it’s purpose is to evaluate the age and size in poor weather/light. In some ways, I wish I’d held out longer; not really to get a bigger or more noble animal, but selfishly...to simply enjoy the hunt a bit longer.

I would like to thank the North Dakota Game and Fish Department for conservatively managing their sheep herd and for the Midwest Chapter of the Wild Sheep

Foundation for hosting the auction sale of the governor’s tag, and my friends for helping.

POSTSCRIPT

Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States of America is a personal hero of mine. He was a great patriot, public servant, man and conservationist. He owned two ranches in the Badlands and spent much time ranching and hunting the area. His only bighorn Ram came for the Little Missouri —right where I hunted.

It gives me unending pleasure to know that my hunting footsteps crossed those of such a great man where he was happiest. Read a copy of Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail.

The writing style is stiff and a little stilted by today’s standard. Today’s standard will morph in the future; no matter. Teddy tells it with truth and honesty—you can’t beat that in a writer. See you on the mountain, boys… WS

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DESERT

DOZEN W

BY SCOTT BESTFUL

hile all sheep occupy rarefied air—not only in habitat, but given the number of Boone and Crockett record book entries—the desert bighorn is in a class by itself. Their limited range means huntable populations are smaller, which makes procuring a tag often as difficult as the hunt itself. Then there’s the high, rugged terrain, combined with arid and hot weather…conditions that can test even the most devout sheep fanatic.

These factors combine to make tagging a desert ram that places high in the record books among big game hunting’s most difficult feats. If you need proof, consider that the World’s Record in the category dates back more than 80 years, and the #3 ram is over a century old. Of course, sheep hunters are rarely intimidated by lofty marks and daunting challenges, and there’s no doubt an eager hunter intent on rewriting the record book is patiently waiting for a tag, and perhaps scouting for the next magnificent ram as we speak. Here’s a look at some of the top desert bighorns in the B&C books.

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bequeathed to the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, of which Scrivens has been a lifelong member.

After the Arizona Department of Fish and Game located a cape for this head, the restored mount was hung in the Boone and Crockett Club’s National Collection of Heads and Horns at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming, on June 27, 1992. The ram remained with the collection until 2015 when the mount was returned to the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society.”

#1: World Record

(Native American, picked up) Location: Baja California, 1940 Score: 205-1/8”

The Boone and Crockett (B&C) Club does more than keep records, it’s also a warehouse of entertaining and informative hunting stories. In 1992, ardent hunter Carl M. Scrivens of Jackson, Wyoming, submitted a story detailing his finding of the World’s Record desert bighorn on a trip to Mexico’s Baja Peninsula in 1941. “We finally arrived at our destination, a remote rancho on the southern end of the Sierra San Pedro Martir Mountains. While the vaqueros were rounding up the mules, we took a stroll around the rancho.

We looked inside an old, dilapidated wagon, and there was a skull and horns of a desert ram. What a head it was! My brothers and family were fairly knowledgeable about the size of desert rams, but this beat anything

we had ever seen—and I was determined to have it before we left.

(Unfortunately) the history of the taking of this head is meager. According to the vaqueros at the rancho, the ram had been killed the previous year by a Native American meat hunter who left the head lying. A vaquero brought the head to the rancho. When I acquired the head there was still a scrap of hide adhered to the skull, and it was black.” Scrivens explained.

“Frequently, rams with black, or nearly black pelts are found in that area. We hunted this same area at later times and took other rams, but none as large as the one I bartered for.”

The Boone and Crockett Club’s Samuel Webb measured the head in 1946 and it scored 205-1/8 points.

In 1992 this magnificent ram was

#2 : Greg Koons Ram

(picked up) Location: Pima County, AZ, 1982 Score: 201-1/8”

Koons, co-owner of High Desert Outfitters (http:// highdesertoutfitters.blogspot. com/2011/04/koons-ram.html), had just taken a fox and a coyote while predator hunting in 1982 when he spotted a dead ram. This picked up head not only remains the largest desert ram from the U.S., but retains the runner-up spot in the B&C record books. For a great picture of the Koons ram live, taken two years before the ram was found, visit the High Desert website.

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Wilderness Area in the winter of 1988 when he tagged one of the largest hunter-killed desert sheep ever, a 197-1/8” giant nicknamed “Old Chiphorn” by the outfitter. In addition to once holding the record for the largest FNAWS, Dubs had also held the World’s Record for polar bear, with a giant animal he killed in 1960.

#5: Jim Hens Ram

Location: Socorro, New Mexico, 2013 Score: 195-3/8”

#3: H.M. Beck Ram

Location: Southern California or northern Mexico, 1892 Score: 197-4/8”

Easily the oldest ram in the desert book, this incredible trophy would have reigned as the World’s Record for decades had it been scored shortly after its harvest. Sporting horns of 44” and 43-4/8”, the symmetrical ram features only 1” of deductions.

#4: Arthur Dubs Ram Location: Arizona, 1988 Score: 197-7/8”

Some of the rams on this list are shrouded in a bit of mystery, but the Dubs ram was killed by a man who was not only a noted hunter but filmed his hunts in a fashion few

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had at the time. Dubs, a successful Oregon contractor, hunted globally and recorded many of his hunts and made them into feature length films like “Windwalker,” “Across the Great Divide,” and “Dream Chasers.” Dubs was hunting the Aravaipa Canyon

Like Dubs, Jim Hens is a name peppered throughout the hunting record books. Hens’ 2013 giant is not only the largest ram killed in the 21st century, but the New Mexico state record for the species. In addition to this incredible ram, Hens owns the Pope & Young (P&Y) World’s Record for the largest bow-killed Stone’s Sheep (179-4/8”), the fourthlargest P&Y bighorn (198-1/8”) and the desert ram he shot in New Mexico in 2007 (178-6/8”) ranks ninth in the P&Y books.

+(52) 662 148 6930 info@dericklopezoutfitter.com

www.dericklopezoutfitter.com

@dericklopezoutfitter

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#6: Xavier Lopez delBosque Ram

Location: Baja California, 1979 Score: 192-5/8”

DelBosque was hunting only a few miles from the area where Bruno Scherrer (see #10, below, right) tagged his ram. Originally scored by a Mexican official at 196”, the ram would not appear in the B&C books until eight years later and over three inches smaller. Whether the original scorer had a more liberal tape, or the ram serves as a reminder to get an official score as soon as the required drying time elapses, will never be known.

#7: Lit Ng Ram

Location: Baja California 1968 Score: 191-6/8”

Lit Ng was more than an accomplished hunter, he was the embodiment of the American Dream.

Born in China in 1932, Ng would eventually emigrate to the U.S. and, after a young life marked by hard work in several trades, would open a small chain of stores that offered groceries and dry goods at a discount.

Preceding superstores like Target and WalMart, Ng’s four “Monte Mart” stores would prove hugely successful and allow him to pursue his passion for big game hunting. Ng’s 1968 Desert ram holds on to second in state/province records.

While we don’t have a photo of the 8th place desert–a 191-3/8” head picked up in Mexico in 1952 that remains a state/province–record, Bourguignon’s fantastic ram trails it by only 1/8”. Another successful entrepreneur, Bourguignon was, according to his 2012 obituary, “a pioneer in producing European-style cheese in the U.S., (and) many multi-national dairy companies took Claude’s lead and began investing in the U.S. and producing hundreds of unique cheeses with European influence, such as Brie, Camembert, goat cheese, Italian style cheese, etc., that American consumers enjoy today.” Bourguignon traveled the world hunting trophy wild game on almost every continent.

At one point, he built a museum in Hazelhurst, WS, called “Journey into the Wild” to house the many trophies he collected over many years to share his experiences with the public.

#10: Bruno Scherrer Ram Location: Baja California, 1981 Score: 191-1/8”

#9: Claude Bourguignon Ram

Location: Baja California,1982 Score: 191-2/8” 70 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

Scherrer was hunting with noted sheep guide Jesus Aguiar Martinez when he tagged this gorgeous ram.

With no side-to-side deduct greater than 1/8” (only 3/8” deductions total) this ram sports almost perfect symmetry.

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#11: Chase Willis Ram

Location: Socorro Co, NM, 2012 Score: 191”

If he’s not the youngest hunter to kill a world-class desert ram, he’s certainly in the running. Chase Willis used Cabela’s T.A.G.S system to draw a coveted New Mexico tag, then employed the services of Frontier Outfitting to put a tag on an incredible ram. The Willis desert would claim the New Mexico state record spot…which he surrendered only a year later to the Jim Hens ram (see #5).

#12: Jason Hairston Ram

Location: Orocopia Mountains, California, 2017 Score: 190-4/8”

In addition to being one of the most awesome deserts in recent history, the tale of the Hairston ram is also tinged with sadness.

Hairston, founder of Kuiu clothing and gear, bought a coveted California Governor’s Tag at the WSF auction in 2017, then set out to hunt

72 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

“Goliath” a monster desert ram well known to sheep hunters.

But Goliath had a maddening habit of disappearing as soon as hunting seasons opened, a trait that had kept the whopper ram alive well into old age. Thanks to his knowledge of sheep and a tenacious drive, Hairston was able to locate and catch up with Goliath in a section of mountains other hunters had never penetrated, then make the shot on a 12-year-old ram with 17” bases. Sadly, the 47-year old Hairston, would be dead only a year later. A former collegiate football star who spent two years in the NFL, Hairston had endured multiple concussions and suffered from CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy).

He took his own life. WS

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䬀愀猀栀洀椀爀 䴀愀爀欀栀漀爀

倀甀渀樀愀戀 唀爀椀愀氀

㐀㤀Ⰰ㔀ᴠ 匀椀渀搀 䤀戀攀砀 眀 眀 眀⸀ 猀 栀 椀 欀 愀 爀 猀 愀 昀 愀 爀 椀 猀 ⸀ 挀 漀 洀

䈀氀愀渀搀昀漀爀搀 唀爀椀愀氀 SUMMER 2022 ~

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Just a few more steps to the top. It’s okay to take your time; you just have to get there!

74 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

H

SO YOU WANT TO BE A SHEEP HUNTER? ARE YOU SURE?

BY CRAIG BODDINGTON

ow sure are you? Do you know how much it’s going to hurt? As radio character Roy D. Mercer might have said, “Just how tough a boy are you? That mountain’s gonna pour a can of whup-ass all over you!”

Your back and shoulders will ache

from the heavy pack. Your thighs and calves will scream from the uphill.

Maybe, if you trained enough in boots just right for your feet, you’ll avoid sharp agony from blisters with each step. Even with the best boots, sooner or later, after an all-night

soaking rain on the mountain, you’ll probably suffer that pleasantry. On the downhill, your toes will be on fire, and your knees will get creaky.

At the end of a long day, even your hair is going to hurt. Especially if you know you must go back up there in

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the morning. Let’s face it: Your wallet will also hurt. This applies (though not equally) to folks fortunate to live in sheep country! The mountains still must be reached, and even resident sheep hunters need the right gear to have a fighting chance…and be safe.

You know you’re a sheep hunter

when it’s your soul that hurts the most, during those inevitable dry spells when you long to be back in the high country. “Nobody gets to be a cowboy forever.” (Jack Schaefer, Monte Walsh). Nobody gets to be a sheep hunter forever, and nobody gets to hunt sheep all the time.

Success on the mountain is hard-earned and oh, so sweet! The desert bighorn below was Boddington’s first “FNAWS,” 30 years after his first ram.

ILDSSHEEP HEEP®®~~SPRING SUMMER 2022 2022 76 W WILD

Reality being the awful thing that it is, the real pain comes when you realize your sheep hunting days might be over.

PASSAGES

I wasn’t yet 21 when I took my first ram. The mountains weren’t so steep back then. Years passed before I took another. The desire was there; the wherewithal was not. It took time, but opportunity and experience came along. Although I studiously avoided the sobriquet, I had become a sheep hunter, expending generously of my hopes and dreams in figuring out how to get on the next mountain.

Funny thing happened 40 years after that first ram. I was on a wimpy little mountain in Uganda, hunting… but not for sheep. In fact, I’d just shot a wonderful old buffalo, was doing a high-five with the Ugandan game scout, when the world spun and I hit the ground. Missed all the signs, so did the hospital in Kampala. “Event” is the preferred term, but let’s just call it a heart attack. Apparently not fatal, but would have been better if I’d recognized (and accepted) the symptoms and done some things differently. Made it home just under the wire, don’t recall much about the time in Intensive Care.

Do recall being mostly angry at myself, furious at my ticker for letting me down. Even at 60, getting up a sheep mountain had never been a problem. I am (absolutely) no athlete, but from my 20s into my 50s the Marine Corps suggested that I stay in reasonable shape…and required periodic testing just to make sure. So, being “sheep-shape” was never a concern. The “event” was several years after I retired, but old habits die hard. I was still running,

Aw, hell, maybe they took the oldest hunter up the easiest valley. Maybe I just got lucky…maybe a little bit of both. and I’d done Nepal the year before, a high and tough mountain hunt.

How could this have happened? No family history, no indicators. As I lay in the hospital, eventually assured I’d be leaving upright, I was angry. If you’re not a sheep hunter (yet), this will sound silly: One of my greatest concerns was that I might not top another ridge in sheep country!

That created a goal. Despite promotions and decorations, I was a 31-year maverick in the Marines, a tool they weren’t sure where to keep…until it was needed. This time, I followed orders. Sort of. I even attended “cardio rehab.” Until a guy next to me coded-out and went face

down on the treadmill, like a belt sander on his nose. Got him off of it and he survived. No more for me.

With Donna’s help (as she waited for me to catch up), we used local hiking trails.

Ninety days after the “event” I did a walk-up tahr hunt in New Zealand.

No problem, but let me be honest: To this day, I have unavoidable, deepseated fear of pushing myself too hard. I hate this weakness; it’s a wall that cannot be climbed (and perhaps shouldn’t be). Six months after the “event,” I took my Kuban tur in the Caucasus of southern Russia. Not especially high, but the steepest and most abrupt range I have hunted. It

hurt—hurting was scary—but I took my time and got ‘er done.

I have noticed that the mountains don’t seem to mind that I take my time! And, if the stalk is planned correctly (and is possible), the sheep or goat will still be there when I finally arrive. So, today I’ve slowed down, but the mountains still beckon. In my sixties, I did two backpack Dall’s sheep hunts in Alaska, two more hunts in Pakistan, returned to the Caucasus for the third tur, had an amazing hunt in Mongolia, took a great Montana goat (on a 30-year draw tag), and shared mountain hunts with Donna and daughter Brittany. In between, I keep

You mean I have to go up there?”Yep, sooner or later you usually have to get to the top!

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Himalayan tahr country on New Zealand’s South Island. No matter where you hunt mountain game, the country is more magnificent than any other hunting.

my hand in with free-range aoudads in Far West Texas.

Am I done? I hope not! The bucket list isn’t empty! So far, I have totally skipped the snow sheep in Siberia.

Almost had a plan for snow sheep this August, then the Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine. Maybe someday, but not now! It’s not necessary to drink as deeply of the mountain Kool-Aid as I have, but for most, wild sheep become a lifelong passion, sheep fever a chronic illness. I don’t look forward to the time when I can’t do it anymore. Coming soon, no doubt…but not just yet!

ARE YOU READY?

I hunted mid-Asian ibex in Tajikistan in February ’22. All my life I have prided myself on being in sheep-shape and ready. The party was supposed to go in December, rescheduled to end of season. One of the original group couldn’t go so, purely as a last-minute draft choice, they reached out to the Old Man. Although I’ve avoided the label, I

78 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

am a sheep hunter. Three seconds to decide: Count me in! Then, damn reality: I’m almost 70. December was whitetail hunting from a stand (no exercise). Then holidays, then conventions…and a nasty bout with the Dread Virus.

My entire life I’ve stayed ready for the Marine Corps physical fitness test (and any mountain hunt that might come along). I was not ready for this one! I don’t blame Covid, more sloth and advancing age, but it’s shameful.

Lord, I knew it was going to hurt… and it did. In central Tajikistan, west of the Pamirs, the country wasn’t especially high, but it was some of the steepest ibex country I have seen, similar to the Caucasus Aw, hell, maybe they took the oldest hunter up the easiest valley.

Maybe I just got lucky…maybe a little bit of both. I know there were bigger ibex up there than the one I got. I know because I saw a bigger one on the first day, just a glimpse between shifting cloud banks. Also, I know this because two of my camp-

mates took bigger ibex.

No matter. As Dirty Harry Callahan, Clint Eastwood told us: “A man’s got to know his limitations.”

In every vista I saw tall ridges and vertical faces I knew I could not ascend. So, on the third day, I didn’t hesitate when I got a shot at a fine, heavy-horned, 11-yearold ibex. I knew there were bigger ibex, and I had plenty of time, but I questioned my ability to reach them.

I understood reality and took the gift. We finished three good billies for four hunters, one giant; mine the heaviest but shortest by a couple inches. Validating a sensible call, the fourth hunter in our group hunted hard until the last moment, climbed places I know I couldn’t go…and went home empty.

It’s not totally accurate to say I “settled,” knowing there were bigger and better. Probably, I made a sound decision. I hated myself for it. Partly because I recognized I was getting older, slower, and hurting more (in new places). Mostly because I was

Can’t do anything about the weather, and the weather we drew was awful: Rain, snow, sleet, hail—in a backpack tent. not in proper shape for a hunt like that!

Nobody’s fault but mine. A mountain hunt is not “an exam you can cram for.” Buddy Mike Hagen completed his FNAWS not so long ago. Somebody asked him how long he’d trained for his last, an exceptionally tough backpack hunt. “Months” was his reply. Yep. Or, perhaps better: “All the time, constantly.”

We plan ahead; a guided hunt might be booked years out (on a payment plan). Plenty of time, but you never know when lightning might strike: You draw a tag, or an irresistible cancellation come along.

At the end of January ’22 I knew I was in (almost) the worst shape in

my life. No problem, going snow sheep hunting in August. Seven months to fix the problem. Then, on three weeks’ notice, I’m going ibex hunting. Being a sheep hunter is a lifelong commitment. I failed.

MOSTLY MENTAL

There is good news: Being a sheep/goat/mountain hunter is not summiting Everest (no sheep or goat lives that high). It is, genuinely, mostly mental. You must want it, not just badly, but badly enough…to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Usually there’s plenty of time. If a ram or billy is moving, you’re pretty well hosed anyway. Better to be

patient, wait until he settles down, then plan your move. Through the spotting scope, we bedded my best Marco Polo argali before sunrise, got the shot just at sundown (in that latitude and time, nine hours later). We spotted my Arizona desert sheep on a skyline in late afternoon.

Nothing to be done that day. We climbed the next morning and took him almost exactly where we’d seen him the day before…20 hours later.

It doesn’t always work that way, but with mountain game time is often on your side. The hard part is finding the right animal. Once that is done, it’s not a footrace. It’s okay to take your time.

A good friend, in my age group, has done more mountain hunting than

Kaan Karakaya and Boddington, packing out a fine Dagestan tur. We were both a bit younger back then, but we’re still sheep hunters!

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Boddington’s hunting partner on a Yukon sheep hunt, suffering the agony of “de feet.” Good, well-broken-in boots are essential, but all mountain hunters get hot spots now and again.

I have. He is, well, built sort of like a fireplug. Which is not to say I’m Charles Atlas. Obviously not, but my friend is shorter and wider. He calls himself a charter member of the SFSHC: Short Fat Sheep Hunters Club. Great rams have been taken by hunters of advanced age and with significant physical limitations, but it’s hard enough for the young and fit.

Comes down to: You must want it… bad enough.

Doesn’t mean it’s for everyone.

Definitely not. Young colleague of mine went on one sheep hunt in Alaska, busted his tail without getting a shot. His unashamed summation: “Never again.” He is not a sheep hunter. Absent extensive therapy, probably will not become one. We must wonder: If he’d gotten a ram, would he feel the same? Or would “sheep fever” have taken hold?

Can’t answer, can only ponder.

I’d like to think his answer would be the same: Win, lose, or draw, sheep hunting isn’t for him. It’s essential to understand: Regardless of calories and currency expended, sheep hunting is not a sure thing.

Much less. In North America, often fighting weather and “legal ram” restrictions, 50-50 odds may be pretty good. You must be out there for the mountains, the experience of hunting in those mountains, and you roll the dice. I got a ram on my first outing, now 50 years ago, and I was hooked.

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Impossible to judge how I’d feel if I failed the first time!

Wife Donna didn’t hunt at all until she was 40-something. Took to it nicely, but I was shocked when, years later, she announced she’d like to try sheep hunting. Okay, she had some goats, but her first real sheep hunt was a backpack hunt in Alaska’s Brooks Range. Can’t do anything about the weather, and the weather we drew was awful: Rain, snow, sleet, hail—in a backpack tent. Never saw the tops, never had a chance. I didn’t blame her when she said, “Never again.” It took a couple of years, but the call was too strong. She got back on the horse and rode it again, another backpack hunt, a week of tough hunting to her first North American ram. Now three-quarters to her FNAWS, last ram booked, she is a sheep hunter.

YOU HAVEN’T REALLY HUNTED…

…until you’ve done a serious mountain hunt. I must be careful with this. I am not an elitist. All hunting is wonderful. I get a huge thrill potting tree squirrels in my Kansas woods, and I love my whitetail hunting. Consistently successful whitetail hunters are the most efficient predators on Planet Earth. No sheep or goat is as wary as a mature whitetail.

However, mountain hunting

is different. There are no stands, no feeders, no row crops or food plots. In fact, mountain hunting is different from everything else. You don’t track, you don’t call, you don’t ambush. Hunting is done by patient glassing, and before you get the shot you must conquer the mountain. In various places, some glassing may be done from vehicles…but you still must conquer the mountain. Riding stock is often used to cover ground.

Sooner or later, you must tie up the horses…and you still must conquer the mountain. On foot, one step at a time.

Wild sheep are typically found in low density in wild, rugged country.

You aren’t just looking for the animal; you are looking for the correct animal. Sightings of ewes and lambs are exciting and encouraging…but mean little. Sightings of young rams keep your enthusiasm up…but also mean little. The mature rams you seek may be (and often are) on a different mountain. To some extent, all hunting is process of elimination but, with sheep hunting, on a grand scale. The only way to know if this is the drainage, ridge, or mountain, is to go look.

Here’s the challenge: You must find a legal and acceptable ram, and then you must get to him. I have friends who have game rooms crowded with marvelous animals from far corners of the world…but not a single wild sheep. Doesn’t render them less, as humans or hunters. Tastes vary.

Some of us are more “into” antlered game, bears, African antelopes, the big bovines. No one can question the beauty and majesty of a wild sheep, but I accept that some hunters are more fascinated by other animals. I do wonder about shortfalls in their

Field lunch in spike camp in Azerbaijan, pretty fancy as mountain meals go. That’s Steve Hornady in the center. The smile tells it all: He is a sheep hunter.

imaginations. Surely they must be curious about what it feels like, after days of painful effort, to crawl over the top and set up for a shot at one of these amazing animals. Surely, somewhere deep inside, they must question if they can hack it. Even if only once, just to be certain they have it in them.

The truth is, absent great age or

serious infirmities, most hunters have what it takes. The secret is simple: You have to want it bad enough. Peter O’Toole, as Lawrence of Arabia, said: “The trick is not minding that it hurts.” Oh, yes, it’s going to hurt. If you mind that it hurts, you probably aren’t a sheep hunter. That’s sad. You’ll never know the view you missed if you’d gotten

to the top. You’ll never feel the fresh breeze that instantly cools your sweat. You’ll never experience the adrenaline rush when you see distant rams in the spotting scope, bringing new energy you didn’t realize you had. Somehow, if you’re a sheep hunter, you will find a way to get to them. WS

Sheep camp on a backpack Dall’s hunt in NWT’s McKenzie Mountains. If you must have a comfortable lodge, sheep hunting probably isn’t for you.

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Jack O’Connor’s .416 Rigby Magnum is one of many fine firearms offered by Sportsman’s Legacy.

Create Your Own Sportsman’s Legacy D O N AT E TO DAY

T

O R

P L A N

A H E A D

F O R T H E

F U T U R E

he Wild Sheep Foundation is proud to announce a new partnership with Sportsman’s Legacy,© one which introduces a dynamic source of conservation fundraising.

Now you can support the WSF through the donation of firearms, books, art and sporting collectibles. To simplify logistics, items are sent directly to Sportsman’s Legacy. Once received, they will be professionally evaluated and then presented to the national market. Proceeds will be forwarded to the WSF in the donor’s name and these funds can even be directed to a specific initiative or project. Sportsman’s Legacy is also prepared to assist with estate planning to ensure orderly and charitable monetization in the future. Donations to WSF through this program are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

• • • •

FIREARMS BOOKS ART SPORTING COLLECTIBLES

Contact Sportsman’s Legacy or Paige Culver of the Wild Sheep Foundation (406.404.8758) today to learn more about this program. Options are virtually unlimited and every level of donation is equally appreciated.

406.212.0344 | sportsmanslegacy.com Sportsman’s Legacy provides professional representation for individuals, estates and nonprofit organizations relating to the sale of firearms, sporting collectibles, art, books and fine accessories.

82 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

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AMBASSADORS PART II The term “firing on all cylinders” means an engine is running at peak performance. In other words, all the pistons are contributing toward a common goal.

WSF is blessed to have just completed another record-breaking Sheep Week®.

We were firing on all cylinders.

Our staff, volunteers, contractors, and vendors all did their part. Our exhibitors, sponsors, donors, and buyers all contributed at a high level, as did our members, Chapters and Affiliates, and other partners. They are all recognized,

as they should be, in some way across the pages of this post-convention issue. Another group that contributed significantly to our success is what we call our ambassadors.

These are individuals that are respected communicators and advocates within the Wild Sheep Family and broader hunterconservationist community that helped us spread the good word on WSF and Sheep Week® to all those that look to them for insights and credible and inspiring information. The “buzz”

leading up to, during, and after the convention was largely their doing.

Please join us in thanking them for their efforts and loyalty when you get the chance and watch future issues of Wild Sheep® for features on WSF Ambassadors Rachel Ahtila, Craig Boddington, Amanda Caldwell, Adam Janke, Jason Matzinger, J. Alain Smith, Jana Waller, Remi Warren and new 2022 additions to the WSF Team! WS

J. ALAIN SMITH Award-winning international big-game hunter, businessman, musician and writer, J. Alain Smith, has traveled the world seeking out the most elusive and thrilling adventures across the globe. In 2014 he created the number one hunting series which is now available on YouTube, Rugged Expeditions!

As an avid outdoorsman and sustainable use conservationist, J. Alain is dedicated to giving back to the sport of hunting and is proud to volunteer his time and financial support of The Wild Sheep Foundation and encourages all hunters to be proactive in promoting hunting whenever they can.

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RACHEL AHTILA Rachel Ahtila is a born-and-raised British Columbian whose love for horses and mountain hunting started at a very young age. She’s cut her teeth as a guide in western Canada’s most prestigious mountains, and is usually found with a string of horses

in tow. Conservationist, author, and mountain junkie, WSF’s Sheep Week® has a been an integral proving ground for building forever friendships, starting up conservation collaborations, and mountain pursuits over the years.

ADAM JANKE Adam Janke is the founder of the Journal of Mountain Hunting and Beyond the Kill podcast as well as a Life Member and Chadwick Ram Society member of WSF. He is a lifelong hunter, outdoorsman and mountain

sport enthusiast and takes full advantage of living in British Columbia, where he spends as much time as he can outside with his wife, two young boys, and their ageing GSP Toby.

AMANDA CALDWELL Growing up on a ranch in the heart of beautiful Montana, I have an immense reverence for the outdoors and nature. I feel fortunate to say I was born to a long lineage of hunters. The lessons I gleaned throughout my youth have enabled me to continually harvest mature big game animals on public ground. As a fifth generation Montanan, my father was adamant that I understood the importance of being a steward of the land and to always give more than you take. I am devoted to supporting conservation organizations that give back to the wildlife and incredible places that I am so passionate about. Additionally, I am a huge advocate for females in the hunting community and the Wild Sheep Foundation has gone above and beyond in developing an entire program, known as Women HuntTM, dedicated to helping women cross barriers on their journey into the mountains. I am proud to stand behind the Wild Sheep Foundation and respect their efforts to protect the future of hunting.

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CRAIG BODDINGTON Craig Boddington was born and raised in Kansas, where his early big-game experience, in the mid-1960’s, included pronghorn and mule deer in Wyoming, whitetail and mule deer in Kansas, and mule deer in Colorado. When not involved with hunting and shooting, much of his early years were spent in Boy Scout activities. At 14 he became an Eagle Scout, at 16 received a Silver Palm on his Eagle, and at 17 was the youngest person to become Activities Director at his regional Boy Scout camp. A member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, he attended the University of Kansas on an NROTC scholarship, graduating with an English degree and a regular commission in the United States Marine Corps. His outdoor writing career began in college and continued while on active duty. In

1979 he joined Petersen Publishing Company, where he served as Associate Editor, GUNS & AMMO magazine; Editor, GUNS & AMMO Specialty Publications; Executive Editor, Petersen’s HUNTING magazine; and from 1983 to 1994 Editor of Petersen’s HUNTING magazine. He was the longest-running Editor in Petersen’s HUNTING’s history. His current position with Outdoor Sportsman Group (formerly Petersen’s, Primedia, and Intermedia) is Executive Field Editor of GUNS & AMMO, Petersen’s HUNTING, and RIFLESHOOTER; and co-host of Guns & Ammo TV and Petersen’s Hunting Adventures TV. Craig and his wife, Donna, divide their time between the California Central Coast and a small farm in Kansas.

REMI WARREN Remi Warren is a well known hunter, writer, outdoor TV personality, and guide. Working as a field editor for Western Hunter Magazine, host of the popular Live Wild Podcast, and selffilming his DIY hunts around the world 86 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

on Solo Hunter. Aside from media, Remi works as a western big game hunting guide and outfitter. With his extensive hunting experience, Remi has become a leader in sharing his knowledge and information on hunting public lands across the west..

JANA WALLER Jana Waller is the Host and Executive Producer of Skull Bound Chronicles, a hunting and conservation series, currently in its fourth season on CarbonTV. Previously she produced and hosted Skull Bound TV for nine years on The Sportsman Channel.

She’s been a lifelong hunter and ardent conservationist belonging to numerous conservation organizations for which she’s raised over $82,000 with her skull artwork. Jana was awarded the Communicator Of The Year Award in 2015 by the National Wild Turkey Federation as well as received an Alumni Award in 2016 from her alma mater, the University Of Wisconsin~Whitewater, for “promoting women in the outdoors” with the use of her public relations degree. She was also awarded the Carbon TV Fan Favorite Award for Best Host in 2019 and in 2020.

Jana lives in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana where she was recently appointed as a Montana Wildlife Commissioner by Governor Greg Gianforte in the fall of 2021.

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BASECAMP DISPATCHES

A

WE GIVE CAMPAIGN UPDATE

t the request of WSF supporters and consistent with the 2% for Conservation program of which WSF is a Founding Partner, we have launched the WSF Conservation Revolving Fund “We Give” campaign. Watch for WSF “We Give” partners who proudly include the “We Give” logo in their advertisements and/or promotions as those advertisers, exhibitors and businesses give a percentage or portion of their sales to the WSF Conservation Revolving Fund. 100% of WSF Conservation Revolving Fund contributions are directed to initiatives benefiting wild sheep and the habitat they call home.

Proceeds are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law and are directed to Grant In Aid and other specific conservation projects to Put and Keep Wild Sheep on the Mountain®.

Participants to date include: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

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15.

16.

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Jack Atcheson & Sons The Journal of Mountain Hunting The Wildlife Gallery Backcountry BC and Beyond, Ltd. Stone Glacier RPS Bancard, LLC YETI SITKA Gear Benchmade Knives Kenetrek Full Curl Spirits RMP Rifles 5.11 Tactical Best of the West/Huskemaw Optics Clarke – “1% For Tomorrow” Brown Precision Diamond Outfitters of Arizona Black Rifle Coffee Eventgroove

For more information and to become a part of the “We Give” team, please contact Gray N. Thornton at 406-404-8750 or gthornton@

wildsheepfoundation.org.

RENO

JANUAR

Y 12-14, 2023

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR SHEEP WEEK® 2023 The Ultimate Gathering for all things Mountain Game Hunting & Conservation Plan on joining us in Reno, January 11-14th. Registration will open in mid-September, so please keep an eye out for a notification when it does go live. Register before December 1st and get in on the early bird registration discounts.

88 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

Online Registration will close on January 6th. After the 6th, if not sold out, you can purchase banquet tickets first-come, first-served at the registration counters at the Convention Center starting at 8 am on January 11th. We are looking

forward to seeing everyone there!

Come for the Sheep. Stay for the Party!

Megan Costanza Banquets & Events Manager Wild Sheep Foundation (406) 404-8769

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IN

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!

THREE BUTTES RANCH ROUNDUP, MONTANA | $25,500,000 | 10,487± ACRES

The Three Buttes Ranch is located in Unit 590, which has regularly produced bulls in excess of 380 inches B&C. The property is also home to Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Antelope, & Bear. Whether you are a die-hard bowhunter, a traditional muzzleloader enthusiast, or a long-range rifle hunter, Three Buttes Ranch provides ideal terrain and conditions for all three!

Three Buttes Ranch also provides future owners the chance to chase a wide variety of small game, including Merriam Turkeys, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Pheasants, Ducks, Geese, Coyote, Fox, & Rabbits.

v

st. james sporting properties 721 MAIN STREET WINDSOR, COLORADO 80550

855-711-sjsp

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WWW.SJSPORTINGPROPERTIES.COM SUMMER 2022 ~

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v

view property

A PREMIER TROPHY ELK HUNTING PROPERTY IN THE STATE OF MONTANA! Three Buttes Ranch rests in the heart of Central Montana, just southeast of Roundup, MT. The ranch consists of 10,487± deeded acres but with the additional BLM lease (80± acres), state lease (1,280± acres), and the forty-year private lease (4,484± acres), Three Buttes Ranch has a combined total of approximately 16,331± total acres.

BASECAMP DISPATCHES

A

THINHORN SUMMIT RECAP

fter a two-year delay during the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with restrictions on international travel to and from Canada, the Wild Sheep Foundation successfully conducted Thinhorn Sheep Summit III in early May 2022, in Whitehorse, Yukon.

During the two-day event, 115 in-person attendees were joined by another 25 virtual participants as 35+ technical reports/presentations were shared, covering Dall’s sheep and Stone’s sheep management in Alaska, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon Territory.

“We heard timely reports from state, provinicial, territorial, and First Nations managers of thinhorn sheep, across four jurisdictions,” stated Kevin Hurley, WSF Vice-

President for Conservation, and principal organizer of Thinhorn Sheep Summits in 2014, 2017, and now, in 2020. “Presentations covered a wide spectrum of management topics, reflecting the logistical and fiscal challenges in managing thinhorn sheep across vast, remote, and rugged landscapes,” added Hurley.

Technical Sessions and follow-up interactive discussions covered: • Population Estimates/Trends • Habitat Management/Changing Climates • First Nation’s Perspective/Role in Wild Sheep Management

• Access/Travel Management • Pathogen Surveillance/Disease Status • Strategies to Maintain/Achieve Disease-Free Thinhorn Sheep A detailed synthesis/summary of the topics presented, ensuing discussion, action items, and management recommendations will be completed

by June 30, 2022, for posting on the WSF webpage. In addition, for those interested stakeholders that were unable to attend, all the technical presentations have been saved as lowresolution .pdf files, that will also be posted on WSF’s webpage. WS

• Harvest History/Projections • Predator Control/Management

NEW LIFE MEMBERS Ammon Ammon Daniel Beckley Mike Benedict Anthony Beringer Chipper Brock Jake Cahill Nathan Carr Guy Cassidy Lindsay Cessna Christina Clark Dave Cruz Mark Demchuk Eric Eckard Joseph Evans James Hamilton Mike Haviaras Harry Holmquist

Gmuend North Pole AK Hopkins MN Winooski VT Wasilla AK Lewiston ID Parkland County AB Gadsby AB Yuma AZ Taft TX Palmer AK Calgary AB Wasilla AK Denver CO Reno NV Oakland Twp. MI Achorage AK

Austria USA USA USA USA USA CAN CAN USA USA USA CAN USA USA USA USA USA

Todd Howard Rebecca Jackson Rachel Kidwell Travis Knob Adam Lutz Hayden Markstein Nathan Markway Jerrad Martin Robert Mason John McCollum III Larry McDermott Robert Mcintyre Steven Myers Les Nation Bruce Petska Jonathan Proctor Byron Ruen

Montney Eagle River Anchorage Parachute Kodiak Sacramento Saint Louis Las Vegas Cheyenne Myrtle Point Scottsdale Caldwell Dillsburg Hixson Homer Nelson Hope

BC AK AK CO AK CA MO NV WY OR AZ ID PA TN AK BC ID

CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA CAN USA

NEW SUMMIT LIFE MEMBERS Robert McIntyre

90 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

Caldwell

ID

USA

Peter Sand Gary Sessions Peter Smith Mike Southin John Spelta Paul Spyhalski Chase Stanton Oddmund Stenstad Robert Taylor Chris Thayse Angelo Tiberti Michael Truant Mitchell Tyler Scott Veskrna Rob Voth Lucas Watson Jim Zepaltas

Bozeman Flora Vista Lubbock 100 Mile House Palmer Austin Spring Creek Bo Las Vegas Show Low Las Vegas Red Deer Powell Gillette Peace River Denver Eau Claire

MT NM TX BC AK MN NV BO NV AZ NV AB OH WY AB CO WI

USA USA USA CAN USA USA USA NORWAY USA USA USA CAN USA USA CAN USA USA

®

SPONSORS

ALL SPONSOR LEVELS ARE APPROX. CONVERTED TO THE CANADIAN DOLLAR CURRENT AS OF PRESS TIME

TITLE SPONSORS - $50,000

PRESENTING SPONSOR - $35,000

STONE’S SPONSORS - $6,000

out f i t t i ng

DALL’S SPONSOR $2,000

NORTHWEST GUIDES & OUTFITTERS ASSOCIATION

BASECAMP - $1,250

FRIEND - $600

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CHAPTERS & AFFILIATES NOTE: bold/italics font denotes a joint WSF membership Chapter/Affiliate. Membership in these chapters and affiliates include membership in Wild Sheep Foundation.

FOR COMPLETE CONTACT INFORMATION GO TO: www.wildsheepfoundation.org/memberships/chapters-and-affiliates

CHAPTERS:

ALASKA WSF Kevin Kehoe, President 907-441-6323 kevin.kehoe@kantishnainc.com WSF ALBERTA Matt Mellon, President (403) 872-7033 matt@wsfab.org www.wsfab.org WSF ALBERTA Chapter Office Deena Arychuk, Chapter Staff info@wsfab.org 403-845-5544 CALIFORNIA WSF Donald C. Martin, President 310-766-3921 Don-martin@earthlink.net CALIFORNIA WSF Chapter Office Beverly Valdez, Chapter Staff 650-472-3889 forthesheep@gmail.com www.cawsf.org EASTERN CHAPTER WSF Robert Rogan, President robert.rogan@gmail.com 203-885-2194 EASTERN CHAPTER WSF Chapter Office Tina Everhart, Office Manager 717-588-4190 info@ecfnaws.org www.ecfnaws.org IDAHO WSF Bill London, President blondon777@gmail.com 208-860-0580 Tracy Rowley, Chapter Staff P.O. Box 8224, Boise, ID 83707 208-345-6171 info@amsidaho.com www.idahowildsheep.org IOWA FNAWS Craig Nakamoto, President 402-650-1383 nakamoto01@sbcglobal.net iowafnaws@gmail.com www.iowafnaws.org WSF—MIDWEST CHAPTER Mike Bouton, President 612-940-1979 mikwbouton@hotmail.com www.midwestwildsheep.com WSF—MIDWEST CHAPTER Mike Bouton, Executive Director 612-940-1979 mikwbouton@hotmail.com www.midwestwildsheep.com MONTANA WSF D.J. Berg, President 406-366-1849 dj@montanawsf.org Brian Solan, Volunteer Executive Director 406-461-7432 brian@montanawsf.org www.montanawsf.org

MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT CHAPTER OF WSF Janessa Kluth, Chapter contact 208-420-4240 montanastatewsf@gmail.com facebook.com/MSUWSF

Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society Office Tracey Martin 480-854-8950 admin@adbss.org

NEW MEXICO WSF Bryan Bartlett, President (575) 635-3499 BartleBC@yahoo.com newmexicowildsheep@gmail.com

Association of Mackenzie Mountain Outfitters Harold Grinde, President 403-357-8414 ganariver@pentnet.net www.huntnwt.com

OREGON WSF Walter Chuck, Jr., President (541) 574-9078 The4chucks@aol.com www.oregonfnaws.org

Bear Trust International Logan Young, Executive Director 406-595-6583 logan@beartrust.org www.beartrust.org

UTAH FNAWS Travis Jenson 801-641-5453 tjenson@xmission.com www.utahfnaws.org

Cody Country Outfitters and Guides Association Lee Livingston 307-527-7416 Livingston@tctwest.net

WASHINGTON WSF Andy Kelso 253-312-7347 akelso@kentwa.gov www.washingtonwsf.org

Colorado Outfitters Association Kelly Nottingham, Office Manager 970-824-2468 office@coloradooutfitters.com www.coloradooutffiters.org

WYOMING WSF Zach McDermott, President 307-752-1212 zach@wyomingwildsheep.org

Custodians of Professional Hunting & Conservation—South Africa Coira Goss +27 0 81 036 1151 admin@cphc-sa.co.za www.cphc-sa.co.za

Wyoming WSF Chapter Office Katie Cheesbrough, Executive Director 307-399-4383 katie@wyomingwildsheep.org www.wyomingwildsheep.org YUKON WSF Spencer Wallace, President 867-689-2074 yukonws@gmail.com www.yukonwsf.com

AFFILIATES:

2% For Conservation Jared Frasier, Executive Director 406-221-3102 contact@fishandwildlife.org www.fishandwildlife.org Alaska Professional Hunters Association Deb Moore, Executive Director 907-929-0619 office@alaskaprohunter.org www.alaskaprohunter.org Alberta Outfitters Association Kevin Stanton, President 403-762-5454 aoa@albertaoutfitters.com www.albertaoutfitters.com Alberta Professional Outfitters Society Jeana Schuurmaan, Executive Director 780-414-0588 jeana@@apos.ab.ca www.apos.ab.ca Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, Inc. Richard Schuette, President 602-790-7572 camelbackfloors@msn.com www.adbss.org

92 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

Dude Ranchers Association Colleen Hodson 307-587-2339 colleen@duderanch.org www.duderanch.org Elko Bighorns Unlimited Cory Mahan, Vice President 775-397-4465 cmahan@ram-enterprise.com Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn Clint Bentley, President 702-499-7501 sheepspotr@aol.com www.desertbighorn.com

Lubbock Sportsmans Club, Inc. Tim Gafford, President 806-771-1717 Ph 806-789-2441 Cell gaffordpest@gmail.com lubbocksafariclub@hotmail.com Montana Outfitter & Guides Association Mac Minard, Executive Director 406-449-3578 moga@mt.net www.montanaoutfitters.org National Bighorn Sheep Center Sara Bridge, Executive Director 307-455-3429 info@bighorn.org www.bighorn.org Nebraska Big Game Society Jim King (402) 430-6566 jim@glsbinc.com www.nebiggame.org Nevada Bighorns Unlimited Tom Fennel, President 775-250-6600 tfennell@dicksoncg.com www.nevadabighornsunlimited.org Nevada Bighorns Unlimited, Fallon Jay Lingenfelter, President jay.lingenfelter@cccomm.co 775-427-1254 Northern BC Guides Association Craig Kiselbach, President terminusmtn@gmail.com 250-442-7103 Northern Nevada SCI Chapter Brandon Weise bweise@nnsci.com 775-721-4700 www.nnsci.com Northwest Guides & Outfitters Assoc.

Colin Niemeyer, President 250-306-8624 hunting@kawdyoutfitters.com

Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep Steve Marschke, President 310-339-4677 info@sheepsociety.com www.desertbighorn.org Tahltan Guide Outfitters Association Rudy Day, President 250-235-3395 Dayrudy84@gmail.com Spanish Professional Hunters Association Diego Satrustegui, President +34 618 621 690 Direccion.aptce@gmail.com www.spanishprofessionalhunters.com Taos Pueblo Michael Martinez, Hunt Manager 575-758-7410 hunting@taospueblo.com Texas Bighorn Society Dr. Sam Cunningham, President 806-262-6889 scunningham@quailcreekent.com www.texasbighornsociety.org Wildlife Stewardship Council John Henderson, President sirjohn55@gmail.com wildlifestewarship@gmail.com www.wildlifestewardshipcouncil.com Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia Korey Green, President 250 793-2037 kgreen@wildsheepsociety.com Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia Office & Staff Kyle Stelter, CEO/Executive Director 250-619-8415 kylestelter@gmail.com www.wildsheepsociety.com Michael Surbey, Executive Assistant 604-690-9555 exec@wildsheepsociety.com

Northwest Sportsman’s Club Nate Perrenoud 509-994-6795 www.northwestsportsmansclub.com

Wyoming Outfitters & Guides Association Jeff Smith, President 307-265-2376 wyoga@wyoga.org www.wyoga.org

Purkersdorfer Jagdklub Gunther Tschabuschnig, Vice President 011-43-676-496-6691 info@jagdklub.eu www.jagdklub.eu

Yukon Outfitters Association Mac Watson, President 867-668-4118 (Office) info@yukonoutfitters.net www.yukonoutfitters.net

Fundacion De Vida Silvestre En Sonora, A.C Jacobo Artee, President 011-52-662-212-5510, 011-52-662-217-4119 Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society John Hayter, President jacoboartee@prodigy.net.mx 970-389-3010 jnhayter@gmail.com Grand Slam Club/Ovis www.bighornsheep.org Mark Hampton, Executive Director 205674-0101 Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance gsco@wildsheep.org Jason Peak, President www.wildsheep.org Jpeak71@hotmail.com www.goatalliance.org Guide Outfitter Association of BC Contact: Lee MacDonald, Membership Scott Ellis, General Manager Coordinator 604-541-6332 lee@goatalliance.org ellis@goabc.org www.goabc.org Safari Club International 520-620-1220 International Caribou Foundation info@safariclub.org Cheryl Lind, Executive Director www.safariclub.org 406-404-1297 Sheep Hunters of the World (SHOW) cheryl@internationalcariboufoundation.org Billi Carey, Administrator www.internationalcariboufoundation.org 480-292-1674 www.sheephunters.com Kazakhstan Wildlife Foundation Orynbassar Shaimukhanbetov, President acbkarlan@mail.ru

Yukon Outfitters Association Staff Shawn Wasel, Executive Director 780-213-4301 (Cell) swasel@mcsnet.ca Brenda Stehelin, Office Manager info@yukonoutfitters.net

TECHNICAL/ ADVISORY AFFILIATES:

Northern Wild Sheep and Goat Council Kevin Hurley, Executive Director 307-899-9375 info@nwsgc.org www.nwsgc.org Desert Bighorn Council Patrick Cummings, Chair Nevada Department of Wildlife (Retired) (702) 486-5127 patrickcummings1002@gmail.com www.desertbighorncouncil.com

15

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SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 93

CHAPTERS & AFFILIATES

2023 BANQUET DATES NOTE: Dates noted are as of press time.

Please check C&A websites for updates.

Sheep Week® ........................................ Jan 9-14............................Reno, NV Sheep Show®.......................................Jan 11-14 WSF C&A Summit XV................. June 15-17...................Rapid City, SD Hosted by Midwest WSF Jurassic Classic...........................................TBD...................Chilliwack, BC

WSF CHAPTERS:

2023

WSF AFFILIATES:

2023

Alaska WSF.......................................................................................... Anchorage, AK California WSF................................................................. April 29, Sacramento, CA Eastern Chapter WSF..............................................February 17-18, Lancaster, PA Idaho WSF.........................................................................................April 1, Boise, ID Iowa FNAWS...................................................................................... Des Moines, IA Midwest Chapter WSF.......................................... March 17-18, Minnetonka, MN Montana WSF............................................................................Feb 25, Missoula, MT MSU Student Chapter WSF................................................................................. N/A New Mexico WSF .................................................. NM G&F BHS & DBHS Raffle Oregon WSF................................................................................ April 29, Bend, OR Utah WSF..................................................................... March 25, Salt Lake City, UT Washington WSF..................................................................................March 11, WA WSF Alberta.......................................................................March 3-4, Red Deer, AB WSF Alberta – Yellowhead.........................................................................Edson, AB Wyoming WSF........................................................................................ June 2-3, WY Yukon WSF

Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society...................... March 11, Scottsdale, AZ Elko Bighorns Unlimited.................................................................Feb 11, Elko, NV Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn....................................... May 20, Las Vegas, NV National Bighorn Sheep Center ............................................ Nov 5, Dubois, WY Nebraska Big Game Society...................................................................Lincoln, NE Nevada Bighorns Unlimited....................................................................... Reno, NV Nevada Bighorns Unlimited - Fallon.......................................... Mar 4, Fallon, NV Nevada Bighorns Unlimited - Midas ...................................................... Midas, NV Northern Nevada SCI Chapter................................................................ Reno, NV Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society..................... May 19-20, Grand Junction, CO Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance............................................................................ N/A Society for the Consv. of Bighorn Sheep.......................................................... N/A Texas Bighorn Society.......................................................June 9-10, Boerne, Texas Wild Sheep Society of BC – Northern......................Feb 4, Dawson Creek, BC Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia...............March 11-12, Kamloops, BC

NOTE: No date listed = Date not yet determined or provided by C&A 94 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

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CHAPTER & AFFILIATE NEWS WSF AND C&AS RAISE FUNDS FOR COLLARS & NEBRASKA TRAP & TRANSLOCATION

T

he Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) and its Chapters & Affiliates flash-raised $160,200 to purchase GPS tracking collars and raised funds for a scheduled trap and transplant project to enhance bighorn sheep populations in western Nebraska. The appeal came during the final evening of the three-day Chapter & Affiliate Summit XIV held May 19-21 in San Antonio, TX, hosted by WSF Affiliate, the Texas Bighorn Society.

“Conservation is a well-used term with a clear and specific meaning,” said Gray N. Thornton, President and CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation. “The business of conservation, on the other hand, has many moving parts to be successful.

It’s not always clear day-to-day that what you’re doing is impactful, but occasionally you get to be part of something magical. Raising this sum of money that quickly and directing it right to wild sheep was magical.”

Nebraska was once home to abundant bighorn sheep populations.

By all accounts, they were gone by the early 1900s. Repopulating the Cornhusker State began in 1981 by translocating surplus wild sheep from other states. Today there is an estimated population of 250-275 bighorn sheep.

Historically and today, the loss of wild sheep has been traced to disease die-offs from pathogen/ disease transmission from domestic to wild sheep. The Summit delegates were given updates on what’s being done to counter the threat

96 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

of MOVI to wild populations and shown a preview of a new film titled Transmission, produced by the Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia.

Thornton said, “Seeing the impacts from disease transmission, including

sheep needing to be euthanized in this film to curb the spread of disease to other sheep, was emotional. When our delegates were presented with the need to purchase radio collars for the next herd-building translocation in Nebraska, hands shot up all over the room, making pledges. That’s how we get more sheep on the landscape.

We’re also working hard to keep them there.”

Prompted by WSF’s $50,000 seed grant and an appeal by WSF Chair of the Board Glen Landrus, WSF chapters and affiliates in minutes,

raised $60,000 in $5,000 increments.

Those pledging $5,000 grants include Utah WSF, Midwest WSF, Washington WSF, Arizona Desert Bighorn Society, Montana WSF, Texas Bighorn Society, Wild Sheep Society of BC, Oregon WSF, Alaska WSF, New Mexico WSF, California WSF, and Idaho WSF. Karen Gordon of Alaska also pledged $200.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission plans to capture 5070 bighorns during the fall and winter of 2022 and 2023. The sheep will be tested for disease and fitted with tracking collars. Most will be released, but between 20-25 will likely be relocated to the Pine Ridge region of Nebraska’s panhandle.

“On behalf of our members and the Nebraska Game and Parks, I really appreciate WSF’s leadership and their $50,000 seed money plus of all the Chapter & Affiliate delegate’s enthusiastic participation in assisting Nebraska in restoring bighorns in their native habitat,” said Craig Nakamoto, president of Iowa Foundation for North American Wild Sheep. “IA FNAWS is adding $50,000 to the $110,200 raised by WSF at the C&A Summit for a total of $160,200 to provide for the muchneeded resources to set a pathway towards the success of bighorns in Northwest Nebraska. I am simply amazed by the generosity of the WSF family!” added Nakamoto.

The trailer for the film, Transmission can be viewed at www. movifree.org.

CURRENT AS OF PRESS TIME

CHAPTER & AFFILIATE SUMMIT XIV SPONSORS BIGHORN SPONSORS - $2,000

STONE’S SPONSORS - $1,500

DESERT SPONSORS - $1,000

SUPPORTER - $500

BEVERLY VALDEZ ´ THORNTON GRAY & RENEE

FRIEND - $250

CHARLIE & LINDA KELLY ALAN DAY DON & KATIE MARTIN SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 97

CHAPTER & AFFILIATE NEWS

A

ON THE ROAD BACK TO NORMAL

fter two years of uncertainty within the Yukon, especially surrounding the tourism industry, it looks like we can finally start returning to some normalcy. As we transition back to normal, the Yukon Wild Sheep Foundation is in the process of moving forward with plans to increase involvement within the chapter and create opportunities to raise funds that will give back to our wild sheep.

In efforts to increase YWSF’s presence within the industry and contributions within the Territory, we are in the process of increasing membership and involvement within our chapter. Moreover, we are planning on getting back to holding our annual fundraising banquets. These banquets have been successful in the past, and with easing restrictions, the community is eager to get out and participate in this event. Furthermore, at the time of writing this article, we are preparing for the Thinhorn Sheep Summit that will be held May 3rd-5th. We are looking forward to meeting with thinhorn experts from across North America and hearing on various topics regarding sheep and sheep management. This will certainly be valuable for YWSF moving forward.

We are thrilled that the Yukon now has a full time sheep biologist. This is a very important step to start moving towards actual habitat improvement and predator management projects.

With the help of our sheep biologist, the Yukon continues to protect our wild sheep population by monitoring for MOVI. We are proud to say that the Yukon’s wild sheep population continues to be MOVI-free as a result of ongoing management practices 98 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

of domestic sheep and goats and the continuous testing of our wild sheep. Hunters and outfitters are encouraged to use test kits again this year to collect nasal swabs and fecal samples whenever they harvest a ram. These test kits are free, light, compact and quick to use. As an incentive for participating in this important management practice, resident hunters receive a YWSF hat donated by Sitka when they hand in their completed test kits to the government after a hunt.

As this will be my first year on

the board I am excited about the prospects ahead. Our board is very diverse and is made up of people who are passionate about this foundation, and are from a broad range of user groups which brings in many valuable perspectives. I am certain we can do what needs to be done to make a positive impact on the Yukon’s wild sheep population. I am looking forward to participating in what I believe is the never ending responsibility of an avid hunter—to manage and give back to the wild animals that we pursue. WS

SPEND LESS TIME APPLYING AND MORE TIME

HUNTING

SUMMER 2022 ~

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CHAPTER & AFFILIATE NEWS

by Kevin Kehoe Alaska WSF

ALASKA WSF UPDATE

2022 Alaska Wild Sheep Foundation Annual Banquet a Huge Success

The annual banquet again broke records for the amount of money raised for conservation. Over 1.2 M was raised during this year’s resourcing efforts culminating in the annual banquet on April 23rd. The highlight of the evening was a check presented to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for $200K. After two years of challenging banquets, it was great to be back home in the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage. During 2020 we were forced to conduct a virtual event hosted by Cabelas, which went very well, but raised only about 80% of the normal revenue. Last year we had a fun event with 900 people under the big top at the Alaska State Fairgrounds and it was wildly successful but also cost more than our regular banquets. This year we had another sellout crowd with 900 people at the regular banquet and a little over 100 attendees at Sheep Hunter University. We were even able to figure out how to get an Argo and Can-Am side x side to the third floor of the convention hall. They said no to the elephants however—maybe next year.

AK WSF and Friends Score Major Legislative Victory

During May of this year the Alaska Legislature passed the long-awaited changes to the Alaska Gaming Regulations to allow on-line raffles.

Although we have been under emergency orders for almost two years, which allowed for online raffles, those emergency orders were set to expire in July. The regulatory changes were scheduled for review during the 2021

100 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

legislative cycle, but were ultimately sidelined in favor of the extension of the emergency order.

Work on the changes began almost two years ago with a meeting between the Alaska Wild Sheep Foundation (AK WSF) and The Alaska Professional Hunters Association (APHA), during which we quickly agreed on the value of the changes and need for technical legal expertise on the rules and regulations that exist within the US currently. At the meeting we agreed to fund lawyers that we happen to have in common to develop that expertise and advise us on our efforts. This approach quickly paid dividends as we developed an approach and potential stipulations of proposed legislation. We were also joined in our efforts by other conservation non-profits like SCI. Legislators like Senator Josh Revak and others were absolutely invaluable in our efforts which almost stalled several times despite the overwhelming popularity of the legislation. The bill, which will benefit almost all non-profits with a gaming license, is currently awaiting the governor’s signature and the subsequent celebration party.

Alaska Wild Sheep Foundation Receives Award

The Alaska Director of Wildlife Conservation, Eddie Grasser, presented the Alaska Wild Sheep Foundation the Director’s Annual Award for Conservation Excellence at this year’s annual banquet. This award is actually the first to be given to the Alaska Wild Sheep Foundation as an organization and recognizes the organization for its years of contributions to conservation. This

is actually the first time the award has been given outside the Department.

Earlier this year, the President of AK WSF, Kevin Kehoe, was also recognized with the Alaska Governor’s Conservationist of the Year Award.

Sheep Harvest Numbers in Alaska Drop Significantly

Sheep harvest numbers for 2021 were the lowest recorded in recent history—in the mid-400s. A series of hard winters and specific weather events are the most likely causes.

Although MOVI, the foreign pathogen linked to die offs in the lower 48 has been discovered in Alaska’s Dall’s sheep, it is a unique single strain not known to cause major dies offs. This is not the first time that sheep numbers have plummeted in Alaska. During the early 90s there was another die off toll that took almost 15 years from which to completely recover. One also has to understand that Alaska is a big piece of real estate, and not all populations within the eight major sheep ranges were affected.

If you have hunting plans, it is a good idea to use a reputable outfitter and ask about what you can expect.

Hopefully, we will not be plagued by similar weather during a potential recovery period. Climate change may well be working against us, and the need for mitigation strategies for shrinking habitat as brush invades the high country and other factors may be at hand. When all is said, we can only do our best to manage all the factors that we can influence—and then we can only hope for good weather.

The real question is—are we doing everything possible? Probably not.

Time to get involved and become part of the solution. WS

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CHAPTER & AFFILIATE NEWS

by Beverly Valdez California WSF

CALIFORNIA WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION UPDATE

O

ur first live fundraiser in three years was a success thanks to our many members who worked tirelessly for months to get it organized and to all those who supported us both in the room and

ONLY 600 TOTAL TICKETS SOLD

102 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

online for our great selection of auction items.

THANK YOU also to our many donors, and especially to Ultima Thule Outfitters who have made so many dreams come true!

TICKETS $100 DRAWING HELD 04/29/23

Importantly, our Give a Lamb a Drink (GALAD) fund grew by more than $45,000! Each system costs approximately $25,000 to complete, so that is almost two complete systems. We are in the planning process for this year’s installations and will keep you updated on our progress.

You can help with a donation to the GALAD project or volunteer to help at one of our installation projects. Contact forthesheep@gmail. com to get on our mailing list. Better yet, JOIN to show your support and you’ll always know the schedule.

Next year’s fundraiser is April 29th — add to your calendar now! And go to the CA WSF store for a chance to win a desert sheep hunt at La Guardia Ranch.

Visit the store at WWW.CAWSF.ORG/STORE

MEMBERSHIP 

New/Renewing Annual Members: $75 includes 1 raffle ticket.

Hunt takes place in Haines, Alaska in October/November 2023 (dates to be finalized with outfitter). Winner needs to be in very good physical condition to be successful.

Goats average 9-10”. Hunt includes guiding, meals, transportation from Haines to hunting area.



New Life Members: $1,000 includes 2 raffle tickets.



Current Life upgrade to Centennial: $1,000 includes 2 raffle tickets.



New Centennial Members: $2,000 includes 4 tickets.

Not included: items outlined in gear list, travel to and from Haines, Alaska, lodging before and after hunt, hunting license ($160), mountain goat tag ($600), gratuities, and shipment of meat/trophy.



Additional tickets: MEMBERS ONLY $50 EACH. No Limit.

Membership drive begins July 29, 2022 and concludes February 5, 2023. Drawing will take place on February 17th, 2023.

Join/Renew/Upgrade and purchase tickets at

The Idaho Wild Sheep Foundation invites you to watch TEAM BIGHORN, a 10-minute video of the March, 2022 capture and test near the Salmon River, Shoup, Idaho. Sixty bighorn sheep were captured and tested in three days on a native population that has not been studied before. This video tells the story of how we are all working together to, ‘Put and Keep Wild Sheep on the Mountain’.

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WILD S HEEP® 103

CHAPTER & AFFILIATE NEWS

by Clint Bentley President, Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn

T

THANKS AGAIN!

he Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn would like to Thank WSF and all the C&A’s profusely for the emergency water haul donations last year. At this time, the temperatures are in the 100’s, with no rain for 81 days and no forecasted rain in the near future. We have just completed hauling to four mountain ranges (eleven guzzler sites) and are preparing for another run starting shortly.

Thanks to everyone’s generosities we are prepared to go forward at this time.

We just completed the install of a monitoring system at the most-used site in the Muddies and will have some very interesting info to share by the next publication. WS

TO BECOME A MEMBER CONTACT Maddie Pennaz - MPennaz@wildsheepfoundation.org

CONNECT WITH US W i lW d SILD heSeHEEP p Fo ® u n dati on . or g 104 ~ SUMMER 2022

|

Face bo o k . c o m /M SU W SF | 406. 404. 8750

TIM O’LEARY

Wanted SHEEP ENTHUSIAST Must be willing to buy expensive gear, walk long distances, drink questionable water, eat food from a foil bag, sleep on hard ground next to friends that smell worse than you, maintain a sunny disposition, and risk divorce.

Must provide your own participation trophies.

Inquire at: www.akwildsheep.org

SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 105

CHAPTER & AFFILIATE NEWS

by Dr. Sam Cunningham President, Texas Bighorn Society

TPWD MEMORIAL AT BLACK GAP WMA

M

embers of Texas Bighorn Society participated in the June 2022 dedication of a memorial at Black Gap Wildlife Management Area in the Trans Pecos region of Texas as a tribute to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) staffers and fallen partners, Dr. Bob Dittmar, Brandon White, and Dewey Stockbridge. The three were tragically killed in a helicopter crash while conducting desert bighorn sheep surveys on August 8, 2020.

106 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

The memorial was designed by the TPWD Trans Pecos team, including biologists and technicians, all coworkers of the three irreplaceable men.

Calvin Richardson, TPWD Trans Pecos Regional Director, stated during the dedication, “Hopefully its rustic look is fitting for the backdrop of the Black Gap surroundings, and hopefully, the rugged limestone is appropriate for the lives, work and personalities of the gentlemen it was

meant to represent. It wasn’t done for TPWD leadership, and it wasn’t even necessarily constructed for the families. It was just something the Trans Pecos team believed that they needed and wanted to do—maybe for ourselves or maybe for those that come along after us...and we greatly appreciate Texas Bighorn Society’s role in making it possible.”

TBS provided funding for the bronze sheep skull for the memorial.WS

MEMBERSHIP INCENTIVE RAFFLE EACH $100 TICKET INCLUDES AN ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP TO WY-WSF

How The Raffle Works Purchase a membership incentive raffle ticket for $100 and be included in every firearm drawing for the next 365 days.

Each time the chapter sells 25 tickets a winner will be drawn.

Raffle ticket holders may win more that once.

Winners may select from one of the Weatherby firearms listed below. Allow 60 days lead time for delivery.

Weatherby will ship the items to an FFL of the winner’s choice.

Raffle begins on January 13,2022 at our WSF Sheep Show Booth in Reno and on line.

Vanguard Synthetic Blue compact [youth] 308, 243, 6.5 Creedmoor, Or 7mm-08.

Weatherby Camilla Wilderness, 308, 7mm-08, 6.5 Creedmoor, Or 243.

Vanguard First Lite Cipher With Brake, No Fluting. 300WBY, 6.5 Creedmoor, 257 WBY Or 270 WIN.

Weatherby Orion 12 or 20 Gauge With Blued or Matte Finish.

All annual members may renew for another year at $100 upon notification that their annual membership is expiring and remain in the contest.

Existing annual members may upgrade to the incentive raffle by purchasing a $100 raffle ticket. Their current membership expiration date will have one year of eligibility in the raffle added to it.

Ramshorn Society and Life Members are not eligible to participate in this raffle.

All ages may play but the prize recipient must be over 18 and must pass an FFL background check.

You must be eligible to receive these items at your location which must also allow online raffles.

To order tickets online; www.Wyomingwildsheep.Org. Email us at: info@wyomingwildsheep.org Phone: (307) 213-0998 Mail: WY-WSF, P.O.Box 666, Cody, WY. 82414 Foreign customers, please call us with a credit card payment.

SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 107

CHAPTER & AFFILIATE NEWS

by Jason Peak Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance

ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT ALLIANCE UPDATE

T

his year continues to be nothing but positive gains for RMGA. As always, we are looking to continue the growth and capitalize on the momentum that’s been building within the organization for years.

The Science and Conservation Committee and board of directors have been pleasantly surprised with the volume of new opportunities to utilize organizational resources to benefit mountain goats all across North America and fulfill the mission statement obligations set upon us all.

Since our last update, RMGA put on another successful online auction which featured significant donations from our many loyal sponsors. The diversity of the supporters of the online auction demonstrates that the organization is reaching far and wide to capture likeminded companies to support mountain goat research. We can’t thank all the sponsors enough, and certainly appreciate everyone who bid on the fantastic items available during the auction.

The Regional Representative Program continues to thrive and we are constantly looking for more volunteers to be our eyes and ears on the ground for local issues that impact mountain goats and their terrain. Anyone interested in helping out as a Regional Representative should contact us through the

108 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

website or on social media to learn more.

New faces keep cropping up within the organization as we continue to grow. By the time this article goes to print, RMGA expects to have even more people involved at

the local and international levels.

Qualified and motivated people are always needed to fill numerous roles within the organization, from board of director positions, to support personnel and to volunteers at goat counts. If you love goats and have a strong desire to assist, we will find a spot for you.

RMGA’s co-sponsorship of the Northern Wild Sheep and Goat Council’s Biennial Symposium was a huge success. Not only did we gain incredible knowledge from the various presenters, but we also found new opportunities for RMGA to get involved with some pretty significant research opportunities. Keep an eye open as those programs and projects play out to see firsthand how RMGA is doing as much as possible to fund and support mountain goat projects in various ways.

As for goats counts, there continue to be more and more opportunities to help out as a volunteer. Many of the counts provide hike levels of varying degrees, so all are welcome to join. If you have hiking boots and a great attitude, we have a perch for you to count from.

Stay updated on social media and the website for all the particular dates and locations of upcoming counts for the remainder of the year.

Finally, we would like to thank Shane Reed and Kyle Buhler of the United States and Canada, respectively, for being the first to send in photos and video of the new kids of 2022. It’s always exciting to enjoy the new life of spring after a long, hard winter. It’s even better when baby mountain goats are the source of the fresh breath of spring. WS

JOIN US ON THE TRAIL LESS TRAVELED.

Photo Rob Gerstner, High Mountain Archery ©KENETREK, LLC 2022

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SUMMER 2022 ~

VISIT US ON SOCIAL WILD S HEEP® 109

SHEEP SHOP

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SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 111

CONSERVATION EDUCATION

Jonathan Swart sits proudly over magnificent sheep (see story in his words on the next page).

by Ryan Brock WSF Youth Education Coordinator

T

INSPIRING YOUTH IS ON THE RISE

he saying, “April showers brings May flowers” is often referred to during those spring months when the weather warms and moisture falls from the skies to green up the land.

However, when it comes to youth events this spring, we have seen a dramatic up-tick in the number of events we have been able to organize and get involved with, and a more truthful saying in relation to youth and the outdoors may be, “as events start to grow, the kids will show”. It’s true, as more gatherings have been able to occur across the nation, we have been able to be involved with educating and inspiring more kids than we have in two years.

It has been as refreshing as the spring weather to see all the

112 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

Chapter & Affiliates holding their banquets this spring. The Wild Sheep Foundation was invited to create fun learning opportunities at eleven of our chapter and affiliates.

Each of these youth events were unique, based on the banquet itself.

With the addition of community events that also increased, just about every weekend this late winter and spring had some sort of youth event occurring that WSF was involved with.

One new experience worth mentioning was teaming up with Morr Range in Lancaster, PA. Each year WSF is invited to put together a Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience (YWCE) to go along with the Hunting & Outdoor Expo

Eastern WSF holds. This year, after the event, we reached out to the couple hundred youth who attended and offered those 10-17 years old a youth firearms safety course at Morr Range. Youth received classroom instruction time first, followed by range time shooting twenty-twos in their indoor range. This was our first time creating an extension event after Eastern’s Expo to youth who attended the YWCE. Over 1,500 more kids were engaged with WSF’s youth events and educational experiences this past year compared to the previous year.

Although every event is unique, each Shooting, Hunting, & Ethics Education Program (S.H.E.E.P.) event is designed to excite and

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WILD S HEEP® 113

inspire the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts and wildlife conservationists. They aim at getting kids off electronics and into the great outdoors to take on some outdoor passion.

The story below involves just that, one young enthusiast of the outdoors, who at twelve years old had one

amazing fall hunting season which will surely lock him in for life into a deeper understanding and connection of nature and hunting’s role in it.

It involves a story we don’t often get to hear from someone so young telling it, as drawing a bighorn sheep tag is a difficult and long process, taking years and years in many cases.

With his family’s support, along with friends, he describes his sheep hunt.

Although we didn’t have a part in inspiring Johnathan, I believe the passion and excitement you will read in his words is what all who have a desire to help young people strive to hear. WS

by Jonathon Swart

our chances were going to be, and our chances appeared great. We were seeing 100+ sheep a day! Then, before we knew it, opening day was there and we spent time scouting and looking for just the right sheep.

After a few days of walking, driving and scouting, we found three big ones. One was long, one was short and thick, and the third was a

was close to his size, but a little bit smaller. We went after that one and had to run down a ridge to get into a better spot. We had just enough time to get into shooting position. We shouted for him to stop. Finally, he stopped right at the top of the ridge and was perfectly broadside. I was so focused on him. I took the shot at 300 yards and he dropped where he stood. I hit right where my dad wanted me to, in the high shoulder.

We all got so excited and we even got it on camera (you can watch a bit of it on our YouTube channel Swart Hunting Saga).

After a lot of hoopin’ and hollerin’ in excitement, we called the guys down so that we could get pictures and skin it. We skinned it from the back so that if we wanted to, we could do a full body mount. Everyone helped to pack him out. I packed the head and the hide. Once we all made it back to the cabin, we measured him and he was around 160 inches.

Now that the hunt was complete and everyone got a little rest, my dad and I headed straight to the edge of Idaho to give it to the taxidermist, Wildlife Artistry by Merle Remple.

Unbelievably, we only had to wait three months and we got him back.

That will probably be the most fun year of hunting I will ever have in my life. A once-in-a-lifetime hunt, and all those other tags I mentioned…I filled them ALL! WS

I was 12 years old when I drew my bighorn sheep tag for the John Day River in Oregon for the fall of 2021.

It was Father’s Day and my dad and I were working on a job when we decided to check if we drew any of the tags we applied for. During our break, we checked my dad’s tag results first.

Next, we checked mine. We looked over my results and found out I drew a spring bear, cow elk, and both a doe and buck tag. Then we looked down a little further and saw that the sheep tag was selected as well! It took us a bit to realize what had occurred. It then kicked in and we realized I drew a bighorn sheep tag!

We started calling everyone we could think of, every family member, and people that we knew that have been on a few of our family’s other hunts in the past. We had to begin planning for the trip. We heard about a ranch called White Elephant Ranch, and my dad quickly reserved us a place there to stay for my season. Before the opening of the season, we went to an Oregon Wild Sheep Foundation’s “Sheep and Goat Workshop” that they offer for tagholders and the public. One of the prior presidents of the Oregon WSF even offered to help on the hunt.

We arrived at the ranch two days before the opening day of the season.

We scouted those days to see how 114 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

combination of both. We decided to pursue the one who had horns with a combination of the attributes, but we just couldn’t get in the right spot for a good shot. He was moving all over the place and he even went into the rock bluffs. We had to give up for that day.

The next day we were looking for him again, but didn’t find him because we found a different one that

See you the Show We’ll seeatyou at Sheep the Sheep Show®®January - January 2023 2022

SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 115

$100 PER TICKET LIMTED TO 2,500 TICKETS PER ITEM Drawing held at the 2023 Sheep Week Convention

NEED NOT BE PRESENT TO WIN

7 - DAY - ALL INCLUSIVE ALTAI ARGALI HUNT IN MONGOLIA Includes permitting, English-speaking guides, all incountry ground travel, all out-of-pocket costs, and services including round trip economy air travel, $5,000 USD tip money, $2,500 for in-country incidentals, plus expert assistance with import permitting and other planning needs

WSF CUSTOM “CHUGACH EDITION” A true one-of-a-kind, from the ground up custom overland rebuild of a 1996 Land Rover Defender 110 Complete frame to chassis rebuild w/matching, original serial numbers

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE

ACTUAL TRUE TRAIL, LTD CUSTOM REBUILDS

ACTUAL LR 110 BEFORE REBUILD

116 WILD S HEEP ~ SUMMER 2022 ®

VICTOR CLARK

RENO

JANUAR

Y 12-14, 2023

AUCTION PREVIEW Online:

TO DONATE CONTACT: KIM NIETERS | 406.404.8764 | KNIETERS@WILDSHEEPFOUNDATION.ORG SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 117

JANUARY

12-14, 2023

SPONSORS ARE CURRENT AS OF PRESS TIME

WSF SALUTES OUR 2023 CONVENTION SPONSORS WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PATRONIZE THOSE WHO SUPPORT THE WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION

OFFICIAL SHEEP WEEK® SPONSOR

PRESENTING SPONSORS

118 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

DIAMOND SPONSORS

PLATINUM SPONSORS

KEVIN & TUESDY SMALL GOLD SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

LIFE MEMBER PATRONS LARRY & GAY JOHNS ANDRE VAN HILTON

We invite you to become a sponsor of the 2023 Convention in Reno.

For sponsorship opportunities or more information contact: Gray N. Thornton • 406.404.8750 • gthornton@wildsheepfoundation.org Keith Balfourd 404.404.8750 • keith@wildsheepfoundation.org SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 119

A1

10 - DAY DALL’S SHEEP HUNT WITH ULTIMA THULE OUTFITTERS IN ALASKA FOR 2022 <1CLUB

A2

A1

ULTIMA THULE OUTFITTERS Donald C. Martin P: 310.766.3921 E: don-martin@earthlink.net A2

6 - DAY MOUNTAIN LION HUNT IN NEVADA FOR 1 HUNTER

CANYONS WEST GUIDE SERVICE Dave Gowan P: 775.934.2557 E: dave@canyonswest.com W: www.canyonswest.com A3

3 - DAY CANTABRIAN CHAMOIS HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER FOR <1iCLUB 2023!

A3

(Trophy Fee included for 1 Cantabrian chamois) (100% FULLY DONATED) HEREDEROS HUNTING Rafa Navazo P: 34.629.033.762 E: rafa@herederoshunting.com W: www.herederoshunting.com A4

4 - DAY CANTABRIAN CHAMOIS HUNT IN SPAIN FOR 1 HUNTER

(Trophy Fee for 1 Cantabrian Chamois) GIUSEPPE CARRIZOSA - SPAIN Giuseppe Carrizosa P: +34.68.693.5651 E: giuseppecarrizosa@gmail.com W: www.giuseppecarrizosa.com THE CONKLIN FOUNDATION Bradford Black P: 330.802.2711 A5

10 - DAY DALL’S SHEEP/ ARCTIC GRIZZLY/BARREN GROUND/CARIBOU HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER IN ALASKA’S ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE OR (Hunter’s choice) 10 day Dall’s sheep/brown bear/black bear in the legendary south wrangells (Wrangell St. Elias preserve)

ALASKA OUTFITTERS UNLIMITED Aaron Bloomquist P: 907.982.2471 E: bloomya@hotmail.com W: www.alaskaoutfittersunlimited.com W: www.huntalaska.net 120 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

A4

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A6

A6

(One for auction & one for Sheep Show Raffle)

6 - DAY BARREN GROUND MUSKOX HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER CANADA NORTH OUTFITTING Shane Black P: 250.961.7100 E: sblack@canadanorthoutfitting.com W: www.canadanorthoutfitting.com A7

12 - DAY MOUNTAIN CARIBOU HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER

DEULING STONE OUTFITTERS, LTD Jarrett Deuling P: 859.983.6442 E: jarrett@deulingstoneoutfitters.com W: www.deulingstoneoutfitters.com A8 A7

A8

(One for auction & one for Sheep Show Raffle)

5 - DAY AOUDAD SHEEP HUNT ON THE WILLIAMS RANCH IN TEXAS FOR 1 HUNTER ROWDY MCBRIDE HUNTING SERVICES Rowdy McBride P: 432.837.2047 C: 432.553.4724 E: rowdymcbride@sbcglobal.net A9

BROWNING X-BOLT MTN PRO TUNGSTEN 6.8 WESTERN A9

A10

A11

(100% FULLY DONATED) BROWNING Shaundi Campbell P: 801.876.2711 E: shaundi.campbell@browning.com W: www.browning.com A10

5 - DAY MULE DEER HUNT IN NEW MEXICO FOR 1 HUNTER (100% FULLY DONATED) FRONTIER OUTFITTING GT Nunn P: 505.350.9775 E: gtnunn@aol.com W: www.frontieroutfitting.com A11

BLACK SHEARED BEAVER STROLLER W/GROOVE DESIGN

(This fur is non-exchangeable, size large) WILLIAM FURS William Asmar P: 775.828.0995 E: williamsfurs@yahoo.com W: www.williamfurs.com SUMMER 2022 ~ WILD S HEEP® 121

B1

7 - DAY ARCHERY MULE DEER HUNT IN ARIZONA FOR 1 HUNTER AND 1 NON-HUNTER

B1

(August velvet hunt or December rut hunt - hunters choice) BIG CHINO OUTFITTERS JP Vincente P: 928.925.9395 E: bigchinooutfitters@gmail.com W: www.bigchinooutfitters.com B2

4 - DAY COUES DEER HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER IN SONORA MEXICO (100% FULLY DONATED) ALCAMPO HUNTING ADVENTURES Jacobo Artee P: 52.662.212.5510 E: hunting@alcampo.com.mx W: www.alcampo.com.mx

B2

B4

B3

7 - DAY SPRING BLACK BEAR HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER IN BC

TELKWA RIVER OUTFITTERS Sarah Johnston P: 250.263.5537 E: info@tuchodiriveroutfittes.com W: www.telkwariveroutfitters.com B3

B4

5 - DAY/5 NIGHT EXCLUSIVE “BIG 5” PHOTO SAFARI FOR 2 PEOPLE WITH LUXURY LODGING

MATTHEW GREEFF SAFARIS Matthew & Sylvia Greeff P: +27.83.265.2824 E: mgsafari@iafrica.com W: www.matthewgreeffsafaris.com B5

(Two for 2023 Sheep Week)

7th ANNUAL WILD SHEEP JURASSIC CLASSIC STURGEON FISHING TOURNAMENT • 2 - DAY TRIP FOR 2 ANGLERS

JURASSIC CLASSIC COMMITTEE - WSSBC AND GOABC Trevor Carruthers P: 250.919.5386 E: trevor.carruthers@shaw.ca

122 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

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LIFE-SIZE NORTH AMERICAN SHEEP MOUNT (100% FULLY DONATED) THE WILDLIFE GALLERY Dan & Charlotte Catlin P: 989.561.5369 E: dan@thewildlifegallery.com W: www.thewildlifegallery.com B7

5 - DAY BLACK BEAR HUNT FOR 2 PEOPLE over bait

B8

(Specializing in family members - mother/daughter - parent/child) (100% FULLY DONATED) ALASKA HUNTING ADVENTURES Master Guides, Sue Entsminger & son, Matt Snyder P: 907.883.2833 or C: 907.310.3514 E: wildsue@aptalaska.net E: akhunting@hotmail.com W: www.grizzlyhuntsalaska.net W: www.tokmanagementarea.com B8

8 - DAY BULL ELK HUNT IN WYOMING FOR 1 HUNTER (100% FULLY DONATED) HIDDEN CREEK OUTFITTERS, LLC Cayla Norris P: 307.899.5159 E: cayla@hiddencreekoutfitters.com W: www.hiddencreekoutfitters.com B9

SUPER CUTE…FLASHY RED MINK SHORT JACKET (This fur is non-exchangeable, size medium) WILLIAM FURS William Asmar P: 775.828.0995 E: williamsfurs@yahoo.com W: www.williamfurs.com

B9

B10

B10

ORIGINAL BRONZE CASTING BUST #1/8 AP “CHADWICK RAM” (100% FULLY DONATED) JUSTIN YOUNG FINE ARTS Justin Young P: 719.336.2556 E: jyoungfineart@hotmail.com W: www.justiniyoung.com

sample of work

SUMMER 2022 ~

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AZYRE - WILDLY HIGHPERFORMANCE GEAR

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(Achieve Midweight Hiking Pants: Believe Hybrid Hoodie Jacket: Inspire Baseball Cap) (100% FULLY DONATED) AZYRE Cari Goss E: contact@azyregear.com W: www.azyregear.com C2

2 - DAY HUNT FOR HYBRID EUROPEAN MOUFLON/ HAWAIIAN SHEEP FOR 1 HUNTER AND 1 DAY DEEP SEA FISHING FOR UP TO 3 PEOPLE (100% FULLY DONATED) MAUNA LOA OUTFITTERS Colin Onaka - WSF Life Member Steven Onaka P: 808.960.7373 E: MaunaLoaOutfitters@gmail.com

C3

C3

3 - DAY GOOSE & DUCK HUNT IN ALBERTA CANADA FOR 1 HUNTER

(100% FULLY DONATED) AMERI-CANA EXPEDITIONS INC. Nick, Dan, & Pat Frederick P: 780.469.0579 E: ameri.cana@shaw.ca W: www.ameri-cana.com C4

$3,300 CREDIT FOR TWO PEOPLE FOR A RAFTING TRIP IN IDAHO (Credit can be used for 4 days or buyer can upgrade for 6-7 days) (100% FULLY DONATED) BARKER TROPHY HUNTS / BARKER RIVER EXPEDITIONS Jon Barker P: 208.836.5551 C: 509.780.9599 E: barker@barkerriver.com W: barkerriver.com C5

ONE WEEK STAY IN A MOUNTAIN CABIN IN THE BEAUTIFUL BIGHORN MOUNTAINS OF WYOMING (100% FULLY DONATED) JEFF GEIGER P: 614.668.8222 E: jeffrey_geiger@ml.com

124 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

C4

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5 - DAY TROPHY WHITETAIL DEER HUNT IN KANSAS FOR 2 HUNTERS BELL WILDLIFE SPECIALTIES DIRT NAP OUTDOORS, LLC Paul Davis P: 870.243.9491 E: dirtnapoutdoorsllc@gmail.com W: www.dirtmapoutdoorsllc.com Daniel Bell P: 789.589.2321 E: bellwildlife@earthlink.net C7

ONE OF A KIND LOST WAX ORIGINAL BRONZE OF THE BUYER’S CHOICE

C7

C8

(100% FULLY DONATED) JUSTIN YOUNG FINE ARTS Justin Young P: 719.336.2556 E: jyoungfineart@hotmail.com W: www.justiniyoung.com C8

3 - DAY ROE DEER RIFLE HUNT FOR 2 HUNTERS & 3 - DAY SIGHTSEEING TOUR FOR 2 NON-HUNTERS

sample of work C9

(Hunters can decide to use the value of the Roe deer trophy ($3,400) to hunt another trophy of choice.)

HUNT TRIP SPAIN Francisco Rosich P: +34.93.116.2001 E: contact@hunttripspain.com W: www.hunttripspain.com C9

300 WEATHERBY MAG. - CHRIS KLINEBURGER COMMEMORATIVE RIFLE C10

KENT KLINEBURGER P: 425.785.0032 C10

6 - DAY ALASKAN FISHING TRIP FOR 1 ANGLER

(Grayling, Salmon, Pike, Rainbow, Lake trout, Char, & Dolly Varden) (100% FULLY DONATED) BUSHWHACK ALASKA/ TALARIK CREEK LODGE Erik Salitan P: 907.388.8766 E: talarikcreeklodge.com W: www.bushwhackalaska.com W: www.talarikcreeklodge.com

SUMMER 2022 ~

WILD S HEEP® 125

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PERSONAL COLLECTION FROM THE LATE MARLIN GRASSER ESTATE (Buloua watch with

D1

gold ram band & jade bases, Elgin pocket watch, mammoth ivory bracelet wth gold nugggets, buffalo hide, Signed copy of Eflins “Bear Attack” books, and Marlin Grassers personal photos and more!)

OREGON WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION Walter Chuck P: 541.290.4919 E: waltercopn@yahoo.com W: www.oregonfnaws.org D2

7 - DAY WINTER PREDATOR HUNT IN ALASKA FOR 1 HUNTER MIDNIGHT SUN SAFARIS Coke Wallace P: 907.978.0929 E: info@midnightsunsafaris.com W: www.midnightsunsafaris.com

D2

D3

D3

3 1/2 - DAY AOUDAD HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER IN WEST TEXAS HIGH WEST OUTFITTERS Jim Breck Bean & Jamie Cowan P: 915.526.3001 E: highwestoutfitter@yahoo.com W: highwestoutfitter.com D4

WINE TASTING FOR 50 PEOPLE ANYWHERE IN THE CONTINENTAL USA AFRICAN TRADITION Clive Botha P: 561.379.8243 E: blksem7@aol.com W: www.sabestwine.com

D4

D5

MIDWEST WSF LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP

Mike Bouton E: midwestwildsheep@gmail.com D6

TEXAS BIGHORN SOCIETY LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP TEXAS BIGHORN SOCIETY P: 806.754.7783 E: info@texasbighornsociety.org W: texasbighornsociety.org

126 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

D5

D6

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“MOOSE” AN ORIGINAL BRONZE FRANK ENTSMINGER WILDLIFE BRONZE ARTIST P: 907.883.2833 E: bronzeart@aptalaska.net W: www.frankentsminger.com BOOTH# 813

Need Photograph

D8

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3 - DAY FREE RANGE BALKAN CHAMOIS OR EUROPEAN GRAY WOLF HUNT IN MACEDONA FOR 1 HUNTER (Trophy fee for Balkan

chamois or European gray wolf included, hunters choice) THE HUNTING CONSORTIUM LTD. Robert Kern P: 540.955.0090 E: hunt@huntcon.com W: www.huntingconsortium.com

D9

4 - DAY HUNT FOR 2 HUNTERS IN SPAIN INCLUDING 2 MOUFLON SHEEP, OR 2 RED STAG OR 2 ROE DEER (Hunter’s choice)

D10

(Trophy fees included for 2 Mouflon Sheep or 2 Red Stag or 2 Roe deer) ESPACAZA JOSE MALLO- SPAIN Jose Mallo P: 34.91.575.76.29 E: jose@espacaza.com W: www.espacaza.com D10

7 - DAY WALRUS ARCTIC ADVENTURE HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER (Tag and license

are included) CANADA NORTH OUTFITTING Shane Black P: 250.961.7100 E: sblack@canadanorthoutfitting.com W: www.canadanorthoutfitting.com D11 D11

D12

4 - DAY 2 IBERIAN MOUFLON SHEEP HUNT FOR 2 HUNTERS IN SPAIN (Trophy Fee included for 2 Iberian mouflon) GIUSEPPE CARRIZOSA - SPAIN Giuseppe Carrizosa P: +34.68.693.5651 E: giuseppecarrizosa@gmail.com W: www.giuseppecarrizosa.com D12

“UNDER THE BAOBAB” BY JOHN BANOVICH 37”X 33” FRAMED GICLEE (100% FULLY DONATED) Gray and Renée Thornton SUMMER 2022 ~

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3 - DAY BECEITE IBEX HUNT FOR 1 OR 2 HUNTERS

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(Includes Trophy Fees for 1 Beceite Ibex scoring up to 70 SCI and 1 Beceite ibex scoring up to 50 SCI points) (100% FULLY DONATED) SMC SPAIN HUNTING IBEX Salva Monforte P: +34.670.765.336 E: info@spainhuntingibex.com W: www.spainhuntingibex.com E2

ULTRA LIGHT BINOCULAR HARNESS

(100% FULLY DONATED) RICK YOUNG OUTDOORS LLC Rick Young P: 503.702.5960 E: rick@rickyoungoutdoors.com W: www.rickyoungoutdoors.com

E3

E3

10 - DAY MOUNTAIN CARIBOU HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER IN NWT CANADA (100% FULLY DONATED) RAVEN’S THROAT OUTFITTERS Griz & Ginger Turner P: 867.332.7286 E: hunts2ravensthroat.com W: www.ravensthroat.com E4

12 - DAY MOUNTAIN GOAT OR CARIBOU HUNT IN BRITISH COLUMBIA FOR 1 HUNTER (100% FULLY DONATED FOR WSF THINHORN INITIATIVE) GOLDEN BEAR OUTFITTING Blake Williams P: 250.794.8350 E: gbowilliams@gmail.com W: www.goldenbearoutfitting.com E5

10 - DAY ALASKA-YUKON MOOSE HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER IN NORTHWEST ALASKA

FREELANCE OUTDOOR ADVENTURES Lance & Nikki Kronberger P: 907.854.2822 E: freelanceOA@mac.com W: www.freelanceoutdooradventures.com

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E5

E4

E6

SWAROVSKI OPTIK PACKAGE

E6

SWAROVSKI OPTIK NORTH AMERICA (100% FULLY DONATED) Dean J. Capuano - Communications Manager P: 800.426.3089 Ext. 2957 E: dean.capuano@swarovskioptik.us W: www.swarovskioptik.com

E8

E7

MULE DEER ANTLER WINE & GLASS RACK (100% FULLY DONATED) ANTLER CREEK WILDLIFE CREATIONS Bryan Mackie P: 406.587.7213 E: bryan@antlercreek.com E8

E7

LIFE-SIZE WILD SHEEP MOUNT WITH HABITAT AND BASE DEWEY WILDLIFE STUDIO Dawayne Dewey P: 307.587.4863 E: info@deweywildlife.com W: www.deweywildlife.com E9

E9

14 - DAY SPANISH IBEX GRAND SLAM HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER

(Trophy fees included for 1 Bronze Medal Gredos Ibex, 1 Bronze Medal Beceite Ibex, 1 Bronze Medal Southeastern Ibex, and Bronze Medal Ronda Ibex and 21% VAT Fee!)

IBERHUNTING SPAIN Antonio Teruel Farrugello P: +34 664.283.512 E: iberhunting@iberhunting.com W: www.iberhunting.com E10

10 - DAY MOUNTAIN GOAT HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER IN BC E10

E11

TUCHODI RIVER OUTFITTERS Sarah Johnston P: 250.263.5537 E: info@tuchodiriveroutfittes.com W: www.tuchodiriveroutfitters.com E11

12 - DAY DALL’S SHEEP/ WOLF/WOLVERINE HUNT IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES FOR 1 HUNTER & 1 NON-HUNTER

GANA RIVER OUTFITTERS LTD. Harold Grinde P: 403.357.8414 E: ganariver@pentnet.net W: www.ganariver.com SUMMER 2022 ~ WILD S HEEP® 129

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BOSWELL’S CUSTOM TITANIUM Ti-SLR CHAMBERED IN 7MM REM MAG W/SPIRAL FLUTED BARREL BOSWELL CUSTOM FIREARMS Steve Boswell P: 301.739.3632 E: boswellscustom@yahoo.com W: www.boswellscustomrifles.com

F1

F2

F3

F2

2 - PERSON/2-DAY EASTERN WILD TURKEY HUNT BELL WILDLIFE SPECIALTIES DIRT NAP OUTDOORS, LLC Paul Davis P: 870.243.9491 E: dirtnapoutdoorsllc@gmail.com W: www.dirtnapoutdoorsllc.com F3

4 - DAY AOUDAD HUNT IN DEEP WEST TEXAS FOR 1 HUNTER AND 1 NON-HUNTER

SAFARI SPECIALISTS GROUP Dalton Bannister and Kolton Moore P: 903.203.4801 E: moorekolton@yahoo.com W: www.safarispecialistsgroup.com

F4

F4

5 - DAY HUNT IN BRITISH COLUMBIA FOR 1 HUNTER (Hunters choice of one: black bear, mule deer, wolf, lynx, bobcat, birds & fishing)

BC TROPHY MOUNTAIN OUTFITTERS Kevan Bracewell P: 1.800.215.0913 E: info@bctrophymountainoutfitters.com W: www.bctrophymountainoutfitters.com F5

2 - DAY RIO GRANDE TURKEY HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER IN KANSAS

THE ORIGINAL KANSAS TROPHY WHITETAILS Stan Christiansen P: 314.851.7911 E: stanc942@gmail.com W: www.kansas-trophy-whitetails.com F6

9 - DAY ALASKAN HUNT FOR 2 MOUNTAIN GOATS AND 1 SITKA BLACKTAIL DEER FOR 1 HUNTER

KODIAK OUTDOOR ADVENTURES Paul Chervenak P: 907.486.3008 E: paul@kodiakoutdoors.com W: www.kodiakoutdoors.com 130 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

F6

F5

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F7

3 - DAY IBERIAN MOUFLON HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER

HEREDEROS HUNTING (Trophy fee for 1 Iberian mouflon included) (100% FULLY DONATED) Rafa Navazo P: 34.629.033.762 E: rafa@herederoshunting.com W: www.herederoshunting.com F8

2 - DAY RIO GRANDE TURKEY HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER AND 1 NON-HUNTER

F8

sample of work

F10

(100% FULLY DONATED) 805 OUTFITTERS Greg McGill P: 805.610.4014 E: gregm_57@yahoo.com F9

7 - DAY LATE SEASON MOUNTAIN GOAT HUNT IN ALASKA FOR 1 HUNTER

F11

(100% FULLY DONATED) ULTIMA THULE OUTFITTERS Paul & Donna Claus E: uto@starband.net W: www.ultimathulelodge.com F10

ORIGINAL WILDLIFE ART BRONZE & PAINTING COMBO

(100% FULLY DONATED) CRAIG PHILLIPS ORIGINALS Craig Phillips P: 406.827.3702 W: www.phillipsbronze.com F12

F11

4 - DAY MOUFLON & FALLON DEER FOR 2 HUNTERS

(Trophy fee included for each species to be shared by both hunters) (100% FULLY DONATED) HUNT IN SPAIN & ALFONSO FABRES Alflonso Fabres P: +34.923.380001 E: info@huntinspain.com W: www.huntinspain.com F12

4 - DAY/3-NIGHT EL CARMEN ISLAND FISHING VACATION FOR 4 ANGLERS MEXICO HUNTS/SERGIO JIMENEZ Sergio Jimenez P: 011.52.81.8863.1563 E: sjimenez@vitro.com W: www.mexicohunts.com SUMMER 2022 ~

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10 - DAY AFRICAN SAFARI HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER AND 1 NON-HUNTER (Trophy fees

G1

included for red hartebeest, zebra, impala, waterbuck, and springbuck) (100% FULLY DONATED) BUCCARA AFRICA Chris Nortje P: +27.060.555.548 E: chris@bucarra.de W: www.buccara-africa.com G2

7 - DAY BULL GIRAFFE HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER IS SOUTH AFRICA

G3

CHASSEURS DE MOCAMBIQUE (Trophy fee credit of $2,500 for 1 bull giraffe up to 40” is included) Juan Pace P: 0027.732.137.902 E: safari.cdm@outlook.com W: www.cdmocambique.com G3

4 - DAY TARPON FISHING & 1 - DAY ALLIGATOR HUNTING FOR 2 ANGLERS/ HUNTERS - SHEEP SHOW RAFFLE 2023!

BIENVENUE OUTDOORS Camille Bienvenue P: 941.806.8062 E: bienvenueoutdoors@outlook.com W: www.bienvenueoutdoors.com

G4

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5 - DAY SOUTH AFRICAN HUNT/FISHING & BIRD SHOOTING FOR 2 HUNTERS (Included is $1,000 towards trophy fee per hunter) JP BIG GAME SAFARIS Juan Pace P: 0027.76.922.3715 E: info@jpsafaris.com W: www.jpsafaris.com G5

3 - DAY PYRENEAN CHAMOIS HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER AND 1 NON-HUNTER (100% FULLY DONATED) ATP HUNT Andres Torrico Pena P: 0034.600.440.962 E: atp@atphunt.com W: www.atphunt.com

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G2

G6

G6

WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA LIFE MEMBERSHIP, T-SHIRT, HAT AND CHALLENGE COIN

G7

WSSBC Kyle Stelter P: 6046909555 E: kstelter@wildsheepsociety.com W: www.wildsheepsociety.com G8

G7

THE TACTICAL T-4-16-HD CUSTOM SERIES TACTICAL HEARING Tim Sparks P: 801.822.6888 E: tim@tacticalhearing.com W: www.tacticalhearing.com G8

G9

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5 - DAY COLUMBIA BLACK TAIL DEER & COASTAL BLACK BEAR HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER (100% FULLY DONATED) SPOON CREEK OUTFITTERS Ken Wilson P: 541.396.2726 E: spooncreek@wildblue.net G9

6 - DAY ARCHERY ROOSEVELT ELK HUNT IN OREGON

G11

(100% FULLY DONATED) UPFRONT OUTFITTERS Mike Jenkins P: 360.560.7620 E: mike@upfrontoutfitters.com W: www.upfrontoutfitters.com G10

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Bear Trust International is working to conserve our hunting heritage through conservation, education, and conservation policy. We believe that hunting is a viable management tool and we are hunter conservationists.

Please visit our website for more information.

For the past 4 years, Bear Trust has been working to educate our youth about why grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are ready for delisting, based on the scientific data.

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136 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

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SHEEP SHORTS

by Jed A. Brown

F

or years I believed I had a solid lead on a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep tag in New Mexico, but when that tag fell through I was blessed to find an even better tag! Once that tag was locked down not a day passed that I didn’t dream about my hunt for my fourth North American wild sheep. To have the opportunity to complete my FNAWS in Montana, a state known for massive rams was a privilege. The outfitter/guides Brendan Burns and Justin Fourcolors are so knowledgeable about their hunting area and the sheep that live there. Like most sheep hunting outfits, they manage for age. I had seen photos of rams that would certainly make me a very happy hunter. One ram really had my focus, but when it was time for the hunt another massive ram materialized and it was determined he was even older than my “target” ram. Brendan told me if we could find both sheep, it would be hunter’s choice as to which ram to pursue, but I could tell he really wanted e to shoot the older ram. As the saying goes, “Don’t guide the guide”. When Brendan picked me up at the airport in Great Falls I told him my focus had changed to the massive older ram. Luck was on my side. When we arrived at the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation we found the older ram first. One look through my binoculars convinced me I needed to pursue this ram until he was mine.

138 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

Photo: Duncan Gilcrest

When the moment of truth finally came and we crawled into position, the ram was bedded directly across a canyon from us at 200 yards at the same elevation. I set my 6.5-284 on its bipod, laid prone and waited for him to get out of his bed. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he was bedded facing our way. It seemed right. For minutes I could see one eye looking our way from behind a pine tree— when I saw two eyes both staring directly our way I knew he could get up at any moment. There had been

some discussion about shooting him in his bed, but that conversation quickly ended when the ram stood up. Brendan and I knew the ram could bolt at any second as he raised from his bed, so I had already told Brendan that when the ram stood the rifle would go off almost immediately...it did! Brendan, Justin and I all heard the hit, the ram spun and took off behind the hill he had been bedded on. Anytime an animal doesn’t go directly down, doubt can enter one’s mind. I certainly didn’t

need doubt on my FNAWS ram, but I started to question my shot placement given the sheep’s slight angled body position. The walk around the mountain down the canyon and up the other side took only about 15-20 minutes, but it felt like hours. We checked fingers on the backside of the mountain as we hiked to the position where the ram had been bedded 20 minutes earlier.

As we approached that location we could see the ram had traveled about 50-60 yards away and was lying on his side. And then it hit me...my FNAWS was done! My quest for the four wild sheep of North America had been accomplished! I am not the kind of hunter who openly celebrates after a successful hunt that finishes with a harvested animal. I often have a surreal feeling come over me with a range of emotions—appreciation for the experience, gratitude to those people that made the hunt possible, accomplishments for taking an animal, etc. All these emotions were there with me this fateful late afternoon in Montana. WS

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ADVENTURE PROFILES

Albert Fini, Jr.

David Clark

Ted Hanson

I traveled to Mexico for the first time to the Sonora area hunting desert sheep to complete my fourth ram—and did it with three of my friends along!

I hunted hard and looked over lots of rams to find a legal one. I hiked lots of miles, had snow, as well as a grizzly in the trail.

This was an 18-year wait on the draw.

Turning 70 and still being able to hike the mountains!

SPECIES: Desert Bighorn OUTFITTER: US Outfitters/Luis Camou GUIDE: George Taulman LOCATION: Sonora Mexico

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My ram was taken on opening day of the 2020 season. Eric Lee runs a great outfit for backpack hunts! Jason, Jay and Ben made the hunt amazing.

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Scott Lusk Desert bighorn

Please forward a very big thank you to everyone at WSF that made this possible for me. It was a dream hunt and I had a terrific experience with Jose and the rest of his crew at Rancho La Guarida.

I look forward to supporting the WSF for many years to come.

Way to go Scott, you are kicked out of the <1 Club®!

Mike Borel

Mike Borel

Thomas Zuck

I hunted a beautiful area and had great company. It was my shortest hunt ever.

We got the boc at 8:20AM on day one!

It was 13 years old, and I’m delighted.

We enjoyed an incredible lunch that afternoon and dinner that evening. This was my fourth hunt in Spain for their capra species, I’ve enjoyed every trip and my wife has enjoyed them as well.

Every outfitter I’ve booked with has been excellent, however, Iberhunting and Antonio Teruel and Mercedes absolutely stand well above all others. The food, the wine, the company, AND the hunting, were all superb. I recommend them without reservation.

A beautiful area, but the weather limited its grandeur. We had a major Scirocco dust storm from Saharan Africa that coated everything and colored the sky orange! Then we got rain, which did settle the dust, but added to the challenge of spotting game. The morning of day two, we saw the billy we wanted. I was using a very fine borrowed rifle: Blaser R8 with a Zeiss scope. When I shot, which I rushed, he jumped and moved into the nearby trees out of our sight. We found blood, but not a lot, and unfortunately pushed the animal too early. Paco decided to get his terriers.

When he got back with the dogs, it was raining more heavily. Antonio kept me in places where (if the billy was still moving) I could get a shot.

Beyond the trees is a steep and rugged cliff that was out of our sight. Paco and the dogs trailed the billy over the edge. Paco was not comfortable trying to go (too steep and much worse with wet conditions). This location was also across the line into the adjacent hunt area. Paco enlisted his counterpart for that area. That ranger came over and could see the billy from the bottom, but also was not comfortable trying to get to him in wet conditions.

The first day with dry conditions was eight days later on 3/23. Paco and his terriers were able to get to the billy and get him out.

Special thanks to Antonio and Paco for persevering and recovering my ibex.

Again, as mentioned in my boc hunting story, Iberhunting and Antonio Teruel and Mercedes and the food, the wine, the company, AND the hunting, were all superb. I’m hunting with them again later this year for a Vercors Chamois.

My first sheep hunt of any kind, I was super fortunate to draw this tag—and even more fortunate to harvest a mature old ram (12.5). Looking forward to finding a way to get my next sheep tag in my pocket!

SPECIES: Balarean Boc OUTFITTER: Iberhunting, Antonio Teruel GUIDES: Francisco “Cisco” Santacreufe LOCATION: Pollensa, Spain

Mason Rogers

SPECIES: Desert OUTFITTER: Rancho La Guarida GUIDE: Servando Franco LOCATION: Mexico We pursued our ram across a mountain and down across a valley for about two to three miles. He was banded with two other rams. At one point, we closed to within 40 yards, but brush and mesquite was too thick to shoot. I ended up shooting at only 100 yards. A highlight was breaking my gun in a near-death horse accident afterwards.

SPECIES: Rhonda Ibex OUTFITTER: Iberhunting, Antonio Teruel GUIDES: Antonio Teruel, Paci Navero LOCATION: Costa del Sol, Spain

SPECIES: Bighorn OUTFITTER: Self-Guided GUIDE: Self-Guided LOCATION: Colorado

Rob Hammond

SPECIES: Desert Bighorn OUTFITTER: Go With Bo GUIDE: Bo Morgan & Eduardo LOCATION: Mexico

This was the hardest hunt of my life.

I received an introduction to rappelling cliffs. I would have not made it without the entire group of people on this hunt.

Bo Morgan’s crew was fantastic. This completes my FNAWS. Regarding conservation information, I’ve never taken a tape to my ram, nor do I plan to.

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Sonora, Mexico Mule Deer • Coues Deer • Javelina • Desert Bighorn

441 N. Grand Ave., Suite 4-200 Nogales, AZ 85621 Phone: 01152.662.260.1006 Cell: 01152.1.662.256.2166 Fax: 01152.662.216.9991 E-mail: amigosoutfitters@hotmail.com www.amigosoutfitters.com

Specializing in custom Sheep horn Chandeliers, Art and Replicas.

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142 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

SUMMER 2022 ~

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LAST SHEEP CAMP

Ron Raboud

The Wild Sheep Family mourns the passing of Summit Life Member Ron Raboud, founder and CEO of Wounded Warrior Outdoors. A giant of a man. A man amongst the men and women he tirelessly served. He was a hero saving heroes. Rest In Peace, Ron. We’ll see you on the summit.

Ron passed away on April 7, 2022 after his valiant battle with brain cancer.

Surrounded by family and friends at the time of his passing, Ron had a profound effect on the lives of so many. The sheer

144 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

number of calls and messages received on his behalf is a true testament to his character and the far-reaching impact that Ron had on others. Even as we mourn, we are comforted knowing that he is now at peace and that his memory will live on through all of those he has touched.

Ron was the founder of Wounded Warrior Outdoors, an organization near and dear to his heart, which will carry on Ron’s legacy for many years to come. Ron was so appreciative of all the well wishes he received during his illness, and Ron’s wife,

Lisa, and their sons thank everyone for their kindness, prayers and support during this difficult time.

Ron loved the outdoors. He loved hunting, fishing, and seeing others enjoy his passion for nature. Ron loved to travel. His adventures took him throughout the United States, north to Canada, and across the Atlantic to Africa. Coming from a military family along with his passion for sportsmanship and the outdoors, Ron founded Wounded Warrior Outdoors in 2006.

He was the son of a wounded warrior and the cousin of a warrior killed during the Vietnam War. Ron partially attributed establishing Wounded Warrior Outdoors to his guilt over never having served in the military. But he shouldn’t have worried. He more than made up for it in his service to others.

Ron began hosting therapeutic adventures on his own property, but eventually partnered with several U.S. military medical facilities to organize supervised programs for wounded personnel. His work began with helping those with physical injuries and grew to serve those with mental injuries—the invisible injuries—those we cannot see.

Through Ron’s sheer will and dedication, he gave those in need a chance to reconnect with their warrior brothers and sisters. WS

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Join RPS in supporting the WSF WE GIVE Program, and support our shared passion for “Putting and Keeping Wild Sheep on the Mountain®”.

PAYMENT INNOVATIONS FOR A CHANGING WORLD. For more information or to receive a no obligation rate review please call: RPS BANCARD LLC JUSTIN WISE | WSF SUMMIT LIFE MEMBER Office: 541.326.8984 • Justin@rpsbancard.com www.rpsbancard.com SUMMER 2022 ~

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John Stoner

John Stoner, 81, of Lancaster, PA, passed away peacefully on March 18, 2022. He was the husband of Ethel Stoner with whom he shared 58 years of marriage.

Carrying on a business rooted by his grandfather and watered by his father,

Linda South

Linda Arlene South, 70, a resident of the North Plains community, passed away on March 13, 2022 at her home.

Linda was born on June 7, 1951 in Princeton, Minnesota. She was the second of two children to Robert and Gladys (Symmonds) Miller. She was raised in Princeton until the age of six when her family moved to Corvallis.

Linda graduated from Laurelwood

146 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

for more than 55 years John flourished in bringing life through the soil and introducing new vegetables to the customers and chefs through the family produce stand at Lancaster Central Market. John took pride in sharing quality, perfectly-ripe vegetables and showing care to each customer.

John loved the beauty of God’s creation. His passion for hunting would emerge and grow during the two years he and Ethel lived in Colorado, 1963-1965.

His dream and pursuit of the FNAWS began in 1972 and he completed the FNAWS in Mexico in 2014 with the desert sheep.

At WSF conventions he discovered many other animals and places he wanted to hunt. John hunted on five continents, including four Canadian territories and eleven U.S. states with many of his friends. In addition to the FNAWS, his trophy collection included an aoudad sheep, various North and

South American deer and antelope, elk, a moose, several bears, mountain lions and goats, a timber wolf, a zebra, an impala, ibexes, turkeys and a muskox. John always said that his hunts were as much about the experience as being successful, even when he wasn’t successful.

He also loved beaches, and with his wife, visited over 30 Caribbean Islands and beaches in the South Pacific and Central America. The British Virgin Island of Anegeda and Culebra, Puerto Rico (where he spent his last healthy days) where his favorites, both for the beauty of the beach and the people.

He is survived by his wife Ethel, his son Scott and daughter Melissa, his grandchildren, Elliot, and Bethany married to Austin Dienner, and his great grandson Rowan Dienner who will carry on his love of God’s beautiful creation and caring for those he encountered. WS

Academy with the Class of 1969. After high school Linda attended nursing school, earning a degree in Practical Nursing.

She met her future husband, Donald South, through their families. Their friendship turned into a courtship and they were married on May 12, 1973.

They made their first home together in Corvallis before moving to North Plains in 1978. Together they had two children.

Linda spent her 50 year nursing career working in family practice settings. She spent over 30 years of that working with Dr. RJ Pitts at his practice in Hillsboro.

While she technically retired in 2016, she continued to work on-call for the Portland Clinic nearly until her 70th birthday. Nursing was a lifelong career which she truly enjoyed.

Linda had many interests beyond her career. She loved the outdoors; hunting, fishing, camping and gardening. Linda was a world traveler and also enjoyed a good book. She was a life member of the Oregon Wild Sheep Foundation

and served on their board. She owned a beauty salon in Portland for several years. Together, Linda and Don built and operated South Tree Farm.

She is preceded in death by her parents.

She is survived by her loving husband Don, two children; Troy and Jennifer South of North Plains, Jen and Garrett McFadden of Arizona, sister; LaVonne Miller of Portland, five grandchildren; Steen, Luke, Madeleine, Kale, Alena, one great grandchild; Zion and three nieces.

A private graveside service for the family was held on March 26, 2022 at Raffety Cemetery. A Celebration of Linda’s Life was held on June 4, 2022 at 2 o’clock in the afternoon at the Walters Cultural Arts Center 527 East Main Street, Hillsboro, Oregon 97123 Donations can be made in Linda’s name to the Oregon Wild Sheep Foundation. WS

Ed Rasmuson

Edward “Ed” Rasmuson, a banker and philanthropist who led Alaska’s largest philanthropic organization, died Tuesday at age 81.

Rasmuson had been diagnosed with brain cancer about a year ago and entered hospice care three days before Christmas.

His oldest daughter, Natasha von Imhof, said he died in the company of family on Tuesday afternoon in Anchorage.

“We’ve all known this time was coming. It’s a sad day,” said George Suddock, one of Rasmuson’s friends since childhood.

The family said a memorial service will take place at a date to be determined in the spring.

Rasmuson inherited control of Alaska’s most powerful bank, National Bank of Alaska, and guided it through the pipeline boom and oil bust before it was sold to Wells Fargo in 2000.

When Rasmuson’s father died that year, proceeds from the billion-dollar sale made the Rasmuson Foundation into Alaska’s largest private philanthropic organization.

Rasmuson switched from banking to the chairmanship of the foundation, distributing millions of dollars in gifts to benefit the arts, education, charitable projects, nonprofit organizations and community projects.

Former Alaska Gov. and U.S. Sen. Frank Murkowski, who knew Rasmuson for decades, said what distinguished Rasmuson was a determined focus on Alaska, whether developing its economic resources as a banker, or developing its

cultural and social resources through giving.

“His interest was really Alaska,” Murkowski said.

In a message announcing Rasmuson’s death, the Rasmuson Foundation said that under his leadership, it invested in the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program, helped create Pick.Click.Give. and started efforts in Anchorage to end homelessness and develop world-class trails and parks.

Outside of work, he served on the boards of the University of Alaska and Alaska Pacific University, as a member of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, as an elder at his church, and was known as an avid outdoorsman who hunted across Alaska and in Afghanistan.

“He was a good friend, a great guy, and a generous person. I think it’s a loss for the state,” said Carl Marrs, a Native corporation executive who was one of Rasmuson’s longtime friends and hunting partners.

Rasmuson is survived by his wife of 52 years, Cathy, his older daughter state Sen. Natasha von Imhof, and his younger daughter, Laura Emerson. He was preceded in death by his two sons, David and Bruce.

Rasmuson was born in 1940 in Houston, Texas, the first child of Yakutatborn Elmer Rasmuson and Lile Bernard.

Three years after Ed was born, his father moved back to Alaska to take over what was then known as the Bank of Alaska.

As a result, Ed grew up in the roughand-ready streets of Anchorage during and after World War II. Lile died in 1960, and Elmer Rasmuson remarried the following year. Ed went off to Harvard, earning a degree in history, but he stayed involved in the banking industry on the East Coast.

After the 1964 Good Friday earthquake destroyed the family home, Ed returned to Alaska, then went to work for the family business, first in Wrangell, then Ketchikan and in 1967, back to Anchorage.

“He liked to hunt. I remember him out in Wrangell, sitting on a log waiting for the ducks to come in, and he’s sitting there, reading the Wall Street Journal in his duck gear,” said Murkowski,

describing Rasmuson during his time in Southeast Alaska.

At a Valentine’s Day party in 1969, Rasmuson met a young Canadian, Cathryn “Cathy” Robertson. They were engaged that summer and married that fall.

“We saw our marriage as being part of a team, complementing and meshing our strengths,” she said Tuesday. “He was the head. I was the heart. His problemsolving, budget-oriented mind mixed with my passions...we were a formidable team.”

Ed was promoted through the ranks of National Bank of Alaska, becoming president in 1974, the same year construction began on the trans-Alaska Pipeline System.

“Ed felt that he was a bridge between the old era and the new, from pencils and bank ledgers...to computers and internet banking,” Cathy said.

An avid hunter and traveler, he visited locations around the world, including Afghanistan in 1978.

When he was picked as the president of the University of Alaska Board of Regents the following year, an Anchorage Times reporter labeled him a “nativeborn aristocrat in a state too young, free-wheeling and transient to have many such.”

Named chairman of the National Bank of Alaska board in 1985, he served in that role until the decision in 1999 to sell the bank. At the time of that choice, it had $2.9 billion in assets and accounted for 45% of all of Alaska’s bank deposits.

After the bank’s sale, he became chairman of the Rasmuson Foundation, which had more than $400 million in assets at the time.

By 2003, the year the University of Alaska Anchorage’s business and public policy building was named Rasmuson Hall in honor of Ed and Cathy, Rasmuson said he hoped to see the foundation grow to more than $1 billion at the time of his death. As of the start of 2021, it had $729 million in assets.

“Every man hopes that what he accomplishes could perhaps be carried on by his son,” Elmer Rasmuson said shortly before his death in 2000. “I managed to have that with Ed.” WS

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Travel & Gear

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WILD S HEEP® 149

RS

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Mackenzie Mtn. Outfitters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

2% For Conservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Mervyn’s Yukon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

7D Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Mexico Hunts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Alcampo Hunting/Sierra El Alamo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Monarch Taxidermy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Amigos Guides & Outfitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Mule Shoe Outfitters, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Bear Trust International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Mystery Ranch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 13

Best of the West Arms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Peppermill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Big Game Big Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Raven’s Throat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Bonnet Plume Outfitters / McKinnon & Company Outfitters . . . . 151

Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Boswell’s Custom Rifles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Rowdy McBride Hunting Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Boyt Harness Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

RPS Bancard, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Browning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Ruby Range Outfitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Chadwick Ram Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 17

Scoop Lake Outfitters, LTD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Conklin Foundation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Sherwood Outfitters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Dallas Safari Club (DSC). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Shikar Safaris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Derick Lopez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Shoshone Lodge Outfitters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Dewey Wildlife Studios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Sig Sauer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Dickson Outfitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Sitka Gear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover

Epic Outdoors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154, 155

South Nahanni Outfitters, LTD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Frank Simpson Outfitting, LTD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

St. James Sporting Properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Full Curl Mineral Spirits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Stone Glacier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Gana River Outfitters, LTD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Stone & Folding Mountain Outfitters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Global Rescue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Sportsman’s Legacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

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Swarovski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Go with Bo & Guide Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Texas Bighorn Society. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Guinn Outfitters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

The Hunting Consortium. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Gundahoo River Outfitters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Vortex Optics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Gunwerks/Revic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Weatherby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Hilleberg Tents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Wild Hunting in Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Hornady . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover

Wildlife Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Huntin’ Fool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Willow Creek Outfitters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Jack Atcheson & Sons, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151, 152

WSF Alaska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Kenetrek Boots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

WSF California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Kimber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

WSF Idaho. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Kuiu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 9

WSF MSU Student Chapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Legacy Society. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

WSF Sheep Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110, 111

Leica. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

WSF Wyoming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Leupold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Wyoming Backcountry Decor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Lost Creek Outfitters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Zimmerman Wildlife Studios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover

Marco Polo Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

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ON THE ADVENTURE TRAIL

by Ken Nowicki

CRITICAL CRITTER THEORY

I

“Management implications of highly resolved hierarchical population genetic structure in thinhorn sheep.”* * Conserv. Genet. 20, 185-201

never know what to expect from my friends Lead-On Highfee and Packtrain MacNamee when we get together down at Ruby’s Café. But I can be sure they will be entertaining and often educational. It’s more entertaining when they argue with each other and don’t pick on me. I am always hopeful that they give me some tips for finding big rams.

On this day they were debating equine husbandry. Or so I thought.

“You can’t judge a horse by the color of the hide,” Packtrain said with emphasis.

“If you can judge a horse so good,” sneered Lead-On, “How come you missed the Kentucky Derby winner?”

“Because I didn’t get to see them with my own eyes. All I see on TV is shades of gray.”

“Maybe you should buy a new color model with high definition.”

“I can help you with that,” I beamed. “You’ll be able to see the pucks when you watch a hockey game. I’ll set you up with live stream.”

“Listen up Boy,” said Packtrain.

“We is talking about critical issues here. The standards we are discussing concern holding up time-honored interpretations and social constructs from a period when North Americans were less concerned about correct classifications and about cultural norms that reflected distributions related to geopolitical boundaries.”

My head was spinning. What 156 WILD S HEEP® ~ SUMMER 2022

were they talking about? I could see they were studying the 2022 British Columbia Hunting Regulations.

“We’ve said it before,” emphasized Lead-On. “Now the biologits are confirming what we always said. It take’s more than a few black hairs to turn a Dall’s sheep into a Stone’s.”

“Well, I have shot a sheep that might be called a Fannin,” I said.

“It’s got a white face and a black and white salt and pepper cape. I thought it was a Stone/Dall crossbreed.”

“Get woke,” snapped Packtrain.

“Here’s the actual scientific paper and it says and I quote;” As an indicator of the resulting significant change proposed in subspecies range distribution, the authors of the above study have categorically stated that virtually all Thinhorn sheep in the Yukon (which have dark coats and have always been hunted as Stone’s sheep) are more correctly classified as Dall’s sheep, making the worldwide distribution for Stone’s sheep almost entirely with British Columbia. This presents a radical departure from long held beliefs that coat color is a reliable way to distinguish subspecies, and it is likely to be met with significant skepticism from at least some of the hunting community.

“Do you know what the ramifications of this are?” Lead-On fixed me with his beady eyes. “Rams ain’t Stone’s if they ain’t shot in B.C.” “I guess,” I replied. “That’s ramification. But who says so?”

“Scienstits and Biolgits,” Lead-On was spitting up a chew and I backed off a respectable social distance about two chairs down at Ruby’s lunch counter. “These idjits and egg-heads are saying there’s no Stone’s in the Yukon.”

“But that will upset the members of the Fullhouse Collection Club (FCC) and the Stone and Bone Accumulators Organization (SBAO) not to mention other venerable record keeping institutions like the Wild Sheep Foundation, and we are all members of that.” I was flabbergast.

“Youse are correct,” Packtrain said.

“And the outfitters in BC are going to be dancing a jig right down to the bank. I wish I was back outfitting.

What do you think a pure strain Stone’s sheep hunt will bring?”

“Top dollar, for sure. And they is already a pretty penny,” Lead-On said and shook his head. “But this ain’t the first controversy I’ve seen in the hunting business. Did you ever consider how many species of bears they are touting as separate award categories. I don’t know if it’s hunters that hype these differences or outfitters with an agenda.”

“It ain’t a black and white problem, Boy. Black bears are black bears, but they come in lots of colors. There are blacks and cinammons and browns and blue glacier bears and even white Kermodes.”

“Caribou too, I guess,” I ventured.

“I think there are five kinds listed in the books.”

“And grizzly,” said Lead-On. “They have Kodiaks and brown bears and mountain grizzly and Arctic grizzly and my view is they are all big and all nasty. There’s no real differences. Did you ever see a small grizzly, Boy?” “Sheep are a whole different game,” opined Packtrain. “The Slamo Grande of Wild North American sheep is one of Desert, Bighorn, Stone’s and Dall’s.”

“And they all got Latin names.

Those Ovis Dall’s are pure white and different than Ovis Ston’s,” said Lead-On. “But, the funny thing is Stone’s are called Ovis Dalli Stonei.

Why’s that?”

“Hey, I can Google up the Wickipedia pages and find that answer,” I said. “It’s right on my phone.”

“He’s using Nowickileaks again,” snorted Lead-On. “OK what’s it say?”

Current genetics analyses using a genomewide set of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) has confirmed new subspecies range boundaries for both Dall’s and Stone’s sheep, updating the previous pelage-based and mitochondrial DNA classifications. ”That ain’t plain English, Boy,” snapped Packtrain. “But I know the pelt on a Dall’s sheep with a single black hair has been touted by those Yukon outfits as a Stone’s sheep.

Even some outfits in the N.W.T. were claiming Stone’s were getting shot in the Mackenzie Mountains. I never thought that was right.”

“No you wouldn’t,” chided LeadOn. “You wuz selling Stone’s hunts in North BC and you didn’t want the competition from the Yukon.”

“Now the proof is in the pudding,” smiled Packtrain. “The only Stone’s

sheep are from BC. Anything north of BC is a Dall’s.”

“Apparently that’s what they are saying,” I said and scrutinized the various reports, including notations in the Yukon and BC regulations.

“These biologists just might get stoned at the next Thinhorn Sheep Summit.”

“They just had that meeting in

Whitehorse,” gurned both the old Outfitters. “We was invited to give them some apocolyptic observations but we declined. No way we is going north of 60 anymore except in the summer time.”

“Well, some apocryphal observations are helpful to scientists I think,” I ventured as I scanned the material. “But the root of this issue seems to be something in the genes.

Dall’s sheep and Stone’s sheep are

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different it says in this study and there’s no in-betweens.”

“I’m leery of anything written in stone, with the exception of Mose’s tablets,” quoth Lead-On. “Scientists say one thing, but hunters have a say in the matter. How can the record books come up with a new rule that works and is fair for hunters? Some of those Yukon Stone’s were entered into the books 50 years ago, when Packtrain and I were working for Night Flight and other outfitters who shall remain nameless.” He gave a supercilious grin.

“I heard about those days,” I said.

“Hunters back then wanted all three northern Thinhorns, including Dall’s, Stone’s and Fannin. A Fannin was a special thing. Some early writers even said they were a separate subspecies, and others claimed they were a cross-breed. There was always some diversity in the opinions on the color of each species of sheep.”

“Outfitters always loved the collectors who wanted all three,” chortled Packtrain. “But here’s the problem. Dall’s sheep are white, and Stone’s are black. How much black on white makes a Dall’s ram a Stone’s or a Fannin. And it don’t work viceversa. Stone’s always have beautiful contrasting white legs and rump patches.”

“This is worse than getting your DNA checked and finding your ancestry shows your momma married her first cousin,” yukked Lead-On. “What a mess.”

“Maybe the Powers That Be in all the clubs can think of a solution.

Maybe they grandfather the entries they have and start from scratch for any rams entered up to now.”

“I don’t think they are saying there are three subspecies,” I puzzled.

“It looks to me like there are only two and the Stone’s sheep is found nowhere but in British Columbia.

I better get home and pull out the books and study on this.”

“Wait, Boy, you forgot my favorite color.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s green. Ain’t you going to buy coffee?”

And so I did shell out some cash, and a tip for Ruby, but I never got any tips on where to find big rams from the cagey old Outfitters. WS

Editors Note: Nowicki has been collating the scientific reports and studies on pellage classifications and poring over his collections of early hunting magazines from the Big Three Outdoor classics as well as books written by the preeminent authorities on big game hunting and sheep in particular. At this juncture he is unsure what the reception will be from the hunting cognoscenti when he delivers his preliminary findings at the next Wild Sheep Convention in Reno.

He is trying to organize a group discussion with a panel drawn from some of the surviving great minds and names he has gleaned from reviewing the hunting annals, including hunters and Yukon and BC Outfitters. He has developed a questionnaire which he is sending to all the parties asking for kill locations in order to produce a mapping overlay which he will use to consider the geographic expanse of the various Dall’s and Stone’s sheep ranges. He reports his initial response from many of those he has contacted has been less than favorable and he has obtained very few specific locations for harvested rams. Nevertheless, he is committed to searching for kill locations in order to bring clarity to the spatial distribution of all classes of Thinhorn sheep. He insists that he is not seeking the data for personal reasons and he promises an update in the next edition of Wild Sheep® magazine.

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