Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta Magazine is published four times per year for the Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta by

Sportscene Publications Inc. 10450 - 174 Street Edmonton, Alberta T5S 2G9 Ph: 780.413.0331  Fax 780.413.0388 Email: [email protected] www.sportscene.ca

Board of Directors.......................................................................................4

Summer 2022 Issue

A Message from the President....................................................................5

Editor Rich Mellon

My Side of the Mountain..............................................................................6

Design & Layout Sportscene Publications Inc.

Life Members.............................................................................................10

Printing Elite Lithographers Co. Ltd. Editorial Submissions Please submit articles and photos to Rich Mellon at [email protected]. No portion of Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta Magazine may be copied or reproduced without the prior written consent of the Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta. The views and opinions expressed by the authors of the articles in Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta Magazine are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 43923523 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to

This n’ That..................................................................................................8

Meet the Director Chelsey Wright..............................................................12 Members Campfire: Best Friends & Old Rams.........................................16 Members Campfire: The Keys to a Successful Mountain Adventure........20 Members Campfire: The Budget-Minded International Hunter..................24 Product Review – Peak Refuel..................................................................29 Product Review – Spartan Javelin Pro Hunt Bipod System......................30 Members Campfire: Full Curls & Fifteen...................................................32 Members Campfire: Recipe – Korean Moose Bowl..................................34 Members Campfire: Huh? What did you say?...........................................36 Members Campfire: Collaring Project Update...........................................40 Members Campfire: Hunting Barbary Sheep on their Native Soil.............42 Members Campfire: The Cutting Edge of Conservation............................48 Disease Prevention Programs for M.ovi in Action.....................................50 Brag Board................................................................................................51

Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta P.O. BOX 2639 Rocky Mountain House, AB T4T 1L6 Ph: 403-845-5544 Email: [email protected]

Cover photo - President Matt Mellon and Director Jessie Young with the last ram of the current WSFAB collaring project.

www.wsfab.org Printed in Canada

For more information on advertising rates for our magazine, please contact [email protected].

TO PROMOTE AND ENHANCE INCREASING POPULATIONS OF INDIGENOUS WILD SHEEP IN ALBERTA THROUGH THE FUNDING OF PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT RESPONSIBLE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT, CONSERVATION EDUCATION, YOUTH INVOLVEMENT AND THE PRESERVATION OF OUR HUNTING HERITAGE.

3

BOARD OF

Roy Getson Director Yellowhead Affiliate 780-517-2432 Matt Mellon President 403-872-7033

Michael Smith Southern Director 403-700-7746

Brian Scott Director 403-844-6973

Rob Kopecky Vice President 708-371-4300

Richard Mellon Director 780-228-0973

Jessie Young Director 403-813-8589

W Frank Turner Secretary 403-703-9110

Todd Tkach Director 780-933-9284

James Bartlett Director 403-471-4754

Cameron Ware Treasurer

Luke Vandergust President Yellowhead Affiliate 780-728-8403

Jordan Bargholz Director 403-837-5156

Chelsey Bigelow Director 780-603-5229

Paul Chambers Northern Director 780-817-8101

Monty Groat Director 780-817-1814

4

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

A MESSAGE FROM

ummer is now in full swing, and everyone will be enjoying family time at the lake, tackling road trips, maybe a bit of fishing. I know for a lot of us this is the time of year when we are putting the finishing touches on this year’s hunting plans. We will also be busy checking and repairing our gear and opening consulting negotiations with the war and finance department on what we can afford to upgrade for the upcoming season. While all of us here at Wild Sheep Alberta are doing all of this and then some, we have also been ever so busy advocating for our Bighorns. Many of our projects are either completed or well underway. Predator programs are wrapped up, collaring is completed, and we are in the monitoring phase. Testing of domestic sheep in or close to Sheep Management Areas (SMA’s) is ongoing. We weren’t able to complete aerial surveys this year due to an unfortunate event where a GOA commissioned aircraft crashed while flying other surveys. This suspended all aircraft flown surveys indefinitely. WSFAB is currently looking into other options in order to complete these crucial surveys. One positive thing that came out of it was that we were able to re-allocate these funds and purchase 15 more collars towards the ongoing BHS monitoring project. The Evan Thomas Vegetation Management Strategy completed and is patiently awaiting the nod from aboriginal consultation. Early June has seen me on the road for government meetings both federally and provincially. June 6th, WSFAB was invited to Ottawa. Where we had meetings with the Conservative Hunting and Angling Caucus, later that day MP Blane Calkins gave accolades to WSFAB and other conservation groups during a speech to the house. That was followed up with a visit to the Alberta legislature for meetings with Minister Nixon (AEP) and Minister Horner’s (AB-AG) office. Many positives have come out of these meetings. Not only highlighting our organization on a federal and provincial stage but also learning of new opportunities to access federal funding. WSFAB will have spin off meetings with Alberta Agriculture on domestic sheep policy. WSFAB is currently scheduling a meeting with Alberta Environment and Parks, Alberta Agriculture and the Alberta lamb producers to discuss M.ovi and the separating of domestic sheep and bighorns being the focus. As well we have a meeting planned with the executive director of Forestry to see if WSFAB can facilitate some of these backlogged prescribed burn plans progressing. Watch for some announcements coming from Southern Director and project chair Mike Smith for volunteer opportunities with some mechanical clearing we want to get underway in late summer early fall. WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

Matt and Sam sheep hunting. Hurry and buy one of the last tickets for the Swarovski Optics raffle and keep your eye out for our other summer raffles and the upcoming Hunt of a Lifetime raffle. Word leaking out of the raffle committee is HOL is going to be a big one! And finally, our youth camp will be the weekend of August 13 in Hinton. I believe is already full but reach out to Paul or Roy if there is currently any room. From all of us here at Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta, have a great summer and keep your lines tight. Yours in Conservation, Matthew Mellon President Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta

5

MY SIDE OF

by Rich Mellon (WSFAB Director)

t a recent Alberta Conservation Association meeting, the Alberta government’s representative on the board Travis Ripley presented a power point presentation that he had brought back from a recent meeting of Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA). Colorado State University’s Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources led a research team with partners representing academic/research institutions, regional fish and wildlife management associations, and state fish and wildlife agency personnel. The study was a continuation of Wildlife Values in the West, completed in 2005. For the 2021-2022 study Canada was included. Forgive my paraphrasing and this is the gist of the study as best my faulty memory serves me. The study looks at changing social values in today’s world specifically how those changes affect the management of wildlife. Since World War II modernization and immigration have changed our society at a cultural level. Most immigrants to our society do not have the same relationship to wildlife or have a cultural history of wild animal usage. Since human values are formed very early in life and before the new immigrants arrive here the culture clash can make our beliefs and behaviors abhorrent to them. Modernization brought increased wealth, urbanization, and education. Wealth removed wild game protein as a necessity from our plates and replaced it with farm animals. Urbanization meant less interaction with wildlife; nature even was now something to be observed rather that combatted for survival. A deer was no longer just food, through encouraged anthropomorphic thinking it was now Bambi. Education raised the specter of animal rights and the question of the ethical right of humans to consumptively use animals. It is no secret that institutions of higher learning are hot beds of protest and dissention. Everything from nuclear power to beauty pageants have been protested. It is natural that wildlife management inspired protests and discussion. A value shift in our culture over time and through intergeneration replacement creates a value shift at the individual level. Nothing earth shattering so far. We have all seen the changes in attitudes in our lifetimes. The bigger cities get and the more generations that don’t participate in the hunt the less the hunter and even the value of the hunt is understood. Two classes of orientation towards wildlife were identified: domination and mutualism. People in the domination category believed that animals did not have equal rights to humans. Animals were to be used for human benefit and believed in killing animals to protect their property and livestock. Domination orientated people are concerned with jobs, economy, wealth, and private property rights. Wildlife management to these folks is providing hunting and fishing opportunities, controlling predators, and insuring public access. 6

Those of the mutualism belief feel wildlife should have human rights, should be given legal protection and are part of their social community. They are more concerned about habitat protection; population decline and equal treatment of interest groups. Mutualism supports wildlife management as restricting humans to protect wildlife, support environmental education and non consumptive wildlife viewing. The researchers then identified 4 wildlife value types: ● Traditionalist – Score High on Domination, Low on Mutualism ● Mutualist – Score High on Mutualism, Low on Domination ● Pluralist – Score High on both Domination and Mutualism ● Distanced – Score Low on both Domination and Mutualism Then they took the show on the road or the Internet where they did on-line panel surveys. In the presentation they explained how quota sampling was derived to ensure a fair sampling of all types and all the data was weighted for age, education, location, etc. For me an online survey injects a lethal bias into the study and findings. Most traditionalists are older and connected to the land and not the Internet. I know as a TV producer of hunting, fishing, and trapping content I get more requests for books than DVDs, and I still get lots of requests for VHS copies of shows. These folks, my people are not tied up in the latest iPhone they are connected to the land and animals. Every time an election occurs, and the pollsters miss by a country mile they blame the fact that all they can base polls on are voluntary Internet and cell phone data and thus the value of the findings are sometimes wildly inaccurate. I’m not arguing that things are not changing I disagree with the extent the of the findings of this study. Not surprisingly in Canada the traditionalists are a dying breed with Alberta being one of the last strong holds with 18% identifying as such. The pluralists, those with a foot in both camps come in at 23%, the mutualists at 46% and those that don’t care – the distanced at 13%. The larger the urban centers in a WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

province the more pronounced the move away from traditionalists these numbers are Ontario is 8%, 29%, 49% and 13%. The report really didn’t have many surprises once the types were defined. Traditionalists as more self sufficient were the least worried about global issues like food security, environmental change, safety, pandemics, medical service, and wildlife issues. The mutualists were pretty much a reverse image of the traditionalists. Traditionalists were high on lethal control use in wildlife from hogs to wolves. Mutualists, disapproved of shooting Bambi or Donald Duck. Across Canada 60% of all types agreed with lethal control of wolves, over 71% agreed to kill feral hogs as well. Not surprising lethal control of wolves was more highly favoured if the wolves were attacking humans or pets over livestock. Where do we go and what do we do from here? I’m not sure but one last fact stuck out as a glaring beacon to me. When asked how much they trusted the government of Alberta with management of wildlife the cumulative answer was a staggering 39%. Once again, I must interject that this number is probably not truly accurate. It is an Internet study, and nobody was happy with the government at any level during the time frame of this study. COVID mandates and lockdowns and all sorts of crazy was being forced upon us by the GOA and I’m sure a least some of the anger at that spilled over into this number. Or maybe not. Perhaps it was true anger in the belief that anglers and hunters are managed rather than wildlife populations. It is far simpler (and cheaper) to reduce limits or seasons and harvest than actually do something to increase or manage resource

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

populations. If we are to believe this study the gap between what the traditionalists believe as proper management and what the governments are doing has never been wider. But it isn’t just the consumptive users that don’t trust the government, the mutualists don’t either by an equally large margin. During my time with the ACA board as the WSFAB representative, I have come to learn that the bureaucrats are more a problem than the politicians or the science. The bureaucrats are eternal and the ones blocking change and effective policies. Before our present minister Jason Nixon, the average tenure for an AEP minister was 18 months. The bureaucrats learned to ignore what the minister wanted because he wasn’t going to be there long. I’d not be surprised if Minister Nixon has had the same issues of being ignored and is frustrated by the frozen molasses progress. Outdoors people have seen the lack of improvement in our conservation policies. James Cook summed it up best when he said, “Bureaucracy by its nature resists change and nullifies progress.” Perhaps the biggest message we can glean from this study is that the people have had their fill of the bureaucrats who are accomplishing nothing and need to be swept aside so real solutions can be formulated and implemented. Or we can continue down the road of no solutions and total irrelevance for conservation. If the times are a changing as this study indicates and we are to take the results as serious then we must also take the lack of trust in the government serious as well. If we don’t change the attitudes of those instituting programs, how can we ever move forward in a meaningful way?

7

All WSFAB Life Members will be entered in a new giveaway. First prize is a Yeti cooler! Draw will take place on August 5 2022. You just have to be a Life Member to be eligible. Scan the QR code to go straight to our Membership sign up page. With our new payment plan program, it has never been easier to become a Life Member of WSFAB.

Did you know you can manage your membership account? Yep, as soon as you become a member you can access your account. At the bottom of practically every page on the website you will find a membership login link. Click on it to start the process. Follow the prompts and if you get lost or hit a snag reach out to us at [email protected]. Once in you can edit or update everything. Account Information, your name, address, email, and payment method. Maybe your name is spelled wrong on the magazine, or you have moved, got a new phone number or you credit card has expired, you can keep your account up to date and never miss a magazine. As we ramp up our digital communications your email is more important than ever. We try to maintain a pace of 2 Bighorn Bulletins a month and we have instituted a digital flip book for our magazine so you can take it with you anywhere or share with all your buddies.

WSFAB is about to launch a new Life Membership level. We are in the final fine tuning, but we need a name. We just can’t agree on what it should be called. Our 14 board members all have a different favourite name in mind. In a stroke of brilliance, someone (me) suggested we ask you, the members for suggestions. Then someone suggested (I’m on a roll!) that we have the members vote on the suggestions and pick the new name. The board then accepted a suggestion (Paul’s idea) to give some swag to the creative mind with the first-choice name. The new name will be announced on July 22 so get your suggestions in to [email protected].

8

Content that is. We need your articles and pictures and don’t forget our brag board as well. We especially love pictures of kids in the outdoors. We pay members for articles, and we need lots of adventures, stories, reviews, and recipes. How about a column that would appear in every issue? We can do that, shoot me your ideas and rants. Our magazine is only as good as our members make it. Send all of it to me at [email protected]

Have you ever worried that sheep hunting is a disease? Well, it is sheep pox is a well documented malady that causes irrational behavior and the delusions of grandeur sometimes causing the afflicted to claim credit for other people’s hard work. Mike, one of our directors has fallen victim to the disease. Below is a composite picture created and circulated by Mike on social media to try and steal another WSFAB volunteer’s thunder. Bad Mike! If you really want to be involved in actual boots on the ground sheep management then sign up for one of our future projects. Email [email protected]. Don’t be like Mike and pretend, really show up and get involved! (Thanks, Mike, for being a good sport!)

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

Aarsen, Jan Aarsen, Richard Aarsen, James Aarsen, Mathew Abbott, Randy Acorn, Brent Aebli, Wade Allen, Josh Alm, Darcy Anderson, Wade Anderson, Gerald Anderson, Eric Anderson, Dave Annich, Marco Apoll, Jeremy Apoll, Reuban Armitage, Connor Armitage, Lindsay Arnett, Steve Arnett, Jamie Arsenault, Jereme Aschenmeier, Lance Badger, Cordell Badger, R. Wayne Bargholz, Jordan Barker, Chris Barnes, Derek Barron, Dave Becker, Kelvin Bigelow, Scott Bildson, Brian Bilodeau, Jean-Michel Black, Jesse Bloom, Vince Bodewitz, Thomas Boldt, Isaac Bollen, Allen Bouchard, Blaine Bowd, Wayne Bowlen, Bob Bowman, Jesse Boyce, Mark Bramall, Spencer Brandt, Kane Bratrud, Roger Bratrud, Richard Brauer, Dean Bray, Mike Breeze, Fred Brew, Terry Broadhead, Steve Brotherton, Geoff Brown, Peter Brown, Glenn Busetto, Joey Byatt, Mike Cadrain, Greg Callings, Landen Cameron, Chris Campbell, Kyle Carbonneau, Marc Carey, Ronald Carr, Nathan Cassidy, Cody Chabay, Dan Chambers, Paul Chase, Oswald Chernish, Luke Christie, Mathew Chuck, Walter Cing-Mars, Joseph Clark, Jared Clemett, Jason Coleman, Darcy Collins, Allan Colosimo, Cole Cooney, Darren Cooney, Barb Copeland, Craig Cota, Dallas Craig, Dave Cross, Malcolm Crouch, Shane Crouch, Tate Crousen, Guinn Cummings, Wes Cusack, Shayne Daase, Kevin Dale, Denis

10

Dale, Bradley Dale, Paton Darling, Brandon Darvill, Kim Davey, Peter Davey, Mandy Davey, Pat Davie, Steve Dejax, Jeff Delorme, Landon Demchuk, Mark Demmings, Brad Denis, Rob Desmeules, Charles Despins, Lucas Diepstraten, Frans Dion, Cam Dixon, Corvin Dobson, Brian Docherty, Earl Doering, Garry Donkin, Brad Drury, Mike Duma, Bobby Dunn, Bill Dyke, Steve Dziadek, Cody Earl, Cody Ecklund, Steve Edgar, Wilf Elines, Matthew Elliott, Alex Elliott, James Emrich, Bill Engel, Eldon Englot, Rob Engstrom, Terry Epp, Darryn Erickson, Robert Ferguson, Clay Fisher, Marlin Fisher, Devin Forrest, David Foss, Tom Foss, Adam Foss, Cameron Fowler, Tessa Gallem, Rob Gazeley, Ian Genert, Chris Genert, Quinn Gerhardt, Kenneth Getson, Roy Gilbert, Tyrel Gordon, Sean Gorzitza, Gord Gous, Rudi Grant, Travis Grinde, Harold Groat, Monty Groves, Leon Groves, Rilley Groves, Levy Gushattey, Mark Halina, Todd Halina, Brian Hall, Rob Hall, Laureen Hallock, Brian Christy Dawson Halun, Craig Harrop, Vanessa Harvey, Mike Hawthorne, Adam Hayne, Gillan Hebert, Joe Heffel, Michael Hendsbee, Tim Henry, David Hewson, Kelly Higgins, Kris Hinchey, Will Hindbo, Lorne Hindbo, Sharmane Hindbo, Jeff Hisey, Todd Hislop, Dale Hope, Brian Hosker, Daryll Houle, Ken

Hulse, Shad Hunt , Logan Hunter, Darrell Hunter, Cody Hupp, Dallas Hurley, Kevin Indenbosch, Dan Indenbosch, Ivan Isbister, Scott Jablonski, Jeremy Jacobsen, Gary Jacobsen, Bradley Jakubow, Jordan Jax, Tyler Jenkins, Alfred Jensen, Shane Johansson, Arne Johnson, Michael Curtis Jones, Craig Kadutski, Ken Kaiser, Dallas Kastelen, Dale Keeley, Maureen Kelly, Lynn King, Dallas Kinniburgh, Robert Kitchen, Gord Koebel, Brandon Kopecky, Rob Koski, Terry Krantz, Len Kubinchak, Duane Kuhn, Shane Kuny, Deryk Kuny, Mitchell Kure, Emil Lancaster, Shannon Landry, Thomas Lang, Tyler Lange, Del Larson, Nathan Lemaire, Chris *Lendrum, Darrell Liesemer, Jeremy Lohman, Vincent Long, Pat Longpre, Ryan Lonsdale, Stuart Thomas Lough, Brady Love, Brandi Luka, Adam Lunt, Andrew MacDonald, Darin MacEachern, James MacFadyen, Justine *Machan, Chris Magnuson, Trevor Majeau, Dayne Mandrusiak, Kerwin Manning, Jay Mares, Zdenek Martineau, Lee Martyn, Jason Matheson, Jim Maxwell, Chris McArthur, Daniel McArthur, Garth McClelland, Bill McCulloch, Cam McElroy, Nathan McGuire, Dave McInall, Landon McLaren, Calvin McQuaid, Lindsay Mellon, Matthew Mellon, Richard Mergaert, Stephen Meyr, Herb Michel, Sarah Middleton, Chuck Mills, Doug Chester *Mjolsness, *Mjolsness, Martha Moes, Michael Moland, Eric Morrish, Mark Mountain, Pete Mountain, Wayne Mountain, Mark

Munksgaard, Povl Nakamoko, Craig Natras, Thanos Niemeyer, William Nutting, Carson Nutting, Jesse Nyberg, Gary Odgers, Scott Olson, Derek O’Neill, Pat O’Neill, Sean Palk, Ryan Papazyan, Armen Pape, Shane Pape, Kelly Pape, Michael Pape, Robert Pascoe, Verne Peacock, Darcy Persson, Lloyd Peters, Colin Pico, Dustin Pieruneck, Paul Pilote, Nicholas E Pinnell, Dale Pole, Stuart Popick, Corey Powell, Ryan Priestley, Chuck Primrose, Matthew Prostebby, Reg Putzenberger, Dylan Pyne, Glen Quisenberry, Steve Rach, Grant Rath, Craig Rattenbury, Chad Rauch, Kris Rauhanen, Eric Redlick, Regan Redlick, Emerson Redlick, Amie Reichle, Colin W. Rensmaag, Greg Rilkoff, Tyler Rindal, Mitchell Robertson, Kelly Rogers, Charlie Rombs, Randy Routledge, Robin Rowley, Alan Rudolf, Chester Rumball, Orry Rundell, Colin Rundell, Travis Ryan, Darren Saar, Nathan Sakofsky, Conrad Salomons, Gordon Sambrailo, Mark Samoil, Michael Sanders, Gordon & Michelle Sanders, Tim Sands, Chester Schall, Mark Schapansky, John Schellenberg, Shawn Schneider, Lance Schneider, Cole Schultz, Brian Schultz, Nathan Schultz, Simone Scott, Brian Scott, Brenton Selk, Skip Sharif, Alexander Sharman, Rocky Shewchuk, Chris Shippy, Stephanie Shyback, Kyle Shyry, Jill Siemens, Cor Sinclair, Brent Sinclair-Smith, Kyle Skinner, Darrel Smith, Thomas Smith, Lane Smith, Mike Smith, Cody

Snodgrass, Tate Sollid, Mike Sollid, Elijah Sollid, Evangeline Southgate, Kyle Speitelsbach, Greg Squires, Dylan Stanley, Sandi Steed, Kyle Steer, Michael Stegmaier, Kyle Stelter, Kyle J Stelter, Rick Stevenson, Don Stewart, Joshua Stieben, Mel Strasser, Jakob Stratichuk, Doug Stuart, Ian Sundre Trappers Association Swanson, Milo Symons, David Szondi, Glen Tailby, William Tanghe, John Tatarin, Carl Tataryn, Kelvin Taylor, Rob Taylor, Steven Tessier, Pierre Thomas, Joanne Thompson, Wayne Thomson, Darren Thornton, Renée Thornton, Gray Tkach, Todd Trotter, Tyler Truman, Colin Turner, W. Frank Tyler, Luke Ulveland, Gregg Van Belleghem, Dave van Roestel, Aaron Vandergust, Luke Vanderheide, Rick VanHilten, Andre’ Vipond, Waylon Voghell, Jason Walgenbach, Tanner Walker, Stan Walker, Matthew Walker, Kevin Wall, Jeff Wall, Stephanie Wall, Les Wallenbach, Tanner Watson, Kyle Wearmouth, Tom Webster, Travis Weinberger, Jason West, Darrin Westlund, Derrick Whitehead, Darren R Wicked River Outfitters Widdifield, Scott Widdifield, Dom Widdifield, Dave Williams, Cody Williams, Darryl Williams, Dillon Willsie, Glen Wolf, Byron Wolf, Cathy Wollen, Cody Wood, Lyle Wright, Chelsey Wright, Kevin Yakubowski, Darren Yarham, Larry Yarosh, Kirby Yoder, Keith ZoBell, Will Zurawell, Brant

*Deceased

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

Hi there, thanks for taking time to learn about the new girl on the block! I have had the pleasure to meet most of you over the last few years, but for those I haven’t, I hope too soon. I recently had the opportunity to chair the 2022 Bighorn Banquet in Red Deer, AB so you might recognize me as the redhead on the stage yelling off raffle numbers! I grew up in a blended family which gave me the opportunity to live the best of both worlds as a kid. I lived the farm life with my mother and stepdad in eastern Alberta, milking cows, dabbling into 4-H, jumping off bales etc., but most importantly I learned the essential benefits of good quality meat and sustainable environments. The other side of my story revolves around a very special place, Beaverlodge, AB. This is where my father, Stepmom and Brother lived for many years and where I spent every hunting season. It’s not much of a town, no stop lights or nightlife, but it has one heck of a car wash! My rubber boots have walked that borderline countryside for many, many, miles. My love for hunting and the outdoors was born in those spruce runs. I laugh as I type this out, but everyone has a hunting story that sticks in their mind. This is mine...

12

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

y brother Scott Bigelow was starting to take this hunting thing up a notch and bought a video camera to film our hunting trips. Being a little sister and an unrepentant troublemaker, I found this to be a perfect opportunity to embarrass my older brother. It was a cold September morning at elk camp and my brother snuck away for his morning business in the bush. I filmed him sneaking away and caught his bare arse on camera,

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

everyone got to see the same video once the video was produced and played on the television in the living room. Just one of the moments of great hunting adventures. I started my career in the construction and oil and gas industry straight out of high school. Starting as a firefighter originally, then a health and safety advisor, my love for workplace safety and helping others continued to grow. I wanted a change, a stronger work life balance and a cool job

nobody else had. This brought me into aviation. I have spent the last 5 years working as an Occupational Health and Safety leader in airports and with airlines. This career has taken me all over Canada and expanded my love for travel! This career also provides great flexibility to ensure those hunting trips are still a regular part of my year. I appreciate aviation so much that on top of my fulltime job I also work on the senior leadership team of a successful not for profit organization called

13

Elevate Aviation. We promote women starting a career in aviation and help them succeed from kindergarten to career. Currently I reside in central Alberta with my lovely husband and two doggies. We own 32 acres of bushland that houses plenty of deer, moose, and the occasional elk. I wanted to join the Wild Sheep Foundation Board of Directors because I knew I could make a positive change. I could bring a fresh set of eyes, a female perspective, and some corporate business knowledge to help us expand. Appropriate policies and procedures, official responsibilities and one heck of a profitable banquet. WSFAB is growing at a rapid rate, so we need to treat it more like a business than a volunteer group. Conservation of Wild Sheep affects every individual in this province in some way, shape or form. Our funding goes beyond keeping this year’s herd alive. I am proud to say I am a Director for Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta. In my 1.5 years here, I have built relationships that will last a lifetime, met some great like-minded people all over North America and have given back to my home province, Alberta. It gives me hope that conservation, sustainability, and heritage are still alive and well in this province. Thank you for letting me serve as a Director and I look forward to meeting many more of you! Chelsey Wright WSFAB Director 14

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

by Reg Prostebby (Past WSFAB President and Life Member)

16

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

i Lanny – do you have any plans for the last week of October?? How about if we head into the hills for the last week of sheep season?? Think about it and let me know – what?? - hell, I knew you would be up for a late season sheep hunt. Perfect!! I can meet you at your place in Drayton Valley, I’ll bring a horse trailer and we can split the horses up into two units and head in for the last week.” I live in Red Deer, AB and have been fortunate enough to have hunted bighorns along the eastern slopes of Alberta from Waterton to the Willmore over the last 40 years. Areas like the Clearwater, Bighorn, Timber, and Ram Rivers of west-central Alberta have always conjured up sheep country for me – and I have had the great pleasure of learning many of these trails and camps. We are so fortunate as Alberta residents that we can still purchase a general sheep tag every year (unless we tagged out the previous year) over the counter and go hunting sheep. I first met my long time & best friend and hunting buddy Lanny Schultz in 1975 when I first moved to Drayton Valley. I had just graduated from school then and got a job with an oil company in Drayton. I tried out and made the local hockey club, and that is where

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

I met Lanny. We hit it off right away and over the years Lanny has mentored me in the skills of mountain hunting, horses, and a new way to hunt (no more back-packing – which up until then is all that I had done!). When we played hockey together, I always knew Lanny had my back, and he was such a natural in the bush – always a good guy to have around when the going got a little rough. So, we talked back and forth for the next few weeks to make sure who was bringing what, and I headed to Drayton on October 24, 2004, to finish loading and weighing pack boxes, gear, etc. to insure we could get an early start on the morning of the 25th. We had 6 head of

horses loaded – two to ride and four to pack. Normally, earlier in the season, we can get away with four head (two to ride and two to pack) but hunting with horses in the mountains that late in the season requires more gear - stove, wall tent, chain saw, horse feed, etc. so the extra ponies are necessary – and the extras do make for a really nice camp. Early the next morning we were up very early, got everything loaded and were off to the shining mountains!! It was -25C that morning, with about a foot of snow, so we knew that once on the trail, it would be a cold ride in – and it usually takes about 8 hours to get to where we are going from the staging

17

area. Back then and riding horses all day has made me a big believer in the comforts of good wool clothing (didn’t have much of the new high-tech clothes we now have today), and I am still a big wool fan in the late season to this day. We packed up, tied off the diamond hitch’s and were off. It always takes a while for everything to settle in on the trail, but we made good time. As it got closer to noon, we stopped off at an old camp to warm up & have a lunch of PB&J wraps, chocolate bars and all washed down with some premium scotch that is kept in the saddle bags – for medicinal purposes of course!! That old pewter flask of mine has sure been along on many, many trips and is almost as important as my knife. Just as we were pulling in, we met a group of hunters that were heading out to their camp further in. It was Mark Mountain and some of his buddies, and he told me that his dad – Pete had a nice comfortable camp already set up. Pete was president of the WSFA years ago, and really knows these mountains. Well, it looked like we were going to have some competition, and we were just hoping that the camp we were headed to was not already full. Mount up and ride!! We got to the camp we were hoping to stay at, and guess what – nobody was in there – perfect!! It takes time to unsaddle, look after the horses, dig away 14” of snow and set up the wall tent. Get firewood, water, etc so it was full dark by the time we finally could sit down, have supper, and relax. As a mountain sheep hunter with horses, there are many things to look for in a good camp, but for me, grass for the ponies, fresh water, wood, and a view are the four prime considerations in selecting a camp. This one had everything. Needless to say, sleep came pretty easy that night. Up early the next morning, I stoked the stove, grabbed my binoculars, went out of the tent to shake hands with shorty and then start glassing the surrounding mountains. It was just that early grey dawn, but I hoped the sheep would already be up and feeding, and sure enough, across the valley, down low, just above the timberline were 14 rams – and a few looked really good!! Wow – I could not believe it – this was like something out of a dream. I ran back to the tent and told Lanny to grab the spotting scope. After carefully glassing all these rams, Lanny said we had better get moving!! We knew our morning was going to be busy. Some quick oatmeal, saddle two horses to ride and one to pack, and off we went. It was going to be a bit of a ride to get around the far mountain to where these rams were, and we hoped we were the only ones who had seen these sheep. As we made our way and were getting closer, I looked up on another, closer mountain – and there were 3 different rams bedded! After some careful glassing, we decided that the one was a really good shooter ram (almost full curl on the one horn, broomed and heavy), and since he was closer than the others, we had seen at first light, Lanny & I decided to make a play for this one ram. We rode as far as we could. Tied off the horses and then started up the mountain with rifle and packs. 18

We got to about 200 yds from them, and they had not seen us (rule #1 in sheep hunting – see them before they see you!!). I laid down my pack, settled in so I could just see them, and…. damn – they were up and moving away from us up the mountain! I settled in behind the scope, took a few deep breaths and took the shot – not my favourite one, but the only one I had - the old Texas heart shot as he was going straight away from me. He was hit hard, turned broadside, and one more in the boiler room and he was down!! Man, what a feeling – with any legal ram being a great trophy. His buddies just hung around as Lanny and I made it up the mountain to him. We hauled him down the mountain where I could start working on him while Lanny went back for the horses. After tagging him and taking a few pictures, I went to work. I was just starting to do the caping when Lanny showed up with the horses. We broke the ram down, got the meat in some pack boxes, I tied on the horns and cape onto my pack, and we were on our way back to camp. Pete Mountain had heard the shots and said you could see my chicklets shining in the sun from half a mile away as we rode across the valley, and you could not wipe that grin off my face. Was I happy – you bet – my best ram to date – a 10-year-old mountain monarch!!! WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

We got back to camp in the late afternoon, tired but so happy. There were still horses to care for (horses give you wings, but also can become boat anchors)! We tied off the quarters up on a meat pole so the grizzly bears could not get at them, took a few more pictures, and then got some food cooking for an early supper. Just before it got dark, we went out and glassed across at the far mountain, and sure enough, those 14 rams were up and feeding at last light!! So, we knew where we would need to be come first light. And we also knew that Pete and his crew would be somewhere on that mountain as well. Sleep would not come easy – nor long enough. Up in the dark and plenty early, we saddled two horses to ride, and our plan was to head across the valley and up a small frozen creek that led up into that valley of rams. We got as far as we could with the horses, climbed the drainage until we were still just at timberline on our side of the drainage – with those rams already up and feeding at legal shooting light. It wasn’t hard to pick out the biggest ram – who was at about 350 yds. Lanny got a good rest and I was spotting. Lanny squeezed off a shot, the ram stumbled slightly, and they were all off now headed up the drainage. I ranged him at 425, Lanny held higher and dumped him – a great shot! The rest of the rams kept on going up the drainage, and as they were nearing the top, another shot rang out, and one of Mark’s buddies had made a tremendous running shot on the second largest ram in the bunch. We knew Pete and crew were on the mountain, but they could not see the sheep as they were too low for them to see. Further up the drainage we went, got to Lanny’s ram, and tagged him. He was a 38”, 12-year-old, full curl and a great ram!! After some pictures, we went to work, gutted him, and kicked him over the edge to tumble down into the creek bottom (saved us a lot of work!!) Once there, we loaded him up and packed him down to the horses, and then back to camp. What a morning!! On the way out, we ran into Pete and his boys. To WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

this day Pete reminds me that we shot “their” sheep!! Camp was pretty relaxed after that!! We spent time glassing, taking the horses down the valley for some grass and water, building a fire and cooking a smokie or two and all washed down with fine scotch. We talked about our families, kids, old girlfriends, hockey, and business. No pressures – just being in the mountains with my best hunting buddy who had taught me so much!! The really cool thing about this hunting trip (besides a double header on sheep) was when I got home and got my ram plugged and registered. When I got home and was looking at the registration and when I tagged out – October 26/2004. It was exactly 14 years earlier, on the exact same day, in the same area with the same hunting buddy that I shot my first bighorn sheep!!! But that’s another story. Thanks Lanny!!

19

am a fourth-generation outfitter located just outside of Hinton, Alberta, on the edge of the Rockies; our backcountry trips are mainly located in the beautiful Willmore Wilderness Park. In my years spent from my youth to the present day, I have seen the good, bad and ugly in users of the Park. I have witnessed sored horses, horses without shoes, poor packing skills, and unfit and unbroke horses go through the Park. I believe the first place to start a good mountain horse is at home.

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

From my personal experience of my family raising mountain horses, this is my family’s recipe to a successful mountain horse: our colts are born at home, they are halter broke as yearlings, and are given until they are at the good age of three years old so that they have time to build a solid foundation and proper muscle growth. At that time, they are worked with to become calm and confident animals. We spend lots of time doing groundwork and getting them used to the equipment then, once they

are in the hills, the best way to make a good horse is wet saddle blankets and lots of miles. They are then fitted with a proper-sized pack saddle and packed and tested at home, where they are in a safe and controlled environment. Our horses are also hobble-broke at home with leather hobble at first, then moving onto chain hobbles to avoid soring them in the backcountry. We do this at home so they can toughen up their feet gradually as they get used to the hobbles which allows them to get comfortable

21

and confident with the restrictions of movement. Our horses are then turned into the pack string and when we believe they are ready; they are then packed for summer. In their four-year-old year, some of our horses make the cut to become saddle horses if they show promise as a good, solid, safe mountain steed. Some horses will always be nervous on the ground, packing it’s just built into their DNA, while others seem to be calm from the start and easy to handle, it’s here we will pick and choose where they end up in the pack string in future years. Every outfitter knows that things do not always go as planned; sometimes, something as simple and unavoidable as a cold, damp morning can turn your day upside down, little things can cause horses to have an attitude change and the quietest horses sometimes can become broncs. There are some ways to help having an already difficult situation go just a little bit smoother. I have learned over my years out in a pack string to prevent these situations: good pack rigging, good knowledge of how to tie proper knots such as a diamond, and properly, even-weighted pack boxes so that your load stays square on the horse’s back. We put no more than sixty pounds per side on a mature horse, less weight on our younger, less experienced horses, that is so you don’t overload the animal. It is much like a human, you can only pack so much. Also, a proper shoeing job is essential; I have also seen people without shoes on their horses or have the boot clip-on shoes on horses in the wilderness. Boot clip-on shoes are the ones that Velcro onto over the hoof of the horse, they might work in an arena, but they do not work in the rugged terrain of the Rockies. Another vital part of a wilderness trip that is often looked over is your camp. A comfortable camp can be the difference between an amazing or a lousy trip; the things to look for in a camp can be as simple as somewhere with good access to water and a good area for your horses to graze. Other things that can make camp life better for you are an area with good 22

firewood and a place to hold horses where they can’t get by camp without your knowledge. A problem nowadays in many areas we outfit in is the bears; you need to ensure you keep a clean camp and store your food correctly and securely, such as hanging in a tree and a proper place to dispose of your dishwater. We have never had bears in camp before but usually a big pack string like we run keeps the bears away, we do carry bear bangers and bear spray in the case of an emergency. When it comes to packing, there are many ways to do it. Still, the logic is the same, your pack should consist of a blanket that’s thick enough that you won’t hurt the horse or rub the wither or crest of their neck as a sore horse can be the difference between a trip that goes smooth or ends early. Next a properly fitted pack saddle, one that fits the horse that isn’t pinching the horse’s back anywhere. A good set of pack boxes that weigh loaded the same as mentioned earlier, a top pack that weighs 30 pounds or less to help your load to ride better. Secure it with a lash rope for tying the load down and making the diamond. A top pack is a load such as a stove or tent or something small enough to cover the top of your boxes on both sides, it helps to keep your boxes riding level and your whole pack from rolling. A cover tarp over the pack protects everything from weather or sun, we use both canvas and plastic tarps it all comes to preference which you use. I will never say how I have been raised and taught is the only right way to do it, but it works for us. In my time in the backcountry, I have met many different people and have seen a few things that have made me scratch my head, but at the end of the day, we will all get there one way or another; some trips just take longer than others. I am proud to serve on this board, working collaboratively on our various initiatives. I look forward to continuing to be part of a team that works diligently to ensure sheep remain on the mountain for generations to come. Until next time, Adios!! WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

The Caucasus Mountains are some of the steepest in the world.

s recently as a couple decades ago, international mountain hunts were considered the domain of the ultra rich by most. Species like Marco Polo were considered the pinnacle of one’s hunting career and few North American hunters dared even dream about going on such hunts. North American sheep and goat hunts were still relatively inexpensive at the time and outfitters were hungry for business and willing to deal. But times have changed. North American hunt prices are going through the roof, while international mountain hunt prices are 24

staying relatively stable. A hunter can now go on a Marco Polo hunt for about half the price of Stone sheep and have double the odds of success. While there is a certain allure that surrounds North American sheep, for the hunter on a budget that still wants to experience mountain hunts, it’s time to look overseas. Here are a few of my top picks for the mountain hunter with a wanderlust. A Dagestan tur hunt in Azerbaijan represents the best value in international mountain hunting today in my opinion.

The tur kind of falls in the no man’s land between being a sheep and a goat and some record-keeping organizations recognize it as both. Regardless of the genus, the tur is a true animal of the mountains, and the Caucasus Mountains are without a doubt some of the most rugged I’ve hunted. Just getting into tur country is an adventure in itself. It begins with a several hour drive from the capital of Baku to a small village where you will get in a four-wheel drive vehicle and head into the mountains. From there we jumped in the back of an old army truck and headed even further into the mountains where our guides WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

Author and Pat Garret wit h Az

were waiting with several horses. From there we road several hours to our spike camp. Each day we would head out on foot in search of tur and typically returned to spike camp well after dark. The mountains are actually quite flat on top, but the sides fall off in a cascade of cliffs that will make even the most seasoned mountain hunter weak in the knees. This is where the tur live. Even if you manage to get yourself into position to shoot one, retrieving it can be another story. The Azerbaijan guides we hunted with were second-generation guides that not only took pride in their craft but were as sure-footed as any mountain WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

hunters I’d seen. Mature tur sport horns average between 30-36 inches and they have a body weight of around 175 pounds. While not as impressive to look at as some of the other international mountain animals, they are one of the hardest earned. While there is considerable debate over whether the argalis found in Kyrgyzstan are truly Marco Polo or not, there is no doubt these sheep are a worthy and affordable option for the international mountain hunter. Taxonomists recognize three species of argali in Kyrgyzstan,

erbaijan tur.

Marco Polo sheep, Tian-Shan Argali, and Hume Argali although the lines are a bit blurred as to where each species resides. These hunts average $10,000 to $15,000 less than hunts in Tajikistan and in my opinion, the Kyrgyzstan hunts are more of an adventure. With that said, the argali found in Tajikistan average about 10 inches more in horn length and are recognized as true Marco Polo. The hunts in Tajikistan are typically conducted from four-wheel drive vehicle and see you returning to a permanent base camp each night. The hunts in Kyrgyzstan are typically done on horseback and while winter hunts are 25

Author with tahr in New Zealand.

typically conducted from a permanent base camp, fall hunts will often see you spike camping as you travel. Argalis found in Kyrgyzstan average in the 46-50-inch range and tip the scales at around 400 pounds. The terrain they inhabit is similar to that utilized by Stone sheep, although the elevation can reach over 14,000 feet. Mid-Asian ibex can typically be added to an argali hunt for just a trophy fee,

Author with argali in Kyrgyzstan.

although the ibex found in mountains shared with sheep don’t seem to grow as large as those in areas with ibex

only. But still, you can count on finding a good billy in the 40-inch range and the trophy fee is quite affordable. New Zealand has a reputation for its mountain species, the Himalayan tahr and alpine chamois, being hunted with the aid of helicopters but there is some great backpack hunting to be found on the South Island as well. While not native to New Zealand, these species

have been residents on the Island for over 100 years and are a regular feature on the landscape and are right at home in these rugged mountains. Hunting them is very similar to a mountain goat hunt here in North America, with steep mountains and plenty of glaciers. There are a handful of outfitters offering backpack hunts and there is an opportunity for a DIY style hunt, but New Zealand is constantly changing the rules regarding this, so check for up to date regulations before beginning any planning. 26

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

Vanessa with Barbary sheep in South Africa.

While we’ve done your typical run and gun style of hunting, packing your entire camp on your back, there are a network of alpine chalets that can be utilized by hunters in many areas. Both tahr and chamois have diminutive horns in the world of mountain game and unless you’ve done a backpack hunt for them, you will barely give them a second glance on someone’s wall. But if you’ve been there and done that, you’ll stare in admiration.

Spike camp in South Africa. I’ve hunted these mountains three times and simply can’t get enough of them, and the hunt is about half the price

of those in the southern US. Hunting these sheep in their native Africa is a pretty cool experience and you can add several other native mountain species to the hunt, including the mountain reedbuck, vaal rhebuck and Cape mountain zebra. While I’ve done all the aforementioned hunts, this one sits atop my bucket

Barbary sheep or aoudad as they are often referred to in North America, are native to northern Africa and they can still be hunted in their native Sudan and Morocco, and this would definitely rate high on the adventure scale. For those with a bit less of an adventurous spirit and disposable income, there is also a great free-range population on the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Don’t be fooled into thinking this hunt is easy, as the mountains in this region rise up to 8,000 feet and are extremely rugged. On a 2019 trip, we talked our outfitter into to doing a spike camp hunt for sheep and in typical mountain hunt fashion, is poured rain all night and dipped down to -4 degrees with 100 kph winds the following day. Our tent was a solid shroud of ice and we had all of our clothing on and were wishing for more. WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

27

list, not for the impressive size of the trophy but for the sheer adventure. In my mind, this is likely one of the top adventures left in the world. Even with a helicopter assist, this is still a grinding hunt that requires several days walking at extreme elevations just to reach sheep camp. From there it’s hunting in highly technical terrain where sheep densities are typically quite low. This is not a hunt for the faint of heart. Blue sheep are diminutive in size, weighing in at around 120 pounds, with horns that can grow to 30 inches but usually they are much smaller. Blue sheep can also be hunted in Pakistan. They are typically a bit smaller there. Hunt prices in Pakistan are slightly cheaper than those in Nepal. The logistics of getting to the sheep area are simpler than in Nepal but the hunt itself is equally grueling. The blue sheep hunt comes in a fair bit less than a Dall sheep hunt in North America and is an

28

Author with mid-Asian ibex.

adventure that is unlikely to be matched anywhere in the world. We are blessed in Alberta to still be able to hunt bighorn sheep on an overthe-counter tag. British Columbia just saw the bulk of their bighorn hunting placed on limited-entry draw. There are a lot of sheep hunters out there and as opportunities are taken away, prices will only continue to rise here in North

America, pricing these hunts out of the range of many. If you’ve ever considered travelling to hunt mountain game, it’s a great time to go as prices will only continue to increase. In this article I’ve shared some of my favourite spikecamp-style hunts. In a future issue I’ll share some more great mountain hunts that are a bit less physically demanding but also a great bargain.

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

PRODUCT REVIEW Breakfast & Dinner

by Jordan Bargholz (WSFAB Director) Product Supplied by Briden Solutions

ow many times have you started to enjoy your dinner sitting in the hills after a long day and it doesn’t fill you up? It just doesn’t taste that great, and within an hour of eating it you’re hungry again. How about if you’ve just finished a grueling day of trying to avoid the “bonk” as you powered your way to the top and all your starving & aching body needs is a healthy serving of protein & carbs and a top shelf taste. After a decade trying everything from full Keto meals, to off the shelf Ichiban straight from the warehouse, the holy grail of backcountry and camping food has been found. Peak Refuel! Backpack hiking and hunting are demanding activities, you ask the maximum of your mind and body and the single most important part of being able to continue day in and day out, outside of being in great physical shape, is proper hydration and nutrition. The hydration part is somewhat self-explanatory, water and electrolytes. The nutrition part is a bit more complex. Peak Refuel has done their research and understands the needs. I’ve had the opportunity to try almost all their meals that they make through their Canadian distributor, Briden Solutions, and I’ve got a couple of my favourites I’d like to share and review.

How do you set yourself up properly to be able to go strong right out of the gate at 6 am? Mountain Berry Granola! Packed with Granola, Rice milk and topped with Strawberries, Blueberries & Raspberries, this breakfast not only checks all the boxes in the flavour department, but it’s the proper size and has the right mix of carbs and fats for you to keep the skinny pedal pinned well into the day without needing to stop for more food. The entire pouch of food is 570 Calories and has “2 servings”, personally it’s the perfect man-sized portion. 108g of carbs, 1.5g of fat and 13g of protein gets your body ready to work. WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

I find that it’s the best morning fuel mixture there is. Any bigger and it would be too much to eat, especially when your next move is having to hike or carry heavy loads. I find that it’s just the right amount of food to get you moving. The granola tastes amazing and remains crunchy, and the berries fully rehydrate and really add to the fresh flavour. It’s a great combination. One of the other great things about Peak Refuel Granola breakfasts is that they can be eaten cold or hot. I’ve had it both ways and both are simply delicious. Cold brisk mornings call for a hot coffee and a warm breakfast, no problem, boil up a cup of water and pour it in the bag. Shake it up and let sit for 10 min to rehydrate and you’ve got a 5-star breakfast on your hands built to fuel your performance. All in all, this is simply my favourite breakfast to enjoy in the hills, it checks every box I have for keeping me going and fully fueled up. I would highly recommend Peak Refuel Mountain Berry Granola for the next time you need to fill up with Premium. Who doesn’t enjoy sitting down for a big dinner at home, filling their plate full of Brown sugar glazed pulled pork, Rice and vegetables and enjoying it bite by bite? Peak Refuel knocked this one out of the park. They figured out a way to take that exact flavour and eating experience and take it to the Hills. Sweet Pork and Rice is one my favourite dinner meals they have. It just barely edged out the Beef Stroganoff, which I highly recommend as well. One of my biggest gripes with freeze dried dinner was the under delivery of protein. The package has a picture of meat but once its rehydrated, what you get is mush. That’s NOT the case with Sweet Pork and Rice from Peak Refuel. There are bite size pieces of pork all through the rice and Veggies. Enough so, that it comes in at a whopping 40g of protein in a double serving, which by my calculations and western standard portions turns out to be a perfect dinner size. That amount of protein is crucial for muscle recovery after a long day and allows you to go hard, day in and day out. 1 Cup of boiled water and you’ve got the recipe to fix and fill you up. One of the other great parts of this Peak meal is the fat content. 17g of fats in the meal really helps with the satiating feeling you want to have when you’re full as well as the sweet flavour. It helps you relax and feel ready for sleep, while also providing the proper fuel for some of the low output activities that come about during the evening or next morning. If you’re searching for your next gourmet experience, don’t hit a restaurant or order skip the dishes, give Peak Refuel Sweet Pork and Rice a try. It’s best served hot, and at the top of a mountain. 29

PRODUCT REVIEW

by Rich Mellon (WSFAB Director)

Everything that comes in the package.

ountain hunters, especially backpack hunters are extremely conscious of weight. When every ounce of gear must be carried on your back, the value of the item is closely scrutinized. One of my favourite sheep spots is 26 kilometres from the end of the trail. There is only so much I can pack over that distance. Every bit of the weight I choose to carry is carefully chosen for its ability to keep me alive for 10 days and keep me living in a lifestyle that most homeless people would object to. But hey I’m out there hunting. I cut weight, my cup and mess kit are titanium. I don’t have a spoon and a fork; I have a spork. I can compromise. My skinning knife weighs 1.4 ounces. Is it the greatest skinning knife in the world? Hell no. But it is the greatest 1.4-ounce knife that I’ve caped and deboned three sheep with. I can throw money at solutions. My sleeping bag is woven from silk produced by zero G high altitude spiders, and I don’t even want to get into the claims and benefits made by the brand of underwear I use. The point I’m making is there is a cap on the total weight and there comes a point where you can’t find a lighter model and now must trade one item for another to stay under the weight cap. Many hunters don’t carry a pillow, just about none carry an axe. Non comparable items, apples to oranges, are competing for a place in the pack and on your back. Case in point. I’ve spent a lot of money on an ultralightweight rifle stock, a short action cartridge that utilizes a #2 - 21” featherweight profile barrel to save enough weight on my rifle to put on the Zeiss V4 scope that I believe to be the best glass on the planet but that weighs 3 ounces more than lesser optics. There is a point 30

where weight isn’t everything and reality marches in through the door. I have never packed a bipod to the mountains. Never. Why? Well, for starters my current bipods weigh 18 ounces and 20.4 ounces. That is over a pound that could be allotted to something else. Bipods are awkward on a rifle. Sweet to shoot off and I believe that everyone benefits from shooting assets like a bipod. None the less if I never again swing my rifle up on my shoulder and whack my head with the bipod, I’ll still have done it a hundred times too many in my life. Add to that the fact that my rifle is tied to my pack when I go to the mountains. Oh, I know there are several rifle slings systems that claim to be the cat’s pajamas for anchoring a rifle alongside of a pack. I still have never had anything as secure as the rifle secured to the pack. It doesn’t flop or shift and I always have two hands free. In either situation - sling or tied down once again that bipod is banging off my head or getting hung up in every tree I try to duck under. Yes, you can take it off and stuff it in the pack but then when you need it you have to go through the rigamarole of mounting it. Not super instant access, high PITA (Pain in the A$$) factor, bipod stays home. Until now, Spartan Precision Equipment is producing a unique bipod system called the Javelin Pro Hunt. Right away I see that my two biggest concerns are addressed. This sexy carbon fibre beauty tips the mail scales at 6.4 ounces. One third or less weight than my old standby units. Second it has a unique magnetic mount, the bipod just snaps on and off! Literally in a nano second. No fumbling, no loosening, or tightening screws. As hard as I try to WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

The unit and mount are a slick package.

shake the rifle to dislodge the unit, I can’t get it to fail, yet a quick tug pulls the magnetic post from the special mount socket. A simple press on a release tab and the legs folds together making the unit a lightweight compact unit you can shove in a pack pocket for easy access. There is a belt mounted holster available as an accessory to carry the pod but nobody wearing a pack is going to have that on his belt. The bipod has interchangeable legs. My sample is the long model, and it stands 8” high with the legs contracted and 12” fully extended. The construction is rugged Press the carbon fibre and 7075 tab and hard anodized aluminum. the unit An exterior barrel twist folds up. lock tightens the legs to the desired length. The unique rifle mount is easy to install. On my RMR 6.5 PRC I just unscrewed the front sling stud and using the correct length of screw (supplied) I tightened the Javelin receiver in place. Just make sure that the built-in sling mount is pointed back toward the butt end of the gun to facilitate putting the sling on. Once mounted and the sling in place it is simple to pull the bipod off or snap it on without messing with anything else. Very slick! WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

The receiver and bipod stud are designed to allow a pan function of 30 degrees or a locked zero pan. This neat feature is controlled by the orientation of the bipod when you pop it into the mount. On one side of the stud base is a short protruding pin. If the pin is to the right side of the gun when mounted the pin slides into a hole in the mount locking out the pan function. With the pin to the left the bipod now has a 30 degree pan range for right to left. There is also a cant range of 15 degrees for uneven terrain that is controlled by an easily accessible lever on the face of the bipod body. Javelin receiver I have not taken the unit and stud control to the mountains. I’ve pan function. used the Javelin on the range here at home. I like how rigid it is. Unlike so many other bipod brands there is no “lean” wiggle or slop. You don’t have to lean into the pods or pull back to take up accuracy robbing slop. The unit is tight, the functions crisp and you can tell it is a well made, well designed, piece of engineering. Our friends at Korth Group over in Okotoks distribute the Javelin in Canada or you can check the unit out online at javelinbipod.com. 31

by Brooklyn McMahon he pandemic changed my life a lot as a fifteen-yearold high school student, but it also brought some good to me…I went sheep hunting! In July 2020 my dad, Tyler McMahon, told me that we were going to hunt white sheep in the Yukon with our great friends Jessie and Logan Young of Midnight Sun Outfitting. Due to border closures and travel restrictions American and International hunters could not commence their sought-after sheep hunts, leaving vacant spots with lots of outfitters nationwide. My father and grandfather have been friends with the Young family for years and this was a wonderful opportunity for me to hunt the majestic white rams! I couldn’t wait. Early August we drove 23 hours straight from Edmonton, Alberta all the 32

way to Mayo, Yukon. Mike S, my father’s friend, was coming with us to the Yukon for us all to go hunting. He too was capitalizing on this dream hunt for an Albertan. Finally, the morning of our flight into the mountains came! We flew into Midnight Sun Outfitting’s basecamp, and enjoyed an evening at Hart Lake visiting with our friends and fishing for Arctic Grayling. Yum! Grayling is a white meat fish and fairly bland for this Alberta girl! The following morning, we got our horses ready and began our ride through the mountains to our sheep camp! The first night we camped out and the second night we arrived at our sheep camp spike out. It had finally come; we went to sleep in Dall sheep country. This is where we would all call home for the next few days. WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

The first day Dad and I glassed, and saw some young rams that weren’t mature yet, and rode all the way up this draw to see more country. We did a little bit of hiking that day in the Yukon rain but nothing caught our eye. On our ride back to camp we came across a mature

Tyler and Brooklyn McMahon caribou bull. Dad and I laid a great stalk on him and he quickly became our first trophy of the trip. We took care of the meat and the trophy and packed him into my dad’s backpack and slung some quarters over the saddle horn of my horse. We took turns hiking our way back to camp. It was fun watching the caribou horns sway back and forth in my dad’s pack on the way home and admiring such a beautiful trophy that is a true testament of the north country. We set out again the next morning hiking our way around the countryside, and in the late afternoon I spotted a ram. My ram. We took some time to take a closer look, and decided to go after him. After we got within the 500-yard mark of him, I took a shot. Since we were on such a steep slope it was only a 400-yard shot, and I successfully harvested a Dall ram. I was so excited! We finally climbed up to him, and I couldn’t believe I had done it. This was my 3rd ram, and I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunities and people that had led me to that point. By the time we made it to the bottom of the mountain, the aurora borealis aka Northern Lights had begun to celebrate with us. We rode back to camp and were met by Mike and his guide. They too had been hunting all day and just got back WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

before us and harvested an old mountain monarch of a ram. The stories were flowing. We shared success stories and everyone was filled with the stories of how their day had gone. One of my favourite parts of hunting is hearing the stories and the camaraderie between hunters and friends, and celebrating one another’s successes around the campfire. We all rode out of sheep camp the next morning and headed to our pick-up location and then back to Mayo and then Whitehorse. My Dad and I took my ram in for registration the next day and I enjoyed being a part of every aspect of this hunting experience. As we drove home to Edmonton down the Alaska Highway my head was still spinning over how fast it all happened, and I couldn’t believe I had actually done it. I am officially a ¾ FNAWS recipient.

33

astes like Korean BBQ and is on your plate in 15 minutes! Any ground or finely copped meat works. Shamelessly stolen from a buddy who shamelessly stole it from the Internet.

by Sandi Mellon (WSFAB Member)

● ¼ cup packed brown sugar ● ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce ● 2 tsp sesame oil ● ¼ tsp crushed red-pepper flakes, or more to taste ● ¼ tsp ground ginger

ENJOY!!! This is practically a weekly favourite at our home.

● 1 tbsp olive oil ● 1 pound ground moose (or elk/venison) ● 3 cloves garlic ● 2 green onions, thinly sliced ● ¼ tsp sesame seeds

1. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red-pepper flakes and ginger. 2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant – about 1 minute. Add ground moose and cook until browned (about 3-5 minutes), making sure to crumble the moose as it cooks; drain any excess fat. 3. Stir in soy sauce mixture – allowing to simmer until heated through – approximately 2 minutes. 4. Serve immediately over rice (we use Jasmine white rice), garnish with green onion and sesame seeds.

34

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

by Rich Mellon (WSFAB Director)

“Shooting just about any gun unprotected will damage your hearing.”

earing loss is rampant in my generation. The three most common causes for hearing loss are age, genetics, and damage. In my case 2 out 3 ain’t good. Roughly 1/3rd of the millions of North Americans that suffer from hearing loss is due to noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). NIHL can be caused by a one-time (acute) exposure to extremely loud sound as well as by repeated (chronic) exposure to sounds at various loudness levels over an extended period of time. Damage happens to the microscopic hair cells found inside the ear. These cells respond to mechanical sound vibrations by sending an electrical signal to the auditory nerve. Once damaged these hair cells never regenerate. Different groups of hair cells are responsible for different frequencies which is why hearing loss can be for a specific frequency or range of sound. A healthy human ear can hear frequencies ranging from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz Most conversation takes place in the 500 Hz to 4000 Hz range. This is where the difference between similar sounding consonants (t, b, and d) and fricatives (sh, f, and th) as well as front vowels takes place. My hearing loss is in this range. While many men would love to claim that chronic exposure to the weekly audible reminder of the Honey Do List is responsible for their hearing loss, this is seldom the case. My audiologist tells me my hearing loss is a classic example of literally beating the cilia in the ear to death with noise. A lifetime of work in construction and an obsession with firearms coupled with a ridiculous ignorance of the dangers means I’ve bought and paid for the hearing I now have. 36

What’s in the box.

Sound levels or pressure is measured in decibels (dB). The increase in intensity measured by dB is closely matched to how the human ear works and is more a logarithm than a linear intensity scale. 0 dB is the lowest sound on a dB scale, almost complete silence. A sound 10 times greater in intensity than 0 dB will be measured as 10 dB, a sound 100 times more intense than 0 dB will WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

be measured as 20 dB. I point this out to show how quickly levels build to damage inducing levels. Everyday conversation about the Honey Do List occurs at 60 dB – not loud enough to cause damage, sorry guys. Damage starts at sustained or chronic exposure to 85- 90 decibels. Most vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers and blenders are about 90 dB for reference. Hearing damage for acute or singular exposure starts at 100 dB. This is the range of most power tools like a chainsaw. Diesel equipment idling, not working, is loud enough at 85 dB that 8 hours of exposure can cause damage. Not all hearing loss though is caused by my style of stupidity. Many people wearing ear buds are listening to music in the 100 dB range and doing sustained damage. Any noise loud enough to cancel out all other noise present can do permanent hearing damage in a single instance. Shooting just about any gun unprotected will damage your hearing. A 12-gauge shotgun weighs in around 150 dB, a .30–06 around 160 dB and even the .22 long rifle rimfire clocks off at around 130 decibels. A couple of factors to be aware of these sound measurements are at the muzzle with the sound going towards the sound meter. A rifle shooter is about 40” behind the muzzle and the sound is going away from the shooter. Sound waves are not lineal but rather a wave

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

Getting molds made.

37

originating at muzzle and expands outward in a series of spherical wavefronts. Because of the sound being directed away from the shooter much of the sound intensity from a rifle shot is greatly reduced by the time the sound reaches the shooter. Except for muzzle brakes, muzzle brakes redirect combustion gases (and sound) backwards to the combat the energy (recoil) of the round firing. Never shoot a braked rifle without hearing protection. Suffice it to say the science is clear that we must use hearing protection and as firearm users there are plenty of options. The most basic compressible foam ear plugs are the cheapest and offer about 10 dB of sound reduction. This is the maximum level and is completely dependent upon fit of the plug in the ear. Molded, custom fit ear plugs can range right up to 30 dB of reduction. Earmuffs are also a popular option; sound reduction can range from 10 to 26 dB depending upon make and model. It is important to choose the correct protection for your application. If your 7 RM rifle has a muzzle brake or you are shooting at an indoor range, you may need both ears plugs with a highquality muff worn over top for adequate protection. I have perhaps 2 dozen muffs here on the ranch, one pair in every piece of equipment and hanging on the shop walls. They do an adequate job protecting the remaining hearing I have but most aren’t up to snuff for the rifle range. On the range I turn to a pair of custom molded ear plugs from my buddy Claude at Safe and Sound Hearing Solutions. The custom plugs fit perfectly and reduce sound by the maximum 30 dB. I like the plugs better than the muffs as they fit nice, are lightweight, don’t cause sweating or chaffing and don’t get in the way of the rifle stock fit. All was perfect until Sandi and I took up a new addiction: Sporting Clays. A shooting sport that has been compared to golf with guns the discipline has a very strong social aspect with lots of chatter and social interaction. When I’m by myself on my gun range it doesn’t matter that I’m deaf plus wearing 30 dB of hearing protection. The voices in my head are loud enough to hear through all that. But, not on the sporting clays range. So, I went through a season pulling one ear plug when I wasn’t shooting to be able to converse on the range. Which worked out about as well as you’d expect. In March I ran into Claude at the Edmonton Sports show. I complained about my problem, and he recommended molded plugs that magnified sound like a hearing aid but also noise canceled at 85 dB. Perfect! I immediately plopped my butt in his chair and got the molds made of my ears. Takes about 10 minutes, less if Claude wasn’t busy talking hunting while my ears were plugged off. He then sent the molds off to E.A.R. and 4 weeks later Bob’s yer uncle I get them in the mail. The model I chose has adjustable volume, treble and bass. Other models even have Bluetooth communication. Slip a battery into each and they are ready to go. Of course, they fit perfectly as they are made from molds of my ears, and they come 38

Hearing protection in place.

with a great warranty. One year loss and damage and 2-year repair. I haven’t had the opportunity to use the new hearing at sporting clays, but I have here on the ranch. They worked as expected on the range and the hearing boost is very welcome. I used the hearing Cured protection building a new molds chicken coop on the ranch and it is freaky how often the 85 dB is exceeded. Hammering, screw guns, skill saw, it seems everything is loud enough to do damage. I always knew that guns and explosions were bad for my ears but the noise cancelling ear plugs has made me so much more aware of all the background noise that is present and doing damage as well. The ability to have my hearing to be normal and even enhanced is very welcome. I can see myself wearing the ear plugs when hunting and I would never have said that before. If you’d like to check some new hearing solutions, you can reach Claude at safeandsoundhearingsolutions.ca. WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

Matt and Grant

ay 2022 seen the capture and collaring portion of this monitoring project completed with a ram being tranquilized from the ground. With the permission of Graymont mine, Grant Chapman (AEP), Brian Macbeth (Parks Canada), Jessie Young (WSFA Director), and myself, we were able to safely and successfully tranquilize a 5-year-old ram and deploy the last of our 35 GPS collars. Patience is key when ground darting sheep. Brian Macbeth a wildlife veterinarian from parks Canada was our expert on the ground. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to deploy a dart is tough. The animal must be in safe terrain to do so to ensure no injuries occur while the medication is having its effect rendering the animal incapacitated. Also, interesting to note we passed up a few opportunities to dart lone animals as animals in a herd are less likely to run after being injected and there for being safer for the animal. Once our ram was successfully darted and down. Brian and I slowly approached the ram and gently hazed off the remainder of the herd. The ram was quickly assessed for quality of breathing and any signs of distress that would cause us to reverse the effects of the medications and “abort the mission” in the interest of the animal’s well being. Once WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

Jessie, Grant and Brian

the animal was deemed safe, oxygen was applied through the nostrils and the rams head and airway was supported to allow for adequate breathing and to keep salvia and possible regurgitation from aspirating into the lungs. After the animal was properly positioned Brian and our crew really went to work. Collecting DNA, hair, blood, and stool samples from the Ram as well as applying his new GPS collar and an ear tag. The ram tolerated the medication and handling well during his time in our care. Once completed a reversal agent similar to Narcan was given to the ram. He quickly regained his wits, stood up Blood and re-joined the herd that was feeding some sample 100 yards away. For those that are new to this project, it is in collaboration with AEP, Parks Canada, UofA and Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta with funding from Ministers Special Licence funding. This project’s objective is to identify areas and regions where wild sheep have the risk of interacting with domestic sheep and the danger of transmission of diseases such as M.ovi. as well we will hope to learn some of the secret life bighorn sheep movement and habitat selection both inside and outside of Waterton and Banff National Parks. WSFA will provide updates on this project as it moves along. 41

hat sparked the idea of hunting in South Africa was an episode of Outdoor Quest TV in which T.J. Schwanky and Vanessa Harrop hunted Barbary (Aoudad) Sheep with Raymond Kemp and Lalapa Safaris. I have always wanted to hunt Barbary Sheep and had looked into options to hunt them in the USA; however, I was particularly intrigued by the idea of pursuing them on their native continent. I messaged TJ for more info, which he provided and got me in touch with Ray. From there my wife Tina and I met with all of them as well as Mark and Cindy Zimmerman at the SCI show in Calgary. We discussed hunting methods, terrain, logistics, and options to hunt other species. We booked shortly thereafter and began planning the rest of the adventure. Our destination was near Cathcart in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The trip from Calgary was long but relatively low drama, with one connection between Calgary and Johannesburg, an overnight near the OR Tambo airport, another flight to East London, and a 2-hour drive to

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

The terrain is rugged. the bush camp. The drive presented us with an opportunity to see the diverse landscape and learn about the history of the area from Theo Kemp. The area had received more rain than in the last 150 years, leaving it very lush and green, but had also saturated the ground wreaking havoc with the roads and making access to hunting areas challenging at times. Shortly after arriving at camp, we

met our Professional Hunter (Ed Wilson) who took us to the range to shoot the rented .338 WIN MAG I’d use for most of the hunt. We sent a few rounds down range and were very happy with how the rifle grouped. We had chosen to hunt several other species native to the area including Cape Kudu, Cape Eland, Nyala, Impala, Bushbuck, and Warthog. As the Barbary Sheep and Bushbuck

43

Hours are spent glassing.

aren’t typically found in the same areas as the other game we planned to hunt, we would be travelling up to two hours from camp to hunt them. With the weather still bringing rain, we needed to plan our hunt accordingly. We picked out some days later in the hunt to pursue sheep, as it appeared the wind and rain would subside later in the week. Even though we weren’t short of excitement, I was counting down the days to head to sheep country. Over the course of the first week, we were very successful in taking Kudu, Eland, Springbok, and Impala. At the SCI show, Ray suggested we hunt Eland as it would be very much like hunting elk in our foothills and mountains. He wasn’t kidding. The area we hunted was 100% free range and there are no guarantees. We spent 5 days spotting and tracking Eland across the grasslands (veld) 44

and mountains. Watching 2000+lb bulls disappear in the Acacia and Aloe trees was awesome but also very humbling. The very old Eland bull we ended up taking was alone tucked below the ridge of a small mountain, bedded much like an old ram would be. We got above him and watched him from 270 yards for what felt like an eternity waiting for the right shot. Ultimately, we got the right shot angle and anchored him where he had been bedded. The spot, stalk, and the shot all reminded me very much of hunting sheep and elk in Alberta. On day 8 we got up extra early and headed to a large ranch in search of sheep. We picked up another tracker/ spotter that works at the ranch and headed out. Almost immediately we spotted sheep in several bands along the mountain. As the rut was still on, the rams were still with the ewes resulting in a couple of bands

with more than 50 sheep. The plan was to drive closer to the base of the mountains, spot and potentially plan our stalk(s) from there. As soon as we left the two-track trail, we buried the Landcruiser up to the doors. We were able to get out quickly and carry on (go Toyota). As we climbed, we were amazed at the diversity of terrain with the mountains meeting the veld. At more than 7000 feet of elevation, the ancient looking mountains were steep with smooth rock and limited vegetation or otherwise loose rock. The presence of occasional small craters left us thinking it resembled the surface of the moon. We were fortunate to have a dry sunny day as the rock was treacherously slippery when wet, much like wet lichen can be in our mountains. The area is also home to a good population of Mountain Zebra. They WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

are wary and the resident herds were nervous with our approach. Although we were well out of range, they headed off at high speed in the direction of the sheep. We were concerned they would spook the sheep; however, they veered away from direction of the bands and ultimately didn’t cause us any problems. Ed and I spotted sheep on the next ridge from us and attempted a stalk on the largest mature ram however we were unable to get closer than 400 yards. I was not comfortable in shooting that distance on shooting sticks and with a borrowed rifle leaving us with no other choice but to close the gap. With little natural cover, we were busted almost immediately. The last we saw of the band they were a mile away over a ridge and still going. We met back up with the group and headed further up the mountain. We located another large band of sheep and spotted one ram that was obviously the dominant ram in that band. He was much darker than the others with a very well-developed set of “chaps” on his chest and front legs. He was working the ewes and pushing back the younger rams. There were a large number of sheep with many eyes, and they were in a difficult position to approach. We discussed a plan and set forth. Eventually, we got as close as it appeared we could get without being spotted. Again, we were at just over 400 yards and pinned down. In any other circumstance I would have shot from there, however with a borrowed rifle I didn’t feel comfortable. We discussed options, which included waiting them out in hopes they would come closer. Almost on command, the sheep rose and focused on the valley directly below them. We quickly spotted a Jackal making his own move on the sheep. It appeared they were headed in our direction, however that didn’t pan out and we had to make a choice. WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

Distances can be daunting.

We couldn’t go down or forward so Ed checked out one more option. It appeared we could go back up and around to come in above them. Off we went and sure enough we eased

in to about 250 yards from the ram. As we belly crawled over the ridge, I attempted to settle the crosshairs on him, however I just couldn’t get steady on the sticks and couldn’t shoot

45

The author and the ram.

prone due to some boulders between us and the ram. A high level of excitement certainly didn’t help either. We had sheep within 50 yards of us and could clearly hear them as they fed below us. As we eased up to get above the rocks, they spotted us and busted. They dropped into the veld and appeared to be gone. Although significantly out of range, I suggested we head to the next ridge as they were hesitating for some unknown reason and may change course towards the next valley. Almost on cue, some Fallow Deer came across the veld and spooked the sheep towards the valley 46

we were closest to. We worked our way up and around to where we thought we would intercept the sheep. As we hoped, they were headed our way. Recognizing this was likely our last chance, I got in position utilizing the bipod. When the ram cleared the other sheep and stopped below the ridge at approximately 350 yards, I settled the crosshairs and squeezed the trigger. He dropped quickly and the rest of the band dispersed, leaving him behind. After a follow up shot he was anchored, and we were elated. We carefully made our way down to the ram. I was in awe at the beauty of a mature Barbary ram and pleasantly surprised at the mass of his horns. He’s not a huge or ancient ram however at 7-8 years he’s a very good representative ram for the area. I could not have been more pleased. Ed scouted access to get him off the hill and our Tracker eventually bought the Landcruiser to us. We took photos, packed the ram down, and headed back to camp. It all came together for us with some experience and a little luck. Apart from what we usually need to get ourselves back into sheep country, it was not unlike hunting sheep in Alberta. We were very fortunate to have hunted these sheep on their native continent. Our idea to hunt Barbary Sheep on their home turf has left us with new friends, some taxidermy decisions, and memories of a trip of a lifetime. If we are fortunate, we will be able to return to South Africa to hunt again. WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

ou don’t have to be around Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta very long before you hear about Don Stevenson knives. Don was there right at the beginning of WSFAB. When Darcy Alm asked Don Don’s favourite blade design. to make the very first banquet knife for WSFAB Don jumped at the chance. Alberta Wild Sheep was not the first outdoor organization to reach to Don for his unique support. In world renowned for heat treating steel. This led into Don talking fact, Don has been donating his knives to worthy outdoor groups at length about Ed and the heat-treating lessons with molten salt for over 25 years now. That is a monumental commitment, that pots that he still uses today. all outdoor conservation groups so endowed are profoundly The symbiotic relationship between Don and the various Wild grateful for. But especially us here at WSFAB. Sheep Foundation chapters was really the catalyst that drove his Like anyone’s life journey Don’s climb to the pinnacle of the work to the next level. Building custom presentation knives for custom knife makers realm was twisted and fraught with dead Wild Sheep chapters leads to competition between the groups. ends and detours. A retired shop teacher Each wanted a special Don Stevenson from Rocky Mountain House was Don’s Knife to raffle or auction off. Soon introduction to the world of knives. If Don was incorporating new handle you got 7 of your friends to sign up with materials like hippo teeth and sheep you this fellow would come to your horn. His favorite knife patterns have garage and in the course of a weekend long been the drop point, skinner, and knives would be made. That was 32 buffalo knife. Steels have evolved with 2022 banquet knife. years ago and a fire though small had 440 and ATS 34 stainless becoming been kindled and it cheerily burnt in the back recesses of the standards. Heat treating these blades to 59-60 on the Rockwell subconscious of a man busy with making his way in the world. Hardness scale results in an edge that is easy to sharpen and A cattle operation struggling to get on its feet was wiped out by holds that edge. BSE. The home area near Water Valley Alberta was becoming At one time specialty steels like Damascus were laboriously inundated with city folks who didn’t understand the country life made by fusing 2 different steels together and folding them over and worse didn’t want to. Don toured British Columbia with a and over themselves multiply times. In fact, true Damascus steel buddy. He thought they were looking has 300 laminations. Today through for a hunting outfit to buy but instead the miracles of modern metallurgy Don found in central BC a new home. wonderful bar stock is being created A lifelong outdoorsman and hunter from very disparate metals. The knife Don has always used knives. His first Don made for the WSFAB 2022 Hunt customs were for his own use and of a Lifetime is a gorgeous example designed to improve upon performance of this exotic metal. Don starts with a and handling. Once friends and clients laminated bar stock constructed with started using his knives the word the center layer of 1095 high carbon spread and demand quickly grew. As steel for a tough high-performance an outfitter Don’s knives were tools, edge. Then to both sides are layers of working man’s tools. He had plenty Damascus steel, nickel, silver, copper, of opportunity to try out new ideas and a final layer of Damascus. As the 2022 presentation, knife sheath and case. and designs and hands on assessment knife is formed and then the excess to see if the ideas passed the test. As Don’s interest in knives metal ground away to form the edge the layers of contrasting deepened, he realized there were giants of there industry out metals are exposed, and the edge effect is mesmerizing. there to learn from. He was quickly drawn to the design and Don makes all his knives one at a time and to your work of legendary knifemaker, South Carolinian, George specifications. The order form on his website has a huge variety Herron. Don still feels today that the Herron blade design is the of steels for the blade and materials for the handle. Don’t be ultimate work knife design. surprised if Don wants to know more about what the knife will Don has trained and worked with many of the trailbreakers in be used for. He is just that way, he always wants to make sure knifemaking. As he was listing a who’s who and what he learned the knife fits the job. from each in a monologue far too fast for me to make notes one As a tool guy my first allegiance is all about performance, name popped out – Ed Storch. I said, “heat treating” and Don’s Don’s knives have that in spades and they are cool. When you eyes lit up and he asked how I knew Ed. After I recounted how factor in Don’s dedication to giving back conservation groups it I had come to know Ed, I finished by saying that I knew he was really makes me happy that he found his calling. 48

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

From our counterparts south of the 49th parallel.

The Bighorn Sheep Health Outreach Program is based in the greater Hells Canyon region with the goal of educating sheep and goat owners about the risks of disease transmission between domestics and bighorn sheep. Spearheaded by the Asotin County Conservation District, the program is part of the Hells Canyon Initiative with contributions from Idaho Fish and Game, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Wild Sheep Foundation. The overall goal of the initiative is to conserve bighorn sheep populations by reducing the risk on the landscape by addressing pneumonia due to Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M.ovi) at its source. M.ovi is a bacterium that occurs in domestic sheep and goats worldwide. This bacteria lives in the nasal passages of domestic sheep and goats, who frequently carry the bacteria while having no symptoms of disease. Bighorns become infected with M.ovi through close contact (noseto-nose, or within coughing distance) M.ovi testing with domestic on a 4-H sheep sheep and goats, or other bighorns within a herd that have M.ovi. A single wandering bighorn sheep can carry the bacteria back to a herd of bighorns and spread the disease. Once in a herd, M.ovi causes devastating pneumonia resulting in death in up 80% of the herd within months. Ongoing herd loss continues as lambs are born each year and die after exposure to adult animals that survive and carry the bacteria. The Bighorn Sheep Health Outreach Program offers free, voluntary testing for domestic sheep and goats in high-risk areas for M.ovi. Tests are completed by swabbing an animal’s nasal passages with a sterile foam-tipped swab. These swabs are then sent to Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (WADDL) to be analyzed via PCR, which identifies DNA markers found in the swab to identify if M.ovi bacteria are present. The outreach program works with landowners on a case-by-case basis to develop biosecurity plans and implement precautions to reduce the risk of contact between bighorns and 50

Bighorn sheep herds in Idaho, Oregon and Washington domestics. In the event of a positive Dead bighorn from M.ovi animal being detected, precautions may include the use of double fencing, livestock guardian dogs, and/or rehoming the animal to an area outside of bighorn sheep habitat. The program is also able to work with owners interested in testing and removal of positive animals to achieve M.ovi-negative herds. Since its start in 2019, the program has successfully tested a combined 978 domestic sheep and goats. Approximately 34% of herds have had at least one positive animal in the group; herds that have breeding animals, or that have animals traveling such as for shows or breeding, are more likely to have M.ovi positive animals. On an individual basis, 13% of goats and 6% of sheep have tested positive for M.ovi, with higher incidence in young animals under a year of age, and in intact breeding males. In this region, most people with domestics have never heard of pneumonia in bighorn sheep, have 1-5 pet goats, and want to treat positive animals or vaccinate their herd to reduce the risk of disease. Since no vaccine exists and antibiotics effective against M.ovi are not approved for use in sheep and goats in the U.S., education and biosecurity are key to reducing risk to bighorns for the time being. WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

If you would like to be featured here in our “Brag Board” photo gallery, please send photos to Rich Mellon at [email protected]. Please also include the names of the people in the photos.

Steve Quisenberry bighorn sheep

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

Steve Quisenberry desert sheep

51

Brooklyn and a Yukon Grayling

Todd Kelly

52

Chris Rauch

Pierre Tessier

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

Emily Dauvin

Jessie and Brooklyn Midnight Sun Outfitters

James Elliot

er Dan Indenbosch - Octob sheep hunt in K Country

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA

53

Brent and Carter Adams

Brent and Colby Adams

Clinton Alm

Dwayne Morrell bighorn sheep

54

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION ALBERTA