Wild Sheep Forever- Winter 2023 Edition

Cover photo by Danny Coyne – Wild Sheep Ambassador

Chief Executive Officer – Kyle Stelter 250-619-8415 ● kstelter@wildsheepsociety.com

President – Korey Green 250-793-2037 ● kgreen@wildsheepsociety.com

Past-President – Dave Heitsman 604-250-4732 ● david@fortressforwarders.com

Vice-President – Chris Barker 250-883-3112 ● barkerwildsheep@gmail.com

Jesse Bone 250-802-7468 jessetbone@hotmail.com

Tristan Duncan 778-921-0087 tb.duncan@gmail.com

Rob Englot 250-719-9607 renglot@telus.net

Peter Gutsche 250-328-5224 petergutsche@gmail.com

Vice-President – Mike Southin 604-240-7337 ● msouthin@telus.net

Secretary – Greg Rensmaag 604-209-4543 ● rensmaag_greg@hotmail.com

Treasurer – Joe Humphries 250-230-5313 ● joseph_humphries@hotmail.com

Greg Nalleweg 778-220-3194 greg@nextgenelectrical.ca Colin Peters 604-833-5802 colin.peters12@gmail.com

Robin Routledge 250-262-9058 robin.wssbc@gmail.com

Communications Committee

Chair: Kyle Stelter ● 250-619-8415 kstelter@wildsheepsociety.com

Fundraising Committee

Chair: Korey Green ● 250-793-2037 kgreen@wildsheepsociety.com

Government Engagement Committee

Chair: Greg Rensmaag ● 604-209-4543 rensmaag_greg@hotmail.com

Hunter Heritage Committee

Chair: Jonathan Proctor ● 250-352-2020 proctorj72@gmail.com

Indigenous Relations Committee

Chair: Josh Hamilton ● 250-263-2197 josh.wssbc@gmail.com

Membership Committee

Chair: Peter Gutsche ● 250-328-5224 petergutsche@gmail.com

Projects Committee

Chair: Chris Barker ● 250-883-3112 barkerwildsheep@gmail.com

Jurassic Classic

Trevor Carruthers ● 250-919-5386 ● trevor.carruthers@shaw.ca

Raffles

Joe Humphries ● 250-230-5313 ● joseph_humphries@hotmail.com

Women Shaping Conservation

Rebecca Peters ● 778-886-3097 ● rebeccaanne75@gmail.com

Bookkeeper

Kelly Cioffi ● 778-908-3634 kelly@dkccompany.com

Executive Assistant Michael Surbey ● 604-690-9555 exec@wildsheepsociety.com

Danny Coyne Darryn Epp

Jeff Jackson

Trevor Carruthers

s we roll into our show season, I want to thank each and every one of you for a fantastic year. We have set new unprecedented records for the Society in carrying out our mission. We recently looked at our funding footprint and it is incredible to note that we have invested $1.18 million toward wild sheep projects since 2018. This would not be possible without the dedication and commitment of our members, donors and sponsors.

Our conservation work is ongoing and just this past month we had crews on the ground in the Kamloops Lake and South Thompson areas engaged in a Bighorn collaring project. This is a fantastic project, and we are grateful for the support of the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Grant In Aid contribution of $40,000 alongside another $7,000 from the Eastern Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation.

In January crews will be capturing Bighorn Sheep on the Fraser River continuing our conservation efforts. The goal of this decade-long and $1.6 million dollar project is to tackle the problem of mycoplasma ovi-pneumoniae in these wild sheep populations. Our members and partners have shown incredible support and we are committed to ensuring these populations are healthy and viable.

Recently, we held BC’s first-ever Wild Sheep Summit in Prince George, BC. We hosted over ninety guests that came together to identify critical wild sheep challenges and more importantly created

action plans to support them. I was humbled by the diversity of the guests attending and the collaborative approach that was taken in tackling the issues. The energy in the room was noticeable and I am incredibly excited about working with all of the attendees moving forward to support the resource.

On the fundraiser front, this year we have added an exciting new Friday Night Kick Off party at our Northern Fundraiser sponsored by Frontiersmen Gear. We still offer all that our supporters have known with the Northern and have added another night of fun and laughter.

A WSSBC-supported caribou conservation film, “Through Our Eyes,” will debut on Friday night followed by Stone Glacier backpack races, horn aging and more.

This year at our Kamloops Convention we have expanded our exhibition hall and seminars with our Sheep Hunter University. We have never had a line-up like this and we are excited to welcome our Platinum Monarch Tom Foss as our keynote speaker. Tickets will sell out so be sure to register early.

At the very heart of all we do is looking after wild sheep and their habitat in our beautiful province.

As our fundraiser approaches, I want to ask you for your support in giving back, ensuring we can fulfill our mission. There are many ways to do this, and I appreciate that not everyone is able to contribute in the same capacity. For some, it may be giving time while for others it is making a financial contribution. This year we are offering a Friday

night Fun Night Silent Auction, and if you can spare new or lightly used donations, this is a great opportunity to give back.

One thing that costs nothing is spreading our message and educating your friends and family. You promoting our message is invaluable in itself and seeing our membership grow is important in achieving our mandate. We have grown significantly and that has been done largely on the backs of grassroots support by you, our members. Let’s make 2023 another year of unprecedent growth.

In closing, I want to express my gratitude for all that you, our members, have done to support wild sheep conservation in British Columbia. I also want to recognize all of our hard-working Directors, volunteers, donors and supporters for helping to bring our fundraisers to fruition. I am consistently humbled by all that you do and I am incredibly excited about the great work we will continue to carry out in the years ahead.

In

Conservation and Wild Sheep.

Kyle Stelter Chief Executive Officer

I was born and raised in the Lower Mainland with the good fortune to spend most Summers in the Chilcotin. My family and I moved to Penticton in 2015 to live life a little more slowly. I first got involved with WSSBC as more than just a paying member in late 2016, initially as a volunteer feeding captured bighorns for a Psoroptes project on Penticton Indian Band land. This quickly progressed into a Director's position, which I served since. I am currently the Chair of our Membership Committee while also sitting on our Projects, Communications, and Indigenous Relations Committees. I'll continue to serve in whatever role WSSBC needs me to be in, for as long as it takes. Wild Sheep Forever.

Colin was born and raised in Vancouver, BC and currently resides in Port Coquitlam with his wife and has two adult children Reghan and Ryan.

Colin’s outdoor experiences growing up were motor and mountain bikes. He wandered into the hunting space late in life and was fortunate enough to draw a Fraser River California Big Horn tag. During this time, he quickly became acquainted with sheep and their landscape. In 2011 he was introduced to the Wild Sheep Society by a past director on a jet boat trip up the Tuchodi.

Colin has been a director with WSSBC since 2018 and is on the fundraising and membership committees. Colin is passionate about conservation and dedicates most of his spare time (other than hunting) to WSSBC. The conservation business never sleeps, never stays stagnate and always is in need. I feel honoured to be a part of the amazing leadership team with Wild Sheep Society of BC.

by Marcus Lunt

unting has primarily been a family endeavor. From the time my siblings and I were old enough, Dad took us out every chance we got. He started us out with grouse and then helped each of us get our first bucks at ages 11 or 12. Every year we would take a 10-14 day long trip to the Kootenay’s in search of elk, mule deer, and whitetail. These trips varied in success but were always a lot of fun and we gained a lot of experience in a short time.

My dad was an adult-onset hunter who started hunting when he was forty and had hunted mostly deer, elk, and moose. In 2020 my siblings and I pressured my fifty eight year old father into going after his first Stone’s Sheep and after a quick five-day hunt, we helped him get his first ram.

In 2021 Dad helped me get my first ram on a ball buster of a trip covering around 96km in some steep country over 10 days.

This year, 2022, my younger brother Lucas was up to try and get his first ram. We decided to go back to the same area I had gotten mine as we had seen a lot of sheep and knew where a few rams were living. We planned to fly in a week before the season into a lake, hike for two days, roughly 20km away from the lake, and then summit a peak where we could look at two areas where we knew rams like to hang out. The hike in is through a narrow valley that has remnants of a trail but is mostly traversed by bushwacking and crossing a creek frequently to avoid the steep cliffs of the creek’s canyon. We landed at the lake at around three that afternoon and hiked the creek canyon until dark. With a few difficult crossings, we didn’t make it as far as we anticipated.

This meant the following day was a long 11 ½ hour hike through some grueling heat. The next day was our first day scouting and after the hike-in, Lucas wasn’t feeling good so he took the day off to recover. My dad, sister, and I would leave the tents at 4 am to hike up into position to look for sheep, my dad and sister would go to a lower ridge to look at our plan A valley at first light and I would summit the main peak to look at our plan B valley, then they would follow me up after a couple of hours. The first part of the morning neither of us spotted any sheep but once my dad and sister joined me at the peak, I found a group of five rams bedded on a sharp spine about five kilometers away, adjacent to our plan B valley. After watching the rams through mirage for about an hour we confirmed the five rams were the group we had expected to be in the plan B valley, one of them being a big heavy ram we had seen the year prior. We glassed around for the next few hours and spotted some ewes and lambs but nothing in our plan A valley. We went back down the mountain and spent the rest of the day at the tents recovering.

The following morning Lucas was feeling better and reinvigorated by the news of us spotting rams. We ran the same program with me ascending the peak myself and the other three making the pit stop to glass the plan A valley at first light. About 30min after the sun hit the ridge the 5 rams were on the previous day, I spotted them making their way back to their little perch, perfect, they haven’t gone anywhere. After spotting them I turned my gaze over to the plan A valley and started gridding out the cliffs with the spotting scope. As the sun got higher it continually revealed more and more of the hidden folds of rock. As the sun was about halfway across this particular set of cliffs, I saw what appeared to be a horn shining above a rock shelf. I dialed the spotting scope to 60x and focused on the suspected object.

After a couple of minutes of intent staring, the object moved and I could now clearly see two horns of a ram looking directly

away from me. A few minutes later the others reached the top of the peak, so I moved over to them and informed them of my discovery. We could tell the bedded ram was of good size based on the amount of horn mass he carried at his bases as well as out toward the end of his curl. After about 30 min the ram got up and started feeding, allowing us a better look as he gave us all the right angles. He was a nice heavy ram, but his horn length was a couple of inches short of being full curl. Being too far away to count horn annuli we chalked it up to probably being a 7-year-old and decided to put him in our back pocket until later, back to glassing. About an hour later we were sitting looking toward the group of 5 rams discussing the best way to approach them when my dad suddenly said, “Ram right there… Big ram right there!”.

We all snapped our heads up and looked toward where he was pointing. About 500 yards away on an adjacent peak, we could see a ram walking out to a bench along the edge of the peak. We quickly trained the spotting scopes on the ram and immediately saw he was what some people call a “no-brainer” ram, a ram whose horns extend well beyond the bridge of the nose. We watched in awe as the ram worked his way to the shelf and bedded down facing away from us. We watched the ram for a few minutes, got some quick footage, and then snuck away down the ridge out of sight. I couldn’t believe what we had just seen, and we all expressed the encounter with one word, luck. Luckily we had seen the ram and lucky he was so close to camp but we also knew that there was a lot of work ahead of us if we were going to get a chance at him. We snuck down the mountain back to camp and decided we weren’t going to summit the peak again until opening day in fear of spooking the ram.

Up until this point, the weather had been exceptionally nice with sun every day but that was about to change. That night a large lightning storm rolled in and rained all night and well into the next morning. The forecast for the next week was all rain except for possibly opening day which called for mostly clouds but no major precipitation. We spent the day in the tents until the evening when the clouds lifted for a couple of hours and we got out to glass the ridgeline above us, then back into the tents for the night when the rain picked back up. The next morning was socked in and raining until the afternoon when it broke again for a couple of hours. We decided to sneak to a nearby point to get a better angle on a ridge coming down off the peak, thinking that the storm could have pushed some sheep off the top into our bowl. As soon as we got into position my sister spotted a sheep skyline on the ridge… it was him. The big ram was bedded right on a little tabletop rock that overlooked the bowl, luckily, we were far enough below him and didn’t expose ourselves so he hadn’t seen us.

We spent a couple hours watching and filming the ram until he got up and made his way back up to the top and out of sight. We were all excited we had seen the ram again and were confident he wouldn’t be too far come opening day. The next couple of days were filled with a lot of rain and cloud cover, it did break once, and we saw a group of ewes and a 7-yearold ram bedded 800yrds right above camp. The opening day my brother and I made a plan to start hiking at 3:30 am up a ridge that would lead us to the peak we had seen the big ram on. We got up a 3 am to check on the weather and we awoke to relatively clear skies with some clouds laying in the valley bottom, so we decided to get after it and start our ascent. We hiked up the valley a little way and then slowly started hiking up our ridge, glassing our way up making sure he or any other sheep weren’t in our way. About 4 hours later we were at the top of the main ridge leading to the peak but the clouds that were in the valley bottom were now rolling up and over the mountains blocking our view. We waited patiently for the clouds to lift and once they did, we started glassing the bowl on the left side of the peak. We immediately spotted 6 rams bedded in the rocks and scrambled to get the spotter on them. With clouds rolling in and out it took us a while but determined that the big ram was not among them and packed up to continue to the peak to look into the bowl on the right side of the peak. We moved slowly, stopping when the clouds were thick and then advancing as they lifted hoping we’d spot the ram before he spotted us.

Suddenly we could see a large gap in the clouds coming and knew we’d have lots of time to sneak down the peak into the bowl with unobstructed vision. We made our way to where we had first spotted the ram bedded in a series of rock benches, but no ram. With lots of the bowl still hidden from our view, we continued down the ridge, Lucas leading just in case we jumped the ram and me on his heels. Picking our way down Lucas would stop constantly to look through his binoculars

at suspicious objects. This happened several times until he hit the ground, turned to me, and said, “I see a ram bedded down there”. Excited he explained to me where he had seen it, I slowly rose scanning the area until I suddenly saw a ram’s head behind a large rock. I immediately knew it was the big ram as his horns were reaching for the sky. I looked at Luke and said, “it’s him, he’s behind a big rock”. Lucas informed me the one he saw was bedded in the open and after a little more investigating we discovered there were 2 other rams with the big guy.

We ranged where the rams were bedded and the distance was 450 yards, a little bit outside our comfortable shooting distance. We could see a route to our left that would get us another 50 yards and possibly closer, so we started our stalk down the rocks. We made it about 50yrds and then the rocks began to get increasingly unstable, so we moved back onto the ridge but were now in sight of the rams. Lucas could see one of the rams had gotten up and was feeding. I spotted several big rocks to our right and told Luke to crawl over to them and see if he was comfortable shooting from there. While he moved to the rocks the other two rams got up and fed towards us and out of sight. I then moved to Lucas and tried to help him get set up on the rocks for a shot. Using one of our packs and a jacket Lucas got the gun wedged between the rocks and leaned back on the pack, instructing me he was solid. By the time Lucas got set, the rams

had popped back out to the right and were slowly feeding and working their way across the slope below us. I got the spotter set up and then ranged the rams, 400 yards, Luke dialed his turret and got steady.

The big ram was standing behind a big rock and Luke told me once he walked out and stops, he was going to take the shot. The ram walked out from behind the rock about 50 yards, stops, and... boom, the ram spun around, ran 75 yards, and fell over, perfect shot. We proceeded to high five, hugged, and were both in disbelief of the events that just occurred. We sat and watched the other two rams slowly walk off down into the bowl and messaged Dad and Adrianna what had just happened. They said they had heard a boom but had assumed it was rocks rolling and couldn’t believe we had the ram. Luke and I waited on the ridge while Dad and Adrianna hiked up to meet us. We told them the whole story and re-enacted the shot for them. We then made our way down to the ram together, took lots of photos, and got to work field dressing and butchering the ram.

We split the weight between the 4 of us and started our hike back to camp, taking an easier route back down the mountain where we could ski the scree all the way down to the bottom. We got back to camp in good time, hung the meat, finished caping the skull, and salted the cape. The next morning, we broke camp and started our trek back to the lake. We made it almost back to our first camp on the way in but had noticed that

the creek had gone up considerably since we came in and it was still raining so we knew we wouldn’t be able to make some of the crossings on the next part of the hike. We reviewed the maps that night and devised a plan to hike up and around the worst part of the creek. That next morning, we started the day off with an ice-cold creek crossing that made us all wince and groan with pain.

It rained most of the day, but we made decent time and got to the lake at around 3:30 pm. Due to weather, we ended up

flying out the following day at 7:00 pm, concluding our epic adventure. Some people could look at our success and think maybe we are just skilled hunters, but I can promise you the areas we have been in are more to thank than our skills as hunters. Three rams in three years is a direct reflection of the opportunity and quality of some of the areas here in BC and with some physical effort to get into these areas anyone can find success. If a 60-year-old man and three kids can make it happen, anyone can.

Leading the way in wildlife research & management

by Laura Balyx and Sydney Goward

efore most of today’s wildlife biologists, landscape managers, and policy makers obtained their positions, they probably went to graduate school. Grad school is an opportunity to focus on research after obtaining an undergraduate degree (for example, a Bachelor of Science or BSc) under the supervision of a professor at a university. The most common graduate degrees in the wildlife field are a Master of Science (MSc), which takes 2+ years to complete and usually consists of two scientific studies written in a thesis, and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which takes 4+ years to complete and consists of three scientific studies in a thesis.

Throughout their research, students gain the skills necessary for a career in wildlife management including statistical analyses, project management, and stakeholder engagement (to name a few). The results from grad student research are also used by governments, First Nations, and other organisations to influence on-the-ground wildlife management and policy decisions. It takes an incredibly dedicated and determined individual to see these projects to fruition – which is why we wanted to highlight some of the incredible student projects from this year. We asked current and recent grads to submit their projects to us so that we could share some of their important work that will influence the future of wildlife management!

Laura Balyx is a recent Master of Science graduate from the University of British Columbia Okanagan. She now works with multiple organizations on a variety of wildlife research projects, including habitat selection analysis of mountain goats, bighorn sheep and white-tail deer, and is involved in research on chronic wasting disease. Laura is excited to continue to collaborate with numerous agencies and build her career in wildlife management and policy. When Laura is not thinking about wildlife, she enjoys exploring the outdoors with her dog, cooking, and instructing spin classes!

Sydney is a wildlife researcher and forestry professional (non-practicing), specializing in working with and for Indigenous research & management partners. She is currently a Master of Science student at the University of Victoria, where she is partnered with Gwich’in organizations, studying Dall’s sheep and mammal community ecology in the Northern Richardson Mountains, NWT. Concurrent to her MSc, she is also collaborating on the development of BC’s Thinhorn Sheep Stewardship Framework, as part of the Indigenous perspectives working group. Born and raised in the Interior of BC, she is an active hunter, fly fisher, forager, wildlife photographer, and overall backcountry enthusiast.

by Peter White – MSc (2022), University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus Email: peter.white@ubc.ca

In 2017, Parks Canada reintroduced a wild herd of plains bison to Banff National Park. Returning this species to the landscape was expected to have wide-ranging impacts on vegetation and other species. Given concerns for competition between bison and another iconic species, the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, managers were interested in assessing potential impacts. Using GPS collar data provided by Parks Canada, I investigated how the newly reintroduced bison impacted sheep by measuring habitat and spatial use. Where the two species overlapped on the landscape, I then determined if the presence of bison

was changing the way sheep foraged. At this stage in the reintroduction, bison and sheep showed minimal levels of overlap on the landscape. During winter when food resources are typically lower, sheep did not avoid shared ranges with bison. Bison, however, were found to use isolated pockets of high-quality sheep habitats and managers should continue to evaluate interactions between species as bison populations grow.

Upon completing his graduate work at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, Peter recently moved back to his home in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. When he is not helping manage Banff’s

new bison herd, he likes to spend time hunting, fishing and re-discovering old trails on the saddle.

by Nesa7 White – MSc Student, Thompson Rivers University Email: whiten10@mytru.ca

Bighorn sheep populations in the Thompson River region of BC Canada have declined by 50 % over the past 10 years. The primary cause of the decline is unknown, but low rates of lamb survival are highly suspected to be the main driver. To further investigate this theory, twenty ewes from the Kamloops Lake herd were fitted with GPS/VHF collars in December of 2021 by the Ministry of Forests Lands and Resources Operations and the Wild Sheep Society of BC. Their movements have revealed that the herd consists of ‘two sub herds,’ each of which occupies its own distinct home range. My proposed study will estimate the rates of recruitment in each sub herd as well as assess the health of the grassland ecosystems in each sub herd’s home range. The results of the grassland health assessments will allow me to identify elements in the grasslands that may be limiting—

directly or indirectly—lambs from reaching the recruitment stage. The second component of my study involves extensively documenting Secwépemc Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) regarding the ecology and history of the Kamloops Lake herd and their habitat. Secwépemc TEK coupled with knowledge of the current ecological conditions within the habitat will strengthen our understanding of the Kamloops Lake herd’s history and ecology. Our monitoring of lamb recruitment will provide information about how lamb survival is affecting the trajectory of the population. The results of the study will be used to develop management strategies to restore the herd and their habitat.

Nesa7 (pronounced Neesha) is from Nlha7kap’mx from Lytton First Nation in Lytton, BC but has lived in Kamloops on and off for the past 12 years. After

by Mary Anne Schoenhardt – MES Student, Queen’s University Email: maryanne.schoenhardt@queensu.ca

Climate change is causing rapid changes to occur in the high altitude, high latitude environments used by Dall’s sheep. As an iconic image of Kluane National Park and Reserve in southwest Yukon, they are a species with cultural, economic, and ecological significance. Dall’s sheep have been suggested as indicators of overall ecosystem health; studying their populations is important for not just understanding sheep population health, but also understanding changes to environmental conditions. Since 1977, staff at Kluane National Park and Reserve have performed aerial surveys of Dall’s sheep, recording counts and location of observed individuals. There are almost 4000 observations from 40 individual years of surveys in this significant, long-term dataset. In partnership with Parks Canada, I am using these data to address three

objectives: first, to better understand where Dall’s sheep are using habitat; second, to understand whether these locations have changed over time; and third, to understand the characteristics of this habitat. To understand locations of Dall’s sheep habitat use, I am mapping the distribution of sheep observations. Comparing changes to these distributions over time will then provide an understanding of whether their habitat use has changed. Following this, I am investigating the topographic and vegetative characteristics of regions identified as frequently used by sheep to better characterise their preferred habitat and help to better interpret patterns observed in their spatial distribution. An understanding of the distribution of sheep within Kluane National Park and Reserve is important for better understanding this rapidly changing environment and prioritising

graduating from the Bachelor of Natural Resource Science program at TRU, she carried on to a Masters there. Her interests are wildlife and the environment/nature. In her free time, you can find her anywhere outdoors in nature. She is a mother of two sons (who she adores), making a lot of time for their interests as well. Nesa7 is completely immersed in bighorns and plans to eventually pursue a career in teaching.

conservation actions taken within it.

Mary Anne is a master’s student in environmental studies (MES) at Queen’s University. She is interested in landscape ecology and GIS applications in conservation biology. Outside of academics, Mary Anne loves spending time outdoors and exploring the environment around her, whether that be by foot, canoe, bike, or skis!

by Edyta Marcisz – MSc (2021), Thompson Rivers University Email: edyta.marcisz@gmail.com

The movements of animals provide insight into their spatial distribution, landscape use, gene flow, and potential for disease transmission, and thus are an important measure in the study of the species’ ecology and the development of conservation plans and management practices.

This study provides an analysis of movements of Bighorn Sheep in the Thompson Region of British Columbia relative to proximity of domestic sheep. I used GPS location data of 40 rams from four different herds monitored during 2015-2018 to evaluate home range and core areas of each ram group (band) while providing the comparison of four home range estimation methods. Each of the ram bands exhibited nonmigratory behaviour. Their seasonal ranges were considerably larger during the relatively short rutting season. These observations match those reported in

previous studies with reintroduced Bighorn Sheep. This study also confirms connectivity between these herds and an area occupied by other nearby herds. Studied rams displayed short foray movement of less than 6 km, which contrasts with that reported elsewhere, and suggest a lower level of risk of contact with domestic animals existing outside of the herd home ranges. However, the likelihood of a transmission event cannot be completely discounted. A significant amount of private land overlaps or lays adjacent to the home ranges of the study herds, indicating that expanded future use of these lands for livestock range and/or an increase in Bighorn Sheep populations will increase the likelihood of contact with domestic animals. Overall, my findings are relevant for establishing operational rules for land use practices and activities seeking to reduce impacts

on bighorn herds. Our partners on this project included Chilcotin Holidays and FLNRORD.

Edyta is originally from Poland, but the Canadian vastness, nature, and wildlife keeps her in Canada. Currently she is with the Adams Lake Indian Band, based in Chase, BC, where she works on cumulative effects between all land uses, natural disturbance, and climate change.

by Gord Emery – BSc (2022), University of Northern British Columbia Email: gord@chuchoenvironmental.com ● Instagram: @gordonemery

Access to trace minerals is essential to the physiological functions of ruminant species. Deficiency in essential trace minerals can cause many adverse effects ranging from limited growth to impaired bodily functions that can lead to death. Ungulates across North America commonly practice geophagia at areas referred to as “licks” to obtain minerals lacking in their diet. We used GPS collar data from 19 Stone’s sheep in the Cassiar Mountains of Northern British Columbia, Canada, to identify mineral licks and evaluate the mineral composition in the soils. Our objectives were to 1) identify the factors that influenced the use of mineral licks by Stone’s sheep, 2) identify the seasonal patterns of mineral lick use, and 3) provide an overview of mineral lick characteristics. We successfully identified five mineral lick sites that collared sheep used. We then used

fractional regression to test several model hypotheses that were predicted to influence visitation by Stone’s sheep to mineral licks. We found that visitation was best described by models that included nursing status, concentration of magnesium and sodium in the soils, and the elevation of the mineral lick location. These findings supported our model predictions that post parturient ewes would use mineral licks at a higher rate than ewes without lambs.

Gord Emery is a Wildlife Biologist at Chu Cho Environmental working for the Tsay Keh Dene Nation. He grew up in the surrounding area of 100 Mile House, BC. Gord’s family valued wild harvests for sustenance, and naturally, he developed a passion for wildlife and hunting. He also enjoys backcountry snowboarding, fishing, multi-day backpacking trips, and anything that gets him outdoors and in the mountains.

by Maddy Wrazej – MSc Student, University of British Columbia, Vancouver Campus Email: mcwrazej@mail.ubc.ca ● Twitter: @MadeleineWrazej

Mountain goats have been found to be sensitive to human disturbance, but the effects of non-motorized recreational activities on mountain goats are still not well understood. Mountain goats are an iconic alpine species found throughout the mountainous regions of western North America, including Banff and Yoho National Parks. These parks have extensive trail networks sought out by over a million keen outdoor recreationists annually. Some of these trails pass through important goat habitat. Increased human activity in these areas may trigger changes in goat behaviour, such as displacement from suitable habitat and altered daily activity patterns. It may also cause increased stress that can negatively impact goat health and reproductive success. My research investigates the impacts of recreation on mountain goats in Banff and Yoho National Parks using wildlife camera traps and fecal stress hormone

analysis. Camera traps have been deployed both on and off-trail across sites with varying levels of recreation pressure. I will use camera traps to assess if goats are avoiding humans in space or time as a strategy to minimise overlap with humans. Fecal pellets will be collected to measure if goats exposed to high levels of recreation will have elevated stress levels compared to those in an area with minimal human disturbance. With the support of academic and government partners, I aim to improve our understanding of the impacts of recreation on mountain goats within the parks. The analysis and baseline data from my study can help inform future decisions on management and protection of mountain goat habitat both inside and outside of parks. Maddy grew up in a small town in BC, right on the BC-Alberta border. She graduated from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Science in

2019. Since 2017, Maddy has worked in Resource Conservation for Parks Canada both as a student and as a fulltime employee. Working and recreating in the National Parks her whole life is what inspired Maddy to pursue her thesis research. When she’s not at her computer or in the field, she is usually out trail running, skiing, climbing or doing some other mountain sport.

by Lilli Gaston – BSc in Biology (2022), University of Victoria Email: millicentgaston@gmail.com ● Instagram: @lilligaston

Across landscapes, fishers respond differently to different types of human disturbance caused by oil and gas exploration, the forestry industry, and other types of development. In my undergrad research, we found that fishers respond negatively to active disturbance features (otherwise known as the “footfall” of disturbance) and positively to inactive disturbance features, the scars of resource extraction (or “footprint”). We also found that fishers occur in multiple habitat types available on the landscape, not just the old-growth, complex forests they are known to prefer. These findings highlight the need to look across diverse landscapes and include multiple predictors of occurrence when making

insights about where species occur and why. Landscape-altering resource extraction is impacting many species, including fishers, and, in order to learn how to share the landscape with humans, wildlife, and industry, conservation management should be approached at the landscape-level, otherwise we will miss the whole picture. Many thanks to my co-authors Rebecca M. Smith, Andrew Ladle, Frances E.C. Stewart, and Jason T. Fisher.

Lilli grew up on beautiful Vancouver Island and recently graduated with a BSc in Biology from the University of Victoria. She is now working at the university’s Applied Conservation Macroecology Lab, and is interested in pursuing an MSc in the coming years.

She loves birdwatching, hiking and sea kayaking, reading fiction, hanging out with her niece, and enjoying good food with friends and family!

by Spencer Greening – PhD Student, Simon Fraser University Instagram: lagoot.sg

This research explores Indigenous resource and wildlife management by narrating Gitga’at relationships with mountain goats. It is built on a cornerstone philosophy in Indigenous natural sciences; that is, the interconnectedness of all things is the basis for human engagement with the natural world. In particular, my research explores the idea that human beings can cultivate reciprocal relationships with their local environments that have the potential to nurture and sustain thriving ecosystems. As a Tsimshian member of the Gitga’at First Nation, I engage with these ideas through centring the knowledge systems, stewardship practices, laws, histories, and spiritual beliefs of my ancestors to highlight how Indigenous knowledges surrounding harvests can lead to both the human and non-human

world thriving. I use our oral histories, traditional ecological knowledge, and Gitga’at rituals and laws to collaborate and contrast current Western methods of managing ecosystems. I pair this narrative with my personal experience of harvesting mountain goats in a culturally appropriate way, while working on goat monitoring projects in Gitga’at territory. This discussion is also complimented by personal reflections of my time spent in politics and government to government relations navigating the creation and negotiation of Indigenous conservancies, Indigenous management plans, provincial harvesting regulations, and industrial development.

Spencer Greening (La’goot) is from the Tsimshian community of the Gitga’at First Nation (Hartley Bay). Spencer is currently a PhD student in the Faculty of Environment at Simon Fraser University.

by Marie-Pier Poulin – MSc (2022), University of Wyoming

Email: mpoulin1@uwyo.edu

Road networks represent one of the most ubiquitous human-caused disturbances affecting animal populations. While major roads can act as barriers to movement, many animals have seasonal ranges bisected by roads and thus need to cross them regularly to access food. Although crossing roads is risky business for wildlife, how animals balance risks and rewards, and how sociality plays a role in their responses to these disturbances remains unclear. In collaboration with Parks Canada, I investigated risk-taking behaviour by elk in Yoho National Park with respect to a major highway, the Trans-Canada highway (TCH), which bisects their winter range. Elk in Yoho cross the highway often – some individuals cross it nearly 70 times per month! Using field observations and GPS collars on > 75% of the adults in the population, we found that elk in Yoho generally avoided crossing the highway, especially at high

traffic volumes. However, we found that when crossing, elk balanced risks and rewards: they chose to move to areas with greater food biomass when crossing the highway. We also showed that social characteristics of groups of elk influenced their probability of crossing the TCH. Specifically, elk in groups that were more socially connected and more familiar were more likely to cross at safer times when traffic volume was low. Our work demonstrates how decisionmaking processes, considering the risks of crossing and food rewards, allow animals to successfully and profitably navigate this busy highway. Our work also reveals a strong influence of group dynamics on crossing behaviours, and that sociality helps mitigate the risks of crossing. All the steps leading to those results will help guide management, as plans are underway to widen this section of the TCH.

Marie-Pier is from Québec but

When not doing research, Spencer is actively engaged with cultural roles and work within the community of Hartley Bay and the greater Tsimshian Nation and strives to be on the lands and waters harvesting as much as possible.

moved

days!

out west to conduct her Master of Science research on elk in Yoho National Park in BC, in collaboration with Parks Canada and the Merkle Research Group at the University of Wyoming. She enjoys spending time outdoors, mountain biking and skiing powder on sunny winter

by Chad Rice – MSc (2022), Sherbrooke University Email: chad.rice@usherbrooke.ca

Wildlife management attempts to balance consumptive and nonconsumptive values to manage hunting opportunities, considering population resilience. Mountain goats Oreamnos americanus are particularly sensitive to harvest. Using data from 33 792 mountain goats harvested in British Columbia (BC), Canada, between 1977 and 2019, we performed Bayesian regressions to examine the effect of regulations (limited entry hunting (LEH) or general open season (GOS)) on yearly harvest and harvest sex ratios. We also investigated temporal trends and the effect of licensed hunter residency (resident in British Columbia, or not) on harvest sex ratios. We then examined how horn length of harvested mountain goats was influenced by sex, year of harvest, age and mountain range. The more restrictive LEH regulations generally reduced the harvest of mountain goats. The annual proportion of males harvested appeared independent of regulation and increased over time. Non-resident hunters harvested a greater proportion of males compared to resident hunters. The combined length of the first and second horn growth increments decreased

slightly with age at harvest for males but increased for females, suggesting a possible very weak hunter selection for males with rapid early horn growth and possibly against lactating females. Overall, we found that restrictive LEH regulation in British Columbia did reduce the harvest. We also found that hunters would choose males with faster growing horns. However, this would not apply to females. Our study supports LEH regulations and hunter education to distinguish sex and age as key tools for mountain goat harvest management. Similar tools could be considered to manage other ungulates that are sensitive to harvest. You can read the full publication here: Regulations and hunter preference affect mountain goat harvest and horn length. https://doi. org/10.1002/wlb3.01056

Chad published not only one, but two articles from his MSc! If you’re interested in the other (where they found a decrease over time in the age at primiparity of harvested British Columbia coastal mountain goats but an increase for interior mountain goats), check it out here: Variation in age of primiparity in mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus)

estimated from horn growth increments. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2021-0166

Chad is a newly graduated Master’s student in biology from Sherbrooke University. He presently lives in SeptÎles, Quebec and like most Quebeckers his mother tongue is French. If you check out his publications (links below) you’ll notice he has both French and English abstracts! Outside his work with Mountain goats, Chad likes watching anime and TV shows and reading manga, but also enjoys hiking, hunting and biking.

by

Email: katietm@mail.ubc.ca ● Twitter: @KatieTjaden

Caribou in the Chilcotin Plateau of west-central BC have sharply declined, and we don’t fully know why. Widespread logging and forest fire, increased moose and deer populations, and correspondingly increased predator populations are a primary suspect. There are also free-ranging horses in the area that could be supporting predator populations and competing with moose, a highly valued cultural and game species. My research is using wildlife cameras to determine the cause of caribou decline and whether horses

are outcompeting moose. This project is in partnership with the BC Government, Tsilhqotʼin National Government, Ulkatcho First Nation, and Southern Dakelh Nation Alliance.

Katie is a Master of Science student at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Vancouver in the Wildlife Coexistence (WildCo) Lab. She

to do her undergraduate

birding,

grew up in rural Manitoba and moved to Vancouver

studies in Biology at UBC. Outside of research, Katie enjoys hiking,

cooking and baking, and crochet!

Katie Tjaden-McClement – MSc Student, University of British Columbia, Vancouver Campus

by Kevin White – PhD Candidate, University of Victoria Email: kevinwhite0714@gmail.com

Snow avalanches represent a widespread and seasonally dynamic landscape altering force in mountain environments. Mountain adapted species may benefit from avalanche disturbance via utilization of resultant forage rich, early successional stage habitats that are characterized by relatively low winter snow depths and earlier spring greenup. However, the costs associated with using such risky landscape features can be substantial and likely have important implications for mountain goat population dynamics. For example, the conservative life history strategy and resultant low intrinsic population growth rates of mountain specialists, such as mountain goats, suggests that major population declines may occur during moderate-severe avalanche seasons. I look forward to conducting research and analyses in coastal Alaska (and potentially BC) focused on the understanding relationships

between mountain goats and avalanche processes; an important population driver that may have both costs and benefits especially when viewed through the lens of climate change. A culturally important and iconic species of western North American landscapes, mountain goats are considered sentinels of health and resilience of mountain ecosystems and present important challenges and opportunities for conservation.

Kevin is a PhD candidate at the University of Victoria (with a BSc from Humboldt State Univ, and an MSc from University of Nevada Reno), and is in affiliation with the University of Alaska Southeast. Kevin worked as Research Biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game during 1999-2022, and currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Northern Wild Sheep & Goat Council[KW1] and as the Science and Conservation Committee co-chair for the Rocky Mountain Goat

Alliance. He is broadly interested in the ecology and conservation of mountain ecosystems with a specific interest in mountain goat population ecology in relation to weather, climate and environmental conditions. When he gets a break in the action, he enjoys hiking, backcountry skiing, cabin carpentry projects, salmon fishing and deer (and, when possible, caribou) hunting. For a list of Kevin’s publications on previous and related work, check out his profile on ResearchGate: https://www. researchgate.net/profile/Kevin-White-13

by Jeffrey Nishima-Miller – PhD Student, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus Email: jeffrey.nishima-miller@ubc.ca

The 2014 Supreme Court of Canada’s landmark Tsilhqot’in decision recognized 1700 km2 land as Declared Title of the Tsilhqot’in Nation. The Tsilhqot’in Title Land is within the caretaker area of Xeni Gwet’in First Nation (one of six Tsilhqot’in communities). The Tsilhqot’in decision has created a range of new opportunities for Xeni Gwet’in First Nation to advance their own wildlife management regime. A key priority identified by Xeni Gwet’in First Nation is the need for a wildlife management strategy for the Tsilhqot’in Title Land. This project is a collaboration with the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation, with the purpose of advancing the design and implementation of their wildlife management strategy. The Tsilhqot’in Title Lands are physically and biologically diverse, including species such as bighorn sheep, mountain goat,

grizzly and black bears, cougar, wolves, moose, and mule deer. Additionally, wild horses are present. Population stressors, including, species interactions (i.e., predation and competition), habitat degradation and fragmentation, and now climate change (and other factors) are changing the suitability of habitats and persistence of wildlife. Xeni Gwet’in is currently strategizing on how best to mitigate the impacts of species population stressors, with the end goal of cultivating an abundance of healthy and thriving habitats and wildlife populations. This project supports Xeni Gwet’in strategic planning by identifying wildlife management, governance, and funding models/tools across Canada and internationally which can be incorporated into a robust wildlife management regime to achieve Xeni Gwet’in objectives for wildlife and habitat.

Originally from Victoria and now living in Kelowna, Jeff is a second year PhD student at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. Jeff’s PhD research focuses on conservation planning. Outside of his research and work life, Jeff’s time is spent in the backcountry or duck blind, usually trying to keep up with his bird dog.

by Jonathan Van EIslander – MSc Student, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus Website: jonathanvanelslander.com ● Instagram: @jonnyvan1

My research involves mapping Brown Bear diet across BC using stable isotope analysis, in conjunction with the Ministry of Forests. First, I have estimated the importance of salmon, terrestrial meat, plants, and kokanee to the diet for over 1500 bears around BC. Then using these estimates and novel spatial predictive methods, I am creating fine-scale maps of bear diet and the importance of these four foods to Brown Bear ecology for the entire province. My research is integral to the management and conservation of bears in BC by providing key baselines for bottom-up resource effects on bear populations. This work is based in my interest in bottom-up ecological

processes. I am fascinated by how the vastly different ecosystems of British Columbia drive the ecology of the wildlife that occur across them. Brown bears occur in some of the warmest, coldest, wettest and driest places in BC and exhibit enormous niche flexibility. By understanding the variability in their diet, we are able to better understand how bears make a living across the province. I hope to expand this sort of work, investigating how spatial gradients affect wildlife ecology, to a range of species in the future.

Originally from Winnipeg, Jonathan has been lost in the woods of BC for the last 10 years. When he’s not identifying wildlife and plants, he is generally

snowboarding, reading/writing, or taking photos (mostly of plants). Jonathan’s philosophical and ecological interests both centre squarely on how the unique structure of the places (i.e. habitat) people and wildlife inhabit foment their lives.

We encourage you to reach out, ask questions, and share your support with the students and projects that you’re interested in. We are so excited for the opportunity to expand this community of wildlife enthusiasts, and we hope you feel comfort in knowing there are so many people committed to protecting the future of wildlife in BC and beyond!

t’s -23 C, and I’ve been sitting on a small insulated pad for hours now, wrapped in my camouflage, making no sound, not moving and trying not to get frostbite. I see an animal in the distance... no I see two. In a heartbeat my binoculars are in my hand and I confirm two whitetail does, 400 metres away. They are slowing their walk through the bush, bending to eat the bits of vegetation popping up through the snow. They seem to be oblivious to my presence or, more likely, they realize they are safe because I’m looking for a buck.

I’ve been in this situation forty times or more, but my heart still quickens when an animal emerges into view, seemingly from nowhere. Does this reaction ever fade, or is it some mental management process to keep me from going into fullon buck fever?

I lose my sense of stillness... Will I be ready when the buck comes around, will my hands work, or will they be too cold and numb? Will I be able to adopt a stable shooting position and make an ethical shot, or will the opportunity slip away? I have to steady my nerves, so I try box breathing, a mindfulness technique used by the special forces, carefully visualizing every action required for a successful outcome, step by step.

You may wonder how a girl from the urban sprawl of Vancouver where firearms are taboo, ended up here, head to toe in camouflage holding a Sako 85 surrounded by the wild. I wasn’t born into a lifestyle that celebrates Type 2 fun. Hunting formed no part of my family’s culture. My experiences prior to this would be better classified as “in search of comfort.” Testing my physical and mental boundaries wasn’t something I routinely put myself through, assuming team sports like soccer and field hockey don’t qualify.

Coming into my twenties I started to find life boring and unfulfilling. I tried to remedy this disconnected emptiness in my life through hiking and gardening, anything to reconnect with the natural world and gain a better understanding of myself, of my capabilities.

I had always loved the outdoors and had learned a respect for analytically quantifying our impact, both positive and negative, when working with my father in forestry research at UBC. After graduating university and working several well-paying, respectable jobs, I found myself disheartened, unmotivated and with no north star or purpose. It was quite the leap of faith when my boyfriend (now husband) urged me to quit my lucrative office job and explore what it was that truly brought me happiness.

I thought long and hard and eventually

came down to these core questions that I needed to answer for myself:

● Am I challenging myself, learning new skills, and growing in a way that would make the future me proud?

● Are these skills I’m developing proficiency in going to result in a positive change, not only for me but for others around me?

● Will my short existence on this planet be of any significance?

The times in my life I have felt the happiest and most fulfilled were when the work I did benefitted others. I learned acting in the service of others has been scientifically proven to make you less susceptible to stress, leads to increased levels of life satisfaction, and staves off disease. I needed work I’d be proud to do, to be of service to others.

I have always loved food—the cooking, eating, procuring ingredients, the sharing of it all. As a child, my large family came together to share a meal and stories and that slowed the rhythm of life, connected us with each other. It was during those meals that I learned to serve others, learned to listen, learned about my culture so it was not a leap for me to focus on food in some way as my potential career path. I enjoy cooking, creating meals, finding ways to create dishes to highlight ingredients, and

bringing people together. Food sustains us, transforms us. That gratifying, satiating feeling that is deeply rooted in human history, derived from how we communicate our love and intentions through food, called to me.

“You want to do what?” my close friend said. “You realize there isn’t any money in that.”

I knew, and I didn’t care. I wanted to be a chef.

I started at the bottom, working at a well-known BC restaurant chain, learning the craft. At the same time, I was working as a stagiaire in an unpaid kitchen internship at one of Canada’s top restaurants and spending my weekends in a bakery. Years of this led to some extraordinary opportunities in fine dining and a number of awards. Despite what the naysayers told me, I concentrated on providing the best to customers and learned success is a natural by-product of hard work and passion.

As a chef, I was always interested in where my ingredients came from. If I’m going to roast a chicken, one raised in a pasture, free to run around and eat bugs, will taste infinitely better than a poor bird that’s spent its eight short weeks of life stuffed in a cage. A wild salmon is a different sea creature than one grown in a pond and fed food dye so its soft flesh mimics its wild counterpart’s.

Around this time, the 100-mile diet was becoming increasingly popular,

as was the desire to eat more organic food, which all played a part in my developing values on food and cooking, driving my passion for using local and unprocessed foods.

I saw the good, bad, and ugly of our food system, and like many chefs of my generation, I started putting in the time to source foraged and wild foods, and this bled into my personal life.

I spent a ridiculous number of hours reading about foraging and plant identification, and more hiking in the woods, putting that research to work, foraging on my own in earnest, recording my secret spots on maps and on my calendar, so I could remember where I found that hidden nettle patch next spring.

I’d start paying attention to the weather, the temperature, how much precipitation we were getting to determine if we’d have a late mushroom season or if I should head out to the woods to have a poke around. And although I’d known this before, back when I’d done forestry work with my father, I now lived and breathed these connections in nature—the symbiotic relationships that cause mushrooms to grow only under certain trees at a certain time of year with just the right weather conditions. I was no longer willfully ignorant or blind to the beauty of nature.

I started hunting with my husband, initially to spend more time with him

doing something he loved, but it also gave me greater control over what I fed my family, allowing me to connect more with food and nature. To have the buck stop with you, to make the decision to take another animal’s life is significant and, unfortunately, far less common than it once was. It has truly altered my perspective of life and death and the responsibility of it all after that. Every decision I make about food, wild or otherwise, has an impact, and for me, hunting forced an honest and open reckoning with my interactions with nature. That factory-farmed chicken from Save On bears no comparison to the bear I have hunted; I’ve just coopted the responsibility of husbandry and harvest from a third party.

My life had changed significantly from my childhood as a city girl and I wondered what exactly was the “right path” and about the power of fate. Is that just something we tell ourselves to justify our decisions and beg off ownership over our own lives?

Harold S Kushner said, “The small choices and decisions we make a hundred times a day add up to determining the kind of world we live in.”

My life was definitely the result of a series of small decisions, pushing me further and further from where I started, closer to a greater awareness and connectedness with nature and to my loved ones.

While I was in the kitchen, my husband burned the candle at both ends, working to build his training company, Silvercore, which he had started when we were first dating. I loved being a chef, but by the time our second child came along, I realized that my priorities had changed and I needed to redirect my energy into building my family and helping my husband with the business.

When my kids were old enough to go to school, I started working full time with my husband at Silvercore, but it was not without significant trepidation. I was no firearms expert, or teacher, or hunter. I had no military or law enforcement experience. But we already had those people working with us, so I put aside those nagging negative thoughts and returned to the process I had adopted many years prior, asking myself, “Would the future me be proud of the new skills I am learning? Am I able to make a positive difference for others?”

Although I hadn’t expected it, Silvercore allowed me to combine my love of food, foraging, hunting, fishing, and really just living and interacting in the outdoors with my work. I could take the things I loved to do and offer my knowledge and passion for service with others—and that gave me fulfillment. It didn’t hurt that the goal of Silvercore from the start was to offer unmatched value to the customer. It started to feel like my years of struggle, all that time

in the kitchen and the hundreds of hours researching and foraging food, had always meant to bring me here, to the point I’m at now with our business.

Earl Nightingale defined success as “the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.”

The path I’ve walked in life has brought me the benefit of sharing similar circles with like-minded people and organizations like the Wild Sheep Society of BC, whose core values align with my own. Groups that recognize that we do not hold dominion over the animals and natural world; rather, we are intrinsically intertwined and one with them, working toward the worthy goal of wild sheep conservation and giving back to others. We have a role to play in helping others connect with the wild and ensuring the harmony in nature is maintained.

And that’s what brought me to this point, standing on an insulated mat, binoculars in hand, the cold wind sharp against my cheek, with a whitetail buck that hasn’t shown himself yet. I still

have an hour left till last light and if he shows or not, there’s still tomorrow and the comforting realization that it’s more about my connection to this wild land, being here in the stiff cold snow

listening for the soft sounds of a wild buck, than the yield of a hunt.

Life has an interesting way of unfolding as it should, and I’m confident the path I’m on is where I’m meant to be.

n the follow-up to the 3rd Thinhorn Sheep Summit that recently took place in May 2022 up in Whitehorse YT, and with the ongoing changing landscape in wildlife management concerns here in British Columbia, an idea was born to do something similar for Wild Sheep in BC.

The decision was made by the BoD of WSSBC(with the help of others) to develop and host a BC Wild Sheep Summit with the idea that we needed to regionally address and create accountability around our Wild Sheep issues here.

In mid-November, after months of work by many truly dedicated folks, it all came to fruition as the inaugural BC Wild Sheep Summit was held at the Coast Hotel in Prince George, with one massive long-term objective in mind: To re-establish Wild Sheep populations to historic abundance across British Columbia.

Simple enough to say, but no small task to pull off.

Nevertheless, an intense three-day itinerary was built with six primary goals in mind:

1. Bring all interested stakeholders and titleholders together creating a collaborative approach to tackle present wild sheep challenges. These entities include First Nations, government, guide outfitters, industry, academia, the scientific community, funding partners and conservation organizations.

2. Establish a baseline of overall wild sheep population numbers including trends for each region across the province.

3. Rely on scientific and traditional knowledge to accurately identify specific limiting factors to wild sheep which may include herd health, predation, habitat, disease or other issues.

4. Provide region-specific working groups to identify the

leading challenges to wild sheep and more importantly provide action plans that address these concerns.

5. While threats to wild sheep will be identified and action plans generated, a long-term goal is to create a conduit for enhanced communication between all stakeholders and titleholders to ensure these action plans are implemented. We envision providing these action plans to the newly established Together For Wildlife Regional Roundtables and pressing for accountability that they are carried out in line with the S.M.A.R.T. goals principle.

6. Select media representatives have been invited with the goal of promoting the conservation efforts our community is making to ensure the sustainability of wild sheep in British Columbia.

Goal 1 was met easily enough as invitations were sent to as many relevant First Nations, government, guide outfitters, industry, academia, the scientific community, funding partners and conservation organizations as we were aware of. Surely we missed a few and you can bet our list will be longer for the next one, but overall our invitations were met with great results.

In total, 95 of us from every corner of the province(and beyond) and from many different backgrounds came together to tackle this monumental task, a massive first step in itself. It was repeatedly said by speakers throughout the Summit how important it was to have this many people from such a diversity of backgrounds involved in the Summit. It is by working together that we can achieve the greatest results and we saw very clearly that we all shared the same vision for healthy Wild

Sheep here in BC. It should be noted that the presence of staff from the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Trasportation and Infrastructure would be welcome additions to our regional working groups as Wild Sheep issues requiring their involvement are found throughout the province.

Goal 2 was tackled after the opening ceremonies as CoManagement presentations from both the First Nations AND Government perspectives, as well as presentations from regional Ministry staff provided us all with a general breakdown of the current status of our Wild Sheep, as best we know it.

Goals 3 and 4 are the meat and potatoes of this conservation dish and to achieve them all that we needed was the face to face dialogue we were about to embark on. In order to keep ourselves focused and actually accomplish something tangible at the end of the Summit, we broke down into regional working groups. WSSBC Board of Directors, as well as a number of volunteers, served as facilitators and notetakers in each group, with the task of keeping the dialogue open and focused, and collating the discussion into actionable items with timelines.

As one can imagine, the issues and priorities were different from region to region. Each group spent the afternoon discussing their concerns and developing strategies to solve them. We then finished off the working portion of the day by presenting each group’s findings to the whole Summit. Through this process, we were able to stay aware of each other’s progress and potentially find solutions to our own problems from another group.

After dinner, we had a screening of Transmission, our documentary film on Mycoplasma Ovipneumoniae made by Filter Studios. It was so great to share it with so many new people and we believe it made a positive impact. Many subsequent screenings were requested throughout the province that we hope to accomplish as soon as possible.

As with any Wild Sheep event, we had a bit of a social gathering to cap the night, where folks were able to mingle and converse about the day’s events and discussions while enjoying a beverage or two.

We were back at it again early the next day, breaking back into our regional working groups, this time to clean up and refine our previous day’s work. The discussions were heated at times for many groups because we all care so much about Wild Sheep and the places they live, but it always remained respectful and positive and true progress was made for many issues throughout the province.

After a couple of hours, the groups were again ready to share their regional issues and action plans to the main group with presentations being made by the WSSBC representatives from each group.

We wrapped up the Summit with closing remarks and a promise to collate and distribute a formalized action plan for the province, broken down by region. This summary is in the final editing phase as of this writing and should be publicly available by the time you are reading this.

As for what has happened in the few weeks since, the regional working groups that were formed during the Summit are continuing to work on their plans and implement action where they can. Additionally, many new contacts and organizations are being introduced to these groups as momentum for Wild Sheep conservation continues to grow organically.

For our members, as you’re the only ones reading this article, we didn’t know how this was going to go when we made the decision to give it a try but we felt it was worth it. I think I can speak for the rest of the Board when I say now that it most certainly was. It truly felt like progress was being made at each table because almost all the right people were at the table and for those present, they were all willing to set their differences aside for a common interest. Wild Sheep Forever.

If you would like more information on the Summit, please visit: https://www.wildsheepsociety.com/bcsummit/

by Mike McTee

unters spend plenty of time arguing about whether certain rifle calibers will do the job, but the topic of wound ballistics ought to enter the conversation too. Wound ballistics is a facet of terminal ballistics that describes what a bullet does after it hits hair. Bullet manufacturers advertise the wound ballistics caused by their bullets by tossing around phrases like “knock-down power” or “devastating terminal performance.” Yet understanding how a bullet accomplishes those feats can be tricky.

When you turn to shooting experts, they often cite personal experience and manufacturer testing. In some cases, they shoot bullets into ballistic gels or similar mediums intended to replicate animal or human tissue. These tests tell the shooter how well their bullet penetrates and retains weight, but ballistic gels lack skin, bone, and organs, all of which influence a bullet’s performance. Ultimately, a ballistic gel won’t tell the shooter if their bullet will drive past bone or blow apart and fail to penetrate.

In the last decade, however, scientists have been testing the theory of wound ballistics in wildlife. Researchers measured weight retention in bullets collected from hunter-harvested moose in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Researchers in Germany, using medical imaging techniques, measured wound diameters created by various bullets.

These studies have churned up surprising findings. Bonded lead bullets, which are designed to be tougher than lead core bullets, broke apart just as often as their more inexpensive counterparts. Are bonded bullets worth the extra cost? Also, lead and copper bullets created similar-sized wound channels. These results allow us to skip the personal anecdotes and zoom straight to the data.

BALLISTIC THEORY BEHIND THE HAIR

The science of wound ballistics started with forensic and military research. Dr. Joe Caudell, a biologist at Murry State University, applied this science to wildlife. At the time, he worked for Wildlife Services, a branch of the United States Department of Agriculture that deals with conflicts between humans and wildlife. They often manage animals in tight spots,

like in urban areas, where they can’t afford a stray bullet. Like hunters, they must understand bullet performance.

Caudell found that shot placement matters in his 2013 review of the wound ballistic literature in the academic journal Wildlife Society Bulletin. For big game to die instantly, the bullet must strike the central nervous system. But for most hunters, aiming for the brain or spine doesn’t give enough room for error; an ill-placed bullet or sudden movement from the animal could cause a miss or a wounding. This is why instructors in hunter education classes teach students to target the heart and lungs where an animal will die quickly from blood loss.

This illustration compared the different terminal ballistics of two bullet types, adapted from “Review of Wound Ballistics Research and Its Applicability to Wildlife Management”, by J.N. Caudell, 2013, Wildlife Society Bulletin, 37, pp. 824-831. DOI: 10.1002/wsb.311

Dr. Caudell argues that bullets kill two primary ways. First, they create a central cavity, sometimes called a permanent cavity or wound channel, as they crush and tear tissue. Bullets that have greater diameters create wider wound channels, but it’s also critical for bullets to expand, or “mushroom”, which is driven by bullet velocity and construction. Penetration depth

plays an important role, too, because longer wound channels mean more damage to vital organs and greater blood loss.

The second way a bullet causes damage is by creating a temporary cavity. As a bullet penetrates elastic tissue, such as muscle and lungs, tissue separates from the wound channel as if a balloon was rapidly being blown-up from the inside. Slow-motion videos of ballistics gels being shot demonstrate the concept well. Bullets that have blunt shapes or travel at high velocities produce the largest temporary cavities, and when the size of the cavity exceeds the elastic limits of the tissue, the tissue tears and the size of the central cavity grows. This explains why small game, like prairie dogs, seemingly vaporize when shot with high-velocity rounds (e.g. .220 Swift; >4000 fps).

When considering big game, temporary cavities cause more damage to less elastic organs that can’t undergo significant stress, like a kidney or heart. In cases where a bullet fragments, the fragments could, in theory, increase the size of the wound channel by damaging tissues under strain by the temporary cavity.

Bullets may destroy tissue in other ways, such as by creating a shock wave, which is a type of sound wave also used in medicine to break up kidney stones. Shock waves travel through liquid filled tissues without displacing mass, so many researchers believe they cause too little tissue damage, if any, to be considered a main factor toward incapacitation.

BOILING DOWN BULLET CONSTRUCTION

Even though hunters use dozens (if not hundreds) of different rifle cartridges in various calibers, bullet construction generally falls into several broad categories that researchers compare. They usually include lead core, bonded lead, and copper. These categories don’t encompass all bullet constructions, such as partition bullets, but they represent the majority used by hunters. Of these three main bullet constructions, lead core bullets are currently the most common and inexpensive. The lead core often extends past a copper or copper alloy jacket mantel (aka jacket), although some bullets have a polymer tip instead. A downside of lead core bullets is that they can have issues with

Cross sections of a lead core bullet (left) and copper bullets (right). Photo credit: Conservation Media

post-impact weight retention that may limit penetration.

The components of bonded lead bullets resemble those of lead core bullets, but the bonded variety have their jacket chemically bonded to the core. This construction makes a bullet that should be tougher and retains weight better than a lead core bullet, but it often comes at a steeper price.

Copper bullets, also called monolithic bullets, are harder than lead, so they retain nearly all their mass upon impact. Hunters can expect long wound channels even with lighter bullets. The tips of the bullets often have a hollow cavity or polymer tip that aids in expansion. Traditionally, these bullets priced similar to premium bonded bullets, but presently, their cost and availability has vastly improved.

WEIGHT RETENTION, PENETRATION, AND EXPANSION ON SCANDINAVIAN MOOSE

COMPARING WOUND DIAMETERS

In a study published in Science of the Total Environment in 2013, Anna Trinogga and her colleagues at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin, Germany, measured wound diameters in hunted animals shot with a variety of lead or copper bullets.

They examined a smorgasbord of animals, including wild boar, roe deer, red deer, fallow deer and chamois. The researchers used computed tomography–which is basically X-ray imagery taken from different angles–to produce a crosssectional image of the bullet trauma in each carcass. They estimated and compared wound diameters created by different bullets based on the imagery and direct observations.

Remarkably, the diameters of wound channels didn’t differ between lead core and copper bullets. If copper bullets had wider expansion, as discussed previously, it didn’t result in wider wound channels. Also, even though bullet fragments could, in theory, create new channels that further destroy tissue that’s under strain by the temporary cavity, the study found no evidence that fragments increased the size of the central wound channel.

In a 2017 study published in Wildlife Society Bulletin, Dr. Sigbjørn Stokke, from the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, and his colleagues examined the weight retention of bullets used on moose in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Over 5000 hunters sent the researchers information about the rifle caliber and ammunition they used, as well as other details about their hunt. If hunters recovered a bullet from the moose, they mailed it to the researchers to be weighed.

When caliber classes were combined, weight retention by each bullet category varied drastically. Copper bullets retained more weight (85-100%) than lead core (73-82%) or bonded lead bullets (76-90%).

Lead bullets, in general, retained less weight when they struck bone (~71%) compared to soft tissue (~77%). Bonded bullets retained more weight on soft tissue than lead core bullets, but surprisingly their jackets separated from their core as often as lead core bullets. This finding upends the whole point of using pricier bonded bullets that supposedly come with a performance advantage. A glaring question remains. Does bullet fragmentation limit penetration?

The researchers answered that question in a 2019 study published in Ambio. Even though lead bullets lost more mass, they passed through moose just as often as copper bullets. The researchers also found that bullet construction played no role in the distance that moose and other big game fled after being shot

So, does bullet type even matter? When researchers measured bullet expansion, copper bullets tended to be broader than lead bullets. In theory, a wider bullet would rip through more tissue to create a larger wound channel, but does that theory hold up under field testing?

The researchers gleaned other useful findings too. The sizes of entry holes were drastically smaller than the diameter of internal damage. For instance, the average diameter of entry holes were often less than half an inch, yet the estimated means of internal wound diameters ranged from 1.5–2.5 inches. Exit holes were often about 7–8 square inches and didn’t differ based on whether they were created by a lead or copper bullet.

SHOOTING STRAIGHT ABOUT THE SCIENCE

Conducting wound ballistic research in wildlife presents challenges. One obstacle is generating a sample size large enough to see statistical differences. This is tough when each shot might have a different distance, angle, and path through the animal. It’s important to note that many of the shot distances in these studies were less than 150 yards. Longer shots might yield different velocities and impact energies, depending on bullet type, cartridge, and caliber, which would affect bullet performance. Another potential limitation of the studies is that within each bullet category (e.g. lead core, copper), researchers included many brands of bullets that may have performed differently. Even though grouping various bullets into categories might slightly limit a study’s applicability, these results still provide the best evidence yet of how hunting bullets perform on big game.

Maybe this won’t help you choose the next bullet you chamber, but it might help you interpret the mechanics of how that bullet performs on your next hunt. And if most bullets perform similarly upon impact, perhaps we should focus on shot placement, because in the end, a fancy bullet won’t save bad aim.

Bullets recovered by moose hunters in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Photo credit: Lasse Botten

Monarch Platinum: (30) Don Lynum (9) Omer Hrbinic (12) John Davies (79) Tom Foss

Monarch Gold: (1) David Heitsman (17) Malcolm Bachand (10) Daryll Hosker (31) Bill Pastorek (24) Mike Southin (2) Frank Miles (29) Erik Skaaning (94) Cameron Foss (96) Adam Foss

Monarch Silver: (4) David Hale (21) Jeff Glaicar (41) Steven Rochon (37) Peter Gutsche (52) Terry Earl (58) Nolan Wannop (15) Chad Rattenbury (49) Adam Janke (45) Rob Englot (6) Kyle Stelter (33) Oliver Busby (78) Trevor Querel (8) Kevin Hurley (55) Chris Barker (84) Jeffrey Brown (85) Casey Cawston (53) Benjamin Matthews (92) Joey Prevost (56) Scott Albrechtsen (64) Ricky Roman (108) Barry “Bear” Brandow (83) Jesse Wuerch

Monarch: (3) Barry Watson (5) Darryn Epp (7) Waylon Vipond (11) Ken Kitzman (13) Gray Thornton (50) Lawrence van der Peet (14) Brad Moore (16) Colin Peters (18) Chase Oswald (19) Rodney Zeeman (20) Josh Hamilton (23) Foster Thorpe -Doubble (22) Korey Green (25) Kelly Cioffi (26) Fred Vitali (27) Carlos Dionisio (28) John Woodcock (32) Nathan French (34) Neil Armsworthy (35) Stefan Bachmann (36) Rebecca Peters (38) Justin Leung (39) Sean Davidson (40) Rod Deighton (42) Robin Routledge (43) Kyle Southgate (44) Mike Kirk (46) David Pearse (47) Frank Briglio (48) Chris Wheeler (51) Branden Adams (53) Ben Matthews (54) David Heathfield (56) Scott Albrechtsen (57) Clint Gill (59) Ben Berukoff (60) Greg Rensmaag (61) JT Hansen (62) Jeff Agostinho (63) Mike Tomlinson (64) Ricky Roman (65) Stu Rhodes (66) Sabrina Larsen (67) Magnus Mussfield (68) Rhett Pedersen (69) Darren Thomson (70) Dean Bergen (71) Glen Cartwright (72) Levi Reid (73) Nick Negrini (74) Craig Stolle (75) Glen Watkins (76) Caelin Folsom (77) Jonathan Proctor (80) Jeff Jackson (81) Nolan Osborne (82) Steve Hamilton (86) Greg Nalleweg (87) Darcy East (88) Daniel Mclaren (89) Russ Burmatoff (90) Devon Stuart (91) Tyler Sawicki (92) Joey Prevost (93) Don Willimont (95) Mark Gushattey (97) Melanie Stelter (98) Arnold Zwiers (99) Gabriel Krahn (100) Michael Surbey (101) Kyle Noble (102) Alex Kairouz (103) Ben Stourac (104) Chuck Peeling (105) Kyle Burritt (106) Anthony Klubi (107) Jonathan Viel (109) Don Stevenson (110) Joe Eppele (111) Michel Beaulieu (112) Andrea Mussfeld (113) Ryan Jones (114) Dale Hislop (115) Jamie Bowe (116) Justin Bunce (117) Marty Thomas (118) Leighton Garfield

Thank you to our Monarchs for elevating us to new heights!

December 15, 2022. The Wild Sheep Foundation is incredibly excited to now offer our Canadian members and supporters a charitable giving opportunity.

We have recently partnered with two charities, the Mountain Wildlife Conservation Society (the preferred charity of the Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia) and the Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta Chapter-a registered charitable society itself.

Through this agreement, Canadian members can join WSF’s Marco Polo and/or Chadwick Ram giving Societies and direct their donations to either of these Canada Revenue Agency-registered charities and, as such, will benefit from a charitable tax receipt in Canada. The Wild Sheep Foundation will, in turn, recognize these contributions as a commitment to our giving Societies for the Wild Sheep Foundation.

Donations made to either or both of these amazing charities through our giving programs will enjoy all the recognition and benefits that the Marco Polo and Chadwick Ram Societies offer. Please note that while charitable receipts are available through these programs, Wild Sheep Foundation contributions to a raffle, belt buckle, Patron Sponsor, and other programs do not qualify. This is unavoidable due to restrictions in place under Canada Revenue Agencies’ charitable directorate.

To participate in this program, contact Development Manager Paige Culver at Wild Sheep Foundation World Headquarters for more details. Ms. Culver can be reached at pculver@wildsheepfoundation.org or directly by telephone at 406-404-8758.

The Wild Sheep Foundation’s purpose is to Put and Keep Wild Sheep on the Mountain®. Consistent with our mission, this new agreement offers our valued Canadian members an opportunity to participate in charitable giving and reduce their tax burden through conservation. We continue to invest in the wild sheep resources across the landscape and are excited to work with the Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta Chapter and the Mountain Wildlife Conservation Society.

ictionaries and news agencies proclaim “the word of the year”. One of 1Campfire’s words of the year is collaboration. According to good old Merriam-Webster, collaborate means to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor; to cooperate with an agency with which it is not immediately connected. Seems so simple until you add perspectives, opinions, and points of view. 1Campfire exists to bring people that love the outdoors together – all people; to inspire constructive dialogue while tackling tough subjects. To truly collaborate, amongst other things, 1Campfire strives to bridge the gap between hunters and non-hunters. If we can change the perspective of one person, that’s a success. Because that one person, just might become a champion for hunters and 1Campfire.

In the past year, 1Campfire has produced 19 Campfire Conversation podcasts that have reached thousands of people. According to Spotify, Campfire Conversations were in the top 15% most shared globally and top 20% most followed podcasts. If you’re not listening to Campfire Conversations, you should. Jonathan Proctor, or more fondly known as JP, Steve Hamilton and outstanding guests make an hour fly by.

Guests have included:

● Steph Nikas, longtime vegetarian who is married to a hunter.

● Logan Young, Executive Director of Bear Trust International.

● Son of the South, Josh Carney.

The I Hunt and I Forage series continue to be well received. Former NHL star, Brendan Morrison provided a wonderful insight in a recent I Hunt video. Videos are regularly showcased on Facebook and Instagram. Beyond the videos, 1Campfire posts almost every day on Instagram and Facebook. Our reach continues to grow. Each time you like, follow, hashtag, tag @1Campfire… you help spread our message. Again –collaboration, any bit helps.

You might be surprised to know that recipes and food related stories/ posts tend to be the most popular. 1Campfire hopes to continue this trend with a new video series – Cooking Wild: Kootenays. This series highlights activities, consumptive or not, pointing to our connection to nature through food. This series is about connecting, not hunting – Fishing with JP, Taina goes Grouse Hunting, and Foraging with Jade. It’s a fantastic series that could be a template for future locations.

Speaking of JP... Jonathan Proctor has been chair of the 1Campfire committee since early 2020. His leadership during the pandemic and beyond was outstanding. With a booming optometry practice and a very busy family, Jonathan stepped down as chair late this fall. We can’t thank JP enough and we are so thankful he will remain on the committee. Current committee members, Jann Demaske and Jesse Bone have been appointed as chair and vice chair, respectively. As a committee, we are committed to the mission of 1Campfire. With all that is happening in the world, imagine if we could have common ground, literally the ground itself.

by Kaden Romain

t was only the morning of day two. The alarm went off just before daylight as we lay motionless under the tipi suddenly remembering that we were not at home anymore. We were in the mountains of BC, the place many of us dream about for 300+ days a year. As we lay there still waking up, we heard a distant elk bugle over the ridge. Rolling over in my sleeping bag, I could see my father grinning ear to ear while taking it all in. No better morning alarm than the scream of a bull elk.

It was mid-September and the plan was to head back into the mountains in search of sheep for a week followed by spending the remainder of the time looking around for an Elk. A few minutes later we heard him again, except he sounded closer this time. We thought it was just the direction he was bugling so we really paid it no attention and continued to wake up and roll out of the sleeping bags. Today we were headed deep into the Sheep Mountains. With a 9-12 hour hike ahead of us, we thought an early start would be best. About 3 minutes later, we heard him again… and he was CLOSE! We suddenly realized that he was coming straight for us and quickly. We rushed out of the tent and began to put our pants and boots on. Not even 2 minutes after we scrambled out of the tent and before we could get our boots on, we look up on the hillside and there he was! Staring straight down into camp is a mature bull elk, frothing at the mouth and covered in remnants of Elk wallow! We were completely caught off guard as it all happened so fast! Dad and I grabbed our rifles leaning on the tree next to us and took aim. Strangely enough the elk was not too interested in us scrambling around at 80 yards and seemed to be looking just past us. As fate would have it, we had a foldable cow elk decoy leaning against a tree in camp facing the hillside above our tent and that had his utmost attention. Unintentionally that was just the way it was facing when we leaned it against a tree before going to bed. When he finally realized that he shouldn’t be standing there it was too late. The bark of the 338 faded as the bull slid down the dewy hillside to rest only 80 yards from our tent. What a morning! Neither of us had even got our boots tied yet and we had a beautiful 6 point bull elk needing to be packed out.

Fast forward a day later and after numerous full game bags we were charging into sheep country. First it’s the excitement that carries you forward. The anticipation of what’s to come. Then as the fatigue sets in and the muscles cramp it’s the mental fortitude that pushes you ahead. It doesn’t seem to matter how much you’ve trained,

how many weighted packs you’ve done or how many times you’ve walked to the top of the mountain behind your house. Sheep hunting will always push you. Slow and steady we crested the first ridge and into the alpine. It was a beautiful day and we were ahead of schedule. With a small water break and a look at the surrounding country we hit the trail again to get over the next ridge, and hopefully the one after that before nightfall. We spotted a few ewes and lambs along the way but nothing to get too excited about. Six hours later had my father and I making a moss bed to pitch the tent over. Any added cushion is a welcome addition to the Thermarest. It was a beautiful evening. The sun was starting to get low and the golden light was hitting the mountains all around. Across the way we could see several bands of sheep, some even containing rams but nothing that had the “mature” look to it. We would continue to watch

them over the next few days to make sure the big one wasn’t hiding out with them. We both enjoyed our freeze dried dinners and cleaned up for the night. It was a calm and relatively warm evening and not a cloud in the sky.

Now I am by no means an expert sheep hunter as compared to many. But at 10-15 years of experience, a couple podcasts, reading books or even talking with any aged sheep hunter will tell you the one basic rule: Don’t stand on the skyline! After spending the past hour high on the ridge making our camp away from the skyline, cooking our dinner, and talking with my dad, I started to get comfortable and got complacent. We were glassing sheep several kilometres away and had already glassed all of the country closest to us many times before making camp. No sheep around. I distinctly remember standing up to stretch my legs, remarking to Dad how beautiful this country was and that there

could be a ram ANYWHERE here, since we were right in the middle of sheep heaven. It was exactly then I looked down the rock chute directly in front of me and saw it. The unmistakable shape of sheep walking out from a hiding hole in the mountain. And they weren’t just any sheep. They were big bodied and dark in colour with horns visible to the naked eye at 300 yards. I hit the ground like a sack of bricks! There were rams under us the entire evening and we had NO idea! As I peeked over the edge with my binoculars I saw that none of the band was looking in our direction but working across a shale slide to a patch of grass below us on the mountain. I immediately motioned Dad over and let him know we had rams spotted. It was clear to see that the lead ram was legal. He stopped multiple times giving us every good angle we could have asked for. A brief moment later and we confirmed he was beyond legal by both age and curl. The quiet of the mountain was disturbed, if only for a moment. As quickly as it started it was all over and the ram lay motionless in the creek bottom below. What a feeling. We hadn’t even been in the alpine for a full day and the sheep tag was notched!

After a few hugs and high fives we knew that we had a long night ahead of us. It was probably going to be dark by the time we got down to the ram as he slid much farther down into the chute than we had hoped for. We got to the ram and made quick work of deboning and caping him out under the headlamps. It was then a case of making it back up what seemed like the entire mountain we had spent today climbing. With one heavy pack and one lightweight pack we switched back and forth going up. It was slow going and had pockets of snow along the way, but we made it. By the time we got back to the tent it was well into the night and temperatures were plummeting! We could tell it was going to be a very cold night. Fortunately a few sips of rye had us warmed up as we tucked into our bags and set the meat away from the tent to cool off for the night! We were sure tired out but tomorrow was a camp day.

We had nothing to do but rest the legs and finish caping the ram. Boy, did we sleep well that night! We were so very fortunate to have things work out like they did.

Waking up in the morning found us with a fresh skiff of snow. We slept in, finished working on the ram and spent the day keeping warm, drinking coffee and glassing the surrounding hillsides. We saw a number of sheep over the next 2 days but nothing that piqued our interest. We watched a wolverine run an entire ridge in about 4 minutes that took us 1 hour to walk. He then proceeded to “belly slide”, “barrel roll” and “cartwheel” down a snowy chute that would have killed a human. He descended the entire mountain in just a few minutes and disappeared into the forest below. What an amazing creature! After some discussion we decided to head back to base camp and spend the next few days just enjoying our time in the mountains. Sometimes you can get so caught up in the chase of the quarry you don’t take the time to enjoy the rest of the trip. Returning to base camp we discovered the elk carcass had been dragged away by what we assumed was a Grizzly bear, pulling it straight up a

hill only 100 yards from camp. That was an impressive feat considering it was almost too heavy for Dad and I to drag away from our camp on level ground. Lesson Learned: Shooting an elk right in camp seems like a great idea until you realize you’re bringing the apex predator of the mountains into camp as well. But you can’t always pick where they end up. We were extremely careful that night as we gathered the remainder of our base camp supplies and headed away from the site, giving us some good room between where the carcass was and our camp. Despite our best efforts, the bear decided to pay us a visit during the night after sneaking into our campfire and giving us all the adrenaline rush of our lives. After a few tense moments he left into the darkness never to been seen again but still leaving us with a sleepless night keeping the campfire stoked and our boots on. That would be the final adrenaline rush of the trip as the next days were filled with eating elk and sheep backstrap, drinking glacial water and taking in views that many would dream of seeing.

The hunt was over and it was a success any way you looked at it! Until next time.

This big bull pushed out a little bull just to get after some hot 2 legged cow (me). Luckily for me, he presented a 30y shot and I managed to squeak an arrow through the brush into his vitals.

– Justin Balzer

2021 Bill-Tron9000 (AKA Bill Murray)

The entire valley was snow covered. I was wearing a white Tyvek suit, with my rifle held behind my back to conceal it every time I stepped from behind the trees. I had to carry this guy out solo, it was quite interesting.

2022 Bill-Tron9000 (AKA Bilbo Baggins)

Crampons, ice axes, ropes, and harnesses- I had never thought those words were going to be in my “Hunting” vocabulary until I began chasing long haired goats in late fall. My pal and I had an incredible fun time hunting this handsome man.

– Rick Major

In early 2021, I booked a management cougar hunt with my friend Ben Stourac of Arcadia Outfitting because I wanted to do my part for conservation along the Fraser River given the M.ovi issues they are contending with. My good friend Nolan Osborne tagged along for the adventure where, thanks to some awesome hounds, I was able to harvest this beautiful female in prime sheep and deer winter range.

– Peter Gutsche (WSSBC Director)

Spring Bear is one of my favourite hunts every year. Whether hunting coastal estuaries, interior cut blocks, or high alpine bowls, there are usually plenty of bears to be found and great memories to share with friends. Last spring I took this young boar with a classic pre-64 Model 70 in 270 win, and two great friends.

– Nolan Osborne

Members, send us your hunt story (~50 words plus a picture or two) to communications@wildsheepsociety.com.

n 2017, I set a personal goal to harvest an old ram. A very old ram. This goal took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and on a five-year quest. If only I could resist the temptations that would haunt me. I just knew I’d see some monster rams and have a hard time walking away. I’ve hunted the Talkeetna Mountains for most of my life, a place that produces very good horn growth, even though, in my opinion, it has harsher winter climates than most of the other mountain ranges sheep inhabit. And it is not uncommon to find long rams six to seven years old.

Every year I found myself leaving the familiar drainages I had been successful in previous years with a similar feeling. It is not an easy thing to locate a legal ram and leave them on the mountain, let alone do so on multiple occasions. The time off work and away from family, not to mention the expense to chase sheep, plays such a big role in how we measure success. I was determined not to let that sway me from my goal.

The winters were the toughest, as that is when most sheep hunters begin to dream about the next hunting season. I questioned my intent, pondering if it was realistic. I fought with my inner self, knowing I very easily could have had three or four more nice rams on the wall had I not set this difficult goal for myself. Many people suggested, “The years of letting sheep grow old are over.” But I continued to respectfully disagree. In 2021 I reached out to an old friend who happened to have a

guiding operation in an area where the climate was favourable to produce old rams. We discussed my goal and he immediately invited me to come up and hunt his area. The logistics alone make the area one of the hardest to access in Alaska, and I soon found myself flying into a high alpine strip well above 6000 feet in elevation. I would spend the next 10 days scaling glacial rock and carrying a heavy pack in hopes of fulfilling my goal of finding an old ram.

As most sheep hunts go, locating the ram was the easy part. It’s the waiting that is the true test. Sitting in the snow, rain and fog for five days under a tarp or tucked away in the tent before the ram gave a playable hand was, without doubt, the longest I’ve ever waited on an animal to move. You could argue this ram had 17 years of knowing what kept him safe, and as most old timers of this world he was in absolutely no hurry to go far. Ultimately, as an old sheep guide once told me, “Give a ram three days and he’ll make a mistake.” Although it took a bit longer, that statement held true. Fast forward to the flight home from my 2021 sheep hunt. After five long years of trying, I was carrying with me what would soon be revealed as one of the oldest Thinhorn sheep ever harvested in North America. It is near-impossible to describe how it feels when everything comes together on a sheep hunt, let alone the sense of achievement I felt in setting this goal and seeing it through.

by Todd Bumgardner

ig game seasons are winding down. It’s hunting post-season. As much of a bummer as that is, most of us already have our eyes on next year’s hunts. That means it’s time to start physically prepping for them. If you want to be ready for the mountain next fall, there are some simple things that you can do now to set yourself up for success.

oxygen and nutrients to your bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. More nutrients mean better recovery.

Discussing nervous system tone may seem overly fancy for a hunting training article, but it’s important to understand if you want to get the most out of your body. Our autonomic nervous system is in a constant flux between sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest). Your autonomic nervous system controls your heart rate—jacking it up when necessary, and slowing it down, as well.

Before jumping into strategies and tactics, let’s talk about the outcomes we want to produce with our immediate post-season training.

Goal number one is to recover from a season of treating your body like a pack mule, hauling your carcass all over creation.

Goal number two is to prep for the off-season training to come—so that when it’s time to get after it again, your body is prepared. That means you’ll adapt to training better and decrease your chance of injuring yourself during intense training. It will also allow you to do more work in training— so that you can be in better shape for next season. Keep these two goals in mind as we talk about strategies and tactics.

Cardiac Output Training

If you’ve read my other training article, you might be thinking, “Man, this friggin’ guy sneaks cardiac output training into every article!” You’d be pretty much correct so far, but I’m not sneaking. This kind of training is so essential, yet so counterintuitive to what most hunters are taught about how to train, that I have to keep talking about it. In the current context, it’s about blood flow, nervous system tone, and work capacity.

Cardiac output training increases the amount of blood that the heart pushes out with each beat. More blood out means more

Since cardiac output training increases the amount of blood that your heart can pump out with each stroke, it keeps you from going too far toward the sympathetic end of the spectrum because your heart rate won’t need to elevate as much during other types of training.

The prolonged, slow stimulation of the body also lowers the nervous system tone from the likely more sympathetic tone you’re living in from stress on the mountain and daily life.

As an added effect, your work capacity increases because it takes more stress to jack up your heart rate—as well as by increasing the efficiency with which your muscles receive nutrients to recover. So, cardiac output training is an essential bridge between recovering from the season and beginning the build toward the next season. Hitting two sessions of forty-five to sixty minutes per week post-season is a great idea. (P.S. It should be in your training program year-round. The amount just changes.)

Bodyweight Isometrics

Tendons, ligaments, muscles, and the joints that connect them all get thrashed during tough hunting seasons. They need the training to repair them after all the heck we put them through. In addition, they need prepping for the future heck of offseason training. Isometrics helps with both.

Isometrics helps strengthen tendons because of time under tension. In most strength training, tendons aren’t under tension

long enough to get the best possible training effect. But the continued tension of an isometric hold gets them the work that they need.

When done correctly, they also strengthen your joints at their greatest and smallest ranges of motion. For example, if you hold the bottom position of the push-up, you’re strengthening the front of your shoulders at the extreme stretch position, and the back of your shoulders in the extreme shortened position. This is important because most of the injuries we sustain are at one extreme or the other. Holding isometrics tells the brain, as well as the body, that you can handle that position and decreases your chance of injury. (Or, at the very least, decreases the severity of the injury.

I’ve seen the following positions provide the best results with isometric training: ● Lunge ● Push-up ● Row ● Squat ● Bar Hang

Doing multiple sets of 30 at the end of a strength workout, splitting up the positions throughout the week, is a solid way to fit them in. They also fit well into a warm-up.

Movement and Mobility Training

Let’s keep the discussion on joint health going. Like cardiac output, I talk about mobility training a lot. Because, like cardiac output training, it’s neglected but critical… especially if you want to be mountain hunting into your later years.

I’ve mentioned CARs before. CARs stands for Controlled Articular Rotations. That means taking your joint through a full range of motion, in a big circle, with some tension—as if you’re trying to pull it through the air.

I use CARs in my hunting performance programs year-round, but I think they’re especially important post-season. Like isometrics, they’ll help repair some of the damage done to your joints while you tried to break yourself on the mountain this season. But they also set the course for healthy joints in the future. A quick YouTube search will provide you CARs examples for every joint in your body.

They fit great into a warm-up before strength training. But I also recommend doing them every day, first thing in the morning, for your hips, shoulders, spine, and ankles. One set of a few reps each should be sufficient, and it’ll only take you a few minutes to get them done. I do them while my coffee is brewing.

You’d also do well to include a mobility specific training day in your weekly plan. Performing multiple sets of CARs in circuit form for each joint in the body works well. Do them before doing your cardiac output training, and you’ll feel right at the end of that training session.

Volume Accumulation Training

As you transition from the immediate post-season into the offseason, work capacity is the name of the game. To be prepped for next season’s hunts, you’re going to do a lot of training throughout the winter, spring, and summer. You’re not going to be able to work as hard or for as long if your body doesn’t have the requisite work capacity. Cardiac output, and other aerobic training methods, help. But I have another favorite: volume accumulation training.

Here’s how it works: you set a total amount of reps for a bodyweight exercise to be done during a day, and then do that amount. All of the reps should be easy and fast, and you should never feel fatigued. For example, the goal is 100 push-ups a day. You’ll break that up into easy sets of five to ten reps done between the time you wake up and the time you go to bed.

Not only will accruing all of the volume improve your work capacity, but it will also give you tons of practice to improve your skill with the exercises. Beyond that, it trains you to prep for bouts of work broken up throughout the day. Think, glassing then walking. Glassing then walking again. Volume accumulation training is a general way to begin preparing for

the specific demands of backcountry hunting. Any bodyweight exercise works. My favorites are push-ups, chin-ups, and reverse lunges.

Start with setting a goal of 50 to 100 reps for a given day. For the first month, keep the same amount of reps. During the second month, increase the number of reps by ten or so per week.

I’ll usually pair volume accumulation training with cardiac output training. Meaning that I also do my volume accumulation training on the days I do my cardiac output training. It’s solid one-two of work capacity.

Basic Strength Training at Moderate Intensity

Along with all of the joint repair and capacity building, it’s also time to start rebuilding the strength lost during hunting season. Strength is the keystone to longevity—it’s the quality that all others are built on. So, your off-season training should include plenty of it. But as a former powerlifter, I can tell you that it’s easily overemphasized and overdone. We need strength, but we need to be sensible about it.

During your post-hunting season training, strength training should be done at moderate volumes and moderate intensities (volume meaning the amount that you do, and intensity meaning how heavy the weight is). With my hunting performance clients, we keep strength training around a @7 on the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale.

Here’s the full scale:

@10: Maximal Effort. No reps left in the tank.

@9: Heavy Effort. Could have done one more rep.

@8: Could have done two or three more reps.

@7: Bar speed is “snappy” if maximal force is applied.

@6: Bar speed is “snappy” with moderate effort.

@7 can also mean that you leave about four reps in the tank at the end of each set. So, if you’re doing a set of five, choose a weight that you could do about nine reps with.

Toward the end of the post-season (about eight weeks or so), and as you transition into off-season training, you can start to up the intensity to some sets of @8.

There’s no sense in going too heavy too fast and hurting yourself. Also, you can get stronger without using maximal weights all the time. Leave reps in the tank and live to fight another day.

Conclusion

The main goals of post-season hunting training are recovery and preparation. Keeping those goals in mind, we use simple tactics that work to meet them. Use the tactics in this article for the next eight weeks or so and you’ll be better prepped for an off-season of solid training.

Todd Bumgardner, MS is an author, coach, and outdoorsman. He’s a performance coach for a Tier 1 tactical unit while also co-owning a gym (Beyond Strength Performance NOVA) and a mentorship program for coaches and trainers called Strength Faction. He splits his time between Northern Virginia and Central Pennsylvania, and when he’s not at either of those places, he’s traveling to hunt or fish.