Hunting season is once again upon us and fall is rapidly setting in. As the mountains begin to show colors of rust and golden it makes me reflect back on the past 12 months of our organization. I am honored and thankful to serve on the board as your President once again. It is humbling to be elected by peers for whom I have so much respect. MTWSF has an extremely talented and dedicated board of volunteers that keep the organization moving forward without any paid staff. That is remarkable and I am proud to be a part of it.

MTWSF has funded some great restoration projects and dealt with some great challenges. Our spring fundraiser in Billings was a smashing success breaking attendance and financial records. Those funds raised are helping us push for more wild sheep transplants into suitable areas of Montana. To my knowledge Montana hasn’t made a wild sheep transplant in over a decade and it is time for us to be more aggressive about giving wild sheep a chance to proliferate in more suitable areas throughout the state. MTWSF continues to collaborate with many organizations to improve habitat in many parts of the state such as the Petty creek project and area 270 where there are several BHS tags awarded each year. There are also some potential buy outs that will preserve habitat in perpetuity if we are able to make the deal. If you know of a project or any wild sheep need throughout Montana please make sure to let one of our board members know so we can look into helping out with the project.

The disease issue is still the top challenge to wild sheep and continues to frustrate scientists and BHS conservationists alike. One positive about the m. ovi pathogen is that it brings so many like minded people together in a conservation community to try to work to restore a majestic species of concern. It is with great resolve that we continue to promote research in hopes that one day a solution will be found.

Please mark your calendars for next February 28-29, 2020. The MTWSF annual fundraiser will be held in Billings. Friday night events are free to attend for those of you that don’t wish to pay for a banquet ticket. The event looks to sell out so keep in mind that you’ll want to sign up as soon as the tickets are released. I wish you great hunting this fall and most of all great memories.

Shane Clouse
Montana Wild Sheep Foundation President
shane@shaneclouse.com

African Safari with Numazaan Safaris

Casey and Shane Austin (Montana Wild Sheep Foundation Life Members) just returned from an African Safari with Numazaan Safaris. The hunt was purchased at The Montana Wild Sheep Annual Expo and Fundraising Banquet.

See more of their photos: WildSheep Newsletter, November 2019.

Petty Creek Project Report

Report Documents Provided by: Jeffrey Hayes, Assistant Fire Management Officer-Fuels Forest Service, Ninemile Ranger District, Lolo National Forest

In the fall of 2018 and spring of 2019, the Montana WSF Chapter funded several units in the Petty Creek Big Game Ecosystem Maintenance Burning (EMB) project on the Ninemile Ranger District, Lolo National Forest.…prescribed burning and thinning treatments to provide forage opportunities for big game habitat, including elk, bighorn sheep, mule deer, whitetail deer, wild turkey, and upland game birds.

Read the whole article in our WildSheep Newsletter, November 2019.

Montana Wild Sheep Foundation Life Member Sheep Hunt 2018

Report: Kurt Alt, Conservation Director, Montana and International Programs, Wild Sheep Foundation & Montana Wild Sheep Foundation

On September 10-13, 2019, the world’s wild sheep and wild goat scientific expertise traveled to Bozeman, Montana to participate in the 7th World Mountain Ungulate Conference (WMUC). This is the first time the world conference has been held in North America! Hosted by the Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) near the home of their World Headquarters in Bozeman, the event was co-sponsored by WSF and Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF). This conference was also endorsed by the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Caprinae Specialist Group.

Read the whole article in our WildSheep Newsletter, November 2019.