CA FNAWS - California Wild Sheep Foundation

California
Wild Sheep
Wi n t e r 2 0 0 6
IN THIS ISSUE
President’s Message . . . . . . . 5
Eagle Crags Translocation . . . 6
One Tough Sheep/Goat Hunt 9
David Combs
Arizona Governor’s Tag Sheep Hunt
(See story on page 16)
British Columbia Trifecta . . . 12
Arizona Governor’s Tag
Sheep Hunt . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Mountain Goat Hunt . . . . . . 18
Western Hunting &
Conservation Expo . . . . . . . 20
Measure Up, Part One . . . . . 24
A Publication of the California Chapter of the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep
Nor-Ca l’ s Big Game Spe ci a lis t
6-Mon t h C omple t ion on Mo un ts
St ate-o f-t h e-Art Al ar m Sys tem
to Pro te c t Yo u r Trophie s!
Fre e Shi ppi ng Tag s
Ask about our trophy hunts and videography!
Eric G o u ld, Ow n er
18631 Lloyd L ane, Sui te D, Ande rs on, CA 96007
Sh op: 530-229-0775 • Ce l l: 530-510-9441
w w w. art is t ic w i ldli fe t a x ide r my.c om • E-M ai l: e r icgo uld@je t t.ne t
A r tistic Wi ldl i fe Ta x ide r my
Nor-Cal’ s Wild Sheep Specialist!
YOU CAN HELP!
The 5th Annual Fundraising Banquet of CA FNAWS will be held in Sacramento on May 5, 2007. This event
promises to be our best fundraiser ever. Indeed, we need that to be the case if we are to continue funding so
many of the projects that are so vital to our California wild mountain sheep.
That’s where YOU can make a difference!
Do you have a great wine collection? Perhaps you’ve recognized that you’ll never get to taste it all but don’t
want it to go to waste. How about donating a few bottles to our auction? Great wine has done very well at our
auction, so you’d not only get a nice tax deduction, but you’ll also help us put and keep sheep on the mountain.
Do you belong to a great duck club or lease a fine deer hunting property? How about donating a hunt for
one or two people? This is another item that is sure to raise good money for our projects.
What about that condo you have in Hawaii, Tahoe, Santa Fe, Palm Springs, or Mexico? Donate a week’s stay
and the sheep will be the beneficiaries!
For golfers, a round of golf at your private club for three or four people is always a great item!
Does your business offer a service or product that might be a hit with our membership? We’ve seen a variety
of things do well here, including things as varied as retail gift certificates to a custom cut side of prime beef
from a top meat market. Clearly, the options are endless here.
Also consider what you might donate to our Silent Auction. Most of us have some fine items in like-new
condition that would make great items for our Silent Auction. Consider what you have that might work well
here, then give us a call!
If you have questions, just call Kyle Meintzer at 925-659-0221 or Matt Burke at 408-871-7957.
CA FNAWS
2
Winter 2006
LIFE MEMBERS
Adams, Ralph E.
Ahart, Jack
Alegre, Daniel M.
Anderson, Terry B.
Atwood, Stanford
Atwood, Pamela
Avedissian, Armen
Barger, Ray D.
Barritt, John M.
Borel, Mike J.
Bright, Michael
Brisso, Paul A.
Burke, Matt C.
Butler, Richard
Campbell, Robert S. (Deceased)
Casey, Michael
Charkowicz, Edwin
Chittim, Michael S.
Colangelo, Joe
Combs, David
Cox, Frank D.
Diedrich, John M
Diedrich, Joe E.
Egan, Jim R.
Farrow, Brad
Ferguson, Danny B.
Fish, Kenneth D.
Fitzgerald, Jim R.
Fortune, Randy C.
Fox, Dan
Frazier, III, John C.
Gabriel, Md, Ronald S
Garzoli, Rick
Gordon, Ben
Goularte, Paul T.
Graham, Rogney
Hanna, David W
Hart, Douglas
Highfill, Robert L. (Life Member #3)
Holl, Doug
Hollister, Chip
Holworthy, J.Craig
Jacobson, Carl E.
Jesseman, Scott A.
Johns, Larry J.
Kerr, George C.
Kuflak, Butch
LaPorte, Charles
Lesicka, Leon M.
Liden, Raymond
Liming, Thomas
Manger, Robert
Manucso, Jr., Victor R.
Marshall, Robert C.
Martin, Jeff. F.
Massolo, Joseph
McCosker, Roger L.
McDrew, Richard M.
McNamara, Steven A.
Meintzer, Kyle M.
Mercier, Tim
Morgan, Bo
Mower, James C.
Musselman, Richard P.
Napierskie, Glenn (Deceased)
Pacini, Robert J.
Parish, S. Edward
Passanante, Jeffrey J.
Pierce, Richard J.
Pocapalia, Dan
Poole, William E.
Pritchard, Bill
Quinn, Blake
Ramsey-Casey, Deborah
Rutherford, Thomas B.
Saccone, Dennis J.
Saiers, Michael K.
Scott, Tammy
Scott, Brenton L.
Seeno, Jr., Albert D.
Sites, Dennis J.
Smith III, Dan (Life Member #1)
Smith Jr., Dan (Life Member #2)
Snider, Renee (Life Member #4)
Spiess, Arlo “Arnie” J.
Surprenant, Joe M.
Swanson, Dennis
Tadina, Gerald
Tilley, William H.
Tonkin, James H.
Wehausen, John D.
Weiss, Graham G.
Wingfield, Bret
Wiseley, Richard E.
Thank You for Being Life Members!
GET YOUR MESSAGE TO CALIFORNIA SHEEP HUNTERS
Advertise in the California Wild Sheep Qurterly Newsletter or on Our Website www.cafnaws.org
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CAFNAWS
423 Broadway #617, Millbrae, CA 94030-1905
(650) 697-6561 • [email protected]
CA FNAWS
3
Winter 2006
Board of Directors
Events
January 17-20
Hunting & Conservation
Expo/FNAWS National
Convention in Salt Lake City
January 24-27
SCI Hunting Convention in Reno
January 31
Deadline for WY Elk Hunt
Applications
February 4
Southern California Vice President
Ken Fish
Deadline for NM Oryx Hunt
Applications
February 13
Deadline for AZ Elk & Antelope
Hunts
Vice President, Operations
Kyle Meintzer
February 16
Deadline for UT Hunt Applications
Officers
President
Mike Borel
Northern California Vice President
Debi Ramsey-Casey
February 22-25 Grand Slam Club/Ovis
Convention in Tunica, MS
Secretary
Paul Brisso
Treasurer
Steve Boitano
Board of Directors
Steve Boitano
Jason Hairston
Mike Borel
Kyle Meintzer
Paul Brisso
Chip Mooneyham
Matt Burke
Rich Pierce
Debi Ramsey-Casey
Brenton Scott
David Combs
Dennis Swanson
Ken Fish
Graham Weiss
Jim Fitzgerald
Charlene Winkler
California Wild Sheep is published quarterly. Please submit all
articles and photos to the following address:
Mike Borel
CA FNAWS
272 Castle Crest Road
Alamo, CA 94507
Photos should be good-quality color or black & white prints
(not slides). Photo credits and captions should be written on
sticky notes and attached to the back of the print. If you want
diskettes/photos returned, include SASE. E-mail stories and
pictures to [email protected].
CA FNAWS
4
February 28
WY Drawing for Elk Tags
February 28
Deadline for WY Moose, Sheep &
Goat Hunt Applications
March 1
CA FNAWS Newsletter input due
March 10
NM Drawing for Oryx Tags
March 11
Deadline for NV Outfitter
Sponsored Non-Resident Tags
March 15
Deadline for MT General Deer &
Elk Applications
March 15
Deadline for WY Deer & Antelope
Hunt Applications
April 4
Deadline for CO Big Game Draw
Applications
Apriil 8
Deadline for NM Elk, Deer, Sheep,
Antelope & Ibex Hunt Applications
April 17
Deadline for NV Controlled Hunt
Applications
April 27
AZ Drawing for Elk & Antelope Tags
April 28
UT Drawing for Hunt Tags
April 30
Deadline ID Sheep, Moose & Goat
Hunts
May 1
Deadline for MT Sheep, Moose &
Goat Hunt Applications
May 5
CA FNAWS Banquet and Fundraiser
Winter 2006
President’s Message
Conventions, Sheep and Making a Difference
My focus for this letter is the upcoming National Conventions
(FNAWS/SFH/MDF and GSCO) and our CA FNAWS “Sheep
Camp” Annual Fundraiser May 5, 2007. I will also provide a
brief update on activities and status from the last three months.
We are making a difference! Wild Sheep populations and
quality are improving. Hunting Tags are increasing as a result,
and our membership is growing! Thanks especially to your
dedicated Board of Directors for their personal time and energy!
Welcome to new members of CA FNAWS!
There’s still some hunting to be done. I’m en route to New
Mexico for a “once in a lifetime” Bezoar Ibex hunt. I know
several others are still going for California Desert Bighorn and
for Coues deer in Arizona and Mexico. Naturally waterfowl
season is in full swing. Another season, soon to be here, is
“Convention Season.” I hope you’ll be making the trip to Salt
Lake City January 17 for the combined FNAWS, MDF and SFH
Convention. CA FNAWS has a booth and will be selling tickets for the Stone and Dall Sheep Drawings! Stop by
and fill us in on what you’ve been up to. Next up is SCI the following week starting January 24. This is the biggest
convention and lots of fun. Then starting February 22 is the Grand Slam/Ovis Convention in Tunica, Mississippi.
Next to hunting these Conventions are lots of fun and great opportunities to meet or reconnect with friends,
guides and outfitters. I plan to be at all three (my wife is groaning), and hope to see you at one or all.
The event you simply must have on your calendar starts May 5 in Sacramento – the CA FNAWS “Sheep Camp”
Annual Fundraiser. There will be raffles, auctions, seminars and great company! Check out the rest of the
newsletter for more information and the ticket order form. Note that “early bird” registrants will go into a free
raffle for “your choice of general raffle firearms or merchandise”! We’ll also have at least two Desert Bighorn tags
for sale, at least two Sheep hunts for raffle, quality guns, great hunts, super trips, informational seminars, and
more. Please come! Bring your spouse/significant other and your friends who are prospective members. I promise
it will be a good time!
Meanwhile, my door, phone line, e-mail and ears are open to receiving your ideas, feedback, suggestions and
offers to get involved! Help make CA FNAWS extraordinary – Recruit a new member, Volunteer, Donate, and
Help other Hunters.
Putting and Keeping Sheep on the Mountains,
Mike J. Borel
President, CA FNAWS
CA FNAWS
5
Winter 2006
EAGLE CRAGS TRANSLOCATION PROJECT COMPLETED
By Kyle M. Meintzer, V.P., Operations
Mojave National Preserve. Her transfer ended the
bureaucratic road block and allowed us to proceed.
After the three-year delay due to the bureaucrats at
the Mojave National Preserve, we finally got our Eagle
Crags desert bighorn sheep translocation project done!
Moreover, it went as well as we could have possibly
hoped for.
For a variety of reasons, this is the first bighorn sheep
translocation project that DFG has done in 14 years!
Now that we've broken the bureaucratic logjam, we
expect more translocation projects to follow as needed.
The project kicked off early Friday morning as we set
out to capture between 10 and 13 ewes for the translocation. DFG, as a separate project, was also hoping to
net an additional five ewes for collaring and release
back where they'd been captured. By late in the afternoon, we had thirteen ewes captured, tested, collared
and in the boxes, ready for transportation on Saturday
morning. (The net gunner bagged four ewes in one
shot, which must be a record of some sort. One was
already collared, so she was released from the net
immediately and set free.) One additional ewe was captured on Friday, then collared and released back at the
spot where she'd been netted.
As a result of our efforts and thanks to the financial
support of you, our members, 13 female desert bighorn
sheep now have a new home in the Eagle Crag Mountains in the Chinal Lake Naval Weapons Area. All were
captured, tested, collared, transported and released
safely and without a scratch.
Approximately 35 people helped at the capture area
and about 14 or so of them also assisted at the release
site. Arizona DFG sent two people with the transport
boxes, which were provided courtesy of the Arizona
Desert Bighorn Sheep Society. CA DFG had a full staff
of vets and biologists, and at our suggestion, also sent
their public information officer and a photographer.
The Base Commander from China Lake assisted, as did
his environmental assistant. Dennis Schramm, the new
Superintendent at the MNP was there, along with a
staff assistant. Hats from the Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep were prevalent throughout the
group.
On Saturday morning, the 13 ewes set off on the
truck for their new home, while the helicopter and
some of the crew stayed behind to see if they could
capture the remaining four sheep that would remain at
Old Dad Peak. Because the helicopter was needed at
the release site, however, there was only time to capture two more ewes for that area.
This project was entirely the result of CA FNAWS. We
provided all of the private funding for the project and
it was our bulldogged determination that led to the
transfer of the now 'former' superintendent at the
CA FNAWS
The release crew and the chopper arrived near the
release site by 11:30 Saturday morning. From there,
seven us us flew up the mountain to what Dr. Bleich
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Winter 2006
considered to be an ideal release spot. Then the six
boxes containing the 13 ewes were flown up as well,
one box at a time. After the last box arrived, we let
them settle down for about 30 minutes before releasing
them. On the count of three, the doors on all six boxes
were opened at the same time … and nothing happened! The sheep just stayed in their boxes. Finally,
after a good 30 seconds, the ewes began to realize that
they were free to go, then bolted for freedom … one,
two, or three at a time. Even then, Dr. Bleich had to literally reach inside two of the boxes to pull out three
sheep who seemed happy to stay just where they'd
been for 24 hours!
I've attached a few photos for your enjoyment.
Many, many more will be up on the CA FNAWS website shortly at www.cafnaws.org.
DFG will be doing a photo spread and story in Outdoor California, the Naval Base will feature it in their
newspaper, and DFG will send out a press release with
photos to newspapers throughout the state. The photographer from DFG and I will share our photo files so
that we have as many as possible to select from. I'll
then start writing an article for Huntin' Fool, at their
request. Look for a feature story on CA FNAWS and
this project in a Huntin' Fool issue early next year. Additionally, the San Diego Union-Tribune will be running a
story on this project in the next few days, and they've
also invited me to be a guest on their Sunday evening
radio show to talk about it!
This was, I believe, the second project we ever
approved. This sort of thing is the essence of why we
exist. Because it is so visual and dramatic, it will also be
a great publicity vehicle for us as we continue our drive
to recruit new members, reach out to hunters who
CA FNAWS
7
Winter 2006
have never hunted sheep, and market next May's banquet. This project, literally, is "putting sheep on the
mountain!”
for the most part, the results are very, very good! The
three new units that we are paying to survey will be
completed within the next two weeks as well. If the
results warrant, we will possibly see the opening of one
or two more hunting units for NEXT SEASON!
Thanks so much to all of you for your support in
making this happen!
Some additional news is that several of the hunt
zones have had their annual surveys completed, and
For the sheep!
LIFE MEMBERS FUND SIGNATURE PROJECT
By Kyle M. Meintzer, V.P., Operations
We are extremely pleased to announce that the
recently completed Eagle Crags translocation project
was fully funded by our Life Members’ Fund!
the outstanding performance of the underlying
investments, the Life Members’ Fund has experienced
significant appreciation in its relatively short history.
As a result, the Board recently voted unanimously to
use $10,000 of the fund’s investment gains to pay for
the expenses incurred in completing the critical Eagle
Crags translocation project. We chose to use the Life
Member’s fund for this project because we wanted to
honor those of you who have shown so much confidence in our mission by becoming Life Members! You
are the core of our support. Thanks to you, we are
prospering and growing. Funding the Eagle Crags
project from the gains on your Life Memberships is
our way of recognizing how much we appreciate and
value your support. Thank you all!
When we started your chapter, the Board of Directors elected to set up a separate account for life membership dues. We then chose to invest these funds
using a very conservative asset allocation model, with
60% allocated to fixed income and 40% allocated to
equities. Our intent was to protect the principal from
undue risk and volatility, while at the same time
allowing for reasonable growth on the assets. We
then invested these monies with one of America’s
premier mutual fund companies.
Thanks to both the discipline brought to the portfolio by the asset allocation model, combined with
CA FNAWS
8
Winter 2006
ONE TOUGH SHEEP/GOAT HUNT
HUNTING EASTERN (DAGESTAN) TUR
By Mike Borel
poverty stricken; and unemployment was very high. Each
town had large congregations of men “hanging out.” Being
a farm boy and still involved in agriculture, I was interested
to see older combine harvesters and baling machines. Both
were evidently in tight supply as it was common to see
stacks of hay and grain in the fields, awaiting the harvester
or baler. We also saw balers sitting stationary at a stack
while men pitched the hay in with forks.
We stopped at noon for lunch, which was outstanding barbequed lamb with just the right seasonings! Shortly
after lunch we made it to the village with the trailhead
where we met our Interpreter/Camp Manager - Sasha and
the three hunters just coming out. The three were all excited, two had nice trophies and one had worked hard, had
shots, but just didn't connect. He confessed that climbing
was a major challenge. One of the successful two had just
gotten his luggage the day before, but fortunately Safari
Outfitters borrowed a rifle for him, shared clothes and he
was already successful before his gear had arrived! As these
three were anxious to get to Baku for a hot shower, and
Rick and I were anxious to get to camp to hunt, we wasted
little time in getting our “non-essential” items stored and
the horses packed. The valley and mountains were spectacular! The only negative was the temperature, which must
have been close to 100°F. We figured it had to be better at
higher elevation. Our horses were mild mannered, and
although on the small side, more than up to the task of
carrying our gear and our bodies. The saddles were something to see and experience. One of my stirrups was a hand
made triangle and both were attached with baling twine!
No problem, that made them infinitely adjustable!!
We had to go through one military checkpoint early in
the horse trip. The route was magnificent. We crossed the
river 8-10 times, and we stopped to check our rifles' zeros;
before starting the real climb through and well above an
oak trees forest. We saw herders with goats and fat tailed
sheep. They all had large dogs to help herd and protect the
animals. They had their ears clipped while pups, so there
would be less sensitive “holding points” for wolves! One
took exception to our traveling near his herd and gave us a
serious tongue lashing. The mountains were very green
and covered in wild flowers! The trail up was heavily
switch backed and still part of it was too steep for the horses to negotiate with us mounted.
Camp was on a ridge top and consisted of a stone hut,
where Carbill did the cooking and serving, and several
small tents. Sasha showed us the “lay of the land,” and
escorted Rick and I to our own tents where we stowed our
gear. Part of the tour included the “relief station” which
I booked this hunt two years prior with Clark Jeffs of
Safari Outfitters. Several friends had done the hunt; all of
which said it was great, but steep and once was enough!
When I enthusiastically shared with others that I was
going to Azerbaijan to hunt Dagestan Tur this year, most
said - it's a gut buster! That only served to increase my
enthusiasm, and keep me swinging on my heavy pack and
ankle weights to do "the nearby hill" each morning!
June 23 was scheduled departure date and although
highly anticipated, like most lead ups to time “out of
touch” I ended up with 2 weeks of work to do in the 5
days prior! Fortunately, I got the critical stuff done and I
left on schedule. My flight was San Francisco to Frankfurt
and then Frankfurt to Baku, Azerbaijan. I met the other
hunter in the Frankfurt terminal - Rick Ullery from Casper,
WY. Rick and I arrived Baku late in the evening and were
met by Serus of Safari Outfitters, who effortlessly moved us
through passport control and customs. Elgar, interpreter
and local support person, met us after exiting the airport
and took us on an hour drive to a hotel in the city. It was
then midnight and after getting checked in, had until 7:30
to rest, get breakfast and be ready for the 5-hour drive to
the trailhead to camp. Elgar and a driver were early and we
started our trip.
The countryside is picturesque and “old world.” We saw
lots of cattle, goats and sheep as well as wheat ready to harvest and hay. The countryside was quite green; it having
been a good moisture year. Most of the cars were Lada
(Russian cars using old Fiat styling). The villages looked
CA FNAWS
Continued on page 10
9
Winter 2006
group we were trying to intercept had made their escape,
but we heard the unmistakable sound of head butting
down lower and still in the fog.
We took advantage of the fog cover and began to
descend toward the sound. The fog continued to clear, and
we found the group on the opposite slope. They were still
a considerable distance away, and in a difficult spot for us
to hide from. We did a lot of crawling, which is more challenging in steep country going downhill! Mustafa and Tally
were definitely excited about one ram who had bedded
apart from the herd. I kept trying to range him with my
new Leupold RX IV but he was in the shade and it wouldn't give me a reading. We got to a spot where there was no
where else to go without spooking the rams. We “estimated” the range at 400 yards. I've shot my Christensen
Browning A-Bolt 280 out to 550 yards and know just where
it hits at each range - so given a solid rest, I felt good about
making a 400-yard shot. I set up over my pack, settled in
and squeezed off a shot. That got the ram up, apparently
unscathed. Tally said high/higher, so I adjusted to shoot
lower and fired again as he moved off. Another miss (we
later determined that I thought Tally was giving me the
bullet strike, and he was giving me aiming instruction).
Just then another herd of rams, at least 30, which were
lower yet and we hadn't seen, got up and started high tailing it to the top. Mustafa and Tally directed me to them
and said shoot one. Naturally I asked "Which one?” but if
they answered, I didn't hear it. I scanned the herd and
found a scruffy old ram, I liked the looks of at the back of
the herd. I estimated the range at 500 yards and squeezed
another one off. This time I saw the hit which was low. By
now he is making serious tracks, but not as fast as his compadres. I shot for 550 yards and that was the right distance.
He immediately went end over end downhill. There was
lots of whooping and hollering by my guides! Arsiman
took off down hill at a gallop. I watched and thought he'd
certainly break his neck, but he didn't. He made it to the
bottom and headed uphill at nearly the same speed - these
guys are unbelievable! Yes he was 25 years old, but he was
also, obviously, accustomed to climbing and moving fast
in that steep terrain. The rest of us made our way over,
which took almost 30 minutes. It's now dusk, but we managed to get pictures taken and get him caped and
butchered. I was surprised that they wanted most of the
bones, so we packed out all but the back skin, legs and
about half of the guts!
It was 1:00 a.m. by the time we got to spike camp and I
was happy but way too tired to eat. We slept the night and
the next morning broke camp and headed for main camp.
We got there by mid-morning, and devoted our time to
finish the caping and doing the initial salting. Rick was out
hunting, so I now had some camp time. I set up the spotting scope and soon found a sow brown bear with cub
working over a hillside — pulling up rocks and eating
grubs and rodents. I watched her for three hours and
Continued from page 9
was on the point of the ridge, with a magnificent view in
three directions and a real toilet seat (set on rocks).
We had a couple hours of light left in the day, so we
each set up our spotting scopes and soon found herds of
tour on opposite slopes. This had to be a good sign! Carbill
treated us to a fine dinner. Fried chicken, cucumbers,
tomatoes, cheese, nuts and melon. I might add that the
chicken was FRESH. We brought several live chickens and
soon gave them all names - Miss Monday, Miss Tuesday,…You get the idea!
I got the nod to head out early the next morning with
tents to set up a spike camp and hunt from there for the
first few days. We made it to the planned campsite in two
hours, promptly dumped our camp stuff and headed to the
high country to glass. I had four persons with me —
Mustafa, Head Guide; Tally, Assistant Guide, Arsiman, and
Goofy. There were a few “hairy” spots, but mostly it was
just steep and long. I continued to be amazed at the
amount of green vegetation even at the tops! In short order
we spotted 4 rams bedded a couple miles away. Tally said
one was very big. They felt we had to hurry if we were to
get a chance at them. All four were wearing what I call
milking boots (rubber high tops, no laces) and they practically jogged up the mountain. I followed until almost completely spent. The wind shifted and the sheep became history. While climbing is hot work in high temps, resting with
a strong breeze will cool you down quickly. Layers were definitely an advantage and used! We continued to glass and
saw more sheep, mostly ram herds of 15-30, but we didn't
do anymore stalks that day. At dark we made our way back
to our spike camp, set up the tents and had dinner on a
rock. Tally, who spoke a little English, told me we would
start early the next day.
We took off in the dark AM without breakfast and went
up a drainage, which included narrow and steep ledges.
About 45 minutes into it, we spooked some rams who we
didn't see first and were down for water. We climbed further
and investigated, but that spooking seemed to spoil our
chances for that area near term. I was surprised by just how
spooky these Tur were. If they saw or smelled you, they put
more distance in between - no more questions asked. It was
clear that seeing them first and making a good, quiet stalk
out of sight would be key.
We went back to camp and had some breakfast. We then
headed out the other direction and did some serious climbing. Arsiman led the way and set a nice pace of distance
and rest (pushing me just bit on each climb). This was a
very pleasurable climb. I had no trouble getting all the way
to the top which we estimated at 12,000 ft. We knew there
were rams on the other side of the ridge top, but now that
we were close, fog rolled in and it started to rain. We hunkered down in a good area to glass (whenever the fog lifted)
and did our best to see what was there. We ended up being
socked in until mid afternoon, when visibility improved
somewhat, at least for the top part of the mountains. The
CA FNAWS
Continued on page 11
10
Winter 2006
Continued from page 12
thoroughly enjoyed it. I tried pictures through my spotting
scope, but based on the results I need to practice on that.
Rick was fogged in for that day and the next, but was
rewarded for his persistence on the evening of day four
with a dandy ram just at dark.
We had another day to finish work on his cape. Miss Friday, the last chicken, lost her head on Friday night. We
headed out first thing Saturday morning after a great Carbill breakfast. It was another beautiful day and trek out. A
camp runner had already taken our trophy skulls down the
mountain to the village to be boiled and prepped for travel
and customs clearance. When we got to the trailhead we
were reunited with our skull/horns which had been
processed very nicely (i.e. they didn't boil the horns, but
had cleaned the skull very well).
Now for the 5-hour drive to Baku. Much of the wheat
had been harvested while we were in the mountains, but
little else was different. We made it by 5 p.m. and since we
needed to head for the airport at 1 a.m. the next morning,
time was limited. The requisite shower was Priority 1. Then,
Sasha and I walked the downtown, which is much more
western than the villages, and I repacked my gear and trophy for the flight. Once again Serus was the man to get us
through formalities at the airport. He even managed to get
my seriously overweight duffle through without penalty!!
In summary, what a place and what a sheep species! I
Miss Friday
had a great trip. Safari Outfitters did a super job from
beginning to end. Clark Jeffs and Sasha Kiseljov, were both
major contributors to the trip. The camp staff and guides
were all excellent, and the mountains were absolutely
spectacular! While in camp waiting for the pack out I
wrote this little verse about the trip:
Dagestan Tur – The Goat-Sheep
CA FNAWS
In the Caucasus Mountains,
Near the Caspian Sea;
I sought a Goat-Sheep,
But was it to be?
I soaked all my clothes,
From the inside of course.
While he chewed his cud,
And felt no remorse.
I found him with comrades,
All rams like he;
And he knew the country,
Much better than me!
Finally an Elder,
Getting long in the tooth,
Signaled “Go ahead, Take me”
My alternative’s wooth” (he was congested).
It seemed he’d been training,
As I thought I had.
He doesn’t like bipeds,
It seemed we smelt bad!
He’s not the monster,
I’d hoped to collect;
But he’s old and he’s gnarly,
And soon would have wrecked.
I couldn’t help thinking,
He was teasing a bit,
When I’d get to “almost”,
And the mountain he’d quit.
There’s plenty left watching,
For the next hunting crews.
From the Caucasus Mountains,
That is all of the News.
11
Winter 2006
BRITISH COLUMBIA TRIFECTA
By Paul Brisso
or 2006. Since I already had a Yukon Dall sheep hunt
booked for 2005, I elected to delay the hunt until this
year. I had initially planned a September hunt, but
then a work commitment that arose early in the year
prompted a delay to the first of October, their last
hunting session. The Bradfords were extremely flexible
in rescheduling convenient dates.
It had been many years since I hunted anything bigger than my .270 could handle. Although I have a
beautiful wood stock custom-built .300 Winchester
magnum I have used for moose and grizzly, I also have
a .300 Winchester magnum Browning A-bolt I had won
as the very first Sponsor Rifle at the inaugural CA
FNAWS fundraiser banquet that had sat unused in my
gun safe.
Knowing it was likely that both the weather and
country were going to be tough on the rifle, I decided
to put a scope on my sponsor’s rifle and use the CA
FNAWS banquet rifle on the CA FNAWS auction hunt.
My highly successful mixed bag hunt in British
Columbia, Canada this fall was a California FNAWS
hunt all the way.
On most of my hunts to Alaska and Canada, I travel
alone. However, on this hunt I convinced a friend who
had hunted extensively in the lower 48 for elk and
mule deer, but had never experienced the Far North, to
come along.
The hunt had been purchased from Bradford Outfitters by member Dan Smith as a 10-day moose hunt,
and then generously donated by Dan as a 2005 CA
FNAWS auction hunt. The Bradfords allowed additional
animals to be taken on a trophy fee basis.
After flying commercial flights to Vancouver,
Smithers, and then Dease Lake, Miles Bradford then
flew us from Dease Lake to a base camp by an Otter.
(Unlike many outfitters, the Bradfords do their own flying, and there is no additional charter flight costs
added to the hunt cost once you arrive in Dease Lake.)
I was fortunate to harvest not only a moose, but also
a mountain goat and a mountain caribou on the 10day hunt out of Dease Lake. All three animals were
above-average trophies.
Actually, when I started bidding on the hunt, I was
just trying to be a good CA FNAWS Board member. I
had talked to the Bradfords a couple of times at national FNAWS conventions and had been impressed with
them, their operation, and references. I had come close
to booking a Stone sheep hunt with them, but never
convinced myself that I really needed another Stone
ram.
From the base camp, we rode horses with three
guides and spike-camped en route to another lake,
from which we would then be flown out. After traveling two days, we hunted the second evening and spotted both goats and a moose. The next day, I took off
for goat with two guides and my partner and the other
guide hunted moose.
The country was steep and rather nasty due to some
recent snow and ice, but the goats were fairly close. We
left camp about 9:00 a.m. and were back in camp by
about 4:00 p.m. with a nice billy. At about 9 and a half
inches, the horns are rather average, but the lateness of
the season made for a spectacular thick, heavy coat
that will make an impressive full mount.
The bidding seemed to be slowing at what I thought
was way too low for the hunt, so I bid a few times to
help boost the price. Satisfied that the price, although
still low, was at least reasonable, I decided the let the
other bidder purchase the hunt.
As the auctioneer was getting ready to drop the gavel
and sell the hunt, my wife jabbed me under the table,
and said “That’s a good price, bid again.” Not having
to be prompted twice, I bid once more and ended up
with the hunt.
My partner and his guide spent much of the day
sounding like a love-sick cow moose trying to lure a big
bull out of the brush. They got many glimpses of him
(and of the real cow that apparently made him reluctant to leave the cover) but never a clear shot, and
The hunt had been billed as an option of either 2005
CA FNAWS
12
Winter 2006
finally called it quits at dark.
bull below in heavy brush and were hoping he would
venture into an opening at about 300 yards.
The next day was another travel day, and one of the
most miserable of my hunting career. We had to climb
a mountain and then travel a high ridgeline for several
hours, leading the horses much of the way. It was
extremely windy and snowing, the snow being driven
horizontally. The left sides of our faces were numb and
the left side of the horses were coated with snow and
ice before we finally started to descend into the next
drainage.
After playing hide and seek for almost an hour, one
of the guides suddenly told my buddy, “Turn around
and shoot that bull behind you!” I turned around and
just saw antlers and long tines sky-lined at about 75
yards. While we were calling to the bull below us,
another had come in from behind. My partner took his
second animal, a Canadian moose that will push the
Boone and Crockett record book.
As we dropped lower and the wind and snow subsided, we suddenly had a close-range encounter with a
herd of mountain caribou that included an exceptional
herd bull. My partner went from misery to ecstasy in
about 45 seconds as he put his first Far North trophy
on the ground.
The next day we again traveled, ending at another
lake with a cabin from which we would be flown out.
The following day I hunted the drainages above the
lake, and took my third animal, an old bull moose
with very respectable antlers.
My friend and I ended with five exception trophies
in 10 days of hunting, and I do not doubt that my
partner also could have taken a goat had he so desired.
The Bradfords run a good operation in an obviously
game-rich area.
After camping in the valley that evening, the next
day we were climbing over to the next drainage when
we came upon another herd of caribou. Although not
as big as my partner’s bull of the previous day, the
herd bull was still above average. After a brief period of
indecision, I decided to take my second animal.
The area was initially hunted by George Daziel, one
of Canada’s pioneer outfitters. His daughter Sherry
married Miles Bradford, and the two operated the area
for many years until Sherry passed away this August
after a long illness. Miles Bradford is still active in the
operation, which is now run by his daughter and
son-in-law.
Late afternoon, after reaching the spot we were to
camp, one guide stayed to set up camp while the other
two guides took my partner and me out to look for
moose. We sat on a ridge top calling and got some
response down below. We caught glimpses of a good
49 persons have joined in the last quarter!
13 are Life Memberships!
Welcome New Members!
CA FNAWS
13
Winter 2006
CA FNAWS
14
Winter 2006
HOLY COW!
By Tammy Scott
Well, not exactly. The African Watusi is a species of
large cattle. My husband, Brenton Scott, purchased the
hunt for me at the FNAWS annual convention as a
birthday present. (He gives wonderful gifts!)
JC and Terri Short of Red Rock Ranch treated me
wonderfully. Home-cooked meals, comfortable lodging
and great companionship. JC and I went out looking
for the Watusi my first afternoon at the ranch. Even
though they’re a large animal, they can really hide. We
had much better luck when we went out the next
morning. One shot from my 7mm Remington Magnum with a Federal Premium 160 grain Nosler Partition
in the neck dropped the Watusi like a rock.
I brought home about 30 lbs. of tenderloins and
backstraps, and it is absolutely wonderful. I donated
the rest of the meat to local families in need of the protein. Next time I’d like to drive down and bring all of
the meat back and fill my freezer (as well as the freezers
of a few friends)!
to turkeys. Exotic species include Addax to Zebras and
just about everything in between. They are located in
Cotulla, Texas (about 1½ hour easy drive from San
Antonio). Check out their website at www.redrockranchtx.com or give them a call at 830-676-3303.
Red Rock Ranch has a large variety of both native
and exotic species available. Native species include deer
MORE WOMEN HUNTERS, SHOOTERS
Soutce: National Sporting Goods Association
firearms marketplace. Programs to introduce females
to the traditionally male sports deserve part of the
credit, as do more and more manufacturers designing
products especially for women.
GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS … A new survey by the National
Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) suggests amazing
growth in female participation in hunting and shooting. According to the survey, 72 percent more women
are hunting with firearms today than just five years
ago. And 50 percent more women are now target
shooting. Here’s a roundup of specific NSGA findings
on female participation from 2001 through 2005:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hunting with firearms, up 72 percent
Hunting with bow and arrow, up 176 percent
Overall (net) hunting, up 75 percent
Target shooting with rifle, up 53 percent
Target shooting with shotgun, up 16 percent
Target shooting with handgun, up 33 percent
Target shooting with air gun, up 55 percent
Overall (net) target shooting, up 50 percent
The NSGA survey suggests more than 3 million women
now hunt and over 5 million women now enjoy shooting. From a business perspective, women account for
roughly 15 percent of the shooting, hunting and
CA FNAWS
15
Winter 2006
ARIZONA GOVERNOR’S TAG SHEEP HUNT
AN ADVENTURE FROM “CAMP FOUR SEASONS”
By David Combs
In the morning we were up about 4:30 a.m for a light
breakfast and then out to the field for our hunt. We
spent many hours glassing the hills and mountains
looking for some high quality rams. Also many hours
hiking into canyons that were tucked out of sight. Did
we see any sheep? You betcha! Lots of them. Did I harvest a whopper? Not yet. We made about a 3-hour hike
on one ram and just could not get into position before
darkness set in. Then a long, long hike back to
Geofrey’s truck and a 1-hour drive back to camp. Sona
was with us all the way and kept up the pace. In fact
on most of the hike back she was in the lead with her
flashlight. On another day we spotted a superb ram. He
disappeared from our sight. We then hiked and
searched for five hours looking for him. Well, he outsmarted us and literally vanished.
I returned to Arizona in mid-November for a few
days of scouting on my own, as Geofrey is jammed up
for about one week. During Thanksgiving week Sona
and I are returning to “Camp Four Seasons” for another week of hunting. Sona and Dennis are already planning a Thanksgiving dinner in camp. We are having so
much fun I am glad this did not turn into a quick and
short hunt.
Sona and I went to Arizona in April to scout some of
the units available to me. We hired Geofrey Moss as
our guide. Geofrey is a dedicated young man that truly
lives and breathes Desert Sheep. He resides in Phoenix,
and this has allowed him to spend many days in the
field scouting for us. He even spent many long weekends scouting in the intense summer heat. He has emailed us many wonderful photos of sheep, as well as
other wildlife he has encountered, including a Desert
Tortoise and a Gila Monster. He’s also sent many spectacular photos of the scenery.
I should also mention that Geofrey’s brother, Tom,
was along as a photographer. His work is truly spectacular and he plans to put an album together of the
entire adventure after we have concluded the hunt.
Here is the second and final chapter of my Arizona
Desert Sheep hunt. The first outing was for four days of
hunting starting November 2 and ending November 5.
I wrote you all the details of this earlier. I returned to
the Arizona desert on Friday, November 17 for two
days of hunting and scouting. The guide, Geofrey
Moss, was helping a friend hunt Desert Sheep in Nevada. So a friend of mine, Tom Hermstad, came with me.
We did not camp, but stayed in a motel in Goodyear,
Arizona. We scouted the same area I had hunted the
week before, as well as some new areas in my hunting
units. Results, not that good without Geofrey Moss, but
it was also the opening weekend of deer season in the
desert. We saw numerous camps of deer hunters, along
with many campers, and motor homes. So probably all
the low-ranging sheep were spooked up to higher elevations. One afternoon we did observe three ewes, and
that was it.
In early November, we went for a four-day outing.
Geofrey’s father, Dennis set up the camp in a beautiful
and quiet desert canyon. We nicknamed it “Camp Four
Seasons,” as it was truly luxurious camping. Dennis is a
wonderful chef, and at the end of each day Sona
pitched in helping with the meal preparation. She had
brought fresh vegetables from her garden as well as
wild game and fish from our freezer. We also brought
some fine wines from our wine cellar. After a 14- to 15hour day in the field, we would return to camp and
Dennis would have opened a nice bottle of chilled
Chardonnay and laid out a spread of delicious hors
d’ouevres. He also had started a camp fire. He did this
as he saw our headlights in the distance. At our tent he
placed a kettle of warm water for washing up. What a
treat after a long day in the field. We would wash up,
change clothes, and sit around the campfire with a fine
glass of wine, enjoy some wild game hors d’ouevres
and share the stories of the day’s activities. This was
followed by a gourmet dinner prepared by Dennis with
Sona as his assistant.
CA FNAWS
My wife, Sona, and I made plans to return for more
serious hunting with Geofrey Moss on Thanksgiving
day. On the Wednesday before, Sona prepared a
16
Winter 2006
Thanksgiving dinner at home with
turkey and all the usual side dishes.
Her vision was to have Thanksgiving dinner in camp under the stars
and by a campfire. We were up very
early Thanksgiving morning and
hit the highway for a trip to our
camp. This camp was a few miles
east of our previous one, but still in
the Eagletail Mountains. The camp
was again set up by Geofrey’s
father, Denny.
During our drive, Geofrey called
me on my cell phone and indicated
that he may have spotted a great
ram that morning. So no stopping
for lunch for us. Pushing the speed
limit, we met Geofrey’s father, who
was accompanied by Allan Larson,
on a dirt road leading to the Eagletails. Allan is the owner of Indian
River Ranch Guides & Outfitters in
Smithers, British Columbia. He specializes in big game hunting for
Stone Sheep, Moose, Mountain
Caribou and Grizzly Bear. He volunteered to help us while on vacation from the cold winter in the
north. After hooking up with Allan
and Denny, Sona and I grabbed our
hunting gear and jumped into
Denny’s truck for a drive of a few
miles through the desert to meet
Geofrey. We all met Geofrey and
then had a short pow-wow as to
what was best to do. Sona, Geofrey,
Allan and myself headed out for a
hike across the desert floor leading
to a finger of the Eagletail Mountains. After hiking a mile or so we
got in a position where the group
of sheep could not see us. At that
point, Sona and Allan elected to
stay behind while Geofrey and I
started a serious stalk towards the
group of eight sheep. We took
advantage of small Palo Verde trees
and large boulders to remain out of
sight of the sheep. A few cautious
looks showed us that there were
three rams and five ewes. Two rams
were very respectable, with one of
the two appearing to really stand
out in quality. More careful stalking
and then in position for a shot
from 260 yards. The ram was ours!
Sona and Allan had crept in position where they could watch us.
Although the stalk seemed to take
minutes, Sona said Geofrey and I
had taken almost two hours to get
in position. We all gathered around
the fallen warrior, and spent much
time taking pictures and savoring
the hunt. Geofrey’s father and his
brother hiked up the hillside to join
us and give us help. Allan did a
great job caping the ram and recovering all edible meat. We hiked
back to the trucks as darkness was
falling. Back to camp for some well
earned toasts and our Thanksgiving
dinner.
In conclusion, I must say that
Geofrey Moss worked way beyond
the call of duty for us to find a
great ram. He started scouting in
April and continued non-stop
through the hot Arizona
summer months. He also enlisted
some friends to assist, including
Dwight Brunsvold and later
Dwight brought a friend Chris
Karnes along to help with the glassing and team work. Geofrey’s dad,
Denny, put together a camp fitting
of Abercrombie & Kent. Geofrey’s
brother, Tom, joined in to help
and take some wonderful photos
with his high tech camera gear.
The entire adventure was awesome,
and as Geofrey said at the end, “a
wonderful ride.” Seven wonderful
days of hunting and months of
excitement. Sona and I have discussed the hunt every evening since
the conclusion and are feeling some
sadness that it is over.
POLLING THE PUBLIC:
MOST AMERICANS SUPPORT HUNTING AND FISHING
A new nationwide survey of Americans 18 years old and older shows that a strong majority of Americans
support hunting and fishing.
The nationwide survey, conducted by Responsive Management of Harrisonburg, Virginia, found that
support for hunting and fishing has remained strong over the past decade with approximately every 3 out
of 4 Americans approving of legal hunting and more than 9 out of 10 approving of recreational fishing.
“We have been seeing public support for hunting increase in several states over the past decade where we
had data, but this is the first nationwide study where we could verify that public support has increased over
the past decade. In 1995, 73 percent of Americans approved of hunting, while in 2006, 78 percent approved
of hunting. Support for fishing nationwide, as well as in numerous states where we have conducted studies,
remains very high,” says Mark Damian Duda, Executive Director of Responsive Management. Although
approval of fishing has decreased slightly, dropping only 1.7 percentage points from 95 percent in 1995 to
93.3 percent in 2006, most Americans approve of recreational fishing.
CA FNAWS
17
Winter 2006
MOUNTAIN GOAT HUNT
By Matt Burke
hours to climb the 1,300 ft. elevation to get above the
brush line where we set up our spike camp (which I
would soon figure out).
After a quick breakfast, we packed our gear and eight
days worth of food, hoisted our packs and started up
the hill. I was anxious to start the hunt. While the
forecast predicted clear weather for the next few days,
the weather in coastal British Columbia can change on
a dime, and even in August precious hunting time can
be lost to fog or rain. Although the mystery of the 4hour ascent was soon solved, I was less than relieved to
know the answer. We spent the better part of the
morning alternated between bushwhacking through
waist high patches of berries and ferns, burrowing
through brushy trees (made even more challenging by
the bow strapped to my pack) and crossing rock chutes
swollen with snow melt. Although the foliage slowed
our progress, it provided the necessary handholds for
us to pull ourselves up the mountain. 4 sweat-filled
hours later, we made it to the top. After pitching camp
and replenishing our water supply from a large snow
patch above camp, we headed out the ridge to locate
the billy that we had spotted from the lake.
My involvement in California FNAWS was largely
driven by my interest in sheep and a desire to hunt
wild and untouched places. While this affiliation
allowed me to gain great insight into sheep hunting, I
elected to begin my mountain hunting career by pursuing the “poor man’s sheep,” mountain goat. This particular adventure started on August 18 as I left my San
Jose home for Terrace, British Columbia where I was
met at the airport by Mike “Spike” Lewis. Spike is the
co-owner of Bolen Lewis Trophy Guiding Co. I chose
Bolen Lewis based on their experience guiding
bowhunters, which is evidenced by the 100% shot
opportunity they have generated for their clients over
the years. The fact that the Pope & Young world record
was broken twice in the past year by goats which came
from the Terrace area didn’t hurt either!
We had only hiked a half mile when Spike peeked
over the ridge and spotted horns. The billy was 250
yards below us, surveying his domain. He was bedded
just over the lip of one of a series of benches that
unfolded beneath us, providing a great opportunity for
a stalk. As we dropped our packs and began to sneak
down the ridge, we had to freeze as the billy stood and
fed in our direction. The billy eventually fed out of
sight into a low spot below us, which allowed us to
sneak to the bench below us. This put us within 125
yards of our quarry.
When we arrived at Spike’s house, we were welcomed
with an incredible dinner of freshly caught salmon and
crab — a fitting last meal prior to a week’s worth of
dehydrated food. Following an evening spent checking
and rechecking our gear, we awoke early the next
morning, ate a hearty breakfast and headed into the
bush. We were flown into one of the many alpine lakes
which dot the region prior to beginning the arduous
climb into goat country. On the way in, our pilot
pointed out a mountain goat on the ridge above camp
which Spike thought deserved a better look. We hadn’t
even set foot in the hunting area and we were already
seeing game! Due to our late arrival into the lake, we
elected to wait until the next morning to head up the
mountain. That afternoon was spent alternately glassing for goats, making final gear checks and trying to
figure out why my guide thought it would take us 4
CA FNAWS
As we removed our boots to quiet our stalk and
began to sneak down to the next bench below, the
billy crested the ridge approximately 70 yards. We were
forced to freeze again until the billy fed out of sight
under the contour of the hill below us. The goat was
now within my effective shooting range of 40 yards. I
nervously inched forward to relocate the goat just as
our quarry appeared in front of us at less than 15
yards! Luckily, I had an arrow nocked and my bow was
in position in front of me. I tried to look as small as
possible behind my trusty Hoyt and slowly drew.
While I was sure the billy would catch the movement
and spook, he continued to walk toward us. Just as the
pin settled on the billy’s shoulder the arrow was on its
way – the 12-yard shot looked perfect! The billy stood
there for a moment confused by my form before
18
Winter 2006
hours since we left the spike camp and we were done.
Amazing! After taking dozens of photos, we caped,
quartered and boned out the goat and headed for our
spike camp where we spent the night. The next morning, we packed up camp and headed down the mountain. Despite our heavy packs, the steep hill was much
easier to navigate with gravity on our side. During the
descent, our trekking poles proved their worth as a fall
on the steep slope could have ended in disaster. Less
than one and a half hours later, we were back at the
main camp reliving the events of the previous day and
planning our next mountain adventure!
retreating down the ridge and out of sight.
After discussing the hit, we decided to move uphill to
relocate the goat. We had only traveled 50 yards before
spotting the goat. We were relieved that he had traveled less than 100 yards before bedding. Although it
appeared that he was down for good, I snuck in and
delivered a finishing arrow through the lungs. The last
thing I wanted was to test the legendary tenacity of the
mountain goat.
As Spike and I reveled in the moment, we both
thought to look at our watches. It hadn’t been two
THREE GREAT TAGS AT OUR BANQUET
CA FNAWS is extremely proud to inform you that we are the recipient of TWO of the most coveted Special
Tags that the State of California has to offer.
On May 5, 2007, at our 5th Annual Fundraising Banquet in Sacramento, we will be auctioning the following
tags:
* California Desert Bighorn Sheep Tag. This is the “second” California sheep tag. It only exists because of
the efforts of CA FNAWS. Due to our 2004 survey in the White Mountains, a new hunt zone opened to
the public for the 2005 season, and three tags became available in the draw. Under the formula mandated
by the California legislature, that triggered a second auction tag. CA FNAWS was awarded that tag and
generated $166,000 in revenue for the CA Bighorn Sheep fund as a result of selling this tag at its 2005 and
2006 fundraising banquets. In 2005, Butch Kuflak took a B&C ram at 13,000’ with this tag in the very unit
we were responsible for opening.
• Grizzly Island Tule Elk Tag. This is, without question, the premier Tule Elk tag anywhere. This is not a
physically challenging hunt, but the best Tule Elk anywhere live in this unit.
That the CA DFG has selected CA FNAWS to receive both of these tags is a tremendous vote of confidence
in the work we have done to put and keep sheep on the mountain. Despite the fact that we are by far the
youngest wildlife conservation organization in the state, no other organization was entrusted with two tags
like this! We truly put your conservation dollars into conservation and on the mountain! The professionals at
CA DFG have clearly recognized this by awarding us these two special permits
In addition to these two tags, we have also been notified by our friends at FNAWS HQ in Cody, WY that
we will once again have a Tiburon Island Desert Bighorn sheep permit for auction at our banquet!
CA FNAWS
19
Winter 2006
WESTERN HUNTING AND CONSERVATION EXPO NEARS
By Kyle Meintzer, V.P., Operations
addition, non-residents will be on equal footing with
Utah residents in the draws. You need not be present at
the drawings to win, but you will need to get your permit applications validated in person at the Hunt Expo.
The application cost is $5 for each hunt unit. So if you
apply for 50 hunt units, it would be $250 in application fees. Hunters who draw these permits will have a
legitimate shot to take an elk scoring 350” or better,
30” Mule deer, or even Boone and Crockett animals on
these permits. This draw does not replace the regular
Utah application system, so you’ll still want to apply
there as you always have.
As CA FNAWS learned recently in our battle with the
former management at the Mojave National Preserve, if
those who make decisions over federal lands and
wildlife management policies don’t want to take
action, they won’t. If they want to block efforts to
improve habitat and better manage wildlife, they will,
no matter how noble the cause and no matter how
critical such efforts might be.
But because we joined forces with other like-minded
organizations, CA FNAWS was able to win this battle
by educating key officials at the Department of the
Interior in Washington, DC as to the anti-wildlife attitude of the former manager at the MNP, resulting in
that individual being replaced with a more cooperative
manager. As a result of this banding together, vital
water restoration projects are now underway in the
desert, and our long-delayed transplant of desert
bighorn sheep from the MNP to the Eagle Crags mountains became a reality.
Utah public lands have produced an amazing sixteen
bull elk scoring near or above 400” in 2006! As there
will be 50 elk tags offered in the drawing to those who
attend the Expo, you’ll have a great chance to hunt
one of Utah’s great bull elk!
You can apply for the permits on-line right now! Just
go to the Hunt Expo website at www.huntexpo.com. to
buy your applications and to register for the convention. As all dedicated hunters know, the hardest part
about taking a great animal is getting the tag. Here’s
your chance to get that tag you’ve always dreamed of.
Banding Together For Wildlife and Hunters
On January 17-20, 2007, FNAWS will hold it’s annual
convention in Salt Lake City. Last year, of course, the
Mule Deer Foundation banded together with FNAWS at
the convention in Reno, creating the first such convention partnership of national wildlife organizations.
That convention was a tremendous success because of
this partnering. In 2007, even more wildlife organizations will be banding together with FNAWS at the
“Western Hunting and Conservation Expo.” Your
attendance at the Expo will allow you to become part
of a major and growing effort that is dedicated to getting hunters to band together in one unified voice to
protect big game hunting and champion wildlife habitat conservation.
Now for the best part: All money raised from the
application fees will be put right back into wildlife conservation and habitat! That’s right. Your application
fees won’t go to a corporate third party. They’ll go back
into habitat and wildlife conservation. This is the ultimate “Win, Win” for hunters!
550 Exhibitors, Jeff Foxworthy, Montgomery
Gentry, Auction Permits, Friends
At the Expo, you will be able to see over 550 exhibit
booths of the best hunting outfitters, and hunting
equipment found anywhere in the world. There will be
over 200 of the world’s best hunts sold at the auctions,
to include wild sheep, elk, moose, mountain goat,
bison, mule deer, African hunts, Asian sheep hunts,
and South American bird hunts.
200 Superior Quality Trophy Permits Available
at Expo
Finally, in what will be a world-class entertainment
evening, Jeff Foxworthy and country music sensation
Montgomery Gentry will be performing a concert Friday night in the Delta Center, just one block from the
Expo. 100% of your concert tickets dollars will go to
Wildlife Conservation thanks to the generous sponsors
of the event! For tickets to contact [email protected].
In an historic event, the State of Utah is offering 200
of its premier quality trophy permits for deer, elk,
bighorn, desert bighorn sheep, mountain goat, moose,
bison, antelope, cougar, bear, and wild turkey to those
who attend this Expo! You may apply once for each of
the hunt units offered. Everyone will be on equal footing in the drawings, as no one can apply more than
once for any permit and no point system will apply. In
CA FNAWS
20
Winter 2006
Salt Lake City, A Great Location
is also home to “The Greatest Snow on Earth,” with
several of the world’s best ski resorts just minutes away
from downtown Salt Lake City. Salt Lake is just a short
flight from anywhere in California. So book your reservations now and plan to enjoy the fun, take a chance
to win or buy a world-class hunt, and help ensure
hunting and wildlife for future generations!
The Expo is located in safe, beautiful down town Salt
Lake City. It’s just a seven-minute cab ride from the
SLC International Airport to the Salt Palace Convention Center. Six major hotels are located within walking distance of the Convention Center. Of course, Utah
TAKE CARE WITH UPGRADES!!!
The following appeal to and response from Tech Support
is from an anonymous source for your enjoyment and education.
Dear Tech Support:
You cannot go back to Girlfriend 7.0 as Wife 1.0 is
designed to block any attempts. PLEASE consult Wife
1.0 manual, Chapter 7 (Warnings), Section 9 (Alimony/Child Support).
Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0. I
soon noticed the new program contained the module
Baby 2.0 which unexpectedly began child processing.
This module requires significant space and valuable
resources.
We recommend you retain Wife 1.0 and work on
improving the situation.
In addition, Wife 1.0 installed itself into all other programs and now monitors all system activity. Applications such as Poker Night 10.3, Football 5.0, Hunting
and Fishing 7.5, and Racing 3.6 no longer run independently. When attempting to run the programs
outside of Wife 1.0, the system crashes.
The background application "Yes Dear" has proven to
be very helpful in alleviating software conflicts.
The best course of action is to enter the command
C:\APOLOGIZE, as ultimately you will have to give
the APOLOGIZE command before the system will
return to normal function. Please note the "Apologize"
command does not always take effect immediately.
How can I keep Wife 1.0 in the background while
running my favorite programs?
Wife 1.0 is a great program, but it tends to be very
high maintenance. If you haven't explored the full
benefits of Wife 1.0 we suggest you load the support
package which contains Clean and Sweep 3.0, Cook It
1.5 and Do Bills 4.2.
I'm thinking about going back to Girlfriend 7.0, but I
cannot find the uninstall module for Wife 1.0.
Please Help!
Thanks,
A Troubled User
Tech Support replied with this:
Be very careful how you use these support programs.
Improper use will cause the system to launch Nag 9.5.
Once this happens, the only way to improve the
performance of Wife 1.0 is to Purchase additional
software.
Dear Troubled User:
We recommend Flowers 2.1 and Diamonds 5.0!
What you are experiencing is a very common problem. Many users have upgraded from Girlfriend 7.0 to
Wife 1.0, thinking that it is just a Utilities and Entertainment program.
One final note:
---------------------------------------------------------------
IT IS NOT …
WARNING!!! DO NOT, under any circumstances,
install Secretary with Short Skirt 3.3. This application
is not supported by Wife 1.0 and will cause irreversible damage to the operating system.
Wife 1.0 is an OPERATING SYSTEM and designed by
its creator to run EVERYTHING!
Best of luck,
Tech Support
It is also impossible to delete Wife 1.0 and to return to
Girlfriend 7.0. Once the files are installed, they cannot be deleted.
CA FNAWS
21
Winter 2006
GRAND SLAM/OVIS SUES FNAWS
From “The Hunting Report” Online News Service
December 1, 2006, Volume 1, No. 3
just received the lawsuit and therefore could not
comment on it. However, he said it was regrettable in
his view that conservation funds were going to have to
be spent on lawyers. He said he believed terms such as
Grand Slam and World Slam were in the public domain,
and he felt sure the court would agree with him and
basically throw the case out.
A simmering conflict between Grand Slam/Ovis
(GSCO) and Foundation for North American Wild
Sheep/International Sheep Hunters Association
(FNAWS/ISHA) has burst into the open with GSCO’s filing of a federal lawsuit charging FNAWS and ISHA with
Trademark and Copyright Infringement, Breach of Contract and Tortious Interference with Business Expectancies and Relations.
At press time, GSCO’s Dennis Campbell was away on a
polar bear hunt and unavailable for comment. However,
his office sent us the following press release:
The meticulous, 24-page lawsuit was drawn up by a
major Intellectual Property Law Group in Seattle, Washington. It accuses FNAWS of wrongfully using copyrighted terms such as Grand Slam and World Slam, and
wrongfully publishing and maintaining harvest records
incorporating those terms. Moreover, GSCO claims that
FNAWS/ISHA have been violating an agreement the two
organizations signed in June 2005 relative to those
terms. It asks the court to immediately enjoin
FNAWS/ISHA from using the terms and goes on to ask
for treble damages and payment of legal costs.
Grand Slam Club/OVIS (GSCO) has filed a complaint
in Birmingham’s federal court against the Foundation
for North American Wild Sheep (FNAWS) and the International Sheep Hunters Association Foundation, Inc.
(ISHA). With this lawsuit, GSCO is trying to stop FNAWS
and ISHA’s unauthorized use of GSCO’s trademarks and
copyrights. GSCO has worked diligently to solve this dispute over the course of two years. The groups even
negotiated an agreement, and portions of it were printed
for their respective memberships in Grand Slam and
Wild Sheep magazines. Unfortunately, FNAWS and ISHA
have broken the agreement and have refused to stop
using GSCO’s trademarks and copyrights, leaving GSCO
no other alternative but to ask for relief through the
legal system. GSCO hopes this lawsuit will resolve fairly
to all parties, with FNAWS and ISHA agreeing to respect
GSCO’s intellectual property so that we may together
effectively serve the hunting community. – Don Causey
GSCO and FNAWS used to work closely together, of
course. But the two organizations went their separate
ways in 2003, issuing statements that papered over the
tensions that caused the break-up. For a while it
appeared that a truce would prevail between the two
organizations, with FNAWS focusing on North American
sheep hunting and GSCO focusing on international
sheep and goat hunting. Clearly, that truce is over now.
Reached at press time, FNAWS’ Ray Lee said he had
BIGHORN SHEEP FUND GETS RELIGION
By Kyle M. Meintzer, V.P., Operations
As we promised in previous issues of California Wild
Sheep, we have continued to monitor the Fish and
Game Commission’s spending habits regarding the
dedicated “Bighorn Sheep Fund.” This is the fund, of
course, that is funded by the sale of the two special
permits for California’s desert bighorn sheep. Your
chapter has not only sold the second of these permits
at each of our last two banquets, but is responsible for
the very existence of the second permit.
these funds are being spent, there has been a marked
improvement in their behavior. Spending for items
that are totally unrelated to the management of our
desert bighorn sheep has come to a screeching halt. It
now also appears that, going forward, these monies
will only be used as called for in the California Code.
We will, of course, continue to monitor the Bighorn
Sheep Fund and we will let the Fish and Game Commissioners know that we will be doing so. This is, of
course, a big win for CA FNAWS and for the dedicated
DFG sheep biologists and managers we work with for
the betterment of our wild mountain sheep.
We are very happy to inform you that our scrutiny of
these monies is having a positive effect on the spending of these funds! Now that they know that an outside
agency, CA FNAWS, is watching and monitoring how
CA FNAWS
22
Winter 2006
BACK-TO-BACK RAMS
By Robert Highfill
Last year while I was at the San Antonio Convention,
I booked a hunt with Ruby Range Outfitters, Yukon Territory, Canada. I was very fortunate to already have
taken a heavy broomed 11-year-old ram. So I decided to
go back again this year with Ruby Range Outfitters. I
was very lucky to have taken another heavy 11-year-old
ram.
There are a lot of sheep in their area. One day, I saw a
total of 28 rams with at least six or seven shooters. My
guide, Andre, did a fantastic job in spotting sheep and
got me within range of the ram in this picture. All the
accommodations, food, horses and camp facilities were
excellent. If you are looking for a quality sheep hunt, I
would highly recommend Ruby Range Outfitters.
I would like to extend my appreciation to Ryan Leef
and his staff for making my last two dall sheep hunts
an experience I will never forget.
GUZZLER REPAIR REPORT
November 17-20, 2006
Mojave National Preserve; Landfair Valley, Grotto Hills
By Cliff McDonald
Several volunteers could only stay until Saturday
night or Sunday morning and had to return home, so
this left us with six guys to finish guzzler B-61. It is a
little tough with only six guys, but Gary Thomas and
Joe Steinmetz were already on the guzzler chipping off
the tar by 6:30 a.m. Sunday morning. I arrived around
8:00 a.m. with three more volunteers, and by 12:30 we
were finished with the first coat of Merlex and headed
back to camp. We went back to B-61 around 3:00 p.m.
and applied the second coat of Merlex. The crew filled
each guzzler to capacity with water, plus each one
received a tortoise ramp.
We had 19 guys at this project. Friday morning when
I showed up at the camp site around 10:30 a.m., I was
informed by Jerry McDonnell, owner of the 40 acres,
that we already had three volunteers working on the B58 guzzler. I turned the trailer around and headed for
the work site. When I arrived, Bud, Dick, and Stan were
chipping away at the tar that covered the guzzler. We
unloaded the power tools, and by 2:00 p.m. we had
about half of the guzzler mortared and headed back to
the camp site.
The volunteers started to show up Friday evening,
and by the next morning we had enough for two
crews. Gary Thomas took a crew to guzzler B-55 and I
took a crew back to B-58. By noon we had both guzzlers mortared and had applied one coat of Merlex.
When we arrived back at the camp site, two trucks
showed up from Needles with 350 gals of water to
replenish what we had used and then dumped the rest
into the local guzzlers. Around 2:30 p.m., we headed
back out to apply the second coat of Merlex.
CA FNAWS
Thanks goes out to all the volunteers, and a special
thanks to Jerry and Neal for allowing us to camp on
their property. The camp site was fantastic — level,
plenty of room and easy access. Thanks to Nick for the
hunting gear he donated, which was given away to the
volunteers on Saturday night.
Another session is occurring December 8-10, and the
next will be sometime towards the end of March or
first of April 2007.
23
Winter 2006
MEASURING UP
PART ONE OF A TWO-PART SERIES
Lance Gatlin – B&C, P&Y Official Measurer
Tammy Scott - SCI Master Measurer
In this article we are going to try to answer the questions you were afraid to ask, didn’t want to look stupid
asking or just give you a refresher course on scoring
wild sheep, goats, ibex, markhor and feral goats. We
have all heard of a 180-point ram, but what does that
number really mean? How did the ram get that number? How “big” does a mountain goat have to be to
make book? Can a nanny score higher than a billy?
Keep reading and you’ll learn how these animals get
their score.
below top 10 are not required to be certified nor
require any drying period. The trophy may be measured by any SCI Official Measurer.
There are three scoring systems that are the most
popular/common: the Safari Club International (SCI)
measuring system, Boone and Crockett (B&C) scoring
system, and for the archers, there is also the Pope and
Young (P&Y) scoring system.
The Boone and Crockett Club (B&C) was founded in
1887 by Theodore Roosevelt and a group of his close
friends. The concept of “Fair Chase” was introduced in
the Bylaws of the Club and is still set in stone to this
day. In contrast to SCI, B&C only accepts native trophies taken in North America, and again under Fair
Chase conditions. One exception is that B&C does
accept governmental agencies to submit entries that
may have been taken under non-Fair Chase conditions
(i.e. roadkills, poaching, etc.). B&C also accepts trophies taken with any legal hunting equipment that
meets their minimum score, as well as picked up or
found trophies.
Measurements are to be taken with a steel cable or
flexible 1/4-inch (quarter inch) steel measuring tape.
Most measurements must be in inches to the nearest
1/8 (eighth) of an inch. Skulls and a few select other
animals are measured to the nearest 1/16 (sixteenth) of
an inch. All measurements are added up for a total
score and no deductions are taken.
Because each scoring system is in such detail, this
article will be a two-part series. Series one will cover
wild sheep and series two will cover goats, ibex, markhor and feral goats. Reviewing the score sheets while
reading the instructions will help the reader make
sense of how the horns are scored. These score sheets
can be found on each organizations website in pdf formats. They are available for downloading and personal
use; however they are copyrighted and offer no official
documentation of the trophy. The contact information
for all three organizations is at the end of this article.
There is only one type of measurer for the Boone &
Crockett Club and that individual may score any and
all trophies with the tally being official. There is a
mandatory 60-day drying period for all trophies.
Before we get into the particulars of scoring a critter
under each of the individual systems, let us give you a
little foundation on the history and differences of these
organizations.
Measurements again are taken with a steel cable or
flexible 1/4-inch (quarter inch) steel measuring tape.
Measurements must be in inches to the nearest 1/8
(eighth) of an inch. Skulls are measured to the nearest
1/16 (sixteenth) of an inch. All measurements are
added up for a “gross” score with deductions from nonsymmetry being deducted for a total “net” score.
The Safari Club International (SCI) measuring system
was initially developed by C. J. McElroy in 1977 for use
in the SCI Record Book of Trophy Animals and the various awards programs. Although a number of changes
have been made since then, it remains a consistent,
universal system under which similar trophies from all
parts of the world, native and non-native alike, are
measured and scored in the same way.
The Pope and Young Club (P&Y), officially founded
in 1961, is named in honor of pioneer bowhunters Dr.
Saxton Pope and Arthur Young whose exploits during
the early part of the 20th century drew national attention to this “forgotten” and challenging form of hunting. The Pope and Young Club began in 1957 as a part
of the National Field Archery Association’s Hunting
Activities Committee out of a need to improve the
image of bowhunting. P&Y has its own scoring system, although it mirrors that of the B&C Club.
There are two levels of SCI measurers: Official Measurer and Master Measurer. Only a Master Measurer
may certify a top 10 entry or one that is nominated for
a Major Award. All new entries that rank in the top 10
of a Record Book category and all entries nominated
for a Major Award must be certified, which means they
must be measured by a Master Measurer 60 days or
more after the animal was harvested. Animals that rank
CA FNAWS
The P&Y Club obtained permission from the B&C
Club to use their copyrighted system to serve as the
24
Winter 2006
basis for their measuring system. Essentially the two
are identical with only some subtle differences. The
main differences are that the P&Y Club only accepts
trophies that are taken by a hunter with a bow and
arrow that meet the organization’s equipment standards and that the minimum scores are much lower.
Other differences are mainly between categories of deer
and elk entries, boundary lines, velvet antlers, etc., and
are for another article.
beginning at the base, mark both horns with a pencil
at these same distances (the shorter horn must be
marked at the same distances from its base as the
longer horn). Measure the circumference of each horn
at these three marks, using a tight tape in a continuous
loop at a right angle to the axis of the horn. If a
growth ring or other depression occurs at one of the
quarters, it is permissible to avoid it by taking the measurement further toward the tip (but not toward the
base). (Note: If the shorter horn is broken off very
short, the third quarter mark may fall beyond its broken end, making the measurement C3 impossible to
obtain.)
The 60-day drying period, measuring tools and techniques remain the same, as well as the deduction for
non-symmetry subtracted in the official score.
With that, let’s go scoring. At the end we’ll give you
some real numbers to better emphasize the correlation
of one animal to all three scoring systems.
Total Score
Add all measurements together, recording fractions
in 1/8 of an inch.
SAFARI CLUB INTERNATIONAL (SCI)
MEASURING SYSTEM
No deductions are taken.
Wild Sheep, Aoudad, Bharal and Eastern Tur
(Method 11)
THE BOONE AND CROCKETT SCORING
SYSTEM AND THE POPE AND YOUNG
SCORING SYSTEM FOR ARCHERY KILLS
Length of Horn
North American Wild Sheep
The length of each horn is measured on its outer
curve. With most sheep, the line of measurement is on
the front of the horn fairly close to the frontal-orbital
edge (or ridge), which is one that begins on the forehead. Measure from the lowest point at the base of the
horn to the tip, following the hair-like grain of the
horn material. Do not deviate from the direction of the
grain; it must be followed carefully the full length of
the measurement. Keep the cable or tape tight; do not
press it down into depressions.
The Greatest Spread is measured between perpendiculars at a right angle to the centerline of the skull.
B. Tip to Tip Spread is measured between the tips of
the horns.
C. Length of Horn is measured from the lowest point
in front on outer curve to a point in line with tip. The
tape is not pressed into depressions. The low point of
the outer curve of the horn is considered to be the low
point of the frontal portion of the horn, situated above
and slightly medial to the eye socket (not the outside
edge). A straight edge is used, perpendicular to horn
axis, to end measurement on “broomed” horns.
Circumference of Horn at the Base (Measurement 2B)
Measure the circumference of each horn at its base,
or as close to the base (or hairline) as possible while
holding the tape tightly in a continuous loop and
keeping it above any scallops or malformations. Keep
the tape on horn material at all times — not on bone,
hair or air space. The measurement should be at the
same angle as the base of the horn; it need not be at a
right angle. Do not press the tape down into depressions. Do not “walk” the tape around the edge of an
irregularly shaped base.
D-1. Circumference of Base is measured at a right
angle to axis of horn. The irregular edge of the horn is
not followed; the line of measurement must be entirely
on horn material.
Circumference of Horn at the Quarters (Measurement
C1-C3)
D-2-3-4. Divide measurement C of longer horn by
four. Starting at base, both horns are marked at these
quarters (even though the other horn is shorter) and
measurer circumferences at these marks, with measurements taken at right angles to horn axis.
Measure the circumferences of each horn at 1/4, 1/2
and 3/4 the distance from the base to the tip, based on
the length of the longer horn. First, divide the length
of the longer horn (measurement 1) by four. Then,
CA FNAWS
25
Winter 2006
The spread measurements are only taken for supplemental data and do not contribute to the score of the
trophy. The right and left horn measurements are
added together for a subtotal. Then the difference
between the right and left horns is subtracted from the
subtotal for the final Boone and Crockett score.
material may not be estimated nor allowed for. If the
trophy has been repaired, only the original horn from
that animal may be measured, and then only when in
its original state or acceptably put back together so as
not to increase any measurement. Any material that
has been added to the trophy must not be measured.
If you’ll remember, we started this article by asking
what a 180-point ram was. Now that you can see how
and where the measurements are taken, let’s consider
the numbers below for a Rocky Mountain Bighorn
Sheep:
Skulls of animals are often sawn or otherwise split in
two to facilitate transportation, then rejoined by the
taxidermist. Split and rejoined skulls are often not
accepted into record books. If they are accepted, they
are not accepted as certified entries.
Right
Horn
Left
Horn
Difference
Length
36 0/8
36 4/8
0*
Base
16 2/8
16 0/8
2/8
1st 1/4
15 2/8
15 2/8
0
2nd 1/4
12 3/8
12 0/8
3/8
3rd 1/4
10 4/8
10 4/8
0
Total
90 3/8
90 2/8
5/8
When submitting entries, be sure to include photos
of the animal, both side and front views as well as top
views of skulls.
This article covers wild sheep while article two will
cover goats, ibex, markhor and feral goats. There are
other measuring/scoring systems for the other huntable
species around the world. Please check with the organizations you are interested in. Also, occasionally measuring/scoring systems are modified or updated. Check
with those organizations for the most current data.
If you have an animal you’d like scored contact
the following organizations to find a measurer in
your area:
* There is no difference documented on horn length
for sheep species, as broomed horns are considered
desirable in a mature trophy.
Safari Club International
4800 West Gates Pass Road, Tucson, Arizona 85745
Telephone: (520) 620-1220
Website: www.safariclub.org
Under SCI’s scoring system, the above ram would
officially score 180 5/8, meeting the minimum score of
155.
Under B&C’s scoring system, the above ram would
“gross” 180 5/8 and officially “net” score 180 0/8 after
deductions, meeting the all-time minimum score of
180.
Boone and Crockett Club
250 Station Drive, Missoula, Montana 59801
Telephone: (406) 542-1888
Website: www.boone-crockett.org
Under P&Y’s scoring system, and if taken with
archery equipment, the above ram would “gross” 180
5/8 and officially “net” score 180 0/8 after deductions,
meeting the all-time minimum score of 140.
Pope and Young Club
Box 548, Chatfield, Minnesota 55923
Telephone: (507) 867-4144
Website: www.pope-young.org
With all scoring systems, measurers may only
measure what is original, existing horn. Missing
CA FNAWS “Sheep Camp” Banquet-Fundraiser
May 5, 2007
Radisson Hotel
500 Leisure Lane • Sacramento
Get Your Tickets Early! See Page 29
CA FNAWS
26
Winter 2006
RECENT LITERATURE RELATED TO DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP
(Reported originally in Bleats and Blats from the Desert Bighorn Council)
Liu, W., K. A. Brayton, J. Lagerquist, W. J. Foreyt,
and S. Srikumaran. 2006. Cloning and comparison
of bighorn sheep CD18 with that of domestic sheep,
goats, cattle, humans and mice. Veterinary
Immunology and Immunopathology 110:11-16.
to have conserved a genetic signal that confirms past
hybridization of O. dalli and O. canadensis.
Pelletier, F. and M. Festa-Bianchet. 2006. Sexual
selection and social rank in bighorn rams. Animal
Behaviour 71:649-655.
Abstract: Previously, we have shown that CD 18, the
beta-subunit of beta(2)-integrins, serves as a receptor
for leukotoxin (Lkt) secreted by Mannheimia
(Pasteurella) haemolytica on bovine leukocytes. AntiCD18 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) inhibit Lktinduced cytolysis of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)
leukocytes suggesting that CD18 may serve as a receptor for Lkt on the leukocytes of this species as well.
Confirmation of bighorn sheep CD18 as a receptor for
Lkt, and elucidation of the enhanced Lkt-susceptibility
of bighorn sheep polymorphonuclear leukocytes
(PMNs), necessitates the cloning and sequencing of
cDNA encoding bighorn sheep CD18. Hence, in this
study we cloned and sequenced the cDNA encoding
CD 18 of bighorn sheep, and compared with that of
other animal species. The cDNA of bighorn sheep CD
18 has an open reading frame (ORF) of 2310 bp. CD18
sequences obtained individually from peripheral blood
mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and PMNs were identical
to each other. Comparison of the deduced 770-amino
acid sequence of CD18 of bighorn sheep with that of
domestic sheep, goats, cattle, humans and mice
revealed 99, 98, 95, 82 and 80% identity, respectively.
Availability of cloned bighorn sheep CD18 cDNA
should allow the molecular characterization of M.
haemolytica Lkt-receptor interactions in bighorn sheep
and other ruminants that are susceptible to this disease.
Abstract: For many ungulates, male reproductive success increases with social rank. Because rank is established through contests, it should be correlated with
individual mass and select for high sexual dimorphism
in body mass. It is difficult to weigh free-ranging ungulates, however, so empirical data on the relation
between mass and social rank are scarce. We monitored individual mass and social rank of marked
bighorn rams, Ovis canadensis, at Sheep River, Alberta,
Canada over 5 years. Each year, rams were organized
in a linear hierarchy. Social rank increased with age,
and rank in one year was a good predictor of rank in
the next year. The stability of dyadic relationships
increased with the difference in age of individuals in
the dyad but decreased as rams aged. Until about 6
years of age, the positive effects of age and individual
mass on social rank were indistinguishable, because
rams gained mass each year. The relation between
body mass and social rank strengthened with age,
probably because, after the heavier rams attain their
lifetime asymptotic weight, they can challenge older
conspecifics. In mature bighorn rams, social rank is a
major determinant of reproductive success. By providing evidence that mass is an important determinant of
rank, our study supports the contention that sexual
selection leads to high sexual dimorphism in this
species.
Loehr, J., K. Worley, A. Grapputo, J. Carey, A Veitch,
and D. W. Coltman. 2006. Evidence for cryptic
glacial refugia from North American mountain
sheep mitochondrial DNA. Journal of Evolutionary
Biology 19:419-430.
Schoelkopf, L., C. E. Hutchison, K. G. Bendele, W. L.
Goff, M. Willette, J. M. Rasmussen, and P. J. Holman. 2005. New ruminant hosts and wider geographic range identified for Babesia odocoilei (Emerson and Wright 1970). Journal of Wildlife Diseases
41:683-690.
Abstract: The separation of populations by ice sheets
into large refugia can account for much of the genetic
diversity found in present day populations. The evolutionary implications of small glacial refugia have not
been as thoroughly explored. To examine refugial origins of North American mountain sheep Ovis spp., we
analyzed a 604 bp portion of the mitochondrial DNA
(mtDNA) control region from 223 O. dalli and O.
canadensis. Major refugia were identified in eastern
Beringia and southern North America, and we found
evidence for two smaller refugia situated between the
Laurentide and Cordilleran glaciers. Our results are the
first to demonstrate support for survival of any organism in the latter two refugia. These refugia also appear
CA FNAWS
Abstract: Babesia odocoilei was found to infect two previously unknown host species, desert bighorn sheep
(Ovis canadensis nelsoni) and musk oxen (Ovibos
moschatus), both of which are members of the family
Bovidae. Previously, B. odocoilei has been reported in
only Cervidae hosts. New geographic regions where B.
odocoilei infections have not been reported previously
include Pennsylvania and New York, where fatal
babesiosis has occurred in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus
tarandus); New Hampshire, where elk (Cervus elaphus
canadensis) have been affected; and California, home
Continued on page 28
27
Winter 2006
the other isolates, suggesting distinct phylogenetic
lines. All of the isolates had similar antimicrobial profiles, but the isolates from the bighorn sheep produced
less pigment than those from the domestic livestock,
and growth of the former was not enhanced by CO2.
Wildlife biologists and diagnosticians should be aware
of the potential of these organisms to cause disease in
bighorn sheep and of growth characteristics that may
hinder laboratory detection.
Continued from page 27
of the infected desert bighorn sheep. Infection with B.
odocoilei in these hosts was confirmed by parasite small
subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequence analysis. A serosurvey for B. odocoilei antibody activity in New Hampshire showed prevalence rates of 100% at two elk farms
and 12% at another farm. Control of potential vector
ticks, Ixodes scapidaris, especially when translocating
livestock, is imperative to prevent out breaks of
babesiosis in managed herds of potential host species.
Wilson A. J., L. E. B. Kruuk, and D. W. Coltman.
2005. Ontogenetic patterns in heritable variation for
body size: Using random regression models in a
wild ungulate population. American Naturalist
166:E177-E192.
Ward, A. C. S., G. C. Weiser, B. C. Anderson, P. J.
Cummings, K. F. Arnold. and L. B. Corbeil. 2006.
Haemophilus somnus (Histophilus somni) in bighorn
sheep. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research
70:34-42.
Abstract: Body size is an important determinant of fitness in many organisms. While size will typically
change over the lifetime of an individual, heritable
components of phenotypic variance may also show
ontogenetic variation. We estimated genetic (additive
and maternal) and environmental covariance structures
for a size trait (June weight) measured over the first 5
years of life in a natural population of bighorn sheep
Ovis canadensis. We also assessed the utility of random
regression models for estimating these structures. Additive genetic variance was found for June weight, with
heritability increasing over ontogeny because of declining environmental variance. This pattern, mirrored at
the phenotypic level, likely reflects viability selection
acting on early size traits. Maternal genetic effects were
significant at ages 0 and 1, having important evolutionary implications for early weight, but declined with
age being negligible by age 2. Strong positive genetic
correlations between age-specific traits suggest that
selection on June weight at any age will likely induce
positively correlated responses across ontogeny. Random regression modeling yielded similar results to
traditional methods. However, by facilitating more
efficient data use where phenotypic sampling is
incomplete, random regression should allow better
estimation of genetic covariances for size and growth
traits in natural populations.
Abstract: Respiratory disease and poor lamb recruitment
have been identified as limiting factors for bighornsheep populations. Haemophilus somnus (recently reclassified as Histophilus somni) is associated with respiratory
disease in American bison, domestic sheep, and cattle.
It is also harbored in their reproductive tracts and has
been associated with reproductive failure in domestic
sheep and cattle. Therefore, reproductive tract and lung
samples from bighorn sheep were evaluated for the
presence of this organism. Organisms identified as H.
somnus were isolated from 6 of 62 vaginal but none of
12 preputial swab samples. Antigen specific to H. somnus was detected by immunohistochemical study in 4
of 12 formalin-fixed lung tissue samples of bighorn
sheep that died with evidence of pneumonia. Notably,
H. somnus was found in alveolar debris in areas of
inflammation. The 6 vaginal isolates and 2 H. somnus
isolates previously cultured from pneumonic lungs of
bighorn sheep were compared with 3 representative
isolates from domestic sheep and 2 from cattle. The
profiles of major outer membrane proteins and antigens for all of the isolates were predominantly similar,
although differences that may be associated with the
host-parasite relationship and virulence were detected.
The DNA restriction fragment length profiles of the
bighorn-sheep isolates had similarities not shared with
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