Read about Matt Lentsch’s HA-12 Archery hunt Article on page 25
Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation e RAMPAGE Fall 2018 AND SUPER TAG TRIFECTA
2016 Super Tag bighorn sheep Winner Jeff Campagna
THE ULTIMATE Hunting Adventure
APPLY ONLINE: WGFD.WYO.GOV/RAMPAGE Super Tag tickets: $10 Super Tag Trifecta: $30 WYOMING’S SUPER TAG RAFFLE OFFERS 10 SPECIES AND 11 CHANCES TO WIN KUIU gear sponsorship for Trifecta, bighorn sheep, elk, mountain goat, and moose winners 2017 Super Tag Trifecta Deadline to apply is July 1, 2019 winner Zack Deberard Ra e winners must purchase any applicable licenses and/or stamps before hunting. Made possible by the Wyoming Legislature
PAGE 1 e RAMPAGE Features Fall 2018 AND SUPER TAG TRIFECTA “My Wyoming Sheep Safaris” by Freddie Goetz Read about the changes that LM and Ron Ball award winner, Freddie Goetz 2016 Super Tag bighorn Board of Directors: has witnessed in our herds during his annual trips to sheep country. sheep Winner Jeff Campagna Kurt Eisenach-President Zachary McDermott-VP Joni Miller-Treasurer “A Trip to Wicked River” Scott Butler-Secretary Join three Life Members on a dream hunt in British Columbia Warren Youmans with our long time supporter, Wicked River Out tters. Vacant James Owens Ryan Amundson “My Arm Pit Ram” by Matt Lensch Jerry Galles An archery hunt in HA-12 yields a state record ram, 186! Greg Pope Mick Mickelsen “Final Ram” by Eric Johnson THE James Rinehart Eric nishes his FNAWS slam with Josh Martoglio in HA-5 ULTIMATE John W. Harris Steve Kilpatrick-Executive “Mo’s Ram Hunt” by Mo O’Leary Director Mo’s dream hunt in HA-7 Contact us at: [email protected] “My Wyoming Bighorn” by Kirstie Ennis or by phone: (307)213-0998 A whole bunch of WYO Sheep Hunting diehards team up to make Kirstie’s dream a reality . Wyoming WSF Board & Hunting Adventure Membership Meetings “Hunting, Good Friends and Camp res” Wyoming WSF holds its winter board membership meeting on by Marcie Mangold the rst Saturday of December and summer convention/ “2 1/2 Mile High Ram” Mark Wells board/membership meeting the Mark goes to the top of the Wiinds to nd his HA-8 Trophy. APPLY ONLINE: WGFD.WYO.GOV/RAMPAGE rst Saturday in June. Details and locations are listed in the Calendar of Events, and on line at: Super Tag tickets: $10 www.wyomingwildsheep.org. “Worth the Wait” by Darren Rhea Super Tag Trifecta: $30 Funding requests for consideration A er 28 years of waiting, Darren hunts the Winds at the winter board meeting are due no later than Nov. 1. Funding WYOMING’S SUPER TAG RAFFLE OFFERS requests for consideration at Address Changes Advertising Rates the summer board meeting Full-Page $250 10 SPECIES AND 11 CHANCES TO WIN are due no later than May 1. e Grant-In-Aid request form is Become a member to receive 1/2-Page $150 available on the Wyoming WSF your own copy of the RamPage. 1/4-Page $70 KUIU gear sponsorship for Trifecta, bighorn sheep, Dues are $25 per year or $500 for website: www.wyomingwildsheep. 1/8-Page $50 elk, mountain goat, and moose winners org. a Life Membership. Subscribe at: Contact address: https://www.wyomingwildsheep. Donations netting WY- Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation org/store. aspx 2017 Super Tag Trifecta Deadline to apply is July 1, 2019 WSF >$500 entitle donor P.O. Box 666 to a free 1/4-page ad in the winner Zack Deberard Ra e winners must purchase any applicable licenses and/or Cody, WY 82414 Please send address changes to: stamps before hunting. Made possible by the Wyoming Legislature E-mail: info@ [email protected] next 2 issues of e Rampage. Ads wyomingwildsheep.org or by phone at (307) 213-0998 must be received in camera ready format by 09/25 & 3/5!! PAGE 2 2018 2019 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Nov 30-Dec 1, 2018 Winter Meeting Lander, WY February 7-9, 2019 9 WSF Banquet/Convention Reno, NV
May 17-18, 2019 WSF Chapter & A liates Summit Las Vegas, NV
May 31-June 1, 2019 Annual Convention Casper, WY
June 20-21, 2019 533 Bob Meduna Wyoming Big Horn Sheep Summit 534 Kevin Cross Burgess Junction, WY 535 Kyle VanValkenburg 536 Candy McDermott 537 Bill Durnal Wyoming WSF would like to thank, and recognize, Life Members 538 Bralli Cliord who have signed up since the Spring 2018 RamPage was published. 539 Jo Ellen Butler A complete listing of WY-WSF Life Members is available for viewing 540 Ron Nading, Jr on the WY-WSF web page, under the “Life Members” tab: Https://www.wyomingwildsheep.org/lifemembers.asp 541 Rocky Yardas If you would be interested in signing up or upgrading to Life 542 Brodie Fackler Member status with WY-WSF, please visit our store or membership 543 Miles Fortner pages on the website. A $500, one-time payment (or $100 down, with 544 Leah Fortner quarterly $100 payments), invests in Wyoming’s bighorns, plus gets 545 Sara Harris you or someone you know a high-quality wall plaque and name tag. 546 Barry King We thank all of our past, current, and future Life Members!! 547 Colton Sasser Dear Member; To save printing costs we send 548 Connor Shatzer one copy per address. If you would like to receive 549 Addison Youmans multiple copies, please contact Dean DiJenno at 550 Logan Alexander (307) 213-0998 or [email protected] 551 Travis Jenson 552 Chadd Hartwig 91st Blast from the Past - Fritz Meyer on Dixon from 1988
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1st 9
PAGE 4 Why Do We Conserve Bighorns?
I oen ask, “Why do Wyoming year. Or, one can look at it and memories in the mountains Wild Sheep Foundation members another way and say it costs warms your heart. Moreover, you spend a considerable amount of $110K-$137K to raise a 10-year- know your time spent conserving our time and nancial resources old harvested ram. Sheep are like wild sheep will someday enrich on bighorns, and all wildlife some kids – high maintenance. the lives of your kids, grandkids, for that matter?”. Well, I think But, worth every penny. nieces, nephews and friends who it’s because we don’t know any Many, if not most of you, have will someday be on a mountain that dierent. It’s just part of life here already harvested a ram, so why do still harbors wild sheep. Spending in the West. Simple – you like you keep giving back? Is it because a portion of your precious time it, it needs help, you help pay you feel guilty since your tag cost a conserving wild sheep will provide for it. We don’t believe in free fraction of the management costs them with similar memories. rides. We love our wildlife, it’s for that animal? No. I’m betting an important part of our lives, it’s because of a much deeper like rodeos and trucks, and we passion and internal fabric. We treasure Bighorns are willing to pay for it. Good old You have instinctual general because it’s just who we are western culture and values prevail. appreciation for nature. Yep, those - despite the costs. Without Well, pay for it, you certainly gut feelings are worth ghting do. Just look at the Wy Wild for. Moreover, wild landscapes them, our wild country Sheep web site - https://www. and wildlife are the core of your is less wild, our minds wyomingwildsheep.org/grants. internal fabric – “a way of life”. less imaginative, future asp. You raise and spend $100 – You treasure a glimpse of the 140K each year to “put and keep elusive bighorn. You value gazing generations lacking. at’s KIDS and WILD SHEEP on the at a hypnotic rock infested, cli why we conserve bighorns. mountain”. In addition, via the dominated mountain landscape Wyoming Governors Big Game and envisioning Bighorns that have License Coalition, the revenue mesmerized you over the years. Or, from 5 Governor’s bighorn tags maybe you simply know they live sold around the nation (over there. Images of vibrant frolicking $450K in 2018), is spent annually young lambs, motherly ewes and on Wyoming’s majestic bighorns. stately rams making a living in Your Wyoming Game and Fish unforgiving landscapes are forever Department estimates the bighorn imprinted in your mind. You only On behalf of Wyoming’s KIDS and sheep program to cost about take those and other memories to WILD SHEEP, the WY-WSF sincerely $2.2M (2017). License sales of your death bed, no trucks or smart appreciates the deep visceral passion and about 200 tags/year brings in a phones. You are keenly aware. support of its members. ank you. smidgen of the costs - about $180K. You know that Bighorns, while Another $1.7M is brought in from appearing all rugged and tu, application fees, conservation are wimps when it comes to stamp revenue, federal/other coexisting with humans– only 6% grants, general funds ($349,933), of the historic population in the teve and interest earned on Department western US and Canada remains. cash balances. Yep, that leaves ey are a delicate species. ey a shortfall of around half a are the “canary in the mine” for S million that YOU help cover. a whole suite of wildlife species. Simple math indicates that “we” You know that If they vanish, are spending around $11,000 others are soon to follow. per tag or $13,750 per harvested In the end, all one really has is bighorn in management costs/ time and memories. Your time PAGE 5 eort directed towards kids we opening on the board. Please examine can help promote the outdoor your time and passion for sheep, urt and wildlife related lifestyle then consider joining the board. we all so passionately love. If We welcome the inux of new you want this program in your ideas and ways to get our mission local school or youth group accomplished. Call myself, Steve K Kilpatrick or any of the board to contact the Sheep center for help setting this up [(307) visit with us about this opening. 455-3429 or karen@bighorn. Lastly, I will inform you that the org. ey have the programs chapter has been very active in and material to t your needs. supporting wild sheep here in WY I now need to sadly say thanks on the national political front. An to those board members who eort thru congresswoman Cheney to decided to step away from reopen several domestic sheep grazing the business of the chapter; allotments currently unavailable for Mike Porter, Meade Dominic several reasons is being strenuously and Dan Hinz. Next time opposed. In cooperation with the you see these three be sure WSF LAC and others this eort by to thank them for their years a few individuals in the domestic of service and eorts for this sheep industry needs to be stopped. chapter. ey all plan to stay Hopefully we have been able to engaged with the future of get this done. We welcome those the chapter and I will seek who are pushing this grazing issue It is that time again to bring you their council on issues from to come to the WY Plan working the membership up to speed on time to time. ey will always group and search for solutions under the WY Wild Sheep chapter you so a part of our past and future. this WY law. Perhaps we can work generously support. I will start with Now welcome the new members together as neighbors to address the wonderfully successful banquet of your board some of which you domestic and wild sheep conicts held in Casper this June. We had a already know. Ryan Amundson, as the plan is designed to do. sold-out venue and a very excited who you know as our G&F sheep Your board welcomes your input! crowd. e night was full of great liaison, has joined the board aer Feel free to call and visit with any of items in the Live and silent auctions retiring from WY G&F. Welcome us about your ideas or concerns on along with a loaded general rae. Ryan, your past involvement sheep issues. We welcome feedback anks to the incredible generosity of speaks volumes about the future about the banquets and your ideas for our donors and bidders we can keep value you bring to the board. improvement or thoughts on problems. funding a substantial amount of sheep Mick Mickelsen from Wheatland We are working to improve several projects for the next year. Check out is our second new board member. areas of the June banquet especially our web page wyomingwildsheep. He has an extensive history of the nal checkout. anks for your org for approved GIA’s for details. Be involvement as a conservation patience as we try new methods to sure to get your registration’s in for volunteer for several organizations. make this quicker and easier for you the winter meeting in Lander the rst He helped us out on the Devils and us. If you have a few hours free we weekend in Dec. also available on line. Canyon tour we sold at the 2017 always love volunteer help at this event. Next, I want to high lite the C&A meeting. Introduce yourself If you know a business or individual partnerships we have developed and get to know a passionate who might help us by donating a hunt with other organizations. Both the outdoors conservationist. or merchandise to our fundraising Eastern and Midwest WSF chapters e latest addition to our group eorts, please encourage them and have adopted one of our herd projects is James Owens who stepped up contact one of the boards with details. and dedicated funding to those for to ll a vacancy on our board and I personally want to thank those who the next several years. e Bighorn help us keep the out tters point of have stepped up this past year to make Sheep Center Dubois, National WSF view in our deliberations. He owns it possible for us all to put and keep and this WY chapter have formed a and operates Lost Creek Out tters Kids and Wild Sheep on the mountain! partnership to expand the educational in Cody WY. anks for taking outreach to youth and schools we up the challenge James and we currently help fund. With all three of all look forward to your input. us working to promote this education at brings me to the current PAGE 6 2018 FULL CURL TABLE PURCHASERS
Businesses and individuals listed on the opposite page (if logos were available) made signi cant investments for Wyoming’s bighorn sheep by purchasing a “full curl” table for 8 attendees at our June 2, 2018 banquet in Casper.
We thank them for their support, and invite others who might be interested in a full curl table for our 2019 fundraising banquet to please contact President Kurt Eisenach, Executive Director Steve Kilpatrick, or any WY-WSF board member. We appreciate your outstanding support, and look forward to another great banquet/fund raiser in 2019!
Casuarina Sea Breeze Abaco Bahamas Bid On A Stay With Us ~~~~~ At e 2019 Banquet Your Beach Vacation Destination
Janice Cronin & Bob Sundeen www.casuarinaseabreeze.com 307-620-1946/307-217-1110
PAGE 7 Weston Weed Buckingham Control Montgomery
PAGE 8 PAGE 9 PAGE 10 Conservation Fund Update BY SCOTT BUTLER and some skills have been learned. learning of conservation continue. is trip is only the second time my son has heard an elk bugle. Congratulations Brodie Fackler He has learned to navigate in the and Addison Youmans! In this dark [night when tired from a day and age that is never wasted. long day and morning when not Let us parents, grandparents awake yet]. Separating from him and mentors never forget that. “Time Well Wasted” in this treed country when we cannot see more that 50 yards is Congratulations to the Dall’s Laid up in a chair aer a knee nerve racking to say the least, but Sheep hunt winner Sal Piazza. injury and then surgery was not it is all learning for him and I and Maybe we can get a story of your my style and not time well spent. we are building outdoor skills. hunt in the next Rampage!
Returning back to work, in the My point is none of it has been bad ank you to the latest donors for process of recovery, consumed a and will let him [us] y more free. helping to “Put and Keep Kids and lot of time, but was a necessary Wild Sheep on the Mountain” evil. My wife and I raising our Wasting time? Maybe but son has never been wasted time, “Time Well Wasted!” If you as the membership have as we have loved every bit of it. As any thoughts or input about the I archery elk hunt with him this e Conservation Fund has been Conservation Fund feel free to fall I ponder, as I cannot seem doing some work to “Put and call or email me at 307-214-6734 to call an elk in, is this a wasted Keep Kids and Wild Sheep on the or doublediamondconstruction@ weekend? Between work and Mountain” by drawing, in June, 2 hotmail.com school, the everyday life as we get more Life Memberships awarded used to is hard to leave and come to youth in attendance at the back to at the same time. We have banquet. Hoping it will someday been hunting together as a family, spark their outdoor interest, a little the 3 of us, going on 6 years now more, in all things wild and let the
Conservation Fund Total = $214,910 Interest to date = $25,071 GIAs funded = $13,500 Life Memberships Awarded = 4
KEEPING KIDS AND WILD SHEEP PAGE 11 ON THE MOUNTAIN! Ryan Amundson is the 2018 Ron Ball Award Recipient
Join with us at the Ram Kota I cannot think of someone that grant proposal reviews, served as agree on. Any opportunity Ryan deserves this award more than this the Co-Chairman of the WGFD gets to head for the hills, he takes. man right here. Ryan Amundson Bighorn Sheep Working Group, has at means that “family bonding is the hardest working man that I traveled to Reno to the national WSF time” and “date night” and “hanging have ever met-and I cannot thank convention for years, and I’m sure out” all are highly likely to occur in him enough for raising my brother there’s lots of other stu he omitted the mountains. So if you’re looking Drake and I with the same intensity. from his resume…. You know, Ryan for a weekend to be on your phone is last week I nonchalantly asked loves the sheep so much that he paid and encounter other human beings, him for a resume to ensure that $200 to drink a shot of whiskey with signing up for quality time with Ryan I delivered this speech about his a frostbitten miner’s toe in it, and is probably not the way to go. accomplishments properly, and it only counts if the toenail touches Finally, my daddy is a man of just learned a ton about him, the most your lips. at was to join the “Outer enough words. At home, his words prominent thing being that he’s done Circle Club” in Reno at the WSF most frequently come in sets of 3. the work of 4 men for his whole convention this year, where the “Ride that horse, call your grandma, life… starting as a “farm laborer” in money from this self-induced hazing How’d you shoot?, coming home his home state of Iowa in1982, his goes right back to the conservation of soon? Let’s go hunting. Love you, work ethic and desire to be the best wild sheep. And, in 2016, Ryan won Tiger. What’s for dinner?” And, my in the business pushed him through the lottery. Not the Power ball, but personal favorite, “Proud of you.” a job as a conservation technician, something SO MUCH better than Today is a day where I get to use that greenbelt crew supervisor, biologist that. He drew a Montana Bighorn last one, share this accomplishment, technician (in Alaska!), a habitat Sheep license and was to hunt the and the present the greatest biologist internship, 11 years of Missouri River Breaks area, where employee, pizza-maker, cowboy, hunting guide work, 17 years as a some of the worlds largest bighorns friend, husband, and father with all of habitat extension biologist, and most have come from. Aer a 16 day you as I congratulate my daddy, Ryan, recently, 6 years as the Wyoming self-guided hunt with many friends this year’s recipient of the Wild Sheep Statewide Habitat Biologist. His 23 and his beautiful wife, Cindy, he Foundation Ron Ball Award! years with the Wyoming Game and harvested a beautiful ram that scored Proud of you, Daddy!it Fish Department have allowed him a gross188 7/8,” landing him in the to network like crazy, explore the Boone and Crockett book and a most beautiful places on earth, and spectacular full-body mount for the ((Editors Note: is is the build relationships with coworkers, trophy room, formerly known as the introduction of Ryan written by landowners, contractors, and basement…. his daughter, Sierra, for the Spring countless other folks, many of which Wildlife and habitat conservation is banquet award ceremony.) are sitting in this room. my dad’s primary passion. Of course Ryan is one tough old guy- a he loves hunting, hiking, horse riding year older today, actually! Happy andFred training, Mau leather (D) work, farming, Birthday! I didn’t get you a present andKeith watching Micke family feud(D) with me because I was writing this speech, (huh,David daddy?)…. Nahrgang But putting (D) in so I’m sorry… Anyway, he’s a tough theWally initial work Needham so that his (D)hunting old guy that really loves wild sheep itchCraig can be scratched Pitters is(D) really what and the Wild Sheep Foundation. He getsGary him up Ploeckelmann in the morning. Ryan (D) is Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation grewDan up hunting Pocapalia and views (D) it as a life member 384 and has donated conservation tool. is perception James Schroeder, MD (D) a pair of spur straps and chinks of hunting and wildlife management that he honestly slaved over for strategyMike has Tonn helped my(D) brother and I this year’s live auction… number to standBrian up forValentine and promote (D) hunting 35, keep an eye out for those). as theJoe world’s Vollmer greatest (D) (and most fun) He has dedicated countless hours managementC. Keith strategy, West something (D) that toward sheep-centered projects, all ofRon us in Wilmes(D) this room can probably PAGE 12 “My Wyoming Sheep Safaris” By Freddie Goetz For years I have been going on were up on a hillside watching Tower ridge because of the tower what I call m sheep safari. I usually about 200-300 sheep that were they had built on top. ere were take four or ve days in sheep about 400 yards away. I wanted always sheep on that hillside. ere country. is year I stopped in to start walking toward them, had been a re which burned some to see Dean and Diane DiJenno but Bill said, “Lets sit here for a of the timber o making for good on ursday evening aer a day while”. ey will come and check winter range. In the late 1970s we on the North for of the Shoshone us out. Well, I thought “yeh, I bet made the trip up that steep hill and river. Dean and I put my photo they do”. It wasn’t 15 minutes and saw about 200 wild sheep on the chip into his computer to view guess what… they were all around hillside. ere was a draw just to those bighorn sheep photos I had us! Bill told me not to make any the west of the tower hill that had taken. (by the way, you can go on sudden moves and they would get a lot of wild sheep in it. John and I the web site’s photo galleries and closer. Boy was he right. At one walked up there and were having a click on “Freddie’s Photos” and time I felt my right ear getting real enjoyable time watching those see some of those bighorns.) warm. I turned my head slowly rams chasing the ewes around. I Aer viewing eh sheep, the and a lamb was sning my ear. was having a real enjoyable time conversation shooting up came up the lm. At this about writing time, I had a an article for Minolta SRT the RamPage 102 camera. about what It had a 75- I have seen 300 mm lens. throughout I spent more the years on time loading the sheep I and unloading have seen. lm. We saw So here about 150 sheep goes…. I in this draw. don’t claim to I went back be a bighorn to Dubois sheep expert. throughout Everything I the 1970 and write about made the trek to in this article Whiskey Mtn, is what I Torrey Rim, have seen and Trail Lake and watched about every year for the past 40 years or so. From then on, I was hooked on well into the 1980s. One year the Back in the 1970s I met a taking photos and being around wild sheep weren’t coming down, gentleman from Lander named the Bighorns of Wyoming. I also so you couldn’t get any photos Bill Crump who was the Game learned that if you were below or around Trail Lake. I took a trail up and Fish district supervisor on the same level with the sheep to the top of Torrey Rim from the for the Lander region. He was they weren’t quite as nervous, and south. I packed both my video cam telling me about the bighorns he they wouldn’t shy away from you. corder and 35mm camera. Aer I had seen in the Dubois area. For the next few years I was a made it to the top, there were wild We then made plans to go to regular in the town of Dubois. I sheep all over the place. Aer about Dubois the next winter and see stayed at the Stage Coach Motel an hour up on that rim, I ran out some sheep. I was excited but and became good friends with of lm. I had taken 12 rolls and had to wait better than a year. John Suda. He always knew where the battery on my video camera December 1975 nally came the Bighorns were at. He took me gave out aer about 35 minutes. around. On our rst outing we just south of Dubois up what I call I was luck to have seen between PAGE 13 400-500 wild sheep on this hike. o in the early 1990s. I kind of hill sides for the sheep to eat on. Lots of times when I went to lost interest in going to Dubois I can not say where the bigger Trail Lake Ranch you would because the wild sheep just weren’t rams are located but have always see wild sheep down at there anymore. ey have come seen between 175-185 rams the lake and in the meadows. I back some but no not like they between the three locations. would say that Dubois was the were in the 1970s and 1980s. e last time I went to hot spot for Bighorn sheep and In the mid-1990s, I really went Dubois, I had a tough time lots of rams back in those days. big time. Minolta came out with seeing 100 wild sheep. In December 1980 the town of a new camera called a Maxim In December of 2017 I spent 4 Dubois sportsman has a wild 7000 with auto rewind. It also days looking at wild sheep on game feed for the Rocky Mtn had a 75mm-300mm telephoto the South and North forks. I saw Bighorn Sheep Society members lens. You could take 36 pictures an average of 100 sheep in both who made the trip up from in less than 15 seconds. It was locations. I try and keep track of Colorado to view our wild sheep. costly developing photos. ank the lambs, ewes, and rams I see I made it up to Dubois two more God for digital cameras. in each herd. Some days you will times for this wild game feed. At one of our winter fund raisers see more wild sheep on the South e second year they had the in ermopolis, I was talking to fork than the North fork because wild game feed I had given John Don Schmaltz and he told me that of the terrain and the weather. Suda a photo that he really liked, I should come to Cody and check is year on the North fork they and he entered it in the photo out the wild sheep out on the didn’t have much snow the rst contest at the wild game feed. South fork of the Shoshone. Aer time I went out. I was stretching His photo took rst place that we were through with the fund my legs and came across a bear year and I sure enjoyed tasting all raiser, I took a drive to Cody and track in the mud. It didn’t take that dierent wild game meat. went out on the South fork and me long to get back in the jeep. In December of 1982 I was once there were wild sheep all over the en it snowed up on the North again in Dubois taking photos. place. I couldn’t stay very long that fork the next day. I saw some lambs One Saturday night we came back day but knew I would be back. and ewes coming through the to the motel and John yelled at me I would try and take a week to go trees followed by a nice ram. I got to come over to the oce. I went on my sheep safari. I would take out and walked up a road to get over, and he said he had some guys 2 days in Dubois then take a day closer. ere in the snow were fresh coming over tonight to talk about and travel to Cody and spend two wolf tracks. is is a rst time for starting a WYO Bighorn sheep more days on the South fork. It me, bear tracks and wolf tracks. chapter. At rst, I told John that it goes to where I was seeing more Now that I have a digital camera would cut into my drinking time. sheep in the Cody area than in I usually take on average 300- He said he could take care of that. the Dubois country. I then had 500 photos per trip. I also have a So, I went to the meeting, and yes to make up my mind where I Sony handy-cam and take 30-40 Kevin, there were six of us there was going, Dubois or Cody. minutes of video each year. that Saturday night in December From 2000 to the present I have At the start of this article I told 1982. ey were the following; John spent most of my time in the you that I am far from a Bighorn Suda, Ron Ball, Dave Steger, Alex Cody area on the North and sheep expert. What I have seen Wolfer, Kent Stockton, and Freddie South forks of the Shoshone. in the past 40 years is that there Goetz. We talked about what we I have seen lots of wild sheep on was quantity in our Bighorn could do for the Bighorn Sheep the South fork. It really depends sheep herds during the 1970s, and we made plans to have another on how much snow they have 80s, and 90s. Today I would see get together the next December up high in the mountains. It the we have Quality in our herds. at the Rustic. I believe we had the snow is deep the wild sheep will If I am able and the editor of the next 2 or 3 fund raisers in Dubois. be down in the meadows and on RamPage will let me, I would like en we started moving it around the side hills. I would see between to write an article every year aer the state trying to get more 200-300 wild sheep on the snowy I go on my sheep safari. I will try members and guess what we were days and only about ½ that amount and spend a few days at the three doing an excellent job. In 1997 if the snow was not there. locations and give you a report on we had 25 life members, in 2007 I have only been going up on the what I see in the years to come. we had 302 life members, today North Fork for about the past 6 anks for your time and I we have over 530 life members or 7 years. Aer they had a re hope you enjoyed my bit of dedicated to Wyoming Bighorns. that came down to the highway in wisdom on Bighorn sheep. en we had a big wild sheep die places, it has opened some good
PAGE 14 WIN YOUR FIRST SHEEP HUNT! FOR WSF MEMBERS WHO HAVE NOT TAKEN A WILD SHEEP RAM* THREE SHEEP HUNTS TO WIN! 406.404.8750 www.wildsheepfoundation.org facebook.com/wildsheepfoundation
Dall Sheep Hunts • Gear Package • Travel Cash 1st Need not be present to win • Pedestal Mount • On X Hunt Elite Membership 2nd MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN • Replica • MTN OPS Supplements 3rd MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN • SAAM Shooting Course Read complete rules on website
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COLE & ELAINE BENTON BRETT & MICKI JEFFERSON PAGE 15 WIN YOUR FIRST SHEEP HUNT! FOR WSF MEMBERS WHO HAVE NOT TAKEN A WILD SHEEP RAM* THREE SHEEP HUNTS TO WIN! 406.404.8750 www.wildsheepfoundation.org facebook.com/wildsheepfoundation
Dall Sheep Hunts • Gear Package • Travel Cash 1st Need not be present to win • Pedestal Mount • On X Hunt Elite Membership 2nd MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN • Replica • MTN OPS Supplements 3rd MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN • SAAM Shooting Course Read complete rules on website
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR <1 CLUB SPONSORS
HUNT UNDERWRITTEN BY: HUNT UNDERWRITTEN BY: RON & BILLI CAREY KEVIN & TUESDY SMALL
COLE & ELAINE BENTON BRETT & MICKI JEFFERSON PAGE 16 PAGE 17 PAGE 18 2018 Wild Sheep Chapter and A liate Meeting by Steve Kilpatrick
e WY-WSF hosted the Wild the 2018 Sheep Show. continue nancial support into Sheep Chapter and Aliate the future. Summit XI meeting in Jackson Gray was followed by technical June 22-23, 2018. presentations on wild sheep Greg Schildwachter, Vern Bleich, ecology – Horn Size and Nutrition Melanie Woolever, Bret Jeerson e theme of the event was in Mountain Sheep, by Dr. Kevin and Kevin Hurley, provided “One Tent – One Camp re”. Monteith; Evaluating the Role updates on congressional of Harvest Demography and bills, amendments, Species of e event did in deed live up to its Changing Environments on Horn Conservation Concern (USFS), theme as you will hear later. Size of Mountain Sheep. by Dr USFS Risk Of Contact, etc. All Kevin Monteith. very informative. All C/A were e event provided time for was held at priority updates. the historic Virginian e attendees Lodge in were split into Jackson Hole. two groups for Drinks and aernoon eld hors d’oeuvres trips; one group were served took the Tram to ursday the top of the Teton evening as Range to learn representatives about BH sheep for numerous and mountain Chapters goats in the Tetons. and Aliates e same group began to then went to the arrive. Twelve National Elk Chapters and Refuge to learn Aliates sent about the history representatives. and management Twenty-one of the NER. e Chapters, second group Aliates and took a tour of the individuals National Museum contributed a of Wildlife Art sponsorship and Grant Teton funding for the meeting. Craig Nakamoto (Iowa FNAWS) National Park. e famous grizzly presented a check ($12,500) bear, 299, and cubs put on a show e meeting kicked o Friday to Sue Consolo-Murphy, alongside the bus. e attendees morning with a group Breakfast, Chief of Science and Resource reversed eld trips the next day. over 80 folks from across the US management, at Grand Teton and Canada were in attendance. National Park for capture and e attendees enjoyed drinks radio collaring of mountain goats and heavy nger food back at the A replica of the new world record and BH sheep. Iowa FNAWS Virginian Friday evening. ram from Wild Horse Island was has “adopted” this threatened on display. Aer breakfast Gray Wyoming BHS herd and will ornton provided an overview of PAGE 19 Saturday started with a group Donations to the live auction In summary, much wild sheep breakfast and a presentation came pouring in at the last minute information was shared, new by Gray ornton on Public until we had 50 donations. My friendships and partnerships made, Outreach – a “New” Narrative. hat is o to Joni and Mack considerable funds were raised for Gray is going to get a little Miller, Kurt Eisenach, all the wild sheep and much fun had by tougher on his conserving McDermotts, Greg Pope, all. e passion for wild sheep was wild sheep message. He, and Jerry Galles, Sarah Dewey and obvious and I encourage you to all others, feel we are getting kicked Sara Domek for developing a try an attend at some time. in the teeth by wild sheep spreadsheet and organizing what unfriendly amendments to the rst seemed like chaos. ey kept e 2019 C/A Summit will Farm Bill and other political track of everything! be hosted by the Fraternity actions. Presentations were given by Garrett Long, new Approximately $27K was raised!!! of the Desert Bighorn, communications specialist with And, WY-WSF keeps most of it. May 17-18, 2019 WSF and Dinesh Bali on online live auctions. in Las Vegas, NV. Technical presentations were provided on diseases by Dr. Bob Garrott, Carson Butler, Dr. Peri Wol and Dr. Mary Wood. Pneumonia related pathogens are the most wide-spread and limiting factor for wild sheep. Yet, it is a relatively new science with some knowns and multiple unknowns. It is too complex of an issue to discuss here, so I encourage you to Google the above researchers and gain some basic knowledge. It’s a bit complicated, but critically important. e Saturday night grand nally was literally held under “one tent” on Zach and Gina McDermott’s place east of Hoback Junction – adjacent to BHS occupied habitat. Over 110 attendees were treated to live country western music, horse-drawn wagon rides, drinks and a ne country-style meal under one large tent. PAGE 20
WSF ad.indd 1 10/4/2018 2:20:08 PM “A Trip to Wicked River” By LMs Diane DiJenno and Chadd Hartwig
comfort building is bread, pastries and cookies. almost complete. Arriving back to camp we found We met our wonderful that our other two hunters had guides, Burt and also been successful, James from Glenn Dale and were Texas had connected on both then own out to a Mountain Goat and Moose, camp by Booker in while John from Edmonton had his Super Cub. Diane collected a six point bull elk. and husband, Dean, At Big Meadow we were able had chosen to hunt to clean and package our meat by boat on Laurie before freezing it and take care of Lake which has its our capes and horns. We quickly own airstrip and two showered and lled up on some nicely maintained more of Amber’s home cooking. cabins. Chadd was Wicked River is a small camp, hunting at Mia camp never more than 4 hunters in any which also has cabins 10 day period and trophy quality and horses to use is constantly being improved. for the daily hunt. On day 10 we once again boarded e weather turned the chartered Beaver for a quick wintry and both ight out to Pink Mountain, parties spend the BC and a long drive home. next several days If you are dreaming of a Canadian searching for their Moose, Elk, Mtn. Goat, or game and admiring Black Bear, please consider the great north woods. Wicked River Out tters. Diane connected with her e ew in to the Big Meadow moose on day 6 at base camp of Wicked River W 250 yards and her Out tters near Pink Mountain, trophy was packed British Columbia on Sept 12, to the boat and then 2018 with great anticipation back to camp. of the 10 day hunts that were Chadd rode long and to start the following day. hard and saw lots Chadd had purchased his moose of country before hunt during the 2017 WY-WSF nding his moose banquet auction and Diane on day 7. His moose had booked with Amber and was packed back to Booker shortly thereaer. camp on horseback Amber and Booker have donated and then both parties multiple Mtn Goats and Moose were own back hunts to assist our chapter with to Big Meadow. fund raising and we knew we were During the hunt in for the times of our lives! all had enjoyed Base camp consists of a beautiful wonderful pre log home where Amber prepares cooked meals and serves all of the meals. ere that Amber had is a separate log bunk house prepared and sent for hunters, electricity, and hot out along with her running water. A new log supply/ awesome homemade PAGE 21 Box 569 HUDSON`S HOPE BC V0C 1V0 CANADA CELL: 250-321-1364 LODGE: 778-373-6112 [email protected] WWW.WICKEDRIVEROUTFITTERS.COM PAGE 22 THANK YOU TDK FOR THE BEST SAFARI EVER! “We highly recommend TDK for your African Safari” References: LMs Dean & Diane DiJenno (307)213-0998 and LMs Dale & Jacque Sims (307)899-0470.
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PAGE 24 “My Arm Pit Ram” By Matt Lensch
you think about it, there In 2004 I had the opportunity to assist stay the course in applying for an area may be no more tting place with the bighorn sheep transplants 12 license through the many years. in the U.S. to hunt a big- into Devils Canyon. Initially I was horned Rocky Mountain assigned to the ground crew. My job It is estimated that there are now Ifbighorn sheep than the Big Horn was to hobble and blindfold the sheep about 275 bighorn sheep in the Devils Basin in Big Horn County, on the in the horse trailer and then load Canyon herd and there have been west slope of the Bighorn Mountains the hobbled sheep into the back of a hunting seasons in Hunt Area 12 overlooking the conuence of the Big helicopter aer they were processed. since 2008. e herd now serves as Horn River into Big Horn Lake and e sheep were then own to the a source herd for other transplants. the Bighorn National Recreation area. release site on Dugan Bench. About e sheep are mainly found in a halfway through the release operation relatively small core area along Unfortunately, this hasn’t always been I was asked to help escort several loads Dugan Bench and the Moss Ranch the case. Like so many places that once of sheep to the release site. On one on the north side of Devils Canyon. had booming populations of bighorns; of the ights we had an ewe slip the is is signi cant because the area competition with livestock, habitat hobbles, start kicking, and at one point is surrounded by deep canyons and loss, disease and unregulated hunting stood up. Having a bighorn sheep the only access to the core area is all contributed to the expiration of bouncing around inside a helicopter through private land. Fortunately, bighorns from the Bighorn Mountains ying over Devils Canyon was not the landowner has played an integral shortly aer the turn of the century. a good situation and the pilot was role in the management of the Devils rightly getting excited. Fortunately, Canyon herd and allows access with Not having bighorn sheep in the I was able to wrestle the ewe down a reasonable trespass fee. If not for Bighorn Mountains is just plain and we got the hobbles back on. e the cooperation from the Bischo wrong. To remedy the situation rest of the ight went without a hitch family, there likely would not be several transplants were attempted in and eventually all 20 sheep were a Devils Canyon sheep herd. the 1930s, 1960s and 1970s. However, delivered to the release site. ( ey like many of the early transplants no longer transport big game in the I had been applying for a bighorn throughout the west, the Bighorn helicopter, now everything is slung). sheep tag for 22 years, so I’ve thought Mountain transplants ultimately about my sheep hunt for a very long failed. All except one. In 1973, 39 at ight sits in my memory as if time. I always knew I would opt out bighorn sheep were transplanted it happens yesterday. Not so much of paying the trespass fee and hunting on the south side of Devils Canyon because things got a little western the core area. Not so much that I am near the Wyoming/Montana state in the back of the helicopter, but cheap, because in the realm of once line. e Devils Canyon sheep herd more that I realize there is a realistic in a lifetime sheep hunt, the trespass survived, but never thrived. In 2003 chance that the ewe that slipped the fee was a bargain. It just wasn’t the it was thought that only 25-40 sheep hobbles was the mother of the ram I hunt I had been waiting all these years remained. To revitalize the herd, harvested. My involvement in these for. I had heard of a small band of 20 bighorns were captured on the transplants kindled an admiration of rams living south of Devils Canyon Lower Deschutes River in Oregon and the Devils Canyon herd and helped me on BLM land. My hunt was going to transplanted to Dugan be a true DIY public land hunt. Bench on the North side of Devils Canyon Shortly aer I learned I drew a in 2004. In 2006 an sheep license in May, I began additional 20 bighorns scouting. Over the years I were transplanted from heard a few people occasionally the Missouri Breaks seeing rams south of Devils to Dugan Bench. Canyon but nding these rams in hundreds of square e supplemental miles of some of the hottest, transplants of bighorns driest, windiest, rockiest, most into the Devils Canyon “gnarly” country in Wyoming really shied the herd would be a formidable task. into high gear and that is really where the story My initial trip to Devils Canyon of my 2017 bighorn was basically an exercise in sheep odyssey began. learning the main roads and guring out how things lay on
PAGE 25 the ground versus looking at a map. where he shot a 180-inch ram in I knew I was in the right area. We at aernoon we were working 2016. ( e rst ever harvested out of searched most of the morning, still our way back to the trail head the core area). Shortly thereaer we no MAPR. Since I only had one day when my friend asked if I wanted saw a band of 15 rams on the same to spend with Zach, I shued being to see the Armpit cabin. With a ridge. Within that band I saw the a sheep hunter with that of a tour name like Armpit, I had to see it. same ram I saw a month earlier at guide to Zach. at aernoon we the Armpit Cabin. I think Mark was located the 10 rams again, but still no I don’t know how to exactly describe more excited about seeing the rams MAPR. We le the rams and checked the infamous Armpit Cabin. e than I was. He is a self-proclaimed out one of the several caves in the cabin, or should I say, tar papered sheep nut and quickly told me the ram area. Evening was approaching so shack, is a 1950’s era uranium mine would easily score 185. I knew he was we decided to split up. Kevin set out headquarters. e actual mine site a good ram but at that point it started to scout an area where he had seen a is closed to the public due to high to sink in that I had the opportunity couple of rams a few days prior. Zach radiation levels. It has character to harvest the next Wyoming and I would go back to where we saw with the interior decorated with a Pope and Young recorded ram. the 10 rams. I knew these rams were wide array of colorful grati. e constantly on the move, partnering cabin had an overpowering smell While we were watching the rams, with other rams then moving on of pack rats’ scat, and the thought Mark told me that every “real sheep again. My hope was MAPR would of dying of Hantavirus must cross hunter” names the rams he sees. e hook up with the band of rams. your mind. To the disbelief of my need for a name stuck with me. I friends, I fell in love with this place. thought of several clever names, but As we approached the drainage I needed something personable. I where we saw the rams, I spotted It was the walk from the cabin to our needed a name for MY RAM. It took two other rams. A quick look 4-wheelers that molded my plans for me several days but ultimately, I came through my binoculars and I my sheep hunt forever. Looking across up with MAPR (My Arm Pit Ram). con rmed one was MAPR. the drainage to the south I saw four bighorn sheep bedded. Once I got Over the next month I utilized Mark’s I quickly grabbed my bow and set my spotting scope out I could see all advice and concentrated my scouting out for a stalk. My plan was to get four were rams and one was a dandy. trips in an area. During that time, I ahead of MAPR and ease in for a Looking back now, I knew at that saw MAPR multiple times. Sometimes shot. Unlike most archery stalks, instant this was the ram I would hunt. he was alone and sometimes he was things went perfect. Aer about 45 with other rams, but one thing was minutes I found myself 39 yards from Over the next month, my friends, apparent, he was constantly moving. a perfectly broadside MAPR. I drew family and I spent many days scouting As my scouting trips added up, it only back, put my 40-yard pin behind his the area south of Devils canyon. I cemented my decision to concentrate front shoulder and released. It was put out several trail cameras on water all my eorts on hunting MAPR. He the same sight picture I had seen on a sources, glassed the vast canyons for was my Plan A and I did not have 3-D big horn sheep target hundreds of hours, boated Big Horn Lake looking a Plan B. By the end of July, I was times that summer. MAPR jumped, for places the sheep could come to con dent I was going to be able but to my amazement I did not see water and explored every accessible harvest MAPR with my bow once the any sign of an arrow wound in his trail. I was learning the country well, archery season opened on August 1st. side. All twelve rams ran a couple but I had a signi cant issue; I hadn’t hundred yards and looked back at seen the big ram again, heck, I hadn’t Eventually Aug 1 arrived. My oldest me. Just then the skies opened an seen a single sheep. I was starting son Zach was back in Wyoming from I found myself in a torrential down to doubt my decision not to pay the Boston to get married and managed pour. I scrambled to nd cover. trespass fee and hunt the core area. to sneak away for the opening day. My hunting partner Kevin Ryan had e rams stayed huddled together en on June 24 I had the opportunity arrived at camp a few days prior and until the rain stopped. I still could not to meet up with a hunter who had was able to do some more preseason believe I missed the shot and at that the license in 2016. Mark oered to scouting. Our camp was, you guessed point I thought the arrow must have show me some of the spots where he it, the Armpit Cabin. I knew back in passed through without the blades had seen sheep in 2016. Surprisingly, May this is where I would base my deploying properly. Even so, I thought he took me to many places that I hunt. Kevin wasn’t so sure about my MAPR would eventually lay down. had already been, but unknowingly choice of accommodations, but to e rams stayed together and moved dismissed as not being “prime me, this was the most perfect hunting a few hundred yards when a second sheep habitat”. I thought I would camp I could have imagined. intense hail storm moved in. e rams nd sheep in the deep canyons, but once again huddled together with Mark told me he oen saw sheep Opening morning we located a band their backs to the wind and hail. is on open ridges. He was convinced of 10 rams, but no MAPR. One of the storm lasted almost a half of an hour. that sheep prefer elevation. rams had only one horn and I quickly recognized him as one I had seen (Continued on page 46) Later that morning he showed me with MAPR on multiple occasions.
PAGE 26 Eastern Chapter of Wild Sheep Foundation Adopts a Wyoming Bighorn Sheep Project by Steve Kilpatrick The Partnership is high maintenance only in that it is his boat. When he came to the mouth Wild sheep historically costly, not that the bighorns are bad! of the Bighorn River, he so named it for ourished across the western US e ECWSF, with a commitment its great abundance of mountain sheep. and Canada. In fact, numbers in to long-term wild sheep conservation Disease transmission from the 1800’s were estimated at 1.5 to 2 at its core, quickly “adopted” the domestic sheep, occurring during early million! However, by 1960, disease Devil’s Canyon to Ferris Mountain human settlement in the foothills, from domestic livestock, uncontrolled trans location project during their and unregulated hunting were likely hunting and habitat fragmentation had 2018 Convention in Lancaster PA. e the cause for the herd’s demise. reduced numbers to approximately Chapters collaborated to raise revenue Transplants in the 1970’s from 25,000. en, wild sheep advocates for the newly “adopted” Wyoming wild the Whiskey Basin herd near Dubois, and wildlife management agencies sheep project. Merchandise related Wyoming were largely unsuccessful. combined their resources and stepped to Wyoming was incorporated in the More recent transplants from Oregon up to the plate. By 1985, numbers ECWSF Convention including; WY- (2004) and Montana (2006) were from had increased to about 85,000. Still WSF hosting ECWSF membership lower-elevation, non-migratory, and a far cry from the historical millions, participation in capture and release earlier-lambing herds. e genetics of but a step in the right direction. activities, WY-WSF hosted tourist the transplants seemed to be a match Wild sheep are the “high trip to Jackson, WY. to see bighorns for the local environment which can maintenance” member of the family. and mountain goats, and the sale be relatively hot and dry with plants ey are extremely sensitive and are of a Wyoming Governor’s BH curing out and loosing nutritional oen referred to as the “canary in the sheep tag (ECWSF keeps 10% of qualities early. With the “new” mine” – if you can keep them alive the sale price which they reinvest bighorns lambing 4-6 weeks earlier, many other wildlife species prosper. in the “adopted” project). plant nutrition is still high, resulting While wild sheep are costly to manage, The end result in elevated nutrition for lactating they seldom bring in proportionate A partnership where ECWSF has ewes and young foraging lambs. revenue to wildlife management a tangible long-term project which is Since the Montana and Oregon agencies. It’s common for wild sheep consistent with both chapter’s missions. transplants occurred, the herd has management programs to operate not ECWSF members are encouraged to been quite productive. One measure only in the red, but deeply in the red. wander West to view and assist with of herd health is the ratio of lambs/100 Wild sheep enthusiasts realized their “adopted” Devil’s Canyon to ewes during late fall to early winter. “the need” if wild sheep were to be exist Ferris Mountains trans location project. e ratio for Devil’s Canyon has ranged on our landscapes, and in 1977, the Activities may include assisting with from 46-58, which is really good! Foundation for North American Wild captures, releases, guzzler instillation Currently, 6 licenses are allocated for Sheep (now Wild Sheep Foundation) and general viewing of bighorns in the hunt area and hunters have been was created. Since then, wild sheep the two mountain ranges. WY-WSF 100% successful. Moreover, one 6 yr enthusiasts have formed multiple will continue providing merchandise old ram scored over 180. Obviously chapters and aliates across the US to ECWSF for the “adopted” horn growth is also very good. and Canada. e two chapters I want project. And, most importantly, the e current population objective to talk about are the Wyoming Wild partnership perpetuates the vision for the hunt area is 175 and the 2016 Sheep Foundation (WY-WSF) in 1983, of “putting and keeping KIDS and actual count was 263. us, the and the Eastern Chapter of the Wild WILD SHEEP on the mountain”. Wyoming Game and Fish Department Sheep Foundation (ECWSF) in 1990. About the “Adopted” Project is concerned about the herd expanding Given the Wyoming and Eastern In short, bighorns are being into occupied domestic sheep grazing Chapters’ goals are basically the same, trans located from a very productive allotments resulting in lethal disease long-term conservation of wild sheep, herd, the Devil’s Canyon herd, transmission and a catastrophic die- it seemed only wise that we form to a historically low production o. Diseases are generally density some type of a partnership. ese herd, the Ferris Mountain herd. dependent. Consequently, it is best partnerships are being fostered by Gray Devil’s Canyon Herd to keep herd at moderate numbers ornton as CEO of the Wild Sheep is herd is located along the and reduced densities, especially since Foundation who created the concept northwestern side of the Bighorn this herd occupies a relatively small of “one tent-one camp re”. is winter Mountains in north-central Wyoming. area. Lastly, there is the concern of WY-WSF approached ECWSF with Like most mountain ranges in the West, habitat abuse. Reductions in forage the proposal that they “adopt” one of historically bighorns were abundant quality and quantity ultimately result our “high maintenance” children – the here. In 1806, Captain Clark, on his in a malnourished body condition Devil’s Canyon to Ferris Mountain return trip down the Yellowstone, saw which leads to decreased productivity wild sheep trans location project. It many bighorns and took several from and enhanced disease transmission.
PAGE 27 It’s best to keep wildlife numbers at minimal. Lambs were found dead and distribution and uniform habitat use. moderate levels, if one is interested dying in the eld. Disease issues were Consequently, the Wyoming Game and in long-term herd viability. not detected. e source population Fish Department (WGFD) and BLM To prevent the above from of the transplants, the Whiskey Basin will be revisiting the current objective happening, a logical tool is an active herd, consists of sheep adapted to of 300, to see if an increase is justi ed. trans location program. Four such high elevations where green up is Because of manpower needs and trans locations have occurred from early and lambing occurs in early costs, it takes a village to trans locate Devil’s Canyon to the Ferris Mountains June. is is a good match – early sheep. Approximately 15-20 folks are since February 2016, totaling 69 green-up and early lambing ewes. needed on the ground during captures bighorns (Feb 2016 – 24, Feb 2017 Conversely , by June, forage in the to keep the sheep calm for monitoring/ – 22, Dec 2017 – 20, Feb 2018 – 23). lower elevation Ferris Mountains has collar attachments. en the sheep are Trans locations will continue pending started to cure and the nutritional carried to a trailer for transportation. a healthy Devil’s Canyon herd and quality drops quickly, leaving lactating Costs are steep due to helicopter time, associated high recruitment rate. ewes and foraging lambs with radio collars, disease sampling/analysis, relatively low-quality forage. Only etc. In the end it costs about $2,000 per Ferris Mountain Herd an estimated 15 sheep were present sheep. e WGFD hopes to trans locate is herd is located in central in the Ferris Mountains by 2003. 40 sheep from Devil’s Canyon to Ferris Wyoming, southwest of Casper. Wild Low elevation, non-migratory, Mountains next year. You do the math! sheep were also abundant in the early-lambing bighorns from In summary, the WY-WSF, ECWSF, area. Stuart and 6 Astorians the saw Oregon (40) and Devil’s Canyon BLM and WGFD hope to continue “innumerable” ocks of bighorns 1 mile (12) were transplanted into the the transplants from the Devil’s downstream from the mouth of Poison adjacent Seminoe Mountains in Canyon herd to the Ferris Mountains Spider Cr (near Casper) on Nov 12, 2009. Bingo! ese sheep lambed until that population objective 1812. On July 30, 1842 Fremont 4-6 weeks earlier than the Whiskey is reached. We are vetting other mentions seeing numerous herds Basin sheep and were in synchrony potential transplant sites as well. of mountain sheep on the North with spring green-up. e best of Platte River 25 miles SW of Casper groceries delivered at the right time. (a few miles above the mouth of e additional transplants the Sweetwater). On May 31, 1846, from Devil’s Canyon to the Ferris We covet our new Joel Palmer and his party saw large Mountains mentioned above have partnership with the “droves” of mountain sheep 4 miles since occurred. Herd recruitment has Eastern Chapter of the east of Independence Rock (west been exceptional with 79 lambs/100 side of the Ferris Mountains). ewes in 2015 and 2016! Very high! Wild Sheep Foundation Again, lethal disease ere are currently and thank them for transmission from domestic approximately 200 bighorn sheep in sheep, uncontrolled hunting the Ferris and Seminoe Mountains “adopting” our high and habitat fragmentation and the objective is 300. However, maintenance child! resulted in local extinction. in recent years the Rawlins Bureau of Bighorns were rst reintroduced Land Management (BLM) has done an into the Ferris Mountains in the late outstanding job of enhancing bighorn 1940’s with two small transplants, sheep one consisted of desert bighorns habitat with from Nevada. Neither produced a extensive viable herd. Slightly larger transplants prescribed occurred in the 1950’s and 1960’s burns. In with numbers still not increasing. addition, Approximately 100 bighorns were they have trans located to the Ferris Mountains managed (Muddy Creek drainage) from Whiskey wild res to Basin in January of 1985. Dispersal was the bene t high, but roughly 40 to 60 of the sheep of bighorns. remained in the herd unit and survival And last, but of transplanted animals was good. not least, While adult survival was good, they have poor lamb survival during summer installed two months kept the herd from increasing. new guzzles Monitoring indicated poor forage to enhance quality and losses to predation were bighorn PAGE 28 National Bighorn Sheep Center We thought it might be fun to show you what we are doing rather than write up another article....Enjoy! Sara Domek, NBSIC Board of Directors & Sta
Hosting G&F Commissioner’s Meeting Education Program along with WY-WSF
Full House at an Adult Education Program
Attending Wyo Outdoor Expo along with WY-WSF.
Youth Outdoor Education Program
PAGESta 29 & Volunteers at the Spring Clean Up Iowa Chapter Adopts the Teton Herd. By Steve Kilpatrick
A partnership has been made, population is small and isolated sheep but can be “carriers” and connecting Des Moines, Iowa and over the last 5-10 years the transmit the pathogens to wild to the Grand Tetons of western number of bighorns in the herd has sheep. Mountain goats in Grand Wyoming. e Iowa Chapter of the declined nearly 50 percent, from Teton National Park have tested Foundation of the North American 100-125 animals to about 60-90. positive for two such pathogens. Wild Sheep (Iowa FNAWS) has In addition, mountain goats made a commitment to place Because this population is so can compete with bighorns for funding for the Teton bighorns as small and in decline, biologists habitat. e current population a high priority. ey will partner agree that Teton bighorns face the of mountain goats is estimated with Wyoming Wild Sheep risk of local extinction. Historical at 100 or more and modeling Foundation (WY-WSF), Grand low elevation habitat was lost to indicates that number could Teton National Park (GTNP), development, leaving these sheep grow to over 400. Twining is Bridger-Teton National Forest clinging to existence in rugged currently common, and cases of (B-TFS), Caribou-Targhee National high country, enduring brutal triplets have been documented. Forest (C-TFS) and the Wyoming winter conditions above timberline. Game and Fish Department Long-term re suppression has is is a core, native bighorn (WGFD) in conservation of also aected habitat quality herd. Meaning once its this jeopardized herd. and blocked access to some unique genetics are gone, we low elevation winter ranges. cannot bring them back. Wy-WSF has spent considerable New threats to the bighorn include resources (approximately half the loss of crucial winter range e Teton Bighorn Sheep a million dollars) over the past due to a signi cant increase in Working Group has identi ed several years helping conserve recreational backcountry skier use the following funding needs: the Teton BHS. We felt we need and possible habitat competition 1. Ongoing capture, radio assistance from one of our and pathogen transmission collaring, and disease sampling established partners and reached related to an expanding nonnative of bighorn sheep and mountain out to Iowa FNAWS. And, mountain goat population. goats. Iowa FNAWS funds will respond they did. Iowa FNAWS In some cases, sheep have be used to capture and deploy 7 representatives, Craig Nakamoto eectively lost up to 30% of GPS collars in winter 2018/2019. and Pat O’Neill attended the the currently available high 2. Remote camera monitoring Chapter and Aliate meeting elevation winter habitat because work. Deploying remote in Jackson this past June. ey of displacement by skiers. cameras at mineral licks to brought with them a check for In other places, sheep were test a cost-eective technique $12,500 and presented it to forced to move to avoid skiers, to estimate population size. Grand Teton National Park. e burning precious energy during a. Purchase additional cameras. funds will be used for mountain winter, which can result in poor b. Support eld work to goat and BH sheep captures/ reproduction and starvation. deploy and maintain camera radio collaring in the Tetons traps and analyze data. during the 2018-19 winter. e introduced mountain goats, c. Support analysis – which studies show are likely population estimate. Bighorn sheep are an icon of coming from the Snake River 3. Mountain goat management the mountains and foothills of Range to the south, are passing (translocations or removals). western North America. Like through an active domestic sheep 4. Bighorn sheep and mountain many bighorn sheep herds in the allotment. Mountain goats are goat helicopter surveys. region, the population that lives less susceptible to die os from 5.Revisit of Als Courtemanch’s in the Teton Range of northwest pneumonia related pathogens work (with new GPS collar data Wyoming is struggling. e contracted from domestic see if sheep movements and
PAGE 30 home range sizes are changing in areas of high, med, and low recreation use levels). 6. Population estimate using fecal samples. 7. Genetic consultation. 8. Summer Resource Selection .Function (RSF) and examining eects summer recreation 9.Prescribed Fire.
We are all excited to have Iowa FNAWS on our team to conserve this iconic Teton Bighorn Herd. Without bighorns, the Tetons will be less wild and majestic, and our dreams and imaginations tamed.
Commingling of bighorns and mountain goats. Bighorn sheep and mountain goat caught on camera trap using the same mineral lick within 36 minutes of each other.
Iowa Chapter members viewing the Devil’s Canyon herd in June 2018. From le : Kay Gianolia, Laureen Nakamoto, and Chapter President Craig Nakamoto.
PAGE 31 ENCAMPMENT KIDS CONTINUE WILD SHEEP STUDY BY JORDAN SEITZ
Last winter 6th and 8th grade the ocial wilderness title. Fast study environment related topics in students from the Encampment forward to this fall, and another our Platte Valley. Not only does it K12 school had the opportunity set of students joined the “Sheep give my students an opportunity to to assist local agencies in radio Study.” rough classroom engage in unique conversations, but collaring and collecting health presentations on bighorn sheep they also gain a better perspective data from their local bighorn and phenology, and outdoor eld and understanding of our natural sheep population (see article in observations, this group will also resources by getting outside and the Spring 2018 RAMPAGE). In learn and gather data about the experiencing them rst-hand.” the spring, those same students local sheep population. In early e plan for the Sheep Study is to headed back into the eld to locate October, the students loaded into continue studying and monitoring some of the collared sheep using 4x4s and shuttled up into the the sheep habitat and population telemetry gear, and observe their foothills where they weathered a down the road (literally!), with habitat. ey then helped dra couple hours of much needed rain hopes to map the core areas the a letter to the Carbon County wearing rain gear or gathering sheep inhabit at various times Committee Members for the under a tarp draped over the through the year, and identify key Wyoming Public Lands Initiative. hatch of a suburban before the travel corridors. eir goal is to e classes took the stance that sun came out. It was an excellent use the gathered data to eventually their local Encampment River “character building” experience propose a habitat improvement WSA (Wilderness Study Area (stated by Cufaude as the rain project. A big thanks goes to G&F -- part of the local sheep’s home poured down) in addition to biologists Will Schultz, Katie range) should be given wilderness educational! eir teacher Jordan Cheesbrough, and Teal Cufaude for protection. It was a tough decision Seitz says, “I thoroughly enjoy sharing their time and knowledge because of the pros and cons that partnering with local experts and with the students of Encampment! would come with giving the land agencies, like Game and Fish, to
PAGE 32 Pneumonia pathogens in our bighorn sheep herds:
Bacterial pneumonia has been aecting sheep and it was just six years ago that relates to herd performance. e bighorn sheep for over a century, experiments con rming the importance collective eort captured and tested but only recently have biologists and of this pathogen were rst published. over 800 animals from over 20 researchers really started to understand Even more recently, transmissible sinus dierent populations across the this disease. e most obvious sign tumors (suspected to be caused by an two states. Populations included in of pneumonia is all-age die-os that unidenti ed virus) were rst described the research included some fabled oen happen on winter range. e real in bighorn sheep and found to be ones such as Wyoming’s ‘core dagger, however, is the second phase associated with increased nasal shedding native herds’, Montana’s Missouri of the disease where a high percentage of Pasteurella and M.ovi infections. Breaks populations, and Montana’s of the lamb crop does not survive Given the recent discovery of Sun River population. Below are their rst summer year aer year. the infectious agents that cause several key ndings of the eort: e association of disease in bighorn pneumonia in bighorn sheep, there’s • Pasteurellas were found in every sheep with domestic sheep is long a lot le to learn about the disease. population and M.ovi was found known, but it took hard-work by at being said, there is a lot we in about ¾ of the populations multiple generations of wildlife can con dently say about the cause sampled. Some populations hosted biologists and researchers to reveal of pneumonia in bighorn sheep, Pasteurellas without M.ovi but what the disease really is. Early including but not limited to: populations that hosted M.ovi disease die-os in bighorn sheep • Pneumonia in bighorn sheep always hosted Pasteurellas too. following association with domestic originated from domestic sheep and • e tests to detect pneumonia sheep were oen attributed to scabies goats and these domestic counterparts pathogens in bighorn sheep are prone (i.e. mange). Given our current still pose a risk to wild sheep. at’s to false negative errors, making it knowledge, it now seems likely these not to say a wild sheep never died of challenging to precisely track pathogen die-os were caused by pneumonia pneumonia before domestic sheep and communities. Failure to detect a with scabies also being present. By goats rst showed up, but the appearance pathogen in a population doesn’t the 1930s biologists knew that many of this widespread and persistent necessarily mean it’s not present. bighorn sheep die-os were caused disease in bighorn sheep is clearly • Populations that host M.ovi are by pneumonia and many thought linked to their domestic counterparts. more likely to have a history of lung- worms were the principle cause. • Prolonged contact between bighorn pneumonia die-os than those Subsequent experiments that infected sheep and the typical domestic where it was not detected. bighorn sheep with high doses of sheep ock will likely lead to • Average lamb recruitment was lungworm larvae failed to produce any pneumonia in the bighorn sheep. higher in the ve populations where pneumonia symptoms and indicated • If M.ovi is not present, the M.ovi was not detected than in the 17 that lung-worms are not the primary risk of pneumonia aecting where M.ovi was detected (37 lambs: cause of pneumonia in bighorn sheep. bighorn sheep is much lower. 100 ewes vs. 25 lambs: 100 ewes) As microbiological techniques • e disease is typically polymicrobial but there was a lot of variability in improved, certain bacteria within and initiated by M.ovi disabling average recruitment of populations the Pasteurella family were identi ed respiratory cilia from clearing lungs hosting M.ovi. All populations with as the cause of this disease. Most of debris. is helps Pasteurellas (and poor recruitment rates (<20 lambs:100 Pasteurella bacteria do not pose potentially other organisms) invade ewes) hosted M.ovi (and Pasteurellas) much risk to bighorn sheep, but a the lungs and cause severe infections. but about half of the populations few species that produce a toxin, From this knowledge stems insights with strong recruitment rates (>30 leukotoxin, which attacks immune into how we can address the issue of lambs:100 ewes) also hosted M.ovi. cells do pose a risk. Experimental pneumonia in bighorn sheep. What • Approximately 90% of the individual infection with speci c leukotoxin additional management insights could bighorn sheep existing in the study producing Pasteurella strains caused be gained if we continue to deepen populations live in a population pneumonia in the infected bighorn our understanding of this disease? that carries M.ovi and Pasteurellas. sheep but not domestic sheep; however As a start to deepen this understanding Populations hosting M.ovi were the available technology still failed state, federal, and university biologists larger on average than populations to accurately distinguish dierent in Wyoming and Montana have been where M.ovi was not detected. Pasteurella species and also failed to working together to sample bighorn • Populations hosting M.ovi were identify an extremely important agent sheep populations for pneumonia more likely to be connected to of this disease. It was only ten years ago pathogens over the last ve years. e other populations than populations that another bacterium, Mycoplasma group aimed to learn how prevalent where M.ovi was not detected. ovipneumoniae or M.ovi for short, Pasteurellas and M.ovi are among the All populations where M.ovi was was rst proposed as the primary states’ bighorn sheep populations and not detected were thought to cause of pneumonia in bighorn how their presence in a population have limited or no connectivity
PAGE 33 Can populations have disease and be healthy? By Carson Butler, Grand Teton National Park with other populations. of numerous other investigations of Funding for this work was provided pneumonia pathogens in bighorn through the Montana, Wyoming, and is work re-arms the important role sheep. A longer list of populations Eastern Chapters of the Wild Sheep of M.ovi in bighorn sheep pneumonia known to host the pathogens and Foundation, the Pittman Robertson and highlights future challenges have strong population performance Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration as well as reasons for optimism. It will improve our ability to identify Act, the Wyoming Governor’s Big would appear that the pneumonia shared traits of these populations Game License Coalition, Wyoming pathogens are established in bighorn that may be linked to more resilience. Game and Fish Department, Montana sheep in Wyoming and Montana and ere’s little hope bighorn sheep Department of Fish Wildlife and are not likely to go away. In addition will ever be completely immune to Parks, Yellowstone Forever (formerly to addressing risk of disease from pneumonia pathogens, but even a the Yellowstone Park Foundation), domestic sheep and goats, we need reduction in the typical severity of and the National Park Service. to also consider how to manage disease caused by pathogens already resident in many of our bighorn sheep populations. Maintaining populations that are free of pneumonia pathogens is clearly a formidable challenge and may require having smaller herd ranges, smaller population sizes, and little connectivity among populations in order to suciently reduce risk of pathogen introduction. ese sacri ces come with their own costs for bighorn sheep conservation. Reason for optimism comes from the appearance that populations can have strong herd performance while hosting pneumonia pathogens. is doesn’t mean those populations are completely free of pneumonia, but then again does a population need to be completely free of disease to be considered healthy? Not even human populations are completely free of disease so perhaps absence of disease is not the best de nition of health. We don’t yet know why some populations Map of study populations and detected appear to be doing well despite hosting disease could do a lot for management bacterial pneumonia pathogens, with a full suite of pneumonia pathogens, and conservation of the species. e population ranges color coded by but their existence oers hope that prospect of learning more about this the ve-year average lamb ewe ratio. a mechanism exists to reduce the disease while applying what we already Populations are labeled according to their impact of pneumonia on bighorn do know to wild sheep management state de ned hunting unit or district. sheep. As technology progresses, so gives me optimism that there will All sections of the pie-charts are xed too does our power to investigate be more sheep on the mountain to equal size and represent whether the genetics, nutrition, stress, habitat, for the next generation to enjoy. and numerous other biological e work described above respective pathogens were detected in factors that might inuence how would not be possible without the study population. Where pathogens populations respond to pneumonia the eorts of dozens of dedicated were not detected, the numbers in the pathogens. If traits associated with professionals, students and volunteers un lled section indicate the probability reduced impacts of pneumonia can from the Wyoming Game and Fish the pathogens were present. e green be identi ed, management strategies Department, Montana Department slice represents M.ovi and the remaining that promote these traits could be of Fish Wildlife and Parks, the U.S. slices represent Pasteurella species that developed to help mitigate the disease. Forest Service, the National Park have been associated with pneumonia in A logical next step that is being Service, Montana State University, bighorn. Ranges of populations without pursued is to combine the results and the Wild Sheep Foundation. adequate recruitment data are not shown.
PAGE 34 PAGE 35 PAGE 36 Whiskey Mountain Bighorn Sheep –Solutions through Collaboration By Daryl Lutz, WGFD – Lander Region Wildlife Management Coordinator
e Wyoming Game and Fish activity are having eects on critical issues. Department, in partnership this herd and we are working WGFD has had similar experiences with the Wyoming Wild Sheep with University of Wyoming with mule deer population Foundation, the National Bighorn researchers to better understand decline statewide. e result Sheep Interpretive Center, and the dynamics of all these factors. was implementation of the Mule the University of Wyoming’s It goes without saying the Whiskey Deer Initiative and engaging Ruckelshaus Institute, is Mountain Bighorn Sheep herd with and including all who are embarking on a public engagement is important at the State and passionate about the species in a even the National formalized collaborative process. level. It was once one Collaboration, in a formalized of the biggest Rocky setting, creates space for increased Mountain bighorn trust, situational understanding, sheep populations in funding, social/political acceptance the world and served of old and new ideas, and perhaps to provide hunting and most importantly, critical thinking viewing opportunities to develop ideas or solutions locally and as a to progressively address the source herd for sheep sheep population decline. transplants throughout is process began this fall with a the West. is herd “situation assessment” that will help continues to decline tailor the collaborative process. process to intensively explore and recently at an alarming rate. During this coming winter through management concerns, issues and ere is much to be learned how next spring we will host a series of opportunities for the Whiskey to best address this decline and to workshops with all interested and Mountain Bighorn Sheep herd. implement management strategies bring bighorn sheep specialists is herd has struggled to recover and projects most likely to succeed from within the Department and from a catastrophic all-age die- in arresting the decline and elsewhere together in a formalized, o caused by pneumonia in reversing this trend. To do this, it structured way to best chart a 1991causing an estimated 30% is clear we must consider a dierent path forward in an attempt to decline in the number of wild sheep approach. is includes enlisting reverse the trend in bighorn sheep in this herd. e management and engaging with everyone numbers in this iconic herd. goal is 1,350 sheep and there are interested to an estimated 700-800 sheep in this capitalize on population today. ey continue local knowledge to languish below the desired and the expertise population size primarily because of other sheep lamb survival is very low due, in biologist/ part, to the persistence of lamb researchers, pneumonia. Recruitment has increase capacity been alarmingly low each of the to conduct past 2 years. In addition, WGFD needed research observed a change in bighorn and management, sheep distribution and behavior on and to develop winter ranges the last two years. acceptance of e bottom-line is, we simply don’t known needed know how to turn this important work and bighorn sheep population perhaps new/ around and hopefully arrest the novel approaches decline. We do know diseases, and ideas to habitat condition, and predator address these PAGE 37 Giving bighorn sheep habitat a new look on the Southfork. By Jerry Altermatt
Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Shoshone A Shoshone National Forest sawyer makes short National Forest completed a work of a juniper. conifer removal project within bighorn sheep crucial winter range on the upper Southfork of the Shoshone River. Using a combination of a private contractor and a Shoshone National Forest crew, juniper and other conifers were removed using chainsaws on a total of 516 acres.
Extremely rough and rocky terrain precluded the use of mulching machinery, leaving chainsawing as the only practical option to mechanically remove the conifer.
In most areas, trees were lopped and scattered, but were densities of trees was high, hand piling was employed. ese piles will be burned during the winter. Mountains. Bighorn sheep rely wind-swept winter forage. e upper Southfork of the on sagebrush/grassland habitats Shoshone River is one of the and the notorious high winds most important winter ranges for of the Southfork to provide In the absence of re, these bighorn sheep in the Absaroka critical foraging areas become encroached with conifers, which not only outcompete forage plants, but reduce visibility for bighorn sheep, making sheep more reluctant to use the areas.
e project will maintain the value of winter habitat for bighorn sheep as well as mule deer and elk.
e project was funded by Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, Wyoming Governor’s Big Game License Coalition, Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Shoshone National Forest Conifer encroached bighorn sheep crucial winter range on the Southfork of the Shoshone waiting for a new look. PAGE 38 2018 Annual Convention/Banquet
PAGE 39 June 2, 2018 in Casper, WY
PAGE 40 “Nutrition, predation, and disease in bighorn sheep: exciting new research to get underway this spring” By Rachel Smiley, Brittany Wagler, and Kevin Monteith
As the morning sun started to ood looked much skinnier than the continue to decline or remain over Arrow Mountain and into other, and still had much of her stagnant. e Whiskey Basin herd Whiskey Basin, Brittany and Rachel winter coat to shed, long clumps of has been struggling to recover heaved their packs onto their backs hair hanging o of her. en they from a pneumonia outbreak in and headed up the Glacier Trail. heard a wheezing. Her lamb was the 1990’s. e Gros Ventre herd ey had been covering as much coughing, its whole body noticeably has suered several outbreaks ground as possible in the Wind contracting with every wheeze. in the past few decades, but has River and Gros Ventre Ranges this is was a stark reminder of why recovered following each outbreak. past summer exploring the places they were there, exploring sheep Ongoing research throughout where collared bighorn sheep country in preparation for the next North America has made strides in lived. eir goal for this trip was phases of the Wyoming Bighorn identifying the speci c pathogens to nd a route up Spider Peak- a Sheep Nutrition Disease Project. involved in causing pneumonia, formidable mountain just a mile Hired on as graduate students at however, the ecological factors from the continental divide in the the University of Wyoming under that may well interact with the Fitzpatrick Wilderness. During a Dr. Kevin Monteith, the two are presence of disease remain previous trip with WGFD biologist now part of a team of researchers, unclear. Nevertheless, it is an Greg Anderson, the three of biologists, and wildlife managers understanding of those ecological them stared at the sheer granite from all over the state charged with factors that may well help identify faces of Spider Peak from No investigating the causes of poor management alternatives for Man’s Pass and concluded there lamb recruitment in the Whiskey populations aicted by disease. was no way sheep would hang Basin bighorn sheep alongside the With critical support from out there. e GPS collar data, Jackson and Cody herds. eir the Wyoming Game and Fish however, indicated otherwise. goal is to capture and collar lambs Department, Wyoming Governor’s Many of the collared ewes’ for the next three summers to Big Game License Coalition, locations were scattered all around disentangle the role of predation, Bureau of Land Management, and the seemingly vertical slopes. disease, and nutrition in lamb Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation e next morning, from their camp mortality. ey will also conduct to get the next phase of this on the shore of Bomber Lake, they habitat surveys to evaluate the research underway, researchers set out with telemetry, and spotting nutritional availability and habitat will begin the coming spring scopes. Crawling up talus elds, quality in the sheep’s summer to evaluate lamb survival and they made their way around the ranges. Overall, they hope to summer nutrition in more detail. east side of the mountain. Rachel better understand glanced up from the boulders how environmental and saw Brittany frozen, her eyes factors inuence how xed on something that she could sheep respond to and not yet see. She carefully stepped cope with disease. over to where Brittany stood, and For the past century, saw what had caught her eye. On bighorn sheep herds a small rocky outcropping not 50 have experienced yards above them were two ewes die os, largely and two lambs. e researchers because of bacterial stood perfectly still and watched as pathogens associated the ewes transitioned from alertly with pneumonia.. watching them back to grazing on Some populations the small patches of sedges and are able to recover alpine havens. As they watched, quickly from these they noticed that one of the ewes die-os while others PAGE 41 “Water for Bighorns in the Bighorns” By Jerry Altermatt
Wyoming Game and Fish X 16 tanks (purchased from Boss Department recently teamed up Tanks, Elko NV). Bureau of Land the Bureau of Land Management Management contracted a Type to install two guzzlers on rim III helicopter to sling the tanks in of Devil Canyon in the Bighorn from the Cottonwood Trailhead, Mountains east of Lovell, WY. six miles away. Wyoming Game e guzzlers will provide water and Fish Department Habitat for bighorn sheep and other and Access crew will install the wildlife in an otherwise dry area two 25 X 100 poly aprons within the range of the Devil above the rim and approximately Canyon bighorn sheep herd. 1,300 feet of pipe next summer e two tanks were placed about a to complete the project. mile apart on the east rim of Devil e new water sources will Canyon. e tanks were located expand the habitat bighorn on narrow benches just below the sheep can eectively use east of canyon rim to eliminate the need Devil Canyon. e water will be to fence out cattle. e location particularly important during of the tanks will also allow sheep lambing, when ewes seem to prefer to use the water sources without the rugged canyon rims. Funding venturing far from escape terrain. for the project was provided by e rugged terrain of the tank Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, locations made foot access dicult Midwest Chapter of the Wild and allow vehicle impossible. Sheep Foundation, Bowhunters Wyoming Game and Fish of Wyoming, Bureau of Land Department personnel leveled Management and Wyoming the rocky sites with pick axes and Game and Fish Department. shovels in preparation for the 8
(Continued from page 41) Although much more support will be needed to see the project through to completion, the current partnerships are strong and all players, from nancial supports all the way to the researchers are committed to helping do their part in seeking possible solutions to aid in keeping sheep on the mountain.
PAGE 42 Two Domestic Goats Removed From Devils Canyon Area by Leslie Schreiber e Devils Canyon bighorn WGFD obtained permission to were picked up on the shore of sheep population consists of lethally remove the goats, because Bighorn Lake by boat, transferred approximately 200 sheep that of the disease risk they present to a vehicle, and transported to the live in and near Devils Canyon to wild sheep. During the next State Veterinary Lab for necropsy. located east of Bighorn Lake in several days, WGFD personnel Test results indicate that the goats the northern Bighorn Mountains. attempted to locate the goats from carried pathogens already present is herd provided sheep for the ground, but were unsuccessful. in the Devils Canyon herd, and transplanting to the Ferris & Due to the diculty of the terrain, no M. ovi was detected. Neither of Seminoe Mountains over the WGFD requested emergency the goats showed any indication of past 4 years. On August 31, funds ($3,000) from WY-WSF pneumonia. e goats were located 2018, Wyoming Game and Fish to pay for a helicopter search. less than 1 mile from two collared Department (WGFD) personnel WY-WSF approved the funds for bighorn sheep rams (collars also
con rmed the sighting of two ying and on September 11, 2018, funded by WY-WSF). ose rams domestic goats near Devils WGFD personnel were able to are moving around normally, and Canyon, which fell within currently locate the goats 1.3 miles north of WGFD will continue to monitor occupied bighorn sheep range their last location. e helicopter the health of this herd with more in hunt area 12. Domestic goats landed and WGFD personnel disease testing planned for winter can carry diseases which could were able to lethally remove the 2018-19. Only through the close potentially be passed to wild sheep. goats and disease samples were partnership of WGFD and WY- Considerable eort was made to taken. Both goats were Boer (or WSF were we able to act quickly locate the goats’ owners, with no Boer X) males with no identifying to remove these potential disease success. rough coordination with tags or markers. e larger male threats to the Devils Canyon herd. the Wyoming State Veterinarian, weighed 219 lbs. e carcasses
PAGE 43 FEBRUARY 7-9 SHEEP SHOW FEBRUARY 7-9, 2019
RENO SPARKS CONVENTION CENTER PEPPERMILL RESORT SPA & CASINO ATLANTIS CASINO RESORT SPA WILDSHEEPFOUNDATION.ORG • 406.404.8750 PAGE 44 and human resources to manage for I have a chance to visit with people From an early age, I knew that I native habitats and open spaces. that share the same passion for wild wanted to be out West and work to I became a member of the Wyoming sheep and wild places. “Family” has conserve and manage wildlife and their Chapter of Wild Sheep Foundation in been there to support my daughter, habitats. I moved from a small farming the late 1990’s and graduated to Life Sierra, as she prepares for a career in community in central Iowa to Laramie Member #384 several years ago. My wildlife disease research, with nancial for college in 1991. At UW, I studied children, Sierra and Drake, are Life assistance for an internship at the rangeland management and sh and Members #438 and #460. Now that orne Williams Research Center, wildlife management. Starting in I’ve moved on from work in the state and the on-going support and cheer 1995 I began my employment with the wildlife agency, I’m able to contribute leading that everyone gives her when Wyoming Game and Fish Department, to the chapter as a board member. they see her. “Family” awarded me where I worked in the habitat eld With the background I have, I’m the Ron Ball Award this past June in for 23 years. I had supervisors and hoping I’ll be able to provide a lot of Casper. at award means more to co-workers that fueled my passion input on projects and proposals, to me than any other I’ve received in for bighorn sheep over my career make sure the Foundation is getting my 23 years of working for wildlife, including Gary Butler, Bill Gerhart, a good return on their investment in and only provides “more fuel to my Ian Tator, Doug McWhirter, Martin the projects we choose to fund. e re” to work for the Foundation. Hicks, and many others too numerous relationships I have made over the My admiration for bighorn sheep to mention. Doug and I co-chaired the years with Department employees, comes from the fact that they are Department’s Bighorn Sheep Working University faculty, and others didn’t such a fragile specie, but yet choose to Group for several years, tackling many disappear upon my departure and live in some of the most inhospitable sheep-centric issues including habitat, I know that I can have frank, open country known to man. As Gary disease, population management, and and honest discussions with them Butler has stated, “bighorn sheep are research. In addition, I participated the canary in on the Governor’s Big Game License the mine”. is Coalition / Bighorn Sheep Committee is so true, as the and also chaired the Coalition for specie can be an two years. ose special assignments indicator of the helped me to really grasp bighorn health of our sheep management issues and at higher elevation the same time also introduce me habitats in to the Wyoming Chapter of Wild Wyoming that are Sheep Foundation. My time with the home to a myriad Wyoming Game and Fish Department of other species was nothing short of spectacular. I seasonally. When made so many good memories and bighorns do well, developed many friendships with so do the dozens co-workers, and am so proud of the of other species accomplishments we were able to that utilize the complete during my tenure. e same habitats. Department is made up of many I promise to give dedicated professionals and is led the organization by a top notch administration. my best e ort. In June, I le the Department to We need to go to the private sector. Today, I’m continue to grow managing wildlife and land resources about proposed projects and we and maintain our position as the on the Old Elk Ranch located east of can collectively accomplish great premiere conservation organization Laramie. e ranch has many di erent things for wild sheep and wild in the state, and be recognized habitat types within its boundaries places and we’ll do so being scally regionally and nationally as leaders and wildlife is plentiful. While no responsible and transparent. in the conservation world. We have bighorn sheep habitat can be found Others have mentioned the Wyoming a passionate group of people giving here unfortunately, habitat for other Chapter of Wild Sheep Foundation is of their time, talent, and money. big game species is present across all like “family”. I couldn’t agree more. I anks to every single member seasonal ranges. Wildlife habitat on look forward to the annual meeting that contributes to our collective the ranch is of primary importance to and fund raiser, winter meeting, cause of “Putting and Keeping the owners, and they dedicate nancial and everything in between, where Sheep and Kids on the Mountain”.
PAGE 45 I am a Wyoming native and was there are now herds in many new people that compose the Wyoming born and raised in Wheatland places throughout the state. e Wild Sheep Foundation and where I have enjoyed the outdoors future looks great for wild sheep. look forward to helping them all my life. My four children, I am honored and thrilled to be achieve the goals they have set. seven grandchildren and wife able to work with the dedicated also enjoy the outdoors. My wife and I try to spend at least a couple of days a week in the mountains around Wheatland watching and listening. I have been lucky to have a sheep herd close by and have been able to watch them interact and live their lives. Each spring brings the “who drew a permit and who gets to watch and wait for next year” conversations, and then the fall questions are “what rams were harvested, or not even sighted?” I have followed the National and Wyoming Sheep Foundations from their early years and have always been amazed at what they have accomplished through time. Putting Sheep on the Mountain has become a reality due to the e orts of the Wyoming Game and Fish and the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation and due to their work
PAP GEE 54
PAGE 46 “ e Final Ram” By Eric Johnson
the journey for the we compared notes, although Josh took a look and saw them go FNAWS, the Rocky we both had seen many rams, over the top of the rocky ridge. On InMountain Bighorn tag is probably we did not nd the “one”. our ride up to the divide we glassed the hardest to draw or obtain. We decided to hunt one of Josh’s that rocky slope and noticed several Aer years of sitting through state favorite areas that historically has moving brown dots, a half dozen draws and several years of One More many rams and some nice ones too. grizzly bears were looking for moths! For Four drawings waiting for that ounce of luck we all dream about Like many hunts originating We spent most of the morning happening to us. I started to consider out of Cody, Wyoming we met glassing the south side of the divide Conservation tags at the Irma for breakfast 2 days turning up lots of ewes, lambs, and that bene t all, elk, but no rams. the management e wind was picking of the species, up and we felt we it’s future, my needed to get to a opportunity, higher vantage point and all the and glass the north opportunities a side which was well managed out of the wind. herd provides Kenny took the for future horses back to camp generations. Aer while Josh, Edwardo, participating and I climbed up unsuccessfully in the ridgeline to the a few auctions, north east with the I felt I had some plan to hike along luck at the Iowa it and then drop o FNAWS banquet it all the way back and came home to camp (where the with one of the G-bears were seen). Wyoming Governor’s Bighorn Sheep tags. What a better way to nish before the opener. Josh, We worked our way up to the high my slam than in my home state. Edwardo, Kenny and I plus 10 horses point at over 12,500 looking for and mules drove to the trailhead rams. While making our way down I hired WY-WSF Life Member,Josh and packed the stock and headed a particularly steep spot above some Martoglio of Shoshone Lodge out for a long ride to spike camp, clis, rolling a rock or two in the Out tters to help make this about 20 miles. Aer riding most of process, out popped 3 rams from the a reality. I have hunted elk the day along a river we headed up clis each bigger than the previous with Josh the past 2 years a tributary to higher ground. Aer one. We and have been impressed with several miles of sidehilling were able his ability to nd quality animals through dense timber, across rocky to get a quickly and you can just tell he avalanche chutes we came to the pretty loves what he does and cares edge of timberline to a beautiful good look about the conservation of wild sheep. meadow with a bugling bull elk and at them 7 rams above camp. You could not before Finding an older age class ram ask for a better setting. We setup they was important to me. We made our tents and kitchen rain y in dropped a plan to mutually scout over the the legendary wind the Wyoming into the summer and to hunt the best ram mountains are known for. next we had found during the opening basin. One week of the rie season. If e next morning we woke to another ram wass unsuccessful we were going to hunt beautiful sunny day. e plan was to quite large the last two weeks of the season ride up to the divide and scout for and we for sheep and elk (as I drew a limited some rams Josh had seen a week earlier realized quota elk tag in a good sheep unit too). on the south side. While taking care that these of my morning duties I saw a couple are the Fast forward to late August, rams up by a snow eld above camp. rams we PAGE 47 saw go over the top in the morning. 45 minutes waiting for the ram the shot o to ful ll my to stand up. Finally just when I FNAWS in my home state saw 6 rams now, all on the far side was getting uncomfortable, he at over 12k on top of the of the basin. We were able to get stood, turned around, paused Wyoming rocky mountains! some good video of the biggest ram facing us, and started walking and decided to hunt this ram on toward us, then faster, bringing the e feeling was great to have opening morning. On our descent other 2 rams up under the slope stood on 4 mountains back to camp on the steep rocky toward us. Once they dropped from Mexico, to Wyoming, slope we were happy to see that into a steep ravine we were able to to BC and the NWT chasing the G-bears had vacated the area! these magni cant creatures that deserve a high place On opening morning on the mountain. we woke early and rode the horses back up the rocky slope to the e ram was just what I ridgeline at over 12,000 wanted an old broomed . e horses and 10 yr old ram with lots of wear and tear on mules did great his horns. We had a navigating the rocky steep and long hike slope and letting us save to get him back to our energy. Once on camp, where we had a the ridgeline we moved celebration of his life. down to the basin we le the rams in the night before. We found I encourage only 3 rams in the basin, everyone to get but lucky for us the involved, to do biggest ram was there and up and feeding. whatever you can We were able to close do to keep and put the distance to about 650 yards by walking wild sheep back on the o side of the on the mountain ridge until we got for future clied out. Shortly thereaer the rams generations. bedded and we had time to get around the clis but only able to Special thanks close the distance to to my wife, 480 yards. Josh said Katherine, this is where we need to shoot from and asked if I have a rear bag to Also: support my rie (2017 Arctic Red River WY-WSF Banquet Out tters, Tavas and rie). Of course I said “yes”, and pulled it Rebecca Molnar, out of my pack and sat it guide Alan Klassen, on a rock. While getting set up for the shot I Folding Mountain accidently bumped the rock ever so reposition for a sitting/kneeling Out tters, Blair and Rebecca slightly, and the bag fell on it’s shot downhill below us. Miller, guide Chad Miller, long edge and rolled down o e rams nally came out of the the ridge into the clis never ravine one by one and stopped to be seen again! We all had in the sun about 220 yards below Desert Hunt, Luis Romero, a good laugh and it relaxed us all bunched up together. guide Rafael Aguilar. me quite a bit! Seemed like minutes waiting for them to separate...once they were Shoshone Lodge Out tters, We laid there, prone for some all clear I was able to squeeze
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GREG ‘GRIZ’ & GINGER TURNER PO Box 58, Whitehorse, YT Y1A 5X9 867-332-RAVN(7286) | [email protected] www.ravensthroat.comPAGE 49 “My Arm Pit Ram” By Matt Lentsch (Continued from page 26)
34 yards of MAPR but never had a was as if MAPR came back for the rest Once the hail stopped, all 12 rams clear ethical shot. Two of the younger of his buddies and he was escorting ran o into Montana. It had been rams spooked, running away with the them back to the main band of rams. well over an hour since I shot, and others following. Not wanting to push I was sure MAPR would have lain the rams out of the area, I backed o. I quickly grabbed my bow and down if he was hit. We went back set out to head them o. and found the arrow. Sure enough, e next morning, we quickly found no blood. Somehow, I had missed. the one horned ram with two younger MAPR was about 250 yards away rams. Hoping MAPR and the others when he stopped, intensely starring At that point I questioned what were near, we began to scour the area. at me. e other rams were several went wrong. A forty-yard broadside I noticed many fresh sheep tracks in hundred yards behind feeding. MAPR shot should have been a chip shot. a mud puddle in a rut in the road. kept staring, pinning me down. e During my stalk I looked down We had gone by the puddle only an other rams eventually caught up and hour before and saw no tracks. We they all bedded. I was behind the and discovered one of the blades knew the rams were in the area. A only piece of sage in the area, and had deployed, likely snagging some few minutes later we located 8 rams there was nothing but 6-inch-tall sagebrush. At the time, I simply (including MAPR) along a nearby grass between me and the rams. I was reached down and pushed the blade canyon rim. I was still 500 yards from leery of pushing the rams aer what back into position. I concluded that the rams when to my surprise, the happened the day before. I thought the plastic shock collar that locks the rams spooked and took o at a dead my best opportunity at getting a blades in got damaged. e force of run. e last we saw of the rams was shot was to stay put and hopefully releasing the arrow likely caused the them dropping o into a deep canyon the rams would continue my way. blade to deploy in ight causing the over two miles away. At that point Almost an hour went by before the arrow to y erratic. Looking back, I I knew pursuing the rams into the rams got up. Unfortunately, the should have grabbed another arrow canyon would likely only push them rams moved away from me. I tried out of my quiver and that mistake out of the area. Stinging from what to out ank them but couldn’t. e just cost me a record book ram. just happened, I decided to go home rams were feeding in a prescribed for a day, let things settle down, get burn. I huddled behind a juniper, e next day the wind blew hard a few things done for work and most hoping the rams would feed my way. and never let up. I knew I could not importantly collect my composure. Aer 20 minutes the rams bedded. shoot a bow in 30-50 mph winds. All we could do was glass for the e drive home was painful. All I It was another hour before the rams band of rams. Late in the morning could do is think about how I blew got up. Once again MAPR took the we spotted 3 rams bedded several my opportunity on day one. If I lead and began walking towards miles east. One was the one horned only had swapped the arrow for his original destination. I needed ram. Unfortunately, the rams were in another in my quiver, I thought. to decide, quick. I was 250 yards Montana, strongly suggesting MAPR from MAPR and he was not getting was somewhere in Montana also. e next day, my wife Cindy and our any closer. I needed to decide, risk two younger sons decided to go back spooking the rams or letting them On day three, we once again found up to camp. ey had been a big part go for another day. I went for it, the one horned ram with 4 others. e of my scouting trips and it seemed making a beeline at a 45-degree angle rams had moved back into Wyoming. tting they participated in the hunt. to where I calculated MAPR was Later we spotted 6 more rams in heading; keeping low and avoiding two small bands, but no MAPR. We were getting close to camp when eye contact. I was about 90 yards Remembering how MAPR suddenly Kevin agged us down, saying four away when he stopped. I could tell appeared on opening day, we did our rams were heading our way and that he was getting spooked. Luckily the best to keep tabs on all the rams. At I needed to be “on top of that ridge in other rams still seemed relatively calm one point two of the bands converged two minutes”. I scrambled to throw and were feeding. MAPR turned and bedded. We had been watching my camouage on. I didn’t even get a and started back towards the other the bedded rams for several hours leg in my bibs when I spotted MAPR’s rams. I bee lined it back towards when I noticed there was now an extra head pop over the rise. He was with 3 the other rams. I was 43 yards away ram. A look through my spotting scope other rams. It was clear the rams were when MAPR met the other rams. I and I con rmed MAPR was back. set on a destination to the canyons was almost in total disbelief when Somehow, he slipped in out of a side to the south. I recognized the other I realized I was once again in bow canyon. I grabbed my bow started my rams as those remaining aer they range. ere was a problem however. stalk. is time I was able to get within split up on day one. Interestingly, it MAPR was behind another ram and
PAGE 50 “My Arm Pit Ram” By Matt Lentsch (Continued from page 50)
I did not have a clear shot. I patiently waited for the other ram to move. As soon as I had a clear shot I brought my bow up. A second problem. e wind was blowing so hard I could not stay on target. I was not about to chance making a marginal shot, so I let down. I told myself, “breathe”. Suddenly I felt the wind die down. I brought my bow up and made a perfect double lung shot. MAPR ran about 200 yards before he expired. Amazingly all this took place in sight of Cindy and the boys. It could not have been a more perfect day.
As I approached MAPR I was in awe of what great ram he truly was. Very seldom are hunters blessed with such an opportunity to hunt such a magni cent animal in such an awesome place.
About the Author: Matt Lentsch is a Wyoming native; growing up in Sheridan and migrated to the Big Horn Basin in the 1980s. He has served as the Worland game warden since 1992. His passion is getting kids out hunting. In 2000 he founded the Paint Rock Hunter Mentor Program which serves as one of the best youth hunter recruitment programs in Wyoming.
MAPR scored 186 0/8 inches making him the largest bighorn sheep ram ever taken with a bow in the state of Wyoming.
The Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation played an integral role in providing funding for the bighorn transplants into Devils Canyon and continues to support transplants of sheep from Devils Canyon into new areas such as the Ferris Mountains.
PAGE 51 “Naming Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation as your bene ciary” By Ryan Amundson
ast winter I was sitting in pages of paperwork to complete the lobby of a tire shop to change the bene ciary name. ipping through old Lmagazines laying on a coee table. To do so, I needed the following: I came across a Ducks Unlimited 1. Name of Organization, magazine article that talked Address, Business / Tax ID# about planned giving options. 2. % of funds to be given to primary and secondary bene ciary While highly interested in the (if one or more is named) Please ask topic, I just never thought articles yourself, “How like this one pertained much to me. To complete #1, contact WY One kid in college, another heading WSF Treasurer Joni Miller. can I do more?” there next year, a state employee for 23 years, a mortgage on a farm and To complete #2, make the call I hope that you’ll house, not much cash in the bank, on your own or aer consulting consider naming and living paycheck to paycheck. with your family and currently named bene ciaries. Wyoming Wild I own a pickup, a few horses, two Sheep Foundation huntin’ dogs, and a couple guns. at’s not a very deep portfolio, but Simple. as a beneficiary would guess it is quite similar to other hard working folks that are My family understands my passion to do just that! members of this organization too. for wild sheep and wild places. ey know that I am always asking I continued reading the article myself, “How can I do more?” and getting towards the end, and the topic shied to another Well, I found a way to do more option of naming a conservation because of the magazine article organization as the bene ciary I read sitting in the tire shop. in a life insurance policy. I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve had a life insurance policy that Wyoming Wild Sheep through Northwestern Mutual Foundation has provided my since I was a baby that my parents family and know that the board started for me, and I inherited and its membership will continue the responsibility of the annual to make great strides in the premiums when I became an adult. conservation of wild sheep. I’ve picked up a couple other life insurance policies since then, and It takes nancial resources feel con dent that my family will to do that however. be taken care of when I pass. I may not be in the nancial place to make big cash donations, or Knowing this, I decided to look spend money at the banquet I don’t further into naming Wyoming have today, but at some point, Wild Sheep Foundation as when the end of life on earth comes my bene ciary for the life for me, there’ll be a contribution insurance policy that my made to Wyoming Wild Sheep parents started 48 years ago. Foundation that will help carry on the great work they do for I contacted Northwestern Mutual Wyoming’s wildlife and wild places. and they sent me two simple
PAGE 52 embers are encouraged to submit photos for publication Min the RAMPAGE as well as in our website galleries. Please send your photos via email to: [email protected].
Photo by LM Richard Lennington BLAST FROM THE PAST DO YOU KNOW THIS GUY?(Answer on Page 3) LM Miles Fortner LM James Rinehart took ember’s an Alaskan Caribou.
LM Steve Brock with allery his Yukon Moose Glenn Pauley-HA-4 taken with MG Wind River Backcountry Out tters
PAGE 53 LM Diane DiJenno with her Cape Bualo
LM Kalvin Eisenach with his Wyoming bull elk.
BLAST FROM THE PAST DO YOU KNOW THIS GUY?(Answer on Page 3)
Glenn Pauley-HA-4 taken with LM Vic Dana bagged this buck LM Rocky Yardas with his HA-5 ram. Wind River Backcountry Out tters antelope in Sweetwater County.
PAGE 54 “Mo’s Ram Hunt” By Mo O’Leary
I don’t remember why I hunt with a local out tter, Brian spotted 3-6 sheep on top of the decided to put in for a bighorn Taylor, his schedule was full, so Gray Hills near Lightening Creek. sheep tag. I didn’t grow up hunting; my boyfriend and I went scouting Finally! Unfortunately, they were in fact, no one I knew growing up during the Great American Eclipse all ewes and small rams and I had hunted. I began hunting in 1991 on August 21, 2017. No sheep but no idea how to get near them. e when a friend started taking me. viewing the eclipse from 10,200 next day, Armond and I returned My rst gun was a 243 Winchester feet was well worth the outing! to the Gray Hills and found more for big game; then I took up bow On opening day, Armond and I ewes and rams on the ridge line. hunting with a 56 lb. recurve. In bushwhacked on horseback up On October 3 we spotted 6 1992, I got a cow moose tag and the Lavender Hills only to nd rams; one looked like maybe a 3/4 a 30-06. curl, but they I really were over a love to hunt. mile away. We I so enjoy did a GPS way the quiet and point as they sneaking walked uphill through the and out of woods looking sight. Given for game. e the time day dierent colors and the wet and sounds, ground, we sunrise and decided not sunsets, hiking to attempt or riding in to go aer the dark and them. e cresting a hill next morning, to see the rst we rode up light on the Haystack mountains is Creek through so awesome. sunshine, sleet, Being in the snow, and rain. wild with no e trail was one else around so slippery that or being at we dismounted the top of a to lead the ridge at sunset horses down when a full the steep moon rises reminds me that there antelope and deer. Instead of sections. No sheep or signs of is so much to observe and enjoy. a bighorn sheep, I shot a buck them—we never saw that group In December, 2015, I antelope on opening day. again. e following day on the slipped on some ice—my present In September, we scouted Gray Hills, however, we saw 15 that Christmas was a total hip and rode up Bull Creek to the sheep, but no big rams. Our replacement. Two years later, I base of Cream Pu, 8 miles to the plan was to ride up past Dallas fell while downhill skiing and head of Boulder Creek, another 15 Lake, but the Gros Ventre road that accident resulted in a screw up Bunker Creek, Poison Creek, had turned into muck and as I and plate in my other hip, and no Shorty Creek, and Flat Creek. pulled aside to allow another weight-bearing for six weeks. en By the end of the month there truck to pass, we became royally with twenty preference points, I were still no sheep; I was getting stuck. at passing truck driver happily drew a bighorn sheep tag frustrated and nervous about lling returned & fastened a tow rope for hunt area 7 for the fall of 2017! my tag. One day, driving back from on our horse trailer. He pulled, I Although I was eager to Dallas Lake Trail head, Armond backed, and we managed to return PAGE 55 my vehicles to the road. Aer without spooking them. at to us. e largest ram appeared unloading the horses and scraping day ended early with a at tire. to be limping with a wound on 3 inches of mud o the tires, we e end of the season was his back leg; he stayed down as chained up and were able to drive fast approaching; I was worried the others grazed. e youngsters up the road to a at sagebrush about not lling my tag, as we had returned and rubbed heads with area to turn around. We reloaded not seen any rams over 1/2 curl in the big ram before lying down the horses & headed home. ages. On October 26, I spoke with around him again. We could not Other scouting rides took us out tter Brian Taylor about where get any closer. e young rams to Flat, Sheep & Crystal Creeks and we had seen sheep. He planned began grazing again around 4— the Gray Hills above Dallas Lake. to go scout, then take us hunting getting as close as 150 yards from Some days yielded sheep sightings, Saturday. He called later, having us; the big one remained in place others we saw none. Returning seen sheep, and we planned to until around 5. In spite of using to a previous site of seeing meet Saturday at 7:30 am with my pack for support, I had trouble animals, we rode up Alkali Creek our horses. I am excited now! getting a rm rest for my gun. I trail to nd sheep tracks, grizzly We were up at 4:30, and aer nally shot and the ram ran uphill. scat, but no rams. e weather half an hour to catch the horses, I shot again when he stopped and deteriorated with snow, sleet, hail and an hour and a half drive, he began somersaulting downhill. and wind, so we headed back and we met Brian and rode across We took o below the cli band en route enjoyed a spectacular the Gros Ventre river and uphill so the other sheep would not rainbow from the ridge top. over Lightning Creek. We tied see us. I couldn’t believe it! He Steve Kilpatrick told us the animals and started climbing seemed pretty big with thick there was another 3/4 curl ram in uphill—a signi cant challenge at horns; Brian caped the head out the group where he had guided 72 with asthma. We reached a cli and quartered him as the sun was a wounded warrior hunter; we and spotted 7 rams lying down setting. Armond put one shoulder, spotted 7 rams, but all too distant about 308 yards from us. One a boned-out shoulder, back leg, to determine their size. We rode was a 3/4 curl, the others less than loins and back strap in his pack. the Haystack Creek trail in an 1/2 curl. We took turns watching, Brian tied the head and cape on his attempt to get above them, but they alternating between shade & sun pack and carried the other back leg. were in trees way below us with for hours; about noon the animals I shouldered my pack and gun. We no good way for us to approach got up and began moving closer departed in the dark; happy that we did not need to return in the morning. An hour later, with parts of the 60-degree slope behind us, we loaded the pack horse and headed across the river. At 9 pm we reached the horse trailer and celebrated with a beer. I had been up for 20 hours but was much too excited to sleep. e following day, the Game and Fish checked, plugged and measured: age 9, horns 33” with the broomed o side 29”, base 14”. A really nice ram—over 3/4 curl. It was hard work and long days looking in many places I had never been. It was an adventure of a lifetime; I felt very lucky.
PAGE 56 “My Wyoming Bighorn” By Kirstie Ennis
on where I have been, what I have rams a few canyons up several days September 20th, I been through, and where I plan to earlier and now, I was going to be put drove through the be. While calming, the ride was also to the test. Had I trained hard enough? dark for 10 hours to extremely adventurous. Sure, I had Sleep was scarce, but my adrenaline Onget to Cody, Wyoming. All sorts of ridden horses growing up, but nothing fueled me. e next morning, aer thoughts ooded my mind – “Is this quite like this. As we approached we were all situated, I jumped on the really happening? Can I do this on camp, I became more and more mule Johnny and o we went. We one leg?” I have trained harder than impressed. I am not quite sure what rode in for another two hours. I was most and spent countless hours in I expected, but it certainly wasn’t used to going over this terrain by the mountains, but there’s always a this. e white tents, cots, and even my own power, but using the horses fear of what could hold me back. propane heaters were luxury! Josh to climb so high was a whole new e next morning, we hit the Martologio and his team at Shoshone world. Shortly aer hitting a plateau, ground running. I can still feel the Lodge Out tters de nitely know how we began to glass. Josh spotted 9 brisk breeze on my face and the cold to live in comfort while back at camp. rams creeping into dense timber. air entering my lungs. e drive from Josh came in aer guiding We grabbed my front hooves the Game and Fish to Area 5 was the another successful group of mule (my forearm crutches), binos, and the calm before the storm. As soon as we deer hunters; he was a bit bruised rie, and started the hike in. Everyone approached the corral where all of the and beaten up aer losing a ght with quickly recognized my struggles with horses moving if the were, it high side is on was hard my prosthetic to contain side. Side a smile hilling is far while my from enjoyable. heart beat None of it is out of my easy, and I chest. It oen question was like why I continue being a to do the things little kid that I do. e again. altitude wasn’t e a problem moment considering my guide, I just came Kenny o of the said, “Let’s highest point go,” I was in Europe, ready. I but I became threw my my own worst prosthetic enemy. In my leg over Kirstie with Out tter mind, I wasn’t the mule Josh Martoglio moving quickly without or quietly skipping enough, it was a beat. a constant While internal debate. I was nervous, it was a weight o of a mule. I was so excited to see him We approached the rock my chest. I have dealt with a lot over and everything became very real, wall and I positioned myself up the course of my recovery to treat very quickly. Aer dinner, we broke against it. e leverage of the rock injuries sustained in Afghanistan, down the plan for the following day: was crucial as I need it for stability but being able to be independent wake up at 5 AM, a quick breakfast, -- my aluminum leg doesn’t quite and pack into camp on a mule gave saddle up, and get moving. I was have the balance of the one I was me a new con dence that I can do eager to go to crawl into my sleeping born with. e wind screamed anything regardless of my lack of limb. bag and sleep just to speed up the and tore into my face. I started to e three-hour ride into camp process of getting on the hunt. wonder how my shaking from being gave me plenty of time to reect Josh and his crew had spotted cold would aect my shooting. PAGE 57 I have always admired mass e hike up to my ram was the Looking around camp at everyone and a typical frame in all horned and most humbling part. I fought tears wearing smiles and feeling victorious antlered animals. One of the rams as I tried to catch my breath. I had (and maybe a little warm from the Big had super heavy horns, but a severely only seen my ram from afar and Horn Whiskey), my heart was full. I broken le side. And then, there was he seemed to continue doubling have lost a lot at a young age. I lost my ram…an animal I could admire in size as we approached him. My my le leg above the knee, my Marine for hours. Heavy, Corps career due to the mature, and a full injuries, a large portion of curl. We moved my memory, and years of my further down the life to the hospital. However, rock wall so that I I choose to look at what I could get into a more have gained - the people stable position with being the most important. the high winds. Sheep hunting has turned I laid down strangers into friends in the dirt and and friends into family. fumbled my way I would not be where through making a I am today without the rest. I was rushing, people who surround me but for no reason. and the physical, mental, and is ram was smart. emotional lessons that these He would lay behind experiences have taught fallen timber, then me. I am forever thankful stand, take ve steps, to WY-WSF Life Member and conveniently Pepper Neustel for donating position himself his Big Horn tag to me. behind another tree ank you Shoshone Lodge blocking his vitals. Out tters, WY-WSF Life For two hours I sat Member Josh Martologio, behind the scope. Kenny Gun, WY-WSF Life My eyes wanted to Member(and Executive quit; it was torture Director)Steve Kilpatrick, now at this point. WY-WSF Life Members I would change Larry McDermott and Cole position and lose him in the scope, legs collapsed underneath me as I Benton, WY-WSF Life Member Dan only to frantically talk my way grabbed the ram’s horns and thanked Currah of Hunting with Heroes, and through relocating him with Josh. him. He was absolutely beautiful. Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation en, he threw himself on to Once we made it back for making my dream of being one his hind legs to stand one last time. to camp with the toad of a ram, of the elite, a sheep hunter, a reality. rough 40 mile per hour winds, it was time to celebrate. heavy timber, and a tricky 440- yard shot, the ram fell. I squeezed the trigger and didn’t breathe or move until someone said,
“He’s down.” I simply rolled o of the rie, pulled my blaze orange beanie over my eyes, and cried. I cried for all that the ram would provide, the eort that was made, for the people and the love that surrounded me, and for the opportunity to be apart of such great conservation eorts with the Wild Sheep Foundation.
PAGE 58 “Hunting, Good Friends and Camp res” By Marcie Mangold
wait years, grass as Clint watches from below as best buddy hangs her head because she even decades Opey ascends the steep trail. He gets is not going on this hunt. Dash and before half way to the top and sits to catch Luke the other two dogs try to cheer Somethey get the chance for the his breath. Taking his binoculars out, her up but she is having nothing to do hunt of a lifetime. he scans the clis to his le. He spots with it. I look down at Dorothy and two rams., their coloring is almost she looks at me…I understand what Patience is a must. You scan the the same as the rocks that surround she is thinking because I too feel kind internet on the day the tags are them. ey will do…both are ne of le out. But both of us are in no released, holding your breath in thick horned animals. Aer many shape to hike like Op will be hiking. anticipation…. then for the fortunate, scouting trips much like this one they a whoop of elation when you have nally found the area they will Op has with him two friends, Steve recognize your name. Dreaming of hunt come the rst part of Sept. Lynn and Clint Sauers. ey tend to mountain clis lled with trophy the horses and set camp in the perfect rams. ose dreams become a e week before the hunt is as busy as spot. e meadow is beautiful, lined reality, as you begin scouting the the week before Christmas. Baking with trees and a creek close by. ey towering mountains that surround and making meals. Everyone has a can see the towering clis that hold this beautiful state we call Wyoming. smile on their face! Excitement lls something that is equally as precious the air! I listen carefully as Opey gives as gold to a hunters heart. Bighorn Richard Hlavnicka or Opey as his me last minute instructions on what to sheep. at evening they eat dinner friends call him has been blessed to live do on the week he will be gone. e and tell stories over a camp re poking this dream twice in his lifetime. Just dogs and I wave as he pulls out of the the re once in a while to keep it ask him and he will be glad to recount yard. Dorothy, his faithful dog and going. Sleep that night comes tfully each adventure with a lopsided grin. Each trip is carefully thought out. Starting as soon as you read your name on the list of lucky hunters. is trip was no exception.
e number one Rule when hunting Bighorn sheep is to go where the Bighorn sheep are.
Waking in the pre-dawn morning brewing coee over an open re and listening to the horses paw the ground in anticipation of the morning ride. Opey looks over the camp re at his hunting buddy, Clint Saures. It’s a warm morning lled with the scent of smoke and trees, you can hear the creek water bubbling over the rocks as the men make their plan for the day. ey saddle the horses and begin to ride west toward a valley that they hope will take them to nd what they have come looking for... ey ride in the dark for a few hours until the horses have taken them as far as they can go. Clint stays behind to scan the hills from below and Opey begins the hike toward the top just as the rst rays begin to break the new day. e horses are glad for the break, eating
PAGE 59 waiting for the rst day of hunting. Donai Bezanson to name a few. For Any hunter can tell you that packing them hunting doesn’t stop with the e sun is up and Opey is glassing an animal out is tough, but packing it hunt, it goes on as they volunteer from the perfect vantage point. He out on the side of a cli is hell. Clint, their time with organizations like can see them. He watches them for Steve and Op spend most of the day the RMEF and WY-WSF in order a while waiting for them to settle working their way down the side of the to put back a portion of what they down. He doesn’t move. He doesn’t mountain. is is the point where you have taken from the mountain. want them to see him. ey don’t are thankful you have friends to give settle down and aer what seems like you a hand and even more thankful Conservation is such an important an eternity they decide to jump over you have pack horses to take it the rest component of hunting. A wise the top into no man’s land. Op has no of the way into camp. For Opey, a week man once said that “without choice but to wait for the aernoon in the back country with friends is a hunting there would be no and see if they show up. Much to good as it gets, time spent renewing conservation…without conservation his disappointment they do not your soul and spirit in God’s country. there would be no wildlife. come back. Dinner that evening is a strategy session. It isn’t long before e passion for hunting is deeply they have the area mapped out in the implanted in a hunter’s heart and this For us hunting is a way of dirt with a new plan of attack. When is how it is with Opey. Hunting is a they go to bed it doesn’t take long way of life for him, not just during life., not taken lightly and to fall asleep sore muscles and all. the season but throughout the year. I taken respectfully. Respect have learned this about him and I have learned this about each of his friends. for the animal, respect for Determination the land, respect for people. I enjoy listening to the stories e next day Opey glasses the clis. about the projects that many of his He sees something move. is Ram friends take part in like Bob Joslin, Our way of life. is huge. He is by far the biggest Op Mac and Joni Miller and Rick and has seen. He is trying to breath slow as he moves to get into position to shoot. Holding the gun still…he holds his breath and shoots. Clint and Steve are looking up where Op is lying on the out cropping of rock holding their breath as well. Opey’s scope has cleared a dirt pile but the gun does not. is monster ram bolts over the top never to be seen again. Op kicks himself over the mistake. Kicks himself over missing the ram of a lifetime. He hopes the day will get better as he makes his way down the mountain. He stops and looked back one more time. Not believing his luck he spots another Ram. is one is not as thick but is a ram anyone would be proud to kill. He raises his gun holds his breath and shoots. It runs a short distance and drops. Opey again can’t believe his luck and neither can his hunting buddies watching from below. It will be a job to pack it out of there. ey are about 3 miles straight up and a good 3-hour ride into camp aer they hike down below the clis. He knows he can’t reach it before night fall. ese clis are too steep to negotiate in the dark. One mis-step and you could end up with a broken leg or worse. It will be best to go aer it in the morning.
PAGE 60 2 1/2 Mile High Ram By Mark Wells hat a great feeling it personal livestock. We scouted in early Our next camp site was a great was when I checked July as well as mid-August, mostly to location with plenty of water, great the results for the learn the country and to help us decide glassing points and easier access to WWyoming Bighorn Sheep draw where we wanted to hunt come the higher ground. e next two days and to see that I was successful in opener on September 1st. We did not found more ewes and lambs at 12,000 drawing an area 8 sheep tag! see any rams on either trip, just lots of . elevations, but still no rams. ewes and lambs, but we are con dent I knew right then that I needed to we would nd one during the hunt. On the seventh day of the hunt, we begin my workouts and my research climbed higher yet and got to a great to make this Wind River sheep hunt On August 31st we rode in on glassing point just west of Baker Lake. a success. Lots of people told me I horseback, about 4-5 miles to Slide We spent all morning glassing all the should hire an out tter, but I knew Lake, an area we had not scouted high basins, only to spot yet more ewes since I grew up hunting in Wyoming but chose due to options it provided and lambs. At noon, the three of us and had spent last fall hunting sheep us. e next day we spent 8-9 hours gathered to discuss our next plan and in the Yukon, I could get this done on climbing with 50 lbs. packs to higher where we to look next for a ram. As we my own. My brother Kevin was just as elevation and nally decided to camp were talking, I glanced down the ridge excited for this hunt once he found out aer our legs couldn’t handle any at a large snow eld that I had glassed I drew the tag and I knew that with his more climbing for the day. We spent all morning and noticed two black help and guidance, I was determined the next three days hunting out of spots in the middle of it. ose spots to harvest a Wyoming Ram! this camp at 11,000 . elevations, only weren’t there earlier in the morning! nding more ewes and lambs. We felt As I raised my binoculars, I knew right We took two separate scouting trips to we needed to get to higher elevations away that it was two rams lying in the Wind Rivers, one trip utilizing our so we moved our camp the next day. the snow to cool o! e adrenaline backs with packs and the second using kicked in and the three of us had to calm each other down! Finally what we had been looking for all this time.
We moved down the ridge about 50 yards and I laid down to get in a good position for a shot. Aer studying the two rams, we decided which one was bigger and was con dent I could make the almost vertical downhill shot. I had to wait almost an hour for the rams to nally get up and present a good, ethical Sara Harris, shot. e smaller ram Gap Pucci, stood rst and walked Wounded Vet Big Horn o the snow eld and Big Horn Sheep License below us to feed in Sheep License Donor a small grass patch. Recipient Eventually the bigger ram stood, turned Mark & Kevin Wells with away stretching for a moment and then Ray Dinsmore began to move down towards the other ram. Aer moving
PAGE 61 about 50 yards, he stopped and began to feed as well. My brother ranged him at 288 yards, so I dialed my Huskemaw scope to 280 yards and e Wyoming Game and Fish put the crosshairs right on the big began collecting data to estimate Department in partnership with the ram and squeezed the trigger. Aer whether habitats in the Seminoe/ Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, the shot, my brother exclaimed, “you Ferris Mountains are at capacity. In the Haub School at the University toasted him.” I jacked another round August, habitat biologists, BLM range of Wyoming, and Bureau of Land in to my .300 Win Mag and found the conservationists and Water for Wildlife Management- Rawlins Field Oce ram in my scope. He was running and interns collected vegetation production are assessing habitat condition stumbling then crashed aer about 20 data across the Ferris and Seminoe and availability in the Ferris/ yards! We all yelled “he’s down” about Mountains. Dr. Kevin Monteith’s shop Seminoe herd unit in preparation the same time and then the jubilation at the University of Wyoming will use for the herd’s objective review. and celebrations began! What a great this information in concert with other Starting in 2010, bighorn sheep from feeling to have harvested one of the data to assess resource availability the Devil’s Canyon herd have been toughest, most regal animals on the for bighorn sheep and whether the relocated to the Ferris and Seminoe planet. I was so excited to know that we current objective is appropriate. e Mountains. As a result, the Ferris/ had accomplished what a lot of folks habitat analysis will occur through Seminoe herd has reached the thought we couldn’t do on our own! the upcoming winter, and results objective of 300 bighorn sheep. will be available in Spring, 2019. Recently, BLM and WGFD personnel It took us about 45 minutes to get down the ridge to where my ram laid and that seemed to take forever! What a beautiful animal! He was heavier than I thought and I was extremely happy with my ram. I knew he wasn’t the biggest ram on the mountain, but he was an awesome trophy in my book! It took us 4 hours to cape my ram for a life-size mount, quarter him up, and load our packs. We got back to camp about 8 pm that night and enjoyed a relaxing night knowing that we had a lot of work yet to do. It took us 3 more days to get all our gear and my ram to the bottom where we could have a friend ride in with horses to carry it all out the last 6 miles.
is was the most grueling and toughest hunt I had ever done, yet it was by far the most rewarding!
Aer studying Google Earth, we gured we had backpacked, bushwhacked, and hunted a total of about 45 miles and climbed up and down a total of about 32,000 feet! I now know why most people say sheep hunting is not for the meek and mild!
To date I am half way to my North American Grand Slam and could not be more excited for my next sheep hunt!
I wish to thank my family, friends, and the good Lord for allowing all this to come together. What a blessing.
PAGE 62 SHEEP, MOUNTAIN GAME AND CUSTOM LIFE-SIZE MOUNTS ARE OUR SPECIALTIES - LET OUR EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE WORK FOR YOU -
VISIT US AT THE SHEEP SHOW IN BOOTH 3538 COTTONWOOD AVE. CODY, WY 82414 • 307.587.4863 [email protected] • WWW.DEWEYWILDLIFE.COM # 619
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SHEEP, MOUNTAIN GAME AND CUSTOM LIFE-SIZE MOUNTS ARE OUR SPECIALTIES - LET OUR EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE WORK FOR YOU -
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Youth Photo Captions VISIT US 1. Tayen Wakkuri AT THE SHEEP SHOW 2. Drake Amundson IN BOOTH 3538 COTTONWOOD AVE. CODY, WY 82414 • 307.587.4863 3. Matthew Wakkuri [email protected] • WWW.DEWEYWILDLIFE.COM # 619 4. Levi Kilpatrick 5. Isaac, Mickey, Steph, William Oland from proud grandpa, Steve K. 6. LM Chance Butler used his Banquet ri e to harvest this nice buck. PAGE 64 “Worth the Wait” By Darren Rhea
grew up in Western Wyoming by exploring the margins, the lesser We chose a route that took us far from Isurrounded by the legendary known areas where elusive rams might the beaten path, up timbered slopes mountain ranges that harbor the take refuge. My rst few trips were into a basin that gave us a glance at largest core bighorn populations in blanks, vast areas of alpine that seemed the mountain I had seen the rams the state. e Gros Ventre, Wind devoid of any life. Finally, on a short before. Darkness arrived on the rst River, Absaroka and Teton mountain overnight into some rugged drainages day without any sheep. Our rst ranges were my playground, and away from what many consider sheep sighting came early the next day as a each contained a drainage or basin country, I spotted my rst rams. Two large ram was spotted on the skyline that I considered my own. Deer miles away on a grassy slope, three above us. A second ram would make and elk would bring me there every rams had exposed themselves to the a brief appearance before vanishing fall, but the bighorn sheep that sun, just enough for me to quickly over the crest. Later that morning, shared the country with them would gauge them before they disappeared a warning growl from Lucy would captivate my attention the most. in the sea granite boulders. draw our attention to three additional rams hugging the timber below us, I yearned for the opportunity to Two weeks later, I would follow my and before we le, a lone ram was pursue the bighorns I grew up with, good friend Dean Clause on a six day spotted in the drainage above us. I but the opportunity never came trip into the heart of Sheep County, was thrilled, the unlikely ram location my way. I had applied every year I across the Continental Divide of the I had stumbled upon in July had led could with no success. When the Wind River Mountains and down us into a proverbial “ram hole”. Six Wyoming Game and Fish Department the spine to where they begin. Sheep rams, scattered across a small drainage, implemented its preference point sightings came daily and rams seemed away from any trail and far from any system for bighorn sheep, I was a plentiful. is was my rst trip into other hunter. We would be crazy to senior in high school preparing for this country, away from the horse trails abandon this location. We opted to my rst year of college. Unwilling to that had brought me below it in the leave our gear and return in four days risk the prospect of drawing a sheep past. is was the summer home of for the opening of the rie season. tag during my rst freshman semester, the storied Whiskey Mountain herd I opted to forgo the application and and I wasn’t letting a second pass A lot goes through your mind in ride the pine for a few years. Eighteen without fully appreciating the gravity four days while you ponder the years would pass before my dream of the experience. I was hunting, thought of mature rams holed up in of hunting sheep would become a without a weapon, the infamous a small isolated drainage waiting for reality, twenty-eight years aer my sheep I had grown up admiring, your return. Did I make the right rst unsuccessful application. surrounded by peaks and glaciers I choice? Will the rams still be there, had only looked on from a distance. or will they pick up and leave like My sheep hunt was full of milestones, August drew to a close as I worked they seem to do so oen? An entire each a memorable event, that together, on the nal preparations for my summer had come and gone and all built the experience I would call my upcoming hunt. I had covered a fair I had thought was what an amazing sheep hunt. e day I found my portion of the hunt unit and had experience sheep hunting had become, drawing results; the day I got my tag seen rams in almost every corner now on the eve of opening day, the in the mail; my rst day of training; of the range, but I couldn’t begin to weight of everything began to sink in. rst day at the range; rst trip up zero in on where I would go rst the trail; rst sheep sighting, rst once the season arrived. Perhaps On the morning of August 31st, my ram. My ultimate goal was the ram I was spoiled by the abundance of companions and I donned our packs I had pictured in my mind, but I opportunity I had uncovered, but I and set our sights on the remote wasn’t going to let that detract from was reluctant to settle on one area drainage I had been in four days the whole experience, I would enjoy having witnessed so much potential. earlier. Joining me on the nal leg every minute of it. I started by getting of the hunt were Dean, and my other in better shape than I had been in a Finally, on a hunch, I decided to good friends Jordan Kra and Luke long time, I became more pro cient return to the area I had seen the three Schultz. ere’s a saying that goes: “A with my rie and practiced more rams in July. Having only previously friend is anyone who is willing to help frequently, I re ned my equipment viewed them at a great distance, I was you on a sheep hunt, a real friend is and familiarized myself with its anxious to get a closer look. Five days someone who volunteers.” All three application. I spent days learning the before the season opened, and still had asked to join me, and I was more backcountry, the trails that would get unsure of my initial plan of attack, I than willing to have them along. Also me there and the mountain peaks I set out again with Dean and his canine accompanying me for the rst time would navigate through. In late July, companion Lucy to try to locate the was my trusty Kimber Montana and I started looking for sheep. I started sheep I hadn’t seen in over a month. the weight of the tag I had received
PAGE 65 in the mail earlier in the year. it had taken four skilled glassers a on the night before as we stared in e trip in was quick, adrenaline full four hours to locate them, owing admiration through the spotting scope. must have aided in our climb, for we to the incredible challenge of nding I waited for my friends to join me as I were up the mountain in no time and sheep in this unforgiving terrain. processed what had just transpired. on top of a small glassing knob with plenty of daylight le. Knowing the As the rams made themselves Hours later, we were back at our rotten terrain would keep the rams comfortable in the shade of a granite camp, packs heavy with meat, horns, hidden from almost any vantage, wall, we considered the best approach. and hide. Within a day we would be I settled in and began to scan the We planned a route that would take gone from the basin completely, back at granite landscape wondering if we us up the bottom of the drainage to a our homes with only memories of the would ever see them again. Within position below them, knowing they place we had become so intimate with. minutes I spotted the unmistakable would likely remain there to avoid white rump of a sheep cresting a rock the intense heat from the sun. ere In hindsight, I am grateful I waited outcropping. With the spotting scope was potential risk, spooking them and so many years for my rst chance to dialed up, three more rams quickly pushing them up the basin into the hunt sheep. ings are dierent for came into view. Four rams had come vast alpine where they would likely me now than they were when I was together at the head of the drainage disappear, but the opportunity was too younger. I wonder now if I would and we immediately recognized them valuable to pass. For nearly two hours, have found the experience to be so from earlier in the week. ree of we slid, climbed, crawled and snuck ful lling had I drawn the tag I so them would make likely targets, but through the broken timber and uneven eagerly wanted when I was younger. I one especially got all of the attention. terrain to the top of an ancient moraine consider myself an avid backcountry He was a dark bodied ram with a where I could peer up the drainage hunter, having spent years mastering thick chest and a low back. His horns and glimpse the sheep. All four the wilderness of Wyoming. Yet, I curled up past his nose and came to remained bedded, the full curl ram have never prepared harder, mentally his base on his right side. We stared farthest to my right. At six-hundred or physically, for any hunt. Bighorn at them for hours, admiring the group yards, this would be my last view of sheep hunting made me a better as they moved in and out of piled the sheep until I was at my shooting athlete, a more pro cient marksman, granite and over boulders with ease. position below them. e next thirty and a more capable mountaineer. Darkness ultimately led to our retreat, minutes would take me across the side as we reluctantly put the optics away of the basin to a rocky outcrop I had My admiration for bighorn and dropped elevation to our camp. identi ed as my nal position. irty sheep will not change now minutes of intense reection and that I have acquired the rank A warm re kept us up well into the emotion, the moments hunters dread, of sheep hunter, but my next night as we recounted the evening’s but relish in the end. Moments later, encounter will certainly bring discovery and planned our attack for a single shot from my .270 brought back a flood of memories the morning. Restlessness took over as the magni cent 12 year old ram to his I tried to will myself to sleep that night. end. I sat down and laid on a large at from my 2018 experience. Morning slowly began to brighten rock, the same at rock he had stood the horizon when I nally sat up and stop pretending to sleep. e day I had been dreaming about for a lifetime was upon me, and I had work to do before its arrival. Joking and adolescent banter helped lighten the mood amongst us as we made preparations for the day ahead. First light found us perched atop our now familiar glassing position as we began the search for the previous evening’s quarry. Hours passed, and no sheep had been located. An experienced mountain hunter, I had played this game before, persistence was the key to locating anything in the rock fractures Http:// and granite piles. Finally, aer migrationinitiative. ascending a rock spire and crawling org/content/ to a precarious vantage, I was able to locate the four rams we were aer. migration-viewer Tucked between rock outcroppings and boulder tailings, the rams had moved but 200 yards from their position the night before. However,
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PAGE 69 THESE PHOTOS WERE ALL TAKEN IN THE 2017 SEASON RS G r a b LIFE AN TLE by the h o r n s w w w .k ry ptek .co m PAGE 70
Membership Renewal Your renewal date is listed on the poly bag’s mailing label right above your name. If your membership is expired, or will expire before the next issue, renew today at: https://www.wyomingwildsheep.org/store.aspx.
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