Wild Sheep Society of BC Magazine is published four times per year for the Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia by
Sportscene Publications Inc.
10450 - 174 Street Edmonton, Alberta T5S 2G9 Ph: 780.413.0331 Fax 780.413.0388 Email: info@sportscene.ca www.sportscene.ca
Fall 2026 Issue Editor in Chief Kyle Stelter (CEO) Editors Peter Gutsche Nolan Osborne Bill Pastorek Contributors Larisa Murdoch Helen Schwantje, DVM Design & Layout Sportscene Publications Inc. Printing Elite Lithographers Co. Ltd. Editorial Submissions Please submit articles and photos to kstelter@wildsheepsociety.com No portion of Wild Sheep Society of BC Magazine may be copied or reproduced without the prior written consent of the Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia. The views and opinions expressed by the authors of the articles in Wild Sheep Society of BC Magazine are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 43363024
Board of Directors.......................................................................................5 President’s Message...................................................................................6 Donor Spotlight: Tysen Bjorn of Custom Pack Rigging...............................8 Fraser River Sheep Counts 2026..............................................................10 Together for Sheep: Building on Decades of Knowledge, Relationships and Action...........................................................................14 2026 Wild Sheep Jurassic Classic............................................................18 A Woman’s Journal: A Sheep Hunter’s Journey........................................24 Paddles.....................................................................................................30 Black Rock................................................................................................36 Ramfest 2027............................................................................................42 Women Shaping Conservation: Elevate 2026...........................................46 Half Curl Youth Life Members....................................................................50 Hilleberg Soulo Black Label Tent Review..................................................56 Monarch Members....................................................................................58 Member Highlights....................................................................................62 Dream Rams: John (Jack) Fannin.............................................................64
Cover photo by Trent Woloschuk
Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to
Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia
27009 Fraser Highway Aldergrove, BC V4W 3L6 www.wildsheepsociety.com Printed in Canada
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WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
Chief Executive Officer – Kyle Stelter 250-619-8415 ● kstelter@wildsheepsociety.com
Secretary – Colin Peters 604-833-5802 ● colin.peters12@gmail.com
President – Greg Rensmaag 604-209-4543 ● rensmaag_Greg@hotmail.com
Treasurer – Joe Humphries 250-230-5313 ● joseph_humphries@hotmail.com
Vice-President – Chris Barker 250-883-3112 ● barkerwildsheep@gmail.com
Past President – Korey Green kgreen@wildsheepsociety.com
Vice-President – Peter Gutsche 250-328-5224 ● pgutsche@wildsheepsociety.com
Taylor Dutka 250-219-8289 taylordutka99@gmail.com
Justin Kallusky 236-331-6765 kallusky@hotmail.com
James Mitton 778-808-9001 jamesmitton15@gmail.com
Joe Eppele 647-986-3859 joe.eppele@gmail.com
Benjamin Matthew MD 778-558-0996 ben.matthew@ubc.ca
Mike Southin 604-240-7337 msouthin@telus.net
Ken Jyrkkanen 250-319-7759 Email: kjyrkkanen@gmail.com
Matt McCabe 250-320-6048 mattmccabe.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
Jurassic Classic Kyle Stelter ● 250 619-8415 ● kstelter@wildsheepsociety.com Raffles Joe Humphries ● 250-230-5313 ● joseph_humphries@hotmail.com Women Shaping Conservation Rebecca Peters ● 778-886-3097 ● rebeccaanne75@gmail.com
Hunter Heritage Committee Chair: Jann Demaske ● 970-539-8742 demaskes@msn.com
Bookkeeper Kelly Cioffi ● 778-908-3634 kelly@dkccompany.com
Indigenous Relations Committee Chair: Peter Gutsche ● 250-328-5224 pgutsche@wildsheepsociety.com
Executive Assistant Hana Erikson ● 604-690-9555 exec@wildsheepsociety.com
Membership Committee Chair: Matt McCabe ● 250-320-6048 mattmccabe.wssbc@gmail.com
Hunting Expo Coordinator Kris Wrathall ● 604-340-4903 kwrathall@wildsheepsociety.com
Projects Committee Chair: Chris Barker ● 250-883-3112 barkerwildsheep@gmail.com
Projects Administrator Nicole Barker ● 250-361-5734 projects@wildsheepsociety.com
WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
Danny Coyne Darryn Epp Trevor Carruthers
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s I write this, I am only a couple of days out of the bush from a sheep hunt in the beautiful backcountry of British Columbia. The mountains have a way of humbling a man. They have a way of stripping away the noise, the schedules and the distractions of everyday life and reminding us just how small we really are. But they also have a way of reminding us how important the people beside us can be. On a sheep hunt, you are never truly alone. Your partners have your back, day after day, move after move. They are there to push you past your limits, encourage you when the mountain is winning, and support you while they do it. There is a quiet understanding among hunting partners: everyone has a role, and everyone matters. One person might be behind the glass, picking apart a mountainside for the flicker of a horn from behind a rock. Another might be carrying the weight of the gear. Someone else might be the one collecting water for camp or heating water for everyone’s freezedried dinner. And then there is the guy who somehow manages to find the uninvited grizzly bear that blows up your seven plus hour wait for that perfect Stone ram to step into the open with the rest of his friends. We have all had that guy. There is also the partner watching your back when the weather rolls in, making sure your gear is secured and dry, or simply sitting beside you in the rain because neither of you is ready to quit. Nobody does it alone. Every person has a place on that mountain, and the success of the hunt depends on the 6
team. That same thought has been on my mind since coming out of the mountains. While sitting on top of the world, looking across some of British Columbia’s incredible Stone Sheep country and, admittedly, probably annoying a few people with photos of rams we had earned the right to pursue but chose to pass because they hadn’t yet reached the maturity we were looking for, I found myself thinking about the Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia. WSSBC is a team. More importantly, it is a family. And like any successful team, it doesn’t work because of one person. It works because people show up. Our members are the lifeblood of this organization. They are the people who answer the call when there is work to be done. They are the people who give their time, their money, their weekends and, sometimes, their vacation days to something bigger than themselves. They are the ones who have our back. This summer, volunteers took to the banks of the Fraser River to help with lamb retention counts as part of the M.ovi work in one of the most beautiful parts of our province. For many of those volunteers, it wasn’t a quick trip down the road. It meant driving for hours. It meant taking time away from work. It meant taking time away from family, friends and other commitments. It meant paying for fuel, meals and other expenses simply to be there. And they did it because wild sheep matter. They did it because conservation doesn’t happen from behind a desk. It happens when people are willing to
put boots on the ground, get out there and do the work. That is the Wild Sheep Family. Then, in August, volunteers showed up again, this time downriver in Chilliwack for the 10th Annual Jurassic Classic. Teams from across North America came together to chase true giants of the Fraser River, but an event like the Jurassic Classic doesn’t happen simply because people buy a team and show up to fish. It happens because volunteers show up long before the first line enters the river. They handle registration. They set up. They organize. They cook. They move tables and chairs. They solve problems. They stay late. Some are still stacking tables and chairs into the dark while everyone else is enjoying the evening. They don’t necessarily get recognized for every little thing they do. But those little things are what make the big things possible. A special thank you goes to our title sponsor, YETI, for another year of incredible support for the Jurassic Classic and for helping make this event such a success. Events like this are only possible because of strong partnerships and the incredible people and organizations willing to stand behind conservation. But at the heart of it all are the volunteers. The parallel isn’t lost on me. The volunteers of WSSBC are much like the hunting partners beside you on the mountain. They are the people you know will be there when you need them. They are the ones carrying a little extra weight when someone else is struggling. They are the ones filling a gap when something needs to be done. They are the ones quietly doing the jobs that may never make a photograph or a headline. And just like on a sheep hunt, success depends on the entire team. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
The work of conservation can sometimes seem enormous. The challenges facing wild sheep and their habitat are not small, and there is certainly no shortage of work ahead of us. But when I look around at our members, our volunteers, our partners, our supporters, our entire organization and everyone else who continues to contribute to the cause, I am reminded that we aren’t facing those challenges alone. We have each other. That matters. To every WSSBC member who has volunteered at an event, donated to a project, bought a raffle ticket, helped with a count, cooked a meal, hauled equipment, sponsored an initiative, made a phone call, shared a post, brought someone new into the organization or simply paid your membership and continued to believe in what we are doing, thank you. You are more valuable than you know. Sometimes the most important contribution isn’t the one that gets noticed. Sometimes it is simply showing up. Showing up when it rains. Showing up when the drive is long. Showing up when there is no recognition. Showing up because you believe the work is worth doing. That is what our volunteers do. That is what our members do. And that is what makes the Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia so special. We talk a lot about the Wild Sheep Family, and for good reason. It isn’t just a slogan. It is the people who make up this organization and the shared belief that we can leave wild sheep and their mountains better than we found them. From the Fraser River to the highest Stone Sheep country in the province, there are people putting in the work. People have each other’s backs. And just like on the mountain, everyone has a role. Some glass, some carry, some cook, some organize and some lead. Some quietly make sure everyone gets home safely. But together, we move forward. As I look back on my time in the mountains, I am reminded that the memories we carry home aren’t just about the animals we saw or the rams we chose to pursue. They are WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
about the people beside us. The ones who shared the long days, the hard climbs, the weather, the laughs and the moments when everything came together. Conservation is no different. The Wild Sheep Society of BC is fortunate to have an incredible group of people who continue to show up and have our back. To every one of you, I want to give a heartfelt thank you.
The mountains may remind us how small we are individually, but they also remind us what is possible when we stand together. And when it comes to wild sheep conservation in British Columbia, we have one hell of a team. Greg Rensmaag President, Wild Sheep Society of BC
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or generations, horses have been an essential part of travelling, hunting and working in the mountains of British Columbia. They make it possible to reach country that lies far beyond the end of the road, carrying equipment, food and game while allowing hunters to spend extended periods in some of the province’s most remote landscapes. Few people today have embraced that tradition and fewer still have worked to preserve it for the next generation as enthusiastically as Tysen Bjorn of Custom Pack Rigging. The story of Tysen and Custom Pack Rigging is also a story of continuity, progression and persistence. The company has been producing custom horse and mule packing equipment for decades. Its original owner, Abe Ewert, designed and manufactured pack equipment for more than 30 years. Ewert’s innovations helped revolutionize the pack industry and bring traditional pack equipment into the modern era. After Abe, the business was carried forward by Kelly DeStrake, who continued providing the quality and service associated with Custom Pack Rigging for another 23 years. Kelly became particularly well known for the company’s adjustable pack saddle, a design that has been fieldtested around the world. Custom Pack Rigging equipment was used on major international horseback journeys, including long-distance expeditions through the Americas and Japan. Eventually, it was time for another generation to take the reins. That person was Tysen Bjorn. Tysen’s path to owning Custom Pack Rigging was an unlikely one. Growing up in the Lower Mainland, he had no background with horses. His initial passion was mountain hunting, including pursuing alpine mule deer and eventually making a transformative trip into the Cassiar. In 2020, after taking his first sheep and experiencing a serious highway accident on the drive home, Tysen describes reaching a “now or never” point in his life. That decision ultimately led him deeply into horses, mountain hunting and, eventually, ownership of Custom Pack Rigging. Under Tysen’s ownership, the company has remained committed to the principles established by Ewert and DeStrake while continuing to develop and supply practical equipment for 8
modern backcountry horsemen. Today, Custom Pack Rigging offers pack saddles, harnesses, panniers, pads, cinches and other equipment, including its signature adjustable packsaddle designs. Tysen’s involvement with the Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia has provided another important avenue for carrying the tradition forward. His contribution goes beyond simply supporting the Society as a business. Custom Pack Rigging has donated equipment to wild sheep fundraising events, turning the company’s products and expertise into direct support for conservation. His involvement with WSSBC has similarly helped connect the Society’s members with the skills, equipment and traditions associated with horse packing. Just as important is Tysen’s willingness to share what he has learned. His story is one of mentorship from the old-school horsemen who helped him learn the craft to the next generation that he now hopes to introduce to it. He graciously hosted an inaugural pack horse clinic in collaboration with Women Shaping Conservation this spring, keen on bringing youth and women into the pack-horse world and ensuring that the knowledge associated with travelling the mountains by horse does not disappear. In that sense, Tysen represents more than the current owner of an established Canadian company. He is the latest link in a chain that stretches from Abe Ewert, through Kelly DeStrake, and now to a new generation of mountain horsemen and women. The equipment may have changed over the decades, but the purpose remains remarkably consistent: build dependable gear, treat the animals well, travel responsibly and help people experience the backcountry. Through Custom Pack Rigging and his involvement with the Wild Sheep Society of BC, Tysen Bjorn is helping ensure that the knowledge, camaraderie and traditions of horseback mountain hunting continue to have a place in British Columbia’s future. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
by Ken Jyrkkanen
embers of the Wild Sheep Society of BC can participate in a variety of conservation projects while meeting like-minded others within our vibrant community. One important effort is the Fraser Sheep count, held during the summer months along the Fraser River. In recent years, Fraser wild sheep numbers have been a major concern to provincial biologists, hunters, conservationists, and the Wild Sheep Society. M.ovi (Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae) is a pneumonia passed from domestic sheep to wild sheep herds through close incidental contact. Wild sheep are attracted to domestic 10
sheep as they are close genetic cousins and wild sheep don’t know the difference! Sadly, this contact can be fatal to wild sheep herds as they carry no immunity to M.ovi. Domestic sheep have developed resistance to the disease over multiple generations of exposure. M.ovi has severely impacted the Fraser herd, as well as others, and anyone who has traveled through or hunted in the Fraser during the wild sheep season has undoubtedly witnessed a slow but steady decline in those herds. The Wild Sheep Society has supported several years of work in the Fraser to remove M.ovi from the herd
and we are guardedly seeing positive results of that work. If you have not seen the documentary ‘Transmission’, featuring retired provincial wildlife veterinarian Dr. Helen Schwantje, it is well worth your time, we highly recommend watching it. The Fraser Sheep count is an important part of this ongoing work. The counts allow us to gain insight into herd health and pass on vital data to provincial biologists. Chris Procter, the provincial Wild Sheep Specialist, has a keen interest in Fraser wild sheep and, working with him this spring, we identified the Junction (where the Chilcotin River empties into the Fraser, WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
west of Williams Lake) as a key area on which to focus our counts. The herds in that area were treated for M.ovi over the winter of 2025/26, so the count would hopefully provide some initial indication of the effectiveness of that treatment over the winter. With Chris Procter’s information, Wild Sheep Society Director Ken Jyrkkanen and Society Executive Assistant Hana Erikson got to work planning out the counts for June, July and August. Hana and her team worked on land access and permission, while we refined the areas we needed to focus on for the counts. It was not going to be an easy task! Terrain in the Junction area is extremely challenging, access is limited, and it covers a large area. Fortunately, we also had the expertise and tools provided by Grant Heibert from WildEyes wildlife monitoring, who placed GPS collars on wild sheep in the area over the winter. The call went out to the volunteers and, on June 13, we gathered at McIntyre Lake Rec Site outside Williams Lake for our first of three counts this summer. We had 14 volunteers show up to assist. Friday evening was spent enjoying each other’s company, getting to know each other, and sharing sheep hunting stories by the campfire. On Saturday morning, with the rest of the volunteers present, we met with Grant Heibert to review the data he was able to gather in the days before and then split up into teams to get on with locating and counting sheep! To be clear, this is not a contest to see who can spot the biggest or the greatest number of rams. The critical data is the lamb to ewe numbers, as well a general sense of sheep appearance and health. Ideally, we want to see as high a ratio as possible of this year’s lambs to ewes. M.ovi strikes the youngest and most vulnerable members of the herd. Once a lamb is exposed to MOVi at birth in the spring, it is unlikely to survive beyond the summer. Adults can manage with M.ovi for quite some time, still carrying the disease, passing it on to the next year’s lambs before the adults succumb. This is why M.ovi is so devastating to wild sheep herds. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
The conditions for the June count were challenging. It was very warm and dry. As well, we were getting familiarized to a new zone. All managed to see a variety of wildlife including mule deer and black bears. And while we did see sheep, it was in small numbers, which was a bit discouraging. We collated what data we had, debriefed on the exercise and made notes for the next count in July. After the ‘paperwork’ was completed, we gathered for dinner and a campfire with the typical features of smores, beverages and kids playing with glow lights provided by Amanda and Richard Plewes, reminding all that conservation starts young and is a family way of life.
Draw prizes were handed out and we settled into the evening. With June’s lessons in hand, Director Ken Jyrkkanen, Exec. Asst. Hana Erikson, and Grant Heibert from WildEyes met to discuss the plan for July’s count. We realized the Junction herds were quite dispersed, which meant that we needed as current location data as we could get. Also, Chris Procter the provincial Sheep Biologist passed on concerning news that M.ovi made a reappearance in the Dog Creek area, where the herd was previously treated. Chris was eager to have the Wild Sheep Society possibly get some eyes-on in that area to help determine which specific groups needed to be checked. We decided to 11
divide the volunteer group into two teams, one in Junction and the other in Dog Creek. The Junction crew met up once again at McIntyre Lake on Friday July 11. Meanwhile, Grant was already on the ground locating the herds around Junction and the local ranches nearby. On Saturday, with topo maps on the ground, the crew was briefed by Ken, Hana and Grant on details of local travel and, more importantly, where the herds were most recently located! As in June, we divided into teams and dispatched to our assigned areas. This time, we were far more successful! Ty Hohmann, and Shane and Eric Berkelaar encountered sheep along the Chilcotin. Angela Guglielmi, Roland, Nelson Dyck, and Keia Holm counted sheep along the Fraser, and Amanda and Richard Plewes met up with the herd in the Junction. However, one of the known herds was eluding us. Grant tried to find them using collar data, but they were just nowhere to be seen. A tip from local 12
Keia Holm directed Grant to a far-off corner of our search area, and sure enough the collars were pinging! First hurdle overcome. But then actually being able to lay eyes on in this very challenging and complex terrain was the next hurdle. Being no one was specifically assigned this group, Richard Plewes and Ken Jyrkkanen drove for over an hour to meet up with Grant. When they met up, Grant and his colleague were already busy glassing for the herd. Fortunately, with two extra sets of ‘expert’ sheep glassing eyes, the herd was eventually located! As before, we met up at day’s end at McIntyre Lake, and after making sure all had returned safely from the field, we collected the data, debriefed, and handed out prizes to the volunteers. We settled in for an evening of camaraderie, acknowledging and welcoming the newcomers, stories, and games for the kids. All-in-all, we counted 62 sheep from the Junction area, completed by 15 volunteers.
Meanwhile, farther south in Dog Creek, Mike Parker and Shelby Cayen led, yet another dedicated group of volunteers in an effort to locate the group of sheep that had been reinfected by M.ovi. There was both good and bad news in this area of the count. No sick lambs were seen during the count, all ewes appeared to be in very good health and, while numbers were not high, the herds, in general, appeared to be diseasefree. There were many sightings of bears throughout the area, which is not an entirely desirable species to see in abundance in a, potentially, struggling sheep population, and many eagles were spotted which could pose potential threats to young lambs. When volunteer, David Winger, spoke with local ranchers about the predators in the area, ranchers indicated a high rate of wolf-predation taking place from Gang ranch, north towards the Junction. Lamb numbers were not high in this area, but the challenging terrain and hot weather created some difficulty WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
in locating the resident sheep. The Dog Creek volunteer crew really embraced the family friendly atmosphere these sheep counts provide. Kyle Noble and his daughters hiked the Fraser River below Gang Ranch, spending the day glassing and enjoying the scenery and each other. Mike and Shelby brought their young daughters as well, and enjoyed a birthday celebration at camp with the entire volunteer group when they met back that evening. WSSBC give-aways were handed out and the volunteers shared details of their day, while the children played together. While we were enthusiastic about continuing the count in August, conditions changed for the worse with ongoing and severe wildfire activity around the count area. Although our zone was not specifically threatened by fire or included in any evacuation orders or alerts, we have a responsibility to not burden communities that are supporting and servicing evacuees, and the count would have placed us in the middle of those efforts. We were eager to see how the lamb to ewe ratio was trending to pass on that valuable data to provincial biologists but, at this time, the count is suspended. A brief fall count may be undertaken if conditions improve. Fall also means children are back in school and of course many of our members are already well into their hunting season! An announcement will be made if we are going to attempt another count. The Wild Sheep Society of BC received gracious support from OnX and Schnee’s, as well as Yeti in the provision of prizes to our participants. Stand by for the final main prize draw for a pair of Schnee’s boots and for an OnX online map subscription. Winners will be announced soon! The Fraser Sheep count is a handson volunteer conservation endeavour. Director Ken Jyrkkanen and the rest of the Board would like to acknowledge and thank all the volunteers who participated and supported the counts. Although the count is not a definitive census of the local sheep, the counts WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
serve to alert provincial biologists of any potential problems. If you are looking for ways to support the Wild Sheep Society, volunteer for one of our projects or think about supporting either the Northern or the Salute to Conservation Conventions. You could also consider your membership
level, and we are able to provide ways to make membership payments more accommodating. Contact Hana Erikson at exec@wildsheepsociety.com for details. Know that your membership dues go to worthwhile projects, putting boots and dollars on the ground to keep wild sheep on the landscape. 13
Building on Decades of Knowledge, Relationships and Action by Helen Schwantje & Rebecca Peters or decades, a pattern has been recognized in the health of British Columbia’s bighorn sheep. Sudden outbreaks of pneumonia or lung infection have caused huge losses of animals in herds in the East Kootenay and Okanagan regions, with less obvious but significant losses in herds along the Fraser River. The causes of pneumonia have been identified through disease diagnostic processes that have evolved over time as new expertise and new tools have been developed in BC and elsewhere. Management solutions have also changed, but they have always depended on people willing to work together, ask tough questions, build sometimes unlikely partnerships, and stay committed to problems that do not have simple solutions. As the understanding of the complexities of bighorn pneumonia has improved, the partnerships surrounding the issue have evolved as well. In 2026, Together For Sheep Society (T4SS) was created to help carry the search for comprehensive solutions forward. Incorporated as a British Columbia non-profit society in March 2026, T4SS is new as an organization, but the 14
experience behind it is anything but new. At its foundation are decades of knowledge and firsthand experience in wild and domestic sheep health, disease prevention, testing, research, and relationship-building, particularly through the work of Dr. Helen Schwantje and Jeremy Ayotte. Their work has helped form how we understand one of the most significant disease challenges facing wild sheep today: the transmission of pathogens, particularly one bacterial species, among domestic and wild sheep. The recognition of this bacteria, Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M. ovi) as an initiating infectious agent of bighorn sheep pneumonia has demonstrated just how devastating contact between the species can be. Domestic sheep and goats can carry M. ovi without obvious signs of sickness, yet transmission to wild sheep has contributed to severe pneumonia outbreaks, all-age die-offs, and years of poor lamb survival in multiple jurisdictions. While M. ovi infection can impact domestic sheep production, it is poorly recognized, with limited understanding of its significance
within that industry. For a variety of reasons, there is currently no effective vaccine or treatment, making practical methods of prevention and separation of the species critically important. But disease management is not just a livestock or wild animal issue. It’s a people issue. As with any complex issue, the approach to a solution requires relationships, multiple points of view, and a commitment to work as a team. In the issue of wild sheep pneumonia, domestic sheep and goat producers need to be part of the conversation, along with private veterinarians, biologists, Indigenous communities, governments, conservation organizations, researchers, volunteers, and the public. Most importantly, those relationships require shared knowledge, common understanding, and trust. That lesson has been learned over decades. Helen and Jeremy’s work has involved sitting at kitchen tables with producers, testing domestic animals, working alongside wildlife professionals, assessing the risk of contact, and responding to disease concerns. Through decades of this work, they have seen firsthand how WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
important relationships with domestic sheep and goat producers are to the health of wild sheep. Protecting wild sheep does not mean working against domestic agriculture. Producers are an important part of the conversation and an important part of the solution. Bringing the wild and domestic sheep communities together and building trust creates opportunities to reduce disease risk while supporting both communities. This is a relationship and network that Together For Sheep Society wants to continue to build and support. We believe meaningful progress happens when people are brought together, not divided. When everyone has an opportunity to understand the challenges, share their knowledge, and work toward practical solutions, the likelihood of finding a solution or multiple solutions is so much higher. These three principles guide our vision and work: Education gives people the information they need before there is a crisis. A producer who understands the risks of disease transmission and the importance of separation can become one of wild sheep’s strongest allies. Awareness takes the conversation beyond the conservation community. Many British Columbians have never heard of M. ovi or other equally complex health challenges facing wild sheep. If we want people to care about protecting these animals, we first have to help them understand the risks and what is at stake. Testing gives us information. Sciencebased testing of domestic and wild sheep populations can help identify risks, inform management decisions, and provide a clearer picture of what is happening in the landscape. No single organization, government agency, scientist, or conservation group can solve these challenges alone. Together For Sheep Society is not built to duplicate the work already WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
being done by organizations such as the Wild Sheep Society of BC or by provincial or First Nations governments. Instead, it is designed to be a hub for collaboration. Our vision is to serve as a collaborative resource, connecting people and knowledge across the wild and domestic sheep communities in BC and beyond. By bringing together domestic producers, Indigenous communities, government, veterinarians, researchers, conservation organizations, and people with decades of experience, we hope to create opportunities for these groups to learn from one another. It also means ensuring valuable knowledge isn’t lost. Helen, Jeremy, their colleagues, and partners have spent decades learning what works, what doesn’t, where the challenges exist and most
importantly, how relationships can change outcomes. That experience should not stay only in the memories of those who did the work. It needs to be documented, shared, and passed to the next generation of wildlife professionals, producers, and conservation leaders. That may be one of T4SS’s most important roles. We want to create a place where a producer can find answers, where a wildlife professional can connect with expertise, where research can reach the people who need it, and where conversations about wild and domestic sheep health happen before a crisis. We want to make the most of the opportunity, to take everything that has been learned and build something that lasts for domestic producers, for conservation and for the future of wild sheep. 15
2026 Wild Sheep August 21-23, 2026 – Chilliwack, British Columbia
he 10th Annual Wild Sheep Jurassic Classic once again brought conservationists, anglers, and supporters together for a weekend of fishing, friendship, and fundraising on the Fraser River. This unique event pairs the pursuit of an iconic fish—the white sturgeon—with support for an equally iconic mountain species: the wild sheep of British Columbia. This year’s event welcomed 56 participants from across Canada and the United States, all gathering in the spirit of camaraderie, conservation, and connection. Thanks to the world-class outfitting service of Great River Fishing Adventures, anglers landed close to 100 sturgeon throughout the weekend. 18
WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
2026 Wild Sheep Jurassic Classic participants, guides and volunteers.
While the Classic is about more than competition, the tournament always brings excitement.
An 8-foot-10-inch giant earned Team Canadian Wildlife Capture (Ben Berukoff, Jordan Smaldon, Daniel Norton and Landon Gill guided by Dawson) top honors. An incredible five fish measured close to nine feet. Prize sponsors: YETI & Stone Glacier (YETI gear + Stone Glacier Terminus 8700 packs).
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Chad Kanovsky, Kelsey Kilback, Kim Nieters and Patrick Friedly guided by Andrew tallied an impressive 62 feet, 6 inches of sturgeon.
Prize sponsor: SITKA Gear (full SITKA Dewpoint rain systems).
Tavis Rogers, Shane Burgin, Dale Prochnow Sr, and Chris Barker guided by Rod, won bragging rights with the smallest sturgeon landing a feisty 1-foot-7-inch sturgeon.
Stewart Fraser, Jim Drennan, Barry Mueller and Brad Powell won the Mystery Length prize Prize sponsor: Schnee (Granite 200g boots).
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WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
This year’s Jurassic Classic Official Sponsor was YETI, joined by major partners SITKA Gear, Stone Glacier, Sako Rifles, and Burris Scopes. Their generosity helped deliver a $15,000 prize package and a memorable experience for all participants. A special highlight was Sako Canada’s donation of a Sako 90 Adventurer in 7 PRC topped with a Burris scope to support the Fraser River Test and Remove Legacy Project. As always, our volunteers were the backbone of the event, ensuring seamless organization and hosting the legendary Fraser River barbeque— complete with smoked sturgeon, sockeye salmon, and even sturgeon ceviche.
The 2027 Jurassic Classic (August 21–23) is already sold out to the public. The only way to attend is by purchasing team entries through wild sheep chapters, affiliates, and conservation partners who auction off spots to raise funds for their own initiatives. With its perfect mix of fishing, fundraising, and community, the Jurassic Classic continues to live up to its title: “BC’s Full Curl Fishing Experience.”
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A much anticipated, nerve-racking trip ahead of me. I had the truck packed and backed up to the boat before Martti got home. He arrived home by 5 pm-ish. We arrived at Fort Nelson a little after 11 pm in the pouring rain. We checked 4 hotels, all closed up, before we made our way to the last hotel in town that had a light on before 11:30 pm. The Blue Bell motel. We now call it the Bed Bug Inn, as Martti awakened me round 5:30 am to tell me, “I have bad news.” Now that’s not something I wanted to hear after having a bit of a sleepless night, on an off, listening to the lovely toilet running all through the night. His bad news was a bit worse than the noisy toilet. Martti says to me, “there’s bed bugs.” So, we got up and made our way over to triple G’s cafe for breakfast! Anyone going through Fort Nelson make sure you stay at the Bed Bug Inn for the experience. 24
WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
We pulled into Skooks Landing that day, near to 5 pm and packed the boat with the rest of our gear and packs. We brought along with us two 45 gallon drums of fuel and a few other smaller barrels. We left the launch with over 750 litres in our 16 foot jet boat. We tried the rapids off the landing a few times but could not make it up on step. Martti left me with the cooler and 3 small barrels at the landing. And he took up the rest to drop off up the river in better water. He came back for me, loaded up and we headed on our way. We had to leave one barrel behind up the river. We were traveling along about 20 minutes up the river and I checked my pockets making sure I had my tag sleeve with me. I asked Martti if he had his wallet. Nope. He ended up leaving me on the side of the river with all our gear and a rifle, which a minute later I found I did not have the clip for it or the ammo. I wandered a bit around the beach where I had found miniature fireweed plants with beautiful purple flowers. I’d never seen them so low to the ground before. He came back up for me with his wallet and, once again, we headed on our way. After the big rapids at the landing and not being able to get up on step the whole time, I prayed and wondered how close this so called 15 foot whirlpool was that I had heard of—my poor worried mind. We had some more rapids we had to get through before we found a decent place to make camp at around 11 pm. The sunset was so pretty with these sparks of pink in the clouds above the foothills; a sailor’s delight. We woke up beside the Kechika River. We dropped fuel halfway up to our destination. We saw wild horses grazing with their foals up on the banks you’d think you would be seeing elk on, and tame outfitter horses whinnied and ran along towards us as we flew by in the jet boat. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
My time with the rapids was not over. Once we hit another small creek we were coming into rapids. Martti got us through the first rock garden without incident. The water kept getting worse and worse. There were coming to be more rocks than water, but Martti deked out rocks and bad water. I’m not sure how many people have risked their boats to get up that way. We made our way as far as you could push a boat on the river without destroying the boat. We left the boat at 6:25 pm and started hiking up through the steepest hill of deadfall and moss and alders along the drainage. We made camp on a shelf, the only flat spot big enough for a tent. By around 11 pm, trying to make camp, the mosquitoes were trying to have a good snack. The next day we made it to the tree line by noon. What a sight to see after being in the thick brush, praying for a game trail or something to make life a little easier. Walking on something a bit more solid now and not near as steep brought a little light into life. I found my first caribou shed and then another, and another.
Martti went ahead a different way than me, looking for water while I glassed a big moose shed. I made a little collection of sheds that I placed on top of the mountain shelf on a rock. I found many new mountain flowers some I’ve never seen before such as what I believe to be Soap Wort Rock flower, but I found alpine Forget-menot, more of those short Fireweed that google says are “Willowherb” Larkspur and Lupin, Cinquefoil, etc., and some very big grizzly poo piles. We were tucked in on the side of a mountain and tuckered out. We made camp and put up our tarp as it looked like possible rain ahead. Martti went up to the other side to glass the bowl. I stayed back and frolicked around with the wildflowers and new plants I was curious about. In my search I found a decent spring stream and run off from the glacier, so I went back down to grab our water bottles and my one dry bag and filled everything up so we had a supply at camp. I went wandering in Martti’s direction to find him. By the next morning, we were socked in and it was pouring rain. We moved the tarp around to cover our Woods tent and cover our packs better underneath. We spent the entire 25
opening day in the tent. I tried to stay warm wearing my long Johns and Stanfield curled in my sleeping bag. We woke around 6 am to actually being able to see across to the other mountain a bit. We had a warm yummy breakfast, mine being a package of peaches and cream oatmeal, and we headed on our way up and around the mountain. The nasty weather ran a bit through out the morning but wasn’t horrible, still wandering through the fog. We were in beautiful country, Gods country of beautiful British Columbia, which I love so much. We crossed some shale runs and slopes which I did not like much at all, with it being slicked off from the rain and straight down. We hiked through a number of bowls, crossing steep shale runs and glaciers, finding lots of old sign from a month or two ago of sheep and goats. I also found this little mountain plant that seem to be a wild hen and chick plant which I thought was very cool to find so high up. I have domestic ones in my flower beds. We glassed this pretty spot with a lake in the middle of the bowl, sitting 26
beside sheep or goat poo and goat hair entangled in these wild hen and chicks. We had an alright meal there looking over this spot, sitting where you’d think there’d be lambs jumping and running around their moms. We ran into a bit of a hailstorm on and off and some rain, living in our rain gear all day. The sun peeked out and we were climbing to the peak of the mountain we were camped on. We could see there was weather coming towards us. I was ahead of Martti and I looked at him behind me, and all my hair stood straight up. Martti told me to get down, so we got to a rock outcrop and waited out the weather with a flash of lightning in the range beside us. A minute later it was all over and blue skies again. We had a good walk once we made it to the ridge of the saddle. We couldn’t believe in this pristine range that we saw no fresh sign and no game at all. We could either go back to camp or follow the ridge and see what was around the next mountain. Walking and glassing on and off we were skylined and we finally spotted some goats around 2 kilometres on the opposite side of
the valley. We watched them climbing into the cliffs; there was 30 to 40 goats, which was a good sign and so fun to see, having seen nothing so far. As we continued across the ridge we heard a helicopter, but we couldn’t see it until we looked back across the valley at the goats and the helicopter was within 100 yards of the goats chasing them up and around the cliffs. As we watched skylined on the mountain, the pilot must have noticed us and quickly got off the goats and started to head straight south. As he went past us he tilted the helicopter so we could not read the tail number. We immediately clued in to why there was no game in this pristine valley, obviously this was not his first trip as it looked to be a helicopter tour. We looked back at the goats which we found to be gone over the next mountain. Refusing to be discouraged by the helicopter we continued to the next bowl not knowing where the helicopter came from. Martti ahead of me cleared over the ridge and said back at me, “you’re going to like this,” and all I could think was the worst, but when I crested the hill I saw the prettiest valley in BC—two gorgeous bright blue glacier lakes in front of us, looked like a post card picture. Glassing this valley for several hours while sitting on a marmot’s rock pile we waited out some rain there too, concluding that the helicopter must be landing by the lakes here from the way it looked. After glassing we only found one lone Billy way up in the cliffs. We decided there was no sheep in this beautiful area. I thought maybe we would see a caribou or something. We decided to head for camp and headed over the peak of the ridge to get there. The peak had a giant obelisk that was seven feet tall and three feet wide and a sister to it on the other peak across the valley where the goats were—treacherous little peak. We made it across. I’m not sure what was worse, the shale slopes or crossing over the peak. Once we got closer to camp and WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
grassy slopes, we munched on some blueberries. We made it to camp by 8 pm and had a meal, packed up camp taking my caribou shed with me and started our way down the mountain back to the boat. We made it to the boat by 10 am. We bathed in the river, reorganized our gear and set off down the river to another range. Avoiding rocks all the way down, the water was higher from the rains so we didn’t hit as many rocks as we thought we would. Getting to one particularly bad spot we had to choose which rock to hit, let it hit us and got through to another spot where we had no choice but to hit one other rock—maybe with a new dent under the Teflon. Back up to spot number one and there was a boat parked there already, so we decided to go check out some new country that we had no experience in. At 2 pm, we started up another mountain with twice as much windfall. The worst windfall you could have, where 90% of the trees were down for about a kilometre. It was straight up along the drainage but then started to open up and we found a really nice ancient game trail. We ran late into the night following a ridge on the wrong mountain until we came to an old burn where you could see the mountain we wanted to be on was in the opposite direction. We made camp late in a spring fed swamp as it was the only place open enough to have a tent. I was exhausted. This range I found moose sheds instead of caribou sheds. Three nice big old ones too. We got up early and headed up our mountain. We broke tree line by 9:30 am and had a meal—country style pot pie—and glassed the saddle in between two mountains. There was a decent spring and grizzly sign everywhere. Without seeing any sheep sign we decided to go over mountain WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
number two to check the other side. Glassing mountain two and three without seeing any good sign we decided to climb mountain number three. Through the pass I spotted a big grizzly at the bottom of the drainage from the avalanche chute we were on. 700 yards away, he was busy eating the grass in amongst willows. With the wind coming towards us he had no idea we were there. After seeing the grizzly bear we decided to hike to the top of mountain number three and leave him alone. We hiked all around the top of the mountain for sign and without seeing much we decided to camp on top of the mountain, with the idea of hiking mountain number four the next day. At 6 pm, we were setting up camp. I was putting up the tent and getting supper ready and Martti was glassing and found a band of six rams on mountain number four way up high in the shale cliffs, bedded like kings of the mountain in an untouchable spot directly across from us and camp. We decided to watch and see what the rams do when they get up from their
beds in the evening. They were 1500 yards straight across from camp. While watching them, we came to the conclusion that there was one legal ram—for sure full curl visibly. Within 15 minutes they started down the mountain to feed on the grass hill sides at the base. My water boiled and meals were almost ready when they decided to start feeding towards the valley that connects the two mountains. That’s when we made the decision we would try to go after them tonight. Them feeding faster than anticipated made the decision that Martti would run down the far end side of the mountain, and cross over and come around the bottom with just an empty pack and rifle. I stayed up top on the edge of the cliff to keep an eye on the rams in case Martti were to spook them. Martti ran down the mountain and came around the saddle up on the other side of the hill they were feeding across. There was an avalanche chute in between the sheep and Martti. Martti was able to work his way to 378 yards as the sheep started feeding in the opposite direction prior to him getting there. The last ram that didn’t drop into the chute was the legal ram. 27
by 10:30 pm, had our meals that were now cold, set the meat out to cool on the rocks and went to bed.
Martti went prone, crawled over the edge of the lip, putting his binos on a rock directing the rifle on the binos to get enough height to shoot over the grass. As the ram turned broad side before going into the drainage, Martti shot, hitting him just behind the front shoulder. The ram went over backwards, rolled twice backwards down the mountain and tried to get up. Martti put a second follow up shot which was not needed right behind the shoulder as the first shot was perfect. As this all unfolded I was on top of the mountain just down a bit from camp, Martti told me to watch the rams and to keep track of the legal one. With my cheap Vortex binos I could not make out the legal ram, so I ran back up to camp to grab Martti’s spotting scope. As soon as I sat down I heard a shot and then an immediate second shot, not knowing where Martti was exactly or even the ram I assumed had just died. I found them both and 28
put on my pack and grabbed my walking poles and made a brisk walk down the mountain to Martti, where he was waiting. In order to get to the ram we had to make our way over the avalanche chute with quite a few feet of snow in it. I did not like being there, as it was straight down. We got up and the ram was in sight. This was my first harvested ram I’d ever seen. We hugged and took some photos with the mosquitoes that were so bad we had to wear a rain jacket. It was about 8 pm when Martti started caping and deboning the ram. It took an hour and we had everything in and loaded by 9 pm, to hike all the way to the peak of the mountain back to camp. Another gorgeous sunset, Martti gave me a light bag with just a hind quarter. I ran ahead of him to take pictures of the sunset and frolic on the mountain side. We got to camp
We got up and had breakfast and spotted two rams bedded just above where the one had been shot last night. But we did not give them much thought as we were loaded and had a gruelling hike ahead of us. Martti caped out the head and fleshed the hide before we left, as I packed up camp. There was a family of 5 baby ptarmigans playing in the rocks chirping around us as their mother watched over them on the higher point. We found 3 caribou sheds on our way out but no grizzly bear this time, which was something we had thought of that whole night. We had a meal by noon in between the first and second mountain and that’s where the easy travel stopped. Taking a more direct route following a drainage we found multiple moose trails that were very nice to travel on. The last few hundred yards till the boat, where we could now see the river, was solid windfall sitting four feet off the ground. Heavy packs on our backs, I had to try to get my sore body over these logs and walk on them and over them. It felt like longer than it should have been to get those few hundred yards. Sinking into moss and straddling dead trees, we arrived at the boat by 8:20 pm. While beaching the boat, somebody overshot the log we were going to put the boat on and went way up the beach. While Martti jacked the boat up and used the come along to get the boat around, I made us a can of chunky soup. By 10 pm or so it was getting darker and we stopped and made camp on the river. We had breakfast and headed out by 8 am for the truck—happy we were not coming home empty handed. We were quite sore as we had to do two sheep hunts in one—but that is sheep hunting and that is my true first sheep hunt experience. Hopefully I can say the next will be a breeze. We arrived to Skooks Landing and loaded by 1:30 pm. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
uring a late season sheep hunt that started on September 25th, 2025, Cole and I, the founders of Atlas Edge Inc, took off into the northern back country, testing Atlas Edge in pursuit of Stone sheep. On the drive up the trail, we
stopped to glass some basins, where I noticed an odd-looking rock on the skyline that resembled a bedded moose, Cole put up his binos and confirmed it was a ram. We glassed that ram, and it turned into 6 more. One ram we figured was 8 years old, but we had no interest in him. While glassing and checking out their territory in hopes of locating a legal old ram, Paddles appeared. When we first got eyes on Paddles, Cole and I didn’t know what to think of him; mass like a bighorn, and a unique growth pattern. The sheer mass was something we couldn’t ignore. We tried to make a plan to get into his country to get a closer look, but it proved to be a lot more of a challenge than we anticipated. Cole and I circled around and came up a separate draw to get to the back side of the ridge the rams were spotted on and, upon arrival, we located the rams again, and Paddles. We watched and studied those rams for 3 days, and we both couldn’t confirm a solid age on him, as we could only see them on the shady side of the mountain at 800 yards away. We e-scouted the ridges in search of a potential path we could take to get closer to these rams and WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
verify Paddle’s age. With our route planned we slept on the idea but with the excitement I had about Paddles, I didn’t sleep much. The following morning, we woke up to 4 inches of snow, effectively ruining our opportunity to get close to them. Due to the sheer nasty country they were in, in perfect weather, Cole and I had our doubts about getting up there, now add the snow and ice, we decided to back off and head out. Fast forward to August 1st, 2026, Cole and I headed north again for opening day of sheep season. We left my house with the side by side in tow in the pouring rain, and that rain didn’t stop the entire 6.5-hour drive. We got to our unloading spot, to see a plethora of vehicles and camps set up in the parking lot but, thankfully, we had a tid bit of information confirming to me that Paddles had survived the winter and was spotted again in mid July. With
that information, regardless of the packed parking lot, pouring rain and thick fog, we decided to load up all the gear into the side by side and kick off the sheep season, meeting a few hunters along the way. We arrived at the same spot we located Paddles last year and set up camp for the night. Due to the heavy fog, we could not see the alpine no matter where we looked, and suddenly the fog lifted for 30 minutes. We drove up the trail more and got to a plateau we could glass from, and within 5 minutes I located another ram we named Curly. Curly got both of us pumped and was easy to verify his legality just on curl from 2 kilometres away. He was feeding directly towards the last known location of Paddles, so Cole and I e-scouted the terrain that we were heading into, using our Atlas Edge App, to get into the terrain that Curly was heading to. The morning of day 2 we started our hike, a short hike down the main 31
trail, and then straight up. Starting the journey up, we were on roughly a 45-degree slope, and climbing up moss covered shale and loose boulders. Once we navigated that, we encountered the alders, Coles favourite. We finally broke through the alders and started to approach the first bit of alpine, where we set up the spotting scope and located a small band of rams. With no sight of Curly—we knew he went up into that basin and alpine—we continued to glass the rams and come up with a game plan to set up camp, and get a closer look at the rams—trying to locate Curly. Without seeing Paddles, our focus was on Curly. We got into a higher position on the mountain, and set up to glass again, and that’s when Cole told me, “I found your ram.” Not knowing what he was talking about—because I didn’t see Curly— 32
Cole had located Paddles roughly 1500 yards away on the knife ridge that connected 2 ridges, standing there on the skyline with 8 other rams. The pure excitement from locating Paddles again brought both our energy and stoke levels to all time highs. We watched all the rams until dark and hunkered down for the night. Our camp was less than ideal. We had a sheep tarp setup, but the “flattest” spot we could find consisted of a rock field on a 30-degree angle. I slept with my backpack tucked under my sleeping pad, and my boots stuffed beside my pack to try and level myself out. Cole just rocked it and slept on that angle. The next morning, we woke up with excitement to glass the rams right from the tarp. We spent the early morning locating Paddles and once we located him, we started our
hike. We got to another flatter spot to glass and keep tabs on the rams and discussed our best route to take. This is when Cole told me we are going and just started walking. This guy is a billy goat. The knife ridge we had to cross wasn’t very long, but it was only a foot wide with a 200 plus foot drop on both sides. By the end of it, I was being laughed at because I was on my hands and knees in the final stretch of the knife ridge. We got past that and encountered another section that I was skeptical of, and Cole just trucked right through it. I decided I was just going to skyline on another wider knife ridge and risk the entire hunt, but we made it all the way into the alpine and got set up in a position to shoot if the opportunity presented itself. We located Paddles at just over 1000 yards away and with no way to possibly get closer to these rams, we sat there from roughly 7 am to 6:30 pm. During that time we both took naps and while glassing to keep tabs on these rams, a ewe and 2 lambs basically ran directly at us and almost ran right overtop of us. They caught our wind and instantly darted up to try and see us. They could smell us but couldn’t locate us from only 22 yards away. I thought for sure the rams would have been on high alert after that. Paddles was still in a full sleep, and the other rams in the area didn’t even acknowledge what happened. Paddles eventually woke up and started feeding towards us. Given the terrain we were in, there was only one possible path for the rams to feed into—to give us an opportunity to get a shot and be able to successfully harvest Paddles. With a lot of luck that’s exactly what those rams did. They fed right up to 320 yards, and within one step, all 3 rams disappeared. They had an escape corridor on the mountain that we couldn’t see due to the angle we were at; keep in mind we were setup at 7080 feet in elevation, for what felt like a hour behind the scope. I backed down and that’s WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
when Paddles popped back up and continued to feed towards us. He stopped to feed at 287 yards and that’s when I was able to harvest Paddles. I was able to watch the whole scenario unfold and watch the bullet impact through my rifle scope and the pure excitement took over. Immediately, all the thoughts and doubts I had in my mind about the entire hunt started running through my head—thoughts of how perfectly the entire hunt had gone. I texted my wife to tell her that Paddles was down and that was truly one of the best feelings in the world; a huge accomplishment for me. We started to hike down and we hit a crossroads. We only had to go roughly 800 yards to get to camp, but heading back up to Paddles was going to be a big hike. We decided to leave camp, go to Paddles and had the thought in mind that we could get to camp that night. When we got to Paddles, we had to stop and admire him. We both underestimated the mass he carried. After we de-boned him, we loaded up, and this is when the real fun began. We both nursed 2 litres of water for 2.5 days during this hunt and after we started our hike, we both had zero water left. We had to hike down and then cut across through the alders to get to a water source we thought was there. Thankfully we thought correct. We finally refilled our water and continued our journey down, but we didn’t reach the water until 11:30 at night. Deciding to stop at a spot that had some “dead” pine trees that had no needles on them, we didn’t realize they were still green on the inside. We tried to get a fire going but it was pretty small, and we spent the night with no sleeping pads, no sleeping bags, and essentially no camp. We put on all our gear and laid down and tried to get some sleep. I don’t think either of us slept for more than 40 minutes in 5 hours that night and when we got up, we had to hike all the way up to camp to pack it up. Once we reached our actual beds, we both napped for 2 hours, and boy we needed it. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
We finally packed up camp, and hiked back down to Paddles, loaded back up, and started the final descent. Both packs were extremely heavy, and in the nastiest drainage you could imagine. We picked our way down slowly, battling the alders and trying not to fall over. After the alders we hit the steep rock faces covered in moss and slowly picked our way down until we reached the main trail. Taking the packs off at the trail couldn’t have come soon enough. I feel like I’m a very physically fit person and very capable, but that hike down took 110% of my physical capabilities.
I went into this hunt wanting it to be a grind, wanting it to be a mental and physical test, and it proved to be just that. But that’s what we love about mountain hunting, to get to see these animals in some of the most incredible country in the world; and when you’re up there, you truly realize how small you really are. You become grounded, and you sit back and really soak in the beauty of the landscape you are fortunate enough to be able to experience. If you’re thinking about sheep hunting, I cannot recommend it enough. Yes, it’s very expensive to buy the right gear and dial in your kit, but I can say you have to experience it at least once—don’t wait, just do it. 33
f you sit with an old sheep hunter for any amount of time you’ll hear phrases like the “castle peaks” or the “black rock”. This is likely where they’ll describe the big rams hanging out. A picturesque scene of twisting horns on a skyline, inaccessible by man. My journey begins long ago as a young boy. My grandfather would pass down outdoor magazines after he was done with them and I would find the pictures of big mule deer, moose and rams and cut them out and tape them to my walls. As if that’s as close as I’d get to filling those dreams. As the years passed, I started checking off bucket list hunts as time and money allowed. But sheep kept getting pushed aside. The commitment it requires is no small order and other things took precedence. However during the season of 2024, I was at the gym and noticed a guy my age pouring over OnX maps in between sets. We hit it off and started talking about getting out together. Devon told me about some bighorns he had seen while elk hunting in the Kootenays. We decided to put in for the draw and as luck would have it he drew the tag. To keep this brief it ended up being the most flawless hunt we had ever been on. We scouted a legal ram 2 days before the season and Devon killed him at first light on opening day. The hook was set and we immediately booked a flight for Stone sheep the following year. As far as sheep go, most of us dream of the heavy horns that exist in the rocky mountains of North America. But I had a deep obsession with the north country of BC where the Stone sheep call home. As I’ve matured I have found that sheep hunting is more about the adventure than the animal itself and Stone sheep country offered exactly what we were looking for. Before we knew it, the training was over, the rifles were dialed, bags were packed and we were climbing into a beaver. Flying over the mountains it became real. We passed alpine slopes covered in mountain goats and grassy ponds littered with moose trails. As the pilot swooped low into the small lake we were to land in, a huge boar grizzly 36
by Joel Barter
shot off the bank into the willows. It was happening, and before long the sounds of the plane left us on the banks alone. No more planning, no more wondering, it was time to work. It was spitting rain on and off as
we navigated the horse trail through the thick willows. We broke into the first drainage, periodically glassing whatever the low hanging clouds allowed. Down valley a black cloud was on course to our location. I told WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
Devon we should set up the tarp and not long after we rigged it up we were caught in a storm. The rain and wind hammered our thin dyneema tarp testing its claimed durability. For 8 hours we propped up trekking poles as WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
they fell over and pinned stakes as they pulled out. Then, as quick as it came in, it was gone, along with our plans of our first camp location. As evening crept in we opted to pitch camp near a stream not too far away at the mouth
of a long basin. We ate our first meal in sheep camp and glassed young rams coming out to feed and dry off. Daylight broke on August 2nd and we were greeted by rams on lush green slopes. The storm had passed and the north country was alive. As we ate, a band of rams appeared in the basin behind us and one actually looked close to full curl. He was well within striking distance but it didn’t take long to determine he was 5 years old and about 2 inches short. Not what were after. We packed day bags and hiked into the next basin for the day. More sub legal rams and a lazy billy goat relaxed in the sun. Little did we know this would also be our only day relaxing. Around 6 pm we started the hike back towards camp. We had only walked to the other side of the ridge but you could see the rest of the valley that had been obscured from our day perch. Reluctantly I said, “we should probably give all this a quick look.” I say reluctantly because everywhere you look is sheep country. I was finding it a bit overwhelming as the country is huge and sheep can be anywhere at any time. We did our due diligence and took our packs back off and within minutes, 3 bedded rams filled the spotter. Two of the rams were big— much bigger than anything we had seen. At over 2 kilometres away, we liked what we could see but counting rings was out of the question. One ram had dark heavy horns but looked close on curl, the other looked low slung and fairly heavy but short. That is until he stood up on skyline and gave us a big stretch. His long left side flared way out instantly earning him the name Rick Flare—also earning him a closer look in the morning. The next few days were chaos. There were rams everywhere. We made stalks on Rick Flare and the dark horned ram multiple times, once getting to 400 yards and being pinned down for the entire day trying to be 100% sure he was legal. We learned quickly that our inexperience would play tricks on us. It sure is easy to sit on the couch and look at pictures and call a ram legal or not. But in the field, the angles, the mirage and the lighting had us 37
wavering. Some looks seemed obvious, then others gave us doubts and I just wasn’t confident enough to pull the trigger. Another problem we didn’t anticipate was having so many rams to keep track of. After a few days we had at least 4 rams we thought were legal, but there were other sheep that looked similar in shape and size that weren’t legal and they would intermingle and change locations making it seemingly impossible to keep track of them while getting close enough for a shot. On day 4 we had Rick cornered, bedded in the shade with over a dozen other rams behind the ridge with two small rams keeping watch. We waited until 9:30 pm when 12 rams came out to feed, but the bigger rams were not with them. We decided to sleep on the mountain in hopes he would be out feeding at first light. After a surprisingly decent sleep we awoke and there he was. Feeding across the basin with the dark horned ram, working their way over into the next basin where all the other rams had travelled the night prior. We let them pass over and gave chase. When we crested the ridge we slowly peered over expecting him to be close. Our excitement quickly faded when we found them across the basin, joined up with 29 other rams. We were now above them, an angle we hadn’t experienced yet, which made him look smaller and it destroyed our confidence. It was so chaotic, the rams feeding together. We decided we were not comfortable with the situation and made our way down to camp. We were beat up and defeated. We had planned to take a rest day and glass from camp the next morning but upon arrival we found my tent had been ripped open. We will never know what happened as none of the food or gear was touched and it wasn’t windy, but it looked as if someone took a knife and cut the vestibule and the bug net from top to bottom. At this point all I wanted was to relax and escape the bugs, but that was not an option now. Day 6 we slept in and around 7 am I heard Devon glassing. “Find anything?” I said with a grumpy tone. 38
“Theres a pretty good ram behind camp,” was the reply. I crawled out of my mangled tent as there were more mosquitos inside it than out. “That’s the 5-year-old we saw on the first day,” I told him, acting unimpressed that I got up for that. Devon told me there was another ram beside that one and I panned the spotter over. “Damn that is a pretty good ram!” I said. Our rest day was canceled as we loaded up and headed up valley. It didn’t take long to get to a knob that provided a glassing point, but the rams had fed up into the bluffs where we could get a good look at them and a shot was not advisable. The back of this basin was a towering headwall of black rock.
Sheer cliffs so nasty I would have never even looked for a goat in there much less a sheep. But there they were, slowly feeding and bedding, working their way higher and higher throughout the day. We watched in amazement as we kept saying “there’s no way they can go higher,” but they did. We watched all evening as they worked to the top of the castle peaks and eventually crested the impenetrable ridge on top. It was over for the day but we got many looks at this ram and as much as we didn’t think it was real, he appeared to be 2-3 inches over the nose on both sides and 8 years old. He was perfect. We knew there was a nice basin on the backside and I half expected him to be headed that way for morning, but WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
all we could do was try again. The next morning we saw rams low in the basin, but he was not with them, nor was his partner. It wasn’t until 7 am that I caught a glimpse of his partner skylined in the peaks. The big ram was close behind. They worked across the top slowly, eventually making it to a chute. Again in shock, we watched them pick their way down the sketchy rocks. They started to pick up speed and we made the call. It was now or never. We likely didn’t have time to circle around the ridge which would be the smart play. We had to go up the middle to make it in time before they fed up into the unrecoverable bluffs. This would leave us completely exposed for about 500 yards. We walked quickly with our heads down, single file. We never stopped to check if we were noticed. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
When we reached the shooting knob, out of breath and covered in sweat I set up the rifle and dialed the scope. Devon got the ram in the spotter, completely unaware of our presence. I calmed my breathing as much as possible and squeezed the trigger. “You smoked him!” he said. I zoomed the power back and saw the ram walking across the bluff. I made a rushed shot that clearly missed and lost the ram in the recoil. I asked Devon where he was and he had lost him too. We tried looking for him in the binos but our optics were fogged up from the sweat on our chests. I thought maybe he had gone down and fallen off the bluffs where we couldn’t see him. I got back on the rifle and located the other ram, panned to the left and there he was, standing there seemingly fine. At this point
I was calm, complete autopilot had taken over. I re-ranged, cycled a round and pulled the trigger. The 180 grain eld-m smashed his front shoulder and he stumbled. I cycled again and sent a final round through his heart and I watched my ram slide 30 yards down the bluff before hanging up on the ledge. I could see him lying there, his head perfectly broadside with his tip clear above the nose. When I came off the rifle, I lost it. I had just killed a Stone sheep. But not any Stone sheep, the ram of my dreams. The ram I always wanted and never thought I’d get. When we finally navigated our way up the bluffs it was clear as day. Way over the nose on both sides and 8 years old. A no brainer. “IT WORKED!” I yelled. “I CAN’T BELIEVE IT WORKED!” The processing and hike off the bluffs warranted a prayer for safety. Once that was complete, it was a short trip back to camp where we buried the meat in snow and washed the cape in the creek. We relaxed in the sun near the cool water and admired him while recapping our second successful adventure into sheep country. It was the trip of a lifetime, the ram of a lifetime and yet somehow, still just the beginning. 39
Conservation Comes to Life in Prince George April 29 – May 2, 2027 | Prince George, British Columbia TICKETS ON SALE NOVEMBER 30 omething new is coming to Northern British Columbia. In spring 2027, the Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia will bring hunters, conservationists, families, outdoor enthusiasts and industry leaders together in Prince George for RAMFEST 2027—an entirely new kind of conservation gathering. At its core, RAMFEST is about three things: community, conservation and legacy. For four days, Prince George will become a gathering place for people who care about wildlife, hunting and the wild landscapes that define British Columbia. RAMFEST will combine shooting and archery events, education, entertainment, outdoor exhibitors, live music, food, family activities and conservation fundraising into a festival-style experience unlike 42
anything WSSBC has hosted before. But RAMFEST is being built to accomplish much more than putting on a great weekend. Every WSSBC event ultimately comes back to the resource. Funds generated through RAMFEST 2027 will help advance two significant conservation priorities: the historic Coming Home California bighorn sheep restoration project and habitat enhancement initiatives for Stone’s sheep in Northern British Columbia. The story behind Coming Home is one of the most remarkable chapters in wild sheep conservation. More than 70 years ago, California bighorn sheep from British Columbia were moved south into Oregon to
help restore struggling populations. Beginning in 1954, those translocations helped establish what would become successful and productive Oregon herds. Now, generations later, descendants of those same sheep are coming home. The Coming Home project will see approximately 100 California bighorn sheep translocated from Oregon back to British Columbia’s Gilpin Range over the next two years. The objective is not simply to establish another herd. The long-term vision is to rebuild a strong population that can eventually serve as an inprovince source for future restoration efforts elsewhere within the historic range of California bighorn sheep in British Columbia. It is conservation coming full circle—a reminder that wildlife WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
restoration is measured not in months or even years, but often in generations. RAMFEST will give our members, supporters, exhibitors, sponsors and guests the opportunity to become part of that story.
RAMFEST will also place a major emphasis on conservation in the North. One important focus is the use of prescribed fire to restore and enhance wild sheep habitat. Fire has always played an important role in northern ecosystems. Used strategically, prescribed fire can renew aging landscapes, reduce tree and shrub encroachment, stimulate nutritious grasses and forbs and improve the open habitat wild sheep depend upon. Those investments reach far beyond sheep. Healthy, productive landscapes benefit an enormous range of wildlife and contribute to resilient northern ecosystems. This is the kind of work RAMFEST is intended to support: tangible conservation projects that create measurable results on the ground. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
While conservation is the reason behind RAMFEST, the experience itself is going to be something special. The weekend will bring together shooting, archery, hunting, education and entertainment in a format designed for seasoned mountain hunters and newcomers alike. The event begins Thursday, April 29, with the RAMFEST Shooting School, providing participants an opportunity to work with knowledgeable instructors on shooting fundamentals, field positions, equipment familiarity and practical shooting situations. Space will be limited and advance registration will be required. Friday turns up the energy with a Competitive Shoot, archery programming and the RAMFEST Dance and Social. Then, throughout Saturday and Sunday, the Prince George Conference and Civic Centre will be filled with outdoor businesses, conservation organizations, guides and outfitters, artists, educators and personalities from across the hunting and outdoor community.
Attendees can expect hunting and shooting equipment, optics, technical gear, archery equipment, outdoor clothing, packs and backcountry equipment, artwork, outdoor travel opportunities and organizations dedicated to wildlife and conservation. Educational programming will also be a major component of the weekend, with sessions covering topics such as mountain hunting preparation, shooting, bowhunting, backcountry fitness, gear selection, wildlife biology, habitat enhancement, ethics and mentorship. Add live musicians, wildlife artists, food trucks, family activities and interactive experiences, and RAMFEST becomes much more than a trade show. It becomes a destination.
Saturday evening will feature the RAMFEST Banquet and Live Auction, bringing the wild sheep community together for an evening of food, entertainment, storytelling and fundraising. Guests can expect outstanding auction opportunities, 43
raffles, premium outdoor equipment, artwork, collectibles and unique hunting and travel experiences. More importantly, every bid, ticket and contribution helps put conservation funding to work. That connection between celebration and conservation is fundamental to RAMFEST. We want people to have an unforgettable weekend. We also want them to leave knowing that simply by being there, they helped create something positive for wild sheep and wild places.
RAMFEST is also being intentionally created as a family event. If conservation is going to succeed over the long term, young people need opportunities to develop their own connection with wildlife and the outdoors. Youth archery, wildlife education, outdoor-skills activities, conservation challenges, art, demonstrations and opportunities to interact with wildlife 44
professionals are all envisioned as part of the experience. Parents, grandparents and mentors are encouraged to bring the next generation with them. They are not simply future hunters or future conservationists. They are part of conservation today. There could hardly be a better home for RAMFEST. Prince George sits at the heart of some of British Columbia’s greatest outdoor country and has a deep connection to hunting, wildlife and conservation. It is accessible by road and air and offers an ideal gathering point for people from across Northern and Central British Columbia. Most importantly, RAMFEST belongs in the North because the North has always been an important part of the WSSBC story. This event gives us an opportunity to celebrate those communities while investing directly back into the wildlife and landscapes that surround them.
RAMFEST is for hunters and anglers. It is for conservationists, competitive shooters, archers, guides and outfitters. It is for outdoor businesses and wildlife professionals. It is for experienced mountain hunters and people preparing for their very first hunt. And it is for families who simply value wildlife and wild places. You do not need to be a WSSBC member to attend.
The main RAMFEST weekend runs April 30–May 2 in Prince George, with the Shooting School kicking off the program on April 29. Mark your calendar Bring your family Bring your friends Come celebrate the outdoor life— and help us create the next chapter in wild sheep conservation. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
by Hana Erikson
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levate was created by Women Shaping Conservation, to provide women of all ages with an opportunity to experience the unique backcountry of British Columbia. It was not created as, merely, a hike. It was created to foster growth, understanding, strength and community. It was also designed to give back to our wild sheep populations, with all proceeds being directed to wild sheep projects within the province. Now, in its second year, Elevate took a new group of women from across the province, ranging in age from 17-73. A diverse group of women who came from all walks of life, all levels of experience and who each had their own expectations of themselves and of what the weekend might hold. Each lady was tested both mentally and physically as she climbed through the heavily forested valley bottom, across rushing streams fed by mountain glaciers and snowpacks, and slowly began to wind her way up the trail to eventually break through the treeline and into the alpine that feeds a mountain hunter’s soul. Once again, just as it was last year, the group was in awe of the beauty surrounding them and, almost on cue, nanny and kid mountain goats began to dot the mountain sides on both the north and south facing slopes above camp. 52 goats were counted on one of the slopes at one time, prompting deep and enthusiastic discussions about the habits of these high mountain dwellers and conservation efforts of all mountain species. The ladies sat around a cozy campfire, sharing stories and experiences, enjoying their TrailFare freeze-dried meals, and just being present in the moment and in the majesty of the high country. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
Among the group of women was a mother-daughter duo; Judy and Addison Zytniak. Judy is a Life Member of the Wild Sheep Society of BC and Addison is a Half Curl member and they were, enthusiastically, signed up by Judy’s husband who wanted them to experience a trip into the alpine. These supporters of wild sheep conservation had never slept high on a mountain, never carried all the necessities of a trip into the backcountry, and live a fastpaced life that has little room for slowing down; a problem that plagues so many of us in today’s society. Addison, who graduated high school this year, was left wanting more of the mountains and the adventures they offer and Judy said, while watching the goats one evening that she couldn’t wait to, now, join her husband on a sheep hunt! It seems they enjoyed themselves... Here are two short testimonials, penned by the motherdaughter duo after their trip into the alpine: Some experiences in our lives leave us with photographs, others with stories. The best ones leave us looking at life a little differently than before. I came into the Women’s Elevate hike expecting just another trip, leaving I realized it had a much greater impact on me than I ever expected. Going into this backpacking trip, I was ecstatic to spend a few days outdoors, be able to disconnect from the busy world we live in and gain new experience. What I didn’t expect was how much I would learn not just about my body, or through the fun facts about the outdoors we picked up along the way, but from the incredible women of all different ages who surrounded me. 47
I heard so many stories of joy, wisdom, and loss that I never would have experienced had I not gone with this wonderful group of women. Between the long hours of hiking, setting up camp, watching Hondo chow down on mac and cheese, and taking in the beauty of the outdoors, we all came together as a group. No matter our age or experience level, there was an effortless sense of belonging. It was so special to hear about the different life experiences and paths these women had taken, especially as someone who had just graduated from high school and was beginning adulthood. Being able to hear their perspectives and learn from people who had already experienced what I was about to step into was eye-opening. It showed me that a connection with someone doesn’t always have to come from being the same age or in the same stage of life. Sometimes, all it takes is sharing an experience. Being away from my everyday life also made me appreciate so many little things. For those few days, everything I needed was on my back. I didn’t have to worry about my schedule or the constant distractions that surround us. Our days became simple: walk, talk, eat, and rest. It gave me a chance to truly be present, to enjoy what I was doing, and to appreciate the people around me. I got to lie in the grass, staring at the clouds, imagining what their different shapes looked like while feeling the warm sunshine on my face. I felt so close to the clouds that it seemed like I could reach up and grab one. It was the kind of freedom I hadn’t felt since I was a little kid. Of course, backpacking isn’t comfortable, nor is it easy. Your pack is heavy, your legs feel like jelly, and there are 48
plenty of moments when the next stretch of trail feels much longer than you want it to. But when we reached camp, I took off my pack and looked back on what I had just accomplished. That made every difficult step worth it. I began to understand why people fall in love with backpacking. By the end of the trip, I was one of those people. I came home wanting to do it again. I wanted to see where my own two feet could take me and experience the feeling of carrying everything I needed while simply moving forward. I now find myself yearning for those moments of breathing fresh air and reaching for the clouds. Somewhere along the trail, life became a little simpler. It was about the people walking beside me, the conversations that filled the long hours, the views that took my breath away, and the quiet moments when there was nothing to do but take in where I was. There is a certain peace that comes from being in the mountains to be nowhere but exactly where I was. It’s a funny way of making you feel so small while somehow reminding you of just how much life has to offer. – Addison Zytniak Hiking with a pack is not something that comes easy to most people. It definitely didn’t come easy to me. The real test of strength and the sweat covering my body made me realize that I can do hard things. It was just me, my pack, and 15 other incredible women beside me, all going through the same challenge. It was a true test of mental strength, not just physical strength. There were moments when my body wanted to stop, but I kept going. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
When we finally reached the top of the mountain, I saw the alpine for the first time in my life. Standing there, I realized how significant life is and how small some of our problems really are. I felt free. At the top of that mountain, I felt like I could almost touch the sky. I remember lying down beside my tent, resting, and thinking about how I couldn’t remember the last time I had simply looked up and watched the clouds. In that moment, I felt at peace, free from my struggles and connected to God. It was an amazing trip with incredible women, each carrying their own weight and their own personal challenges on their backs. I’m so grateful that I got to experience it all. The most important lesson, out of so many that I learned on this trip, is this: “If I can do this one hard thing, the rest of it seems easy.” Thank you for creating an opportunity for women to challenge themselves, experience the beauty of the outdoors, and connect with one another in such a meaningful way. I will definitely be back. – Judy Zytniak Thank you, ladies of Elevate 2026! The experience would be nothing without all of you! We would also like to say a HUGE thank you to our incredibly generous sponsors of this year’s hike; TrailFare, 1Campfire, Twisted North Design, Stevenson Knives, and Wild Sheep Society of B.C. Thank you for helping to make this a meaningful, inspiring, and life-changing weekend. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
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TENT REVIEW by Nolan Osborne
here are a lot of good tents on the market fitting the needs of a wide variety of users, but regarding serious tents for serious mountain hunters, there is still one company that steps out ahead of the competition—Hilleberg. I’ve had the pleasure—and occasional misfortune—of sleeping in a variety of manufacturer’s tents over the years, and when it came time to purchase my own, all research pointed toward Hilleberg. I don’t have any ties to Hilleberg, I simply wanted the best tents available. Neither myself nor the Journal of Mountain Hunting has any affiliation with Hilleberg, my bias towards them is that they continue to be the best tents I have used.
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Before we dive into the Soulo BL, it’s important to understand Hilleberg’s rating system for their shelters. Unlike conventional tent manufacturers, they have scrapped the two, three, and four-season monikers for a simple colourized approach. Part of that reason is to dissuade the idea that four-season tents are only for winter use. From my experience, even their lightest-duty tents outclass other supposed 4 season tents. Their rating system falls under Blue, Yellow, Red, and Black Label tents. Specific tent models across each line may share a similar design, differing primarily in weight and strength. Blue Label – Specialized tents, each designed and built for a specific purpose. These tents are group shelters, some with modular design, intended as a long-term “base camp” style shelter for extreme conditions. Yellow Label – the lightest weight tents, engineered for warmer climates and the snow-free months of the year. Ideal for warmer weather trips where the lightest weight is the highest priority. Red Label – All-season tents that prioritize lightweight over absolute strength, adaptability, and overall comfort. Ideal for all-season trips WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
where weight is a priority and where the conditions may be all but the most challenging. Red Label offers the greatest value when balancing strength and light weight for mountain hunters in most conditions. Black Label – The strongest, most adaptable, most comfortable all-season tents. Ideal for any trip, anywhere, in any weather condition, and any season. These tents are as bombproof as you will find. When it comes to serious mountain hunters, most people fall into two groups: those who value weight above everything, and those who value strength above everything. The Hilleberg Soulo Black Label (BL) is built for the latter. Now a lot of tents may make the claim of “bombproof” but this one earns the moniker. To that point, it may very well be
considered overkill for most users, myself included. As a long-term Hilleberg Akto user, I wasn’t sure what I’d think of the Soulo BL initially. Having used the 3 lb 12 oz Akto everywhere from the frozen north coast of British Columbia in February to the Sonoran Desert of Mexico, it was hard to believe that I’d need anything more out of a solo tent, particularly one that weighs in at 6 lbs 3 oz, but the opportunity arose to get my hands on one, and the idea of a freestanding solo tent appealed to me. After some convincing from a couple of avid sheep and goat hunting buddies, I opted to take the Soulo BL north for my 2021 guiding season. The irony of taking a 6 lb 3 oz solo tent under the context of horseback guiding and ending up doing two backpack sheep hunts back to back is not lost on me, but the opportunity solidified my love for this tent. 53
Number of People: 1 Outer Tent Fabric: Kerlon 1800 (40 D High Tenacity Ripstop Nylon 66) Poles: 10 mm Minimum Weight: 5 lbs 1 oz Packed Weight: 6 lbs 3 oz Inner Tent Area: 20.5 ft2 Entrances: 1 Vestibules: 1 Vestibule Area: 6.4 ft2 Price: $895 USD
I’ve now used this tent for two seasons of guiding and personal hunting, and in the process, it’s become my go-to for everything but the hottest/ driest adventures. I’ve found it to be a big step up in interior tent space over the Akto model, which aids in maneuvering around and getting dressed/undressed in your tent, but also in moisture mitigation on those sockedin days without much airflow. Its vestibule is functionally sized— enough so to contain an expeditionsized hunting pack, rifle, boots, spotter, and tripod at night with just enough room left over to fire up a coffee from the comfort of your sleeping bag in the morning. Set up, as with any freestanding Hilleberg, is straightforward, as the inner tent body stays clipped into 54
the fly, and the poles run exterior to the fly. For serious weather, this is a feature that is mandatory in my eyes, as you can confidently set your tent up in a raging downpour while keeping the inner tent dry. Most tents from other brands have a fly that is external to the poles, although more and more have taken on this feature. The Soulo BL uses 10 mm DAC poles and purpose-built dual guyline points from all corners of the tent. This combination shines when the storms blow in. I’ve now ridden many stormy nights high in the alpine with this tent, and the lack of movement in the tent fabric and walls is outstanding. Nothing burns you down on a sheep hunt like lack of sleep from your tent death rattling in the wind all night... I’ve been there too. Finally, the inner tent entrance is an inverted T design, with a vertical zipper in the middle and horizontal dual zips across the bottom. This provides excellent access to the tent body with both “doors” rolled up and secured out of the way. Whether you’re re-organizing your sleeping set up, or crawling in and out of your raingear under
the protection of your tent, it is a welcome feature that makes this tent shine above the Akto as well as its competition. I’ve also used these zippers to moderate ventilation, often leaving half the door rolled open on bug-free nights for maximum airflow and to reduce condensation. Hilleberg’s Soulo BL is for mountain hunters that need the burliest solo tent to withstand the harshest conditions. Gale force winds, arctic storms, torrential rains—if you can pitch it and stake it down, this workhorse will shake off the worst mother nature can throw at you. If what you value is absolute strength and comfort in a solo freestanding tent, then look no further. While I love this solo tent, most folks may find that it’s overkill and may want to shave 1 lb by opting for the lighter sibling, the Red Label Soulo. For those that don’t mind carrying a 6 lb solo tent, I don’t know that you’ll find a better-built or more comfortable option. Some folks may balk at the price of this—and other Hilleberg tents—but they are lifetime products and truly built to a higher standard than many of the tents on the market. I’m still using an 18-year-old Hilleberg Nammatj GT 2 in the mountains, and I expect no different from the Soulo BL. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
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Members, send us your hunt story ~50 words plus a picture or two to kstelter@wildsheepsociety.com.
Hunting Chamois on the highest mountain in the Austrian Alps and honouring the animal by giving them their “last bite” (a traditional part of the hunt), was one of the greatest hunting experiences we have had. We will carry this experience with us as we pursue wild game in British Columbia this year. – Richard & Amanda Plewes
Our second goat hunt and I feel so grateful to have harvested this beautiful billy. This hunt was an adventure and one I’ll never forget. We put on a long stalk to get to him, and I shot him at 20 yards. Followed by a long pack out, a grizzly bear encounter, and lots of hard work with the best hunting partner. – Susanne Tardiff 62
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Davis Schmidt
In September I was fortunate to have my good friend Tanner Dannish take me into one of his elk zones looking for some early rut action. After a couple slow days, we got onto this bull and Tanner called him in close for me to cut my first elk tag on. – Jordan Tuck
The hunt started off wet, cold and socked in but with a break in the fog we spotted a group of 29 nannies and kids. By day two we had found a good billy coming down from the cliffs to feed. We made the stalk to 150 yards and made one quick, clean shot on him. – Sam Fait WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
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by Bill Pastorek
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ohn Fannin, called Jack by those who knew him, was a hunter, trapper, fisherman, and all-around expert woodsman. He was a Naturalist before the term became popular, always interested in what was going on around him, always stopping to study. He was also known to be an excellent shot with a rifle, a strong, very determined man with great stamina. This is his story. We only know a few things about Jack’s early upbringing. One being he was born into a large family with seven siblings in the Village of Kemptville, Upper Canada, in the year 1837. For those of you who may have forgotten your history, this is now referred to as Ontario. His father William, a tailor, and his mother Eliza were both of Irish descent. With how he turned out, I can only imagine he spent as much time as possible outdoors studying the woods and everything that lives there. Indeed, it was documented “Jack watched and marveled at all of Mother Nature’s mysteries” without bias, including “plant, animal, insect, and mineral.” It’s reported the boy did poorly in school, mainly because he was rarely there. When he finally gave in to the fact he had to attend, he apparently took to his studies with great vigor and studied what he was expected to, and a great deal more. There’s even an unconfirmed rumor he became a schoolteacher for a short time. In 1862, when Jack was the adventuresome age of 25, he heard amazing stories of the gold rush in the Cariboo region of British Columbia. On April 23rd, a group of men, many of them neighbors, decided to abandon their farms and work and upend their lives. Led by Thomas McMicking they headed west, travelling overland. By far the more popular and quicker route was to head east and then around by ocean, but that of course took money. The group met up with many more hopeful prospectors at Fort Garry (Winnipeg) and arrived in Fort Edmonton on July 21st. Continuing west, after six months of what could only have been WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
unimaginable difficulties, Fannin and his new friends arrived on October 11th at Thompson’s River Post (Fort Kamloops) on the Thompson River. During the trip he managed to lose all his belongings when the raft he was on capsized. The belongings didn’t seem like too great of a loss given he’d almost lost his life. Several of the men he was travelling with weren’t so lucky. Just imagine venturing well over 1000 miles, through swamps and over mountains, crossing raging rivers and seemingly never-ending forests. But give Jack credit—he made it. He had no ‘quit’ in him. The fact Fannin was an expert outdoorsman held him in good stead. As did his excellent marksmanship, great physical strength, and endurance. So for eight years he worked the gold fields—with pan, with pick, with sluice box—all over the Cariboo, searching for the one strike that would make him rich. But as with most, it never happened. Finally, he figured it was time for a change. You have to wonder what was the proverbial straw? Jack headed down the Fraser River, ending up in New Westminster, and set up shop as a shoemaker. While the city no longer was the capital of British Columbia (that distinction had gone to Victoria), it was the first incorporated city in the province. Always trying to improve his lot in life, it wasn’t long before Jack heard of a job opportunity with the government. They were looking for someone to head up the Provincial Surveys Department. His very first job description was outlined as, “Ascertaining the character and area of unoccupied lands in the valley of the Lower Fraser (River).” The fact the area at the time was just one unending forest didn’t slow Jack down in the least. The report he created was masterful. His writing style was clear and concise, a skill one rarely encountered at the time. The report even came to the attention of the main newspaper in Victoria, the British Colonist. Here’s what it published about Jack’s
report: “It is so much out of the dry and trodden track of official reports that we must congratulate its author upon the success with which useful information is conveyed in a popular form. [...] The report is so highly readable that we are induced to place considerable portions of it before our readers.” The newspaper went on to share its favorite excerpts of Fannin’s report with its readers, a couple of which are included below: “Here also can be seen in the country between Chilliwack and Cheam new openings made by recent settlers, looking upon which as new signs of awakening prosperity. The imagination wanders into the future, when this green plain shall be dotted with herds and the tangled growth of forest which now covers the virgin soil of the uplands shall yield to the hand of hardy industry and fields of waving corn shall take its place; when the eye upon this spot will rest on many a hamlet and the sound of human voices and human industry will fill the space where now is silence and solitude.” “Fanciful as this picture may seem, and I have no doubt that those whose experience have never led them beyond the beaten lines of travel through this district may think it is very fanciful indeed, yet it is not only possible for this state of things to come about, but the time is not so dimly marked in the future when this very picture will become a living reality. For it can scarcely be consistent with the natural course of events that this beautiful valley will remain long as it is, a comparative wilderness, while so many of our fellow beings are struggling for a miserable existence in crowded homes of the Old World.” It wasn’t long before Jack was asked to go on another major survey project. Except this time it had to do with gold—the gold and other mineral resources at the head of the Stikine River. So in October of 1874, off he went in search of marketable minerals in the area. On the first attempt, the Indian boatmen he’d hired were forced to turn back because of thick ice. They cached the supplies they were 65
carrying and headed back to Wrangell. Undaunted, before too long Jack made a second attempt. With predictably the same result. The decision was finally made to wait to attempt another trip until full freezeup. On December 5th, Jack received confirmation the river was frozen, at least all the way to Boundary, the Canada – United States border. Off he went again, with one assistant: George Florrence. He hoped to get that part of the journey over with before the really deep snows hit. When Jack and George struck out they had 60 miles to travel. The plan was to make 15 miles a day, so four days of travel. Just to be safe, they packed enough rations for eight days. After all, it was wintertime. Who knew what might happen? Not long after they left the Stikine delta where they had been dropped off, the weather closed in and a monstrous storm struck. For 15 days it pounded them, unrelenting rain, snow, and hail, with a harsh, never-ending wind they couldn’t even face. Onward they went, one following closely to the other so they wouldn’t get separated. Heads bowed down, snowshoes sinking a 66
foot with each step. After 12 days of rationing their food it was gone. For a short time, the fog and mist lifted revealing the grandeur of Ice Mountain. Horrified, George realized they were barely halfway with no provisions left. For a long time they just stood in dismay, with no idea what to do. Forward or back. George was all for retreat, but the decision wasn’t his to make. Fannin decided to push on, leaving behind the sleds, the blankets...everything, and to try to forcemarch to the border post. To safety. Jack and George’s trek to the border post was documented as follows, “Keeping only an axe, they began the race against certain death. That night, between naps, they marched around their campfire to keep warm. Somehow they pushed on, weak
and exhausted, making little headway until the morning of the third day since leaving their blankets, when shortly after starting they came to a point where further travel was blocked.” Before them was the river, at this point open water, with high cliffs on both sides. They couldn’t go a step farther. Once more Jack and George quietly spoke, deciding on retreat even though it probably meant certain death. They knew if they could get back to their sleds, loaded with blankets, then at least they could sleep and get warm. With stomachs raging with hunger, they turned and slowly headed back. By dark, George was staggering, barely able to move. Jack kept talking to him, urging him forward. Within a few hours he had regained some strength. Some inner stamina. They WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
pressed onwards, heading downstream. The next morning, as they passed one of the innumerable sloughs, this one not quite frozen, George threw off his snowshoes and leaped into the water. Jack watched in astonishment as George shot up from the slough holding a salmon so tightly that his fingers touched through the flesh. A reprieve. For five more days they staggered on until they reached their sleds, and the fish ran out. So weary, they each grabbed a blanket and kept going. They were racing against the Grim Reaper now...they had to keep moving. On Christmas Day, Jack and George finally reached the delta. Only five miles from Wrangell, but it was five miles of open water. Five seemingly impossible miles. With only their trusty axe, they built a flimsy raft, hoping against hope they could make it across the ocean to safety. Finishing as dark fell, they decided to press on. Or they would die so close to salvation. Pushing off from shore, they paddled in the darkness towards the town. They made good progress until they hit a rock and Fannin was thrown into the water. Sputtering and struggling, he just managed to make it back on board. The pair raced towards the shore, now in desperate need of a fire. When dawn broke, Jack and George WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
set out to make a bigger, sturdier raft. Once again, though, they finished just before dusk. All loaded up and ready to push off, they spied a native nearby in a canoe. Waving and yelling like madmen, they finally attracted his attention. After a bit of convincing he gave them a lift to town, and more than likely saved their lives. Jack, being the stubborn, clever sort, decided to head out the following June after breakup to complete his mission. It seems as though this trip was enough to change his mind about the wonders of government employment. In 1877, Jack retired from the Provincial Surveys Department and once again took up shoemaking, this time opening a shop on the Burrard Inlet at Hastings, now a part of Vancouver. His one-story cottage had a bit of a veranda and was located next to the Hastings Hotel. Jack lived there quite happily until 1886. Fannin was a man who needed to keep himself busy. Between working on shoes and boots, he was also named the Postmaster in 1882 for Burrard Inlet and a Justice of the Peace in 1884. And all the while he continued exploring and studying natural history. He also took up taxidermy, adding the trade to his already impressive list of credentials.
Jack was well-liked in the community, so much so he couldn’t keep the neighborhood kids away. It was noted, “The bearded bachelor in the little shop, crowded with bird, fish and mammal specimens became a favorite of the neighborhood children, who haunted his cluttered quarters in hopes of having him sing, or tell a fascinating tale of woodlore.” During this period of his life, Jack began to outfit visiting sportsmen, both local and from around the world, taking them hunting. He became an internationally known expert, and he made use of his newfound fame by writing stories of his adventures in Forest and Stream magazine out of New York. Which of course led to an even heightened demand for his services as a guide. Ever the entrepreneur, Jack appreciated the side benefit of increasing his taxidermy shop business as he worked on his clients’ hunting trophies. When Fannin was hired for his next formal job as the first Curator of the newly founded Royal Provincial Museum in Victoria it shouldn’t have been a surprise. All his trades and wealth of experience made him the best qualified person in the province. Certainly, it helped that he had outfitted and guided many of the wealthy, 67
influential locals. This whole museum idea had come about in response to a petition circulated by a group of 30 prominent citizens in the capital, including Judge Matthew Baillie Begbie, Charles Semlin, William Fraser Tolmie, and former Premier George Walkem. The group was tired of European and American museum representatives descending on the province and buying up BC artifacts, often very cheaply. The export of Native Indian artifacts struck them as particularly troubling because their loss was irreplaceable. So, 1886 brought about another big move for Jack. To start the museum off on the right foot, he decided to donate his entire personal taxidermy collection. Although his position was official, the space wouldn’t be ready 68
for his collection until the following year, so everything stayed put in his home. While a bit of a stretch, it might be said that his home in Hastings could be considered the first location of the museum. Certainly unofficially. Eventually, though, Jack’s gift became the backbone of the Victoria museum’s Natural History section for years. In early 1887, Fannin was invited to attend a dinner party thrown by both his Burrard Inlet and New Westminster friends. At the party, he was presented with a gold pocket watch and chain in appreciation for all he had done. And, of course, to congratulate him on his new position. His friends were sad to see him leave the mainland for Victoria, and they wanted to ensure Jack remembered them while on his new adventure.
They said, “We ask you to wear the watch as a memento of the unchanging friendship of those whose names are appended hereto, who, while regretting your separation from us, heartily congratulate you on your acceptance of your present position which, while offering a greater field for your ability, will fill an office in which we are proud to say no gentleman in the province is better qualified to give satisfaction than yourself.” Given this speech, there isn’t really any doubt Jack carried his friends in his thoughts. October 25th, 1887 was an important date both for Fannin and the province. It was the formal opening day of the museum, officially known as the Provincial Museum of Natural History and Anthropology. The museum was located in a very small, 15 by 21foot room adjacent to the Provincial Secretary’s office in the main building of what was irreverently called ‘The Birdcages.’ Also known as the original wood-constructed Parliament Buildings. The space was so small that when a large black wolf was donated Jack had to take it home to have enough room to work on it. Within three years, the museum had so outgrown its space it was practically unusable. With the new courthouse having just been finished in Bastion Square, Fannin rallied for and received permission to move into the recently vacated James Bay Courthouse. Now he finally had room to grow. Around this time, Jack helped several prominent citizens form the Natural Historical Society. His plan was to create a network of Naturalists to collect and help procure specimens for the museum. Over the next few years, the collection of butterflies and moths, shells, plants, animals, and even fossils grew by leaps and bounds. He was hard pressed to get everything labeled and organized, but he took personal pride in mounting any new specimens that came in requiring taxidermy. Somehow Jack also managed to find the time to publish his first book, Checklist of British Columbia Birds, while juggling his work at the museum. His attention to detail and his tenacity created a book that was well received by the Naturalist community. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
Close to ten years later, in 1896, the museum was moved to the east wing of the new Legislative Building. The collection increased rapidly through this decade, with Jack actively pursuing new acquisitions and donations pertaining to the natural or human history of the province. In November 1900 an important event in the history of sheep hunting occurred that brought together two significant historical figures—William T. Hornaday stopped in to visit Jack Fannin at the museum. Mr. Hornaday was a Director of the New York Zoological Society and one of the most famous Naturalists in the world. The visit had been planned for a long time, with many letters sent back and forth on myriad subjects. Jack was excited as he had a surprise waiting. A revelation even, one might call it. After showing Mr. Hornaday around the museum, Jack directed him to an open packing case. Inside was a whole sheep skin, exquisitely prepared and salted, along with the horns of a mature animal. A very fine specimen, indeed. The markings on the case read: “Stone sheep.” The sheep had been shipped from Dawson City by Mr. Henry W. Brown as a gift to the provincial museum. When Jack first unpacked the case, he was shocked by its contents. So amazed, in fact, that for a time he was speechless. Carefully repacking the case, he had waited with barely contained excitement for Mr. Hornaday’s visit. For what was in the case was something that had never been seen before by the scientific community. While they were chatting, Jack casually asked Mr. Hornaday to examine the hide. The visitor stopped talking mid-sentence, thunderstruck. He couldn’t believe his eyes. After a long silence, he glanced up at Jack, who was smiling ear to ear. In Mr. Hornaday’s hands was evidence of a ram of a species he’d never seen before. Not a Stone sheep at all. Its entire head and neck, the breast and abdomen, along with the inside of the forelegs and the rump patch, were pure white. The rest of its body WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
was a brownish gray color. The ram looked like a pure white Dall ram that had been overlaid with a gray blanket. Upon closer inspection, he noticed this color was produced by a nearly even mixture of pure white and blackish-brown hairs. The gray color covered its shoulders from the base of the neck downward to the knee, where it faded out. And on the outside of its upper legs the gray color grew paler as it descended. Both men realized this moment would be a highlight of their careers. Once the excitement waned enough for logical thought the questions began—what, where, how—and Jack explained. It was thanks to the gold rush in the Yukon that the specimen had been found. Back in February, one of the many market hunters supplying meat to successful miners
and restaurants in the Dawson City area had brought in a mountain sheep with very large horns to Mr. Henry Brown, a man well known in those parts for procuring such things. The ram was enormous, so the hunter had hauled the whole animal, skin and all, to town frozen...something that rarely happened. Most animals were skinned in the field to reduce weight for the return trip, as the sleds could become dreadfully heavy. The hunter had hoped there might be some extra money in it for him since it was the largest ram he’d ever shot. Little did he know how special it really was. Even though Jack had passed on all the information he had, Mr. Hornaday was determined to learn more. As soon as Mr. Hornaday returned to New York, he sent letters to anyone he could think of who might be 69
able to help. He wasn’t surprised to learn that the gold involved with this extraordinary find was collected at Dawson City in February of 1900. Mr. Hornaday thought the new species Jack had introduced him to may be the handsomest of all the sheep species in North America. And he was itching to know more about this Saddle-Backed or Pie-Bald sheep. It wasn’t officially named yet, so these were just the names he was using. The first reply Mr. Hornaday received was from Mr. Brown, the man who had sent the specimen to Jack. He said the sheep had been taken from challenging terrain of tremendous beauty. He wrote, “From the summits of the low mountains about Dawson, on the east side of the Yukon River, can be distinctly seen about fifty to seventy-five miles to the eastward, a beautiful, long, rugged snowcapped mountain range, extending in a northerly and southerly direction away beyond the view. The two main branches of the Klondike River head
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into those snowy mountains, in a southeasterly direction from Dawson, and I understand it is there that the mountain sheep are found.” As to how numerous the sheep were in the area, Mr. Brown couldn’t say. But he guessed they were quite plentiful given the parade of sleds piled high with frozen carcasses he’d seen hauled into Dawson City by hunters to be sold at market. Rumor of the new sheep species spread like wildfire. Andrew Jackson Stone replied to the letter, compelled to share his thoughts. Andrew, as you may know, first discovered Stone sheep only a few years earlier up the Stikine River in northern British Columbia. He explained, “I have passed completely around its home, and heard of it a good many times, but without getting possession of any specimens. Fearing that I might be criticized as an over-zealous advocate of a new species, and fearing that the reports of the ‘gray-sheep’ were groundless, I left the matter
for further developments, and I am indeed glad that the real thing has been unearthed by you.” After uncovering as much information as possible, Mr. Hornaday detailed all he knew about the new sheep species at the January 1901 meeting of the New York Zoological Society. He relayed the whole story to a rapt audience, and it was quickly decided the new species would be named the Fannin sheep to honor Jack and his critical role. Jack eventually retired from his position as Curator of the Provincial Museum of Natural History and Anthropology in February 1904 after a long-running illness. And on June 20th of that same year he passed away. Although Jack is no longer with us, he lives on. Not only was the Fannin sheep named after him, but also the Fannin Range, Fannin Lake, and Fannin Creek. Nothing could be more fitting given Jack’s deep love of nature that his legacy lives on in the beautiful sheep and breathtaking locations that bear his name.
WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC