Hello friends! I wish you a warm welcome as we break from the grip of winter. We have a lot to talk about in this issue of the MTWSF’s newsletter. I’d first like to thank all of you that attended our 32nd Annual Banquet and Fundraiser. It was another successful event that most importantly brought together our family of wild sheep conservationists to enjoy each other’s company. I hope you enjoyed the seminars, visits with vendors, raffles, food, and drink. The board of directors is incredibly grateful for the participation of our membership and of course the sponsors of the event. None of this is possible without your dedication to bighorn sheep.

The big news for the coming year is that we will be holding the 33rd Annual Banquet & Fundraiser in Bozeman, Montana. We are still ironing out the details on the event and are excited to bring you a new format for the event. Stay tuned for more information!

We have so much to look forward to this year as we continue to make progress on bighorn sheep conservation in Montana. Before I share the excitement of the new year with you, I’d like to reflect on this past year to recognize the accomplishments we made.

As I’ve mentioned in previous letters to you, we had two formative events this past year that will have a lasting impact on this organization. In July 2023, the board of directors established a strategic vision for the next five years. In August, the conservation committee had its first meeting, which has been a catalyst for several opportunities for wild sheep advocacy this fall.

We also had a membership milestone after our banquet by exceeding 750 members. Please join me in welcoming all of our new members who’ve joined over the past year! The strength of this organization is growing, which will undoubtedly have a positive impact on our wild sheep populations and ultimately our opportunities to interact with them.

The impact we make is directly proportional to the level of volunteerism and the funds we raise. MTWSF has been working to expand our fundraising efforts, several of which will be detailed in this newsletter. Executive Director Stubblefield has been bringing some fresh ideas to the table in this regard and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for all of his efforts. I wish you all the very best. Take care and be well.

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

Highlights from this Issue

https://montanawsf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022-Winter-Newsletter-MTWSF_web.pdf

A FNAWS Quest
Story by: Kevin Gilbert

My first sheep hunt was in 1999 for Dall’s sheep. This was a horseback hunt in Alaska,
which unfortunately was unsuccessful. This setback made me want to hunt sheep even
more. Four years later, I got my first ram in Alaska on the seventh day of a ten-day backpack
hunt in 2003. It was a nine-year-old Dall’s sheep, taken with Rob Jones, R & R Guide Service.
At that time I was of the age of 40 and I told myself that I would get a Stone when I turned 50.

Read the whole article in our Wild Sheep Newsletter, Spring 2024.

https://montanawsf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022-Winter-Newsletter-MTWSF_web.pdf

Montana Wild Sheep Foundation
Conservation Committee

Stafford Ferry Conservation Easement

The MTWSF Conservation Committee met January 8, 2024 via Google. One of the items discussed was the FWP Stafford Ferry Conservation Easement (CE) project (Bighorn Sheep HD 482) in the Missouri River Breaks, 10 miles north of Winifred, Montana (Fergus County).

Sonja Andersen, area wildlife biologist for FWP in Lewistown has headed up the effort since 2021, and is in the final stages of appraisals, draft deeds, management plan and environmental documentation.

This project is adjacent to the Whiskey Ridge conservation easement completed in 2020, and consists of a proximately 1,000 acres along the Stafford Ferry Road and Whiskey Ridge Road (three separate parcels).

Read the whole article in our Wild Sheep Newsletter, Spring 2024.

Would you like to receive a hard copy of our newsletter? This is one of our many member benefits! Join today!