Washington Wild Sheep Foundation

WINTER
ISSUE
December 2010
Washington Wild Sheep Foundation
BOARD OF DI RECTORS
SUBMISSIONS:
The Wild Sheep
Newsletter is published
by the Washington Wild
Sheep Foundation.
Members, friends and
committee chairmen are
invited to submit stories,
photos, comments and
short articles.
Address all newsletter
correspondence to:
Glen Landrus
2751 Scenic Hills Dr.
Clarkston, WA
99403
509.758.7839
E-Mail:
[email protected]
Changes of address
require 30 days notice.
Information, articles and
opinions expressed do
not necessarily reflect the
opinions of the
Washington Wild Sheep
Foundation or its officers.
Officers:
President
Glen Landrus
2751 Scenic Hills Dr.
Clarkston, WA 99403
H-509.758.7839 W-509.243.4151
[email protected]
Vice-President
Bryan Bailey
3121 St. Hwy 508
Onalaska, WA 98570
H-360.978.6048 W-360.496.5411
F-360.496.3373
[email protected]
Vice-President
Andy Kelso
PO Box 656
Graham, WA 98338
C-253.312.7347
[email protected]
Secretary
Ken Harris
221 NW 105th St.
Seattle, WA 98177
H-206.706.7921 W-206.200.3611
[email protected]
Treasurer
Mike Vincent
8404 364th Ave SE
Snoqualmie, WA 98065
W-206.292.3495 C-206.793.6363
[email protected]
Board Members:
Craig Martin
744 Wolf Fork Rd.
Dayton, WA 99328
H-509.382.4930
C-208.750.6433
[email protected]
Clinton Harris
3905 403rd St E
Eatonville, Wa. 98328
[email protected]
Earl Landrus
1191 Lawrence Dr.
Clarkston, WA 99403
C-208.790.5220
Dennis Bagnell
206.650.8021
[email protected]
Jerry Tyrrell, Past President
600 S 56th Place
Ridgefield, WA 98642
360.887.7400
[email protected]
Roy Reese
[email protected]
Mark Torres
[email protected]
H-425.888.0932
C-425.864.1887
COMMITTEES
Membership & Merchandise: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Group Projects: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Newsletter & Special Projects: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wildlife Projects: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Publicity: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Banquet: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Website: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bryan Bailey
Ken Harris
Jerry Tyrrell
Craig Martin
Bryan Bailey
Andy Kelso
Glen Landrus
HERD LIAISONS
Cover photo by Andy Kelso
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NC Herd
NE Herd
SE HERD 1
Sinlahekin, Mt. Hull, Vulcan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Steve Kline
Lincoln Cliffs, Hall Mt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Steve Kline
Hells Canyon, Asotin Ck., Mtn View,
Black Butte, Joseph Ck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Glen Landrus
SE HERD 2 Wenaha, Tucannon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Craig Martin
S CENTRAL Quilomene, Selah, Cleman, Tieton, Umtanum . . . . . . . . . .Bryan Bailey
N CENTRAL Swakane, Chelan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ken Harris
FROM THE PRESIDENT
By Glen Landrus
As 2010 draws to a close, I can’t help but realize what a bitter-sweet
year it was for bighorn sheep in Washington. We started the year
off with some excitement with our members-only raffle drawing
giving away a Stone’s sheep hunt to Josh Prouty with Jarret Deuling.
Be sure to get your tickets ordered for your chance at a desert sheep
hunt with El Fuerte Outfitters.
The board spent a considerable amount of time this year working to
protect auction/raffle revenue for all big game species, including
bighorns. We adamantly opposed the outrageous expansion of the
raffle program; simply put the state is pimping out sheep tags to
fund other programs which we do not support. Furthermore, it
becomes a biological and permit allocation issue as well because of
the added raffles.
The Umtanum herd is still suffering from the residue of last winter’s
die-off. As predicted, sick sheep have been spotted on the Selah side
of the river. No plans are in place to lethally remove sick sheep this
winter. It’s a reminder that disease and domestic sheep conflicts are
the single greatest threat to healthy bighorn populations. Check out
the research project at WSU that we are funding this year.
In early July we drew the 6th annual Rocky Mtn Bighorn raffle.
Over $50,000 was raised for bighorn sheep projects in Washington
bringing the total to nearly $500,000 raised by WAFNAWS for the
state. Due to policy changes in Olympia, your board opted NOT to
market the permit in 2011. Refer to previous newsletters for more
detailed explanation as to why. We hope to get the situation resolved
and if so will consider marketing the permit in the future.
On a positive note, I went sheep hunting for myself ! In August I
had the pleasure to travel north with Jerry Tyrrell and Josh Prouty as
we all had hunts in the Yukon. You can see my success pictured
here on this page and watch for a story in the summer newsletter.
Let the record show…WASHINGTON rules for California
Bighorns. Congrats to Aaron Roth on his new state and world
record Cali. What an amazing ram! This is not accident folks,
WAFNAWS supports active wildlife management and conservative
harvest in some units to allow for trophy opportunities such as in
Swakane. Not to be outdone, a big congrats goes out to Cole
Wimbles for harvesting a new state record Rocky Mtn bighorn this
year as well. You’ll find short reports from both of these hunters
inside this issue. Also, in these pages you will find Brian Clintworth
with the first ram ever taken from Chelan Butte. What a year for
bighorns in Washington!
Finally, your board has been working on a name change and new
logo. We will now be known as the Washington Wild Sheep
Foundation. The name is more user friendly and the logo should be
much cleaner on letterheads, hats and shirts.
Thanks again for all your support. See you at our banquet in
February and get those raffle tickets purchased for a desert sheep
hunt!
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RESEARCH FUNDING
Washington Wild Sheep Foundation Donates $5000 to Fund
Disease Research Project at WSU
Request for funds from Washington Wild
Sheep Foundation
Project Title:
Prevention of transmission of Mannheimia haemolytica from
domestic sheep to bighorn sheep
Investigator:
Subramaniam (Sri) Srikumaran
Duration of Project:
November 01, 2010 – October 31, 2011
Problem to be solved:
The decline of bighorn sheep populations in North America from
two million animals in the 1800s to less than 70,000 at present, is
mainly due to a disease called pneumonia. Several die-offs of
bighorn sheep have been attributed to pneumonia following contact
with domestic sheep. Experimental commingling of bighorn sheep
and domestic sheep also has resulted in the death of almost all
bighorn sheep. Domestic sheep carry a deadly bacterium called
Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica in their throats to which the
domestic sheep are resistant, but the bighorn sheep are very
susceptible. When this deadly bacterium is transmitted to the
bighorn sheep they develop severe pneumonia and die. The death is
caused by a toxin (poison) produced by this bacterium. In this
proposal, we will test a novel strategy to prevent the transmission of
toxin-positive Mannheimia haemolytica from domestic sheep to
bighorn sheep, thereby preventing the development of pneumonia
and death in bighorn sheep.
How will be the problem solved:
We have discovered in vitro (in the laboratory) that another
bacterium called Bibersteinia (Pasteurella) trehalosi prevents the
growth of Mannheimia haemolytica and eventually eliminates it.
We have also identified a strain of Bibersteinia trehalosi that does
not produce the toxin, which enables us to propose a novel strategy
to prevent transmission of Mannheimi haemolytica from domestic
sheep to bighorn sheep. The objective of this study is to
intranasally inoculate this Bibersteinia trehalosi bacterium into
domestic sheep to eliminate the Mannheimia haemolytica, and then
to determine whether the inoculation of this Bibersteinia trehalosi
bacterium into domestic sheep prevents the domestic sheep from
transmitting the pneumonia causing bacterium to bighorn sheep
when they commingle. If this novel approach is successful, we will
have a strategy to prevent transmission of pneumonia from
domestic sheep to bighorn sheep and prevent the death of bighorn
sheep.
Photo by Andy Kelso
COST ESTIMATE:
The cost estimate for this project is $133,000.
Morris Animal Foundation, Wyoming Governor’s Big Game
License Coalition, Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the
Eastern Chapter of Wild Sheep Foundation have together provided
a total of $108,000 for this project.
Amount requested from Washington Chapter of Wild Sheep
Foundation: $5,000
Funding has been requested from other WSF Chapters also, to
meet the shortfall.
Biography of applicant:
Name:
Subramaniam (Sri) Srikumaran
Title:
Professor, Dr. Rocky Crate-FNAWS Endowed Chair
Office address:
Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of
Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman WA
99164-7040
E-Mail: [email protected]
Work phone: 509-335-4572
Cell phone: 509-432-5620
Work fax: 509-335-8529
Signature of Applicant: S.Srikumaran
Date: October 20, 2010
Always Wanted to Get Involved? Now’s the Time!
The WAFNAWS board of directors could use your help at the 2011 Seattle Sportsmen’s Convention with the following tasks:
• Setting up on Thursday, February 17
• Working at the registration desk handing out packets
• Helping distribute silent auction items at the end of each auction
• Breaking down after the Saturday night auction
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Contact Ken Harris, Andy Kelso, or Mike Vincent if you are interested.
M E M B E R S O N LY H U N T W I N N E R
By Josh Prouty
The opportunity for my first sheep hunt came in a way most
hunters' dream of. There I was standing around the WAFNAWS
table at the annual banquet held at the Meydenbauer Center in
Bellevue waiting for the Ten in '10 Members Only Raffle. The time
for the drawing was almost there and some friends, family and
fellow members were all standing around waiting for them to read
off the grand prize winner's name. And then, my name was
announced! I was excited beyond words and if you were standing
there by me you could see for yourself how excited I was. I wasn't
just going to be going on a sheep hunt, I was going to be going on a
STONE sheep hunt with Deuling Stone Outfitters.
Finally, it was July 29 and I'm meeting Jerry Tyrrell and Glen
Landrus in the morning at the airport for our flight up to the
Yukon. The flight up there was amazing and so beautiful. There's
just so much vast uncharted land that I have only dreamed about
hunting. After dropping Glen off in Dawson City, Jerry and I made
are way to Whitehorse, Yukon where we would be staying for the
night before our charter flight out in the morning. That night we had
dinner with Jerry's good friend, Stan Lancaster and his wife, before it
was off to bed. Needless to say I didn't sleep all that well in
anticipation of the next morning.
The next morning couldn't have come soon enough, we ate breakfast
and then it was pack up and move out. Jarrett and his hunter Ralph
headed out first. Their ride was going to be a little longer than ours
so they needed a head start. We headed out of camp about 45
minutes after they did and we had about 8-9 hours of saddle time
ahead of us. On the ride out we saw a few animals and about hour
seven in the saddle we spotted our first sheep of the trip, two rams
feeding along a steep grassy slope about two miles from us but on the
mountain range we would be hunting. We made our way to camp to
get things set up and made our plan of attack for the next morning.
It was nice having rams already spotted, it made are game plan
pretty easy for the morning.
Morning came pretty early, especially since there isn't much night in
the Yukon during the summer months. After breakfast we saddled up
and were on the trail down to where we had seen the rams the night
before. After arriving at the spot where we would tie up the horses,
Terry spotted the first ram and it looked like a good one. The hunt
was officially on as we made are way up the ridge to get to a better
vantage point. We spotted the ram again and he wasn't alone, he had
seven buddies with him. In the group there were three full curls,
three ¾ curl and two half curls. Looking over the group we decided
there were two definite shooters. The rams began to make their way
up the ridge, so we began our pursuit after them. It is amazing how
quickly they made their way up the ridge and out of sight. We
approached the top of the ridge checking every little draw on the
way with only 300 yards before the crest. Terry spotted the rams
bedded right at the top of the ridge. They were lying on this rocky
knife-edge, bedded strategically with eyes in all directions. Terry
spots a little knob that looks like a great spot to set up and get a good
shot from so we made our way to that point. I grabbed the spotting
scope from Breyin, our wrangler, so Terry could count the age on the
“The time for the drawing
was almost there and some
friends, family and fellow
members were all standing
around waiting for them to
read off the grand prize
winner's name...”
sheep. Soon, Terry gives me the ok and I begin to chamber a round.
"Oh no" I hear as I bring the gun up, all the sheep were out of sight.
We begin to make our way to the edge where the sheep disappeared
but a little to the right to play the wind. "DOWN" Terry says. The
sheep had just gone out of sight and bedded down again. As we
begin to belly crawl to a spot to shoot, one of the small rams spots us
and gets up and moves out of sight taking the rest of the sheep with
him, never to be seen again. The next three days were spent looking
for the band of rams.
Between ewes and young rams we weren't having good luck seeing
what we wanted. On the ride back to camp on day four we spot two
rams up a ridge we haven't looked at yet, so we had a game plan for
the morning. Making our way up the draw we stop to glass. I spotted
a ram bedded and it looks like a nice ram. After waiting to see what
the sheep was going to do we made a game plan. Finally after about
two hours of watching him he gets up and begins to move to the
right, up the ridge and out of site. We began the steep ascent up the
mountainside and when we get to the top, no ram. After glassing the
backside of the ridge we make our way down the ridgeline and there
he was bedded about 600 yards away.
When we got within 350 yards from him and he decides to get up
and bed down again this time facing right in our direction. In doing
so he pins us down in the most uncomfortable spot. I have to lay
down with a sharp rock jabbing me right in the side. About ten
minutes pass, which seems like an eternity. The ram gets up and
heads over the steep ridge. At that time we all jump up and take off
on a mad dash to where he disappeared in hopes that we won’t lose
this great opportunity. Approaching the edge Terry peeks over and
there he is not 75 yards from us. Terry grabs the spotting scope to
confirm age on the sheep, with me watching closely as he counts "1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, yes! I say in my mind he's legal." I chamber a
round and wait for the ram to turn, which he now is at 123 yards
steep downhill. Resting my crosshairs low on his vitals I squeeze off
the round, SMACK as the ram drops in his tracks, but the fun isn't
continued on page 25
5
H U NT FOR STON E S H EEP
By Andy Kelso
“I will admit that Stone sheep had become an obsession for me.”
A smile spread across my face as the L-19 bush plane lifted into
the air. Reality began to take the place of the fog and clutter that
had filled my head for the past six days. It finally started to sink in;
I was really going Stone sheep hunting! I had not anticipated the
call from my friend, Tom Fisher, who put me onto the cancellation
hunt with Stone Mountain Safaris. The following few days were
filled with ironing out the details of the hunt with outfitter Leif
Olsen, touching up things at work, packing and driving 1,222
miles.
I will admit that Stone sheep had become an obsession for me.
With the current price of Stone sheep hunts I knew my only
chance to ever hunt them would be to win a raffle or get in on a
last minute cancellation hunt. Knowing that both options were
long shots I still prepared every year as if it were the year. I
updated my gear and most importantly, kept myself in shape.
Motivation to train so intensely was hard to come by until I started
to enter into runs and multi-sport races. I am by no means a true
competitor but the feel of competition fuels me to push myself and
gives my training purpose.
As the plane rolled to a stop, I was greeted by the extremely
competent camp staff, my guide Shale, the Wrangler Martin and
Laura the cook. After settling in to a comfortable cabin, a
wonderful dinner and meeting the others hunters in camp, Sam
and Carroll and their guide Eric, it was off to bed early in
anticipation of the mornings hunt.
With breakfast eaten and the horses saddled we were on our way
at first light. The hour long ride flew by, as I was mesmerized by
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the incredible scenery in every direction. Minutes after the horses
were tied, Shale spotted four yews. Around noon, a storm cell
moved in. The wind picked up and the rain changed to snow and
hail. We climbed to a cave, several hundred feet higher, along the
basin wall to escape the weather. After the storm passed, we moved
into unknown territory further up the basin, seeing a couple of
caribou along the way. We were working our way along the bottom
when I glassed two feeding rams. One was a runt but the other
was a nice ram. Thru the spotting scope, we evaluated the mature
ram. He was extremely dark, his right horn was over the bridge of
his nose by two inches but the left horn was broomed off below the
bridge of the nose, thus not legal by curl. Shale studied the ram
and aged him at eight, just legal. We thought it would be best to
put together a stalk to confirm the age and if possible take a shot
from that location. Our route was problematic because we were
forced to cross a huge scree field after crossing the valley floor.
Going thru the scree was slow but we were doing a good job
maintaining our stealthy approach. About 30 minutes into the
stalk the wind shifted and blew directly toward the rams. When
we crept over the last spur, it was no surprise to find that the rams
had vanished.
Shale recommended that we return in the morning and try to find
the rams again. I suggested that we give them a day to calm down;
moreover, I wanted to see some different country and rams.
The next morning we rode about two hours up river to a different
basin. On the way, the Serengeti of the north displayed some of
its stunning treasures. A goat stood looking over an 800 foot shear
drop, a very large grizzly in a blueberry patch was gorging his way
to winter, elk, moose and caribou added variety to the mix. One
thing we did not see was sheep, despite being in some great
looking sheep country.
That evening, while enjoying supper, Sam and Carroll mentioned
seeing a variety of animals, they concealed their smiles as they
glossed over seeing some rams. Sam eventually revealed that
Carroll had spotted three rams up high on the mountain not too
far up river from camp. Eric said he looked at the rams thru a
spotting scope and one of them was a very nice ram with a deep
heavy curl. Our plan for the morning was set in motion right
there at the dinner table.
When morning finally came, I could not wait to get in the saddle.
Shale and I felt good about our chance of success so we asked
Martin to go with us. It was a short ride and hike to our glassing
point. After an hour of solid glassing, Shale spotted three rams on
a small bench high on the mountain above a nasty rocky slope.
The smallest ram was quickly dismissed but the other two rams
were relatively close in size. One ram was longer on one horn and
maybe slightly longer on his broomed side as well. The remaining
ram was broomed on both horns but appeared heavier and older.
Both of the larger rams were legal but Shale and I made the
decision to focus on the older double broomed warrior.
There was no way to approach the band, so we waited, believing
that they would eventually get up and feed to the lush grass below.
After a long wait all three rams stood up. The larger two butted
heads one time and within a few seconds they walked into a draw
and were out of sight. After a few minutes we started to get a little
worried as we had expected them to reappear. Our anxiety
dissipated when the small ram and the broomed ram appeared in
the very bottom of the draw. The steepness of the draw put the
rams in a very vulnerable position. Shale and I left Martin to keep
an eye on the rams and signal us if need be. We literally ran down
the mountain and back up the other side. As we neared the top of
a knob we slowed to catch our breath. We low crawled to the crest
of the hill; the little ram and our ram came into view 200 yards
away. I laid my HS Precision .270 WSM on Shale’s pack and
waited for the broomed ram to feed higher; as I did not want to
send a bullet into the dirt only feet in front of me. This gave me
time to compose myself. When the trajectory was good and the
ram turned from facing away to quartering away I was calm,
confident and ready. With the simple squeeze of an index finger
my aspiration became reality. The ten year old ram flipped over
backwards. I stayed on the ram having paid the price for relaxing
too soon before. It was completely unnecessary as the 140gr
Accubond did a fantastic job. Martin worked his way to us and
joined the jubilant celebration and photo session. As we were
packing the ram back to the horses, the sky opened up and rain
begin to pour but not one of us cared in the least. I had fulfilled
my once seemingly unattainable dream of harvesting a Stone ram
and Shale had guided his first sheep hunter.
My adventure was not quite over. The L-19 had mechanical
problems and was not able to fly. Stone Mountain Safaris also has
a super cub but it was not immediately able to carry passengers
due to the need for an additional inspection. Honestly, I was
happy to stay. Three days of being surround by great people in
one of the most magnificent corners of the world was simply not
long enough. But I eventually had to leave this northern paradise.
The trip was capped by a merciless ten hour leg numbing
horseback ride to the highway.
It is impossible to put into words my appreciation for Leif and his
staff; nor can I fully describe how grateful I am to my wife and
daughter for their support of my passion.
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C L E M A N M O U N TA I N
WASHINGTON WSF HELPS REPAIR FENCE
Cleman Mountain Game Fence
By Bryan Bailey
WAFNAWS was contacted by the Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife in June 2010 to help repair fencing located east of the
Cleman Mt. sheep feeding area. This section of fence was in great
disrepair due to the fire that burnt the face of the mountain several
years prior. WAFNAWS believed it was vital for this project to be
completed quickly for the reasons that could result in tragedy to the
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bighorns by coming in contact with domestic sheep or goats. This
project was quickly put into action with five volunteers from
WAFNAWS and two Washington Fish & Wildlife department
personel, meeting the morning of June 26, 2010. Washington Fish &
Wildlife had all the supplies waiting for us so we got to work quickly.
The materials had to be carried to the work site by hand so all the
volunteer labor was more than welcome. Thanks to all that helped
make the fencing repair project a success.
LUCK IS A GOOD THING
by Matt Bell
After three well-rested shots, I felt
powerless as the massive Colorado buck
walked out of sight over the ridge. The
range-finder had read 420 yards which
is “way-out-there” under typical
hunting conditions.
The accumulation of snow at over 9000
feet elevation made it difficult to get
around but easy to confirm that all
three shots had been complete misses.
After a couple of hours of searching the
area I had last seen the buck and
following out the tracks for a half mile
or so I headed back to the truck to
regroup.
We had been hunting the area for
several days and had learned that most
of the deer left the open burn soon after
it got light in favor of the steep rugged
canyons. I wasn’t looking forward to
going into the “steeps” in the snow and
blow-down but that was most likely
where the big buck had gone. It was
the second-to-the-last day of the season so after a rest and some food
I opted to go after him.
The wind had changed direction so we had to drive up the road a
mile or so to make the wind favorable for hunting into the steeps. By
the time I started hiking it was snowing again. The blow-down and
variable snow depth conspired with the elevation to punish my
already sore body. It took forty-five minutes to cover less than a mile.
Just as I got to the edge of the canyon some movement to my right
caught my attention. Hearing my approach the big buck had stood
up in his bed and was staring at me through some small aspens at
about eighty yards. This was just like the kind of shot I used to get
while hunting black tail deer in western Washington when I was in
my twenties. The rifle came up and a bullet found its way through
the aspens to the big bucks neck. When I got up to him he was
only a few feet from sliding over a cliff. Though I live to hunt mule
deer and sheep in the rugged wild places they call home there is
nothing sweeter than taking a great old animal; walking up to it for
the first time and hefting its massive head-gear, spending time alone
in the place he last chose to be, experiencing the brisk November
Rocky-Mountain weather and gradually turning the one-inthousands of his species born and to reach old-age, into antlers, cape
and boned out meat.
I don’t always understand why some of our best efforts are rebuked
and other times we can hardly do anything wrong but I am very
happy to get this old Colorado buck.
With 37-5/8” of total mass and 192-5/8” of gross antler he is easily
my best do-it-your-self mule deer.
9
OV E R-T I M E R A M
different drainages and mountain peaks. We were looking for ram
groups that hung out in the area. We saw a lot of sheep, some very
close but none of them the legal ram we were looking for. My guide,
Shane Blackwell and I started to say, “we were being sent on a wild
sheep chase.”
From our fourth camp we saw a herd of sheep up the valley. On the
day I was scheduled to fly out, we decided we would go after them.
As we made our accent, up to a group of eleven rams, I started to
get my first doubts if I could make very many more climbs. As it
worked out, I wouldn't have to climb any more mountains on this
hunt. We worked our way to within range of a full curl, 10 year old
ram. It was about 400 yards away. I knew that this was the ram that
I wanted to take.
By Larry Sides
After 20 years of dreaming and anticipation, I wouldn't change a
thing about my 2010 Dall sheep hunt. It started at the Wild Sheep
Foundation Sheep Show in Reno. I was looking for a hunt when my
wife and I went to the Friday afternoon auction. One of the
outfitters that I was looking into, Alaska Trophy Hunts, had a hunt in
the auction. With my wife setting next to me, to keep encouraging
me into bidding, I ended up with a Dall sheep hunt for 2010.
After a lot of preparation, I arrived at the main base camp. In
summary, we hiked thousands of feet in elevation and many miles up
I can't think of a better way for
a hunt to end then in over-time.
I got to see so much country in
the Alaskan Range. I got the
full meal deal, the whole
experience, from start to finish.
I wouldn't change a thing, even
if Shane and I had to hunt our
butts off to get my ram.
I would like to thank the Wild Sheep Foundation. Also, Tom
Shankster of Alaska Trophy Hunts for working with the Foundation
to put more sheep on the mountain. In addition, my guide Shane
Blackwell for dragging me all over the Alaska Range. Thank you all.
MANSON UNIT
WAFNAWS member Chris Culbertson took this giant ram from the Manson unit in September. Chris won the North
Central raffle and made good use of it with this broomed ram. Congrats Chris!
10
A RAM FOR THE RECORDS
Member Jason Kummerfeldt with his giant Montana ram official score of 201 1/8" net B & C. Congrats Jason on the ram of many lifetimes!
Jason on the left, Scott Chesarek on the right.
11
AN N UAL BANQU ET
Come Join Us At Our Annual Banquet as part of
the
SEATTLE SPORTSMEN'S CONVENTION
February 18 & 19, 2011
Meydenbauer Center
Bellevue, Washington
• Largest Wildlife Fundraiser in Washington •
Over $500,000 in auction items, Wall of Hunts/Guns Raffle, Yamaha Grizzly 700 ATV, WA Auction
Governor Tags, Fishing & Hunting Trips around the World, Fine Wildlife Art, Ladies Jewelry & Furs,
300+ Silent Auction Items, Exhibitors & Outfitters to Visit, Gourmet Meals & Fine Wines!
Don't Miss This Amazing 11th Annual Event!!!
Convention & Fundraiser Dinner Ticket Information
425-882-9772
www.working4wildlife.com
WAFNAWS board member Mark Torres with another
successful fall season. Mark is shown here with his
Montana antelope.
12
Board Member Mark Torres took this great elk in
Washington with a muzzleloader.
CHELAN BUTTE
By Brian Clintworth
I’ll never forget the feeling I got when I saw the
word successful next to my name for a sheep hunt
in my home state of Washington. Having put in
for 12 years and dreaming of rams for at least that
long I was surprised I didn’t go into complete
shock when I read the computer screen that
afternoon. I had drawn the first tag offered for the
Chelan Butte herd. Prior to putting in for it I had
spoken with the local biologist and found out that
there were quite a few mature rams in the herd.
Being able to hunt a sheep herd that had never
been hunted before was going to be quite the
experience.
“Like most opening mornings, this one came very
Several scouting trips followed during the summer
quickly, with not much sleep the night before...”
as I set out to try and find all the rams on the
mountain so I would know what one to focus on
when the season opened. With the help of good
were all up and on the move, unfortunately they were feeding away
friends I was able to capture photographs of pretty much all the
from us. I watched as they got farther and farther away, finally when
rams on the mountain. There were 4-5 that were definite shooters,
they were approximately 280 yards out my ram broke away from the
but of those there were 2-3 that were difficult to decide between.
However prior to opening day I had determined what my first choice other rams and stopped broadside. My first shot hit home although
just a little lower than I would have liked. The rams took off
ram was going to be.
running and in the excitement of the situation, I missed my next
couple of shots. The ram was hit hard and quickly laid down about
The day before the season opened I spent perched behind my
500 yards out so I was able to move in and put a final round in him.
Swarovski optics trying to find the chosen ram I was looking for.
I could almost not even believe it was over, but I was a sheep hunter.
Because of the hot temperatures the rams spent most of the day
I had heard that there is no other hunting experience quite like
bedded in the thick brush making spotting rams difficult, however I
walking up and holding those horns for the first time and that day I
saw 14 mature rams that day and had a starting point for the next
was able to experience it.
morning as I did see some of the rams that my chosen ram was last
spotted with several weeks prior.
I’d like to thank everyone who helped out on the hunt and selflessly
took time off work to be part of the experience as well as
Like most opening mornings, this one came very quickly, with not
WAFNAWS for the great work that they do in putting sheep on the
much sleep the night before. We were up on the mountain at first
light and within a few minutes of arriving at our glassing spot a band mountain. This ram is a reflection of countless hours of hard work,
volunteering, fundraising and many other things by people dedicated
of 11 mature rams were spotted feeding around a rock band on the
to sheep who might not even get the chance to hunt them one day, to
steep hillside. It didn’t take long to get the spotting scope on them
them I say THANK YOU for your work in wildlife conservation, it
and confirm that my ram was among them. The next three hours
does make a difference.
were spent watching and analyzing the rams to make sure that he
was the one that I really wanted. Finally at 10:30 once the rams had
settled down to their beds the stalk was on. It took the better part of
an hour to move over into position only to watch the rams feed
across the canyon to a point just outside my comfortable shooting
range. Had we been 10 minutes earlier we would have caught them
in their beds. Now the waiting game was on, the rams did not have a
clue we were around so all we needed to do was wait them out. After
a couple of hours of sitting in the hot sun watching the rams, I
decided that we needed to get a little more aggressive and move in
on the rams. It took us a couple of hours but we were soon to within
180 yards of the rams.
The next half hour was filled with adrenaline rushing through my
veins as the ram never gave me a shot. Each time I thought he might
break away from the herd he didn’t. The anticipation was almost too
much. Finally as the hillside started to get covered in shade, the rams
WAFNAWS member Brian Clintworth continued his dream season
with this outstanding Wyoming antelope.
13
H E L L S C A N Y O N B I G H O R N D AY S
Hosted by:
Oregon, Idaho & Washington Chapters of the
Wild Sheep Foundation
June 18 & 19, 2011
Beginning at 10 am Saturday and ending Sunday at noon.
Participants are also invited to a dinner Friday night June 17 at 6
pm in Clarkston at the home of Glen Landrus (WAFNAWS
President).
Joseph Creek Wildlife Area
Washington Department of Fish &
Wildlife
An open invitation is extended to anyone interested in
bighorn sheep to join together with chapter members from Oregon,
Washington, and Idaho FNAWS as well as state biologists to discuss
the future of bighorn sheep and management strategies.
Bring: Tent, sleeping bag, toiletries, and clothes. BYOB as well as
binoculars, camera, and spotting scope. Please bring one item for
our silent auction to help raise money. COST $75 per person for the
entire weekend or $25 for meals only (no jet boat ride).
Includes: Two delicious meals prepared as well as snacks, soda, and
lunch provided both days.
The event is capped off with a live and silent auction back
at camp.
Members glass for sheep during the jet boat trip to Dug
Bar.
Agenda: Jet boat trip from Heller Bar up Hells Canyon and back,
caravan to view other bighorn herds, silent auction, camaraderie, and
discussion about the future of bighorn sheep management in Hells
Canyon.
Please RSVP by June 13 at:
Glen Landrus - [email protected]
The Rocky Mtn bighorn in the bottom right of the photo is
a reproduction of the Idaho state record. It was donated to
the Jack O'Connor center by WAFNAWS.
BANQUET
DONOR
WAFNAWS board member Andy Kelso posing with the
famous Jack O'Connor .270.
14
S WA K A N E U N I T
New State
Record
California
Bighorn from
Swakane!
By Aaron Roth
My wife Angela, a good buddy Derek and I
put in 23 scout trips prior to season...
enjoying every minute of it! Running into
rattle snakes, finding deer sheds and lost
arrows along the way. We snapped a lot of
photos and got some good video.
I had 40 to 45 different rams to choose from.
Three of which were very nice, but one that
was over the top. This was the big
boy..."brown butt" or "the king" as he is
known. With over 25 hours of video footage,
we did a lot of studying and learning how to
judge sheep. I found the Wild Sheep
newsletter very helpful and I loved the
stories. Thanks to Ken Harris for taking my
phone call.
For someone that has not hunted the
Swakane unit, this is very steep and rugged
country. If you ever draw, you better spend
the time getting in shape! Lucky for me this
hunt took place in my own back yard, where
I have been hunting my whole life. My Tikka
T3 300wsm and Hornady 150gr Interlock
handloads were ready for action. And by
now my Leupold HD spotting scope and I
had become best friends. Harvesting The
King was an overwhelming experience! I feel
proud and very honored to have been drawn
for this very special tag. Upon approach I
could not believe how big this trophy really
was and how lucky I truly am to have had
this opportunity of a lifetime. A special
thanks to those who have made a hunt like
this possible in our state.
15
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
It is with great pleasure that Grand Slam Club/Ovis (GSCO) and Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) jointly announce that a
settlement agreement has been reached, signed and executed on November 2, 2010. This agreement heads off any further
appeals of the long-standing legal proceedings between the two organizations. The tentative agreement was negotiated by
WSF president Gray Thornton and GSCO executive director Dennis Campbell in early October, when Gray came to
Birmingham, Alabama expressly for that purpose. After two days of respectful negotiations, Gray boarded his plane for
Cody, Wyoming with a realization that a viable tentative agreement had been reached. The WSF board worked in concert
with Gray throughout October, while the GSCO board and Dennis worked toward a final agreement. All the details were
approved by each board, and as stated, it was signed on November 2.
GSCO and WSF, with this agreement, have pledged to work together as affiliate organizations for the future. It is with
extreme optimism that both WSF and GSCO approach the future as being bright for wildlife conservation. This dark chapter
in the history of each organization is now finally finished. GSCO and WSF wish to jointly pledge to the big game hunting
communities, of which they are a major part, that they will look to the future and not dwell on the past. They jointly ask their
respective memberships to honor the spirit of this agreement, which is cooperation and mutual respect.
Let the healing begin.
TREASURERS REPORT
Fiscal year 2009 ended June 30th, 2010. Thanks to our generous
supporters, we were able to provide $143,460 in cooperative funding
to wildlife agencies and an additional $13,806 in direct conservation
funding. Your 100% volunteer board and officers kept our total
management expenses down to 1.4% of revenues. We are working
hard to make your conservation dollars go as far as possible.
Thanks,
Mike Vincent
Treasurer
Washington Wild Sheep Foundation
16
www.ccapnw.org
WA I B E L H U N T S
Brad with his 174" B & C Desert
Bighorn from Tiburon Island, MX.
Brad and Julie Waibel of Oregon
joined WAFNAWS a few years ago and
have been tremendous supporters of
bighorn sheep conservation especially
the Tri-State FNAWS event held in
Hells Canyon every summer.
A few years ago at the Seattle
Sportsmen’s Convention, Brad
purchased the highly coveted Tiburon
permit to finish his first collection of
the four North American Wild Sheep taking a great desert ram with
Craig Martin and Tucannon Outfitters.
At the Wild Sheep Show in Reno in February 2010, Brad then
purchased the Oregon statewide sheep tag and chose to hunt Rocky
Mountain bighorns. Again hunting with Craig, Brad was assisted by
his wife Julie who is also an avid hunter, Bryan Bailey, Earl and Bob
Landrus. Over 40 man days of scouting was used before the group
turned up the tremendous ram that Brad harvested in mid-August in
NE Oregon. The ram scores 189 + B & C. Thank you to Brad and
Julie for your continued support!
Welcome to El Fuerte Outfitters in Baja California Sur.
We are dedicated to the protection and increase of the
population of desert bighorn sheep in Southern Baja
California through controlled management.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Ty Miller
Within United States: 949-606-3195
E-Mail: [email protected]
BANQUET
DONOR
www.elfuerte.com
www.bajabighornsheep.com
HUNTING AREAS
LORETO- La Giganta
The La Giganta mountains rise behind the fishing village of Loreto up to 5,794 ft. They are a newer mountain
range and contain large amounts of natural spring water and vegetation for the animals. The views and landscape are fantastic, however, the trek can be a bit difficult at times climbing through the canyons and up the
rocks. Hunting in La Giganta is physically challenging.
LA PAZ - El Mechudo
The El Mechudo area begins about a one and one half hour's drive north from La Paz and travels over gently
sloping mountains painted in a rainbow of colors and atop the plains into valleys and gorges. This is a much
easier trek and less physically challenging than Loreto. The bighorn roam between these two areas and there
is an equally great chance of finding the trophy ram in both areas.
17
SHIRAS MOOSE
By Shad Wheeler
It was a pretty amazing experience. The
first day we had zero luck, even though
dad, Sandy Wheeler, and I had scouted
the area. I had gone back in the week
before the season and knew where the
moose were, but the weather changed on
us and got real warm, we are talking 7580. So day two, we got in below where this
bull had his rut pits and set up and called
for about 25 minutes. Finally he couldn’t
take it any more and started grunting.
Where we were set up his grunts were
echoing, so we actually thought he was
below the road. My dad’s best friend had a
tag too, so dad ran above the road and I
was down around the corner as we figured
with the two of us calling, either way he
came dad’s buddy was going to get a shot.
Well, it turned out the bull was above us
and popped out 100 yards above dad and
he put the smack down on him. He is 53
3/8” wide and I expect him to score
around 170. I made the mistake of
packing the head and cape out in one trip.
Montana Hunting,
Fly Fishing, Horseback
Riding, Hiking and
Snowmobiling Vacations
For over 17 years, Silver Bow Outfitters has been committed to delivering top quality Montana hunting and fly fishing
experiences for our clients. Whether you are an avid sportsman looking for the Montana hunting trip of a lifetime, a
devout fly fisherman or woman seeking the challenge and solitude of the wilderness lakes of northwest Montana or
just want to enjoy our breathtaking scenery and abundant wildlife, our Montana outfitter and guide service will take
you on a Montana hunting, fly fishing, horseback riding or snowmobiling vacation trip with memories to last a lifetime.
500 East Fisher Road
Libby, Montana 59923
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406-293-4868
www.silverbowoutfitters.com
18
BANQUET
DONOR
Montana Hunting Trips
and Vacations Since 1985
N E W WA S TAT E R O C KY M T N B I G H O R N
“It all started when I found out that I had drawn a rocky mountain big horn
sheep tag for Washington state, the one and only tag for the Asotin unit...”
By Cole Wimbles
My family was up north in Alaska fishing so I had no one to tell until
I went to go pick them up from the airport. The night I picked them
up at the airport, I had printed out a picture of a rocky mountain
bighorn sheep to show them what we where in for this hunting
season. When my family got in the truck at the airport I handed the
picture to my dad, he was in shock that I drew the one and only tag
for the Asotin unit.
In the middle of August we took our first scouting trip to the Blue
mountains. We saw a lot of ewes and small two to three year old
rams. We scouted the area for three days just to see the same ewes
and small rams. I was beginning to wonder where the big rams were.
We scouted the whole area and found no big rams.
September 15, we arrived down in the Blues again, the first day of
the season. We found the camp site that my dad's friend had found
for us. We got our camp set up during the day and went out looking
for a ram. We didn’t see anything. That night we where in camp and
my cousin said, "Did you hear that?" I listened and heard what he
had heard, it was rams butting heads. I have never heard that sound
before in my life.
The next morning we left camp early and spotted a group of rams. It
was hard to judge the rams because we have never had the
opportunity to hunt rocky mountain bighorn sheep and judge the
class of the ram we where looking for. We watched the group of five
rams for about a half hour trying to get a better look at them, then
the rain and fog blew in. The fog and rain blew out and we were
looking at the rams again. My dad said we needed to go take a better
look at this one ram. We looked at the map to see where the rams
where located and found a road that would put us close to them.
We got as close as we could by truck then started hiking to get above
the rams. My dad, cousin and I hiked above the rams and spotted
the group bedded down. My dad asked me if I was going to shoot
the big ram, I said yes. We ranged the sheep, it was at 285 yards so I
took the shot, I MISSED and the rams bolted . I was sick when we
went down to where the rams where bedded and found no blood or
hair. I did find my bullet in the rams bed that was still warm. So my
dad and I went to a high rock pinnacle and heard the rams below us
circling back the way that we had come. We spotted them below us
at 340 yards, Dad said to shoot the one in front. This time I didn’t
miss, the ram dropped and rolled, and then rolled some more.
Dad stayed on the rock pinnacle to guide my cousin and I to the
ram. When we got to the ram there definitely was no ground
shrinkage. When dad got down to us he said “Bud - I don’t think you
really know what you shot”. Boy was he right!
After the drying
period the ram was
scored by official
Boone and Crockett
scorer Kevin E
Vaughn. The ram
officially scored 198
and 3/8 the new
Washington state
record. Thanks for
the much appreciated
help from my Dad
and friends for a once
and a life time hunt!
19
M Y D A G E S TA N T U R
“Great plan but shortly after the tur went over the ridge the clouds moved in.
We waited all day but the weather never did clear so we headed back down to
the jeeps for the night.”
By Bryan Bailey
I started searching the hundred or so faces standing in the reception
area as I stepped off the plane in Moscow, Russia. I was looking for
my friend and interpreter Vladimir Koshcheev, who would help me
and my gun get through customs. I was on my way to hunt the
Caucasus Mountains in the Osetia Region of Russia for Dagestan
(eastern) Tur and Caucasan Chamios. Finally, I spotted him patiently
waiting for me. It was great to see him again as it had been almost
two years since our last meeting. After getting my gun case
and bags we started the process through customs. This was
my second hunt with Profi Hunt and I knew to just sit back
and let Vladimir handle all the details with customs. With the
paperwork done we headed to a hotel to overnight before
making our way to the hunt area the next day.
After a restful night sleep and a short flight I was introduced
to our local host and my guide, George. Vladimir and I put
our gear in our room and then were treated to a wonderful
traditional meal with plenty of vodka toasts wishing a
successful hunt. After dinner I quickly changed into my
hunting clothes and jumped into the Land Rover with
George for the 3-1/2 hour drive to the mountains. I tried to
sleep on the trip as I was told we would start hiking as soon as
we reached the hunting area. We made one stop to pick up
two other local guides on the way before stopping at the base
of a ridge at 2 am. We ate a small snack of bread, cheese and
sausage then started up. We climbed up a chute until it
tapered out then we would scramble over the sheer rock until
20
another accessible route was found. It was a ways up as there wasn’t
any flat ground anywhere. It started to get light about 6:30 am so we
stopped where we were and started to glass. Within minutes we had
spotted several tur side-hilling their way back into the cliffs to bed for
the day. At 600 yards they were out of my range so we planed to let
them go and bed down so we could make a stalk. Great plan but
shortly after the tur went over the ridge the clouds moved in. We
waited all day but the weather never did clear so we headed back
continued on page 26
down to the jeeps for the night.
THAN K YO U BANQ U ET D O NO RS!
BE SURE TO SUPPORT THESE BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT CONSERVATION
Accurate Arms
www.accuratearmsva.com
Fetha Styx
www.fethastyx.com
Ridgeline Taxidermy
Alaska Big Game Safaris
www.biggamesafarisalaska.com
GOABC
www.goabc.com
Rifles Inc.
Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game
www.adfg.state.ak.us
H Ranch Outfitters
www.hranchoutfitters.com
Royal Tine Outfitters
Bailey's IGA
Morton & Rochester, WA
Healing Waters Lodge
www.hwlodge.com
Shawn McCully
Battle Creek Golf Course
www.battlecreeklinks.com
Hunt Of A Lifetime
Silver Bow Outfitters &
Guides
Bauer Ranch
www.spillout.com/bauerranch
Joshua Spies
BowTech Archery
www.bowtecharchery.com
Kain's Fishing Adventures
Bredeson Guiding &
Outfitting
Kawdy Outfitters
www.bredesonoutfitting.com
www.huntofalifetime.org
www.joshuaspies.com
www.kainsfishingadventures.com
www.lancasterfamilyhunting.com
Kuvhima Safaris
(406) 859-5274
www.riflesinc.com
www.royaltineoutfitters.com
www.shawnmccully.com
www.silverbowoutfitters.com
Silver Fox Outfitters
www.silverfoxoutfitters.com
Sitka Mountain Gear
www.sitkagear.com
Snohomish Golf Course
www.snohomishgolfcourse.com
Chris "Master Caster" Ward
www.kuvhima.co.za
Superior Skulls
Coastal Conservation
Association
Lance Brewer/Beth West
Western Stores
www.bethwest.net
Tony Russ
Dennis Dunn
www.str8arrows.com
Leupold
www.leupold.com
Track & Trail Safaris
Doug Eck Studios
www.dougeckbronze.com
Lilly & Kemph Outfitting
www.lkoutfitting.com
Trophy Hunting Spain
Deuling Stone Outfitters
www.deulingstoneoutfitters.com
Northwest Safe Company
Washington Department of
Fish & Wildlife
Eden Ridge Outfitters
www.edenridgeoutfitters.com
Pacific Power Generation
www.pacificpowergen.com
Wild Sheep Foundation
El Fuerte Outfitters
Quarter Circle Nine
Outfitters
www.royaltine.com
Wild Track Outfitters
Rainier Archery
Wilderness Mint
www.ccapnw.org
www.bajabighornsheep.com
www.nwsafe.com
(425) 888-0932
www.tonyruss.com
www.chrisbilkey.co.nz
www.trophyhuntingspain.com
www.wdfw.wa.gov
www.wildsheepfoundation.org
www.wildtrackoutfitters.com
Ellis Hunting Ranch
www.ellishuntingranch.com
Photo by Andy Kelso
www.rainierarchery.com
www.wildernessmint.com
21
A L B E RTA S P R I N G B R U I N S
On the first day of my hunt, my guide
"Gary" told me about a nice cinnamon
colored bear that had been seen in the
area. I had told myself prior to the
hunt that I was not going to shoot a
bear the first night; that I was just going
to sit back and observe. But, at about
7:30 p.m. that first night while I was
watching the third bear that had come
into the bait, a beautiful cinnamon
colored bear strolled into the area. I
was shaking at first and had to tell
myself to calm down, concentrate on
the correct pin, and have good
placement of my arrow. After I
released my arrow the cinnamon bruin
ran a total of 20 yards and collapsed.
“I had told myself prior to the hunt
I was not going to shoot a bear the
first night...”
By Brent Naylor
Life Member and annual Banquet volunteer
We had plenty of bears, good people, good food, and beautiful
countryside. In 2009 while attending the Seattle Sportsmen’s
Convention I bought a three day bear hunt during the auction. The
hunt was graciously donated by Eric Rauhanen with Silver Fox
Outfitters and was for spring time archery black bear in High Level,
Alberta. I was unable to hunt in the spring of 2009, so Eric allowed
me to book a date in May of 2010.
The hunt was an adventure that I'II never forget. I was in my tree
stand each day by 4:30 p.m. and hunted until 11:30 p.m. We would
return to the campsite, have dinner, and then sit outside by the
bonfire telling stories until 2 or 3 a.m.
$50,760
Raised With
Bighorn Raffle
Paul Wik from WDFW accepts a
check from WAFNAWS president
Glen Landrus for the 2010 Rocky
Mtn Bighorn raffle. WAFNAWS
member Jerry Barron from
Spokane was the lucky winner.
Good luck Jerry!
22
I purchased a second tag and on my
final day I tagged out with an awesome
second bear. I saw a total of 16 bears
during my hunt. I want to thank Eric
and Gary for a great hunt, with ever
lasting memories.
Editor’s note: Silver
Fox Outfitters has
been a longtime
donor to
WAFNAWS. Eric
runs a first-class
operation and we
want to thank him
for the many years
of support!
ASOTI N U N IT
The Benefit of GPS Radio Collars
In the early summer of 2010 a yearling ram from the Asotin herd was spotted just a couple miles west of Asotin. Due to his proximity to
domestic sheep and goats, the ram was captured and fitted with both a VHF and GPS collar. The VHF collar is similar to what hound
hunters use and requires department personnel to go out with a receiver and antennae to locate the collared animal. The GPS collar will
download the location onto the collar at specific intervals, say every 12 hours and the information is downloaded from the collar at a later
date.
VHF Locations:
This map shows the VHF location
of the ram on May 28/29 and
again on June 14. On June 14, the
ram was lethally removed by
department personnel because it
was grazing with a small group of
domestic sheep that are used by a
rodeo stock contractor. Based on
VHF locations on May 28/29 and
June 14 an assumption would be
made that the ram has been in that
general 4-5 mile area over that two
week period.
GPS Locations:
This map shows where the ram
actually traveled to between
May 29 & June 14. Instead of
only moving 5-6 miles west, the
ram actually traveled 13 air
miles south before moving back
into the Asotin Creek drainage.
A great example of the value
of GPS collars as well as an
example of the great distances
bighorn sheep can travel.
23
ANOTHER GREAT SEASON WITH ALASKA BIG GAME SAFARIS
Lee Wilson of Centerville KS, and his 13 year old bruiser.
39 7/8" X 13 3/8"
Chad Hess of Philipsburg MT, With his Dall Sheep. 36 2/8" X 12
5/8". Took his ram on the 4th day of his hunt.
Ray Hess of Philipsburg MT, with his 10 year old ram. Taken on
the 2nd day of the season. 36 1/4" X 12 1/4".
Harry Waterman of Ellensburg WA, was all smiles with his ram he
took on the 4th day of the season. 35 1/4" X 12 5/8".
24
Prouty
continued from page 5
over. He begins to roll down the little rock bluff he is on right
towards a 75-foot drop off onto the awaiting rocks below. Lucky
enough he stops with his head dangling over the edge. What a sigh of
relief when he stopped rolling. Finally my dream of harvesting a
sheep had come true. High fives all around, the excitement was
unbelievable and now the real fun begins, getting him off the
mountain. Four hours later we were sitting in camp reliving the
whole thing, each telling his own rendition of what happened and
the excitement everyone felt.
The next day was spent splitting, fleshing, and salting the hide,
getting ready for the move to moose camp. Day seven we head out, I
was fortunate enough to add a moose on to this whole experience. A
steady rain made for a slow start to our morning hunt but it wasn't
long after we left camp there was the first bull moose and it was a
shooter for sure. Terry came up with a plan and we made our way
towards the big bull. When we got there the bulls were both bedded
so we decide to wolf howl to get them up out of their beds. Finally he
stands but presents no shot for me. Terry lets out another howl and
he begins to turn, BOOM as I squeeze off my first round. Smack - I
drill him hard and Terry says you got him. Shoot him again I hear, so
I reload and as he turns broadside I hit him again. He begins to
stumble down the hill but quickly regains his feet. I watch him move
through the brush and as he steps out from behind a group of trees I
let my third and final round fly and down he goes. Let the high fives
and excitement begin. Can this trip of a lifetime get any better for
me? Walking up on this massive creature all I can say is, "Holy cow
are these things huge". I never realized how big they were until right
now. I turned to Terry and asked, "how do you move these things?"
His response was, "you don't!"
After arriving
back at base
we share out
stories with
Jarrett and the
rest of the
crew, they
were
absolutely
thrilled to see
the success
that we had
and they
couldn't have
been happier
for us. I want to thank Jarrett and everyone at Deuling Stone
Outfitters for donating this hunt and making this experience possible
for me and for my guide Terry and wrangler Breyin for taking me on
the hunt of my lifetime! Thanks to everyone at WAFNAWS Glen,
Brian and the rest of the gang for all the hard work and dedication to
this program and making this dream and reality as well as a
possibility for others and me. I want to send a special thanks to Jerry
Tyrrell for everything that he did for me I don't know how to thank
you enough and for showing me the ropes on my first sheep hunt. I
couldn't have asked for a better hunt and a trip of a lifetime! Thanks
everyone who had a part in making my dream a reality that wouldn't
have happened if it weren't for opportunities like these.
Deuling Stone Outfitters
Offering Quality Yukon Hunts
BANQUET
DONOR
Come Hunt The Yukon
BY HORSEBACK, BACKPACK OR BOAT
Please feel free to contact Jarrett Deuling if you have any
questions or would like more information regarding a trip
with Deuling Stone Outfitters. We also offer trail in and fishing trips. Come and experience the Yukon!
Contact Information
26 Wann Rd Whitehorse, Yukon Canada Y1A 5K9
E-mail: [email protected]
859-983-6442
www.deulingstoneoutfitters.com
25
QUILOMENE UNIT
Tom Halkjar took this outstanding ram from the Quilomene unit in early October. The ram scores 172 7/8”.
Bailey
continued from page 20
Once again we started up the mountain at 2 am starting out at 10,000
ft elevation and by 6:15 we were glassing for tur at 12,000 ft. We had
been side hilling most of the day and had gone about three miles when
all of a sudden George hit the ground. He was excitedly motioning for
me to get my gun ready. As I peeked over the rock in front of me I
could see 12-15 tur lined out headed our way. I quickly ranged the
area ahead of me and got ready. I could see the lead ram was much
bigger bodied than the rest with massive horns easily visible. When the
group reached 250 yards away I squeezed the trigger. The solid
whomp of the bullet hitting came back to me as I saw him stumble. I
fired once more to finish him off just before he started to tumble. Oh,
how he tumbled finally coming to rest 800 yards below us.
I was so glad to find my ram intact when we were able to get down to
him. He was every thing I was hoping for. A big bodied, heavy horned
ten year old ram with beautiful broomed horn tips. After pictures we
caped and de-boned the tur for the trip down the mountain. We did
have to go all he way back to the shoot we came up because it was the
only way up or down. It is by far the steepest country I have ever
hunted. I’m so glad I worked hard to get into shape for this hunt.
I had a great time with Vladimir, George, and the rest of my Russian
guides. They were a lot of fun even though they spoke very little
English. They hunt in some extremely steep country but they know
how to do it safely and efficiently. I would like to thank the Profi Hunt
staff as they did everything to make the process of getting to Russia
and back home with my trophies very smooth. There definitely is some
extra steps you have to take when you hunt oversees, but believe me it’s
a great experience that won’t soon be forgotten.
Have some season tickets to sporting events?
Maybe a time-share condo?
How about some good bottles of wine?
WAFNAWS is looking for DONATIONS such as these for SILENT or
LIVE AUCTION ITEMS for our banquet.
26
Contact Mike Vincent at [email protected].
Thanks for your support of WAFNAWS!
B REAKI NG N EWS!
This just in...2010 rocky raffle winner Jerry
Barron with his TREMENDOUS rocky
from Sullivan Lake taken December 2.
Jerry was assisted by WAFNAWS members
Steve Kline and Steve Stenson.
Green measurements:
Bases: 18 x 18 1/8
1st qtr 17 3/8 x 17 4/8
2nd qtr 14 7/8 x 14 6/8
3rd qtr 9 7/8 x 10
38 1/8 x 37 7/8
196 4/8 gross and 196 net
BANQUET
DONOR
“FOR A FAIR CHASE HUNT BOOK WITH BREDESON GUIDING & OUTFITTING”
ELK * MOOSE * BLACK BEAR * WOLF & COYOTE
HUNTS CONDUCTED IN WMU 356: WAPITI, BIG SMOKY RIVER & WMU 355: HEADWATERS OF RED ROCK CREEK &
CUTBACK RIVER
(non baiting) SPOT & STALK
RR#1,Site 1, Box 11, Stn. Main
Grande Prairie, Alberta Canada T8V 2Z8
PHONE: 780-538-4251 FAX: 780-538-4231
EMAIL: [email protected]
Member of:
THE ALBERTA PROFESSIONAL OUTFITTERS ASSOCIATION
& THE ALBERTA TRAPPERS ASSOCIATION
LICENSED, BONDED, INSURED
27
FIRST BUCKS
WAFNAWS life member George Vincent
with his first buck!
Life Member Ryan Kolodejchuk with his daughter
Emily and her first ever big game harvest.
Western Washington Columbia blacktail 2010.
R O C KY M O U N TA I N B I G H O R N S
WAFNAWS life member Mike Carpinito, Jr hunted
with Craig Martin on the Taos Pueblo in New
Mexico in April. They took this outstanding Rocky
Mtn Bighorn that scored 187 7/8. Congrats Mike!
28
Life member and past chapter president Jerry
Tyrrell took this old Rocky Mountain Bighorn
warrior of a ram on his special Taos Pueble
permit in New Mexico! Congrats Jerry!
M EM B ER PHOTOS
Brian Clintworth with his Montana Mule Deer
from November 2010.
Life Member Ryan Kolodejchuk with his 2010
Oregon Columbia whitetail.
WAFNAWS member Shawn McCully took this
great 5 x 4 mule deer in November in
southeastern Montana. The buck green scores
170 B & C. Congrats Shawn!
WAFNAWS member Casey Brooks of
Washington took full advantage of his statewide
auction permit by harvesting this beautiful
California Bighorn ram with his bow in the
Manson unit.
29
M EM B ER PHOTOS
Steve Stenson from Spokane sent this: "Here is a
picture of my Wyoming area 5 bighorn sheep. I
spent 10 days scouting in late July/August and
then I arrived a week before opening day to
continue scouting. This ram was one of a band of
10 rams I located in August. There was one other
ram with the original group that was probably
longer but was not as heavy. We found the longer
ram the day before season but could not find him
on opening day or the next two days. This ram
moved on the 3rd day to a location where we
could make a stalk and I decided to make it
happen. My ram was aged at 7 years old but he is
heavily broomed and is probably at least 8. He
has 14 3/4 bases and is 32" on the long side."
Interested in Advertising in
the Next Wild Sheep?
Minimum of 1000 color copies printed and
widely distributed.
Rates:
Full page $500
Half page $300
Quarter page $200
Contact Glen Landrus at [email protected]
to get your ad in the next Wild Sheep!
30
Washington WSF
president Glen
Landrus drew a
special permit for
alligators in South
Carolina. He filled his
tag in early October
with this great bull
gator with the help of
his good friend and
hunting buddy Jason
McKenzie from
Savannah, GA.
DESERT SHEEP MEMBERS ONLY RAFFLE - WA WSF
Over $45,000 in prizes!
Prize 1:
Desert Sheep Hunt & Shoulder Mount
El Fuerte Oufitters
Ty Miller
(949) 606-3195
[email protected]
www.elfuerte.com
Ridgeline Taxidermy
Mark Hill
Phillipsburg, Montana
59858
(406) 859-5274
Ta k e t h e h u n t o r $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 c a s h !
Prize 2:
Prize 3:
Prize 4:
Prize 5:
Prize 6:
Prize 7:
Prize 8:
Prize 9:
Prize 10:
12X Vortext Bincoulars - Donated by Jerry Tyrrell
Couple Registration for 2012 WSF Sheep Show
Mathews Bow - Donated by Baileyʼs IGA
DER Knives LLC Custom Knife by Don Ruana - Donated by Todd Walton
Bighorn Sheep Skull
$500 Sitka Gear Gift Certificate
Life Membership to Washington FNAWS
Two Tickets to 2012 WAFNAWS Banquet
Tri-State FNAWS’ Hells Canyon Jet Boat Trip
Ten in 10 MEMBERS ONLY Raffle Ticket Order Form
You must be a current member of Washington FNAWS to participate!
Name
Email
Address
Daytime Phone
City
State
Zip
√ BOX NEXT TO THE NUMBER OF TICKETS PURCHASED
4 tickets for $100
8 tickets for $200
tickets for $
I am currently not a member but would like to join. In addition to my raffle purchase, sign me up for:
Annual member for only $25
3-year member for only $50
Life member for only $300
PAYMENT – Total Due $
Check/Money Order
Credit Card Number
MAIL TO:
WA FNAWS RAFFLE
PO Box 236, Asotin, WA 99402
or fax:1-509-758-RAMS
VISA
Mastercard
Expiration
• No ticket stub will be mailed in return - keep brochure as
receipt
• Drawing will be held at the 2011 Sportsmenʼs Convention
• Do not have to be present to win
BANQUET
DONOR
Todd Walton, Registered Guide #1199
P.O. Box 874271 • Wasilla, Alaska 99687
(907) 355-4271
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
KELSO, WA
PERMIT NO. 165
7215 S. 228th St.
Kent, WA 98032