Awards

AWARDS AWARDS

by Jason Peak

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