This will be my final message to you as President of the Montana Wild Sheep Foundation. As I reach the end
of my term, I want to take a moment to reflect on the past few years and express my sincere gratitude for this
incredible journey.
Serving on the MTWSF Board of Directors has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. I’m
incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together – from expanding conservation efforts across the state to
strengthening the foundation’s organizational capacity, to growing both our membership and financial strength.
These achievements are the result of collective dedication, shared values, and a deep love for Montana’s bighorn
sheep.
More than the accomplishments, though, I’m thankful for the friendships forged along the way. This community
is built on relationships, and I’ve been fortunate to work alongside some of the most passionate and committed
people I’ve ever met. The Montana Wild Sheep Foundation is in excellent hands with strong, thoughtful leadership
by our Executive Director – Ty Stubblefield, our Board of Directors, and the Conservation Committee. I’m confident
that MTWSF’s future is bright and that the best is still ahead.
One example of that bright future is the momentum we’re seeing on the Stafford Ferry Project. This longanticipated
effort to conserve bighorn sheep habitat in the Missouri River Breaks was officially approved at the August 21 MT FWP Commission Meeting. That’s a major step forward. Thank you to everyone who has contributed time, energy, and support to get us here. This project is a landmark win for wild sheep conservation in Montana.
In addition, we completed our Board of Directors Strategic Planning Meeting in early August. This annual session is where we turn big ideas into focused goals and actionable steps. It’s one of the ways we ensure the organization continues to evolve, adapt, and lead with purpose. With so much momentum and clarity of vision, I believe MTWSF is poised for even greater impact in the years ahead.
Thank you all for your support, your passion, and your belief in our mission. It has been an honor to serve as President, and I look forward to continuing to support MTWSF’s work in new ways moving forward.
Be well and enjoy your fall!
Highlights from this Issue
EWE MATTER (S)
Commingling Project Opportunity: Get Involved with
Public & Community Education
Story by: Erika Putnam
Every morning at 8:05 AM my phone chimes with
a reminder that says, “Stay on your own side
of the fence.” It’s meant to encourage me to stay
focused on what I’m doing and not get distracted by people or things that are out of bounds. I use the reminders app on my phone to give me personal messages throughout the day (bleep, bleep, bleep, 19 times) to remind me of goals, values and other things to keep me out of the proverbial weeds. I thought this reminder was worth sharing as a relevant perspective
considering I wanted to write about the commingling work being done on behalf of wild sheep in Montana and an idea I have about creating and developing a project for the ladies of MTWSF.
Read the whole article in our Wild Sheep Newsletter, Summer 2025.
AREA 214
Big horn Sheep Hunt
Story by: Casey Austin
After applying for 29 years, I finally drew an area 214 bighorn sheep tag. My son Shane drew the same tag for area 214 six years ago, so we knew the area well and the sheep’s patterns. Every hunter that has drawn a special tag knows at first there is excitement, anticipation, some nervousness for the moment you see the drawing results until the season starts.
I started spotting sheep the opening weekend of
archery season while I was archery elk hunting.
In unit 214 the mature rams don’t come out of the
Pintler back-country until either weather, or the rut
pushes them out. By the first week of November, I
had 30 plus days of spotting, countless hours looking through a lens, and many miles in my side by side with lots of hikes. To this point the hunt was very rewarding seeing the number of sheep and the consistency of the sheep.
