Hello Friends, as winter settles in, I’m grateful for the chance to reflect on our achievements this year and share exciting updates for the months ahead. I hope everyone found time to relax and connect with loved ones during the recent holiday season.
For your board members, conservation committee members, and volunteers, this time of year is also one of near constant activity.
This year, our conservation committee continued to forge strong partnerships with Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, and local landowners, resulting in new funded and volunteer projects. Their upcoming comprehensive report will showcase the breadth of our efforts and the positive outcomes for wildlife conservation.
Ty has been busy providing testimony on behalf of the organization on all things Wild Sheep and our organization continues to be seen as a leading and trusted advocate.
Our board and dedicated volunteers are also diligently planning and finalizing our 2026 banquet. Even with the banquet a few months out, the effort required to pull off such a great event truly amazes. I am incredibly proud of the work the team is doing and know it will be a huge success. And speaking to that success, our annual banquet is officially sold out! Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets and contributed donations. Your support ensures the continued success of our mission. If you’d still like to get involved, please reach out to me or Ty; we’re exploring new ways for everyone to participate, even if you can’t attend in person.
A few more quick highlights to share. Don’t miss our Desert Sheep raffle with San Jose Trophy Hunts in Sonora, Mexico—raffle tickets make perfect gifts! Plus, our newly improved website offers faster loading and richer content. Visit us online and share your feedback so we can keep enhancing your experience.
Thank you for making 2025 a remarkable year for our organization, and wishing you a bright start to 2026! Together, we’ll continue to make a lasting impact for Wild Sheep and conservation.
With appreciation,
Highlights from this Issue
Montana Wild Sheep Foundation at the Montana Woolgrowers Convention
At the convention, Kurt Alt participated in a panel alongside wool producer John Helle and Quentin Kujala, FWP Chief of Conservation Policy in a discussion highlighting the current commingling and adaptive management study being conducted collaboratively by Montana State University (MSU), Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), the Montana Wild Sheep Foundation (MTWSF), and the Montana Woolgrowers Association (MWG). The session emphasized the depth of cooperation among wildlife advocates, producers, and researchers and under-scored the strong working relationship between Montana bighorn sheep advocates and domestic sheep producers.
Read the whole article in our Wild Sheep Newsletter, Winter 2026.
Forty-Three Years
Story by: Past Board member Grant Winn II
That’s how long I had been applying for a Montana bighorn sheep tag before my name finally came up in 2025 for unit 121—the rugged country in northwest Montana between Plains and Thompson Falls. I grew up in Plains, and every Sunday on the drive to church in Thompson Falls we’d slow down where the cliffs drop straight into the Clark Fork, hoping to spot those white dots high on the rock. Those childhood glimpses planted a seed that never left me.
