ca wsf newsletter - California Wild Sheep Foundation

Transcription

California
Wild Sheep
Summer 2012
IN THIS ISSUE
From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Patience, Perseverance, and
a Little Bit of Magic . . . . . . . . . . 6
A Beginner’s Tale . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Solar Energy and Bighorn
Sheep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
California Wild Sheep
Bob Totah
Desert Bighorn
Marble/Clipper Mountains
January 2012
Dry Creek Outfitters
Summit XI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2012 Fundraiser Photos . . . . . . . 18
California King an
“Old Warrior” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Photos from the Field . . . . . . . . . 26
Once-In-A-Lifetime Tag •
Once-In-A-Lifetime Adventure •
Once-In-A-Lifetime Shot . . . . . . . 30
A Publication of the California Chapter Wild Sheep Foundation
CA WSF
2
Summer 2012
From the Editor’s Desk
Our annual fundraiser is now history, state tag drawings are nearing an
end, southern hemisphere hunts are underway, the California applications are in, and anticipation for this Fall is heating up! I’ve managed to
do one goat hunt so far this year – Pyrenean Chamois in Spain – wonderful, I recommend it!
I’d like to particularly draw your attention in this issue to:
• Some great hunt stories from California!
• Photos from the 2012 fundraiser
• Recap on the Sheep Summit
• Lucky members who drew great tags
• 2012 Oldest and Biggest Ram by a Member – See photo of John Berens
in Photos from the 2012 Fundraiser
And, as usual, much more.
I am always looking for new material of interest to members. Email, call or write! Input due date for the 3Q12 issue is
August 20. We are also looking for a successor editor – I’m overcommitted and need to pass this “labor of love” on to
someone else (it’s fun and a great chance to delight your fellow members). If you are even remotely interested, call Ken
Fish or Mike Borel to discuss. Please also try to get someone new out in the field or to the shooting range.
Mike J. Borel
CA WSF Newsletter Editor
[email protected]
925-937-4180
ADDITIONAL DONORS WHO SUPPORT CA WSF
AND DESERVE OUR SUPPORT
Summer 2012
3
CA WSF
Board of Directors
Events
2012
Officers
President
Ken D. Fish (2012)
Northern California Vice President
Mike J. Borel (2012)
Southern California Vice President
Donald C. Martin (2013)
Vice President, Operations
Kyle Meintzer (2013)
Secretary
Paul A. Brisso (2013)
Board of Directors
Roger L. McCosker (2012)
John F. Cavin (2012)
Dwight Ortmann (2013)
Ken Crother (2013)
Brenton Scott (2012)
Ben Gordon (2012)
Tammy Scott (2012)
CA WSF - SCBS Quarterly Conference Call, 8:00 p.m.
June 12
CA WSF BOD Conference Call, 8:00 p.m.
June 22-23
WSF Chapter & Affiliates Meeting, Idaho
August 21
September 10
October 9
October 26
Sheep Summit XII in Ontario
October 27
DBH Hunter Orientation in Ontario
December 10
December 11
2013
Treasurer
Steve Boitano (2012)
Adam Casagrande (2013)
June 11
Jan. 9-12
GSCO Convention, Reno, Grand Sierra
Jan. 23-26
SCI Convention, Reno
Jan. 31-Feb. 2
WSF Convention, Reno, Peppermill and Convention
Center
April 26
Sheep Summit XIII in Rancho Cordova
April 27
CA WSF Fundraiser/Banquet in Rancho Cordova
at Marriott
LAST SHEEP CAMP FOR DAN POCAPALIA
Dear WSF Members,
Sad news for the Wild Sheep Foundation family.
Mary Ann Pocapalia phoned to notify us of the
passing of Dan Pocapalia on May 6, 2012. We here
at the WSF Headquarters are very sad to hear this
news. At this time, there is no obituary to send, but
as soon as we receive it, we’ll be putting it in the
Summer issue of Wild Sheep magazine.
Bob Keagy (2013)
Please forward this information onto anyone that
knew Dan. If you want to send condolences, the
address is:
California Wild Sheep is published quarterly.
Mary Ann Pocapalia
14 Rockinghorse Rd.
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
Please e-mail all articles and photos to
[email protected].
Our thoughts and prayers are with Mary Ann and
her family.
Photos should be high resolution and in color.
It is recommended that digital photos be sent by e-mail.
Please include photo credits and captions.
CA WSF
Sincerely,
Gray & WSF Team
Gray N. Thornton, President & CEO
Editor in Chief, Wild Sheep Magazine
4
Summer 2012
President’s Letter
Welcome to the 2nd Quarter 2012 newsletter for the California Chapter
of the Wild Sheep Foundation! As you read this, many of the drawings
for tags in the Western states have been completed, and some of you
are smiling at the prospect of upcoming Fall hunts. To those who drew,
do well and please send in pictures of your hunts. Our newsletters are
always made richer by the pictures and stories that our members contribute.
As I write this, our annual fundraiser if fading into memory. It was held
on Saturday, April 21 at the Marriott Rancho Cordova. As we have
grown to expect, the food and wine were outstanding. This year's
fundraiser was the largest in our history, and special thanks are due to
Adam Casagrande and Kyle Meintzer for heading up the effort, and to
our chapter administrator Beverly Valdez for her hard work behind the
scenes in making the fundraiser a success. Pictures are included in this
newsletter. In 2013, the banquet date will be Saturday, April 27, 2013. Mark your calendars now. Going forward for at
least the next few years, the chapter will hold its annual banquet at this same facility on the last Saturday in April.
As the season turns to summer in the Northern Hemisphere, sheep habitat projects get underway in earnest. If you have
never worked on a population study or a translocation or a guzzler or trail camera project, you have missed out on the
essence of sheep conservation. Contrary to what some may believe, we are not only an organization that hosts a dinner
to raise money for sheep (although we certainly do that). We also seek to be involved actively in a "boots on the ground"
sort of way with habitat improvement. Please consider the projects that we periodically flag either in the newsletter or in
our email blasts. The sheep will benefit, and you will find that involvement will deepen your enthusiasm for our sport.
Finally, I want to present to the entire chapter a matter of rather urgent need. For the last few years, Mike Borel has
served as the editor of this newsletter. It is a testimony to his dedication and hard work that the newsletter features such
high quality content and is published on time quarter by quarter. Recently, Mike was elected to the executive committee
of Safari Club International, and while this does not preclude his involvement in WSF or CA WSF, it is a large time commitment. Accordingly, Mike will soon be stepping down as editor of the newsletter, and we need someone to take on his
duties as editor. Very little writing is involved, but some knowledge of word processing software (Word, Pages) would be
helpful. Please contact me or Mike if you have an interest in helping the chapter in this way.
I am writing this during Memorial Day weekend, and while the newsletter will be published after the holiday, I hope
that this reminder will prompt all of us to seek out and to thank the men and women who have placed themselves in
harm's way so we can enjoy the rights and privileges we have … including the right to own firearms and to hunt with
them.
Ken Fish
310-625-2406
LUCKY PERSONS WHO HAVE DRAWN
SPECIAL TAGS FOR 2012
Roger McCosker – Desert Bighorn, Nevada
Dennis Ellison – California Bighorn, Nevada
Adam Casagrande – GSCO Super Slam Raffle Stone Sheep Hunt
with Golden Bear Outfitters
If you drew a great tag, share the excitement ([email protected])
Summer 2012
5
CA WSF
PATIENCE, PERSEVERANCE, AND A LITTLE BIT OF MAGIC
A Mark Dickson Story written by Mindi Combs
There’s a story told by Henry Old
Coyote in the Bighorn Canyon’s
National Recreation Area’s book about
a father, or maybe a stepfather, seemingly possessed by evil spirits. This
father attempts to kill his son while
they are at a place called Hole-in-theWall in the Bighorns. The evil spirits
make the man push his heir from a
steep cliff, but the boy survives
because he is caught by some trees
growing in the canyon wall. The boy
sits on a perch for days, and when
nearly dead from hunger and exhaustion, seven bighorn sheep led by the
chief of the bighorns, Big Metal (who
is described as having horns and
hooves of shiny steel) rescue the boy.
They give the boy the name Big Iron
and also give him “power, wisdom,
sharp eyes, sure-footedness, keen ears,
great strength, and a strong heart.”
Big Iron returns to his people and tells
them that the Apsaalooka, or Crow,
people (who occupied the area around
the Yellowstone River area and its tributaries in what is now Montana) will
only survive if the winding river out
of the mountains is known as Bighorn
River. The name of the river can never
be changed.1
CA WSF
Further south in the United States
lies the Coso Range, located east of
the Sierra Nevada Mountains and
west of the Argus Range in eastern
California, where thousands of Native
American petroglyphs of bighorn
sheep occur (petroglyphs are chiseled
into the surface of the rock whereas
pictographs are painted onto the
rock). Often, in the petroglyphs,
hunter and the bighorn sheep are
common imagery, and these depictions may represent the desire for
magic for a successful hunt.2 Native
Americans rarely ate bighorn sheep
meat because it took multiple days
and miles to track an animal until
it was finally killed. However, if
successful, Native Americans used
almost all parts of the animal: the
horns and bones formed tools,
utensils, and ornaments while
clothing and foot-wear were made
from the hide. The Native Americans
also used the leg tendons of the
bighorn to assist with the bow's
recoil.3
Very south of the Coso Range,
Native American artifacts exist as
well. Because I was able to get an
open zone tag, I was able to hunt with
6
Tim Mercier and Cliff St. Martin of
Dry Creek Outfitters 30 days earlier
than the season opened, so we had
the Clark/Kingston region of San
Bernardino County to ourselves. I saw
some petroglyphs when Tim and Cliff
pointed them out to me. Tim told me
that they often find pottery shards,
arrowheads, and various items that
look like utensils in just about every
mountain range in the area. We also
found what Tim and Cliff call
“donuts” — large, circular, rock
mounds that are still flat with the
inside of the donut being dirt. We
found a spot with three of these rock
mounds during one of our hikes. Tim
and Cliff estimate that these rings
may have been used as the base of
teepees or for ceremonies.
Once I saw a few petroglyphs,
I knew I would find my ram, and
although I would never be naive
enough to compare my hunt to the
hunting of the Native Americans, I
felt honored to be walking the same
path they did, searching for the same
animal they did.
Tim and Cliff knew I wanted a
special sheep and they knew about
a record-book ram.
As Tim said, “He didn’t get that
big by making any mistakes.”
Many guides had scouted this
ram for me. At one point, Cliff was
out there for about six weeks, living
in the desert, and he spotted this
ram from a great distance, about two
to three miles away with optics. But
it’s never a direct line to a ram, especially in that rugged country. So, by
the time Cliff got closer, the ram
moved away.
We were right on the Nevada
line, hoping that the ram stayed
within the California side of the state
line. Luckily, the guys found the ram
again before I arrived for the hunt,
but when I arrived, we couldn’t find
him because the weather changed
with high winds, and he disappeared.
But we did see some burros that had
originally come in with the Spanish
Summer 2012
Conquistadors. Much later, the burros
were then caught by miners who used
them to help haul materials for mining activities in the late 1800s and
early 1900s.
I travelled back home to the Los
Angeles area. Then the guys found
him again and I returned, but because
rams are nomadic, we lost him again.
They looked more, but never saw
that ram again, so they decided to
look elsewhere.
Grover Dobyns, camp cook, and
Tim packed up camp in the Clark/
Kingstons while Cliff took four spotters (Matt. St. Martin, Jason Lyman,
Clay Gibert, and Shawn Lindey) to
the Orocopia Mountain Range, just
south of I-10 in the Colorado Desert in
Riverside County. While Cliff and his
crew were scouting, they found about
17 rams in one group, so they called
me again to return. As luck would
have it, we were getting close, waiting
for the rams to make a move. On that
hike, we came across a one-room
building in the rocks with a handpainted sign that says “Hotel California” in the room. No one knows who
built it, but it’s been around for over
20 years. There’s even a little guest
book for people to sign. Tim said that
it looks the same now as it did 20
years ago when he first saw it.
Unfortunately, once we got upon
these rams, they moved because they
knew something wasn’t right. They
apparently caught our scent.
Or as Tim said, “The ram zigged.
We zagged.”
And it’s next to impossible to
hustle in those mountains with the
canyons, boulders, and rugged terrain.
During WWII, fighter pilots used the
Orocopias as their training grounds
because of the terrain and remoteness.
In the June 1944 issue of The Desert
Magazine, John Hilton writes: “Salt
Creek wash, between the Orocopias
and Chocolate mountains, looks just
like it always did except that the
gravel is strewn with shell cases from
aerial machine guns.…” Nowadays,
oversized brass bullet casings can be
found among the cactus and rocks of
these mountains.
We kept trying in the Orocopias
where the guys once again had spotted a couple of nice rams. I returned,
and at around 4:00 a.m., we started
our hike to find this group.
“Hunting sheep is like playing
chess,” Tim told me as we navigated
the rough terrain of the Orocopias
in the darkness of morning. We did
quite a bit of hiking because he
wasn’t close and we had to wait
for him to move to get a clear shot.
At 7:00 a.m., we finally had our
eyes on the ram. He was 600 or 700
yards away, but we couldn’t get close
to him because of wind direction and
because an ewe in season had just
joined the two rams.
At around noon, the wind
calmed down and was in our favor,
so we started to make the stalk. Tim
and Clay watched the ram from a different angle while Cliff and I walked
into the canyon, but we couldn’t get
a good view of the ram although we
figured we were about 300 yards away.
We got into position and waited. The
ram came out of the rocks for a
moment, then he retreated into the
rocks. This happened a few times. So
we waited patiently.
By 3:30 or 4:00 p.m., the wind
started going into a downdraft, working its way down the ridge, and just as
the wind shifted, the ram stood up —
perfectly in line between two ocotillo
cactus. Suddenly, the wind came back
down our neck, and Cliff knew I
would lose my shot. “He’s winded us,
Mark. Shoot now,” he told me.
I did. I made a well-placed shot.
We found him a quarter of a mile
down the cliff in a wash.
After my hunt, I know why
Native Americans wanted some magic
for their sheep hunts.
“The Legend of Big Metal.” National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/bica/historyculture/the-legend-of-big-metal.htm. Retrieved May 22, 2102.
“Upper Sheep Canyon Petroglyphs.” Petroglyphs.US.
http://www.petroglyphs.us/photographs_petroglyphs_sheep_canyon_coso_mountains_SC.htm. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
3
“Native Americans and Desert Animals.” Joshua Tree Climb.com http://www.joshuatreeclimb.com/nativeanimals.htm. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
1
2
AS YOU PLAN YOUR FALL AND NEXT YEAR’S ADVENTURES
by Mike J. Borel, VP and Editor
If there is one thing you can do while
you plan your 2012 season, your outings and vacations this year is take
a look at our website (cawsf.org).
Specifically check out the links to
our donors and sponsors.
What we accomplish for wild
sheep and sheep hunters can only
be possible with the support and generosity of our members and donors
Summer 2012
and sponsors — they are the lifeblood
in all we do. As you go about your
purchases for the 2012 season, please
give these businesses and outfitters a
shout — you can bet they’ll appreciate hearing from you. With your
support and that of our donors and
sponsors, we can continue to implement our mission successfully.
Remember: we are a group
7
of individuals that share in the
common goal of improving our
sheep habitat, sharing our knowledge
with others, and being conservationminded to help preserve our resources
for future generations to enjoy.
Thanks and I hope to see you at
our next fundraiser (April 27, 2013),
project or event.
CA WSF
PROTECTING ONE OF ARIZONA’S WILDEST ATTRACTIONS
Agencies Work Together to Reverse Dwindling Sheep Population
by JC Amberlyn
Articles Collected by Dick Weaver and Condensed by Lou Ann Neal
to vehicle traffic when trying to cross Highway 93 near
the Hoover Dam. The highway has fragmented sheep
habitat and isolated herds, making the transfer of genetic
diversity difficult and increasing the effects of drought,
disease and predation.
When the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial
Bridge, also known as the Hoover Dam Bypass, was scheduled to be built, the sheep’s future seemed to darken even
more. The highway would go from two lanes to four, and
traffic speeds through the area would increase. The sheep
seemed doomed.
“The crew is after three of them right now and our spotter
found another bunch near milepost 5.1,” I heard the
speaker inform us over the radio inside the Arizona Game
and Fish Department truck.
Game and Fish Public Information Officer Zen
Mocarski was driving me and two other journalists down
U.S. 93 near the Hoover Dam in the northwest corner of
Arizona. Our quarry was a charismatic but elusive target
that should have been hard to find in the remote, rugged
mountain terrain.
But we had technology on our side – a scout plane
was out scanning the countryside for any sign of life, and
eagle-eyed “spotters” with spotting scopes and binoculars
aided the effort on ground. A helicopter holding biologists and a net gunman lurked nearby, ready to swoop
down when the target was spotted.
What animal was this that brought a whole team
of biologists, pilots, volunteers and three journalists to
work together in the stark desert on a windy, overcast
November day?
I was the ovis canadensis nelsoni, better known as
desert bighorn sheep.
***
Biologist Kevin Moran and other G&F employees were
determined not to let that happen. With some calls
and presentations, G&F, the Arizona Department of
Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration
began to work together on a three-part study to determine
how the highway impacts the sheep. The original plan for
the Bypass Bridge included building several underpasses
(tunnels that wildlife can safely cross under the highway)
to prevent motorist-wildlife collisions.
However, recent local research on State Route 68 had
shown that bighorn sheep hesitate to use underpasses.
They appear insecure entering a dark tunnel where a
predator might wait to ambush from above. So, something else needed to be done.
The idea that emerged was the nation’s first wildlife
overpass, which provides road crossing above, instead of
below, the highway. If has been successful in Canada,
and the tie to try it here had come.
It would be about a $5 million project to build three
overpasses, one at each of the mile marker locations that
sheep had been trying to cross at. Each overpass consists
of a bridge spanning over the highway, lined with fences
on the side and dirt on the floor. Fences are also being
built along the highway to “funnel” the sheep toward the
overpasses.
***
Desert bighorns are similar to their cousins, the Rocky
Mountain bighorn, but they’ve adapted to life in the
desert. This area near the Hoover Dam holds the largest
single population of desert bighorns in not only Arizona
but in the entire United States. This area, consisting of the
Black Mountains, winds north to south along the eastern
side of the Colorado River and holds about one-third of
Arizona’s bighorn population.
Historically, bighorns numbered as high as 1,800
here. However, bighorns have experienced some problems
and populations have been on the decline as of late,
reaching a low of 600-800 sheep in 2007.
The herds have been hit by several things, including
disease, drought and predators. They were also vulnerable
CA WSF
8
Summer 2012
***
capturing 35 sheep, but high winds eventually rounded
the aircraft and the total was half of that. However,
another capture effort is planned for January. Biologists
expect the sheep to start using the overpasses soon. If for
some reason they do not, G&F may use bait or water to
entice animals onto the overpasses. Once sheep learn to
use them, they will teach their offspring.
Part One of the bighorn sheep study consisted of
capturing several sheep in the Black Mountains and
tracking their movements with radio collars. It was
determined that sheep were most often trying to cross
the highway at mile markers 3.3, 5.1 and 12.2, but they
usually turned back. Part Two of the study looked at how
the sheep were responding to the construction in the
area. Now, Part Three of the operation has begun.
Part Three consists of capturing the sheep and
determining their movements now, including whether
they are using the new overpasses. To do this, G&F rents
a helicopter and pilot and employs its own biologists and
a gunman. Once sheep are spotted, the helicopter chases
after them and the gunman shoots a net, which captures
a single sheep.
Biologists then quickly work to get to the animal,
put a hood over its eyes to reduce stress and take blood
samples for research. Finally, a radio collar with a GPS is
put on its neck and an ear tag attached. The hood is
removed, the sheep runs off, and the team searches for
their next subject. This study is slated for two years, then
the collars are programmed to drop off the sheep
automatically.
The plan for this weekend had included a goal of
***
Some ask, why save the sheep? The cost of the overpasses
alone is in the millions. Mocarski would point out that
the underpasses were already factored into the cost of
redoing the highway. He also had this to say: “If some
people don’t value wildlife that much, we’re probably
not going to change their mind. But many of us do.
And this was a rare opportunity to make something
better. You can’t go back years from now and tear down
the roads (because of a bighorn population decline due
to the new four land highway). This time was a chance
to do it right.”
Celina Tusson and Christine Haverkamp were the
two other journalists along for the ride last Friday. They
are students at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and
are making a video about the sheep project. To see it,
visit wee.unlv.tv/studioG starting on December 3.
Norwegian Humor
Ole in Court
Ole's truck was hit by a semi-truck in an accident.
In court, the trucking company's lawyer was questioning Ole. "Didn't you say, sir, at the scene of the accident,
'I'm fine?’" asked the lawyer.
Ole responded, "Vell, let me tell you vat happened. I had yust loaded my favorite mule, Bessie, into da …"
"I didn't ask for any details," the lawyer interrupted. "Just answer the question. Did you not say at the scene of
the accident, 'I'm fine?’"
Ole said, "Vell, I had yust got Bessie into da truck and I vas driving Bessie down da highvay …"
The lawyer interrupted again and said, "Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident,
this man told the Highway Patrolman on the scene that he was just fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is
trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question."
By this time, the Judge was fairly interested in Ole's answer and said to the lawyer, "I'd like to hear what he has
to say about his favorite mule, Bessie."
Ole thanked the Judge and proceeded. "Vell, as I vas saying, I had yust loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into da
truck and vas driving Bessie down da highvay ven dis huge semi-truck and trailer ran da stop sign and smacked my
truck right in da side. I vas trown into one ditch and Bessie vas trown into da other. I vas hurting real bad and didn't vant to move. However, I could hear Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape yust by her
groans. Shortly after da accident da Highvay Patrolman, he came to da scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and
groaning so he vent over to her first. After da Highvay Patrolman looked at her and saw her fatal condition, he took
out his gun and shot her right 'tween da eyes. Den da Patrolman, he came across da road, gun still smoking, looked
at me and said, 'How are you feeling?’"
"Now vat da hell vould YOU say?"
Summer 2012
9
CA WSF
A BEGINNER’S TALE
by Bob Totah and Cliff St. Martin
I also talked to his partner Cliff St. Martin, who also was a
really nice guy. I booked my hunt with Dry Creek Outfitters and then I waited.
I got to camp after the New Year and found everyone
upbeat and jovial. I was very impressed by their well
maintained camp. I met the crew and I will list them
with their nicknames as follows: Tim Mercier (Cowboy),
Cliff St. Martin (Partner), Grover Dobyns (Watchdog),
Brooks Stiltz (Dixie), Sean Lindey (Alabama), Clay Gibert
(Mojave), and Jason Lyman (Jay Bird). Tom Binder, who is
one of my good friends from Idaho, accompanied me on
the hunt as well. We set up our gear and settled in for the
evening meal and prayer, because as I believe and I found
out, we are not going to kill a ram without the grace of
God with us. We said grace every night, and I thank God
we did because as you will see, it worked out in the end.
As most of us outdoorsmen know, I would rather be lucky
than good and anyone that I can call onto my team that
can help me, I'll do it.
Finally our first day of hunting arrived. We got up
early and had breakfast, packed our lunch and still left
camp well before daylight. Grover greeted us each morning with a warm mess tent, good food and a big smile on
his face to send us off for the day. I felt more confident
with my Tikka T3 300 Win. Mag. than my Browning
7mm, so I carried the 300 Win Mag with Federals 180 gr.
Barnes Triple Shock bullets, which proved devastating in
the end. We hunted the Marble Mountains the first day
and saw two nice rams — one chocolate and one gray.
We felt we deserved a better look, so Cliff, Tom and I
et out on a four-hour stalk. We got to within 300 yards
of the rams and I was ready to shoot. They were both
magnificent animals. Cliff told me he thought they
would score in the low 160s to the mid-160s and would
not get me into the record book. I told him that I could
shoot either of these animals and be very happy. It didn't
matter that it was the first day. Cliff again advised me
that we could do better. He convinced me to hold off on
the shot and that we would "bank" these rams. Apparently they do not move too much during this time of the
season. I grudgingly agreed to do it and we set off back
to the trucks, but boy was I excited.
The following day we glassed a different area of the
Marbles and "Alabama" found another huge ram. This
was a big-bodied gray ram that Cliff again thought would
score in the mid-160s and that we should "bank" as well.
We saw more rams and ewes at this location than any
other. It was another good day and we did a lot of glassing. What I liked about these guys is that they were
patient and didn't just go hiking looking for the rams,
but rather "spot and stalked” them. This is a good technique for someone who is not in that great of shape,
like me, because you can preserve your energy and save
It was like a dream come true and lucky for me. My name
is Bob Totah and I am a Police Officer in San Francisco.
For the past seven years I have been applying for desert
sheep, elk and antelope hunts here in California. I got
drawn for desert bighorn sheep in 2011. I couldn't believe
it, and I thought it must have been a mistake. I went
online, which was tough for me, and I called Regina
Abella from DFG and confirmed that I had been drawn.
My girlfriend said that the smile on my face was the
biggest she had ever seen. I immediately set out to find
out about the area I would be hunting and trying to hire
an outfitter since I did not know the area.
I called a friend, Wally Johnson, who is a fishing
guide in the Marble Mountains in Northern California,
which is where I thought the Marble/Clipper Mountains
were. Wally told me that he did not know of any Clipper
Mountains up north and then looked in the DFG manual
for the location. He told me they were in San Bernardino
County. I said, “San Bernardino!!!” I hung up and
thought to myself, Who do I know down there? I remember
looking at the DFG magazine that they put out every year
and seeing an ad for Dry Creek Outfitters and a guy with
a huge handlebar moustache. Just looking at their ad and
photos in the magazine was enough for me. I called them
and talked with Tim Mercier. I liked what I heard about
their operation, and he told me that I was the first to
call and would have the first choice of dates. I asked
him what he thought were the best dates and I booked
January 4, 2012 to January 18, 2012. I figured I would
do the 14-day hunt in case we had a hard time finding
sheep. This turned out to be untrue, as we saw rams
everyday. I liked what Tim had to say and how he said it.
CA WSF
10
Summer 2012
was kind of eerie because all of these guys looked at me
and said, “See ya at the ram, Bob,” like they knew something significant was going to happen. By the time we got
within 350 yards, the wind had picked up considerably.
We needed to get closer. At this point, we could only see
two rams. The rest were below in the wash. We began our
final stalk just below a ridgeline. At that point the two
rams began to move uphill in our direction. Cliff and I
froze as I set up for a shot where we figured the rams
would cross. Just seconds later Cliff said, "It's the first one.
Shoot him!" So here it comes down to a fast and furious
ending. I had already chambered a round into the barrel
but still had the safety on when I decided to pull the trigger. Same old mistake! Thank God the ram was still there
when I got the shot off and dropped him with one shot
at 100 yards!! I couldn't have been happier.
I must tell you that prior to the final stalk when Cliff
and Tim were deciding which ram for me to shoot, I sat
there on the mountain with the wind howling, praying to
God for a clean kill and a successful outcome. I'm glad I
did and I will never be ashamed to pray to God anywhere
in this world.
After a round of high-fives and a lot of photos, we
rough scored my ram at 170+ inches. A record book ram
if it would hold up to the 60-day drying period required
by Boone and Crockett. The hardest hike of the trip was
the hike down the mountain and back to the truck, but it
was also the most rewarding because I knew the hunt was
over and success was on my back. We made all the appropriate calls to line up the meeting with Andy Pauli from
DFG for the official paperwork the next day, and we
completed the tag I had in hand. That night the evening
prayer was the most powerful I had ever experienced,
and I thanked everyone on the team for their efforts in
helping me.
After breakfast the next morning we broke camp. My
friend Tom set out for Idaho, and I set out to meet Andy
Pauli near Victorville for the official documentation. Andy
scored the ram at 172 5/8! I couldn't believe it! I immediately called "Partner" and told him, and I could here
everyone yelling back at camp. I then drove the head and
cape to the taxidermist in Visalia and then home for the
end of the day.
I can't help but to recommend Dry Creek Outfitters
for anyone's hunt. They will give you all they can, and
they won't stop until they have given it their all. They
told me that if we didn't see anything I wanted to shoot
after the 14th day, that they would stay longer to help me
get my ram. How many outfitters would do that? Thanks
again and thank you Lord.
yourself for the full 14 days and the eventual shot.
On day three we planned on hiking the backside of
the Marbles, a place called the Blue Mountains. We had
already glassed this area from the front side. This would
be a 10-mile hike. It was long but not too steep, and I
could do it. We did not see many sheep there, but it was
some beautiful country. This is another aspect of these
guys — they teach you about the country, hazards, fauna
and flora, and God's great creations along the way. Not
only are they nice guys, but good conversationalists. They
are interested in what you have to say, even if you don't
know what you’re talking about. They understand that
this is a once-in-a-lifetime hunt and the old saying
applies, "The only dumb question is the one you don't
ask." I learned a lot. We found an old Sheep Guides campsite called Suds Camp. It was an area with a fire pit and
some groomed sand where tents could have been set up.
It was really cool because it was a taste of the past, and I
like history. I kept thinking to myself about how the miners and travelers survived out here. I could see that they
could hunt for food, but there wasn't much water. It was
a great day and I saw a lot of stuff. During these hunts
"Cowboy" would send the others out to search for rams,
so "Alabama" and "Dixie" were our legs and they hiked
miles to find me my ram. I can't thank them enough,
and in the end you'll see that this was a good strategy.
The next day I was tired from the 10-mile hike the
day before, so "Partner" set me and my buddy Tom up in
an area to glass. It was an area that you could view a lot
of country. I was so glad I hired an outfitter because just
to find these rams was an effort. I had borrowed my
friends Swarovski 20 x 60 spotting scope and I was glad I
did. I needed all the help I could get. While we glassed
from below, “Partner” and “Alabama” penetrated the
mountain from different angles above. They located two
old rams running together. Both rams were each missing
a horn on one side. If not for a missing horn, each would
have been a ram for the books. On the way out "Partner"
saw tracks of a large ram walking east off the mountain
range, so we planned on following that up the next day.
The following morning greeted us with a cold north
wind. Well before daylight we drove to a spot on the protected side of the mountain. Immediately “Dixie” spotted
rams from the truck. These rams were a few miles out and
we needed a closer look. After working our way closer we
could see 10 rams in all. Three of the rams were significant enough to pursue and we began our stalk. “Mojave,”
“Dixie,” “Alabama,” and “Jaybird” separated to strategic
points on the mountain while Tom and I followed “Cowboy” and “Partner” up the mountain toward the rams. It
Cute Limerick, Shared at an Early FNAWS Convention and Remembered by Dick Weaver:
There was a young woman named Aster,
Whose clothes fit her tighter than plaster.
When she happened to sneeze;
She felt a sudden cold breeze
But only she thought it disaster! ☺
Summer 2012
11
CA WSF
SOLAR ENERGY AND BIGHORN SHEEP:
Habitat Fragmentation, Mitigation, and Sportsmen
Part 1
by Vernon C. Bleich, Ph.D.
Last December, I had the opportunity
to be a keynote speaker at a symposium in Las Vegas, Nevada, the theme
of which was “Sportsmen Speak on
Solar.” The symposium, sponsored by
the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation
Partnership, was attended by individuals affiliated with numerous conservation organizations, representatives of
federal and state bureaucracies, some
politicians, and the media. California
Wild Sheep Foundation members Kyle
Meintzer, George Kerr, and I attended
the symposium. The material in this
article has been adapted from my
keynote address; because of space limitations, it will appear in two parts.
North American wild sheep are
habitat specialists, but persistence of
wild sheep on a regional scale is
dependent upon maintenance of connectivity among the insular mountain
ranges inhabited by those animals.
Disruption of connectivity among
those ranges will decrease the likelihood that bighorn sheep will persist
at a landscape level in the future.
Although we’ve had many
successes with respect to the conservation of desert bighorn sheep, they
have come about as a result of the
efforts of sportsmen, individuals in
many different agencies, and interested members of the public that have
worked cooperatively on behalf of that
species. Those successes, however, did
not come without costs. My friends
Don Landells and Jim Bicket, both of
whom I was able to work closely with
on dozens of projects to benefit wild
sheep, were constant sources of
encouragement and entertainment,
and were the best of companions.
Both died in a tragic helicopter accident while surveying bighorn sheep
in a Mojave Desert mountain range
not far from where we gather today;
California Department of Fish and
Game wildlife biologist Dick Weaver
was severely injured in that crash. The
CA WSF
site of that accident is just a few
seconds flight time from one solar
energy project that currently is under
construction, and another that is
undergoing final project review.
There were many evenings that
the four of us, along with some others
in this room, spent around a desert
campfire sipping good whiskey while
we played guitars and banjos. Many of
those evenings ended with discussions
of what the future would hold for
desert bighorn sheep and their habitat
in California, and we all agreed that
at some point they would become
creatures of great controversy, perhaps
akin to what the spotted owl became
in the northwestern United States. I
believe that time has arrived, and
some of the ideas that I will put forth
today had their origins around those
campfires.
By way of background information, bighorn sheep appear to exhibit
all of the characteristics typical of
metapopulations, including (1) independent dynamics of the subpopulations that comprise the metapopulations; (2) patches of suitable habitat,
some occupied and some vacant at
any given point in time; (3) opportunities for movement by bighorn sheep
and resultant gene flow among the
subpopulations; and (4) periodic
extinction and colonization events. A
colleague recently coined the phrase
“metapopulation fragments” to refer
to what previously had been described
as metapopulations of bighorn sheep
because, in all probability, there historically was connectivity among all of
the subpopulations in the California
desert. That large, likely singular,
metapopulation became fragmented as
a result of human activities that severed opportunities for movement by
bighorn sheep. Thus, desert bighorn
sheep in California are considered to
exist in a series of several metapopulation fragments, each of which poten-
12
tially retains the capacity to function
as a metapopulation unto itself.
There are many threats to the
maintenance of connectivity among
populations of bighorn sheep. Some
of these are obvious to us as biologists,
but are less clear to the public at large.
Chief among these are heavily traveled
roadways, and the interstate highway
system largely is what divided the former metapopulation of bighorn sheep
into the aforementioned metapopulation fragments. It is easy for the public
to understand how highways impact
bighorn sheep because their immediate effects, often in the form of dead
animals, are readily apparent. Unfortunately, it has been of lesser concern
that those roads have blocked connectivity among populations, because
those roads generally are confined to
flatter terrain within intermountain
areas, and those areas historically have
not been viewed as being important to
bighorn sheep.
Fencing is also problematic with
respect to connectivity, yet it sometimes is proposed as “mitigation” for
development projects; fencing does
little but complicate issues related to
connectivity. In my opinion, fencing
as mitigation is largely a “feel-good”
proposition that is based on the
notion that it will decrease the probability of accidental death to a bighorn
sheep. Such “feel good” mitigation
does nothing to enhance the probability of connectivity among populations.
In some situations, canals have
disrupted opportunities for connectivity and these are especially prevalent in
the Sonoran desert of the southwestern United States. Moreover, human
activities and infrastructure development, such as mines, are also problematic, but their effects are less pervasive
than those of linear features such as
fences, freeways, or canals and they
are less likely to disrupt connectivity.
Finally, the distribution of livestock,
Summer 2012
particularly domestic sheep, has
important implications for the disruption of connectivity among populations of bighorn sheep because of the
potential for the transfer of pathogens
to wild sheep.
In some ecosystems occupied by
desert bighorn sheep, vegetative succession has resulted in fragmentation
of suitable habitat, and can preclude
movement among occupied areas
important to those specialized ungulates. Such systems are adapted to
periodic fire, and in its absence the
quality and quantity of forage decline,
vegetation density increases, and
opportunities for movement among
areas of potentially important habitat
decrease.
Connectivity among populations
of bighorn sheep also can be disrupted
in ways that few people have, until
recently, only imagined. One such way
is through the proliferation of solar
power plants, which necessarily must
be located in areas that are topographically not challenging, and that previously had been declared unimportant
in the legal context of “wilderness.”
Such locations frequently are within
the intermountain areas that bighorn
sheep must traverse in order to ensure
metapopulation function. The greatest
potential for that type of development
is congruent with the distribution of
desert bighorn sheep, and this has
enormous implications for the disruption of connectivity, especially in
southeastern California, western Utah,
western Arizona, and in southern
Nevada, where we are gathered today.
Solar facilities typically are
proposed to be located near existing
infrastructure, such as freeways,
powerlines, and pipelines, and environmental impact analyses frequently
argue that those existing features
already have eliminated opportunities
for movements by bighorn sheep. One
such location is adjacent to Interstate
Highway 15 where it passes through
the Soda Mountains northeast of
Barstow, California. At that location,
expansive highway bridges across large
washes provide opportunities for
bighorn sheep to move under the
highway, but development could eliminate that potential. In this situation,
and in other similar situations, existing opportunities for movement across
Summer 2012
highways will be compromised with
development of those solar plants if
the assumption that connectivity has
been severed by exiting infrastructure
is not challenged.
To date, a number of states and
provinces have worked to reestablish
connectivity where it has been disrupted by roadways, and some have done
so successfully. Nevertheless, the proliferation of solar energy plants in
intermountain areas has onerous
implications for the persistence of
populations of bighorn sheep, largely
because of their potential to further
restrict movement among mountain
ranges. Unfortunately, some of the
efforts to ensure passage across roadways have been criticized and are
viewed by much of the public as
outrageous examples of government
spending. Such discord will only confound issues related to connectivity,
particularly given the current political
and economic situations existing in
this country.
Today, I am going to stick with
the concept of maintaining, or
re-establishing, connectivity, within
existing metapopulation fragments of
bighorn sheep, rather than maintaining or re-establishing connectivity
between fragments, and I will emphasize four strategies. In the past, sportsmen have played important roles in
the effort to ensure the persistence of
bighorn sheep populations, and those
efforts will become increasingly important in the future. I also want to
emphasize that if mitigation is to be
successful, it must sometimes be
implemented “off site” and in protected areas where the greatest potential
to offset impacts of development will
best be realized.
The first of these four strategies
involves preventing further extirpations, because it easier to do so than
restoring opportunities for connectivity after such opportunities have been
eliminated. In other words, the best
defense is a good offense, and this is
a strategy that sportsmen historically
have supported.
A second strategy that holds
promise involves the restoration
of extirpated populations. Despite
some evidence that bighorn sheep
still are able to colonize vacant habitat, re-establishment of extirpated
13
populations can restore opportunities
for connectivity at a more rapid rate.
After all, the process of extirpation
was speeded up as a result of disease,
unregulated harvest, and habitat alteration, which is ongoing. Although
there is evidence that colonization
events can and do occur, I do not
believe it necessarily is in the best
interest of conservation to assume
that colonization events will outpace
extirpations, especially given the
potential for expanded project development across the desert. If development of solar energy plants impacts
existing opportunities for movements
among mountain ranges, this strategy
will become increasingly important
to the conservation of bighorn sheep.
Translocations have been used successfully to reestablish connectivity
between several mountain ranges in
San Bernardino County, California,
and are being employed in the Sierra
Nevada to reestablish populations in
that range. A stellar example of this
approach is ongoing in west Texas,
where an international effort is underway to link mountain ranges in the
United States with those of northern
Mexico.
A third method of improving the
potential for connectivity involves
habitat enhancements, particularly
water developments, that can increase
survival of animals pioneering vacant
areas and, thereby, increase the potential for interactions among bighorn
sheep from different populations.
Throughout the American Southwest,
sportsmen have been the primary
advocates of such habitat enhancement projects, which increasingly are
recognized as important in helping to
maintain connectivity among populations of desert bighorn sheep. Reliable
sources of surface water have the
potential to enhance the survival
individual animals moving from one
location to another, and increase the
probability of encounters between
bighorn sheep in areas lacking permanent populations. The resultant
increases in fitness among individual
animals have implications for gene
flow and rates of colonization and,
ultimately, for the persistence of
bighorn sheep at the level of the
landscape.
continued on page 14
CA WSF
continued from page 13
It is clear that the amount of
forage available determines what
ecologists refer to as nutritional carrying capacity for bighorn sheep, but it
also is clear that surface water is an
important component of bighorn
sheep habitat. As a result, the potential benefits of habitat enhancements
should not be summarily dismissed
because they are “not natural.” These
water developments (1) allow bighorn
sheep to make use of otherwise suitable habitat that lacks surface water;
(2) enhance the likelihood of immigrants encountering others of their
species; (3) likely increase survival
rates during periods of thermal stress
or drought, and (4) increase the
potential for new populations to
become established. As a result, they
have positive influences on population size and survival rates, and, ultimately, on rates of genetic exchange
among populations. With any luck at
all, the strategic placement of water
developments near areas that could be
used by sheep to traverse existing barriers will be successful in helping to
re-establish connectivity across those
impediments to movement.
In some ecosystems occupied by
desert bighorn sheep, another strategy
to enhance connectivity involves the
use of prescribed fire. Nevertheless,
land management agencies have
emphasized a policy that involves
the suppression of virtually every
fire that is ignited in the San Gabriel
Mountains and other ranges dominated by chaparral vegetation and that
are inhabited by bighorn sheep. It is
important to emphasize that fire is a
natural event in those chaparral systems. Nevertheless, the use of prescribed fire specifically to enhance
habitat for bighorn sheep is prohibited in legislated wilderness, even
though that technique is the only
practical method of increasing the
availability and suitability of habitat
for bighorn sheep in such areas.
Dr. Vern Bleich is an independent wildlife biologist who worked for the California Department of
Fish and Game for 34 years. He remains active
in conservation issues related primarily to large
mammals inhabiting arid, southwestern ecosystems. Interested parties can contact Vern at [email protected].
CA WSF
CALIFORNIA WILD SHEEP SUMMIT XI
April 20, 2012 in Rancho Cordova
by Mike J. Borel
The purpose of these Summits is to
bring together the various NGOs,
DFG, Land Agencies and others to
share information and identify
opportunities to make a more
positive impact for Wild Sheep in
California than any of us could do
independently. We held this 11th
Summit meeting the day before our
CA WSF Fundraiser. We had 17 Wild
Sheep Enthusiasts from 7 organizations. The Information update
presentations included:
• DFG Vision - Overview and what it
means for bighorn sheep
– Dan Yparraguirre
• What the Comprehensive Bighorn
Sheep Plan is calling for in the way
of implementation actions and
their priorities – John Wehausen
• Building around the comprehensive
sheep plan to identify 2-3 priorities
this group could take on and be
additive – John Wehausen
• Report on Recent Activities in
WAFWA, Wild Sheep & Goat
Council, Desert Bighorn Council,
etc. that are of value and interest
for California wild sheep
– Vern Bleich
• Sheep Program update (including
personnel replacements and additions) – Regina Abella
• Helicopter update for sheep work
– Regina Abella
• Thoughts on addressing apparent
need for alternate ways to survey
populations – Regina Abella
• Accounting of funds for sheep work
are being spent – Regina Abella
• Review of persons in DFG involved
in alternative energy mitigation,
define process, what has happened,
what is in the works, etc.
– Eric Loft
• New DFG bighorn website
– Dave German
• Update on changes in habitat use
and distribution of Sierra Nevada
bighorn sheep – Alexandra Few
14
• Update on Large Mammal Advisory
Committee – Steve Torres
• Big Game Advisory Committee Priorities and Progress
– Kyle Meintzer & Steve Hill
• Discussion about ways to get
Caltrans to address wildlife habitat
connectivity concerns in their
projects – Kathy Meyer
• Actions taken to elevate importance
of wildlife conservation to level of
wilderness land – Vern Bleich
• Status of sight selections for water
developments consistent with
CDFG Conservation Plan
– Vern Bleich & Steve Marschke
• Update on the Mojave Water
Resources Plan EIS – Neal Darby
• What we do to stay ahead of the
curve on alternative energy and
rare earths mining, so wildlife is
best positioned to stop bad things,
and take advantage of neutral or
good things
– George Kerr & Bob Burke
• 29 Palms Drinker expansion and
possible new water developments
– Steve Marschke
• Future format/venues/plans for
hunter clinics – Regina Abella
• New learnings from the SCBS camera project – Bob Burke
• Non-Resident access to CA DBH
tags - up to 1 was fair when there
were 9 permits … likely income
boost from making it 15% – Kyle
Meintzer
• Discussion on California relative to
other states on % of DBHS tags relative to DBHS populations
– Kyle Meintzer
• Update on interactions that CA
WSF has with DFG administration
& politicians – Kyle Meintzer
There has been solid progress, but
there are also challenges! Sheep
Summit XII will be In Ontario the
day before the Hunter Orientation.
Summer 2012
RESPONSIVE MANAGEMENT RELEASES RESULTS OF
THREE NEW HUNTING STUDIES
Three new Responsive Management studies completed
during the first quarter of 2012 suggest continued growth
and support for hunting across America. Examining initiation into hunting from three different angles, the studies
together indicate that increased interest and involvement
in hunting will follow increased exposure to the sport,
particularly through several crucial sources: peer influence
from friends, classmates, and neighbors; hunter education
courses sponsored by state fish and wildlife agencies; and
first-time apprentice licenses that temporarily exempt new
hunters from hunter education requirements and allow
them to "test drive" the sport for a certain period.
Despite misperceptions among many youngsters, the
study, which entailed two focus groups and a nationwide
scientific telephone survey of youth ages 8 to 17 years old,
revealed that most youth support hunting and shooting
and affirm the right of others to participate in them: 78%
of survey respondents said they approved of hunting when
it is legal to do so (49% strongly approved) and 86%
approved of target shooting when it is legal to do so (50%
strongly approved). Similarly, regarding the right of others
to hunt and shoot, youth are largely accepting and tolerant, even if they personally disagree with the activities.
Indeed, the most common reaction by youth to a friend
going hunting or target shooting is to actively encourage
the friend's participation, rather than to be neutral or
actively encourage the friend not to participate. While
most youth surveyed had never been invited to go hunting
or target shooting, the results regarding the number who
would go if invited point to substantial openness among
youth to try the activities: nearly 24 million youth ages 8
to 17 would be likely to go hunting if invited within the
next 12 months, and nearly 17 million of these individuals
are non-hunters. Similarly, nearly 28 million youth ages 8
to 17 would be likely to go target shooting if invited within
the next 12 months, almost 13 million of whom are nonshooters.
Understanding the Impact of Peer Influence
on Youth Participation in Hunting and Target
Shooting
In a study conducted as a project of the Hunting Heritage
Trust in cooperation with the National Shooting Sports
Foundation® (NSSF) to examine the effect of peer influence
on youth involvement in hunting and target shooting,
Responsive Management found that the more familiar
youth are with individuals their own age who hunt and
target shoot, the more likely they will be to support and
participate in these activities: youth who know others who
hunt and shoot (or who hunt and shoot themselves) are
more likely to say that the activities are "perfectly acceptable," more likely to recognize the role of hunters in
wildlife conservation, and more likely to believe that
hunters and shooters possess desirable qualities like intelligence, care for the environment, and care for other people.
At the same time, youth who are unfamiliar with hunting
and shooting (particularly because they lack close friends
or relatives who hunt or shoot) tend to fill in the gaps in
their knowledge with anecdotal impressions or – worse –
misinformation, myth, and misperception: almost half of
youth (46%) hold a negative opinion about hunting compared to other sports and activities, and a further 59%
strongly or moderately agree that legal hunting as practiced
today in the United States causes some species to become
endangered. These percentages suggest a fairly widespread
lack of familiarity with the two activities in question.
Because youth are more likely to support and participate in
hunting and shooting if they are familiar with individuals
their own age who take part in these activities, the research
reinforces the obligation for youth hunters and shooters to
recognize the weight and importance of their words and
actions with regard to their peers' perceptions of the two
activities. In fact, one of the chief recommendations to
emerge from the peer influence study is the creation of a
"Youth Hunter and Shooter Ambassador Program,"
initiated to capitalize on the current population of youth
hunters and shooters who can positively influence their
peers' attitudes toward the sports. The report also recommends that agencies and organizations encourage invitations to hunt and shoot, encourage talk about hunting and
shooting, and promote and encourage the social aspects of
the two sports wherever possible.
The more familiar youth are with individuals
their own age who hunt and target shoot, the
more likely they will be to support and
participate in these activities.
~ Peer Influence Study
Summer 2012
15
CA WSF
who successfully complete hunter education. Whether or
not this means a nominal fee applied to courses currently
offered for free would likely vary by state; however, the
data suggest that students will be substantially more likely
to continue their involvement in hunting if they leave a
course fully licensed and ready to head into the woods.
Other recommendations include the distribution of "onestop shop" information on how to begin hunting, the need
for agencies to maintain contact with new hunters through
a dedicated email list, and the need to encourage hunter
education classmates to keep in touch, especially for future
hunting trips together.
Increasing the Number of Hunter Education
Graduates Who Purchase Hunting Licenses
Two other recent studies were conducted under grants provided by the NSSF's Hunting Heritage Partnership program
and involved several southeastern state fish and wildlife
agencies and their hunting constituents. The first study
examined the rate at which graduates of classroom and
online hunter education courses in Alabama, Georgia, and
Kentucky go on to purchase licenses and hunt during the
season immediately following their course. In addition to
a series of focus groups conducted with youth and adult
hunter education graduates in each state, this project
entailed a pair of telephone surveys: the first was a precourse interview implemented in 2011 with individuals
scheduled to complete a hunter education course within
the month; the second, follow-up interview was implemented in mid-February 2012, after most major hunting
seasons in the three states had ended.
Evaluating Apprentice Licenses as a Hunter
Recruitment Strategy
In the second HHP grant-funded study, Responsive
Management conducted five focus groups and a telephone
survey to examine a population of potential hunters one
step removed from hunter education: holders of apprentice
licenses, which exempt prospective hunters from state
hunter safety certification requirements while they hunt
with mentors or other properly licensed individuals. The
research involved five states, three of which (Kentucky,
Virginia, and South Carolina) offer apprentice licenses as
a one-time exemption, and two of which (Alabama and
Georgia) sell apprentice licenses without a limit on the
number a sportsman can purchase.
Between 53% and 70% of individuals who
had never hunted or possessed a license before
obtained a hunting license for the following season
after completing a hunter education course.
~ Hunter Education Study
Overall, the study results are encouraging for the participating agencies and point to the effectiveness of hunter education offerings in the three study states: about three-quarters
of hunter education graduates of license-purchasing age
across the three states went on to obtain a hunting license
after the course for the following hunting season, and
between 53% and 70% were individuals who had never
hunted or possessed a license before. Similarly, between
59% and 82% of hunter education graduates went hunting
in their state of residence during the season immediately
following their course (between 47% and 63% were individuals who had never hunted or possessed a license
before).
Between 18% and 38% of apprentice license
holders enrolled in a hunter education course
after obtaining an apprentice permit.
~ Apprentice License Study
As with hunter education students, many apprentice
license holders have experience hunting before they
obtain an apprentice permit (between 54% and 69%
across the five states had hunted prior to holding an
apprentice license, usually on private land). Regarding
the effectiveness of apprentice licenses as a recruitment
tool for encouraging subsequent hunting participation,
between 18% and 38% of apprentice license holders across
the five states enrolled in a hunter education course after
obtaining an apprentice permit (among those who did not,
between 17% and 41% said they were very likely to do so
within the 12 months following the survey). Additionally,
between 27% and 61% of apprentice license holders across
the five states purchased a state hunting license after
obtaining an apprentice license (among those who did
not, between 38% and 57% said they were very likely to
do so within the 12 months following the survey). Finally,
between 62% and 76% of apprentice license holders
surveyed said they were very likely to go hunting within
the 12 months following the survey.
Interestingly, the study determined that the intent or
motivation of the hunter purchasing the apprentice license
is influenced in large part by any purchasing limitations
In addition to these core findings, the hunter education
surveys also determined that most hunter education students come from hunting families, with most having some
level of hunting experience prior to completing a course.
Furthermore, between 24% and 48% of students across the
three states held a hunting license of some type before the
course, suggesting that some hunter education students
enroll in a new course to replace a lost certification card or
to obtain certification for a new state of residence. Additionally, many hunter education students are adults
accompanying children or spouses to courses for their first
time.
Overall, the hunter education research suggests that the
fewer barriers students face after completing a course, the
more likely they will be to purchase a license and hunt. As
such, one of the recommendations prompted by the study
is for agencies to obtain funding in order to issue at the
conclusion of each course a hunting license to all students
CA WSF
16
Summer 2012
instituted by the sponsoring state agency. In states where
apprentice licenses are one-time permits that can be purchased and used only once, apprentice license holders are
obligated to move on to hunter education and regular
licenses after their trial hunting period expires. On the
other hand, in states where apprentice licenses can be
purchased multiple times, the permits tend to be popular
among longtime hunters attracted to the convenience and
inexpensive price of a short-term hunting license. Further,
some states also include fishing privileges with their temporary apprentice permits. In many cases, an apprentice
license sold may simply indicate an individual seeking a
short-term, inexpensive fishing permit (many such sportsmen do not even bother to hunt on the permit at all,
thereby demonstrating the shortfall of gauging new hunter
recruitment simply through apprentice license sales).
In addition to recognizing these differences in the two
types of apprentice licenses (i.e., one-time versus unlimited
offerings), recommendations from the apprentice license
study include communicating state hunter education
requirements to apprentice license hunters, emphasizing
hunter education as the natural next step following an
apprentice permit, and providing follow-up information
and "next step" guidance to new hunters who purchase
apprentice licenses.
The apprentice license report is available for download at
http://www.responsivemanagement.com/download/reports
/Apprentice_License_Eval_Report.pdf
NSSF LAUDS SENATE VOTE PROVIDING $1.4 BILLION
TO IMPROVE LAND ACCESS FOR SPORTSMEN
NEWTOWN, Conn. -- The National Shooting Sports
Foundation applauds yesterday's bipartisan approval by
the Senate of an amendment that will expand funding
for conservation and improve access to public lands for
sportsmen and women.
In reauthorizing the $1.4 billion Land and Water
Conservation Fund, the Senate approved a measure to
dedicate 1.5 percent of funds to securing public access to
existing public lands.
Securing funding for "making public lands public" is
an NSSF legislative priority that is strongly supported by
over 40 conservation and sportsmen's organizations. Projects to provide access to public lands will include
acquiring conservation easements on private parcels that
currently prevent access to large swaths of public land.
Summer 2012
"Expanded access to public land is vital to both
today's sportsmen and future generations," said Lawrence
G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel. "Increased access results in increased participation."
Introduced by Senators Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Richard
Shelby (R-Ala.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.), the amendment will be included in a broader transportation bill
that is expected to pass the full chamber by Tuesday.
The bill then heads to the House, where support for
LWCF funding is less certain.
The LWCF provision would double current funding
levels for the program to $700 million for each of the
next two years and reauthorize it until 2022 at $1.4 billion total. Funding comes from a portion of offshore oil
and gas leasing revenues.
17
CA WSF
2012 FUNDRAISER
Photos were taken by Chip Hollister, [email protected], 925-586-8980 – Special Thanks from CA WSF
CA WSF
18
Summer 2012
John Berens wins both Largest and Oldest Ram Awards.
Bret Scott wins State Record Archery Award.
Photos were taken by Chip Hollister, [email protected], 925-586-8980 – Special Thanks from CA WSF
Summer 2012
19
CA WSF
Thanks to our donors for making the 2012 fundraiser a success
LOWA BOOTS
ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME
PERMIT SECTION
Dan Hill
530.582.4997
[email protected]
http://www.lowaboots.com
Juneau, AK 99811-5526
907.465.4148
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/
USA SHOOTING TEAM
EXPLORER SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
719.866.4880
[email protected]
http://www.usashooting.org/
Andy Cool
954-763-8650
[email protected]
http://www.explorersatellite.com
WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION
WHITE GOAT GALLERY
307.527.6261
http://www.wildsheepfoundation.org
Rick Taylor
250-353-7735
[email protected]
http://www.whitegoat.com/
TEJON RANCH
Brian Grant
661.663.4255
[email protected]
http://www.tejonranch.com
MULE SHOE OUTFITTERS
Justin or Sandy Wright
307.537.5812
[email protected]
http://www.muleshoeoutfitters.com
STATE OF NEVADA, DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE
4600 Kietzke Lane Suite D135
Reno, NV 89512
775.688.1512
http://www.ndow.org/hunt/
CORDOBA HUNTING SA
Faco Pavcovich
54.9351.373.0004
[email protected]
http://www.cordobahunting.com/
EDEN RIDGE OUTFITTERS
John McCollum
541.572.2305
[email protected]
http://edenridgeoutfitters.com/
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME
1812 Ninth Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
916.445.3728
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/hunting/
CABELA’S T.A.G.S. SERVICE
Eric Pawlak
1.800.755.8247
[email protected]
http://www.cabelas.com/big-game-tags.shtml
SOCIETY FOR THE CONSERVATION OF BIGHORN
SHEEP
310-339-4677
http://www.sheepsociety.com
GUNWERKS
1.887.486.9375
[email protected]
http://www.gunwerks.com
SOUTHERN HUNTING SAFARIS
Scott Thomson
64 3 685 5288
[email protected]
http://www.southernhunting.co.nz
BLACKROCK OUTFITTERS
Michael Hornbarger
775-421-8930
[email protected]
FRONT SIGHT FIREARMS TRAINING INSTITUTE
1.800.987.7719
[email protected]
http://www.frontsight.com
MCBRIDE HUNTING SERVICES
Rowdy McBride
432.837.2047
[email protected]
CHUNGO CREEK OUTFITTERS
Greg Kristoff
(403) 844-3368
[email protected]
http://www.chungocreekoutfitters.com
CA WSF
20
Summer 2012
LIKHULU SAFARIS
GRAND SLAM CLUB/OVIS
Matt van Vuuren
27.82.519.6169
[email protected]
http://www.likhulusafaris.com
Dennis Campbell
205.674.0101
[email protected]
http://www.wildsheep.org
WESTERN WILDLIFE TAXIDERMY
MCBRIDE’S METAL WORKS
Aaron Armstrong
916.204.8380
[email protected]
http://www.western-wildlife.com
Ed McBride
760.608.2777
[email protected]
www.mcbridesmetalworks.com
WILDEATS ENTERPRISES
TIMBERLINE OUTFITTERS
John McGannon
650-359-8335
[email protected]
http://www.wildeats.com
Perry Hunsaker
480-988-9654
[email protected]
http://www.timberlineoutfitters.com
GIUSEPPE CARRIZOSA SPAIN
R&R GUIDE SERVICE
Giuseppe Carrizosa
34913572064
[email protected]
http://www.giuseppecarrizosa.com
Rob Jones
907.272.6739
[email protected]
http://www.rrhunting.com/
THE GATLIN BROTHERS AND GOLD
COUNTRY CASINO
KINGFISHER CHARTERS AND LODGE
Chuck Haydu
907.826.3350
[email protected]
http://www.alaskakingfisherlodge.com
www.gatlinbrothers.musiccitynetworks.com
www.goldcountrycasino.com
POINT BLANK HUNTS
HUNTINEUROPE
Joe Jakab
412.915.8178
[email protected]
http://www.pointblankhunts.com
Srdja Dimitrijevic
393356326899 mobile
[email protected]
http://www.huntineurope.com
SILVER SPUR OUTFITTERS
ARTISTIC WILDLIFE TAXIDERMY
Trent Snyder
970.249.4242 phone/fax
[email protected]
http://www.huntsilverspuroutfitters.com/
Eric Gould
530.229.0775
[email protected]
http://www.artisticwildlifetaxidermy.net/
CANADIAN MOUNTAIN OUTFITTERS
BIG RACKS OF MONTANA
Bryan Martin
250.317.5525
[email protected]
http://www.canadianmtoutfitters.com
Michael Beattie
406.459.1896
[email protected]
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Racks-of-Montanaoutfitters
ANDES SAFARI PERU
Gonzalo Paredes
0051-54958332306
[email protected]
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS EXPIRE JULY 31!
If you renew anytime in 2012, including at the fundraiser, you will be covered until July 31, 2013.
Membership options are:
Annual - $40 • 3 year - $100 • Life - $500
Renewal method options include: email, phone, mail, or on the website at www.cawsf.org!
Please keep your membership current, invite others to join – and please consider upgrading to Life Member.
Summer 2012
21
CA WSF
PROTECTING BIG GAME ABUNDANCE
FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
by Ryan Benson
Big, Big News
strength of our position and the legal arguments
supporting that position. To this point, the courts
have agreed with our position.
Here is a quote from the ruling: Appellant’s
arguments that Section 1713 is a repeal rather than
an amendment must fail for a similar reason. Congress
did not repeal any part of the ESA. Rather, Congress
effectively provided that no statute, and this must
include the ESA, would apply to the 2009 rule. Congress
thus amended the law applicable to the agency action.
Appellants also contend that the meaning and effect
of the 2009 Rule as reissued under Section 1713 are
unclear, and that ambiguity prevents the court from
finding an amendment. We cannot agree. The meaning
and intended effect of Section 1713 are perfectly
clear. The partial delisting was to take effect within
60 days, with no court review or interference.
Finally, we observe that while Section 1713 bars
judicial review of the reissuance of the 2009 Rule, the
2009 Rule does provide standards by which the agency
is to evaluate the continuing viability of wolves in
Montana and Idaho. See, e.g., 74 Fed. Reg. 15,123 at
15,186. Review of any regulations issued pursuant to the
Rule or of agency compliance with the standards, does
not appear to be restricted. Section 1713 itself, however,
ordering the Rule to issue without regard to the laws that
might otherwise apply, is entitled to be enforced. The
bottom line is that once again, the courts have ruled in
favor of wolf delisting. Wolf management will continue
in the Northern Rockies by state fish and game agencies
including regulated hunting by sportsmen. Thank you
for your ongoing support. We will continue to keep you
apprised of developments as they arise. A great victory
for healthy wildlife populations and for our outdoor
heritage.
30 minutes ago, we found out that we have won in
court when it comes to wolves and wolf delisting. The
ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco clearly supported the legality of the Congressional
action to delist wolves in the Northern Rockies. The
opinion, written by Judge Schroeder, dated March 14,
2012, ruled that Section 1731 (the wolf bill) was constitutional and that this action by Congress to delist wolves
in the Northern Rockies was fully legal. This is a huge
victory for wildlife conservation and will allow wolf
management to continue in Montana and Idaho. It also
protects Wyoming's legal victory and leaves the door
open for a Wyoming delisting later this year.
As many of you are aware, Big Game Forever and
other conservation organizations, including partner
organizations Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife and
Mule Deer Foundation are parties to this litigation.
Detailed Analysis
This particular legal challenge attacked various aspects of
the constitutionality of the wolf bill in Congress. This
particular case began last year in Judge Molloy's court in
the Western District of Montana. Judge Molloy ruled
that Congress has full authority to amend its own laws,
including the Endangered Species Act, and that the
delisting by Congress was constitutional. The case was
appealed to the 9th circuit, where the constitutionality
of Section 1731 was once again challenged. The court
also ruled that Congress did amend the endangered
species act through this action to the extent it was
inconsistent with the Congressional delisting language.
While it is entirely possible that this case may be
appealed to the Supreme Court, the victories at the
district court level and at the 9th circuit are a great
sign. We have believed throughout this process in the
http://biggameforever.org/ • [email protected]
Have you Checked Out the Website Lately?
You should!
www.cawsf.org
CA WSF
22
Summer 2012
WHY THE LEFT-WING SHOULD LOVE HUNTERS
Reprinted from Ammoland.com
and found by Beverly Valdez
Columbus, OH -- (Ammoland.com) May 15, 2012 - The
last 30 days have been chock full of key events that have
a tremendous impact on the future of hunting, fishing
and recreational shooting in America – events that are
leading many sportsmen and women to draw conclusions about (or further cement their conclusions about)
Democratic decision makers.
There are so many reasons why the left-wing should love
American hunters.
Here are seven:
1. We’re a minority. There are roughly 20 million
hunters in the United States, making us less than
seven percent of the population. Democrats purport to
be the champions of the under-represented. Here we
are!
• In the nation’s capitol, Congress debated sportsmen’s
access to public land, whether EPA could regulate
ammunition and fishing tackle, whether recreational
shooting should be permissible on national monument
land where compatible, and last whether the United
States should allow the importation of legally hunted
trophies.
2. We eat free range / organic food. Democrats decry
large livestock farms, and the use of hormones in
meat. Whether deer or duck, game is the ultimate
healthy choice. What’s the difference between freerange chicken and free-range pheasant?
• In California, the Senate debated whether to ban hunting black bears and bobcats using hounds.
3. We preserve green space. No single group of Americans puts more money into habitat acquisition and
preservation than hunters…billions upon billions of
our license dollars and taxes on firearms and ammunition for land that everyone else can use for free. I
thought Democrats love free stuff!
• In Ohio, lawmakers protested colleagues holding clay
bird shooting events as political fundraisers in the
wake of a school shooting that occurred in February
250 miles away from the proposed event.
4. We feed the hungry. Each year, hunters donate thousands of pounds of venison to local food pantries.
One would think the party of the Great Society would
welcome our contribution to the safety net.
In each of these cases, it was Democrats who led the
charge opposing hunting rights, restricting target shooting or decrying the use of firearms for recreational purposes.
5. We support women’s rights. There are few things that
make a sportsman happier than successfully hooking a
woman on hunting. We’re even okay that they outshoot us many times.
• In Congress, HR, 4089, the Sportsmen’s Heritage Act
passed by an overwhelming 274-146 vote. Of the no
votes, 144 were Democrats. (79% of the Democrats in
the U.S. House)
6. We’re just regular folks. For every African big-game
hunter, there are thousands of hunters making a bluecollar living, and driving our American made trucks.
• In California, SB 1221 passed the Senate Natural
Resources Committee 5-3; followed by a 5-2 vote
before the Appropriations Committee. All yes votes
were Democrats. Not a single democrat voted to protect hunting.
7. We’re animal lovers. Hunters are the ones who pay for
endangered species rehabilitation, not Hollywood
actors or fashion models. And don’t even get me started on our dogs. No one loves and is more obsessed
with dogs than hunters. And we don’t keep our dogs
caged in purses where they can’t even turn around or
stretch their legs.
• And as one might expect, the howls of protest over the
shooting event fundraiser in Ohio were by Democratic
lawmakers; while the shoot was held by a Republican.
It’s not news that sportsmen have a much harder time
gaining support from Democratic lawmakers. The question is why?
Summer 2012
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CA WSF
CALIFORNIA KING AN “OLD WARRIOR”
by John Berens
Anderson of San Gorgonio Wilderness Outfitters.
Instantly, from our first talk, I knew that Terry was
my man. I could feel his love and passion for these animals over the phone. He has spent more than 40 years
working hand in hand with various groups and organizations for the conservation of these tremendous animals.
His knowledge about bighorn sheep and the individual
hunting units is extraordinary.
Everything was now set, and all that was left was
time, conditioning, and loads of shooting practice. I
worked out twice a day for four months: running,
weightlifting, and hiking. Included in my schedule was
shooting every weekend and sometimes during the week
before work. There would be no doubt of readiness for
this highly coveted experience, and believe me, not a day
went by that I did not think about the hunt. Terry had
kept in touch with me during the long four months,
sending some incredible photos of sheep in my unit.
Finally, December arrived and I felt ready. My father
and brother were both coming along on the hunt. We
were to meet Terry and his crew two days before opening
day. Saying our goodbyes to our families, we began our
10-hour drive to the desert.
When we arrived, Terry’s whole crew was there and
discussing their scouting activities. Earlier in the week
they had been able to spot a few real nice rams. One of
those in particular really stood out. He had a chip in his
right horn and was exceptional! The only challenge was
that the winds had picked up and the rams vanished with
it. The agenda for Friday, one day before opening day,
was to find the rams again.
With luck in our favor, my brother, guides Jake
Franklin and Pete Buckelew and I were able to relocate
the group of rams, now five in all. The ram known for his
chip in the right horn was among the five. Meanwhile,
Terry, my dad and I were checking out another area of
the unit. We were able to locate a few rams, but nothing
that had harvest potential. After putting the five rams to
bed, we met up with the guys at camp after nightfall.
Andrew Pontious, another guide for Terry, joined us
in camp that night. He would be joining Jake F., Terry
and I on opening morning. In order to relocate the group
of five rams, we made plans to leave camp around 3:30
a.m. My brother and Pete were headed back to where they
had originally spotted the rams so they could relocate the
rams if our plan didn’t work out. The rest of us had a very
long drive around the mountain to get into a spot where
we could hike. Terry went over the game plan once more
before he went up on the highest ridge to try and glass
the rams. Jake F., Andrew, and I headed out in the dark,
hoping to reach a glassing area at first light. We hiked in
about 3 miles before reaching a ridgeline that would provide us a different view of where they had last seen the
This whole unbelievable saga began back in late June. My
brother-in-law, Jordan Gammon, had come by the house
and mentioned that the online draw results were available
for the State of California. Jordan was excited that he had
been drawn for a coveted archery deer tag. So I jumped
on the computer before work to check the draw results,
quickly noticing that in the results column were two
“YES” responses. The first was a general deer tag that practically everyone in the area gets; the second column read
“YES” for “Bighorn Sheep.” My heart skipped several
beats. I couldn’t believe it … this must be a mistake.
While going about my business getting ready for work, I
went back to the computer three different times before
leaving for work. Each time the results were the same:
“Bighorn Sheep”!!!
Picking up the phone, I proceeded to call the three
most influential men in my life: my father, John; my
brother, Jake; and my father-in-law, Pete. My brother
couldn’t believe the news. His words of wisdom were: get
in shape, hit the range heavily, and seek the services of an
outfitter. He stressed covering every base because this is a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Even though the tag was
for California, Zone 504 in the Orocopias was 10+ hours
away. Also, not wanting to squander this great opportunity, I set out to find an outfitter to help me in this great
quest. As luck would have it, just as I was trying to figure
out which direction to go in finding a guide, the best of
the best fell right in my lap. A family friend, Bob Thurman, had done some archery shooting with a fellow
named Pat Butler, who was a guide for a prominent outfitter for desert bighorn sheep. I was able to obtain Pat’s
number and give him a call. He led me directly to Terry
CA WSF
24
Summer 2012
rams the night before, and we glassed for roughly about
an hour before the wind began to really pick up, chilling
us to the bone. We could see Terry up on the ridge, getting tossed around in the wind. Just about then Jake F.
spotted the five rams about a mile and a half off in the
distance in a bowl out of the wind, trying to sun themselves. We were able to watch them for the next 45 minutes before they disappeared over a ridge into a fold out
of view. The fold they went into was visible from almost
nowhere. With that, Terry decided to go to a location
where, if the rams were to leave the fold, he would see it.
At this point we decided to go ahead and make a
stalk. We dropped down from our glassing location into
a wash below us. We then climbed out of this wash onto
the next ridgeline and then dropped off again into a bigger wash. This larger wash would lead us right to where
we had last seen the rams. Being able to use these washes
to hide ourselves was a key in helping us stalk close to the
rams. Reaching the bottom of the ridgeline where we had
last seen them, Jake F. caught a glimpse of horns and we
all froze. About 50 feet away in the wash was a brushy
area. This would hide us while I set up for the shot. It was
a perfect spot because not only did it provide cover, but
also a slight incline to help make for an easier shot. The
challenge was getting to that brushy area. There would be
a few spots that would put us out in the open and easy
for the rams to see us. Crawling, pausing, freezing, crawling some more, it took 45 painful minutes to cover that
distance. Finally in position, with one pack as a rest and
two others to help elevate my body, I found a comfortable position to lay prone at a 45° angle upwards. Terry
had located the rams in the fold, I could now see up the
draw, but could only see two of the rams. That was
enough because the one with the chip in the horn was
one of them, ranged at 312 yards. Right as I was set up,
the Old Warrior lay down. The other ram he was with
slipped out of view. Now it was just the Old Warrior a
nd us. Waiting for him to get up from his bed, so many
thoughts were racing through my head. Desperately trying not to let the size of the horns affect my state of
mind, after 15 minutes of waiting, this beautiful Old Warrior — a monster of a ram — stood up facing straight at
me. My stomach reached my throat. One step and he was
going to walk out of sight. Then … making his last turn
to look behind him, he turned broadside. Four months
of preparation left my model 700 Remington 7mm. The
next thing I heard was Jake F. and Andrew screaming over
and over, “HUGE RAM DOWN!” The exhilarating feeling
at that moment is hard to put into words … a feeling I
will never forget. Admittedly I was a little choked up to
say the least.
Reaching the ram about 45 minutes later, the dream
was reality. The Old Warrior was magnificent, and I was
trembling with excitement. Jake F. asked me if I had any
idea what had just happened. Although nobody wanted
to say it, I could read it on their faces. A very special trophy ram was just taken. Jake went straight to his satellite
phone and called Terry, my brother and Pete. Luckily we
got ahold of them because there was a lot of work to be
done. About an hour later my brother and Pete came over
the ridge. It was a special moment for me. Sharing this
hunt with my brother is something I will never forget.
They all made it very clear that we were in no huge rush
and we were going to take HUNDREDS of pictures. They
kept reminding me, “It will be worth it in the end.” The
heavy pack out was a tough few miles, but with horns on
my back and my brother at my side, I couldn’t have been
more thankful.
Thank you to California Wild Sheep and California
Fish and Game for your invaluable information. I want
to thank San Gorgonio Wilderness Outfitters: Terry, Jake,
Andrew, Pete and Cactus Jack. What an incredible adventure. I want to thank my father and brother for their
encouragement and support. Finally, to my wife, Vickie,
and my children, I thank you for allowing me to chase
a dream.
The ram scored a gross of 187 1/8 and a net of 185
3/8 Boone and Crockett — a new California state record
for desert bighorn sheep. Thank you Old Warrior!
Irish Humor
Shared by Famous Member, Tammy Scott
John O'Reilly hoisted his beer and said, "Here's to spending the rest of me life between the legs of me lovely wife!"
That won him the top prize at the pub for the best toast of the night!
He went home and told his wife, Mary, "I won the prize for the best toast of the night." She said, "Aye, did ye
now. And what was your toast?" John said, "Here's to spending the rest of me life sitting in church beside me
wife."
"Oh, that is very nice indeed, John!" Mary said.
The next day, Mary ran into one of John's drinking buddies on the street corner. The man chuckled leeringly
and said, "John won the prize the other night at the pub with a toast about you, Mary."
She said, "Aye, he told me, and I was a bit surprised myself. You know, he's only been in there twice in the
last four years. Once I had to pull him by the ears to make him come, and the other time he fell asleep.”
Summer 2012
25
CA WSF
PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD
Britt Bogue
Desert Bighorn
2011/12 Season - Old Dads
Taken with Dry Creek Outfitters
Rich Papapietro
Desert Bighorn
2011/12 Season - Marble/Clippers
Doug Hausman
Desert Bighorn
2011/12 Season - Clark/Kingstons
Mark Dickson
Desert Bighorn
2011/12 Season - Orocopias
Dale Soditus
Desert Bighorn
2011/12 Season - Sheep Holes
Bob Totah
Desert Bighorn
2011/12 Season - Marble/Clippers
Mike J. Borel
Pyrenean Chamois
May 2012 - Spain
Note: 11+ Years Old
Scott Swasey
Himalayan Tahr
May 2012 - New Zealand
Taken with Manganui Safaris
(2010 Chapter Fundraiser Donor)
Scott Swasey
Alpine Chamois
May 2012 - New Zealand
Taken with Manganui Safaris
(2010 Chapter Fundraiser Donor)
CA WSF
26
Summer 2012
Summer 2012
27
CA WSF
CA WSF
28
Summer 2012
SPORTSMEN CONTRIBUTE BILLIONS
(from Western Outdoor News – May 25, 2012)
• Sportsmen’s dollars create $60 billion in retail sales, 1.9
million jobs, $8.7 million in state and federal tax revenues – and this creates a $159 billion ripple effect on
our national economy.
It sometimes drives us crazy hearing from some uninformed folks their assumption that sportsmen just “take”
in their hunting and fishing, somehow giving the impression that we don’t contribute anything to wildlife conservation and management.
• If hunting, fishing and trapping were a corporation, we
would rank 10th on the Fortune 500 List, ahead of
AT&T and Philip Morris.
The truth is, we are about the ONLY group that contributes, certainly not the anti-everything groups. Here are
some statistics:
• Sportsmen support more jobs than TWICE the number
of workers employed by Wal-Mart, the largest Fortune
500 employer.
• Each day of the year sportsmen contribute more than $3
million to wildlife conservation efforts. This amounts to
more than $1.5 billion a year.
• Texas sportsmen support more jobs than Exxon – the
largest employer in the state. Tax revenues generated by
sportsmen exceed the box office total of all U.S. movie
theaters or, better yet, the combined box office earnings
of the ALL TIME TOP 1- grossing films.
• Hunters contribute more than $21 billion to the U.S.
economy each year, supporting almost 700,000 jobs. For
every 25 hunters or fishermen, enough economic activity is generated to create one new American job.
Remember some of these statistics the next time someone
tries to tell you that hunting and fishing is bad, or that
we don’t do our share. We not only do “our” share for
wildlife, but we do the vast majority of the “nation’s”
share!
• For every taxpayer dollar invested in wildlife conservation, sportsmen contribute $12.
• Through over 10,000 private groups and organizations
(such as Ducks Unlimited, Pheasant Forever and the
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation) sportsmen contribute
an additional $300 million each year to wildlife conservation activities.
• Federal tax revenues generated by sportsmen in one year
could pay for the combined budgets of the Fish and
Wildlife Service, Endangered Species Appropriations,
Bureau of Land Management, National Biological Service and the National Park Service for two years.
• Federal tax revenues generated from New York sportsmen could pay for the entire U.S.Forest Service, Fish and
Wildlife Budget, Pennsylvania could pick up the same
tab!
• Sportsmen’s sales tax revenues generated in North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia could pay
for their entire State Parks and Recreation Budgets.
Sportmen’s retail sales in Alabama and Georgia are twice
the amount of those states’ entire annual production of
cotton.
Horn Core cross section of ram found dead at Woods
Guzzler – showing disease and insect damage.
• Sportsmen’s spending surpasses the value of our country’s major seafood production stats of South Carolina,
Virginia, Louisiana and Maine by more than three times
the market’s value.
Summer 2012
Photo courtesy of Terry Anderson, San Gorgonio
Wilderness Outfitters
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CA WSF
ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME TAG • ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME ADVENTURE
ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME SHOT
by Britt-Marie Jacobson-Bogue
all kinds of suggestions and ideas. I remember talking to
Tim Mercier and Cliff St. Martin of Dry Creek Outfitters.
Even after explaining to them about my handicaps, they
were very understanding and assured me that they would
be able to get me very close to a ram.
We were in the process of moving from Livermore to
a Del Webb Retirement Community in Manteca. Since we
were retired, we had plenty of time to devote to the hunt.
We decided to try hunting DIY to begin with.
In October, we went to the mandatory sheep hunter’s
clinic in Rancho Cucamonga. The clinic was held at the
Bass Pro Shop and I would receive my once-in-a-lifetime
tag after completing the orientation. I was the only
female to get a tag this year and I was so excited about
the hunt. We received so much information about the
desert and about Nelson bighorn sheep. We realized that
it was going to be very difficult to get close to these animals. It was enjoyable meeting all the people that had
been drawn for tags, along with different guides, and
those involved with the clinic.
After the orientation, Dan and I decided to drive to
the Old Dad/Kelso Peak unit and check it out. George
Kerr had given us a great map of the area and we were
eager to learn as much as possible. The 1.6 million acres
that the park consists of is very barren with a lot of
Joshua trees and red barrel cactus. We did not see any
sheep, but we still thought we would try it on our own
since we had two months of the season.
In November, we were finally settled in to our new
home at the retirement community. It wasn’t long before
December was upon us and it was time for my hunt to
begin. We arrived in Baker, California and checked into
the only hotel available in town. It was an older hotel,
but it was clean with a hot shower. We did some scouting
on Friday. It was a beautiful sunny day and the desert
looked fantastic. We were glassing Kelso Peak, Jackass
Canyon, and other areas that had been pointed out to us
— but no bighorn sheep. We met up with Eric (another
lucky tag holder), his wife, Anna, his mother and father,
and their friend and his grandson. We all met at the helicopter pad and had a great time. They were the nicest
people. They had all been out hunting but had not seen
any sheep yet either.
The next morning my husband and I got a really
early start. It was early in my opinion, but I was in banking for 40 years, so we have a slight difference of opinion
when it comes to early mornings. We glassed for some
time without any success. We ran into Eric’s parents and
they mentioned that Eric and Anna had gone on a long
hike around Kelso Peak. No one had seen anything yet, so
we decided to go to the Kelso station for lunch and see
Let us begin this story back in June 2011. I was with a
girlfriend on a cruise to the Caribbean. We were on the
ship “Oasis of the Sea,” one of the largest cruise ships in
the world. We had a wonderful time. When I returned
home, my husband, Dan, handed me an envelope. It was
from the California Department of Fish and Game. I
opened the envelope and I couldn’t believe what I was
reading. We have been applying in California for about
22 years. We have always said that our donations were
going to a good cause, never really expecting to be drawn.
Well, this year I was one of the lucky ones. I had been
drawn for a California Bighorn Sheep Tag! We just couldn’t believe it!
The very first thing I did was to send in my check to
the Department. The next thing was to do some research
on the internet about Nelson bighorn sheep, available
guide services, and any articles about hunting the Mojave
National Preserve for sheep. The unit that I was drawn for
was the Kelso Peak/Old Dads. We knew of some people
that had been drawn for that unit and were told that
access was pretty good. The more I researched, the more I
realized that this was going to be very difficult for us. As I
mentioned earlier, Dan and I have been putting in for the
draw for about 22 years. During that time age has crept
up on us, along with physical problems. Both my husband and I have heart conditions and are in need of pacemakers, defibrillators, artificial heart valves, etc. I also had
a knee replacement 2 years ago, and my doctor just
informed me that my other knee needs to be replaced as
soon as possible. I only mention this because the articles
that I read mentioned a lot of walking. I can’t even go
down to the floor. Yes, this was not going to be easy.
Since we are retired, time was not going to be an
issue. Everyone we spoke to was very helpful and gave us
CA WSF
30
Summer 2012
Cliff had Shawn and Brooks looking in different areas. It
wasn’t long before we had spotted three rams. These rams
were very nice rams; however, they were not in an easy
spot to get to. We watched them in the spotting scope
and determined that two of the rams were very big. We
told Cliff earlier that I didn’t care about the size as long as
it was a legal ram and that I could get to it. Cliff asked if I
could handle a walk along the wash to possibly set up for
a shot if the rams were to drop off the mountain to a
lower point. I told him no problem as long as we didn’t
have to climb a mountain. The rams were slowly feeding
and working their way downhill. Dan and I followed
Cliff’s lead and came in from the side of the rams, but
they were still about two draws away from us. After getting as close to them as we dared (600 yards), we sat
down to see if they would feed closer to us. Dan had been
great by always bringing my little 3-legged chair and my
tripod to shoot from when the time came. I had my walking stick, and I was carrying my husband’s 300 Browning
automatic rifle. The same rifle I had used to harvest my
elk in Colorado.
The rams did feed down the hill and bed, but they
were still too far for a shot. Eventually, after about three
hours, they got out of their beds and fed back up the
mountain and away from us. We decided to back away
from the rams and maybe get a chance at them at a later
time. There were a few hours of hunting left when we
arrived back at the truck, so we decided to continue working our way down the road and glassing. Shawn and
Brooks went ahead of us to glass.
In less than an hour, we were informed that the boys
had located a single ram feeding down low on the backside of Old Dad Mountain. After seeing the ram, I was so
excited! But how would we get to where he was? We
drove up the road and got out of the pickup. Cliff had
instructed us to be calm, and we slowly walked in the
direction of the ram. This was our only option. I hadn’t
realized until later that Cliff had already ranged the ram
at the pickup and it was 600+ yards. Dan and Cliff kept
telling me, “Just a little farther. You can do this.” The ram
was still feeding and was not acting alarmed. We finally
got to a good spot that was flat enough for my 3-legged
chair. Dan and Cliff got me organized with the tripod,
and I got my rifle in place and tried to find the ram in my
scope. Cliff guided me calmly until I had the ram in sight,
and he told me to put the crosshairs on the top of the
ram’s back. I did … and pulled the trigger. The ram spun
around, but I had shot just above him. Now I had to find
him in my scope again for another shot. Cliff again guided me patiently and calmly and told me to put it right on
him this time. I found the ram once again in my scope,
did what Cliff said and squeezed the trigger. I waited a
second, and with a smile on his face, Cliff said, “Ram
down.” I just looked at him dumbfounded, and he repeated, “You have a bighorn sheep on the ground.” I could
not believe my ears. Then the excitement kicked in.
Adrenalin was going through my whole body, and then
the museum. We enjoyed a nice lunch, spoke to the
Rangers and had a wonderful time. We learned more
about the park system and different places to look. I was
born and raised in Sweden. I came to the USA in 1960 by
myself. I have traveled all over the world, and the United
States has the most beautiful parks around.
After leaving the Kelso Depot, we decided to take a
dirt road toward the Marl Mountains. We suddenly saw a
man standing on the dirt road that we were driving on. It
was Eric’s dad, and they were glassing three rams that
Eric’s mother had spotted. Eric was already on his way
toward the rams, so we all joined with our spotting scopes
to watch the whole scenario unfold. It was exciting to
watch the sheep sparring and eating barrel cactus. It was
beginning to get late in the afternoon when we heard a
shot and the voice from Eric stating that a ram was down.
Since it was late and we were unable to help, Dan and I
gave our congratulations and headed back to Baker. We
told everyone that we would see them tomorrow.
The next day we stopped to see Eric and his family
and congratulate him on a very nice ram and a job well
done. Then Dan and I headed off to the same area where
Eric had taken his ram. There had been two other rams
with the ram that Eric shot, and we were hoping to find
one of them. But no such luck. We also tried looking at
several other areas, but again no sheep. For the next several days we hunted hard looking for my desert bighorn
sheep, but we had no luck in finding him. We decided to
go back home for the Christmas holiday.
Fast forward to January 7, 2012 and back to Baker,
California and the Mojave Desert, Wildlife Biologist Andy
Pauli, Cliff and Tim with Dry Creek Outfitters, and friend
Joe Wyman, who had drawn a sheep tag back in 2004.
Even Eric and his wife Anna wanted to come back down
and help us on the hunt. Bruno, another sheep hunter in
the unit, called and told us that he had killed his ram, so
we were the only ones left in the unit hunting.
We called Cliff St. Martin of Dry Creek Outfitters and
he told us that he could possibly help us for a few days,
after they finished up a hunt with a client in the Marbles.
We told him that we could sure use the help. That same
day, I saw six to eight ewes and a lamb. I was very excited! We also saw some quail, Jack rabbits, a golden eagle,
and a coyote. It seemed that the desert was full of life. I
was sure that my ram was out there, but I just couldn’t
see one.
The next day Cliff called and told us that their client
Bob Totah had just harvested a big ram and that they
would be able to help us for a few days before their next
scheduled hunt. We were both ecstatic because we knew
that we needed help in a big way and Cliff and Tim were
aware of our health problems.
January 10 at 6:00 a.m. (that’s early) we met with
Cliff, Shawn and Brooks at the hotel in Baker. That morning we found out how you are suppose to hunt desert
bighorn sheep. These guys definitely know what they are
doing. We drove to some areas that Dan and I had not
seen before. The cinder cone lava beds and up a mountain that was all black from the crushing of lava rock.
Summer 2012
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CA WSF
continued from page 31
tain and brought the ram down for me to have my picture taken with him. After the pictures were over, they
butchered up the ram and packed it away in ice chests,
along with the horns and cape.
On January 12, 2012 we took the ram to Andy Pauli,
the wildlife biologist. Andy and his wife were very happy
that I had gotten my ram. My ram was #321, which
means that only 321 rams have been taken in the 25
years. During that time, less than a dozen women have
been fortunate to draw a tag. By the way, this all happened on both my birthday and my anniversary. We had
been married at a Safari Club Convention in Las Vegas
some years ago. What a fantastic birthday and anniversary present!
I would like to say thank you to my husband, Dan,
for being so understanding and being my guide, chauffer,
and helping me in all aspects of the hunt. Thanks to Cliff
St. Martin for having the patience and understanding of
our health problems and his calmness for me to be able to
shoot the most beautiful ram in the Old Dad Mountains.
And to Andy Pauli, George Kerr, and everyone we came in
contact with prior to and during the hunt. Everyone was
so very nice and so helpful in making a dream come true.
We are all very fortunate to live in the beautiful State of
California with the ocean beaches, redwoods, mountains
and the deserts. Yes, I have a lot to be thankful for. My
son and grandson, together with all our friends, are all
amazed … including some friends I have lunch with once
a month, who worked with me in banking back in the
sixties. They are all saying, “Well, Annie Oakley did it
again”… and I sure did!
came the shaking. Cliff said, “Do you know how far you
shot?” I told him, “Not a clue.” He said, “422 yards.” I
still had no clue, being Swedish; I never really got the
hang of yards or inches. I only knew meters or centimeters. Cliff said it is more than four football fields long, and
then it registered. What a shot! My husband just kept
shaking his head in disbelief. All of my shots at game
before were at 100-200 yards. After the high-fives and
hugging, Cliff insisted that Dan and I work our way back
to the truck since it was getting late. Shawn and Brooks
were about a mile or two away and they had seen the
whole thing. They saw the ram drop and a few seconds
later they heard the shot. They were so happy for me and
they were on their way to help me to the pickup and take
care of the ram. We had about 200 yards to get to the
truck. I was still shaking and couldn’t believe I had just
shot a ram that was more than four football fields away!
Cliff went up to take care of the ram while Shawn
and Brooks helped me down to the truck. Then back up
the mountain they went. What a team! They walked on
those rocks like they were mountain goats. Yes, everyone
was so happy for me, and part of me thought it would
never happen … but it did.
Thanks to my husband, Cliff, Shawn, and Brooks.
What a wonderful experience! My ram may not be a
Boone and Crockett sheep, but as far as I am concerned,
he is the best looking ram in the whole Mojave National
Preserve. I’m sure he is probably the longest shot by any
woman in the 25 years since sheep hunting in California
began … 422 yards … WOW!
The next morning the guys went back up the moun-
HISTORY ON THE UNDERPASSES, FENCES AND DRINKERS
on either side of the interstate between the Marbles and the Granites
by Dick Weaver
several water sources. We were unaware of any water
sources in the Marbles at that time.
My boss was successful in convincing CalTrans they
didn’t want to see any pictures like Arizona’s unfortunate
ram caught in California’s freeway fending. CalTrans
modified their specs in the contract before it went out for
bid. The fencing was changed to woven wire and two guzzlers were built, one on each side of the freeway. They
collected water from the pavement. We also got two culverts increased in size to 9 foot diameters, the largest steel
culvert available at that time.
To this day we don’t know if bighorn have used the
culverts. Bighorn have been seen near the fence, both
north and south of the freeway. I understand SCBS will
acquire state of the art cameras and determine if bighorn
or any wildlife are using these two culverts.
Here is what has and has not happened in California. In
1969, when I was working full time on the DFG bighorn
investigation, I found that there were bighorn in the Marble Mountains. The Department had a list of mountain
ranges that were known to have bighorn, but the Marbles
were not on that list.
I also found a bulldozer scar and survey stakes and
learned that old Highway 66 was going to be bypassed
and a freeway constructed. I was concerned about the
freeway fencing. If bighorn tried to go through a typical
five-wire barbed fence, they could catch their horns in it
and die. I had a picture from Arizona Game and Fish of a
dead ram hanging in freeway fencing near Quartzsite.
At that time we did not know if bighorn in the Marble Mountains were there seasonally or a separate population. We were sure they would try to get to the nearby
Granite Range where the forage was better and there were
CA WSF
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Summer 2012
NEWS & LITERATURE ON WILD SHEEP
from Beverly Valdez
Afghan sheep surviving (Marco Polo) and prospering - has
some good historical info on hunting in the ’60s/’70s
http://www.groundreport.com/World/Rare-Afghan-SheepSurvives-Despite-Poachers/2944586
On a similar track, North Dakota reports fewer licenses
being issued - means the tags will be even more in
demand
www.therepublic.com/view/story/775a60a730c24702a6008ad
5837f21a8/ND--Moose-Elk-and-Sheep/
Hunters, photographers - same “reward” of feeling
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/
03/04/SP0C1NE41B.DTL
Hikers in Palm Desert area want to have unleashed dogs -BLM doesn't like the idea of dogs chasing bighorn sheep
and others
www.mydesert.com/article/20120315/NEWS05/203150305/
Hopalong-Cassidy-Trail-hiking-dogs-may-be-allowed-popularstretch-on-leash?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage
Cadiz pipeline - using gas pipelines to move water in the
desert
http://www.pe.com/local-news/breaking-news-headlines/
20120302-desert-cadiz-considering-gas-pipeline-to-movewater.ece
Riverside area / Anza-Borrego park bighorn vs megadevelopment back in the news
www.courthousenews.com/2012/03/19/44793.htm
Several stories on the hiker gets the "Bump and Grind"
trail bighorn sheep info, also CA DFG pays for the court
costs
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20120313/NEWS01/203130
305/Hiker-fighting-Bump-Grind-trail-cutoff-gets-state-bighorndata?odyssey=nav|head
Peninsular Bighorn
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20120323/NEWS07/
203230305/Lawmakers-look-bring-down-gate-Bump-Grindtrail
Canadian sheep conference - short blurb with video
http://cfjctv.com/story.php?id=7615
California Bump and Grind trail remains hot as sheep vs
hikers is debated
www.mydesert.com/article/20120325/NEWS0301/203250343
/Hikers-back-bill-open-Bump-Grind?odyssey=nav|head
Nevada relaxes sheep hunting rules
http://www.thenorthwestern.com/usatoday/article/
38778329?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s
blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/03/am-alert-266.html
This is a great hunting story!
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/03/08/2058356/
cancer-motiviates-man-to-get-hunting.html
More on the Anza-Borrego vs wind project
eastcountymagazine.org/node/9161
Problems with desert debris in the Mideast is causing
animal deaths
http://arabnews.com/economy/corporatenews/
article586348.ece
North Dakota - less tags this year for elk, moose, sheep
(two fewer sheep licenses for total 4 available)
bismarcktribune.com/lifestyles/outdoors/odds-of-drawing-intobig-growing-slimmer/article_e946ad04-739a-11e1-a9280019bb2963f4.html
Info given by DF&G to hiker suing them has led to maps
showing sheep sightings
isun.blogs.mydesert.com/2012/03/14/where-the-bighornwild-things-are/
Colorado - hunters who support big game protections in
Browns Canyon (sheep wintering habitat)
www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_20234179/guestcommentary-hunters-who-support-protection-big-game
Article on wolf in the northwest has stats on kills by
wolves (which did include 2 bighorn sheep in Wyoming)
www.planetjh.com/news/A_108203.aspx
Several articles about coyote hunting uproar in
New Mexico
www.daily-times.com/ci_20237340/coyote-hunting-under-firenew-mexico
Story about decline of Dall sheep in Chugach State Park
www.alaskadispatch.com/article/why-has-chugach-state-parksdall-sheep-population-declined
www.necn.com/03/25/12/Coyote-hunting-contest-inNew-Mexico-sti/landing_
scitech.html?&apID=b5ec030e95ec44b2a990df77f95b6fad
www.10news.com/news/30776233/detail.html
Summer 2012
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CA WSF
Debbie Miller-Marschke made a video of the Big Gees
water hauling project from last summer. It is posted on
youtube. It doesn't have a lot of hits yet so the easiest
way to find it will be to use the hotlink through the
SCBS website (plus it will drive the search engines to
map our site):
Once again in The Desert Sun - general story about sheep
and their actions
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20120429/
COLUMNS08/204280333/1057/lifestyles02/
Bighorn+sheep+can+be+blissfully+oblivious
California - hunter education
Basic classes: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/classes.aspx
Advanced classes: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/advanced/
http://www.desertbighorn.org/index.php?option=com_
content&view=category&layout=blog&id=7&Itemid=21
DFG - new page for news about bighorn sheep
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/bighorn/
Montana - many accidents with sheep on the highways
and train tracks
http://missoulian.com/news/local/highway-accidentsdecimating-bighorn-sheep-herd-in-thompson-fallsarea/article_aae8dec4-94c4-11e1-abbb-0019bb2963f4.html
In the Bump & Grind, hikers may pay fines for crossing
the gate to bighorn area
www.mydesert.com/article/20120418/NEWS01/204180310/
Bump-Grind-fines-ahead-agency-warns
Nevada - Boulder City bighorn herd helping other herds
with translocation
www.lvrj.com/news/thriving-boulder-city-bighornreplenish-other-herds-150332155.html
Solar energy companies not going public - in part because
bighorn sheep and other desert flora and fauna blamed as
halting development in some areas
www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/commentary/sun-crash-solarenergy-green-rush-slows-down-in-desert.html
More on the Bump and Grind
http://www.kesq.com/news/Battle-Of-The-Bump-Grind//233092/13061194/-/hg70mrz/-/index.html
One of the biggest news items is the sheep killed on Hwy
74 - many stories and not just in California
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/830c546672524971a3
73301e6dadc8a4/CA--Bighorn-Sheep-Killed/
http://palmdesert.patch.com/articles/bighorn-sheep-struck-bycar-on-highway-74
State approves solar energy plan; pending governor
signing
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-solar-calico20120511,0,2786948.story
Nevada - more on herd health
http://www.necn.com/05/12/12/With-help-Nevada-bighornpopulation-boun/landing_scitech.html?&apID=
f5fa4c38c8a342808fb28f363d074762
A controversy brewing re how DOA-WS is handling
overpopulation of animals (in particular, coyotes) pretty far down in the piece, Tom Stephenson is noted
as not commenting, although someone who works with
him does.
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2012/04/30/2030694/
california-wildlife-services-methods.html
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/30/4452212/wildllifeservices-deadly-force.html
Utah - deer/sheep hunt on Antelope Island could be
extended
http://www.abc4.com/content/news/slc/story/
Deer-sheep-hunting-on-Utah-island-maycontinue/896OaZlEm0OYKUpus6YPog.cspx
The Desert Sun comes out in favor of sheep over hikers on
the Bump and Grind debate
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20120427/
OPINION01/204260358/Our-Voice-Protecting-bighorn-sheepmore-important-than-trail?odyssey= tab|topnews|text|Frontpage
More on the Nevada bighorn translocation
www.newsreview.com/reno/countingsheep/content?oid=6024337
GET YOUR NEWS FASTER AND TYPE LESS!
JOIN CA WSF ON FACEBOOK
LIKE OUR PAGE at California Wild Sheep
http://www.facebook.com/californiawildsheep
CA WSF
34
Summer 2012
Nor-Ca l’ s Big Game Spe ci a lis t
GET YOUR MESSAGE TO
CALIFORNIA SHEEP HUNTERS
6-Mon t h C omple t ion on Mo un ts
Advertise in the California Wild Sheep
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ram from 2006
Book 3 consecutive issues and get the
4th free (same ad and size).
Make check payable to CA WSF and send
e-version or camera-ready ad to our office.
Ask about our trophy hunts and
videography!
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CA WSF
423 Broadway #617
Millbrae, CA 94030-1905
(650) 697-6561
[email protected]
A r tistic Wi ldl i fe Ta x ider my
Nor-Cal’ s Wild Sheep Specialist!
Brian S. MacDonald
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Financial Advisor
Tel: 415.274.6054
800.450.8655
Fax: 415.644.5511
[email protected]
GOT A QUESTION ABOUT DESERT BIGHORNS OR
DESERT BIGHORN RANGES IN CALIFORNIA?
Got a question about Desert Bighorns or
Desert Bighorn Ranges in California?
101 California St., Suite 2575
San Francisco, California 94111-5898
800.937.0615
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.
Dick Weaver, the first dedicated Sheep Biologist
for California has lots of history and answers –
OFFER TO DO TALKS / PRESENTATIONS
and has offered to respond to your questions.
Send them to me at
Dick Weaver continues to do good things for wild
sheep and wildlife conservation. To that end he is
currently offering to do talks or presentations and
will donate the proceeds to a local wild sheep cause
in Glenwood near where he lives.
[email protected].
Answers will be in the next issue.
He also has an extensive collection of “stuff,” which
he is willing to donate to help sheep.
Example:
Q. Why are the Marble mountains so named?
Contact Dick Weaver through the editor,
[email protected].
A. Because marble was mined there!
Summer 2012
35
CA WSF
Bear Spa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkBQtDRgv5w
Thanks to Terry Anderson, San Gorgonio Outfitters, for sharing this picture and link!
CA WSF
423 Broadway #617
Millbrae, CA 94030
Non-Profit Org.
US POSTAGE PAID
Millbrae, CA 94030
PERMIT 31
www.cawsf.org

ca wsf newsletter - California Wild Sheep Foundation

Transcription

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