CHAIR’S CORNER

by Glen Landrus Chair

Ihope this edition of Wild Sheep® finds you and your family well. Winter seems to be holding on and giving us one more blast of snow before spring. The late winter storms we are having in the Pacific Northwest are a stark reminder of how precarious life can be for all wildlife this time of year. At the same time, the record precipitation in the more arid of wild sheep landscapes will hopefully fill guzzlers and provide an abundance of forage for our desert bighorns that have faced relentless drought conditions.

“I sold it! I sold it! I sold it!”, were the final words of our auctioneer John Bair as Sheep Week® 2023 came to a close at the Grand Finale banquet on Saturday night in Reno. While for many the Grand Finale marks the ending, for our conservation staff and volunteers, it really marks the beginning of more great efforts in the name of wild sheep in 2023 and beyond.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! What an amazing Sheep Week® we had in Reno in January! Leading into the show, all numbers indicated we were in for something special, and the numbers were right! I would like to thank all of our exhibitors and donors. Without our exhibitors, there is no show floor, no raffles, no silent or live auctions! I hope all of our exhibitors had a prosperous week and I hope to see you all there in 2024. Thank you to all of our donors as well, including the state, provincial, and tribal agencies that let WSF market your coveted permits. The auction tag prices were off the chart and provided for an electric atmosphere during each evening auction. Let’s hope that those funds lead to electric management projects back in the respective states, provinces, and tribal lands.

As Sheep Week® unfolded, one thing that really jumped out at me was the relentless commitment to be better by WSF staff, board of directors, and countless volunteers. As I navigated various events and gatherings, the leaders of those respective functions were already brainstorming how to make improvements for next year. In my world of education, we call that a “Growth Mindset.” In the world of the Wild Sheep Foundation, thank you to those in leadership roles that were already plotting for positive future changes. We speak often of our purpose To Put and Keep Wild Sheep on the Mountain®, but what impressed me was the commitment of our staff and volunteers to our vision, which is our desired future state. Of course, our purpose and mission must be front of mind, but our vision and what we aspire to be is what should motivate us going forward. WS

Yours in Conservation, Glen A. Landrus