WILD SHEEP MAGAZINE FALL 2022

the journal of the mountain hunter and committed conservationist

HEAT THAT’S NO SWEAT

AMBIENT HOODY

ACTIVE INSULATION THAT’S MADE TO MOVE

Nature is nothing if not adaptive. Wild places and the animals that call them home are in a continual state of adaptation. Through our years on the mountain, in the marsh and up in trees we have learned the value of a clothing system that adapts. The Ambient Hoody is the pinnacle expression of this learning - an active insulation layer that retains heat when you are static and expels it when you are on the move. The Ambient Hoody is one of the most advanced active insulation layers that has ever been made.

The best-selling now even better Backcountry

Message

Corner

Corner

the Future

Affairs

One More For Four

Awards

Ram Awards Rules

Warrior Outdoors

Basecamp Dispatches

Chapters & Affiliates List

Chapters & Affiliates

Chapters & Affiliates News

Women Hunt®

Conservation Education

Sheep Shorts

Adventure Profiles

<1 Club® Kicked Out

Last Sheep Camp

Travel & Gear

Advertiser’s Index

On the Adventure Trail

Sections:

Sheep Shop

Donations

the Cover:

Photo by Jerry Herrod, AK Scenic Image Photography. In Jerry’s words, “I had known about this ram for quite some time and seldom got out to really seriously chase him down. When I realized a big ram had made its way into one of the local haunts I had a feeling it was him. I climbed until I was even with their elevation and there was nothing to separate us but air. He had seen me and was well aware I was there but he seemed not to care at all while slowly grazing away. He started coming toward me slowly, stopping to graze and occasionally look up to see if I was still there. To my amazement he approached and slowly fed past me, strangely stopping to pose for a few images that go beyond what is captured through my camera lens. They are burned into my memory forever as a heart-pounding moment frozen in time where I was blessed to be in the high places with the greatest of them all.”

The Horse Economy by Andrew McKean

Horse packing still has its place in the sheep world.

Chemo Ram by Will Lee

Persistance and perserverance pays off on a Dall’s ram.

Listen With Your Heart by Xavier Cervantes

Paying deeper attention to the experiences, the people and the places that make sheep hunting.

58 Sheep Camp by Craig Boddington

A critical factor to a sheep hunting experience...and the memories.

Best Of The Dall’s by Scott Bestful

A look at some of the storied rams of the B&C archives.

For Want Of A Nail by Wyane Van Zwoll

Hunting success and even survival can pivot on the smallest of things.

Summer Issue Errata:

stalwart Victor Trujillo took this stunning cover photo of a South Dakota Badlands ram testing the wind during the rut for our recent summer cover. Due to a copy error it was listed as a Nebraska ram. We apologize for the error and thank Victor for this exceptional image!

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

VICE CHAIR: Kyle Stelter • kylestelter@gmail.com

SECRETARY: Larry Jacobs

lljacobs4@aol.com

TREASURER: Charlie Kelly • azsheepguy@gmail.com

Tony Caligiuri • tcal@boytharness.com

Julie Chapman • jhelmchapman@yahoo.com

Wayne Henderson • henappram@hotmail.com

Larry McGovern • ltmcgovern67@gmail.com

Glen Pyne, DVM • pawsnclaws@sbcglobal.net

Emilio Rangel W. • emiliorw@me.com

Peregrine L. Wolff, DVM • falcolupus@gmail.com

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PRESIDENT & CEO Gray N. Thornton • gthornton@wildsheepfoundation.org

HEADQUARTERS STAFF

PRESIDENT & CEO - EDITOR IN CHIEF, WILD SHEEP ® MAGAZINE: Gray N. Thornton • gthornton@wildsheepfoundation.org

Kim Nieters, Vice President of Operations –Auction & Awards Director knieters@wildsheepfoundation.org

Kevin Hurley, Vice President of Conservation –Thinhorn Programs Lead khurley@WildSheepFoundation.org

Terry Ziehl, Finance Director tziehl@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 mcostanza@WildSheepFoundation.org

Mike Aiazzi, Expo & Exhibits Manager maiazzi@wildsheepfoundation.org

Hannah Stewart, Expo & Membership Assistant hstewart@wildsheepfoundation.org

CONTRACT

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

PRODUCTION STAFF

Gray N. Thornton,

Scott Morrison,

Ashley McEnroe,

Craig Boddington,

Andrew McKean,

Ken Nowicki, Field Editor

Greg Schildwachter, Columnist

Legislative Watch

Wayne van Zwoll, Contributor

CONTACT THE PUBLICATION

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.

Greg Schildwachter, Lobbyist greg@watershedresults.com Washington, DC

Kurt Alt, Conservation Director –International Programs altwildlife@yahoo.com

Ashley McEnroe, Staff Writer aoliverio@gmail.com

CONSULTANTS

Shane Mahoney, Special Conservation Consultant shane@conservationvisions.com

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. 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.

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®, WH®, WOMEN IN HUNTING INITIATIVE®, WIHI®, and WOMEN HUNT®, are registered trademarks of the Wild Sheep Foundation.

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

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

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

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.

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

for Others

Hunting Ethics

Accountability

Attitude

for Wildlife

Putting & Keeping Wild Sheep on the Mountain Since 1977

INTRODUCING

COMPLETE CONCEALMENT

DESIGNED TO COVER A HUNTER’S EVERY MOVE, KUIU PROXIMITY IS PROTECTION FROM THE ELEMENTS AND COMPLETE CONCEALMENT IN EVERY SENSE.

FEATURE RICH

Developed from the ground up for silent, stationary situations, Proximity is a purpose-built outer layer for when being quiet and protected from the elements is top priority. Wear it alone in mid-season or layer underneath when the temperatures drop.

OUTER LAYER FABRIC

Proprietary brushed polyester face fabric for dead quiet performance and bonded wind-resistant membrane for ultimate comfort.

DWR PROTECTION

The proprietary brushed outer-shell face fabric is DWR treated to repel moisture when complete rain protection is not needed.

3DeFX+® INSULATION

Highly breathable insulation that stretches and moves with you while regulating body heat and keeps you warm during stationary sits.

ODOR-CONTROL TECHNOLOGY

Unmatched odor-control technology prevents the formation of bacteria and keeps you undetected in the field.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

by Gray N. Thornton President & CEO

GIA REFRESH REAPS REWARDS FOR WILD SHEEP

The summer is sadly winding to a close, but the fall brings late season sheep and other hunts to enjoy as well as our annual Sheep Show® planning, which is well underway.

This summer was also a flurry of WSF events kicked off with the Schnee’s and WSF Ram Rendezvous in downtown Bozeman in early July, followed by WSF participation at the Total Archery Challenge in Big Sky. August found WSF and our twin axle Texas smoker supporting the Stone Glacier Grand Opening Party at their new Bozeman flagship location, and the next day, supporting a SITKA Depot event with Randy Newberg. All in all, we estimate that WSF provided

1. Prescribed Burns for Wild Sheep Enhancement in NE British Columbia

Approved Grant: ........ $250, 087 Summary

Prescribed burning in known wild sheep habitats in northeastern BC; enhancement of winter/lambing habitat by improving quality of forage available in areas w/ decreased risk of predation. Annual treatment 5001,000 hectares (1,200-2,500 acres) of wild sheep habitat during spring (May-June) each year.

2. Oregon/Idaho/ Washington Test & Remove Bighorn Sheep Program

Approved Grant: ......... $177,000 Summary

Year three of multi-jurisdictional adaptive management project to further investigate “test and remove”

more than 2,000 smoked pulled pork sandwiches and Texas kielbasas during July and August as part of our industry partner support and public/community outreach program.

During the month of July, WSF opened our annual conservation Grant-In-Aid application window. This year we focused on projects $50,000 and above and required all to come through our Chapter and Affiliate partners. In 30 days WSF received $1.8 Million in requests which were vetted by our conservation staff and Professional Resource Advisory Board and then presented to the WSF Board for review and consideration. During

to clear Movi from bighorn sheep populations. Objective: to improve health of BHS populations at Burnt R., OR; Lookout Mtn, OR; Lower Salmon R., ID; Lostine, OR; and Yakima Canyon, WA. Year two work expanded to include Lower Panther – Main Salmon population in ID and Cleman Mountain population in WA, as a control. In winter 2021-22, 249 bighorns in four (4) populations were captured/sampled. Year three proposed to capture/sample 275 sheep in seven populations.

3. California Bighorn Sheep Population Analysis, Test & Remove, Health and Disease Surveillance in Idaho, Oregon & Nevada (ION Initiative)

Approved Grant: ......... $152,450 Summary

our September 1st Board meeting, the board approved the funding of $1,222,637 in GIA requests.

These $1.22+ Million in approved conservation grants are but one “bucket” of the $2.6 Million Mission Programs budget in our July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 fiscal year. Added with an anticipated $4 Million that will be directed to our state, provincial and tribal/First Nation partners through 2023 conservation permit sales, WSF is on track to direct for the sixth year in a row more than $6 Million annually in Mission Program Funding.

A summary of the fifteen projects we approved are listed below:

Two Part Program: 1) Test and Remove Movi clearance efforts and 2) BHS herd survey, population analysis, and health/disease surveillance. WSF funding will be used for contracted helicopter services to capture and survey bighorns, contracted infrared fixed-wing surveys, to cover fuel costs of volunteers accomplishing coordinated ground surveys, GPS collars and pathogen sampling and testing costs. Outreach and public information would be accomplished, including social media, press releases, articles in newsletters and video production.

4. Socorro (New Mexico) BLM Field Office –

Landscape-Scale Water Projects

Approved Grant: ......... $106,000 Summary

WSF funding will be used to fund water development and livestock exclosure supplies and materials and/or construction of a 1,000 ft2 catchment + 1-1.5 acre exclosure. Current desert bighorn sheep population estimate is 250-275. Expected to increase with added water.

5. Fraser River (British Columbia) Year Five Surveillance, Recovery, & Management

Approved Grant: ......... $100,000 Summary

Three Program Grant: 1) Year five of the Fraser River (British Columbia) bighorn sheep Disease Mitigation Program, BC’s first Test and Remove that is showing promising results in clearing Movi and recovering Canada’s largest CABHS metapopulation. 2) Thompson River bighorn sheep Health Assessment, which seeks to tease apart the relative roles of health, predation and habitat in the 50% decline of Thompson River bighorn sheep herds in recent years. 3) Support for British Columbia’s 1stever “Wild Sheep Summit.”

6. Hart Mountain (Oregon) Bighorn Sheep Recovery

Approved Grant: ......... $100,000 Summary

The California bighorn sheep herd on Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge in SE Oregon declined from ~150 animals in 2017 to less than 48 in 2020. Consequently, the herd is at risk of extirpation without prompt management intervention.

In 2022, the Hart Mountain Bighorn Sheep Management Plan & Environmental Impact Study was developed to identify management actions to aid herd recovery. An integrated management approach focusing on short-term predator control (mountain lions) and longterm habitat management (juniper control and added water sources) are specifically targeted to benefit and recover bighorn and support a sustainable herd. WSF funding will focus on short-term mountain lion control.

7. Bighorn Sheep Restoration to Nebraska Panhandle

Approved Grant: .......... $50,000 Summary

Nebraska Game & Parks Commission (NGPC) recently completed cleanup of two primary bighorn herds in the Pine Ridge region of northern Nebraska’s Panhandle. By implementing a Test and Remove strategy, NGPC removed chronic disease-carrying ewes, preparing the way for future reintroductions. Plans are underway for fall of 2022 and winter 20222023 to helicopter capture, GPS radio-collar, sample, and disease-test 50-70 bighorn sheep from two herds in the Wildcat Hills region of the southern Nebraska panhandle. Most captured bighorns would remain in the Wildcat Hills, but 20-25 bighorns would be transplanted to the eastern Pine Ridge region of the panhandle. With a successful winter 2022-2023 transplant to Pine Ridge, another transplant would be implemented

in winter 2023-24, to the western portion of Pine Ridge.

8. Field Testing and Management Application of Canine Disease Detection Westwide

Approved Grant: .......... $50,000

Summary

In 2021-22, with WSF and private funding, Working Dogs 4 Conservation (WD4C) demonstrated that specially-trained dogs are capable of discriminating scat pellets of Movi-infected domestic sheep from scat of uninfected individuals. WD4C will extend this work to include wild bighorn sheep and begin applying these methods to wild, freeranging bighorn sheep populations. WSF funding is sought to enable/ pilot two important tools for wild sheep management/conservation: 1) real-time screening of captured bighorns for Movi infection; and 2) environmental assessment of Movi presence in bighorn sheep habitat.

9. Harcuvar Mountains

(Arizona) Desert Bighorn Sheep Restoration

Approved Grant: .......... $50,000

Summary

WSF funding will help purchase ten GPS collars for desert bighorn sheep that will be transplanted Fall 2022 into the Eastern Harcuvar Mountains. Our goal is to collar all thirty desert bighorns to monitor their movements and habits. We would also put out three additional temporary water tanks to monitor desert bighorn use for future permanent water guzzlers.

WSF funding would also help pay for a 500-gallon heavy duty water trailer dedicated to the Harcuvar Mountains waters. The new permanent water developments planned will also be built with the help of WSF funds.

10. Wind River Reservation (Wyoming) Feral Horse Gathering

Approved Grant: .......... $50,000

Summary

An over-abundance of feral horses is causing significant impacts to bighorn sheep and their habitats on the Wind River Reservation (WRR). Shoshone and Arapaho Fish and Game, along with Bureau of Indian Affairs and a small tribal contractor have worked diligently over the last two years, removing 1,100 feral horses, with a minimum of 5,000 remaining across WRR. Many hundreds compete directly with bighorns on range occupied by the Temple Peak & Owl Creek bighorn herds. Funding from WSF will help pay for a professional helicopter horse-gather contractor to remove hundreds of feral horses from bighorn occupied range.

11. Trap, Test, Transplant Desert Bighorns from Al Campo to Sierra El Alamo (Sonora, Mexico)

Approved Grant: .......... $40,000

Summary

WSF funding will be used to cover costs of capture, care during quarantine, sampling, veterinary expenses, translocation and release of free-ranging desert bighorns. To date, 236 desert bighorns have been successfully released to Sierra El Alamo. The operation will result in expanded free-ranging desert bighorn within the Sierra El Alamo target area and neighboring properties.

12. Water Distribution & Delivery System – Sierra El Alamo (Mexico)

Approved Grant: .......... $30,000

Summary

Water is vital to conserving desert

bighorns conservation at Sierra El Alamo. Very limited, water is the most important factor for continued expansion of bighorn populations. Most water is currently provided by drinkers and water catchments. WSF funding will be used to expand the ongoing gravity water distribution and delivery system project, for the benefit of desert bighorns on Sierra El Alamo and neighboring properties.

13. Chronic Carriers & Bighorn Sheep Population Density: Evaluation/ Implementation of Management Tools (Wyoming)

Approved Grant: .......... $40,000

Summary

WSF funding will be mainly used to help cover contract costs for bighorn capture and/or projects. Our work seeks to understand how we can more effectively manage chronically infected populations—both through nutritional strategies and pathogenreduction strategies. In doing so, we have the opportunity to learn how to more effectively manage bighorn and their habitat through strategies rooted in science. Benefits of this continued research will come from implementation of these management strategies intended to directly benefit the populations they target, and intensive monitoring of the effect of these strategies will inform management of bighorn populations throughout their range.

14. Desert Bighorn Sheep Collaring on Desert National Wildlife Refuge (DNWR) for Improved Population Management (Nevada)

Approved Grant: .......... $19,500

Summary

USFWS is seeking WSF funding to capture/collar ten adult desert bighorn sheep in the Desert and E. Desert Ranges of DNWR in either November 2022 or spring 2023. The proposed bighorn collaring project expands

previous efforts to assess the viability of the DNWR bighorn metapopulations. WSF is funding $19,500 for helicopter/ crew capture costs for ten bighorns @$1,950/animal captured.

15. Edit Transmission Film for Legislator Education & Advocacy

Approved Grant: ............ $7,600

Summary

WSF will fund the editing and modification of the ~58-minute Wild Sheep Society of BC film Transmission down to a ~15-minute film suitable for sharing with local, state, provincial and federal legislators to educate them on the disease issue between domestic stock and bighorn sheep and pathways forward to mitigate transmission.

TOTAL CONSERVATION GIA REQUESTS APPROVED: $1,222,637

The wild sheep resource will be well served by this WSF funding of these impactful projects and programs!

Lastly, I’m pleased to report a very significant staffing promotion made during August. 35-year WSF staffer Kim Nieters was promoted to Vice President of Operations to better support our Bozeman HQ as well as Cody, Idaho and Reno remote staff. Kim will continue to serve as Director of our Auction and Hunting Awards programs but has added this staff support and “second in command” role to her substantial portfolio.

Please join me in congratulating Kim on this well-deserved promotion!

Enjoy the fall hunting seasons! WS

Gray N. Thornton

President & CEO, Wild Sheep Foundation

Editor-in-Chief, Wild Sheep® magazine

CHAIR’S CORNER

by Glen Landrus Chair

CHANGE

Like many parts of the West, the record-setting heat of the summer has held on longer than usual. It is early September now and the cool mornings that feel like fall have arrived. Change is in the air! Fall means hunting season! It sure feels great to see our friends in Canada and Alaska with their first full guiding season in three years—and some tremendous rams have been taken. Congrats to all the great work by outfitters and guides to share with your hunters the experience and beauty that is northern Canada and Alaska.

The cool mornings ushering in fall are not the only changes upon us. As you will read in our President/CEO message from Gray Thornton, many significant changes occurred this summer with our Grant-in-Aid (GIA) process. The result is over $1.22 million in approved projects covering Wyoming, New Mexico, Nevada, Nebraska, Arizona, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, British Columbia, and Mexico! Your Board of Directors as well as WSF staff are committed to evaluating, modifying, and improving every aspect of our mission work. Change is good!

Change is not just limited to our GIA process. We’ve made some changes to the Ram Awards during Sheep Week® by moving the event to Thursday at noon instead of Friday morning. Be sure to keep that change in mind as you schedule your flight and hotel room going into Reno. We look forward to making that event better than it has ever been! Thank you to our Ram Awards committee for your hard work with this event.

I’d like to thank Director Charlie Kelly for his hard work in scheduling the Next Level Growth workshops with staff for late September. I think this is going to be an excellent opportunity to bring resources to our World Headquarters to work with each staff person to make sure we are maximizing the great talent we have on staff. Director Kelly will represent the board and bring valuable tools back to all directors so that we can serve membership and our mission better as well. I am a firm believer

that we are either working hard to get better at what we do, or we are getting worse. This is not the time to be idle as our wild sheep depend on us!

One final “change” that is in the works is a friendly competition between the chair of the Ladies Luncheon, Jann Demaske, and me, as the chair of the Life Member Breakfast. Both events have grown into important revenue streams for our mission funding, and at Sheep Show® 2022, netted over $250,000 collectively. As a result, we are devising a friendly competition to promote the two events with the proceeds going to a project of our choice. More details will be revealed as we get it finalized!

In closing, as this issue hits your mailbox, staff and directors will be full steam ahead on Sheep Week® planning. We hope to make this the best Sheep Week® ever and sure hope to see you all in Reno in January! WS

Yours in Conservation, Glen A. Landrus

“If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less.”

— Ret. Army General Eric Shinseki

Photo: Scott Morrison

CRS

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 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)

Keith Hite (PA)

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)

Sheep Family Snapshots

Michael Avery (LA)

John Blankenship (MA)

Angie Bloomquist (AK)

Eric Cavage (PA)

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)

“

I became a member of the Chadwick Ram Society so I could do more to help sheep than what my Lifetime Membership could accomplish alone.  I have been fortunate to take a few rams in my life, so putting more sheep back on the mountain than I have taken is a real goal of mine.  Being a Chadwick Ram Society member is a start to that pledge that I made to not only myself but the Wild Sheep Foundation family and anyone who loves Wild Sheep…”

- 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.

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.

-Jason Matzinger

BIOLOGIST’S CORNER

by Kevin Hurley Vice President of Conservation

THE BEST TIME OF YEAR

Like many WSF members, wildlife biologists also enjoy late summer/early fall days out in the field, whether they’re working (checking hunters, running game check stations, collecting harvest information and biological samples, visiting with their constituents) or occasionally getting to hunt themselves. It might be early-season mourning doves (before they exit to the south), an archery/bugle elk hunt, sneaking on wily pronghorn over a waterhole, calling a lovesick bull moose out of thick willows, marveling at how that muley buck’s behavior changes as the rut kicks in, and all kinds of waterfowl and/or upland game bird hunting.

My personal favorite time in early fall has always been hunting mountain sheep or mountain goats, up high, cruising ridgetops, climbing up and down till it hurts, glassing till you swear you can’t take another look at the same slope, when out of nowhere, a group of rams or a lone billy somehow appears. Game on!

In my opinion, there is no better time of year than right now, as I write this column on the last hot day of August at an elevation well below where I’d rather be, sitting, glassing, hiking, riding, convincing myself or my buddies to stay patient, we’re in good country, something’s gonna show up, at any moment.

At WSF HQ, we vicariously live through the fabulous hunts, seemingly endless climbs and descents, incredible views, and outstanding photos of live or

harvested rams that our members send us, post to their favorite social media platforms, or we somehow stumble across. From mid-July, rams taken in the NW Territories, to those great Montana rams often harvested the week before Thanksgiving, and to those warrior desert rams hunted when daytime temps are tolerable in Mexico or the southwestern U.S., for many, this is why we do what we do.

Of course, most places don’t offer the opportunity to hunt wild sheep, every year. In Alaska, the Yukon Territory, British Columbia, Alberta, and a few hunt districts in Montana, over-the-counter ram hunting opportunities exist. Most everywhere else, long-term persistence or flat-out luck result in drawing a limited-entry ram hunting license.

Many years ago (too many to remember the exact figures), I put together a summary that indicated approximately 14,000 people/year were able to hunt wild sheep in the U.S. and Canada, with roughly 3,000 rams being harvested annually. Of course, some jurisdictions offer more licenses than others, and there always seems to be perennial wrangling over resident vs. non-resident allocation/ opportunity. For many of us, having the good fortune (or, just plain fortune) to be able to hunt for, and hopefully harvest, a wild ram is how dreams come true.

I have no idea how many stories I’ve read about the young hunters who devoured Jack O’Connor stories by flashlight, under their blankets and bedding. How many have sat

in a duck blind or a tree stand, dreaming about some day being able to go on a ram hunt? How many old-timers harken back, clearly recall, or downright embellish their sheep hunting stories from long ago, wishing their tired bodies could once again hunt those ridgelines?

For me, the most crystalline memories of the sheep hunts I’ve done, or helped friends and family on, are the experiences, the stories, the suffering, the accomplishments, the photos, the laughter, the tears, and the emotional roller-coaster ride that is sheep hunting. I wouldn’t trade my memories.

During my almost 30 years with the State of Wyoming, I had the privilege of plugging hundreds of rams harvested in NW Wyoming. When I’d see a sheep hunter, wearing sneakers or soft shoes, shuffle in to the Cody Game & Fish office to get their ram plugged, that was always one of the first questions I would ask them? “How are your feet doing?” I’d usually get a smile, then, the stories flowed.

To all of our members and nonmembers, ram hunters (successful or not), wild sheep conservation stakeholders, outfitters and guides who help so many dreams come true, and the biologists who manage our wild sheep herds, and help provide these indelible memories, my thanks, and my promise that the Wild Sheep Foundation will continue our efforts To Put and Keep Wild Sheep on the Mountain®!

MPS Reception -

- 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) G. Thomas & Patricia Lang (FL) 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) Rancho La Palmosa (MEX)

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

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)

Lyle & Jennifer Wood (AB)

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

ENSURING THE FUTURE

by Paige Culver WSF Development Manager

REFLECTION, RELATIONSHIPS, AND THE “BUTTERFLY EFFECT”

“It’s on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So, we must dig and delve unceasingly.

— Claude Monet

As humans—and these days very busy humans—reflection is a difficult skill to hone. We are so caught up in the busyness of the moment and the stresses of tomorrow that we often forget to look in the rearview mirror and appreciate the journey thus far. As I sat down to decide what I should write about in the Wild Sheep Foundation world as it relates to development, it seemed unnecessary and a bit redundant to talk about the various giving societies, what our goals are for this year and all the work that needs to be done. If you’ve been a Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) member at any level for any length of time, you should be privy to the amount of money WSF distributes each year in

Mission and Program funding via our annual report, and you will already know where we encounter obstacles as hunter conservationists and you will likely have an idea of the many avenues you can help with in either financial support or volunteer time to make an impact. But I’d like to save that for another issue. What is on my heart to focus on is our relationship to one another. Pouring through past Wild Sheep issues (quite frankly looking for inspiration for this article) something struck me. Something so simple and yet, in the moment, profound. I saw faces and names of folks I didn’t even know existed six years ago. I’ve become friends with them. We’ve laughed together over stories about family and children. I’ve cried with some of them over the same. I’ve cheered them on in their efforts in both work and personal pursuits, and they’ve done the same for me. Some are folks I fully intend to greet with a big hug in January. Others are no longer

with us, but their impact in my life still helps guide my decisions today. I’ve poured over incredible stories of triumph and tragedy on the mountain. I’m also swelling with pride as I revisit just a few of the success stories I’ve been here to experience, like the reintroduction of a new herd in Montana for the first time in 15 years through years of relationship-building with key stakeholders. Taking our North American Conservation Model to central Asia and being an example of success to our friends across the globe. Fighting the fight in D.C. against proposed legislation from groups who want to see our way of life disappear. Seeing more and more women come into the wild sheep conservation community, not as bystanders or a “plus one”, but as active and engaged members who care about the wild sheep resource. I am reminded of the tens of thousands of mostly urban kids exposed to the merits of stewarding our natural world through our

(must be present to win)

Mark your calendar for Saturday, January 14th from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. (Additional details and personal invitations to follow)

SOCIETY MEMBERS

This year’s Marco Polo Society reception is proudly being sponsored by our friends at Cervantes Family Vineyards and Best of the West.

We hope you will join us for this special gathering of friends and conservationists for a fabulous winetasting event, plus someone is going to walk away with a custom Best of the West rifle package.

S.H.E.E.P. program. This leads me to the dollars distributed to El Nino Children’s home and the lives impacted in their mission to keep siblings together when their home can no longer be home. (Phew, got misty writing that bit.) Remembering the active military and veterans positively impacted by other non-profits like Wounded Warriors Outdoors whom we are so incredibly proud to work with. It all comes back to one thing. Relationship. Our relationship to one another and the world around us. While we all unite under the banner of wild sheep, we are individually and collectively so much more than that. The tangential impacts of our work as a foundation have a ripple effect that we may never see the full impact of. Much like the theory of the butterfly effect. This, you may know, is the idea that small things can have nonlinear impacts on a complex system. You may have seen this imagined in a commonly-used visual aid in which a butterfly flaps its wings and sets off a series of multiple cause and effect events resulting in a typhoon. While we are all aware that such a chain of events may or may not ever actually take place because of a tiny little butterfly, the theory still applies. One small action can result in massive, exponential change. While the Wild Sheep Foundation is relatively small, my friends, we are NOT butterflies. Our true impact, the final and total realization of our efforts today, will likely be something that none of us will live long enough to see. But my goodness…if you stop and take a look in the rearview mirror you might be impressed by how far we’ve come. 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.

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

by Greg Schildwachter WSF Lobbyist

PERMITTING REFORM

One of the oldest ideas in conservation—that scientific analysis should guide decisions—is now up for serious debate. This is going to be hard.

This fall, Congress will debate speeding up federal approvals for projects. Mainly, this will be about where and how pipelines, wind turbines, solar panel farms, and transmission lines should be built.

This is not the same drill as in the 1980s and the 1990s when Republican presidents and Congressional majorities bemoaned red tape and delay. This time, it is the Democratic Congress and White House.

Sen Joe Manchin (WV-D) has proposed changing permitting rules. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY-D) has committed to including changes in the year-end spending bill. They are reasoning that decisions on energy projects must come faster to meet the president’s goals for addressing climate change.

Climate is driving the issue and most of the changes will likely focus on that. But that is a wide focus and any changes that accelerate those projects will be demanded for others. Building wind and solar energy get most of the attention now. But mining for the minerals needed for batteries and components is also on the list. Constructing highways and water developments were among the first cases of streamlining, as were forestry and grazing.

The question is whether we can save time without losing confidence that we are making the right decisions.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is central to this debate. This is the well-known law requiring environmental studies. Those studies take years in most cases. After the studies, more years pass in resolving

objections to the decision before action begins.

But NEPA is not alone in setting the pace of decision making. Decisions of any kind involving federal approval require many separate approvals under the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, Historic Preservation Act, and others.

It’s ironic that something as green as climate change would lead to the idea of changing “bedrock environmental laws,” but this is only the latest sign that something must give.

The Federal Land Policy and Management Act has already been “streamlined”. In 2014, Congress formalized 10 years of incremental change to the review of grazing permits. The new law essentially waived the NEPA responsibility of the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service to analyze grazing allotments before re-issuing the permits to use them. Backlogs of permit review were growing before and have continued since. Of the 18,000 grazing permits issued by BLM, 10,000 – 55% – have not been reviewed.

WSF is working with partners to clear the permit backlog. Congress has proposed an additional $2 million for the BLM budget, but no one knows how many reviews that will buy.

For this issue and others like it, there are policy arguments and political realities. Both are hard.

In permitting reform, the most common idea is to apply deadlines for final decisions. Another idea is to make collaborative decision making an official part of the process.

But deadlines do not ease the requirements for gathering and documenting information. Unless we know the work can be completed more efficiently, deadlines do not help.

Collaboration has been proposed as a better fix. This gets closer to the root problem that people disagree on the “right” decision regardless of analysis. Experience has shown, however, that this process also takes considerable time, and that there is no way to form a manageable group that represents the many views of people directly interested (usually the locals), and the many more people indirectly interested (anyone in the whole country).

A more promising idea comes from an unlikely source: the Internal Revenue Service. Tax law—as complicated as it is—assumes that every taxpayer will follow the rules. To check on this, IRS audits compliance.

If federal approvals worked this way, agencies could approve projects with far less up-front analysis and confirm compliance by monitoring results. The Clean Water Act uses this idea for Nationwide Permits. These permits are issued to no one in particular. They can be used by anyone with a project that fits its criteria. The Corps of Engineers “audits” a sample of these projects every year to ensure they are used properly.

This reverses the NEPA principle of “look before you leap” to “trust but verify”. The two are not an all-ornothing choice. The Corps still issues site-specific permits too. If the BLM and Forest Service tried this, we may end up with more useful information.

But the hardest thing about permitting reform is the role it plays politically. Everyone uses the rules to their greatest advantage in getting the decisions they want. New rules force new strategies against resistance. Our strengths in this debate is the clarity of our mission to Put and Keep Wild Sheep on the Mountain®, and our commitments to science and multiple use.

the Wild Sheep Foundation

out to bring $10,000,000 in

Program

through a single giving

year, the Marco Polo Society was

premier giving society, comprised of donors who have generously pledged a cash gift of $100,000, just welcomed member #77. To date this incredible group has committed $7.7 Million to our Purpose of Putting and Keeping Wild Sheep on The Mountain. We are on the final countdown to our 100-member goal! Wild sheep need your help today as the WSF board along with the Professional Resource Advisory Board and knowledgeable WSF Conservation Directors have carefully reviewed and approved a record $1.1 Million dollars in Grant in Aid projects for the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year.

and join this special group of conservation heroes and help ensure the future of wild sheep and wild places with your pledge. I promise you will be in good company.

happening.

as

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ONE MORE

WSF will be once again giving away a FREE SHEEP HUNT to one of the following members to help them complete their FNAWS (Four North American Wild Sheep). Each “One More for Four” member listed will have their name put in the drawing for a FREE SHEEP HUNT! For any questions about how to register for the “One More for Four”, please contact Kim Nieters at the WSF Headquarters; 406.404.8764 or knieters@wildsheepfoundation.org

2020 1MF4 Dall’s

Aranguena, Dave Winnemucca NV Cheng, Kevin REDWOOD CITY CA Hoffman, Denise Troy NY Hurley, Kyle Nampa ID Lennington, Wayne Franklin TN Mulcahy, Joseph Cheyenne WY Reed, Jake Spring Creek NV Wood, Lyle Cochrane Alb

1MF4 Stone’s 2022

Anderegg, Mike Cortez CO Anderson, Ed West Sacramento CA Anderson, Robert Casper WY Barrickman, William Anchorage AK Bates, Brent Austin TX Brock, Alan alpharetta ga Carter, Jason Cedar City UT Davis, Marvin Reno NV Deputy, Toby Winnemucca NV Fine, Keith East Greenwich RI Fitzgerald, Jim Orange Cove CA Fuss, Rob Reno NV Hemmert, Jared Gunnison CO Johnson, Steven calgary alb Lough, Stephanie Ponoka alberta Can Lovrin, Thomas Cedar City UT Lundstrom, Gary Rapid City SD Maddock, Joseph Bryn Athyn PA McGovern, Kyle Bozeman MT McGovern, Kyle Bozeman MT McVeigh, Mark Reno NV Montgomery, Dan Wasilla AK Nimer, Blaine Huntsville UT Pierson, Jason Cambridge MN Pinello, Jim Falcon CO Saad, Tom Glendale AZ Samuelson, Bill Anchorage AK Sellin, Thomas Eagle ID Sewall, Pat Boise Id Shaffer, Justin Anchorage AK Solan, Brian Helena MT Stogdell, Donald Scottsdale AZ Van Diepen, Thomas Baker City OR Warren, Remi Reno NV Williams, Fredrick Davie FL Yardas, Rocky Lander WY Ziehlke, Dave Medford WI

1MF4 Bighorn 2022

Ableidinger, Dale Yakima WA Alexander, Harold West Richland WA Arnold, Jr., John Zionsville PA Arnoldi, John Rock Springs WY Beard, Clay Corsicana TX Bedlion, John M. Las Vegas NV Behrns, John Wabasha MN BIllingsley, Jim WINNEMUCCA NV Blackstone, Amy Aberdeen SD Brundige, Bert Roseburg OR Carlson, Pete Maple Plain MN Clark, Michael Kingman AZ Clark, Scott Colorado SPrings CO Daniels, Farley El Paso Tex Davis, Kelly Mead WA Deason, Wayne Floresville TX Decker, Alisha Gustavus AK Dieren, Terry Rock Rapids IA Dominy, Mathew Mesa AZ Fain, Murray Surrey BC

Foutz, Ryan North Salt Lake City UT Fowler, Steve Boiling Springs SC Frasher, David Oak Grove MO Gilbert, Kevin Clancy MT Gilbertson , Dustin Lamoille NV Gleason, Mike Morgan UT Gold, Jr., Glenn Bountiful UT Green, John Oxford MS Griffin, Jim Pinedale WY Grundman, Paul Rio Dell CA

Gutsmiedl, Mark Larsen WI Hardy, Garth West Jordon UT Heidemann, Ron Hayden ID Jensen , William Wellsville Ut Kappe, Robert West Chester PA Kenny, Mark Pittsburgh PA Kidder, David Hesperia MI Kirkpatrick, Bruce Petersburg PA Kitzul, Blaine Vernon BC Lande, Edward Yakima WA Lindgren, Jeff Mebane NC LoMonaco, Joseph Anchorage AK Manly, Richard Augusta GA Mitchell, Richard Mechanicsville IA Moran, Kenneth Tuba City AZ Morehouse, James Tucson AZ Mueller, Craig Hayden ID Musser, Robert Aspen CO Naugle, Robert Visalia CA Nobles, Joe Centennial CO Opre, Thomas Columbia Falls MT Patton, Blake Tomball TX Perchetti, Mike Lamoille NV Pettett, William Kremmling CO Petznick, Jr., Earl Paradise Valley AZ Philpott , Justin Mcgregor Tx Powell, Ryan Olds AB Pritchett, Evan Johns Creek GA Rogers, Mason Austin TX Rue, Marc Fargo ND Saner, Nicholas Thompsontown PA Schultheis, Paul Clovis CA Shoman, Cody Hardwood ND Skinner, Neal Sun Lakes AZ Spillers, Larry Ennis TX Tilzey, Scott Reno NV Torgerson, Eric Ethridge MT Tripp, Justin Reno NV Tripp, Justin Reno NV Walton, Zachary Rocklin CA Watson, Darwin Hudson Hope BC Womack, Kenneth Fallon NV Young, Mark Augusta MT Zunino, Gary Spring Creek NV

1MF4 Desert 2022

Adams, Brent Parkland County AB Adams, Jacob Bend OR Albright, Scott Springville IA Anderson, Marty Idaho Falls ID Andrews, Ron Emporium PA Arnett, Jamie Calgary AB Arnett, Steve Sedgewick AB August, Jim Portland OR Baer, Mike Henderson NV Ballantine, John West Simsbury CT Barker, Chris LadySmith BC Barrett, FJ Central Point OR Bate, Steve Cascade ID Baugher, Daniel Taneytown MD Baumann, Barry Watertown WI Berger, Bruce St. Louis MO Bernard, Duane Rainier OR Best, TJ Black Forest CO Bianchi, Jr., Paul Loomis CA Black, Carl Rozet WY Bloomquist, Joe Wolf Creek MT Boose, Vernon Ephrata PA Bouton, Mike Chaska MN Bull, David Pocatello ID Callahan, Dick Downers Grove IL Campbell, Mark Ft. Collins CO Caron, Cassidy Tata Creek BC Carter, Scott Darwell AB Cassell, Bob Wasilla AK Chisholm, Andy Savannah GA Clark, David Albion ID Coburn, Jerrell Fort Worth TX Coleman, Calem Ft. Steele B.C Cota, Dallas Red Deer AB Coulter, John Tracy MN Crouch, Gordon Sundre AB

FOR FOUR

Currey, Larry Washington WV

Curry, Joe Boise ID

Dahm, Richard Mead WA

Davie, Steve Bezanson AB

DeMars, Scott Red Lodge MT

Dolph, Doug Billings MT

Edall, Michael Okanagan Falls BC Eddy, Charles Solgohachia AR Edelen, Richard Thornton CO

Eisenach, Kurt Sheridan WY Elms, Russell Baker City OR

Embry, David Broken Arrow OK Evon D & Jack H Keck Foundatio, Sean Keck Cadott WI Eyster, II, John Seven Valleys PA

Fanizzi, Fred Condon MT Fear, John Big Piney WY

Fischer, Tom Meridian ID

Fitterer, JD Spokane WA

Gabrick, Jim Fountain City WI

Garland, Rod Antioch IL

Gelzer, Sandy Litchfield AZ

Gochenaur, Dwight York Springs PA Gonfiantini, Chris Reno NV Gourash, Richard Orlando FL Grabowski, Tony Whitehorse YT Gray, Robert Drayton Valley AB Grimes, Tom Sheridan MT Grinde, Harold Rimbey AB Halmes, Matthew (Skip) Cascade MT Hanlon, Bill Sparwood BC Hansen, Terry Moses Lake WA Hanson, Bradley Westminster CO Hardy, Joe Soldotna AK Hart, Lee Gallatin Gateway MT Hatala, Jeremy Rimbey AB Henderson, Dennis Bargersville IN Henderson, James Hattiesburg MS Henderson, Wayne Lodgepole SD Hettinger, Willie Harlowton MT Hodges, Dana Belding MI Holbrook, John Yuma AZ Holloway, Cleve Rock Springs WY Hope, Brian Bragg Creek AB Hope, Ralph Red Deer AB Horne, Don Odem TX House, Robert Houston TX Hubbard, Bryce Davenport WA Jackson, Steven Gilbert AZ Janousek, Waylon Great falls Mt Jobe, John Hood River OR Johnson, Breck New Castle CO Johnson, Ed Bozeman MT Jonsson, Greg Peace River Regional Dist BC Kadlec, Harvey Turtle Lake WI Kellogg, Robert Longview WA Kelso, Andy Graham WA Kemble, Bryan Carbondale KS Kemery, Mike Clearfield IA Kennedy, Glenn Odessa TX Kish, Lester Bozeman MT Kline, Steve Superior MT Kling, Craig LaPorte CO Koerner, Tim Coeur d’ Alene ID Kopecky, Rob Edmonton AB Koski, Terry Calgary AB Kronberger, Lance Eagle River AK Lakich, David Richfield WI LaMar, Chuck Rockport TX Lancelot, David Weston FL Lansing, Karl Canyon BC Larson, Mike Rexburg ID Leedom, Mike McCall ID Legnard, John Conifer CO Leibold, Brian Orwigsburg PA Letourneau, Michel Bristol CT Lewton, John Belgrade MT Lokey, Ernest Salida CO Loring, Marty Prince George BC Luke, Dion Hotchkiss CO Lunceford, Leverett Athens GA MacDonald, Shawn Cranbrook BC Magness, Tim Billings MT Marshall, Jim Basalt CO Marshall, Robert Sheridan WY Marshall, Steve Midland MI Martell, Kevin Middletown NY Martin, Hal Kimberly ID Maxwell, Chris Okotoks AB McCormick, Robert ‘Bob’ Chehalis WA McDonnell, Lynn Bernard IA McElroy, Nathan Rimbey AB McMillen, Ron Cambridge IA Mees, Jeff Denver CO Menke, Mike Kalispell MT Miciuk, Ron Coldstream BC Miller, James Sparks NV Mitchell, Matt Sedro Woolley WA Moore, Noel Central Point OR Moore, Thomas Lancaster OH

Morris, William Dallas TX Morton, Jeff Benbrook TX Morton, Mark Muleshoe TX Muir, Kevin New Meadows ID Muir, Kevin New Meadows ID

Musil, Barry Sparwood BC Newman, Scott Petersburg AK Niedmeyer, Colin Telkwa BC Nowicki, Ken Cranbrook BC Nucci, Mark Montgomery TX Obeid, Bill Wilkes-Barre PA Olson, Aaron Bismarck ND Oswald, Chase Dawson Creek BC Ottman, John Missoula MT Pabst, Ed Brush CO Pachara, Ryan Cranbrook Bc Padilla, William Cheyenne WY Paganucci, David Fresno CA Pallister, Greg Charlie Lake BC Pallister, Shane Charlie Lake BC Palmer, David green river wyo Papazyan, Armen Calgary AB Parker, Rick Crescent City CA Parten, Dave West Fork AR Parten, Dave West Fork AR Passey, Derrick Prince George BC Pelczar, Brian Billings MT Phillips, Terry Kerrville TX Pierce, Ken Ketchum ID Podrasky, Clayton Sparwood BC Ponterio, Richard Santa Ana CA Powers, Tom Stevensville MT Pulliam, Earl Phoenix AZ Putnam, David Glenns Ferry ID Ray, James Twin Falls ID Rea, Thomas Berthoud CO Reishus, Allan Craig CO Reynolds, Daniel Dawson City YT Rhea, JH Roswell NM Rivers, Dave Kimberley BC Rough, Jim Port Coquitlam BC Rudebusch, Gordon Anchorage AK Saar, Nathan Red Deer County AB Salomonson, Michael Berthoud CO Schneider, Lance Drayton Valley AB Schwartz, Mark Eagle River AK Selby, Wayne Cranbrook BC Sessions, Gary Flora Vista NM Shaw, Robert Davenport IA Shinabarger, Tim Billings MT Shipp, Earl Germantown TN Shoman, Kyle West Fargo ND Shuey, Larry Annville Pa Simpson, Flint Canmore AB Sindlinger, Ray Fort Dodge IA Sitton, Don Rockport TX Skold, Steve West Des Moines IA Smith, Houston Kings Mountain NC Soliday, Daniel Perkasie PA Sorg, Maurus Saint Marys PA Speight, Doug Kemp TX Spies, Edward Watertown SD Stefanitsis, Jerry Bronx NY Stormer, James Ridgeway WI Strathearn, Ronald Ashcroft BC Swank, David Paxinos PA taylor, justin canal flats bc bc Taylor, Nathan Cranbrook Bc Teeples, Jason Lander WY Thagard, Neil Clarkston WA Thompson, Curt Whitehorse YT Thomson, Darren Okotoks AB Tidwell, Troy Bellevue WA Todd, Charlie San Jose CA Toliver, Doyle Darby MT Treichel, William Green Valley AZ Trudell, Ken Green Bay WI Turley, Brandon Redmond OR Tymchyna, Derek Cranbrook BC Van Belleghem, Dave Calgary AB Van Hilten, Andre Nanton AB Van Valkenburg, Kyle Cora WY Vanderhoff, Dave Klamath Falls OR Vetter, Bern Kaysville UT Vipond, Waylon Pouce Coupe BC Walker, Steve Carson City NV Wall, Les Coaldale AB Walter, Brian Dallas TX Warwick, Rodger Billings MT Wasserfall, Stanley Dix Hills NY Wells, Mark Cheyenne WY Widdifield, Scott Calgary AB Wiebe, Kelly Nanton AB Williams, Dillon Hillcrest Mines AB Williamson, Brent Powhatan Va Witthuhn, Dan Appleton WI Woslum, Edd White Bird ID Wright, Justin Pinedale WY Zachary, Marc Aspen CO

AWARDS

Awards Committee Chairman

AWARDS THAT FIT THE MODEL

It’s that time of year again when social media is full of incredible hunting stories and imagery that makes anyone yearn for a big trip into the high country in search of old, twisted up rams. I know it’s been said a hundred times and beginning to sound like a broken record, but get all those rams scored and entered into the Awards by the deadline of November 1, 2022. We would love to see you all at the Awards celebration!

Even if you only have a passing interest in wildlife conservation, you have certainly come across the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. The basic premise is that wildlife conservation in North America is guided by seven principles to reverse the negative impacts of unregulated harvesting of many wildlife species that occurred over a century ago. Its origins can be traced back to the 1842 US Supreme Court decision in Martin v. Waddell, which stemmed the Public Trust Doctrine and holds that wildlife belongs to the public rather than the government, and the various governmental agencies are to manage wildlife for the benefit of the population. In essence, every person has the right to hunt and it is the government’s obligation to manage the wildlife in a way that affords everyone an equal opportunity to do so. This unique model’s success can be documented by the rebound of such species as bison, elk and deer which were once over-hunted without proper management.

However, where do hunting awards fit into this Model? A cynical view would posit that any type of award celebrating hunting would be contrary to the North American Model’s

purest objectives. But that is quite the contrary. It’s not often that the topic arises, but when it does there are a few things to consider related to any awards program and how they positively impact any conservation model at work, especially those in North America.

The first core component of the North American Model is that wildlife resources are to be held in the public trust for the use and enjoyment of the citizens. The Wild Sheep Foundation’s Ram Awards event is a celebration of both the animal taken and the hunter’s accomplishments. Photos of the scenery and the stories behind the hunt are always shared. These are regular folks hunting fair chase animals managed by governmental agencies for the benefit of the public at large. Without the North American Model, the Ram Awards would be nothing more than a few private landowners getting together and pounding their chests over their conquests off their back porch. Likewise, the seventh tenet of the Model is that there is an opportunity for all. Again, the Ram Awards have plenty of hunters and stories coming from all over North America. Tags won at raffles, auctions or even drawn, turn into awards given to every hunter successful in the field.

The second and fourth components center on the purpose and use of the animal taken. All the hunters at the Ram Awards event must have taken the animal by fair chase methods and not for commercial or illegal purposes. The awards celebrate the fact that the hunter achieved a monumental goal of hunting a ram on the sheep’s terms, not someone else’s. The use of that

animal for food and the trophy that accompanies it, rather than selling it off, certainly is something that is overtly supported by Wild Sheep Foundation and the Awards program.

The fifth element of the model— that wildlife is an international resource—is equally honored during the Ram Awards, especially when it comes to the sheep taken. All of North America is represented at the Awards program as hunters and their rams are honored from Canada to the United States to Mexico. This celebration of the diversity of the species cannot be overlooked. Desert sheep hunters in Mexico have stories of battling sweltering heat and prickly plants, Stone’s and Dall’s hunters tell of incredibly wet conditions and driving wind, while bighorn hunters weigh in with tales of sub-zero conditions and knee-high snow. At times, the story behind the hunt is made that much better simply because of Mother Nature’s obstacles.

From the outside looking in, it’s easy to frown at any type of awards program which seems to be nothing more than a way for hunters to brag, but by taking a closer look and understanding, the true objectives behind the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Ram Awards is a way to publicly honor the hunters and the animals in the truest spirit of the model’s intentions. The Ram Awards are proof that our model is the best in the world, and that those who support it should be supported. Thanks to those of you who do your part, and be proud to show off those accomplishments. WS

NEW EXCITING CHANGES!

RAM • FNAWS

AWARDS

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: NOVEMBER 1,

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.

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

submit a SCI score sheet.

For the 2023 Convention, January 12 - 14, in Reno, NV, WSF will be accepting officially scored rams taken August 30, 2020 - August 30, 2022. All entries must be received in the WSF office by the absolute deadline of November 1, 2022. *Rams that have already received a WSF award will not be eligible.

Rules & Regulations

1. Only official 60-day dry scores will be considered. Green Scores will not be accepted.

2. Rams taken August 30, 2020August 30, 2022 will be eligible for the 2022 -23 Ram Award Program.

The absolute deadline for the 2023 Convention will be November 1, 2022. *Rams that have already received a WSF award will not be eligible.

3. An official Boone & Crockett Scorer must score rams taken by a firearm and the entry must be on an official B&C score sheet.

4. An official Pope & Young Scorer must score rams taken by archery and the entry must be on an official P&Y score sheet.

5. A photograph of the sheep (acceptable for public viewing) must accompany an official B&C or P&Y score sheet.

6. All entries must have the name of the outfitters and guides if they were used. Hunters entering MUST be a MEMBER in good standing of WSF PRIOR to the hunt. Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards will be given for the largest sheep entered in both the Rifle and Archery categories. Rams which do not receive one of the top three awards, but which exceed the alltime record book minimum will receive an Honorable Mention Award. California bighorn rams exceeding 165 B&C, which do not receive a top award, will receive an Honorable Mention Award.

California bighorn sheep must have certification from the Fish and Game Department that identifies the ram as a “California Bighorn.” Youth Awards will be given to any youth not more than 18 years of age who takes a legal ram. A score sheet is required to receive a youth award, however an official B&C or P&Y score sheet is required for a youth to be eligible to receive the Youth Award of Excellence.

A photograph of the sheep (acceptable for public viewing) and names of the outfitters and guides are required for all youth entries.

Please submit all B&C, P&Y, and SCI score sheets and Hunt Report Forms to:

WSF World Headquarters

Boone & Crockett Minimums

Bighorn – 175, Desert – 165

– 160, Stone’s – 160

Bighorn – 165

Pope & Young Minimums

Bighorn – 140, Desert – 120

– 120, Stone’s – 120

Bighorn (though not recognized as separate species by B&C or P&Y) - 140 recognized as separate species by B&C or P&Y)

IMPORTANT DEADLINES TO REMEMBER!!

Entries must be submitted by:

1st, 2022

Ram/FNAWS/Mountain Monarchs Award Program: Thursday, JANUARY 12th, 2022

THE HOR$E ECONOMY

BY ANDREW MCKEAN

HED: The Horse Economy

DEK: Pack strings and trail rides make precious little economic sense for sheep outfitters. So why do they continue to saddle up?

Jarrett Dueling fidgets and glances around before he tells me how much money he spent on hay for his horses a couple years ago.

It’s not that this is privileged information. It’s that Dueling,

owner of Dueling Stone Outfitters, a Yukon big-game outfit based out of Whitehorse, is self-conscious talking about the lengths he’s gone to keep his string of saddle horses and pack stock in feed.

“It was a drought year, and there had been a lot of fires in British Columbia, where we buy most of our hay,” says Dueling, who runs a string of several dozen head of big, blocky northern horses on his sheep, moose,

and caribou hunts. “I was lucky just to get a line on hay, but then we had to truck it from farther than we were expecting. All in, I spent over $100,000 on hay that year. That was a bill I wasn’t expecting and hadn’t planned for, and it just punches you in the gut.”

Dueling could have done what many of his competitors have done, not only in remote Canada but in many places in the United States. They’ve traded their horses—

It’s less a business decision than it is a way of life, and one that has both intrinsic rewards, and if they play it right, an opportunity to upsell their hunts precisely because they’re hard and honest and on horseback.

and the corresponding bills from veterinarians, farriers, saddle makers, hay growers, and wranglers—for quads, tracked Argos, and side-bysides.

“We have a lot of outfitters up in the Yukon who have gone away from horses and now run their hunts by ATV,” says Dueling. “To each their own, but I find that decision heartbreaking. I also find ATVs to be invasive. They tear the crap out of the ground and you see scars all over the bush. But I don’t blame guys for turning to them because the cost of horses is crazy right now. And so is the cost of hay to feed them, and the cost to transport them when I’m paying $9 a gallon for diesel. And it’s harder every year to find good horsemen. So, I get it. That ATV that sits parked for 10 months out of the year makes a lot of sense.”

But to Dueling, and many other traditional saddlestring sheep outfitters, the decision to stick with horses isn’t entirely about making sense. It’s less a business decision than it is a way of life, and one that has both intrinsic rewards, and if they play it right, an opportunity to upsell their hunts precisely because they’re hard and honest and on horseback.

Still, hunting outfitters don’t stay in business long if they lose money— and cultural preservation, which is how some of them describe their decision to stick with horses—rarely resonates with loan officers and accountants.

Donna McDonald has invented creative ways to turn a few more bucks, figuratively at least, from her horse herd. Along with husband Jake, Donna McDonald runs Upper Canyon Outfitters in southwest

Montana’s Ruby Valley, where they’ve expanded the seasonal use of their hunting string by offering summer trail rides and ranch-based courses in natural horsemanship and “equine facilitated wellness” sessions. The value-added courses give them something that Deuling, up in the Yukon, can’t deliver: a two- or even three-season horse.

To the south of Upper Canyon, on the Wyoming side of the Yellowstone Plateau, Cody-based hunting outfitter Lee Livingston has been horsebacking sheep hunters into the forks of the Shoshone River for almost 30 years. But earlier this year he expanded his operation, buying a backcountry concession in the Wyoming Range south of Jackson mainly in order to offer summer trail rides.

“It’s a way I can get more value out of our horses and keep cash flowing” during a shoulder season for hunting outfitters, he says.

THE CASE FOR OWNING

Just as with other commercial fleet managers, every horseback outfitter has considered the economics of owning versus renting. It’s an easy calculus for those without a land base, the decision to get away from the fixed costs of owning year-round horses and the pasturing they require, by renting stock from the equine equivalent of a wholesaler. It pencils out for outfitters who need horses for just a week or two a year. And it can work for the owners of the horses, too, who might rent their string to several different outfits in the course

of a year: horsemanship camps in the springtime, trail riders in the summer, and a number of different hunting outfitters come fall.

Derrick Mohr has a term for these rental steeds: “pasture punks.”

“They’re like foster kids that get treated badly at one home and then another,” says Mohr, the former owner of Driftwood Valley Outfitters in British Columbia, “so they grow up without any consistent rules. Every new dude who rides them tries and fails to enforce another rule, to the degree that they get away with just about everything, because they know they’ll have another rider in a few days. Pasture punks are a pain in the butt at best and dangerous at worst. But they’re an option for an outfitter who can’t have their own stock, for whatever reason.”

For her part, Donna McDonald, who grew up on the ranch that’s still the base of operations for Upper Canyon, would never consider renting stock.

“Personally, I like to own my own stock and get to know their personality prior to having a client ride them,” says McDonald. “Sometimes it can take months for a horse to fit into your program. I have had to borrow a horse or two once in a great while, but I would rather invest time into a horse that will hopefully be with me for 15-plus years. I’d rather spend money on a good horse than a lawyer.”

Up in the Yukon, where his concession sprawls across 10,000 square miles of roadless bush and alpine basins, Deuling says he wouldn’t consider either renting someone else’s stock, or letting his own string be conscripted for another purpose.

“I’m so horse-reliant that I have to make sure my horses are in perfect conditions in July,” when he trails in to establish backcountry camps. Deuling is so protective of his horses that he doesn’t winter them to the south, where the weather is gentler and they might eat less hay. “I’m always worried that if that horse trailer had an accident on the way back north in July, I’d be screwed. If I don’t have those horses, I don’t have a season.”

Neither can Deuling afford for one of his horses to develop an injury in someone else’s string.

“If a horse isn’t saddled properly and gets a wither sore, it’s done for the season,” he says. “I cannot risk that,” he says. “We’re so isolated that I can’t just bring in more horses.”

Hiring competent wranglers who can handle not only the desolation of the wilderness and hardship of hunting camp, but also manage a

string of pack and saddle horses is another consideration that weighs on backcountry outfitters.

“Finding a crew that’s good with horses is getting harder and harder,” says Deuling. “My biggest success has been finding wranglers from First Nations villages, and developing them into guides. These kids are true horsemen,” and because Deuling’s hunting area is essentially part of their traditional hunting area, many First Nations wranglers are also familiar with the country.

“But I worry about the decline in people who know how to work with horses,” adds Deuling. “And I worry about finding someone to replace my saddle guy, who is almost 80 years old. Where will I find someone who can repair all our saddles and bridles and headstalls, which take a beating after a season.”

In Montana, Donna McDonald is also having difficulty finding capable

horse handlers.

“There just aren’t as many horse people as there were in the past,” she says. In its search for wranglers, Upper Canyon used to be able to tap local ranch kids who had grown up working and showing horses and who knew their way around saddles, tack, and horses of all temperaments. “A lot of our neighbors are now using ATVs on their land instead of horses, so you can’t assume a local kid knows much about horses.”

UNHAPPY TRAILS

Equal to the decline in horse sense among ranch kids is the ignorance of the hunting public with horses. That’s a problem for outfitters, who have to trust when they let go of the lead rope

that these clients can handle their mount.

But how do they know?

“My clients have to be honest with me,” says Deuling. “I can’t take, respectfully, a 350-pound, one-legged guy on a horse. Our country is too hard. We make our guys get off their horses and walk them up and down steep pitches, so it would be a miserable hunt for someone who couldn’t handle that. If I’m booking directly at a show, I can sort of assess a hunter and guess how they might handle themselves and horses, but if I’m booking over the phone I ask them direct questions that is trying to get at the same thing. I just have to be careful. I can’t in good conscience put a 400-pound client on a horse. It’s

not fair to the horse, but it’s not fair to the client, either.”

For those hunters who might not be comfortable on horseback, Deuling has boat hunts for moose and even caribou that can accommodate a wide variety of client capabilities.

Sources for this story haven’t had significant horseback wrecks that resulted in injury, but McDonald says one of the fixed costs of stock outfitters is insurance, which she says is “very much more expensive” than for other types of business equipment. In Canada, many outfitters pool their liability and are able to purchase group insurance at a reasonable premium to cover property loss and liability on the trail.

Additional expenses don’t end at insurance. Most public-land concessions in the States require outfitters to pay stock-specific specialuse fees.

“If we used horses in our outfitting business, we have to pay a use fee [on U.S. Forest Service] land,” says McDonald. “Plus, if we overnight our stock we pay for grazing, and more often than not the Forest Service wants you to bring your own weedfree hay to feed your stock.”

Up in Canada, Deuling ticks off all the costs that come with running stock.

“Just like with a boat or an airplane, buying the horse is the cheapest part of it,” says Deuling. “Hay will run from $60-70,000 per year. Farriers are getting more expensive, and sometimes I have to fly them into camp,” he says. “There’s vet bills and dewormers. I probably spend $30,000 on repairs to my trailers and pickups

There are plenty of reasons horse packing remains a key part of the backcountry hunting landscape.

to pull them. Our country just tears up aluminum horse trailers. Then there’s a single pack rigging—a pack saddle with boxes—that is an easy $3,000. I have four pack horses per string, and four strings, so do that math. Riding saddles cost anywhere from $500 to $3,000. Just the stupid pads and blankets are $60 to $100 apiece. A rifle scabbard is $200. Saddle bags are another $200….”

If all those costs are discouraging many of his competitors, Deuling says sticking with horses can be a smart business decision.

“I’ve found there’s a good market for horse hunts because there are fewer and fewer of them all the time,” he says. “You can go to the Northwest Territories and do a helicopter hunt, or you can come to the Yukon and do an ATV hunt, but the pack train is getting to be sort of quaint. It’s

a lot of work, but there’s nothing better than to sit up on top of a horse above the brush. It’s beautiful. It’s peaceful. And it connects you to the tradition of the wilderness outfitter.”

SADDLE STEALTH

There are plenty of reasons horse packing remains a key part of the backcountry hunting landscape. Pack strings effectively deliver hunters and their gear to remote areas. They can tote out meat and horns and entire camps following a successful hunt. In many wilderness areas, they’re the only non-human powered conveyance allowed by land managers.

But Deuling says one of the overlooked assets of horses is that they make his hunters more successful.

“On a cold winter day in the bush, you throw a leg over that saddle and you are above the brush, and you become a part of the landscape,” says Deuling. “It gives you the true wilderness experience with no impact, following trails that were made by moose and caribou, and the only sound is maybe the tinkling of a bell every once in a while. You can ride up on game without spooking it.”

Deuling says he’s killed many moose because of one particular horse, now departed.

“He would spot game for me,” says Deuling. “If he just stopped, I learned that it was for a reason. I killed so many moose and caribou and bears because of old Whiskers. He made me look good a lot of times when I had nothing to do with it.” WS

CHEMO RAM

BY WILL LEE

There were a lot of stories that developed in 2020, and this one is not just about sheep hunting. This story is about living life and taking advantage of every wonderful opportunity. Like many of us, Brad is a professional and an active person who hunts ducks, works out and tries to keep up with his two boys’ schedules and his loving wife’s desire to be outdoors. They always have something going on.

It appeared that the changes brought on by Covid-19 in 2020 actually provided more time for hunting. The surprise flexibility of online schooling allowed for a very last minute deer hunt on Kodiak Island. Brad was able to bring his sons, Brody and Gray, to join in on an already planned deer hunt. No one expected that deer hunt to change everything.

The hunt itself was exciting and one for the all-time memory books. Limits of bucks were harvested and the trip turned out to be a shocking success. In the midst of the excitement, Brad identified bleeding that he had not previously seen, and it continued during and after the trip.

With some caution, Brad disclosed the symptoms to a friend, and he made an appointment with a specialist. It took some prodding from both his wife and a family doc to convince him to get a colonoscopy. The diagnosis was colon cancer, which was a shock to this healthy, active hunter in his early 40’s. Surgery went as planned, but the results from pathology indicated that he would still need more treatment.

Brad met with a medical oncologist to formulate a plan for a grueling six months of chemotherapy treatments that would last through the Alaskan summer. For an avid outdoorsman,

the prospect of losing most of his summer to chemo is a disaster.

Once the snow melts, life blooms, and everything turns an amazing, lush green. Fishing season starts when the salmon make their instinctive migration upriver. Locals fill the freezer for winter, and everyone tries to enjoy as much sun as possible before it dips away again for winter.

Hunting season comes quickly with sheep season starting August 10th. Chemo interrupted the annual excitement; there were no hunts planned. Unsure how the chemo was going to break down his body, Brad was hoping for a late season push.

August 10th came and went, but work took priority. A meeting wouldn’t allow for an early season caribou hunt. A plan was made to take a test trip to see how Brad’s body would react and feel during some backcountry days in the field. Due to the colon surgery, Brad’s digestive tract was less than

predictable. Foods normally packed for the backcountry like nuts and Mountain House were not tolerated.

There were only a few weeks to figure the food out before the close of the season. Without much thought, we took to the idea of checking out some new country just to see if something could be planned for the 2022 season. The idea was to work back into shape by hiking into sheep country and hopefully see something worth chasing later.

We left on September 15th and headed for the mountains. After a long day of driving and hiking we were finally camped in sheep country. Weather was perfect for late fall in the mountains. A few young rams were located and we ate dinner watching them feed before we headed to bed. Brad could not eat dinner as his stomach was acting up most of the evening. This would be a recurring theme for the trip.

On day 2 we arose to overcast skies and some new rams in the valley. They were on the move but nothing about them called for a closer look. We had a little oatmeal for breakfast with coffee and off we went hiking further into new country. After a brutal climb it was time for a break and some glassing over a new valley. No sheep were found, and it was a punch to the guts. Nonetheless, the upper third of the 10-mile valley was hiding behind a ridge across a bowl, and we had to take a look.

We crawled on hands and knees to crest over the ridge and there on the other side we found 13 rams a mile across the valley. We pulled out the binoculars and set up the spotting scopes. Rams? Is there a legal one?

With a little time we determined that two of the sheep needed a closer

What separates posers from the real deal?

This badge.

look, but they had 26 eyes covering the entire valley, and it was going to be a struggle to get to them.

We worked down the bowl and slowly across the valley. Though progress was slow, our actual closing distance was even worse. We found ourselves going further down the valley instead of across the valley. It was not a very good approach. The day was getting away from us and we decided it was best to pull back and set up camp. Brad was able to finally eat an Rx Bar and a bagel. Dinner was a chicken and rice Mountain House, his only one of this entire trip.

The night was not kind to Brad. His stomach was all flared up, but he handled it like a champ and slept when he could. The daylight came and we arose to nine of the sheep still in sight. We skipped breakfast and made a plan to use the deep drainage to get up valley. We closed to within 700 yards, and it was a quick run to the mountainside and up one of the side drainages.

We climbed and moved behind as much as the terrain would allow. Finally sheep were in view, but the range was 585, we needed to get closer. The rams weren’t making this any easier by feeding away from us up the valley. We formulated a new plan to move up and to the next fold over. On our way up the situation got worse when the wind went from being in our face to swirling. Then a band of ewes and lambs appeared behind us about 600 yards up; sheep sandwich.

After another 450 yards we finally made it to the next fold. It was workable but not great, and the sheep we were after were not the seven in sight. We kept pushing forward, and

this move proved to be enough. We were able to get within 380 yards. The two rams were bedded above the other seven and looking right in our direction. Once we figured out the ram was legal, Brad set up as well as he could. On a rounded side slope there wasn’t much to build a good rest. Packs, pads and anything else was used to get a solid rest put together.

The ram had already stood up once but settled back down. Now with the new movement he got back up yet again. He looked eagerly in our direction, but finally spun around and hooved some of the dirt and laid back down yet again. There was no shot.

We waited patiently for what seemed to be hours. Finally, as Brad was getting reset again trying to improve his rest, the ram stood, but this time was different. He was going to move up the mountain and get out of harm’s way. As he turned, he looked up the mountain, took a few steps, turned to his right and BOOM, the first shot rang out. A miss! That’s something of a rare occurrence, and I was stunned. After a few more shots the ram took a tumble down the mountain. Ram down.

We collected our gear and headed over to find the ram. He had fallen into a small steep drainage. Brad did it. Nearly a year from that fateful deer trip, he had just harvested a Dall’s sheep. It was nothing short of spectacular to watch a friend fight through, not just to remain alive, but to keep living. Brad and I took a moment with the sheep on the mountain for everyone who has battled cancer to enjoy life again.

Though Brad was not yet 100% we had to drag this sheep out and back though the long hike that started this

trip. We couldn’t make it all happen at once and there was no way it could end easily. As soon as we had the ram staged, we made a beeline back to camp. As we were packing camp up it started to snow. We worked through the whiteout to pack everything out over the frozen wet tundra with snow and ice. Brad was still only eating a bagel and nut butter for dinner, and it took us two days to get back off the mountains. We drove home already talking through plans for our next adventure now that the Chemo Ram is in the books.

I want to thank Brad for letting me join him on this wonderful adventure, his family for putting up with me all these years, and especially my wife for letting me keep the adventurous side alive. This trip will forever be a memory for the rest of our lives. WS

The night was not kind to Brad. His stomach was all flared up, but he handled it like a champ and slept when he could.

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GUNS

LISTEN WITH YOUR HEART

BY XAVIER CERVANTES

Everyone dreams with the stars… I guess in my case, I reached out and found heaven on earth through hunting. Fair chase hunting will take you places you can’t even dream of and allow you to discover the beauty of our world. And nothing, nothing is more majestic in hunting than the four wild sheep of North America.

In the fall of 2006, in one of my letters to my wife Cecilia, during a hunt in Vancouver Island, I wrote, “I believe, I have learned in the wild to listen with my heart. The mist reminded me that we live in paradise and I thanked our Lord for this wonderful journey.” I realized then that I needed to do the FNAWS. It was a huge endeavor and a great commitment by all means, but also, I thought it was going to be one of the best lessons that I could ever take in my life.

I have to address that this was possible with the advice and support of great men and women that I met through the

years. I like to start with my key friends that was instrumental to designing and drawubg the path of these hunts. Eric and Lorna Mikkelson. They are a eautiful couple, avid hunters and smart teachers, and simpley the best outfitters who taught me a lot of the art of hunting—and that working ahead—perfecting your ballistics and keen patience will give you the strength and tools to harvest your prey with a perfect and ethical kill. Not only that, but Eric aligned me with his best wing man, Craig Walls, who became a dear friend and a man I will trust forever in any situation. I was extremely particular and detailed on every step of this journey thanks to my prior years of hunting with them. The Collingwood Brothers Ray and Reg, with their adventure spirit and knowledge of the outdoors, took me to the last frontier in the most beautiful way. The Brandow Family, Barry and Bear have a love and passion for conservation, and are amongst some other great hunters.

DALL’S SHEEP: NORTHERN LIGHTS

On my first sheep hunt, I traveled to one of the most remote and beautiful places in the wild. The Mackenzie Mountains in the Northwest Territories, above the 60th parallel is the most rugged mountain range with alpine basins, and home of some of the best Dall’s sheep hunting in North America. I was accompanied by my son Jeronimo. The flights were long to reach Norman Wells, where we got stuck for a couple days due to a storm that kept us in the little village with less than five hundred people, 90 miles south of the Arctic Circle. With not much to do but to visit their little History Museum and sit in a bar to listen to hunter’s tales and local legends, we were finally able to board our float plane to fly out and landed in the Mackenzie Mountains in our camp at June Lake in the fall of 2007.

After the storm, the weather was perfect and our hunt began

FOUR NORTH AMERICAN WILD SHEEP

the next morning. We were able to cover long tracks of terrain as we were hunting on 8X8 ARGO XTVs. There is no better vehicle in the wilderness, unless you are able to do a horseback hunt and take longer time

in the wild. We would move camp every couple of days after carefully scouting the area with long hikes and hours and hours of glassing this magnificent place.

August 25, 2007. I started our hike

with Craig, Clay and Jero with our backpacks loaded for the day with gear and meals. The days were long, but not longer than our hikes.

It was well in the afternoon when we spotted the herd with the ram

we wanted to harvest. The pack was large and moving slowly on rolling hills. This allowed us to have a great view of the herd, but we were not able to get really close. But, as they moved, we got closer and closer until we reach a good position. It was a long wait but we got to a perfect situation to make the shot and get our ram from a fair distance and in a comfortable way. The only real problem was, it was late and we needed to move fast in order to get the job completed. Once all the excitement passed, we packed our ram and were ready to go back to camp. Light was gone and we had a long hike ahead of us. We got lost and it took us longer to get to camp than we predicted. By the time we got there we were exhausted and hungry. We decided to do a little celebration party: light from a nice fire to warm up and cook those delicious sheep tenderloins, and as you can imagine, I always have my celebration kit with tequila, fine wine and cigars.

The great reward. I have always

told my son that hunting will take you to unbelievable places and that nobody goes there unless they are on this endeavor. Well, as we were enjoying our prey with wine, the northern lights started to glare in the sky to entertain, for hours, one of the most spectacular events that nature gives us in this wonderful world of ours. We could not believe our eyes, and I was most grateful to have had this experience with my son and great friends.

To make it more special in the following days, back at June Lake, my son Jeronimo was able to harvest a dandy mountain caribou. I asked him

to pack and carry his trophy back to camp. When we arrived he told me “Dad this is the toughest thing I have ever done.” Nothing better than hard work!

STONE‘S SHEEP: RIDING FREEDOM

“In riding a horse, we borrow freedom,” Helen Thompson wrote. I can’t hardly explain how beautiful British Columbia is, and in particular, the Spatzisi in the Stikine Region. I was enchanted by this place and I can’t remember how many times I have been at Highland Post, an encampment with so much history run by the Collingwood Brothers, but I just kept going back. One key element was their incredible pack of horses that made the journey amazing and complete, allowing us to reach extreme and remote places in the most elegant, efficient and quiet way. I’m a horse lover and the world would not have been conquered without horses.

I landed on a lake in one of the Collingwood Brothers camps where we had a fun night remembering adventures and preparing our provision for the journey ahead.

The next morning after some good laughs about packing a heavy load

of wine with cooks, wranglers and guides, we saddled up and started our journey. The long riding hours on a horse felt short, a fresh breeze fed our spirits. The closeness to nature on a horse allows you to see more game, and for some reason, appreciate better the magic of wilderness. Setting up camps and procrastinating in the wild is a meditation, it makes you humble and sets you in the right place to realize that all things are connected.

We moved on every two or three days. It was amazing to see the amount of wild life we encountered, the diversity of landscape and the richness and beauty of it. One realizes then the importance and great effort in the conservation of the habitats. The Stikine River and Spatzisi Plateau known as the “Land of the Red Goat,” gets its name from the beautiful red color of the majestic coats of the Rocky Mountain goats that roam the hill sides between the river and the lava plateau high above the mountain ranges. The Provincial Parks established in the 1960’s protects over 1.7 million acres of key habitat for the Stone’s sheep, woodland caribou, Rocky Mountain goat, moose, wolf, grizzlies and black bear, among other important wildlife species.

We reached the Spatzisi Plateau where we located a herd of sheep at Marion Creek. We found a big herd with lots of ewes, lambs and rams to choose, but very little cover. We left the horses and wranglers behind to follow the herd for a few hours and get closer without being seen. It was such an exciting stalk and sport to look for the pick of the pack. One clean shot and the beast was harvested. How can we give thanks

for it but to assure its conservation?

Like Chief Seattle said “What is man without beasts?”

The next day we proudly arrived to Highland Post to spend few rewarding rest days. The are few places left in the world like the British Columbia wilderness, and to be able to ride around on a horse gives you that real sense of freedom and to really be a part of this wonderful wild world.

BIGHORN: CONSERVATION LESSON

I was introduced to Barry Brandow and his beautiful conservation

program by Eric Mikkelson. It was a humble experience meeting Barry and his family. Meeting a gentleman that truly loves nature and dedicates his life to its conservation is a unique opportunity. They hosted me at their home and I really felt special because they opened up their heart and home to me and I was part of their wonderful world.

I have always loved British Columbia, but this little corner in the Southwest, past the Okanagan known for their fine wines, is a beautiful and remote area close to the US border where Barry based his conservation program. A rare

valley that runs east to west and was a perfect habitat for bighorn. They picked me up at the small airport and took me to their home. The little charming cabin next to their house was warm and cozy and they really made you feel at home right from the start. I didn’t know anything about them or their work and it was such an interesting experience that I started to write about it and learned so much during our time at the table together.

The next morning we started our hunt with his son Bear as my guide— the only one guide in their area. He was not only cool, but caring, and extremely knowledgeable of the valley. We glassed for hours and hours until we found our ram. I’m fond of naming my trophies, and this one I called “Marco Polo” because he traveled all the time. We followed him for days, but he never let us get close. The day we harvested him, he was fighting with other rams—it was the window of opportunity he gave us—and still is was one of the longest shots I have ever taken in my life. He really gave us a lot of time as they were in this fighting ceremony and gave me time to set myself in a perfect position for a clear and clean shot from afar. I remember holding

my breath and even the shot was quiet…

The ram fell and I remember it took us a long time going down and then up the ridge to get to him. We took great photos of the ram and before we started to skin the trophy, I took out my celebration kit with a fine cigar and told Bear to enjoy the moment. He immediately said to me, Xavier, you are really different… What are thinking of when you hunt?

I told him that it is not about the kill, but more about the experience, the lesson, and being able to live and be part of the wilderness. Most times, I wonder and I think like Chief Seattle, Teddy Rosevelt or Barry Brandow on how beautiful our world is and how important it is to take care of our wildlife.

DESERT SHEEP: MEXICO

MAGICO

I took me more years than expected to complete my FNAWS. A ski accident put me off for few years. Although the surgery was a success, one has to know that hunting for sheep is hard and the wait list is long. But, it was worth the wait! I was lucky to finalize my task in my country at Isla del Carmen in the

Sea of Cortez. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Jacques Cousteau named it “The Aquarium of the World”. It is also home of one of the most successful sheep conservation programs lead by The Sada Family and Sergio Jimenez in Mexico.

The island is a short boat ride from the town of Loreto. Carmen Island was basically a salt mine back in the 19th century and shut down in 1984. It wasn’t until 1994 when the Sada Family rescued the place from the government to become a Wild Sheep Conservation area for desert bighorn sheep. The ideal habitat for desert wild sheep is magical, the visits to the abandoned salt lagoon and the historic and humble town is unbelievable. The island is magnificent, but the ocean surrounding the land is mind blowing! The richness of the sea is indescribable, the fishing trips with rod and spear were so much fun, not to mention the fresh and delicious food that the ocean provided every day. I also had the privilege to be with my son Jeronimo and my long time friend Craig Walls, who made my hunt not only easier, but extremely fun and fancy free.

With the support of our friend and guide Gaspar Bautista on the island, the experience was perfect but the hunt was tough. The hikes, the heat and the steepness of the mountain made it challenging. Every day we would return to camp exhausted, but an incredible ocean feast awaited for us every night and made the workout worthwhile.

On November 11, 2016 in a beautiful and rugged corner of the island called “Punta Tintorera”, I

harvested our “Cimarron”. Such an amazing beast that has come back thanks to the conservation efforts and support of many hunters—man and woman committed to this important resource—our wildlife and its habitat.

I am Mexican and proud to be one. I love my country, its nature and its people. One who has been there falls in love easily with its coast, mountains, jungles and deserts, traditions, art crafts and food. With a fantastic history and cultures, it is truly a magical place. I pray for the conservation of our country as a whole…Viva Mexico, Mexico Magico!

THE LESSONS TAKEN

For me it is always about people and sharing. The experiences lived, every individual and place always teaches us something. In hunting, to love people and nature, to respect, to work, to be humble, to commit. It’s in the lines above the words from my friends, guides and mentors... not to mention Chief Seattle or Teddy Roosevelt. A lot of lessons by horses and beasts, that if we really pay attention, are key in this wonderful world of ours… Care, support and enjoy! Safe journeys! WS

SHEEP CAMP

Stuff memories are made of!

BY CRAIG BODDINGTON

A sheltered grassy bench in the Brooks Range, perfect place to drop the load and set up camp, with Dave Leonard’s Mountain Monarchs of Alaska outfit.

My first sheep camp was on the shores of Lake Denotiah, heart of the Cassiars. Back then, the lake was full of rainbows, the nearby mountains teemed with rams. Unimaginable today, in those days northern B.C.’s dark Stone’s sheep were the most available, accessible, and least costly to hunt of North America’s wild sheep. Camp was a cluster of white wall tents just back from the shore, roomy

tents with stoves, possible in those dwindling days of big pack strings. Trout sizzled in a skillet while a rack of sheep ribs browned near the coals.

That first sheep camp, fifty years ago in balmy August weather, set a high mark to follow. Some sheep camps would be “better,” meaning only more comfortable. Most would be more Spartan and less permanent,

often mobile by backpack or just one packhorse. Doesn’t matter… so long as you know what you’re getting yourself into and prepare accordingly. Whatever form it takes, the sheep camp is critical to the experience and the memories.

Set in a sheltered spot, magnificent country rising all around, every morning in sheep camp brings fresh promise. In the Brooks Range, possibly my last North American sheep camp (although I hope not!), we set our cluster of backpack tents in the last grassy saddle, broken ground behind us, big mountains rising to our front.

We saw rams right away, couldn’t close for a shot, couldn’t relocate them, spent a couple of days watching rain drops bead up, join, and chase each other down the slick nylon. The seventh morning dawned cloudy but dry, with three rams on the big ridge above camp. I’ve read too many stories about hunters who rolled out of their sleeping bags to shoot their rams. Never happened to me, but we started with a good ram in sight. Slipped out of camp the back way, climbed all the way to the top, circled around, and started back down. We got the shot in the early afternoon, up on the skyline, our bright orange tents visible far below. Every morning in sheep camp brings fresh hope, but also new

challenges. From there, we sally forth, steadfast in our belief that this is the day we will find the ram we seek. That promise isn’t always fulfilled. Mountain weather is fickle, just part of the deal. There will be wet days, cold and snowy days, and days when fog and clouds blanket country you must see into. Twenty years ago in southern Yukon, it was a bad fire season, weather mild and favorable, but smoke drifted in so thick glassing was impossible the first half of the hunt.

Bottom line with mountain game: If you can’t see, you have little chance. Even if the weather cooperates, the ram you seek may not be on your mountain. Maybe he was, but maybe he and his buddies moved. Wife Donna just returned from her first attempt for Stone’s sheep, good country, well-scouted…rams hiding out down in the timber. Twelve hard days, no legal rams seen. These are bitter pills, but the risk must be accepted, also part of the deal. There are no guarantees. Despite best preparation and extreme effort, sometimes the mountain beats you.

You come away with the satisfaction of having given it your best. Some of your fondest memories will be sleeping peacefully in crisp mountain air, and stepping out of your tent for that first look in the morning, confident once again that this first new day will be the day.

I haven’t seen many “cushy” sheep camps. Southeast of Spatsizi Plateau, Ron Fleming and Brenda use cabins alongside lakes, warm and comfortable, as good as it gets. In the ‘teens I did several hunts out of their Duti Lake camp, snug cabins along the south shore, looking north onto a massive ridge. We’d have Brenda’s pancakes with fresh blueberries, fill up cups with fresh coffee, and step outside to glass across the lake from a row of lawn chairs.

We’d sometimes glass sheep from the front lawn, but always goats, frequently grizzlies, and occasional caribou or moose. I always had a tag or two, but I never fired a shot from that camp. Either I was looking for the one species we couldn’t find, or it wasn’t my hunt. Didn’t matter.

Bottom line with mountain game: If you can’t see, you have little chance. Even if the weather cooperates, the ram you seek may not be on your mountain.

Glassing from the lawn at Love Bros. & Lee’s Duti Lake camp in northern B.C. Don’t know what we might see, but for sure we’ll see something. Wayne Henderson on the right, next to Ron Fleming.

It always went down much the same. In the early morning we’d glass goats from our lawn chairs, either on the big ridge across the lake or on tops to the east, beyond the head of the lake. Nannies and kids in clusters, with a lone billy or two off by themselves. Sometimes they looked approachable. Often not,

because much of the stuff near the skyline was steep and treacherous. So, we’d wait them out, and if a billy offered a possible stalk we’d launch. First, across the lake by boat. From there, straight up, or up deep cuts on one end of the big ridge.

There would be days when the tops were cloaked with clouds, and even

when things looked good it didn’t always work. Took five or six tough hours to get up there; sometimes the goats wandered off and disappeared, other times there was no safe approach. Mind you, if I’d needed another goat we could have made it happen. I didn’t, so I saw it work often enough. Both Brittany and Donna took their Rocky Mountain goats from that camp.

Seems odd, but my “fanciest” North American sheep camps were for desert bighorns. My Arizona tag was in the Virgin River Canyon, so we “camped” in a motel in St. George, on the Utah side, and did some of our glassing from Interstate 15. Almost seemed like cheating, but the hunt unit is what it is, and the

Freeze-dried Mountain House meals are pretty good, but in a lot of outfits pre-cooked, frozen home-cooked meals add some variety… at least for a couple of days.

sheep are where they choose to be. Mexico offered a different and completely wonderful experience. In Sonora, camp was a small hacienda on a remote ranch, looking up into rocky canyons. We never glassed any sheep from the yard, but we needed to clear everything we could see before we proceeded. The weemsi hunt on Carmen Island was different yet. Again, not my hunt, Donna’s and son-in-law Brad Jannenga’s, but probably the most enjoyable of all my sheep hunting experiences. Camp was at the head of a half-moon bay, once the headquarters of a salt mining operation. Behind camp, a vast salt flat bisected the island, white and shimmering, like fresh snow. Above the flats, both east and west, the island’s rocky ridges rose steeply. From the porch, we could glass rams up one canyon or another, perhaps plan a stalk. Field lunch was burritos in fresh-made tortillas. Dinner was most likely fresh fish from the bay… or the tasty little langostino lobster Baja is famous for. The island’s ridges are rocky and crumbly, treacherous footing with sharp cacti everywhere,

but one of few sheep hunts I’ve done where I felt the issue was not in doubt, never a matter of “if,” simply a matter of when.

Elsewhere in the world, sheep camps vary but are always memorable…usually in a good way. In Mongolia, round felt tents are universal. We call them yurt, but

that’s a Russian word, from the long Soviet occupation. Much preferred locally is gir. To this day, more than half the Mongolian people spend at least part of the year living in girs, tending their flocks and herds as they have for a thousand years. Sheep camp will be a neat cluster of girs, reminiscent of a Rocky Mountain

Not a camp, but a herdsman’s summer home in Mongolia’s Altai. More than 50 percent of Mongolians still spend at least part of the year out on the land, tending their flocks and living in the traditional round felt tent, locally called “gir.”

Sure doesn’t look like a sheep camp! Camp on Carmen Island once served as headquarters for a salt mine.

tent camp…until you notice the round tents.

Although serious transport (camels or vehicles) is required, the gir is surprisingly mobile, quickly erected around a wooden frame, brightly painted to match the door. Inside, amenities usually include real beds and a wash basin, with generator power common today. The gir is snug and well-insulated, a good thing because in both Altai and Gobi, weather switches fast. In 2018, it had been a decade since I hunted Mongolia, and things had changed. The girs had not, but in the several camps we hunted from, camp food was consistently excellent and, different from a decade earlier, much English was spoken, with language barriers broken. Consistently open to

hunting since the 1970s, with some of Asia’s most experienced mountain guides, Mongolia remains a prime destination for hunters wishing to expand horizons. Ibex hunting is inexpensive, her sheep not. Her mountains are not especially high nor steep, the short season summer into early fall, so generally pleasant, likewise are her camps and the Mongolian people.

Off to the west, in the rugged Caucasus, light backpack tents are most common, both in Azerbaijan and on the Russian side. Azerbaijan is like Mongolia: Continuously open for decades, with wonderfully experienced guides, many now multi-generational. Horses are commonly used (at least to get into tur country). Camps, though simple,

are well-supplied, the people are great, and the country is magnificent. Azerbaijan would be another prime choice for a first Asian hunt, inexpensive and productive, but with one caveat: The Caucasus is one of the steepest, most abrupt ranges I have seen so it’s a tough hunt.

Outside of North America, the best of the best was Nepal. Purely a foot hunt in the tall Himalayas, but I didn’t have to carry much. We had fully two dozen Sherpas carrying the camp in huge baskets, including live chickens…decreasing in number as days passed. I went in spring, mild weather, with tropical flowers blooming along the trails. We started just below timberline, about 12,000 feet, tahr first. With that accomplished, we moved on

We had fully two dozen Sherpas carrying the camp in huge baskets, including live chickens… decreasing in number as days passed.

In Nepal, our Sherpas struggle through a tough spot. Using huge pack baskets, the loads these guys carried were amazing, always smiling.

Blue sheep camp in Nepal was set in the last valley that offered firewood. After a long day up to 16,000 feet, the cluster of tents was a most welcome sight.

up to hunt blue sheep, setting the camp in the last cut that offered a bit of firewood. It was a tough hunt and very high, but there was nothing better than topping the last ridge and seeing that welcoming cluster of tents down below.

Conditions in Central Asia vary so much camps are hard to characterize. In Turkey, with good road networks, a

country hotel often serves as camp. In Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan, a remote farmhouse or village may serve as a base. Some of this hunting is best late, when the rut is on but it’s really winter; a small tent on the mountain may not be practical. I did two hunts from the famous Hot Springs Camp in the Pamirs of eastern Tajikistan, built around

thermal springs piped through the rooms. Not fancy, but the high, open wind-swept Pamirs are brutally cold in November and December, when big numbers of sheep are in from China. Hot Springs is high on my list of most memorable sheep camps.

This past February I did an ibex hunt in central Tajikistan. Not being much for extreme cold (if I can avoid it), I was terrified of the weather. You don’t know what you don’t know; far west of Pamir, it was already spring, with cherry trees blooming in the valleys, temps rarely below freezing. Camp was the upper story of a tall, rambling farmhouse, upstairs fireplace and, rarely seen in Central Asia, running water. I had been advised the coldest weather should have broken, and the house (camp) was exactly as described. I was reluctant to believe it, so I had cold-weather gear that I

Glassing in southern Yukon. Looks like haze, but is smoke from a distant forest fire…so thick that the hunt was half over before we could see to glass properly.

never used. Not the worst thing in the world on any sheep hunt to hope for the best, prepare for the worst… and expect to roll with the punches.

I have never been illprepared on a mountain hunt, but the weather will be what it is, likewise the camp, best be flexible. On a backpack hunt, camp is where darkness catches you, and there’s no room for extras. The most miserable I’ve been on a sheep hunt was another backpack hunt in the Brooks. Late August, how bad can it get? Well, that far north, anything goes. Glassed a band of rams from the bottom, marched up the hill to find them. The farther up we got, the lower the ceiling dropped, then came rain, sleet, hail, and snow. Lasted for days, never saw the tops… or the rams lost somewhere up in the clouds. Cold, wet, and hopeless. It happens.

You do the best research you can, hoping you know what to expect and pack accordingly. Horseback hunts offer more flexibility, but sooner or later you must leave the horses… and come back to them. And, by whatever means, you will go where the sheep are (or are supposed to be).

Read your O’Connor; his northern sheep hunting seems just a matter of riding up through gentle country, dismounting and tying up, then strolling over the top to shoot your ram. My first ram went pretty much like that…almost none since! We spiked out from the lake with horses; camp was a tarp secured to a downed tree. We woke up to a few inches of snow one morning, but the late

August weather was mild. In a few days we rode back to Denotiah with a nice ram and a mountain caribou on a pack horse.

Since then, most of my northern sheep hunting has been by backpack in Alaska, plus a tough—and excellent—14-day backpack hunt in the MacKenzies with Arctic Red River, when Kelly Hougen had it. Note, please, that much of our lore of sheep hunting still comes from Jack O’Connor…especially regarding Yukon. Jack did all of his Dall’s sheep hunting there, never in Alaska or NWT, and always with horse outfits.

I did my first Yukon hunt in the Bonnet Plume range in ’99, with the late Richard Rodgers. Base camp was an awesome old cabin in a sheltered valley, a memorable camp, with the history of Yukon hunting written on the walls. I expected to ride horses from there up into sheep country.

Uh, not so fast. The sheep portion was backpack from the cabin and, unlike some of Yukon’s ranges, the Bonnet Plumes are steep and rough. Although not exactly prepared,

partner Mike Satran and I were in shape for it. We both took good rams, mine my best Dall’s sheep. Later, we used horses for antlered game. I took a good caribou; Satran, looking for moose, shot a nice grizzly that charged the horses.

When I was young, before B.C. put quotas on nonresidents for Stone’s sheep, the outfitters in southern Yukon could barely give away their so-called Fannin sheep. That’s changed, hasn’t it? In the early 2000s, Dwight Van Brunt and I did a hunt with Randy Babala in the Pelly Mountains, between Watson Lake and Whitehorse. This was a classic horseback northern sheep hunt. We flew into a strip to rendezvous with horses, rode half a day to base camp, complete with cabins, hunted on horseback from there.

Those sheep were a grab-bag; we saw bands of rams that had everything from very dark to almost white. By then, B.C.’s quota was tight. Every sheep with a dark hair was now a “Stone” and going up in value. Both of us took nice rams, Dwight’s dark salt-and-pepper; mine a near-classic “Fannin,” which is what I really wanted. I loved the country, much of it negotiable for horses, and the tidy, comfortable base camp in the middle of nowhere was a piece of heaven. No matter what we called the sheep, I’d have been back, but the area sold. The new owner doubled the prices, probably again since then. Too bad; it was a sheep camp I’d like to see again…but that applies to almost all my sheep camps. WS

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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.

BEST OF THE DALL'S

A GALLERY OF SOME OF B&C’S TOP RAMS

BY SCOTT BESTFUL

There may be a more iconic North American big game species than the Dall’s sheep, it’s just hard to bring it to mind. As a budding young big game hunter, they lurked only slightly beneath the whitetail deer—which of course were most available to me—on my menu of bucket list species. Combine their incredible white pelage with those amazing horns and the most spectacular mountain habitat on the planet, and Dall’s sheep were truly the stuff of dreams.

Not surprisingly, Dall’s remain among the toughest rams to place high in the Boone and Crockett (B&C) record book. Only a handful of recent kills have cracked the top twenty rams, and taking a world-class animal may be among big game hunting’s top challenges. Here’s a look at some of the storied rams in the B&C archives.

#2 Frank Cook

Chugach Mountains, Alaska, 1956

185-6/8”

Cook was convinced the rugged Chugach Mountains were the place to kill a giant Dall’s and his hunt with friends Wally Wellenstein and Frenchy Lamoreaux proved him triply correct. All three men killed B&C rams in a handful of days on a hunt that forced them to navigate treacherous terrain and terrible weather (no surprise for sheep hunters of course). Wellenstein was the first to score, taking 1636/8” ram on the first day. Cook and Wellenstein packed the ram out to their pickup spot, where they met up with Lamoreaux, a guide who was scouting the area.

Lamoreaux and Cook agreed to

#1 Harry Swank Jr.

Wrangell Mountains, Alaska 1961

189-6/8”

Swank had been making scouting flights with his hunting partner, Perley Jones, and guide Jack Wilson when they found a chunk of the Wrangell’s that Swank described as “so shockingly rough and remote it is seldom, if ever, visited by hunters… The country was as hostile as any a man is likely to meet; forbidding glaciers bounded by treacherous crevasses; cliffs whose sheer faces seemed insurmountable; and miserable weather.”

Of course, Swank and Jones remained unabashed and managed to access this sheep haven and Swank caught up to a pair of rams late in the afternoon. Despite being caught out in the open, Swank worked his way to within range of his .264 on a ram he described as “bigger than any sheep I’d ever seen.” He made good on the shot, the ram collapsed, and the next morning Swank was putting a tape to a new World’s Record Dall’s.

Swank received B&C’s coveted Sagamore Hill award for his trophy that year. Sadly, he would perish only two years later, dying in a plane crash in his final solo flight as he studied for his twin-engine license.

hunt together and, leaving from base camp early in the morning they managed an ascent through rugged country past a band of ewes, lambs, and two lesser rams to finally come upon five mature rams Cook had spotted previously. Cook had the first shot and managed to anchor the biggest ram in the group. As the other sheep scattered, Lamoreaux dropped another big ram, an animal that netted 164-4/8”.

But Cook’s ram was something special, ousting the existing World’s Record—a ram killed in the Yukon Territory in 1948 that scored 1822/8—and bringing the B&C top Dall’s title back to the United States. According to Cook, the horns of his World’s Record sheep weighed 27 pounds and the right horn measured 49-12”. The ram would hold the B&C top spot for five years.

#3 Jack Lentfer (no picture available)

Chugach Mountains, Alaska, 1964 185-4/8”

#4 Sherwin Scott

Jacksina Creek, Alaska, 1984 184-5/8”

Sherwin Scott had all the tools necessary to be a great sheep hunter; not only was he a gifted athlete (he

attended the U. of Arizona on a baseball scholarship and had an offer from the Boston Red Sox before a knee injury ended his career), and he had a passion for the outdoors. In addition to tagging the incredible,

Top-Five B&C ram, Scott hunted big game across the globe and was wildly successful as a dog trainer; one of his dogs won two national titles in a single year, and another won 12 national championships in a row, both feats were unprecedented. Scott passed away in February, 2013, at age 70.

#5 B.L. Burkholder

Wrangell Mountains, Alaska, 1958 184-4/8”

For three years, the only Dall’s bigger than Burkholder’s ram was the Cook sheep, and no doubt this incredible ram drew attention to the Wrangell’s as a possible destination for a world-class rams. Only a 1-6/8” side-to-side difference on the third circumference kept this ram from settling in as the number two Dall’s in the B&C book.

NXT LEVEL PERFORMANCE

MEET THE FUTURE OF LONG RANGE

#6 Louis Breland

Chugach Mountains, Alaska, 2020 184-1/8”

While four of the Top Ten Dall’s rams in B&C have come from the Chugach Range, that fabled country had trouble producing a recent ram that could crack the top 50 mark in the B&C books; in fact, between

2005 and 2019, only two Dall’s made it into that elite company. All that changed in 2020, when Breland navigated the rugged Chugach and killed the largest Dall’s of the 21st century. Breland used a .300 Win. Mag and a 180-grain Barnes bullet to kill the top-scoring ram of B&C’s most recent scoring period.

#7 Thomas Sheets

(no picture available)

Chugach Mountains, Alaska, 1962 181”

#8 Tony Oney

(photo bottom left)

Wrangell Mountains, Alaska 1963 183-7/8”

Oney moved to Alaska in 1958 and set up shop as a dentist, but also worked as a guide and outfitter for hunters and fishermen. Of course, his avocation as an accomplished pilot was a huge help in his side job as well as his passion for hunting. Oney was hunting the fabled Wrangell Mountains in 1963, which had produced several record book Dall’s rams, when he tagged a gorgeous ram that not only cracked the B&C’s Top Ten, but sported only 1/8” of deductions.

#9 Jonathan Summar Jr.

Alaska Range, Alaska, 1965 183-6/8”

Yet another Top Ten Dall’s taken in the 1960’s—long recognized as the golden age of Dall’s hunting— Summar’s ram sported only 5/8” of side-to-side circumference differences.

#10 W. Newhall

(no picture available) Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, 1924 183-4/8”

#11 Gene Effler (no picture available)

Wrangell Mountains, Alaska, 1959 183”

Effler took his beautiful ram only a year before the 1960’s would rewrite the B&C record book for Dall’s sheep and sat at #4 for a few precious months. The symmetrical ram sported only 2/8” of deductions.

#33 Cody Miller

Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories, 2005

Why is the ram that sits 33rd in the B&C books listed in this gallery?

Because only the Louis Breland Dall’s (which sits at 6th place) tops it for the largest ram entered in the 21st century. Miller was a state of Washington native and a decorated Vietnam vet who also happened to be a passionate big game hunter. He was in his late 50’s when he killed this fantastic ram, and sadly passed away just 13 years later.

*P&Y World Record

Dan Reynolds

(Photo below)

Ogilvie Mountains, Yukon Territory, 2012 174”

If there’s anyone more suited to claiming the largest bow-killed Dall’s ram than Dan Reynolds, finding him would be a tall order. Reynolds has been living, and hunting in, the Yukon Territory all his life. He learned to fly at age 17 and took over his father’s outfitting concession— which has been in the family since 1967—in the 1990’s. Reynolds has mastered the art of flying (and landing and taking off) small planes in the wilderness of the YT, and has an incredible track record of putting his clients on trophy-class game. Reynolds was hunting his home stomping grounds in the Ogilvie Mountains when he arrowed one of the finest rams taken in the 21st century. WS

FOR WANT OF A NAIL...

BY WAYNE VAN ZWOLL

t lit like a butterfly on the burr of a ridge clearly not designed as a landing strip. The two hunters “had to leap from the plane and hold it from slipping back down over the rocky precipice.” After they had tossed out their Spartan kit, the aircraft spun about and dived off the spine, gaining air speed to lift in the distance over the Alaska Range.

“Our first impression,” wrote Bert

Klineburger, “was of the difference between the temperature here and [that in] Anchorage, about 45 miles away. It was a lesson we would not soon forget.” Neither he nor his partner had a heavy jacket. Their pilot had tossed Klineburger a set of long woolen underwear – though the thermometer at take-off had read 80 F. “Two miles and two million panting breaths” after the hunters

had set out from the ridge, conditions had become wintry. At 6,000 feet, closing in on a group of nine truly big Dall’s rams, they were both drenched in sweat from the hike and a steady snowfall. “Since we could not get any wetter, we lay flat in the freshly-fallen snow” to ready for a shot.

“My hunting companion took off his glasses to wipe them dry, [and cleaned] the snow from his scope.”

TO AVOID BIG

IT’S THE LITTLE ONES THAT TRIP YOU UP.

“For the want of a nail …. The kingdom was lost.” Small things on a sheep hunt can also turn fortunes!

Just then, the rams saw something they didn’t like “and took off in a rush….” Klineburger killed the one he’d chosen; but “by the time Peter had his glasses and scope cleared for action...he had missed his chance.”

Benjamin Franklin is credited with this observation:

“For the want of a nail the shoe was lost. For the want of a shoe the horse was lost. For the want of a horse the rider was lost. For the want of a rider the battle was lost. For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost….”

As much as hunters fuss about gear, hardware failures that once turned the fortunes of armies and expeditions are now rare. Rifles, optics and ammunition have become so reliable as to shed all blame for hunts gone awry. What we do afield matters more than what we carry. Wiping water, snow and fog from glasses and scope is as basic a routine as buttoning your shirt. If you can’t see to aim, you might as well be holding an empty rifle.

I was reminded of that not long ago, bellying toward a whitetail buck

on a bright, crisp morning. Thoughts of fogged lenses were far from mind as I snugged the sling at 150 yards. But the sight picture resembled the inside of a cotton ball. Close against the rifle on my crawl, I’d breathed on the lens. A fog-proof scope clear inside can still fog outside! I dug awkwardly for a rag as the deer moved steadily away.

Peter might have salvaged a shot had he swabbed lenses before easing to where those rams could see him. After all, this was no surprise encounter but, like mine, a planned sneak. Still-hunting or moving between points to glass, periodic swipes of wet glass with a soft cloth from a handy pocket makes sense.

Later that day, Peter would bag a fine ram with a long shot. The two men packed heavy loads in ankledeep snow down to their small tent, gulped a can of cold peas and chunks of meat warmed over a weak Swiss burner, then climbed, wet, into thin sleeping bags. Neither was prepared for the cold. “There wasn’t a lot of sleep,” wrote Klineburger. Their great good fortune to kill two 40inch rams right away absolved these hunters from a hike next day in soggy clothes up the snowy steeps, and blessed them with an early pick-up. Had they needed more time, they’d have been hindered by their lack of warm clothing. If you can’t hunt in comfort, you can’t hunt well. An opportunity missed may be the only one you get.

In sheep country, small tasks, from lacing icy boots to boiling water, take more time and attention than at home—if indeed you even tackle them at home! They can steal your focus and dull your predatory edge. So can days without sighting game. Darrel Moberly couldn’t recall worse weather. His September bighorn hunt had started well, mustard aspens fluttering below as his party trailed on horseback to a spike camp high in the Sangre De Cristo range.

morning, Moberly spotted a ram; but it had seen him too, and made off before he could catch aim. Several sheep-less days later the storm barreled in. Rain and hard wind, then a blizzard. Fog followed, knocking visibility to near zero. When at last the weather improved, hunter and guide climbed a ridge to glass. Easing down its flank, Moberly was looking far when suddenly an exceptional ram appeared, short yards away. But he hadn’t yet chambered a cartridge! Stepping back to run the bolt, he spooked the beast, which galloped off through a wedge of timber. Moberly’s luck held just long enough for a shot. His bullet struck home at 150 yards, and the bighorn buckled.

A second chance isn’t a reward, but a bonus. A memorable lesson in readiness came to me early, on a snowy Michigan hill raked by a bitter wind. Shivering under a heavy coat, I should have eased to the crest

instead of trudging up. The buck in the hollow beyond flagged away as, with stiff arms and fingers, I fumbled to bring the Mauser to bear. The deer got away. Chronic bungling since has kept me humble. But a recent blizzard on a Dakota rise brought to mind that Michigan blow. Face nearly numb and squinting into the snow, I dropped to hands and knees and crawled forward to inspect the basin. In its bosom a buck with antlers that needed more time was nibbling shoots in a plum thicket. We met at eight yards. His eyes got big. He left in a hurry. A bit of redemption there. You’re smart to hunt only when you can hunt well. When you must break for a rest, do so when and where you won’t alert game.

The unexpected takes many forms. Charles Hanawalt’s Colorado bighorn tag was a rare blessing. But he knew getting within bow range

of a mature ram could be harder than finding one. Scouting, he’d located a small herd with a promising animal. Alas, he didn’t find the group again until near season’s end, and the wind that day was wrong for a sneak. Reluctantly he backed off, to approach on another path next morning. He paused after the climb to dry his clothes and body before easing to timber’s edge near where he expected to see his quarry. Binocular at work, Hanawalt suddenly heard foot-falls close by. Five rams filed from the forest straight toward him. The hunter sank to earth, lying flat as, upwind, the animals came within five feet! He’d never drawn his 70-pound Hoyt prone; he dared not try now! The sheep passed by, angling away. But the exceptional ram he wanted was obscured by another. He would have to wait until they separated enough for a clear shot to the ribs. At last they did.

Practice from hunting positions, in hunting terrain! Toughen those elbows! Refine sling adjustment!

“HUNT THE BEST OF TAJIKISTAN WITH EKENLER BROTHERS”

Record Bukharan Markhor

From 40 yards, his arrow flew true.

Anticipating game movement is a hunting skill; not so counting on game to follow your plan!

Every decision on the hill can have knock-on effects. When you’re not hunting alone, you won’t decide alone. Flexibility is an asset; so is your ability to wring from a discussion the best course of action.

“Ya’d best git along with yer guide,” said one who’d entertained clients who didn’t. Sound advice, if not always easy to follow. Humility can earn you points in that effort. So does frank but pleasant talk, when time allows. Chat on the trail, horseback, may not help much, when you’re talking to the back of his (her) head four mule lengths away and he must mind the pack animals or wants to look for game. Waiting until you’re a short patch of greensward from a shot to say a bad knee won’t let you crawl won’t impress him. Use tent time to get to know him first, also to let him know what you hope to get from— and contribute to—the hunt, and any limitations that will help him make smart decisions with you on the ridge.

Your rifle may or may not impress him. But your obvious attention to details will. You will have asked earlier if he supplied a scabbard to fit your rifle, specifying not just its length but the scope’s front diameter and height above bore. You will have zeroed the rifle at 200 yards and equipped the scope with lens covers that flip up with a nudge or are transparent for urgent shots. You packed an ammo pouch that holds five cartridges securely but within easy reach. You brought a high-quality binocular (extra credit for laser-ranging capability). You included clothing to suit any local weather in a kit hewing to weight limits and packed per instructions to load on a saddle or in a Super Cub.

Handloads? Your guide might wince. But you will have inspected each at each stage of assembly, flash-

Handloads can be

hole cleaning to bullet seating. A friend didn’t. At his behest, I fired his rifle a few times to check its zero as we chatted. Then the hammer fell on a fired case. Forgot to cycle, thought I, levering a new round into the barrel. I had pressure on the trigger when an angel tapped me on the shoulder: Sure about that?

I opened the action, peered down the bore. A black hole. I had cycled. The hammer had dropped loudly on a primed case with a bullet, but no powder. The primer had driven the 250-grain soft-nose halfway down the barrel. There it lay in ambush. Had I fired again, the rifle would surely have been a smoking ruin, and me a lacerated mess. In the heat of a moment afield, the possibility of a stuck bullet might not register. If it did, the shot would still be lost – and removing the missile would require a cleaning rod.

Handloads are wonderfully compliant; you control everything. Winds in the heavens have their own agenda.

Weathered off passes that would bring him near the source of the famous Prophet River, Grancel Fitz agreed to turn back. “I wish we’d come a month ago,” lamented his guide. The snow would stay, this late in the season; and sheep country was still a hard day’s ride ahead. They had already invested a week on the trail. Retreating to another area, they would re-focus, to finish the hunt nearer the Alcan Highway.

Just a day remained when Fitz spied a fine ram across a valley. By dusk’s last glow, the hunters had closed to within 225 yards. Fitz dropped prone behind a big rock, exhaled half a breath and pressured the trigger. Then “my oxygen-starved lungs raised hell with breath control and grabbed a load of fresh air in one convulsive gasp. The rifle butt rose ...the muzzle see-sawed down and the shot went low.” Bolting another

The Conklin Foundation board is pleased to announce the 2023 winner of the Conklin Award. Bradford T. Black, MD is the 21st winner of the “Tough Man” award, named after the late Dr. James Conklin, a Weatherby Award winner, who liked to pursue difficult animals throughout the world.

Brad began his big game hunting in 1997 at the age of 40. Since then, he has hunted 43 countries taking over 527 animals. 191 of these are Conklin animals, including over 70 sheep and goats.

Brad has practiced urology for over 33 years and is part of the Glickman Urology Department at the Cleveland Clinic. He lives in North Canton, Ohio with his wife of 40 years, Sharon, and has five children, Danielle, Marissa, Alexandra, Bradford, and Victoria.

Brad was a finalist for the last three years. He persevered over the other challenging finalists: Jan Dams, Jeff Demaske, Mark Hampton, Wayne Farnsworth and Barbara Sackman.

T

he Conklin Foundation would like to gratefully acknowledge and thank the following businesses and individuals for their generous donations. The support of donors makes it possible for the Conklin Foundation to continue its efforts to educate youth about hunting.

Barranoff Jewelers

Beauchamp Knives

Fernando Saiz-Spain

Giuseppe Carizosa Spain

Go With Bo Booking & Guide Service

Hunt Conexion Mexico

Indus Safaris Pakistan

Tony Hernandez Jewelers

Laser Shot

Legelada Safaris

Link’s Wild Safaris

M.J. Mitler & Company

Safari Outfitters

S.M.C. Spain Hunting Ibex

Vidale Safaris

(melanistic phase weemsi desert sheep) Shot with: Go with Bo Booking & Guide Service

cartridge home, he caught aim again as the ram obligingly paused at 300 yards, looking back. “A perfect target, [but] again I just couldn’t hold my breath through the trigger squeeze! That bullet smacked into the rocks beyond….” In a masochistic fit, the sheep bounded off the ridge on Fitz’s side and stopped, affording him a third chance. This time the bark of his .30-06 brought the animal rolling down the slope.

Physical conditioning to reach sheep makes sense. But shooting in thin air merits practice too!

“We can’t get to that goat before dark,” said the guide on his return from the Idaho ridge. It was Fitz’s first goat hunt. “We’ll have to sleep here. We’ll need firewood too; the night will be cold.” So Fitz and his companion readied a spot on a ledge “seven feet wide” at the foot of a vertical rock jutting 10 feet into the sky. They built a fire against this buttress, then lay head to head a few feet from the blaze. “We were both dozing fitfully … when, [with] a muffled explosion and a shower of pebbles from above,” the front of the rock blew off! Frost or a seep in a crack had become steam. “The great loose slab jumped out … and stood there for an instant before it toppled away from us.” Had it balanced differently or overhung, “we’d have been two thoroughly squashed goat hunters.”

Even when day is done, mountains have their way. Who would suspect a natural act like building a fire against a rock would pose a hazard? Where sheep live, most hunters are fresh arrivals, their efforts to kill rams easily undone by the animals, but also by their environs. Success, even survival can hinge on a pivot in the winds of fortune. Or a small oversight. A loose nail. WS

WOUNDED WARRIOR OUTDOORS

by Trevor Hubbs

For the past 20 years the National Training center on Fort Irwin California has been the last training phase of all Army units before their combat deployment to some far-flung place in the middle east. Be it bridge building, medical services, or simply clearing the area of extremist soldiers, all units pass through Fort Irwin and the National Training Center. There are several reactions soldiers have to spending time in the deserts of Southern California. The first is of extreme concentration. Young men and women read Sun Tso’s “the Art of War” or work through their ranger handbooks with a religious fervor, highlighting phrases and acronyms to remember, or operational strategies for clearing urban areas, or mountain regions. Their focus is on their men and their mission. This is the attitude

SACRIFICE

of most first-time participants in the National Training Center (NTC) and for most of our highest caliber units regardless of how many cycles they’ve been through.

The Second reaction is an overcompensating calm. Soldiers pack playing cards and even try to smuggle in their liquid morale booster of choice disguised in Listerine bottles. These are usually the ones who have been through a cycle before and don’t give any thought to things out of their control.

The last reaction is fear. Not fear of the National Training Center but if what comes after. You see soldiers stepping off the Chinook into the bleak monotone desert that’s been expertly crafted to resemble the Middle East. Opposing force actors (OPFOR) walk around in traditional

Arab garb. The sound of Blackhawk, and Apache gunships running range drills echo in the distance while mange ridden coyotes’ snack on the piles of debris left by the units that came before you. You can tell these soldiers by observing the whites of their eyes as they seem to grow exponentially during briefings as they desperately try to take in every word of wisdom their NCO’s have to offer.

What no one going through a rotation at NTC is thinking about, is the fate of the Sonoran pronghorn, burrowing tortoise, or desert bighorn sheep native to the barren desert that has become the soldier’s temporary home. Sure, they may think of scorpions, desert spiders, or even invasive wild burros, but only as those creatures

effect that soldier’s level of safety and comfort.

When Backcountry Hunters and Anglers California Chapter Coordinator Devin O’Dea called me to ask if I could come out to work on a guzzler project on Fort Irwin it seemed so strange. Although I have been out of the military for almost six years and have been conservationfocused in my civilian career since,

the idea that Fort Irwin would have any purpose other than the training of soldiers struck me as one of the strangest concepts I had ever heard. I of course agreed immediately, and booked my flights, although I still hadn’t completely wrapped my brain around the project.

Weeks later, pulling up to the gates of the fort, we paused for a safety brief from range control near the painted

rocks memorial where every unit that passed through the NTC had painted their unit insignia as tall as a man on one of the rocks set in a large pile in the desert. While the rest of our small group was taking pictures with the rocks, marveling at their colorful contrast to the surrounding beige tones, and even using one of them to hide behind while relieving themselves. All I could think about was the fact that we had been at war so long that units had begun to ship in their own rocks to paint rather than use the rocks available on site. We have sent so many units to war in the last 20 years that we ran out of rocks in the desert!

The concept was so shocking and unsettling it was hard to understand how the other members of the working party couldn’t see what I saw. Later that evening in my tent I thought about the young privates sent out into the desert to paint the unit’s symbol on a rock in the blistering heat after a month of living outside in the elements, and I can’t help to think what a pointless way to spend their time knowing their next stop after this was a combat zone. Then I thought about how many of those young privates were also the ones who are called upon to most of the shooting, shoveling, and dying in war and I started to look at those rocks like headstones.

Our group moved into the fort and onto the training area to start the three-day project of installing this guzzler (sheep drinking fountain). On the 45-minute ride to the work area we passed several convoys of military vehicles conducting training.

Surrounded by what I too once would have called hippies on a biological mission; I couldn’t help but identify with the drivers of these multi-ton vehicles and how the idea of animals living in this desert was so far from their minds. These soldiers were certainly cursing our small convoy of civilian vehicles over their headsets with their crews on the internal mic system, “What the F*ck are these

SPEND LESS TIME APPLYING AND MORE TIME

a**holes doing way out here, it’s already blowing sand around at 20 mph and I can only see out of this little 10-inch window, but sure drive on by you long haired ****!”

The soldiers in those vehicles didn’t get why we were here, and to be honest neither did I. In my mind, Fort Irwin, all forts really, existed as a place for me and others like me to fine tune my men before heading into a war. The sand, the heat, the mountains, the wildlife were all carefully crafted department of defense props designed for the explicit purpose of making us better soldiers.

We worked in those mountains for three days clearing 50 lb boulders by hand and raking the stones from the desert floor until we were left with a football field area worth of fine sand. We dug pits as deep and wide as a man and 5 times as long. We ran plumbing and fencing along the perimeter to protect our little piece of cultivated desert. As we worked, I was silently cursing the desert. I hated those mangey begging coyotes around camp and shaking scorpions out of my boots in the morning. I hated how it was 90 degrees in the day, and 20 degrees at night. I hated the sun burn, the sweat, and I still didn’t get what we were doing here.

We left fort Irwin on the third day and got back to San Diego around midnight. I showered and thought blankly about what I was going to write about this work project. I started looking through the pictures we had taken and realized how happy all the non-military volunteers had been. I began to realize that these biologists, hunters, and wildlife enthusiasts were unphased by the last 20 years of war. Fort Irwin to them was this wonderful place in the desert with multiple endangered species of flora and fauna. The purpose of this desert to them had nothing to do with war, or training soldiers; to them the desert was a magical place, home to a very specific type of charismatic megafauna called the desert bighorn

sheep.

When I looked at the photos of our biologists and the persistent smiles on their faces, I could see that my view of this place was very specifically crafted by my experience in the military, and the last 20 years of war. Then I started thinking about our mission and the sheep. We were there to put water in the desert, which to folks like me can seem asinine and stupid.

“Why don’t the sheep just live where there is more water”, I asked myself.

I didn’t think about the fort expansion in the last 20 years and how it needed to divert more water from traditional desert aquifers to account for the increased number of soldiers and I didn’t think about the miles of desert terrain blocking these sheep from accessing other water sources. To me the operational tempo of the past two decades of war and geopolitical atmosphere took precedence and dictated that that water was needed for our men and women in uniform. Damn the sheep.

It wasn’t until a few weeks later when I saw the first trail camera photos of our new watering hole that I started to see the situation differently. These are not simply desert bighorn sheep. They are a part of this amazing ecosystem and chain of ecosystems that are an integral part of what makes the United States of America the greatest country on earth. They aren’t just bighorn sheep; they are American bighorn sheep; and like the rest of the country, they sacrificed part of themselves for the war effort. Water that could have gone to these sheep instead was rerouted to our soldiers to keep them fit for the coming fight. How many sheep starved to death or died of thirst so our soldiers could be the best trained soldiers in the world?

How many ram skulls litter those mountains so our young men and women could have the training that brought them home safe?

The story of fort Irwin and the

wars in the Middle East isn’t the story of nervous soldiers training for the fight of their lives, nor is it the story of a decimated bighorn sheep population’s struggle to survive with less and less water for 20 years. The story of Fort Irwin is about how one small part of the Southern California desert sacrificed part of itself for the greater good of the nation. Now it’s also a story of a country repaying that sacrifice, to the young men and women who trained there, to the animals, and to the land itself.

The BHA Armed Forces Initiative exists not just to take veterans and active military folks hunting and fishing to help with Post Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury, the veteran suicide epidemic, or with the military-to-civilian transition process. We are engaging in the conservation conversation. The same men and women who took water from the sheep for 20 years to support them through a war are out there giving the water back and helping to rectify and repair the ecosystem that gave to them years ago. As the sheep recover from their sacrifices so will we.

I look at the pile of painted rocks at the gate to the Fort a little differently now. They are not a morbid reminder of the last 20 years but a testament to the capacity for sacrifice of the United States of America. To contradict the song “This Land is Your land”

This land is your land, this land is my land

From California to the New York Islands

From the Redwood Forests, to the Gulf stream waters,

This land was made for you and me.

This Land was not made for you and me, this land is you and me. The rocks, the cactus, the people, the animals—we are all one country interlinked with each other, each sacrificing in turn to keep us the greatest county on earth. WS

BASECAMP DISPATCHES WE GIVE CAMPAIGN UPDATE

At 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. Jack Atcheson & Sons

2. The Journal of Mountain Hunting

3. 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

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.

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.

are looking

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.

Costanza

BASECAMP DISPATCHES

MEMBERSHIP ADVISORY: BRYAN MARTIN/ASIAN MOUNTAIN OUTFITTERS PERMANENT EXPULSION FROM WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION

The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) Board of Directors adopted unanimously the recommendation from the WSF Ethics Committee, an independent committee made up of WSF members at large, to expel Bryan Martin and his company Asian Mountain Outfitters (AMO) from WSF, permanently effective

September 1, 2022.

This expulsion shall include a permanent ban from Bryan Martin, Asian Mountain Outfitters or any agent or entity from selling or marketing Bryan Martin and/or AMO hunts or trips at WSF conventions or through any other WSF marketing mediums (Wild Sheep® magazine,

Mountain Minutes® newsletter, social media, direct mail, eBlasts, Sheep Fever Podcasts, etc.)

Brian Austin

Lance Banning Michel Beaulieu

Mike Benedict

Anthony Beringer

William Berry Nathan Carr Ben Carter

Guy Cassidy Eric Cavage Christina Clark

Paul Cooke

Dave Cruz

Ernie Davis

Mark Demchuk Brent Doornenbal

K.J. Eberspecher

Anthony Escoubat

Clint Everett

Tim Fallon

Gustav Gauss III

Luke Gotta

Michael Hale James Hamilton

Houston TX Monument CO Beaverdell BC Hopkins MN

Winooski VT

Greensboro NC Parkland County AB Sanford FL Gadsby AB Waymart PA Taft TX

Amarillo TX Palmer AK Cotulla TX Calgary AB Barrhead AB Hinsdale IL Helena MT Ayden NC

Barksdale TX Banner Elk NC Rapid City SD Penticton BC Reno NV

Brandon Campbell Cody Carlon Eric Cavage

Windsor CO Lamoille NV Waymart PA

NEW LIFE MEMBERS

Easton Harrold Stan Henderer Jeff Henderson Dylan Hitner Harrison Hooke Adam Horodnyk

Grant Jerry Emil Kadlec

Matthew Kadlec

Tony Kenyon

Josh Krafka John Leedom

Brian Linnemeyer

Steve Lulich

Nathan Markway Jerrad Martin Robert Mason

Robert Mcclelland

Tyler McMahon Terry Meyers

Greg Mitchell

Bradley Mongold

Laci Nelson

Rebecca Peters

Midland TX Pendleton OR Orem UT

Myrtle Point OR

Fort St. James BC Cave Creek AZ

Woodland Park CO Bozeman MT Billings MT Joliet MT

Hickman NE McCall ID

Indianola IA

Juneau WI

Saint Louis MO

Las Vegas NV Cheyenne WY

Petaluma CA

Ardrossan AB

Grand Junction CO

Tiki Island TX Chitina AK

PLUM CITY WIS

Port Coquitlam BC

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

NEW SUMMIT LIFE MEMBERS

Will Peterson Phil Phillips Byron Ruen Daniel Sanders Carroll Schubert Gary Sessions Amy Shaffer Jim Shine Ryan Showalter Mike Southin Paul Spyhalski Melanie Stelter

Oddmund Stenstad

Robert Taylor John Teeter Angelo Tiberti

F.H. Tipton Tamara Trail Brad Turner Mark Van Dyke

Jennifer Vanbrunt Scott Veskrna Michael Wagner

Heber City UT Montrose CO Hope ID

Silt CO

San Antonio TX

Flora Vista NM

De Beque CO

Anchorage AK Easton MD

100 Mile House BC

Austin MN

Victoria BC

Bo BO

Las Vegas NV

Hickory NC

Las Vegas NV

Winnemucca NV

Albany TX

Elk Ridge UT

Erie PA

McAllister MT

Gillette WY

Fleetwood PA

CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA CAN USA CAN NOR USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA

Martin and AMO has been on a WSF Ethics Committee recommended and Board adopted suspension since December of 2020. WS USA USA CAN USA USA USA CAN USA CAN USA USA USA USA USA CAN CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA CAN USA

USA USA USA

CAN USA

Tracy Cunningham Duane Kubinchak Terry Meyers

William Sikora Bryan Wiesner Amarillo TX Coronation AB Grand Junction CO

Brandon MB Lake Forest IL USA CAN

BASECAMP DISPATCHES

2022 FALL BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTIONS

The following are the candidates approved by the Nominating Committee to run for the fall 2022 Director elections. Three WSF board director positions are open.

Paper ballots will be sent to members in good standing no later than October 15, 2022 and completed ballots must be received no later than December 15, 2022 to be considered valid.

Sheep Foundation, a position he has held since 2017. He became a bighorn sheep advocate as a young man in southwestern New Mexico. He believes in the importance in BHS conservation and all ethical hunter opportunities.

played a key role in the development of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, (KAUST) and was elected to the Board of KAUST US Ltd. In Washington D.C.

BRYAN BARTLETT

Bryan Bartlett was born and raised in Southwestern New Mexico. He grew up in the Gila country hunting mule deer with his father and brother. Ethical hunting and respect for wildlife were always at the top of the family’s list.

He is currently the President of the New Mexico Chapter of the Wild

Bryan graduated with a BS degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Mexico and spent the next 30 years emersed in the oil and gas industry in the U.S. and the Middle East. During the last 22 years of his O/G career he and his wife, Barbara, worked for Saudi Aramco, where she taught in the company school system and he held several engineering and management positions, including the Company Chief Engineer position for the last three years.

After his early retirement, Bryan spent several years as a consultant to Aramco Services in Houston. He also served as an Associate of Quantum Reservoir Impact in Houston. He

JANN DEMASKE

My favorite hat is from 2016, embroidered on it is “WSF Conservationist.” That’s me! Don’t get me wrong, I have a beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep to my credit, but the behindthe-scenes conservation really fuels my fire. I have been passionate about God’s creatures, all of us, since I was a kid. I was born in Wyoming into a hunting family and have lived in Colorado since 1978. I have a Bachelor of Science and a Masters of Public Health from the University of Northern Colorado. Out of college I

Currently, Bryan is on the Board of Directors of First American Bank, a large 1.9-billion-dollar community banking system in New Mexico.

Personal comment:

“In addition to wild sheep conservation, I believe we need to work harder to protect healthy wildlife habitat and water resources. This is especially important in the arid desert bighorn mountain regions. I also believe we need to work harder to employ the support and involvement of more women and the minority hunting community. As we know, our ‘sacred’ way of life is under attack. We should be active and smart in meeting this very real challenge. It will take all of us to win this battle.” WS

worked in occupational health for a large corporate brewery. A few months after getting married in 1993, while still having full time jobs, my husband and I started the first of several successful businesses in Northern Colorado. I worked on everything from apartment maintenance, to book keeping, to selling the homes we built. My focus shifted when the businesses got too big and our two girls needed my full attention. Now that they are grown, my days are filled with oldschool homemaking and what I refer to my friends and family as “sheep stuff”. For the Wild Sheep Foundation

(WSF), I chair the Ladies Luncheon and Artemis Award Committees; I’m vice chair of the 1Campfire Initiative Committee; and I am a member of the Auction Solicitation, Development, and Marco Polo Society Committees. Further, I am a life member and a member of the Marco Polo Society. I was appointed to the WSF board

in 2020 and served for two years.

Locally, I served six years on the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society (RMBS) board of directors, four of those as secretary, and I continue as RMBS banquet chair. I am a life member of the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society, Wild Sheep Society of BC, Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance,

to conduct a hugely successful Virtual Convention in January of 2021, as well as an In-Person Blended Convention in January of 2022. This resiliency enabled the WSF to continue its mission and expand its membership by over 20% during the most difficult of times. Looking back, I am proud to have been a part of that remarkably challenging period.

and the Texas Bighorn Society, as well as, Grand Slam Club Ovis and Dallas Safari Club. I am also an active member and volunteer for Timberline Windsor Church.

I have letters of recommendation from RMBS, Wild Sheep Society of BC, and a business partner/attorney who is also a life member of WSF. WS

America, as well as Central Asia. I take this process very seriously and appreciate the opportunity to be involved with implementing and refining these practices as the Foundation constantly evolves.

CHARLIE KELLY

I began serving on the WSF board in May of 2020, a few months after the pandemic began. Despite the many challenges it has presented, WSF staff, board members and membership reacted like true sheep hunters, and pushed ahead despite the uphill challenges and uncertainty we all faced. After a lot of strategic planning and continued support from our dedicated members, we were able

During my first term as a WSF director, I have been appointed and elected as the current WSF treasurer and appreciate the opportunity to serve in this capacity. Since its original founding as the Foundation of North American Sheep, and now the Wild Sheep Foundation, the organization has developed a very comprehensive and well thought out set of fiscally responsible guidelines, policies, and procedures, ensuring that our members contributions and other grants that we receive are spent wisely for the benefit of wild sheep populations throughout North

ROB KOPECKY

My name is Rob Kopecky. I live in Edmonton Alberta, and I would like to express my keen interest in filling a board position with the Wild Sheep Foundation.

I am a life member of the Wild Sheep Foundation, Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta, and the Wild Sheep Society of BC.

I have been involved in the work of the Wild Sheep Foundation for many years. The passion for wild sheep instilled in me as a young boy grew into a desire to get involved later in life and eventually take on leadership roles. I have held director

In addition to serving as treasurer, I am currently a member of (14) different WSF committees and serve as the chair for the budget and finance, development, gift acceptance and operational excellence committees. I also serve as a trustee for the Wild Sheep Legacy Foundation.

As we slowly emerge from the pandemic, and life is getting somewhat back to “normal,” the WSF has embarked on several exciting new programs. My goals if elected for a second term, are expanded chapter and affiliate involvement, growing our endowment, membership growth, and reestablishing sheep populations where opportunities exist. Thank you for your support! WS

positions, the vice president role, and the president role of both the Wild Sheep Society of BC and Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta and am currently the vice president in Alberta.

I have been involved in conservation matters, fundraising efforts and convention planning, as well as planning of the WSF Chapters and Affiliates Sheep Summit in Kelowna, BC.

My education consists of a BSc in Biology and much of my professional career has been spent working as a senior manager for the Forest Service in British Columbia. When I moved to Alberta, I continued in a

senior management role involved in consultation on resource development projects on behalf of the province. Most recently I decided to pursue a new career in the private sector where I hold a senior management role as the manager of indigenous affairs for an organization involved in advocacy work for the oil and gas sector in Canada. This combination

of experience would help me greatly in this role.

I come with a diverse skill set, a good work ethic, policy development experience, stakeholder relations background and a good understanding of the work that needs to be done for the organization. I’ve developed strong leadership skills throughout my working career and understand that

They have been working side-by-side for over 20 years.

developing strong relationships and trust is essential in ensuring we are successful in achieving the work to further our mandate.

I would like to do more to contribute to the work we do and I would be honoured to serve you on the board of directors. WS

GLEN PYNE

Glen Pyne was born and raised in Southern California. He received his BS in animal science from Cal Poly, Pomona and his DVM degree from Ross University. Although primarily a small animal surgeon today, Glen began his career as a mixed animal practitioner in Ohio. Glen and his wife Caroline, also a veterinarian, opened Paws n Claws Veterinary Hospital in Yorba Linda, California.

Southern California is not known to be a hunting mecca, either politically or from opportunity, but his uncle introduced him to hunting in Utah the last year of high school. College and work separated him from the outdoors for many years, but the intrinsic draw that nature provides brought him back to the sport he now holds dear. Today, Glen is able to call himself an avid hunter. He has hunted most of the western United States as well as Canada, Europe, and Africa. Retrospectively, Glen realized the lost opportunities from an absence of hunting tradition normally passed down from generation to generation. Trying to right the wrong, Glen introduced his three children to hunting. Regretfully, Caroline has also become a hunter. Now getting

time away from the practice takes a challenging game of rock-paperscissors, although Caroline usually lets Glen win. Glen also realized other forces were encroaching on his beloved sport. From political and societal shifts to diminishing game and habitat, external forces were chipping away the very foundation of hunting. To further make things right he started getting involved.

Today Glen is a member of the board for the California Chapter of WSF and serves as the youth committee chair. He is a Life Member of the Midwestern Chapter, a Distinguished Life Member of the California Chapter, Summit Life Member and Chadwick Ram Society Member. He has served on the Wild Sheep Foundation Solicitation and Ethics Committees.

LOGAN YOUNG

Logan Young grew up in the Alberta, BC, and Northern Yukon

in an outfitting and ranching family. He spent most of his childhood in the mountains engulfed in the sheep hunting and guide/outfitting industry and is now the co-owner and operator of Midnight Sun Outfitting. Logan has had the privilege of being a part of the Wild Sheep Foundation family since he was born. He has always been heavily committed to conservation efforts and is currently the executive director of Bear Trust International. He and his family have been longstanding supporters of the Wild Sheep Foundation where his family has been instrumental in helping grow the membership and continues to support in varied and significant ways.

Logan’s entire life has been surrounded by and consumed with wilderness, wildlife, and the elements that impact the sustainability of the land and its creatures. He has witnessed throughout his life the importance of giving back through conservation organizations and projects that directly benefit wildlife and he is grateful and excited to be in a role that affords such immediate and direct impact to that which made him who he is.

Logan currently splits his time between Canada and the United States with his beautiful wife, Courtney, and their son, Luke. WS

Every year, DSC hosts its annual Convention that raises funds for grants in conservation, education, and advocacy. The four-day 2023 DSC Convention is open to the public and will fill over 800,000 square feet with 1,000 exhibitors featuring outfitted hunts, firearms, gear, wildlife art and much more.

CHAPTERS & 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

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

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

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

WASHINGTON WSF Garrett Grant grant16garrett@hotmail.com www.washingtonwsf.org

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

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 Asso ciation 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

Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society Office

Tracey Martin 480-854-8950 admin@adbss.org

Association of Mackenzie Mountain Outfitters

Harold Grinde, President 403-357-8414 ganariver@pentnet.net www.huntnwt.com

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

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

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

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

Fundacion De Vida Silvestre En Sonora, A.C

Jacobo Artee, President 011-52-662-212-5510, 011-52-662-217-4119 jacoboartee@prodigy.net.mx

Grand Slam Club/Ovis Mark Hampton, Executive Director 205674-0101 gsco@wildsheep.org www.wildsheep.org

Guide Outfitter Association of BC Scott Ellis, General Manager 604-541-6332 ellis@goabc.org www.goabc.org

International Caribou Foundation Cheryl Lind, Executive Director 406-404-1297 cheryl@internationalcariboufoundation.org www.internationalcariboufoundation.org

Kazakhstan Wildlife Foundation Orynbassar Shaimukhanbetov, President acbkarlan@mail.ru

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

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

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

Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society John Hayter, President 970-389-3010 jnhayter@gmail.com www.bighornsheep.org

Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance Jason Peak, President Jpeak71@hotmail.com www.goatalliance.org

Contact: Lee MacDonald, Membership Coordinator lee@goatalliance.org

Safari Club International 520-620-1220 info@safariclub.org www.safariclub.org

Sheep Hunters of the World (SHOW) Billi Carey, Administrator 480-292-1674 www.sheephunters.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

Wyoming Outfitters & Guides Association

Jeff Smith, President 307-265-2376 wyoga@wyoga.org www.wyoga.org

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

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

NOTE:

these

and affiliates include membership in Wild Sheep Foundation.

Sheep

WSF

DATES

NV

City,

WSF CHAPTERS: 2023 Chapter Date Location

Alaska WSF

Anchorage, AK California WSF April 29 Sacramento, CA

Eastern Chapter WSF

Idaho WSF

Iowa FNAWS

February 17-18

April 1

March 24-25

Lancaster PA

Boise, ID

Des Moines, IA

Midwest Chapter WSF March 17-18 Minnetonka, MN

Montana WSF Feb 25 Missoula, MT MSU Student Chapter WSF

New Mexico WSF

N/A

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

Edmonton, AB WSF Alberta – Yellowhead TBD Edson, AB

Wyoming WSF June 2-3 Cheyenne, WY

Yukon

WSFTBD

WSF AFFILIATES: 2023

Chapter Date Location

Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society

Elko Bighorns Unlimited

March 11

11

Scottsdale, AZ

Elko, NV

Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn May 20 Las Vegas, NV

National Bighorn Sheep Center Nov 5 Dubois, WY

Nebraska Big Game Society

Nevada Bighorns Unlimited

April 14

Lincoln, NE

NV

Nevada Bighorns Unlimited - Fallon Mar 4 Fallon, NV

Nevada Bighorns Unlimited - Midas Midas, NV

Northern Nevada SCI Chapter

Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society

March 11

19-20

Reno,NV

Junction, CO

Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance N/A Society for the Consv. of Bighorn Sheep N/A Texas Bighorn Society

9-10

Boerne, Texas

Wild Sheep Society of BC

11-12

Kamloops, BC

Dawson Creek, BC Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia

& AFFILIATE

by Beverly Valdez California WSF

CALIFORNIA WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION UPDATE

is here and with it

hunting season. But it

feeling

also

with several monsoon activities this summer.

Many of the states’ wildlife drinkers have needed to be refilled, refitted and repaired, or replaced. We have

responded with funding and members helping installations when possible.

We also responded to the CDFW request for funding of a pilot and fixed-wing aircraft to monitor survival of radio-collared animals across the Mojave Desert and in the White Mountains. This monitoring was key to enabling mark-resight population estimates. The photo above shows the White Mountains from the aircraft.

As the temperatures go down slightly, fall will also bring the busiest time of year for new installations for our Give a Lamb a Drink program. We publish projects in advance so that you can take the opportunity to volunteer to help at one of our installation projects; contact forthesheep@gmail.com to get on our mailing list.

Please make plans now to join us on April 29 next year in Sacramento for our Annual Banquet and Fundraiser. We’ll be giving away a 2024, ten-day desert bighorn hunt with Rancho La Guarida in Chihuahua, Mexico and you can purchase tickets now at http://www. cawsf.org/store.html Go to our website now and purchase a chance to win and help us meet our goal of doubling the number of desert bighorns in Southern California.WS

Visit the store at

the date APRIL 1, 2023 BOISE, IDAHO

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.

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.

includes 2 raffle tickets.

Centennial Members: $2,000 includes 4 tickets.

tickets: MEMBERS ONLY

No Limit.

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

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram

CANADA STONE SHEEP RAFFLE WITH GOLDEN BEAR OUTFITTING

ALASKA DALL SHEEP HUNT WITH ALASKA GUIDE SERVICE

MEXICO DESERT SHEEP HUNT WITH MESQUITE MOUNTAIN OUTFITTERS

IDAHO BIGHORN LOTTERY TAG

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.

provide your own participation trophies.

SHEEP SHOP

WOMEN HUNT®

by Renée Thornton Chair, WSF Women Hunt®

RIPPLES (AND WAVES) OF IMPACT

Editor’s Note: Women Hunt® will now appear as a regular department of the Wild Sheep® magazine. Contributors will include the chair of the program as well as guest writers.

The wonderful truth of it is that there are vast numbers of women of all ages across wide-ranging locations who are determined and energized to join the world of hunting and conservation, and the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Women

Hunt® has responded. In the past year the once-fledgling program has come into its own, and our mission to engage and help more women cross barriers on their journey into fields and the mountains is beginning to be realized.

The program is driven by a volunteer committee of dedicated women with vision and purpose. Success however, is rarely achieved by a few, and the committee and program enjoy the support

of many. Our generous sponsors and donors, the support of the WSF Board of Directors and of the chapter and affiliate network, healthy collaboration with industry partners, and the enthusiasm of our membership, have directly resulted in the positive impact of this program.

On the journey to achieve the program mission, the committee recognized some fundamental tenets. Empower women by giving them community and opportunity. Educate

women in both skills and knowledge (teach them to shoot, hunt, harvest and prepare their game, but also teach them the role that hunting plays in conservation in North America and bolster their voices to describe that.) That women often bring their children or other youth along in their activities, and that both demographics are critical to diversifying the hunting and conservation community and ensuring its future. That women often provide a voice and temperament which deflates preconceived notions detractors may have of hunters and our intentions and activities. To instill the importance of being accountable, being grateful, and of giving back.

2021 saw the committee successfully launch an inaugural class of 12 women from across the U.S. and Canada who attended a new hunter course designed and delivered by the FTW Ranch in the Hill Country of Texas. The four-day course is immersive and comprehensive and taught them all they need to know to shoot accurately and consistently, as well as fundamental hunting techniques. They were afforded the opportunity to hunt whitetail doe and were taught field dressing and butchering, as well

April Elwell (Nevada) using the WSF’s “Sheep Kit” to teach the students of her classroom concepts about wild sheep, conservation and the importance of natural places.

as preparing wild game through the expert instruction of an experienced wild game master chef. The course was tailored to include a fulsome discussion of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, and through the tremendous support of the C&A network, efforts were made to find mentors for the 12 women,

arguably one of the most challenging aspects for any new hunter.

The final requirement for the participants was to demonstrate accountability and gratitude and to give back—give back to the Wild Sheep Foundation, to Women Hunt®, and within their own communities to inspire, engage and

Laura Houser (Colorado) and Danette Henderson (Colorado) Beginner’s Shotgun Clinic

Stacey Dauwalter (Idaho) 2021 Project Work (Idaho Wild Sheep Foundation) Capture, collaring and ultrasound on a ram

bring along more women, youth or others into the hunting and conservation community. What used to be called the Ripple Effect is now being called Virality, and the opportunities that these 12 women have either been creating or participating/volunteering in, are having the effect the committee was hoping for when we implemented the giving back condition of the program. Their zeal and passion are cascading through their communities and its

Meet the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Women Hunt® Committee

Bios and photos at: www.wildsheepfoundation.org/about/ women-hunt-committee

Virality is having—and will continue to have—real and lasting impacts on the future of Women in Hunting Initiative®, Women Hunt® and conservation efforts. Check out these photos of some of the amazing work by the Class of 2021!

Future Women Hunt® activities include the development of a website designed to be a hub and spoke to direct visitors to the many existing organizations and programs throughout our countries. Other

Bea Segura (New Mexico) and Tiffany Osburn (Texas) Water Guzzler Conservation Project (Texas Bighorn Society)

plans include partnering with entities who facilitate skills-based opportunities and offering those for females of all ages in larger numbers and across multiple geographic areas, broadening our impact and reach. We know that communication and the use of social media are critical components of success in today’s marketplace, and with the support of the Wild Sheep Foundation, we will enhance our efforts in these areas. We will continue to build relationships with stakeholders with the goals of enhanced partnerships, programming, and funding opportunities. The future is indeed bright for Women in Hunting Initiative® and Women Hunt®! WS

Renée Thornton, Chair

Julie Chapman Dr. Peregrine L. Wolff, DVM

Linda Demmer

Rachel Ahtila

Sara Domek

Rebecca Peters (British Columbia) Chair of Women Shaping Conservation (Wild Sheep Society of BC) Premiering the film “Transmission” and fundraising for wild sheep at a WSC event

Catherine Thompson (Arizona) Co-founder of Yuma Desert Doves, a women’s only hunting group, 2022 Dove Hunt, Yuma

mountain Boots

are built for unyielding traction, support and comfort in the most rugged terrain and weather. Thick leather uppers wrap around supportive nylon midsoles, on top of high traction outsoles.

Bottom line: They make it possible to get anywhere you need to go in total comfort.

CONSERVATION EDUCATION

by Ryan Brock WSF Youth Education Coordinator

Over the past year, the Wild Sheep Foundation has pushed forward and continued in our efforts at exciting and inspiring the next generation of wildlife conservationist and outdoor enthusiasts. As of June 30th, we have completed our eleventh fiscal year of dedicated youth programing. It has been exciting for not only our organization to offer more educational experiences, but also to see more organizations who we partner with start recreating experiences for youth as well.

In 365 days, WSF has been involved with sixty-nine different inspiring events. These have included our national Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience which occurs each year at the Sheep Show

in Reno, as well as ten events with our chapters and affiliates. We have partnered with the Graveyard Hunt Club in Indiana to partner up youth with mentors during the spring youth turkey hunt as well as leading several

“Learn to Shoot” archery clinics and two indoor firearm safety/shooting clinics in both Pennsylvania and Nevada. Additionally, we have delivered teacher check-out kits about wild sheep to 63 different classrooms. We have partnered with various other outdoor organizations as well to create other educational opportunities for youth.

We are happy be able to be involved in more this year than over the past few years. In all this past year, we have been part of impacting

6,380 different kids. Combining this to the past years, we have impacted over 98,000 kids in 590 different events since February of 2011. It is not just wild sheep we try to put and keep on the mountain; it is youth as well. They are the ones who will continue our passion for wildlife conservation when we are all gone.

Life Membership Fund Scholarship Recipients

The Life Membership Fund Scholarship was first awarded in the summer of 2015. The goal was to help a current college student who was majoring in a field related to Wild Sheep Foundation endeavors, specifically degrees in wildlife management, wildlife biology, or

INSPIRING YOUTH OVER THE PAST YEAR

Kalten Hendrickson of the University of Montana while backpacking into an alpine lake.

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

Tom Grimes

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.

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. Robert and Lisa Mays 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

wildlife pathology. An area of focus on wild sheep was preferred, but certainly not necessary.

The first few years a single scholarship was given out each year. Eventually, the number of highquality applicants of graduates and undergraduates applying led to two separate scholarships, one specifically for undergraduates and a separate one for graduates. The past few years we have been able to give out two $5000 scholarships and two $2500 scholarships.

This year, six scholarships were awarded. Washington Wild Sheep Foundation proposed a partnership with WSF with funding they raised specifically for scholarships that were similar to what were being given out at the national level. This extra $2,500 was able to impact two additional students, with each student receiving $1,250.

The top undergraduate scholarship went to Kalten Hendrickson who attends Montana State University, is working on a Bachelor’s degree in

range ecology. His focus is on finding ways in which agriculture and wildlife can live and operate symbiotically. The top graduate scholarship went to Ashely Evans who is pursuing a master’s degree in fish, wildlife, and conservation ecology and a graduate minor in geographic information systems and technology at New Mexico State University. Her thesis research examines the influence of wildland recreation on desert bighorn sheep in western Colorado which could benefit bighorn sheep management during a time when more people are engaging in outdoor recreation than ever before. Both students received $5,000 and will have the opportunity to attend Sheep ShowTM in Reno to better learn the economics behind wildlife conservation, make connections to their research and goals, and help out at the Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience.

The second-place undergraduate scholarship was awarded to Nicole Bealer who is working on a degree

in wildlife biology with minors in mathematics and French at the University of Montana. Her major in wildlife biology is concentrated on terrestrial organisms and her personal research interests are oriented towards the ecology of ungulates and large carnivores. At the graduate level, second place was given to Sydney Goward, who is attending the University of Victoria’s School of Environmental Studies in B.C. She is working on a master’s of science degree. Her focus is leading a Dall’s sheep research project which uses novel methods in remote camera trapping to evaluate population demographics and potential factors causing changes to the population in the Northern Richardson Mountains, NWT, Canada. Each second-place awardee received $2,500.

The final scholarship funding of $1,250 each, thanks to Washington WSF, was awarded to two more individuals. Hanna Whitting, an undergraduate, is enrolled at the University of Alberta, working towards a bachelor of science in environmental and conservation science, majoring in conservation biology. At the graduate level, Jacob Liedman received the scholarship. He is working on a master’s in environmental science where he helicoptered into the Chugach Mountain Range, setting up six remote weather sensing stations and captured and collared Dall’s sheep ewes. Hopes are, over the next three winters, this study should vastly improve the understanding of how winter weather affects sheep movement.

The future looks bright with young leaders such as these pursuing career paths towards wildlife. This year’s applications will be available in January. WS

Ashley Evans, of New Mexico State University, utilizing research instruments in the field.

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

$100 PER TICKET

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

A1

10 - DAY DALL’S SHEEP

HUNT WITH ULTIMA THULE OUTFITTERS IN ALASKA

FOR 2023 <1CLUB

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! (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

A3

A4

A5

A7

for auction &

for Sheep Show Raffle)

- DAY BARREN GROUND

HUNT

1 HUNTER

NORTH OUTFITTING

- DAY MOUNTAIN

HUNT

FOR 1 HUNTER

DEULING STONE OUTFITTERS, LTD

Deuling

for auction & one for Sheep Show Raffle)

- DAY AOUDAD SHEEP

ON THE WILLIAMS

IN TEXAS

1 HUNTER

MCBRIDE

McBride

BROWNING X-BOLT

PRO TUNGSTEN

WESTERN

FULLY DONATED)

Campbell

- DAY MULE DEER HUNT

IN NEW MEXICO

1 HUNTER

FULLY DONATED)

Nunn

OUTFITTING

SHEARED

STROLLER

DESIGN

B1 7 - DAY ARCHERY MULE

DEER HUNT IN ARIZONA

FOR 1 HUNTER AND 1 NON-HUNTER

(August velvet hunt or December rut hunt - hunters choice)

BIG CHINO OUTFITTERS

JP Vicente

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

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

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

B1

B2

B3

B4

B5

BLACK BEAR HUNT

BULL ELK

MINK

C1

AZYRE - WILDLY HIGHPERFORMANCE GEAR

(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 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

C3

C4

C5

OF A KIND LOST WAX

ROE DEER RIFLE

FISHING

D1

PERSONAL COLLECTION

FROM THE LATE MARLIN

GRASSER ESTATE (Buloua watch with 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

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

D5

MIDWEST WSF

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP

(100% FULLY DONATED)

Mike Bouton

E: midwestwildsheep@gmail.com

D6

TEXAS BIGHORN SOCIETYLIFETIME MEMBERSHIP

(100% FULLY DONATED)

TEXAS BIGHORN SOCIETY

P: 806.754.7783

E: info@texasbighornsociety.org

W: texasbighornsociety.org

D1

D2

D3

D4

D5

D6

DAY FREE RANGE

CHAMOIS OR

GRAY WOLF

HUNT FOR

SPAIN

MOUFLON

RED STAG

JOSE MALLO- SPAIN

DAY WALRUS ARCTIC

FOR

IBERIAN MOUFLON

E1

3 - DAY BECEITE IBEX HUNT FOR 1 OR 2 HUNTERS

(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 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

E3

E5

E6

SWAROVSKI OPTIK

SWAROVSKI OPTIK

NORTH AMERICA

(100% FULLY DONATED)

Dean J. Capuano - Communications Manager

800.426.3089 Ext. 2957

E: dean.capuano@swarovskioptik.us

W: www.swarovskioptik.com

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

LIFE-SIZE WILD SHEEP MOUNT WITH

HABITAT AND BASE DEWEY WILDLIFE STUDIO

Dawayne Dewey

307.587.4863

E: info@deweywildlife.com

W: www.deweywildlife.com

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

+34 664.283.512

iberhunting@iberhunting.com

W: www.iberhunting.com

E10

10 - DAY MOUNTAIN GOAT

HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER IN BC

TUCHODI RIVER OUTFITTERS

Sarah Johnston

250.263.5537

info@tuchodiriveroutfittes.com

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

403.357.8414

ganariver@pentnet.net

www.ganariver.com

F1

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

F2

2 - PERSON/2-DAY EASTERN

WILD TURKEY HUNT

BELL WILDLIFE SPECIALTIESDIRT 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

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 (100% FULLY DONATED)

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

F6

G1

10 - DAY AFRICAN SAFARI

HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER AND 1 NON-HUNTER (Trophy fees 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 (Trophy fee credit of $2,500 for 1 bull giraffe up to 40” is included) (100% FULLY DONATED) CHASSEURS DE MOCAMBIQUE

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

5 - DAY SOUTH AFRICAN HUNT/FISHING & BIRD SHOOTING FOR 2 HUNTERS

(Included is $1,000 towards trophy fee per hunter) (100% FULLY DONATED)

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

G3

G4

G5

H1

5 - DAY ARIZONA COUES

DEER HUNT(with Mountain

Lion Bonus) FOR 4 HUNTERS

DIAMOND OUTFITTERS

Dan and Terri Adler

P: 520.730.8147

E: Dan@DiamondOutfitters.com

W: www.DiamondOutfitters.com

H2 14 KARAT YELLOW GOLD

TWO TONE DIAMOND RING

CLUSTER (Appraisal Included)

Rex Baker & Sara Dunham

P: 404.626.3300

THE CONKLIN FOUNDATION

Bradford Black

H3

3 - DAY SINDH IBEX (up to 39”)

HUNT IN PAKISTAN FOR 1

HUNTER - (Trophy Fee up to 39” is Included)

CAPRINAE SAFARIS OF TURKEY

Mehmet Alkan & Riza Gozluk

P: +90.532.583.9108

E: info@caprinae.com

W: www.caprinae.com

H4 MONTANA LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP

(100% FULLY DONATED)

MONTANA WSF

D.J. Berg

P: 405.366.1849

E: dj@montanawsf.org

W: www.montanawsf.org

H5

5 - DAY ARIZONA

MOUNTAIN LION HUNT WITH HOUNDS FOR 1 HUNTER

DIAMOND OUTFITTERS

Dan and Terri Adler

P: 520.730.8147

E: Dan@DiamondOutfitters.com

W: www.DiamondOutfitters.com

H6

6 - NIGHT ALL INCLUSIVE VACATION ON THE 7D RANCH IN WYOMING WILDERNESS FOR 2 PEOPLE

(100% FULLY DONATED)

7D RANCH

Meade & Andrea Dominick

P: 307.587.9885

E: ranch7d@wyoming.com

W: www.7dranch.com

H2

H3

H4

H5

H6

H9

H11

H10

H12

H7

ZEBRA RUG FROM

ZIMBABWE - 9’ x 6’

PRAIRIE MOUNTAIN

WILDLIFE STUDIOS

(100% FULLY DONATED)

Chris Cammack

P: 605.515.0769

E: prairiemountain@goldenwest.net

H8

SKYFALL PACKAGE (Cronos Hoodie, Ares Jacket, Dallol LS, Vellus Jacket, Pant & Gloves, Ventus Handwarmer, Beanie and Neck Gaiter) (100% FULLY DONATED)

KRYPTEK OUTDOOR GROUP

P: 208.938.2266

E: madie@kryptek.com

W: kryptek.com

H9

CRISPI BRIKSDAL

PRO GTX BOOT

(100% FULLY DONATED)

CRISPI BOOTS

Kendall Card

P: 844.527.4774

E: kendall@crispius.com

W: www.crispius.com

H10

CRISPI GUIDE GTX BOOTS

(100% FULLY DONATED)

CRISPI BOOTS

Kendall Card

P: 844.527.4774

E: kendall@crispius.com

W: www.crispius.com

H11

SPRUCE STOVE W/HOT

WATER TANK (24X14X14 - 77lbs) (100% FULLY DONATED)

COLORADO CYLINDER STOVES

Wes Beaver

P: 970.986.0047

E: wes@coloradocylinderstoves.com

W: www.coloradocylinderstoves.com

H12

5 - DAY HUNT FOR NYALA, BLUE WILDEBEEST, ZEBRA, BLESBUCK, WARTHOG & IMPALA FOR 3 HUNTERS

(Trophy Fees for 6 mentioned species to be split between 3 hunters)

SUPERIOR AFRICAN

HUNTING SAFARIS

Eli Van Der Walt/Jeffrey Austin

P: 830.313.8724

E: rancho1024@yahoo.com

W: www.superiorsafaris.com

i1

6 - DAY ALBERTA

WHITETAIL DEER HUNT

FOR 1 HUNTER

(100% FULLY DONATED)

CARTER OUTFITTING LTD.

Scott Carter

P: 780.977.8188

E: carteroutfitting@gmail.com

W: www.carteroutfitting.com

i2 3 1/2-DAY AOUDAD HUNT

FOR 1 HUNTER IN WEST TEXAS

(Giveaway Hunt during Ram/FNAWS/ International Awards Luncheon)

HIGH WEST OUTFITTERS

Jim Breck Bean & Jamie Cowan

P: 915.526.3001

E: highwestoutfitter@yahoo.com

W: highwestoutfitter.com

i3

MARK V BACKCOUNTRY

2.0 338 WBY RPM

(100% FULLY DONATED)

WEATHERBY

P: 307.675.7800

E: lcervatnes@weatherby.com

W: www.weatherby.com

i4 BARNEY’S

PINNACLE PACK

(100% FULLY DONATED)

BARNEY’S SPORTS CHALET, INC.

Kevin Dana

P: 907.854.1555

E: kevin@barneysports.org

W: www.barney’ssports.com

i5

12 - DAY STONES' SHEEP HUNT IN NORTHERN

BRITISH COLUMBIA

2023 SHEEP SHOW RAFFLE

SPATSIZI RIVER OUTFITTERS

P: 250.847.9692

E: hunt@spatsizi.com

W: www.spatsizi.com

i6

8 - DAY / 7 - NIGHTS

FISHING AND JUNGLE EXCURSION IN BELIZE

FOR 4 PEOPLE

SAFARI UNLIMITED LLC

Drake Dawson

P: 573.544.2041

E: safariunlimitedllc@gmail.com

W: www.safariunlimitedworldwide.com

- DAY IBERIAN MOUFLON

HUNT FOR

- DAY MULTIPLE SPECIES

HUNT

1 HUNTER AND

NON-HUNTER

CREDIT FOR DAILY RATES)

- DAY ROOSEVELT SABLE

FOR 1 HUNTER

1 NON-HUNTER IN MOZAMBIQUE

- DAY COUES DEER HUNT

SONORA, MEXICO

J1

10 - DAY LA PALMOSA DESERT SHEEP HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER AND 2 NON-HUNTERS (100% FULLY DONATED)

LA PALMOSA - HUNTING OUTFITTER

Emilio Espino

P: +521.811.916.4668

E: info@lapalmosa.com

J2 4 - DAY MEXICAN HIGH DESERT ELK HUNTENDOWMENT GRAND PRIZE (100% FULLY DONATED)

LA PALMOSA - HUNTING OUTFITTER

Emilio Espino

P: +521.811.916.4668

E: info@lapalmosa.com

J3 4 HUNTERS FOR SAAM™ NEW HUNTER PROGRAM

FTW RANCH

Tim Fallon

P: 830.234.4366 or 864.814.3220

E: timfallon@ftwsaam.com

J4 7 - DAY NILE CROCODILE HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER AND 1 NON-HUNTER IN MOZAMBIQUE (Trophy fee for one Crocodile Included)

ROCHE SAFARIS

Roche du Preez

P: +27.836.76.5748

E: info@rochesafaris.com

W: www.rochesafaris.com

J5

"MATRIARCH OF THE MOUNTAIN" 1 of 1 SIGNED & FRAMED PHOTO (100% FULLY DONATED)

MOUNTAIN GIRL PHOTOGRAPHY

Tessa Fowler

P: 307.250.9424

E: wyomingmountaingirl@hotmail.com

W: mountaingirlphotography.shootproof.com

J6

BEAUTIFUL BROWN MINK JACKET - REVERSIBLE TO DOWN JACKET

ALASKA FUR GALLERY

Miriam Hernandez

P: 907.274.3877

E: info@akfurgallery.com

W: alaskafurgallery.com

J2

J3

J4

J5

J7

STONE GLACIER

GEAR PACKAGE

40/56 w/Lid, M5 Pant/Jacket,

Sleeve Merino Top/Bottoms)

FULLY DONATED)

STONE GLACIER

406.404.0641

www.stoneglacier.com

J8 ITALIAN LAMB

LEATHER JACKET

ALASKA FUR GALLERY

Hernandez

907.274.3877

alaskafurgallery.com

J9

- DAY ALASKAN CARIBOU

HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER

SHEEP SHOW RAFFLE

HUNTING

LLC

Kedrowski

907.373.4773

5 - DAY NEW ZEALAND

HUNT FOR 2 HUNTERS

FOR 2X RED STAG, TAHR & CHAMOIS

fees for 2 red stag up to

& a $1000 credit towards

tahr or chamois included)

FOUR SEASONS SAFARIS

ZEALAND

Johnston

011.64.274.399129

Cell- Jan/Feb: 214.535.9265

J11

- DAY BROWN BEAR HUNT

THE AK PENNINUSULA

SHEEP SHOW RAFFLE

HUNTING

LLC

Kedrowski

K1

5 - DAY WOLF HUNT FOR 4 HUNTERS IN CANADA

SAVAGE BIGHORNS LTD.

Chad Lenz

P: 403.844.7603

E: lenz@xplornet.com

W: www.albertabighorn.com

K2

5 - DAY BLACK BEAR HUNT IN ONTARIO

FOR 1 HUNTER

(100% FULLY DONATED)

KAP RIVER OUTFITTERS

Peter & Terry Martin

P: 705.335.3163

E: kroceo47@gmail.com

K3

5 - DAY TROPHY WOLF

HUNT IN ONTARIO

FOR 1 HUNTER

(100% FULLY DONATED)

KAP RIVER OUTFITTERS

Peter & Terry Martin

P: 705.335.3163

E: kroceo47@gmail.com

K4 12 - DAY ALASKAN

PENINSULA TROPHY

MOOSE HUNT

FOR 1 HUNTER

KATMAI GUIDE SERVICE

Joe & Joey Klutsch

P: 907.246.3030

E: joeklutsch@gmail.com

W: www.katmaiguideservice.com

K5

6 - DAY RIFLE ONLY HUNT FOR ELK IN MONTANA

FOR 1 HUNTER

JACK CREEK PRESERVE FOUNDATION

Abi King

P: 406.682.3358

E: aking@jackcreekpreserve.org

W: www.jackcreekpreserve.org

K6

12 - DAY DALL SHEEP HUNT & TWO WOLVES & ONE WOLVERINE FOR 1 HUNTER

2023 SHEEP SHOW RAFFLE

NORTHCURL OUTFITTERS

Mac & Leona Watson

P: 780.646.2161

E: hunt@northcurl.com

W: www.northcurl.com

K3

K6

- DAY NEW ZEALAND

RED STAG HUNT FOR

HUNTERS

Scoring

2 NON-

for 1 Red

to

SCI included)

CREEK TROPHY HUNTING

McBride

K8

5 - DAY COLUMBIA

BLACKTAIL DEER AND BLACK BEAR COMBO HUNT IN OREGON FOR 1 HUNTER

FULLY DONATED)

RIDGE OUTFITTERS

McCollum

541.290.2671

K9 5 - DAY BULL ELK HUNT

IN NEW MEXICO FOR 1

AND 1 NONHUNTER

of this hunt will go to benefit

Ranchitos de los Ninos Children’s

in New Mexico)

FOUR DAUGHTERS RANCH

Mike Mechenbier

4dcattle@sundancemech.com

www.elranchitonm.org

K10

- DAY WATERFOWL

(DUCK AND GROUSE

COMBO) HUNT FOR 1

IN ONTARIO

FULLY DONATED)

RIVER OUTFITTERS

Terry Martin

- DAY MULE DEER HUNT

2 HUNTERS

LODGE OUTIFTTERS

TRAILS WEST OUTFITTERS

Martoglio

L1

3 - DAY BECEITE IBEX HUNT FOR 1 OR 2 HUNTERS

(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

THE CONKLIN FOUNDATION

Bradford Black

P: 330.802.2711

L2

HANDMADE BRACELET

CUFF INCORPORATED W/ WSF LOGO BY SILVERSMITH DAVE SAUNDERS

(100% FULLY DONATED)

WSF Auctioneer - Les Ohlhauser

L3

EXQUISITE CATERED SUSHI EXPERIENCE FOR 15-20 PEOPLE

KYLE NAKAMOTO

P: 402.650.3654

E: ssafirearms@gmail.com

L4

FANCY SAPPHIRE & DIAMOND RING BRILLIANT STARS

P: 516.365.9000

E: nicole@brilliantstars.com

W: www.brilliantstars.com

THE CONKLIN FOUNDATION

Bradford Black

P: 330.802.2711

L5

TROPHY CLEANING

FOR HOME OR OFFICE

(100% FULLY DONATED)

OLD WOLF TAXIDERMY CLEANING & REPAIR

Fritz Richards

P: 775.303.2969

E: oldwolfcleaning@att.net

W: www.oldwolftaxidermycleaning.com

L6

12 - DAY SPRING KODIAK

ISLAND BROWN BEAR HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER

ROHRER BEAR CAMP

Sam Rohrer

P: 907.486.4074

C: 907.539.1828

E: sam@kodiakbearcamp.com

W: kodiakbearcamp.com

WASATCH PACK - 30

FREEZE-DRIED MEALS

FULLY DONATED)

REFUEL

Schenk

5 - DAY EUROPEAN ROE DEER HUNT FOR 1 HUNTER AND 1 NON-HUNTER

HUNTING SPAIN

Rosich

NEVADA UNIT 231 PRIVATE OWNERS DEER TAG

1 HUNTER

FULLY DONATED)

Casino & Geyser Ranch

Seeno

925.671.7711

BC GRAY WOLF PELT

FULLY DONATED)

TRAPPERS ASSOCIATION

Cartwright

- DAY CANTABRIAN

HUNT FOR 2 HUNTERS (Trophy fee for 1

chamois for each hunter)

SAIZ - SPAIN

- DAY ARCHERY CARMEN

WHITETAIL

& RIO GRANDE WILD

HUNT FOR

HUNTER AND

NON-HUNTER

HAYAS

H.

M1

8 - DAY SABLE, ZEBRA, BLUE WILDEBEEST, BLESBUCK

HUNT FOR 2 HUNTERS

AND 2 - NON-HUNTERS

(Trophy fees included one of each species mentioned to be shared by the hunters) (100% FULLY DONATED)

AFRICA MAXIMUM SAFARIS

Jacques Senekal

P: +27.82.802.3919

E: africamaximum@gmail.com

W: www.africamaximum.co.za

M2 CUSTOM WSF INLAID CUTTING BOARD

(100% FULLY DONATED)

ROUGH CUT COMPANY

Kim Siegler

E: roughcutcompany@gmail.com

W: www.roughcutcompany.com

M3

2 - DAY/2-NIGHT PHEASANT

HUNT FOR 2 HUNTERS IN SOUTH DAKOTA

(100% FULLY DONATED)

PHEASANT CITY LODGE

Cameron Shumake & Kevin Tevedal

P: 605.539.9244

P: 605.354.0743

E: hunt@pheasantcity.com

W: www.pheasantcity.com

M4

DALL SHEEP HORN VASE ON A ROCK BASE

WYO BACKCOUNTRY DECOR

Josh & Jenny Taylor

P: 307.899.4553 or 4645

E: wyobackcountrydecor@gmail.com

W: www.wyobackcountrydecor.com

M5

3 - DAYS/3-NIGHT FLY FISHING IN MONTANA FOR 2 ANGLERS

(100% FULLY DONATED)

EVENTGROOVE

Lance Trebesch

P: 406.600.6321

E: lance@eventgroove.com

W: www.eventgroove.com

M6

6 - DAYS OF FISHING IN ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO FOR 1 ANGLER AND 20% OFF FOR ADDITIONAL ANGLERS

(100% FULLY DONATED)

LAD SHUNNESON ADVENTURES & KEN WILSON CONSULTANT Lad Shunneson

P: 303.258.7777

E: ladadventures@webtv.net

M1

M4

M2

M3

M5

M6

M7

12 - DAY STONES’ SHEEP

HUNT IN NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA

PROCEEDS TO SUPPORT

BC STONE’S SHEEP)

RIVER OUTFITTERS

250.847.9692

www.spatsizi.com

BIGHORN CHARCOAL ORIGINAL

FULLY DONATED)

Spies

M9

TROPHY ROOM CLEANING (100% FULLY DONATED)

TROPHY CARE LLC

West

817.988.2312

trophycare@rocketmail.com

M10

REACHING TOWARDS THE HEAVENS TURQUISE NECKLACE (100% FULLY DONATED) PURSUE THE WILD

ktituspursuethewild.com

pursue-the-wild.myshopify.com

M11

HIDDEN LAKES NECKLACE & JUST STEP AWAY EARRINGS (100% FULLY DONATED)

PURSUE THE WILD

ktituspursuethewild.com

pursue-the-wild.myshopify.com

M12

CROSSING PATHS PEAR NECKLACE & EARRINGS (100% FULLY DONATED) PURSUE THE WILD E: ktituspursuethewild.com

pursue-the-wild.myshopify.com

M13

CALIFORNIA WILD SHEEP FOUNDATIONLIFETIME MEMBERSHIP WITH COMMEMORATIVE BELT BUCKLE (100% FULLY DONATED)

WSF Beverly Valdez

650-409-6005

cawsf@casws.org

www.cawsf.org

N1

PRIVATE ROCKY

MOUNTAIN SHEEP FLIP

FLOP BACK YARD BBQ FOR 25 PEOPLE (CONTINENTIAL USA)

(100% FULLY DONATED)

THE FLIP FLOP GUY

Andy Moeckel

P: 415.578.8235

E: andrewjamesmoeckel@gmail.com

W: www.theflipflopguy.com

N2

RICK YOUNG OUTDOORS LLC - SHOOTING STICKS

(100% FULLY DONATED)

RICK YOUNG OUTDOORS LLC

Rick Young

P: 503.702.5960

E: rick@rickyoungoutdoors.com

W: www.rickyoungoutdoors.com

N3

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP TO DALLAS SAFARI CLUB ACCOMPANIED WITH DSC MERCHANDISE

(100% FULLY DONATED)

DALLAS SAFARI CLUB

Nate Watson

P: 972.980.9800

E: nate@biggame.org

W: www.biggame.org

N4

OBSKURA TRANSITIONAL

PACKAGE (Dalibor Jacket, Dallol LS, Cronos hoodie, Koldo Jacket, Koldo Pant, Dalibor Vest, Dalibor 3 Pant, Cirius Jacket, Krypton glove, Kiska Beanie, Spartan Logo Hat)

(100% FULLY DONATED)

KRYPTEK OUTDOOR GROUP

P: 208.938.2266

E: madie@kryptek.com

W: kryptek.com

N5

4 - DAY FREE RANGE

CUSTOMIZED HUNTIBERIAN MOUFLON OR AOUDAD SHEEP FOR 1 HUNTER & 1 NON-HUNTER

(Trophy fee for Iberian mouflon sheep or Aoudad is included)

EUROHUNTS SPAIN

& ALVARO VILLEGAS

Alvaro Villegas

P: +34.670.90.86.55

E: info@eurohunts.es

W: www.eurohunts.es

N9

N6

6 - DAY GREENLAND

CARIBOU HUNT AND ATLANTIC SALMON

FISHING TRIP FOR 1 HUNTER

POINT BLANK HUNTS

Joseph Jakab

P: 724.557.4274

E: pointblank.jj@gmail.com

W: www.joejakobpointblankhunts.com

N7

ALTITUDE PACKAGE (Sentinel

Pant, Sonora Pant, Sonora Hoodie, Dallol SS, Valhalla Pant, Arma Hoodie, Tora Jacket, Ghar Jacket, Arma Neck Gaiter, Takur Gaiter, Arma Beanie, Krypton Gloves)

(100% FULLY DONATED)

KRYPTEK OUTDOOR GROUP

P: 208.938.2266

E: madie@kryptek.com

W: kryptek.com

N8

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP TO WYOMING WSF

(100% FULLY DONATED)

WYOMING WSF

P: 307.213.0998

E: info@qhomingwildsheep.org

W: www.wyomingwildsheep.org

N9

KENETREK MOUNTAIN EXTREME 400 WOMENS BOOTS

(100% FULLY DONATED)

KENETREK

Jim & Christine Winjum

P: 406.556.5780

N8

E: jim.w@kenetrek.com

W: www.kenetrek.com

N10

KENETREK MOUNTAIN

EXTREME NI MEN'S BOOT

(100% FULLY DONATED)

KENETREK

Jim & Christine Winjum

P: 406.556.5780

E: jim.w@kenetrek.com

W: www.kenetrek.com

N11

KENETREK BRIDGER

LOW HIKER

(100% FULLY DONATED)

KENETREK

Jim & Christine Winjum

P: 406.556.5780

E: jim.w@kenetrek.com

W: www.kenetrek.com

O1

STONE GLACIER –

CHILKOOT 15° & SKY 5900

(100% FULLY DONATED)

STONE GLACIER

P: 406.404.0641

E: info@stoneglacier.com

W: www.stoneglacier.com

O2

ENGRAVED COLT FIRST GEN SAA - WITH GOLD INLAYS

FRIENDS OF WSF

P: 406.404.8750

E: info@wildsheepfoundation.org

W: www.wildsheepfoundation.org

O3

WSF & WSF ALASKA LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP

(100% FULLY DONATED)

AK WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION

Kevin Kehoe

P: 907.441.6323

Wild Sheep Foundation

Maddie Richards

P: 406.404.8755

O4

BC LYNX PELT

(100% FULLY DONATED)

BC TRAPPERS ASSOCIATION

Glen Cartwright

P: 604.351.1338

E: glenshaw@shaw.ca

O5

TRAPLINE TOUR IN BRITISH COLUMBIA (2-DAY FOR 2-PEOPLE OR 4-DAYS FOR 1 PERSON)

(100% FULLY DONATED)

Glen Cartwright

P: 604.351.1338

E: glenshaw@shaw.ca

O6

BEST OF THE WEST CLASSIC SHOOTING SYSTEM

(100% FULLY DONATED)

BEST OF THE WEST

Brian Harrington

P: 319.558.7253

E: brian@botwholdings.com

W: www.thebestofthewest.net

O7

6 VINTAGE HUNTING PUBLICATIONS FROM 19371957 SPORTS & STREAM, OUTDOOR

LIFE & TRUE MAGAZINE

(100% FULLY DONATED)

SUMMIT LIFE MEMBERS

DALE & DONNA GAUGLER

P: 610.909.6000

O6

BIG BOY STEEL

ACTION RIFLE

BARBARY SHEEP

FOR

- DAY SITKA BLACKTAIL

FOR

ON KODIAK

-

DEER

WHEEL

CHANDELIER

GLACIER

PERMITS

BRITISH COLUMBIA MOUNTAIN SHEEP

SPECIAL HUNTING PERMIT

MINISTRY OF FORESTS, LANDS, NATURAL RESOURCE OPERATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT WILDLIFE & HABITAT BRANCH AND THE HABITAT CONSERVATION TRUST FOUNDATION

Kelly Smith

P: 778.698.9227

TWO NAVAJO NATION TAGS FOR 2023!!

NAVAJO NATION

DESERT BIGHORN

NAVAJO NATION DEPARTMENT OF FISH & WILDLIFE

Jeff Cole

P: 928.871.6595

E: jcole@nndfw.org

STATE OF WASHINGTON

CALIFORNIA BIGHORN SHEEP

STATE OF WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

Kyle Garrison

Ungulate Section Manager

Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife

P: 360.584.3315

E: kyle.garrison@dfw.wa.gov

WYOMING GOVERNOR’S SHIRAS MOOSE LICENSE

WYOMING GAME & FISH DEPARTMENT

Tim Thomas (WGFD)

P: 307.752.0659

E: tim.thomas@wyo.gov

Kurt Eisenach (WY-WSF)

P: 307.751.6251

E: keyes555@msn.com

NEW MEXICO DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP

NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF GAME & FISH - WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT DIVISION

Eric Rominger • P: 505.476.8045

C: 505.690.3207

Caitlin Ruhl • P: 505.476.8063

C: 505.414.5029

WYOMING ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIGHORN SHEEP LICENSE

WYOMING GAME & FISH DEPARTMENT

Doug McWhirter - WGFD

307.733.2321

doug.mcwhirter@wyo.gov

Daryl Lutz - WGFD • P: 307.332.2688

daryl.lutz@wyo.gov

Kurt Eisenach - WY-WSF • P: 307.751.6251

keyes555@msn.com

TAOS PUEBLO ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIGHORN SHEEP PERMIT - GORGE HUNT

TAOS PUEBLO DIVISION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Michael A. Martinez - Hunt Manager

575.779.4105

hunting@taospueblo.com

TAOS PUEBLO ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIGHORN SHEEP PERMIT - MOUNTAIN HUNT TAOS PUEBLO DIVISION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Michael A. Martinez, Hunt Manager

575.779.4105

hunting@taospueblo.com

ARIZONA GAME & FISH COMMISSIONER’S SPECIAL PRONGHORN TAG

ARIZONA GAME & FISH DEPARTMENT

Amber Munig

623. 236.7355

www.azgfd.gov

Arizona Antelope Foundation

info@azantelope.org

ARIZONA DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP

ARIZONA GAME & FISH DEPARTMENT

Amber Munig - Terrestrial Wildlife Branch

623.236.7355

COLORADO ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT LICENSE

ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT ALLIANCE

Carla Rhyant

E: info@goatalliance.org

ALBERTA MINISTER’S SPECIAL LICENCE, ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIGHORN SHEEP

ALBERTA PROFESSIONAL OUTFITTERS

Jeana Schuurman

P: 780.404.0588

E: jeana@apos.ab.ca

W: www.apos.ab.ca.com

OREGON BIGHORN SHEEP TAG

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH & WILDLIFE Don Whittaker

P: 503.947.6325

E: don.whittaker@state.or.us

NEW MEXICO ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIGHORN SHEEP PERMIT

NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF GAME & FISH WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT DIVISION

Eric Rominger • P: 505.476.8045

C: 505.690.3207

Caitlin Ruhl • P: 505.476.8063

C: 505.414.5029

STATE OF NEVADA PRONGHORN TAG

STATE OF NEVADA

DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE

P: 775.688.1512

STATE OF NEVADA

IDAHO

Minister’s Special Licence Auction

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WSF SHEEP SHOW® wildsheepfoundation.org

Alberta has a long reputation for maintaining the healthiest and most robust Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep populations in the world. Our genetics are second to none, which is why Alberta, in the name of conservation, has shared over 700 of its own sheep with 11 states and one province over the past few decades.

Holding the world record for 89 years, then breaking its own record again in 2000 and yet again in 2015, it still boasts nine of the top 25 bighorn sheep in the world (over

Still capable of producing 200-inch-plus rams, this highly coveted Alberta’s Minister’s Special Licence just got even better! With encouragement from the Alberta Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation and help from the Alberta Professional Outfitters Society (APOS), the rules surrounding this permit are NOW OPEN to YEAR-ROUND HUNTING!!!

This premier tag allows the buyer an unprecedented opportunity to hunt at the best possible times, extending their chances for a full 365 days of UNPARALLELED possibilities. Don’t miss your chance to bid on this world-class hunt with its new and improved conditions!

Funds derived from the sale of this licence will be used to support Alberta’s understanding of its wildlife resources, building up foundational management data through various wildlife inventory efforts.

more information:

any location where hunting is prohibited as outlined

licence does not authorize hunting

Wildlife Regulation

Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations.

SHEEP SHORTS

by Peter W. Spear

This was my 19th trip to Sonora. I’d hunted everything from javelina, Coues and desert mule deer, mountain lions and, of course, desert bighorn sheep. I haven’t seen it all, but I’ve got an eye-full of Mexican culture, climate, landforms and diet. I pretty much love it all, especially coming from the northern climes. In our long, cold and gray winters a little sun and vitamin-D works wonders for cabin-fever.

I said hello to Nayo Balderrama of Amigos Outfitters at the 2022 GSCO Convention in Las Vegas. He asked me if I was ready to go with him for a desert bighorn near the end of the current season. He offered a fair price and the deal was immediately struck. We weren’t strangers; I’d hunted with his crew three previous times – for Coues deer. I’d killed two deer with him that I’d entered into the Boone and Crockett Record Book.

I didn’t have to fuss around with guns or flights to Hermosillo. Nayo simply picked me up at the Phoenix Airport and we drove across. Let me add a small sidebar here: I haven’t had easier border crossings [both south and north] in fifty years. Maybe they knew him, maybe it was our trustworthy faces…who knows why it was painless. But swift and painless, it was.

The stage thus set, we pulled into his semi-permanent camp nestled into a cozy box canyon in the San Francisco Mountains, roughly 30

miles south of the border and 125 miles west of Nogales. It was hardly the Spartan affair of northern sheep. There were four other guides, a cook, flush toilets, plenty of chilled cervezas, a pleasant cook-shack and a bed with sheets…all just for me.

Not fifteen minutes into that first afternoon’s hunt we stopped to glass a low hill and turned up a pretty fine ram. A 160-inch ram is very good for the San Francisco’s, and though not broomed, this ram tested that metric. We watched him get up and forage toward us, closing the distance from 450 to something like 375 yards. It was all just too easy, and while Nayo was a little disappointed I didn’t end the hunt early, he understood my choice.

The other four guides were elsewhere figuratively tearing the brush apart with their eyes to locate two other old rams which had frequented one mountain but had not left a forwarding address. They’d gone missing two days previous. The missing two rams were the best of a band of four “shooters.” We met with some of the other guides and took a few walks up arroyos to see hidden canyons and generally check difficult to reach terrain.

The next day was much the same, staying out all day with a bag lunch and driving two-tracks and glassing the mountains for sheep. We didn’t turn up any contenders but others located some mature rams.

Next we relocated twenty miles

Photo: Duncan Gilcrest

south to mountains with a very distant view of the north end of the Sea of Cortez. There we located sheep coming to a water tank; a lot of sheep. I passed four other rams approaching that bellwether 160” mark. Though technically fair chase, it just wasn’t wild enough for me.

Nobody could put eyes on the truant old rams that had now been missing for six days. We put together a plan that involved a lot of water, backpacks and some shoe-leather. They still believed the two old rams were on or at least near a certain mountain. Our plan was to hike into the remote portions of the subject area from the back door. We started hiking up a long and broad valley at dawn to avoid the heat of the day, glassing both sides as we took our time. We located a number of ewes and lambs and a young ram who hadn’t detached from his maternal band yet. Eventually we found a nice ram who was the clone of the first day ram. The guides thought it was the same ram, as it was within four miles or so of the other sighting. To continue our original route [and not spook the ram] we snuck across the valley and tight to the base of the mountain where he was perched. At our perigee we were about 300 yards below him, but I was still determined to find an older class animal.

We climbed through a pass in the mountains and then started down a canyon of the far side. The sun was higher now and our water was

considerably taxed. It was tough side-hilling in that loose rock that covers those mountains. I’d brought an aluminum walking pole, but the wooden one’s they provided were preferable—and they got a proper workout for a half mile. Finally the grade softened somewhat and we were able to reach the arroyo’s sand bottom to more discreetly explore the side canyons with our optics.

Things were proceeding well as we sized up the new basins and ravines that opened to us. Then suddenly things started happening fast. I was third in line as we rounded an ironwood tree on the west side of the dry stream bed. As is often the case you don’t actually know what happened until you get to read the after-action-report. The guides bumped a ram, which quickly morphed to two rams, at close range [50-80 yards] in a small brush-covered basin. Gilberto, the English-speaking son of Nayo realized these were the two old rams we had been looking for. In his excitement he got tangled in his day-pack’s straps just enough to make the situation comical, as he danced around trying to shuck off the pack. The pack also contained the loaner 7 mm mag. I periodically could see one or another of the two rams crossing the 100 yard wide basin, but my focus was on getting my pack off and then stacking it on top of Gilberto’s and then acquiring a sight-picture. Time was, as they say in contract law, “of the essence.”

The packs were on the top of a three-foot-high vertical cut-bank and the spot I had to kneel on was

medium-sized, broken rock. There was no stone-adjustment time. I just had to ignore the discomfort. Several yards in front of me was a greasewood bush whose top was just barely in my line of sight between the barrel and the now-stopped visible ram. This not being my first rodeo,

out of two guides go ballistic over an animal and with the hourglass rapidly emptying, you shouldn’t get two tied up with uncertainty. I now had a good sight picture of a broadside ram and a vague sense of a second ram in brush just below and left. I did notice that he was thick and broomed on both sides. I did have enough sense to inquire if the best ram was the higher one. Gilberto’s answer instantly came back in the affirmative. He was six feet from the top of a small hill that would complete his escape. Who knows if we could have located him again from what ever fox hole he might hide in this time.

I did have the presence of mind to puff up the compressed packs and to shift horizontally to find a gap in the brush—which I did. It takes more time to describe it than physically do it, but we avoided the pitfalls.

The observant reader may have wondered about my trophy evaluation strategy. That is an excellent point and one that has seldom eluded me, especially as I approach my dotage and as wall space becomes more of a premium in my trophy room. I learned a long time ago to trust your guide. When two

The magnum roared and that magnificent 10+ year-old ram dropped in his tracks. He didn’t roll far and wasn’t dinged up. He never suffered a bit, for which I am very grateful. We never put a tape on him, it didn’t feel right. Did I mention that young Jack O’Connor was from Nogales, Arizona and that he and Eleanor often hunted in these very San Francisco Mountains for desert bighorn sheep? It is wonderful to walk in the foot-steps of a giant who cut his sheep hunting teeth here. We are the fortunate heirs of a mountain hunting legacy started and nourished by men like him. These mountains still are remote and foreboding and I am sure there are many secrets in their canyons and washes. I wish I could say I found a weathered .270 Win. case at my ram’s feet.

See you on the mountain, boys. WS

ADVENTURE PROFILES

Jed Brown

SPECIES: Bighorn Ram

OUTFITTER: Brendan Burns

GUIDE: Brendan Burns LOCATION: Montana FNAWS Ram!

WSF congratulates you on finishing this hunting accomplishment!

O.E. Burke

SPECIES: Stone’s Sheep

OUTFITTER: Stone Mountain Safaris

GUIDE: Clayton Steffey

LOCATION: BC

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.

E.J. Varos

SPECIES: Stone’s sheep

OUTFITTER: Trophy Stone Outfitters

GUIDE: Devon Adair

LOCATION: Yukon, Canada

I was able to take this beautifully colored-up thinhorn ram in the Yukon with Dean Sandulak’s Trophy Stone Outfitters! After our horses ran away, the weather finally broke enough to allow us to backpack up and into some great looking sheep country. After my guide Devon Adair spotted and then gave me the green light on this ram, I was able to finish my FNAWS at 214 yards—once again with my 28 nosler!

Ammon Ammon

SPECIES: Rhonda Ibex

OUTFITTER: Iberhunting, Antonio Teruel

GUIDES: Antonio Teruel, Paci Navero

LOCATION: Costa del Sol, Spain

After my hunt in 2020 where I hunted the new world-record Bezoar ibex, the highlight from the hunt in 2022 was that we could harvest again an incredible huge Bezoar ibex. It was only possible with top guiding from the Ekenler brothers.

Ammon Ammon

SPECIES: Tian Shan Argali

OUTFITTER: Westfalia

GUIDE: Josef Toma

LOCATION: Kyrgyzstan

Each day I had many highlights during this hunt, but for sure the biggest highlight was the score from the argali I got with a clear shot at nearly 500 yards. The green measurement was promising, but the final measurement after 60 days confirmed the new-world record for Tian Shan argali.

Robert Shaw

SPECIES: Desert Sheep

OUTFITTER: Timber King Outfitting

GUIDE: Brian Lopar

LOCATION: Mexico

Beautiful country, great people and good fun.

Chis Aycock

SPECIES: Dall’s Ram

OUTFITTER: Mervyn’s Yukon Outfitting

GUIDE: Brodie Mohorich/Amanda Mohorich

LOCATION: Yukon

We flew into a lake in a Cessna 206 on floats, then rode horses to a fantastic camp setting just beside a beautiful clearwater

creek. We located plenty of sheep and one very large bull caribou on day one despite the nasty weather.

Day two came with beautiful weather and many sightings of sheep. We watched a band of lambs and ewes feed by us hiding in the rocks, followed by a band of rams. My ram was in this group! We let them feed by as we studied them, then our guide led us around the hill to a basin where they had bedded down. After studying the others and my ram for quite some time, Brodie gave me the green light on his age. At 317 yards the ten-year-old broomed ram went down. The food, the accommodations and the scenery were spectacular! Most importantly, the guide and wrangler/husband and wife team made this hunt very special! I’ve rarely seen a couple work so hard and smoothly together like a well-oiled machine. This was a top-shelf hunt for sure. My son and I had the best adventure. We look forward to going back in the future.

Wesley Randall

SPECIES: Dall’s Sheep

OUTFITTER Alaska Guide Service

GUIDE: Ron Warren

LOCATION: Alaska

Snow hit the lower part of the valley the day before opening, which hasn’t happened in over 35 years. Trekking up the glacier into the higher altitude over snow was different than the last time, with unsure footing for three days before the snow melted away. On the sixth day we went around the corner after it quit pouring rain all day a few hours before dark, and happened to see the rams up high. Younger rams were on the moraine coming straight for us. Everything lined up perfectly and I executed the shot before getting busted by the younger rams.

Photo:

Chris Aycock

Dall’s sheep

We flew into camp on a Cessna 206 with an infamous (red with yellow and blue stripes) paint job that I’ve been dreaming of for the last few years. After landing we met our guide Brodie Mohorich and wrangler Amanda Mohorich, an outstanding husband and wife team that can do it all. It’s clear these two live for this and their eagerness to see you succeed is surpassed by no others I have experienced in the hunting industry.

Day one we woke to a nasty, rainy morning but we saddled up the horses and rode a short way to a glassing spot with no luck. That afternoon the weather broke so we rode up behind camp and spotted a couple rams right off the bat. Before we knew it, we were looking at sheep in three different directions.

OFFICIALLY KICKED OUT!

Day two we woke to a beautiful day and we set off up the mountain in the direction we had seen sheep crest over a hill the day before. The horses took us far up the mountain and then we set off on foot. After a couple hours we reached the top. Exhausted I sat down and actually nodded off. I woke to Cameron my son and Amanda whispering “ here comes some sheep!” I looked up to see a band of lambs and ewe’s coming over the skyline followed by a band of rams that had a couple really nice looking ones in it. They fed right towards us as I got set on the gun, but I was totally deflated when they passed us by without standing still long enough to get a definitive age or even a clear shot at any of them. We laid still and let them feed out of sight over the ridge and into a basin.

Brodie led us over the hill and we located them again. We watched them bed down and began our stalk. My ram was bedded above the group and we waited for him to get up and give a good broadside shot At 317 yards I touched off the first shot. The second shot was a rushed miss, but the third shot rolled him into a depression in the rocks and out of sight. That’s when I looked up at

Brodie smiling and assuring me he was down. I had just taken a ten-yearold broomed ram and was happy to have been kicked out of the <1 club.

Good job Chris! You are kicked out!

Janet Holcomb

Dall’s sheep/Yukon

Janet Holcomb is wife of the Indiana Governor, and she’s a sheep hunter.

When asked about her recent hunt, she said, “What’s better than a successful harvest after days of tough conditions? Sharing the mountain with my friend, and 50-year sheep hunting veteran Jim Craig.”

The First Lady also extends special thanks to Clayton Mervyn, and the Mervyn Yukon Outfitters team for an amazing hunt.

Great job Janet! You are kicked out!

The following <1 Club® members have LOST their <1 Club® membership status by taking their first wild sheep rams! Congratulations!

David Voth

Dall’s sheep/NWT

Life Member David Voth harvested his first wild sheep in the Northwest Territories with Stan Stevens-Mackenzie Mountain Outfitters. David and his guide Elijah Anderson found the ram on day three of the hunt and were able to get into shooting position on day five. After a 260 yard shot, David was able to finally put his hands on his first ram. He is very happy to be officially kicked out!

And kicked out you are David!

Meredith Lunceford Dall’s sheep

I have been on multiple sheep hunts with my husband, Leverett and this is the first hunt where I was the hunter. We hunted hard for six days and had multiple 18-hour days and rain mixed in as well. We spotted some rams about six miles away from our tents the evening of day five and started the journey toward them on day six. We finally got close enough in the afternoon and new that we had a great ram in the group. I set up and made a 150-yard shot on the ten-year-old

ram, and then to top it off, Leverett shot an eleven year old ram out of the same group. This was my first big game animal and I was just beginning to realize that I had harvested a spectacular Dall’s sheep. We had a seven-hour pack out in the rain to the tents and got back around 3:30 in the morning. It is great to be kicked out.

We are just as happy you are kicked out Meredith!

Rusty Sandry

Dall’s sheep/Yukon

My trip had been postponed since 2020, due to COVID-19. Once we arrived at base camp, reality hit that we were finally going Dall’s sheep hunting. Each of us having a guide, we parted ways from the same air strip on a 21-day adventure. Hard work

and determination hunting until the opportunity presented itself on day 10 for Rusty and day 14 for Shae to harvest our rams. The Mackenzie Mountains will forever be imbedded in our memories from the quality time spent on our adventure and forever dreaming of a way to get back there. It was such an epic, unbelievable trip and opportunity-of-a-lifetime. We will cherish the memories forever and the people we have met along our journey. We want to extend our thanks to everybody at ARRO on making these dreams come true!

Congratulations on being kicked out Rusty!

Mike Kasprzak

Dall’s sheep/Yukon

The quest for my first FNAWS began at Sheep ShowTM 2020, when I shook hands with Adrienne and Jim Fink of Blackstone Outfitters, culminating on August 20, 2021, the eighth day of my adventure, when Logan Fink positioned us for a kill shot on a beautiful ram in the spectacular Yukon backcountry.

My deepest appreciation to Logan and wrangler T-Jay Stamp for their brotherhood and persistence, and to the entire Blackstone crew for their hospitality and professionalism, while turning my 50-year dream into reality! Special thanks to Tim Smith Gunsmithing, Warren, PA for his craftsmanship, and to Bobby Hart for his long range coaching!

Mike, you are officially kicked out!

LAST SHEEP CAMP

Bill Balsi, Jr.

It is with deepest sorrow we announce the death of William Raymond Balsi, Jr. Billy, as he was known to many, was born in Reno, Nevada on March 17, 1964 and entered into eternal rest on August 26, 2022. A 5th generation Nevadan, Billy attended Bishop Manogue High School where he excelled at football, basketball, track and was student body president. He graduated from the University of Nevada Reno with a business degree and began a lifelong career at Valley Concrete, Inc. where he had worked beside his father from a young age. Billy was an avid outdoorsman and was well known for his hunting and fishing skills. Any free time he had you could invariably find him casting a lure at Pyramid, tracking a mule deer through the Sierra’s, or successfully pursuing a myriad of big game animals throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, and beyond. He was truly at home in the outdoors—he was a simple man with a quiet nature and a good heart. He was a patient teacher to the novice outdoorsmen, a passionate confidant to the well-traveled hunters and fisherman he knew, and an exemplary sportsman in all aspects of the fish and game world. He was a devoted and loving partner to his wife Paula, a beloved father to his children Trevor and Brooke, a loving son to his parents Bill and Grace Balsi, and a wonderful big brother to his sister Annette Childs. He is survived by two brothers-in-law, a sister-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and too many good friends to count. We ask that when you think of Billy you

remember him telling you about his latest catch or his newest trophy—stories that when he told them—truly lit up his soul and made his blue eyes dance with pure joy. He lived a full, wonderful life and he will forever be missed by those who loved him. Services were held at Saint Rose of Lima Church on Friday September 2, 2022 at 11:00. In lieu of flowers we ask that donations be made to: Neuroimmune Foundation P.O. Box 25 Colgate, WI 53017 EIN: 82-3128162 https://neuroimmune.org/donate/

Please include a note requesting your donation be used for the Bill Balsi, Jr. Scholarship Fund. Your donations will be used to educate medical and support professionals in Northern Nevada on how to recognize and treat post infection encephalopathies. In 1972 at the age of eight, Billy suffered an inflammatory brain disorder following a bout of chicken pox. He spent two weeks in a coma and nearly lost his life at that time. He never again experienced the symptoms of this disorder—until late June of this year. After physically recovering from COVID, the telltale signs of brain inflammation began to arise. The symptoms escalated quickly and were the contributing factor to his death. Our greatest hope is that with education and resources available to providers and families in Northern Nevada, no one else will experience this same fate. When you think of Bill, trust he has made it to the top of the ridge where the sun rises on each new day, and sets across the valley at day’s end. He is at one with nature now, he is at peace. WS

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help minimize your company’s merchant services fees while

your support of WSF, as RPS donates a percentage of

processing fees to the WSF Conservation Revolving Fund.

RPS in supporting the WSF WE GIVE Program, and support our shared passion for

and Keeping Wild Sheep on the Mountain

Joseph Robert Federl

Joseph Robert Federl was born on June 17, 1943 to the late Joseph and Agnes (nee Schachtl) Federl. Joe was Born to Eternal Life on, June 12, 2022, age 78 years. Survived by his loving wife Jean (nee Schaller) Federl. Dear father of Heidi (Michael) McNabb, John (Erin) Federl, and the late Joseph Federl. Papa to Gracie and Michael McNabb; Ellie and Lainey Federl. Sister to Marianne Boehme. Also survived by other relatives and friends.

Joe was a Lifetime Member of WSF

John V. Boretsky

John V. Boretsky passed away on July 2, 2022 at home after a long illness. He is survived by wife, Susan Boretsky; his son, Peter Boretsky; brother in law, Travis Scott, and his brother Stephen Boretsky of Florida. He was proceeded in passing by his daughter, Sarah Jill Boretsky Wallace of Lubbock, Texas in 2020.

He worked for many years with Safari Club International, and as a conservationist supporting key issues in

Ralph Eustace Adams

In loving memory of Ralph Eustace Adams, age 77, who died at home in Cottonwood on June 2, 2022, after a lengthy illness.

Ralph was born in Red Bluff, California on June 24, 1944, to parents Eustace and Pauline Adams. He grew up the middle child of eleven on a ranch out Hooker Creek Road. He graduated from Red Bluff High School, served in the United States Army in Vietnam, and upon discharge, settled in the Los Angeles area. While living in LA, he worked for Howard Hughes repairing helicopters, married his first wife Barbara, and Lisa was born. In 1971, Ralph moved his family back to Cottonwood and began working in the construction field. He eventually established Ralph Adams Construction, and together with his second wife Piney, built a very successful business. Ralph dated Wyvonne in the seventies, and when they connected again, they quickly made it official. Together, they’ve spent the past ten years traveling, “practicing” retirement,

and attended many of the annual conventions. He loved hunting the magnificent wild sheep, finishing his first FNAWS in 1996 and also taking the Fannin and CA bighorn. He would say the best smell in the world is a sheep camp, he loved the horses, guides, outfitters and the mountains. He made lifelong friends from camp who stayed in touch forever. His hunting stories were endless and he was a true cowboy at heart; his heart and soul are in the mountains. See you on the summit Joe! WS

his home state of New Mexico.

We remember him not only as a veteran who served in the United States Army in the Vietnam War, but also as an advertising executive, business owner, outdoorsman and hunting rights advocate. Foremost we will remember him as a loyal friend, devoted husband and caring father.

He will be missed. WS

and making memories. He continued building into his seventies, and many Cottonwood residents have lived in an apartment, duplex, or house built by Ralph.

Ralph was an avid and competitive hunter most of his life, traveling all over the world in search of the next prize trophy. His adventures lead him into Canada where he started a guide business for sheep hunts, on an African safari, and anywhere else the tags took him. He holds several FNAWS awards, as well as records for deer and elk. His home was host to many parties, which inevitably included a tour of his museum-quality trophy room. Ralph recently donated the contents of his trophy room to a children’s learning museum being built in Richmond, California.

Ralph made friends everywhere he went, and love him or not, no one was a stranger. His family and friends will always remember him as a charismatic, big-hearted, small-town guy, sometimes jokingly referred to as “Mr. Cottonwood” at the local coffee shop. WS

WHAT MAKES A LEGENDARY SHEEP RIFLE? ACCURACY, FEEL, AND CONFIDENCE.

WSF will be giving away a new Weatherby Thinhorn Edition Rifle Package ($5,599 Value.) The Thinhorn Edition is built on the exceptional Backcountry 2.0 Ti Carbon - the most accurate Mark V Weatherby ever! The Package includes a Leupold VX-5HD scope with Windplex Reticle in Talley rings, packaged in a Boyt hard case. The rifle features the WSF logo on the floor plate and “Thinhorn Edition” and Chadwick Ram skull on the action. The Peak 44 carbon stock is custom painted in Cerakote, as is the scope and muzzle break.

Winner’s choice of in 6.5 RPM, 6.5 x 300 Wby. Mag. and .280 A.I. calibers and weighs only 7.4 lbs with scope and rings.

Any new, renewing or upgraded memberships from: July 1, 2022 - October 31, 2022 will be included in the drawing

Membership Options Entries

ANNUAL MEMBER - 1 entry

YEAR MEMBERSHIP - 2 entries - 1 entry

•

MEMBER- 1 entry

• LIFE MEMBER- 10 entries

•

LIFE MEMBER- 15 entries

Drawing to be held at Wild Sheep Foundation World Headquarters November 15, 2022 Winner must hold the required firearms licence to accept possession of the rifle or they can transfer the prize to another active WSF member in good standing

Advertiser’s Index

1MF4 B.Fiedeldey 119

2% For Conservation 47

7D Ranch 183

Alberta Professional Outfitters Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Amigos Guides & Outfitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Bear Trust International 164

Best of the West/Huskemaw 41

Big Game Big Country 183

Bonnet Plume Outfitters / McKinnon & Company Outfitters 183

Boswell’s Custom Rifles 103

Boyt Harness Company 87 Browning 5

Canmore Archery Bighorns 181 Cervantes 57

Chadwick Ram Society 18, 19 Conklin Foundation 83

Dallas Safari Club (DSC) 99

Dewey Wildlife Studios 91

Epic Outdoors 186, 187

Federal 27

Frank Simpson Outfitting, LTD 180

Full Curl Mineral Spirits 95

Gana River Outfitters, LTD 182

Global Rescue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

GOABC. org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Gokey 85

Go with Bo & Guide Service 165

Guinn Outfitters 181

Gundahoo River Outfitters 181

Gunwerks 71

Hilleberg Tents 191

Hornady Inside Back Cover

Hunt Planner 89

Jack Atcheson & Sons, Inc 23

Kenetrek Boots 117 Kimber 49 Kuiu 8, 9

Legacy Society 119

Leica 43

Leupold 192

Lost Creek Outfitters 184

Marco Polo Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Mackenzie Mtn. Outfitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Mervyn’s Yukon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

Mexico Hunts 165

Monarch Taxidermy 175

Mule Shoe Outfitters, LLC 184

Mystery Ranch 14, 15

Peppermill 121

Raven’s Throat 182

Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance 110

Rowdy McBride Hunting Service 183

RPS Bancard, LLC 177

Ruby Range Outfitters 183

Scoop Lake Outfitters, LTD 182

Sherwood Outfitters 180

Shikar Safaris 75

Shoshone Lodge Outfitters 184

Sig Sauer 7, 13

Sitka Gear Inside Front Cover South Nahanni Outfitters, LTD 182 St. James Sporting Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Stone Glacier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Stone & Folding Mountain Outfitters 181

Sportsman’s Legacy 66

Swarovski 39

Texas Bighorn Society 111

The Hunting Consortium 81

Vortex Optics 73

Weatherby 1

Wild Hunting in Asia 79

Wildlife Gallery 67

Willow Creek Outfitters 181

WSF Alaska 107, 108, 111

WSF California 104

WSF Idaho 105

WSF Midwest Chapter 109

WSF MSU Student Chapter 110

WSF Sheep Shop 112, 113

WSF Wyoming 106

Wyoming Backcountry Decor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Zimmerman Wildlife Studios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cover

ON THE ADVENTURE TRAIL

by Ken Nowicki

COULD HAVE, SHOULD HAVE, WOULD HAVE Loves Labour’s Lost

— Play by Will Shakespeare

“Youse can froth all you want, Boy,” Lead-On Highfee said. “You won’t get anywhere trying to fight City Hall.” Old Lead-On and Packtrain were balanced on the high chairs in Ruby’s Café. I was spinning around mine trying to get attention like a four year old.

“Guys, I need your help,” I implored. “We have to get this changed.” I have been just sick about the new hunting regulation I dubbed the Never More a Bighorn For Me (NMBFM).

“It’s the end of bighorn sheep hunting in BC,” I cried. “They said it was coming but I didn’t believe it would ever happen.”

See, British Columbia and Alberta were the last two jurisdictions in North America where a resident could sidle into the hardware store and plop down the price of a few jugs of beer and leave with a bighorn sheep tag in the purse or the pocket. Just like that! You were an instant sheep hunter with a license. You could begin dreaming and scheming and tromping around the mountains. You could join the East Kootenay Wild Sheep Hunters and Rum Runners (EKWSHRR) and meet on Saturday night for some drinks and free-for-all, all in good fun. And, you could hunt sheep.

I did it, and most everybody living in the mountains did. We stuck a sheep tag in the pocket with all the rest including elk, moose, and deer.

But actually hunting for one usually consisted of some sporadic glassing up the slides above the elk country. Once in a blue moon some crackpot sees a sheep this way and becomes a big hero. For most of us getting a ram to enter into the EKWSHRR competitions and annual banquet awards night is a long shot.

Sheep hunting is tough. It is the ultimate challenge and the result is failure more often than not. All sheep hunters know how hard it can be to find rams to hunt. It takes time and effort and knowledge and experience. That is why I have always felt it money well spent to curry favor from Lead-On Highfee and Packtrain MacNammee.

sprouted on-line, late and delayed and very controversial. Some public consultation had been slipped in up front but nobody knew what was happening and there has never been disclosure on the findings. The upshot of it all was that bighorn sheep hunting is now going to be conducted by limited entry. And the BC limited entry draw is totally random with no preference points or priority points. Each year you are back in the pool with thousands of other suckers.

The number of tags to be issued for each zone was set out in the draw regulations for 2022. In the Steeples Range across from my house there are two tags. I calculate the odds of drawing about one-in-two-hundred at best. I don’t have two hundred more years to live, and statistically speaking, I will never get another opportunity to buy a bighorn tag anywhere in BC, period. (NMBFM)

These two old-time outfitters owned areas in four different provinces and territories and guided and outfitted from the north tip of sheep range all the way to Mexico. They know where to find rams and how to hunt them. It has become a weekly ritual for me to head down to Ruby’s Café and ply them with hot coffee and pie and try and milk them for tips on finding sheep.

But disaster struck this spring when the 2022 BC regulations

More troubling than that, there were no reasons offered that made any sense, and the quotas provided were miniscule in almost every zone. The ratio with resident to non-resident allocation WAS skewed to the favor of outfitters and not even available for public review. (This sounds like a controversy that has been visited for many species in the American West) The quotas for non-resident Canadians, our friends from Quebec who let us come fish and hunt ducks and squirrels—none for them. So much for reciprocity. (But I don’t really care for those Easterners anyway)

“The quotas aren’t fair,” I warbled. “Outfitters get more than their fair share.”

“And so they should, Boy,” Packtrain showed me his teeth. “Outfitters bring cash into the country and pay tax and support the

economy. Them resident hunters don’t contribute to the tax base.” (This from a guy who has a bundle of cash under his mattress.)

“Well, the Boy may have a point,” spoke Lead-On Highfee sagely. “If the resident hunters get limited, they’ll be eyeing the outfitter quotas. I seen that before.”

“Well the math is pretty simple,” I said. “Outfitter success is at best 50 percent in any neck of the woods. You guys admitted to that.”

“But residents get to buy thousands of licenses,” injected Packtrain. “Them residents wuz running wild all over the mountains. A resident license is cheap.”

“Seriously,” I gritted my teeth. “Resident success is not the issue here and it’s more like 2 percent.”

“Is that a fact? How do you know?” Packtrain stuck his muzzle into my space.

“I just do,” I gasped and gave him room. His breath is very nasty even after a swig of Ruby’s best mud. I knew I had only taken one ram in the last 15 years. That’s not very successful.

And the outfitters aren’t so successful either, I’ve written about that. But for the government not to publish the true facts on all the issues relating to sheep management is plain wrong. More especially with a major change like this.

“It’s functus, Boy,” Lead-On said. “They done it and it won’t ever change back? (I was too distracted to ask him where he came up with that.)

I was thinking. Could hunter numbers really be a problem? Even if the harvest success is low? Could the pressure from so many boots on the ground be a factor in the overall health of the sheep population? I love our sheep and don’t want them to suffer or decline. But aren’t we using the very best management tools?

It’s hard to fathom the differences between game management for sheep in all the jurisdictions in North America. Some states have once-ina-lifetime tags. Some have priority point draws and variations on that. It is bewildering. There are umpteen definitions of legal rams. The full curl has more than one legal description as in Alberta and BC, and there are 4/5 curls and ¾ curls and so on and so forth. I count four definitions in BC and two in Alberta. All are different.

“I feel for you, Boy,” said Lead-On. “Nothing keeps a man young like hunting for rams. If you can’t buy a sheep tag every fall you most likely get fat and lazy.” He fixed me with his beady eyes and said, “Hey, you haven’t had a sheep tag for some time have you?”

“Yes, I have. I’ve bought one every year for 50 years, save a couple I had to sit out.” (Alberta requires a one year wait from the year a ram is harvested.) “I shot some sheep, but I got picky too.” Most sheep hunters go from wanting any ram, to wanting a big ram, to wanting a book ram, to wanting a character ram, and then when the sands of time start slipping through the teeth and it gets necessary to pee three times a night, they return to wanting any ram. “I’m now at the “any ram” stage again.” (Well, not quite – I only need to get up twice.)

The main consideration with sheep seasons and quotas is to keep the harvest focused on mature rams by using some form of curl or age regulation that leaves plenty of breeding rams available. Ewe harvest is completely out of this consideration and acceptable to keep a population controlled, and virtually all ewe seasons everywhere are conducted using Draws or Limited Entry. That’s OK.

But rams regulate themselves. It wouldn’t matter if there were 100 hunters or two chasing them around the mountains. If there are only two legal rams out there in the zone, there should not be any difference in the harvest at the end of the season. The fact is that with lots of hunting pressure, rams get very smart and the 100 hunters will likely have a harder time getting two rams than the situation with only two hunters having the opportunity to hunt. The truth is those two rams will likely get shot munching grass down on the Bull River Road in mid-September, if the two lucky schmucks who draw are even bothering to hunt. A sad truth on these sheep draws is thousands apply, but few put in any effort. Some have said that they are phony ballets put in by schills trying to frustrate the outcome of the election, errh, lottery.

“Rams do habituate,” said Packtrain. “The famous Radioactive Radium Herd is known to parade down the highway like a trucker’s convoy and shoulder cars with those big horns. They got so tame they have forgotten the fear of man.”

“Yes, and then the public gets the Bambi complex and raises the roof when the sheep get shot. It’s the death knell for sport hunting.” Lead-On shook his head. “I seen it happen with the bears and the coyotes and the cats.”

“Them was the thin edge of the wedge,” said Packtrain. “First they stop predator hunting, then they shut down the prey. Politics trumps the truth.”

“None of it is science-based Boy. These decisions are made by people in government that probably don’t even hunt.”

I wanted to check the science so I googled the East Kootenay Bighorn Sheep studies from 2019 and it

Mackenzie

showed sheep populations higher than ever. Records back to 1975 confirm the numbers of sheep are going up, even after some die-offs from the pneumonia complex and especially hard winters. There should be no reason that BC is cutting bighorn hunting so drastically. (I tried to barge into the local government offices where the rumor is there are actual biologists working the trade, but the doors are locked and you need to figure out how to get past the security (kind of like crossing borders with the Arrive App).

If I still lived in Alberta as I once did, I would be worried about a province-wide limited entry draw coming soon. After all, some select areas are already on the draw, and those remaining open areas are no different than the sheep country in BC. The sheep cross the border back and forth all the time. It is reported that many of the Flathead country sheep spend half the year in Alberta. Both areas are full curl zones, but the definitions are significantly different, and hunters in Alberta in 2022 can chase sheep with a license bought over the counter. And the Albertans enjoy a longer season. Let’s hope the biologists in Alberta don’t go on a junket to Whitehorse to join the summits paid for by the Wild Sheep Foundation, and let’s hope they don’t actually go to the seminars, or the terrible ideas will spread like the Monkey Pox. (How it spreads is controversial and still under investigation, but who better than biologists to figure it out?)

“You better move back to Alberta, Boy,” snarked Packtrain. “That’d be funny, cause I thought you moved to BC for the hunting.”

“It’s not a laughing matter,” I sniped. “I did come to BC for the hunting, primarily for Stone’s sheep over-thecounter tags, but I fear they will be next.”

“Probably they will,” Lead-On said. “I ain’t optimistic about much these days. Seems virus pills and diminishing returns is the only news we get. At least that’s what Dr Morley says.” Both Packtrain and I moved a seat over to

give him some space.

“What chaps me,” I said, “Is I could have taken more holidays and hunted up in the Golden Range for those monster rams with burnished horns. I should have spent more days out fly-camping in the Larch Lake country watching for rams travelling the high rock range. And I would have, but I always thought that I could do it next year—now I can’t.”

“You could have hunted lots of places Boy. We’ve given you all sorts of great tips on where to find rams.” Packtrain stared at me. “I really do feel bad for you that you may never get another sheep tag.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously,” he said. WS

Editors Note:

Nowicki has written several dozen emails and letters to MLA’s and department heads and ministers and MP’s and premiers and the opposition parties and biologists of all stripes. So far, the only response has been from an aide-de-camp who asked whether he uses the Tinder App. He vows to continue his campaign to raise awareness for the limited entry issue, which he maintains is designed to squeeze the number of hunters down to such low numbers that apathy sets in and nobody will care about sheep hunting. This same reduction in quotas has already been implemented with goats, he reports. Nowicki has also been gobsmacked by the Prime Minister of Canada’s recent declaration that it will be illegal to buy/sell/ trade/gift/any handgun. This will freeze the gun in the hands of the owner until placed in his/her casket. Presumably the new law will require undertakers to decommission the deadly firearm before planting the deceased. Nowicki desperately wants the directors of the Wild Sheep Foundation to help him organize a seminar on Sheep Management by Limited Entry, Ten Tips for Success, and How to Rust-Proof Your Guns. He also has begged the editors to use bold type on his entire column and insert a cover photo in capitals and orange letters – THIS IS NOT A JOKE.

I choose Hilleberg tents.I choose Hilleberg tents.

Adam Foss

Young, passionate, accomplished archeryonly sheep hunter. Youngest hunter to earn the archery FNAWS. Gets after it no matter the weather or the terrain. Can’t wait for the next hunt. Uses Hilleberg tents, including the Rogen.

i love my rogen for long, multi day trips. I do a lot of my mountain hunting with a partner, so the Rogen’s two door/two vestibule design is ideal, as is its amazingly light weight and impressive strength. Since it’s a 3-season tent, I wouldn’t take it if I were going up super high or when there’s likely to be snow, but for early season sheep hunts, it’s outstanding!

The