Fall is here and out of all the seasons, it is my favorite. Besides the obvious reason, the opening of the hunting seasons, I find the fall season to be a refreshing change in weather and color. The change of season has also ushered in change for the Montana Wild Sheep Foundation.

We recently held our Board Elections to replace those rolling off the Board in 2021. Our now past-president, Shane Clouse has termed-out after serving nine consecutive years! Shane has contributed much to this organization, and his legacy includes bringing youth into conservation, resurrecting our website, and building relationships with our partners in the wild sheep community. Also rolling off the board this year is Corey Piersol, who has been the cornerstone to our successful fundraising efforts. Both of these gentlemen plan to stay engaged, and we are thankful for that!

The Board welcomes the returning and new Directors, Don Patterson (re-elected), Jeff Mortensen (returning), and Alex Russell. I should mention that we had quite a bit of interest for board positions this year, and due to eligibility requirements were only able to advance three candidates. As your new President, one of my goals is to improve volunteer opportunities. The Board is working to form committees to help with our primary business functions; conservation, outreach, and fundraising. If you are interested in helping, please contact me or Brian Solan.

There is quite a lot of movement with wild sheep conservation efforts in Montana. For a number of years, Montana was in a holding pattern. Thanks to MTWSF and our partners, many projects aimed to improve wild sheep habitat and distribution were completed last year. MTWSF directed over $100,000 in grant-in-aid last year to support our mission. I am incredibly thankful to our membership and sponsors for their continued support and generosity.

I once heard “the only thing for certain is change.” As the fall colors come into their own and you venture into the field to harvest wild game, I wish you all the best during the fall season. Here at MTWSF, we will continue to be a champion for change, always working to improve Montana’s wild sheep populations.

D.J. Berg
Montana Wild Sheep Foundation President
dj@montanawsf.org
(406) 366-1849

The “Black Friday” Ram

Story by: Tom Grimes

The cold November wind was making it difficult to steady my rifle. Brian Solan, DJ Berg & I had a herd of bighorns at 275 yards across a steep draw. The three of us were in the Greenhorn Mountains looking for a mature ram. DJ and Brian had come down from Helena to help me harvest a bighorn ram. We were there because incredibly, after 30+ years of applying, I finally drew a Montana Sheep tag for 2020.

Bighorn sheep were reintroduced back into the area in February 2003 & 2004.The sheep were relocated from the Missouri Breaks & the Rocky Mountain Front. Today, thanks to an agreement between the Helle family, Montana FWP, Montana WSF, there are bighorns scattered across the Greenhorn, Snowcrest, & Ruby Mountains. In 2018 a bighorn ram tag was issued for the first time in Unit 330. Area biologist Dean Waltee had been gathering population data that supported issuing the permit for Bighorn unit 330. I was fortunate to receive the third tag for the new area in 2020.

I spent the early part of the season working in Idaho. By mid-October, I began getting more familiar with the sheep country in the Greenhorns & Snowcrests. Bad weather, as well as opening week of the General Big Game Season, pushed my serious hunting until early November. On November 10th, Brian Solan and I met up to look around for some sheep up in the Snowcrests. We worked our way up Ledford Creek glassing the promising looking country. In the light snow, we saw our first sheep at the bottom of Snowslide Creek. There were 7 or 8 sheep in the group, no older rams though. Another band of young rams and ewes was located up near the trailhead. Still no mature rams to be seen.

Read the whole article in our WildSheep Newsletter, Fall 2021.

Conservation Director’s Update:
Highlands Bighorn Sheep Population Restoration, Finally
The Next Level in Restoring Struggling Populations

Story by: Kurt Alt

The Montana Wild Sheep Foundation (MTWSF), the Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF), Montana Woolgrowers Association (MTWGA)and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) have been working together supporting increased efforts to restore Bighorn sheep and supporting domestic sheep industry needs in Montana.

Through Kurt Alt’s, Conservation Director, Montana and International Programs, efforts to both prompt and support Bighorn sheep work in Montana, FWP is gearing up to increase bighorn sheep restoration efforts again this winter. Last year’s efforts were landmark in establishing a new sheep population in the Little Belt Mountains (first new Montana herd in nearly 20 years), restoring the Tendoy Mountains sheep population, and supporting two Missouri Breaks conservations easements containing important bighorn habitat and that provide hunting access in two FWP regions.

We (FWP, MTWSF and WSF) will begin an intensive 5-year restoration effort and management experiment this winter for the Highlands Bighorn Sheep Herd. Montana Sheep Auction tag revenue will provide a portion of the funding along with joint funding pledged from MTWSF & WSF ($55,000) that will help FWP obtain a Pittman Robertson 3:1 Federal Aid match.

Read the whole article in our WildSheep Newsletter, Fall 2021.