January 2014 - Montana Wild Sheep Foundation

Welcome to
Wild Sheep
Winter 2014 | Volume 22, Issue 1
WINTER 2014 | 1
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
President’s Message...........................................3
A Sheep Named Joseph..............................................4
Breaks Bighorn Unit 622...........................................6
Madison Sheep Capture..........................................10
22nd Annual Fundraiser........................................12
It’s All Free, Just Be There!....................................14
2013 Rams Horn Measurements.............................15
Ronald Laws...........................................................18
All contributed material will be published at the discretion of the Editorial Board of Montana WSF. The
Editorial Board consists of the editor of the newsletter,
the executive director of the chapter, and the president
of the chapter.
Cover photo courtesy of Steve Kline.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jim Weatherly, Executive Director
2001 35th Avenue, Missoula, MT 59804
(406) 549-5697 [email protected]
Jack Chambers, President
3208 Paul Lane, Missoula, MT 59803
(406) 251-4082 [email protected]
Brian Solan, Vice President
855 Wolf Road, Helena, MT 59602
(406) 461-7432 [email protected]
Max Bauer Jr., Treasurer
5074 Gardner Lane, Florence, MT 59833
(406) 532-5120 [email protected]
Jeff Mortensen, Secretary
886 Wierda Way, Manhattan, MT 59741
(406) 282-7098 [email protected]
Shane Clouse
316 O’Connell Drive, Lolo, MT 59847
(406) 370-4487 [email protected]
Steve Kline
PO Box 842, Superior, MT 59872
(406) 546-1052 [email protected]
Visit us online at www.montanawsf.org!
While there, visit the Photo Gallery page. If you
would like to have a picture posted to this page,
email ([email protected]) your name, the
photo (jpeg format preferred) along with a brief
one to two sentence description of the hunt.
You can also visit us on Facebook!
The Montana Chapter of
the Wild Sheep Foundation will give a reward of
up to $1000 for information leading to the arrest
and conviction of cases involving the illegal taking of bighorn sheep in the State of Montana. If
you have information of any illegal act, contact
1-800-TIP-MONT (1-800-847-6668).
2 | WILD SHEEP
Mike Colpo
PO Box 1753, Big Timber, MT 59011
(406) 350-1880 [email protected]
Tom Carlsen
68 Lost Trail , Clancy, MT 59634
(406) 461-6742 [email protected]
Bruce Sterling
66 Sterling Drive, Thompson Falls, MT 59873
(406) 274-6023 [email protected]
NEWSLETTER EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Traci Ulberg
Meetings Northwest, LLC
(406) 273-7224
[email protected]
Contact us at:
Montana Wild Sheep Foundation
PO Box 17731
Missoula, MT 59808
President’s Message
Greetings to all Well Christmas is over and we rang in a New Year; that means it’s time for summer, right? One little stop first,
February 28th and March 1st is our Montana WSF annual fundraiser in Missoula this year. With Shane Clouse as
chair, it is looking like a great fundraiser; including fun youth activities! Thanks to our Missoula committee made
up of Shane, Jim Weatherly, Tom Powers, Max Bauer and myself, we will have a display of previously taken
rams and many pictures from this year’s harvest of Montana rams, some wonderful rams.......any ram is a beauty!!
On a personal note, after 28 years, I retired as the CEO of Opportunity Resources at the end of December. So far
this retirement stuff is wonderful and I would recommend it. It has been a fulfilling career providing support to
people with disabilities.
Again, many thanks to Mike Menke and the great job he did as our President the past two years.
Hope to see you in Missoula in a few weeks................Happy Trails to You.
Jack Chambers
Montana Wild Sheep Foundation President
WINTER 2014 | 3
A Sheep Named Joseph
By Coral Creek
M
y Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep hunt was the
most unlikely event of my 57 years, so far. My
story began in 2009, when I moved from the
city (Billings, MT) to join my husband, Don, in Gardiner,
MT. For the next four years, I gradually grew accustomed
to a new lifestyle and began to embrace the beauty of nature, the grandeur of Yellowstone National Park, the crisp
sound of silence, and the magnificence of the wildlife.
I felt no significance in the special hunting permit applications Don and my stepson, Nathan, directed me to sign
early each year. My mind was filled with the anticipation
of spring and my beloved sunshine.
In June of 2013, I was preparing for a road trip to Portland, or to visit my daughter, get my city fix, and attend
the Fleetwood Mac concert. One particular day, there
seemed to be an unusually large volume of phone calls between Don and Nathan. There was some obvious excitement about something, and that something appeared to be
hunting related. The most that I knew about the hunting
season in Gardiner was that it promised welcomed house
guests, friends not seen all year, excitement in the air, and
4 | WILD SHEEP
meat in the freezer. Soon I began receiving confusing text
messages telling me what a lucky woman I was, and other
suspicious comments. Finally, Nathan told me that I had
drawn the one and only coveted bighorn sheep tag for Area
305. I left for Portland, feeling rather important, but not
fully grasping the significance of this new information.
When I returned home in July, my adventure began. I
joined the Montana Wild Sheep Foundation and read every page of their newsletters. It seemed everyone knew
everything about hunting. Everyone but me. Although
I had some handgun experience, I had almost zero experience in rifle shooting. I began studying the geography
of the area, animal behavior, and hunting rules and regulations. I nervously introduced myself to strangers and
asked many questions. I learned a whole new vocabulary.
I was impressed with everyone’s excitement for me, their
willingness to help, and their accepting me into their hunting clique. I began target practicing, and practicing, and
practicing.
I learned that hunting is a team effort. My story would not
be a story at all without crediting the efforts of my team.
First, my husband, Don, who faithfully escorted me morning and evening, scouting for sheep; who taught me to
spot their distinctive white butts, and relentlessly reloaded
bullets for me. My stepson, Nathan from Sidney, MT,
an experienced and accomplished hunter who shared his
knowledge and enthusiasm, and texted me every five minutes the whole time we were scouting for sighting updates;
who assured me my shooting skills were improving and
perfecting. Nathan’s friend, Edwin Gatzke from Sidney,
who also texted me every five minutes (until I finally just
had to turn my phone off!) and, in the end, let me complete
my hunt with his 300 win mag. Edwin’s wife Cherie, who
taught me shooting and hunting skills from a woman’s perspective; who held my hand both literally and emotionally
when I stressed out.
My friend, Steve Gardner, in Livingston, who let me go
through all his 22 shells, until I felt comfortable enough
with a gun to move up to the big game rifle. Many other
friends in the area, too numerous to mention, who took me
scouting, showed me my boundaries, kept an eye out for
sheep, shared their enthusiasm, and encouraged me. My
children, Lisa and William, who praised me for my hard
work and determination, and made me feel like a “not so
average” mother. And last, but not least, my late stepson
Arlyn, also an accomplished hunter, who passed away in
2010, and whose memory accompanied us the entire time.
would have been surprised and proud of my accomplishment.
We took Joseph to Livingston to get the horns plugged
and take the meat to the butcher. That night my neighbor
Keith (Above The Rest Taxidermy) came to the house with
his catalogues and I learned the terminology and science
of taxidermy. Cherie helped me decide on a semi sneak
left turn shoulder mount. When Don and I picked up our
meat and had our first taste of bighorn sheep, we decided
it was the most tender and finest meat we had ever tasted.
We continued to take early morning drives to admire and
photograph the bighorn sheep as they were gathering and
preparing for their rut.
On a side note, I learned in August, while preparing for the
sheep hunt, that I had also drawn a bison tag for the Gardiner Basin. I shot my bison 35 days after harvesting Joseph
and we named him Baxter. While this was another exciting
adventure, Joseph will always be my first love.
After months of preparing, and many miles driven from
Sidney to Gardiner to plan, my posse arrived from Sidney
on October 9 for our planned hunt the next day. October 10th dawned a beautiful and mild day. We spotted
three rams on a butte across from Cinnabar Mountain.
I knew I probably didn’t have the grit or experience to
hunt a big trophy sheep, but I also had gained the respect
for these amazing animals to know I didn’t want to take
the smallest legal ram available. Of the three we spotted
through the scope, one was just right. We hiked to within
556 yards, and decided to shoot from there. I calmed my
pounding heart, breathed carefully, and squeezed the trigger. When I was told I had hit my target on that first shot,
I relaxed for the first time in months. We hiked to the kill
site and admired my sheep and were satisfied. Nathan
told me it was required that I name him. At that point, I
believed anything, although I did not remember reading it
in the regulations. I named my sheep Joseph. Joseph was
my father’s and grandfather’s middle name. I think they
WINTER 2014 | 5
Breaks Bighorn Unit 622
By Tom Shoman
I
n 1995, I began applying for big game hunting tags
through United States Outfitters in Taos, New Mexico.
Having started with only the thought of drawing a bull
elk tag, I realized there would be other species I would like
to try to draw a tag for through USO. In 2001, I added
Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep in Montana and started
to acquire the bonus point that Montana offers. In the latter part of June 2013, I received a packet in the mail from
Montana Game and Fish with my sheep license for unit
622 in the Missouri Breaks. Wow, what a surprise! Even
though I knew there was always a chance I could draw a
tag, I thought it would take many more years to get this tag,
if even at all.
After the initial excitement and telling everybody of my
good fortune, it was time to start making plans for my
hunt. I obtained maps of the area and talked to Montana
6 | WILD SHEEP
Game and Fish personnel to get an idea of where the sheep
were located. Then I had to make the decision of hunting on my own or hiring an outfitter. Although my first
thought was to do the hunt on my own, I realized that with
such a great tag and wanting an opportunity to maybe take
a record book ram, some local knowledge might be best
for me. The first couple of outfitters I contacted informed
me they did not guide in Unit 622, but one of them told me
to get in contact with Carl Mann, who is the owner of Carl
Mann’s Montana Experience Outfitters. When I talked to
Carl on the phone, the enthusiasm in his voice for the tag
I had drawn, his knowledge of the area he guides in and
description of sheep they had seen the previous fall while
hunting for elk made it an easy decision to hire him to help
with my hunt. We made plans to begin hunting on opening
day September 15, 2013.
WINTER 2014 | 7
Breaks Bighorn Unit 622....continued from page 7
I arrived in Fort Peck, MT the day before my hunt was
to begin and met my guide, Travis Jones. He showed me
what area of Unit 622 we would be hunting in and pictures
of some rams he had taken the previous fall. It was a long
sleepless night and early the next morning we made the
60 mile drive from Fort Peck to the Charles M. Russell
National Wildlife Refuge. We had about a two and a half
mile walk before we began glassing for sheep at around
sun up. The first stop produced nothing, so we moved and
began glassing again. After seeing a couple of elk, I told
Travis I had a ram spotted walking across the side of a
butte about a mile to a mile and a quarter away. We looked
at him through our spotting scopes and Travis said he was
a pretty nice ram, maybe the second biggest of the ones
he had pictures. As we continued to watch him, he came
down the butte onto a plateau and we lost him behind
some brush. We kept looking for him for a while, but were
not able to find him; although we did see one ewe come
around the other side of the same butte for a few seconds
and also a bull elk. We decided to make our way over to
the other ridge to try and find this ram again to get a better
look at him. I told Travis it was a good thing it would take a
while to get over there since after just seeing about my fifth
bighorn sheep in the wild, I was shaking uncontrollably.
In about an hour, we got down the coulee and up on the
ridge across from butte where we had spotted the ram. After a short time of glassing, I had the ram spotted again. He
was bedded on what looked like a small rock slide below
the face of the butte we had originally seen him on and
about 400 yards or so away. We moved to within about 300
yards and as we watched him he would let his head drop so
it looked like his horns would touch the ground so he could
rest his head, then he would lift his head, get up and turn
around every so often. As we watched him and discussed
if he was a ram I wanted to try and kill, four elk bedded in
some timber below him. We both agreed he was a good
ram, but I had a few things to think about before making a
decision. It was still morning of the first day, it was the first
and only ram we had seen, he was all by himself which
made him more difficult to judge and maybe there were
bigger rams in the area. Travis thought he would lay there
all day as it was going to be in the high 70’s to low 80’s, so
I decided to leave him and go further back into the CMR
to look for more sheep. Walking out of the area of the
bedded ram, we stopped and talked to two guys who were
bow hunting for elk. They had also seen the ram, saying
he was a pretty good one and informing us that they had
8 | WILD SHEEP
heard a big ram had been found in the area that had apparently winter killed.
We spent the next five to six hours walking and glassing
for sheep, but were not able to locate any. During this time
though, we were able to spot several elk and it was a pleasure to hear Travis call to a bull elk, who despite the heat,
was more than happy to respond. He also spent a good deal
of this time talking and telling me that the ram we had seen
was a really good ram. It was getting close to the time that
we had to start making our way out and back to the truck.
Travis said we could go out a different way than we came
in which would be a longer walk, but a little easier, or go
back past where the ram was and give him another look.
Although there could be bigger rams out there, I was after
a good ram that could maybe make the record book and
the ram we had seen was this and maybe more. I said lets
go back past him and if he was still there I was going to try
and kill him.
The ram was still bedded where we had left him and we
were off to one side at 200 yards. We wanted to try and
video the shot, but as we were getting set up, the ram stood
up. He walked out of site around the other side of the butte
before I was in position to take a shot. We hurriedly packed
up our stuff and headed up the opposite side of the butte
from where the ram had gone. Nearing the top, we carefully looked around to see if the ram had continued up the
butte. Not seeing him, we proceeded across the top and
began to look around. After a few minutes I happened to
look down and saw the ram back down on the plateau at
the bottom of the butte. I yelled at Travis, there he is and
how far, as I was going down on one knee to take the shot.
I heard Travis say 280 yards and I took the shot. The ram
went off the edge of the plateau and disappeared. Travis
asked if I hit him and with everything happening so fast I
didn’t know. Travis said he would go down to where we
last saw the ram and check for anything that indicated I
had hit him. I was going to go back down the side of the
butte we had come up to see if I could find the ram going out that way. As I came over the top of the butte and
started down, I saw the four elk we had seen bed below the
ram going up another draw, but no ram. I worked my way
down the coulee and up to the top of the ridge across from
where the ram had gone over. Travis was at the edge of the
plateau where we had last seen the ram saying he couldn’t
see any sign that I had hit him and it looked like about a 40
foot drop straight down from where the ram had went off
the plateau. We decided I was going to continue down the
draw to see if I could find any sign of the ram and Travis
was going to go check where he was bedded to maybe get
an idea of how often he had been using it.
I was pretty confident in my ability and rifle to make the
shot, but all kinds of thoughts were going through my
mind. Should I have taken the shot or waited for a better
opportunity and if I missed would we be able to find him
again in the coming days? Or worse yet, wound him with
a badly placed shot and not be able to find him. I had only
walked about 50 yards down the coulee and as I rounded
a little ridge I looked over and there lay my ram! The shot
had been just about perfect. I can’t begin to tell you how
excited I was and what a magnificent trophy he was. He
looked way bigger now than when we had been looking at
him through the spotting scopes. After the congratulations
and pictures, we began the task of getting him out of there.
With almost four miles of some pretty rugged country to
pack him out, it was well after dark that night when we got
out with the cape, horns and some of our gear. The GPS
showed we had walked well over 18 miles that day. The
next morning found us hiking back in to bring out the meat
and the rest of the gear we had left behind.
With some rough measurements taken the next day in
camp by us and the ones done in Glasgow by Montana
FWP where I took the ram to get registered, he was going to make the record book. The personnel from the FWP
thought that this may also be the biggest ram taken that far
east in Unit 622. After the 60 day drying period, I had my
ram measured by the Boone and Crocket Club. He was
aged at 9 ½ years and with only 2/8 inch deductions ended
up scoring 195 4/8. I would like to thank United States
Outfitters, Carl Mann with Montana Experience Outfitters,
Montana FWP and the Montana Wild Sheep Foundation
for a chance to hunt such a magnificent animal. Last, I
would like to thank Travis Jones for helping me truly take
a trophy of a lifetime.
Editor’s note: This ram appears to have the largest base
of any ram of record in the State of Montana at 17 6/8
and 17 7/8 inches.
WINTER 2014 | 9
Madison Sheep Capture
By Jim Weatherly
I
n mid-December FWP personnel, MSU students and
wild sheep volunteers met at Harry Liss’s house to
capture bighorn sheep in the upper Madison River drainage. The capture is part of a five year study coordinated
by Dr. Bob Garrott of Montana State University. The
purpose of the study is to determine the role of disease,
habitat, individual condition, and herd attributes on bighorn sheep population dynamics in Montana.
Harry baited the wild sheep for several weeks to acclimate them to feeding under a drop net. Two net drops
were accomplished capturing 15 sheep during each
event. The sheep were all tested by the FWP Bozeman
lab personnel. This included throat and nasal swabs,
blood and fecal samples, and weight and body condition. All sheep were ear tagged and fifteen animals were
fitted with GPS and VHF collars. The GPS collars will
send daily location fixes to FWP in Bozeman for two
years. At the end of the two years, the GPS collars will
drop off and send a signal to FWP for collar recovery.
The GPS collars will activate the VHS collars which
FWP can use to determine locations in the field for
another three to four years.
The project is scheduled to last five years with a budgeted cost of approximately $367,000. It is funded
with proceeds from the sheep auction account and
other FWP funding sources.
Drop net captures are scheduled for other wild sheep
herds including the Stillwater, Anaconda, Rock
Creek and Paradise herds. All of the net drops have
been delayed because of the mild winter and lack of
10 | WILD SHEEP
snow driving the sheep herds to lower elevations where
they can be baited. A helicopter capture is schedule in
HD 482 (South side of the Missouri Breaks) as part of
this study.
Volunteers assisting in the capture included Montana
Wild Sheep Foundation volunteers, Gray Thornton and
Kevin Hurley and Jack and Cindy Atcheson from the
Wild Sheep Foundation in Cody, Wyoming.
po
po box
box 444
444
sterling,
sterling, alaska
alaska 99672
99672
www.alaska.net/~silverb/index.html
www.alaska.net/~silverb/index.html
WINTER 2014 | 11
22nd ANNUAL FUNDRAISER
P
lans are well under way for the 22nd Annual Fundraiser to be held at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel
and Convention Center in Missoula, Montana on February 28 and March 1, 2014. The Montana Chapter has
teamed up with our sponsors, Karl Tyler Chevrolet and
Republic Services, to have fun and raise money for wild
sheep in Montana.
A new addition to our event will include a youth event
on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. All youth
are encouraged to attend and participate in more than
a dozen education stations to learn about enjoying the
Montana outdoors, conservation and the sport of hunting. Please see the related story by Tom Powers elsewhere in this newsletter.
Our exhibitor area will be open from 4:00 to 9:00 PM
Friday evening and all day Saturday. We will have a
no-host bar on Friday evening to meet and greet old
friends, sheep hunters and our exhibitors. On Saturday we will have seminars including Elizabeth Bradley,
FWP Region 2 Wolf Management Specialist and Bob
Weisner, FWP Region 2 Wildlife Management Specialist. Elizabeth will discuss various studies and manage-
12 | WILD SHEEP
ment techniques used to manage wolves in Montana.
Bob will speak of a lifetime experience on mountain lion
and other predator management. In addition, we have
tentatively scheduled a speaker to provide insight on the
current shortage of ammunition in the US.
Saturday evening we will have our dinner and auction.
We will auction an Alberta whitetail and Texas Aoudad
hunt. An antlerless elk hunt will be auctioned for a youth
hunt. Additional fishing trips, hunting equipment and
art work for adults and youth will be offered at the auction. Raffles will include our traditional sheep camp,
custom rifle and hat raffle. Additionally, we will have a
ladies raffle for a fur coat, an optics package and numerous other hunting related items.
We welcome hunters to bring their trophies for display
at the event. Enter your framed or matted photos in the
photo contest in one of three categories: Wild Sheep,
Hunter with Trophy or Hunter in the Field. Entrants are
limited to a maximum of one photo per category.
We will be posting additional information on our
website at www.montanawsf.org.
REGISTRATION FORM
MONTANA WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION
February 28 - March 1, 2014 FUNDRAISER BANQUET
Hilton Garden Inn Convention Center, Missoula MT
For Room Reservations call 406-532-5300
(Indicate your attendance at the Wild Sheep Convention for the $104 plus tax room rate)
Last Name_______________________________ First Name_______________________________
Street Address____________________________________ Telephone Number_________________
City________________________ State______ Zip___________ Email________________________
I am also registering the following guests:
Name_____________________________ Address________________________________________
Name_____________________________ Address________________________________________
(Please list any additional names & addresses on an attachment)
Registration
Adult Saturday Dinner
Youth Saturday Dinner
Table Sponsor Saturday Dinner
(Includes 8 dinner tickets)
Sponsor Raffle
(One Remington 700 SPS
rifle awarded by drawing
for every 5 sponsors)
Custom Rifle Drawing
Sheep Camp Raffle
Early
Late
on or before Feb 21, 2014
After Feb 21, 2014
Total
____ tickets @ $50 each
____ tickets @ $45 each
____ tickets @ $360 each
____ tickets @ $50 each
____ tickets @ $45 each
____ tickets @ $360 each
$____________
$____________
$____________
____ tickets @ $275 each
____ tickets @ $275 each
$____________
____ tickets @ $20 each
____ tickets @ $10 each or
12 for $100
$____________
$____________
____ tickets @ $20 each
____ tickets @ $10 each or
12 for $100
(All tickets will be held for pickup at the registration table)
Major Fundraiser Items:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
6 day Alberta Whitetail Deer Hunt w/option for Mule Deer, Elk, or Wolf
Texas Aoudad Hunt
Montana Pheasant Hunt
5 day/4 night Whitewater Raft Trip on the main Salmon River (Salmon to Riggins, Idaho)
Montana Youth Cow Elk Hunt
Idaho Ranch Cast & Blast
Original Cynthie Fisher Art Work
Ladies Fur Coats
How are you Paying?
Check
Credit Card
Master Card
Visa
Name on Credit Card_______________________________ 3-4 Digit Security Code_____________
Credit Card No.___________________________________ Expiration Date______________(mo/yr)
Signature of Card Holder ___________________________ Telephone _______________________
Mail this form with check or credit card information to:
Montana Wild Sheep Foundation, PO Box 17731, Missoula, MT 59808
or register online at www.montanawsf.org
For questions contact Jim Weatherly 406-531-5015 or [email protected]
WINTER 2014 | 13
IT’S ALL FREE, JUST BE HERE!
By Tom Powers
Hey moms and dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, big
brothers and sisters!
We are going to give four lucky kids the opportunity to
attend a summer camp at the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch. The camps are five days long in June and
August of 2014 and are scheduled for two age groups:
11 to 13 years and 14 to 17 years. Food, lodging and
transportation expenses for the camps will also be provided. The camp winners will be chosen from youth that
attend our Friday, February 28, 2014 or Saturday March
1, 2014 annual fundraising event at the Hilton Garden
Inn in Missoula.
How do youth qualify?
On Friday from noon to 5:00 pm or Saturday from 10:00
am to 4:00 pm we will have activities for kids up to 17
years. These activities will teach skills and provide
knowledge related to wildlife and wild places. Upon
completing all stations the youth’s name will be entered
into a drawing. The winners will be drawn at the Saturday evening banquet. Three of the winners will be from
the 11 to 17 year-old age group. These three winners do
not need to be present to win a “campership”. One additional winner will come from a drawing for only those
kids attending the Saturday night banquet.
Want to learn more about the Camp?
14 | WILD SHEEP
For more details about the summer camp call Luke Coccoli at the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch @ 406472-3311 or email [email protected]. Be sure to look at the photo albums from the
past summer camps while at our event in Missoula (see
below for a sampling). You will have the chance to meet
some of the kids that attended the 2013 camps as well as
the camp program coordinator at the banquet.
Some of the educational stations available on Friday
and Saturday are as follows:
• Indoor Archery
• Indoor BB Gun
• Wildlife Tracks and scat
• Hides and skulls
• Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks Poaching Exhibit
• Smoke Elser Packing Clinic
• Five Valley Land Trust
• Nature Conservancy
• Be Bear Aware
• Boone & Crockett (outdoor adventure camp)
• U.S. Forest Service (Leave No Trace Camping)
You can also visit our website at www.montanawsf.org
to learn more about the Missoula event and the “camperships”.
2013 Rams Horn Measurements
HD
100
100
102
121
122
122
122
122
122
122
122
122
123
123
123
124
124
124
124
124
124
203
203
203
203
203
210
210
212
216
216
250
250
250
261
270
300
301
301
301
301
301
County
Lincoln
Lincoln
Lincoln
Flathead
Sanders
Sanders
Sanders
Sanders
Sanders
Sanders
Sanders
Sanders
Lincoln
Sanders
Sanders
Sanders
Sanders
Sanders
Sanders
Sanders
Sanders
Mineral
Mineral
Missoula
Missoula
Missoula
Granite
Granite
Powell
Granite
Granite
Ravalli
Ravalli
Ravalli
Ravalli
Ravalli
Park
Gallatin
Gallatin
Gallatin
Gallatin
Gallatin
Harvest
Date
10/16/2013
11/9/2013
10/19/2013
11/13/2013
10/26/2013
11/2/2013
11/2/2013
11/2/2013
11/6/2013
11/8/2013
11/23/2013
11/23/2013
10/7/2013
11/29/2013
11/30/2013
10/12/2013
10/27/2013
11/8/2013
11/9/2013
11/13/2013
11/16/2013
10/30/2013
11/1/2013
11/8/2013
11/15/2013
11/22/2013
11/6/2013
11/30/2013
10/12/2013
10/17/2013
10/20/2013
11/2/2013
11/10/2013
11/11/2013
10/30/2013
9/15/2013
9/3/2013
9/7/2013
11/2/2013
11/12/2013
11/18/2013
11/23/2013
Age
10
8.5
12
8.5
9.5
5
7
9.5
6.5
5.5
4.5
12
4.5
6.5
7
6.5
7.5
7.5
5.5
7.5
9
9
7.5
9.5
8
6.5
7.5
12
5.5
7
8
7
8.5
4
9
8
7
7
4.5
7.5
5.5
Right
Horn
Length
35
37.5
Circum
Right
Base
14.625
15.375
Left
Horn
Length
38.875
37.25
Circum
Left
Base
14.75
15.5
34
36.25
33.75
36.25
37.375
35.125
34.75
36.75
32.5
36.875
3.375
35.25
38.375
36.625
37.375
39.625
38
41
36.25
33.75
34.5
39
36.875
36.75
37.125
36.875
35
34.5
34.5
32.625
36
35.25
19.25
29.75
26.25
33.25
26
33.875
31
14.5
15
15.5
16
17
15.75
15.625
15.75
16.125
13.875
14.75
14
16.125
15
15.5
15.625
16.5
16.5
15.5
15.25
15.75
17.875
16
15.5
16.125
14.5
16.5
15.25
14.125
14.75
15.375
15
16
14.375
13.75
15.25
15.5
15.875
15
33.625
34.5
34.875
34.25
36.375
37.25
34.375
36.875
33.25
36.25
30.875
33.75
41
34
38.5
38.125
39
40.75
37.25
36.375
36.5
39.25
37.75
39
37
36.25
36
33.5
37.25
32.75
36
34.25
38.875
32.875
27.25
34.25
26
32.25
32.875
14.75
15
15.75
16
17.125
15.5
15.75
16
16.25
14.125
14.875
14.375
16.125
15
15.75
15.875
16.5
16.5
15.75
15.25
15.5
17.5
16
15.5
16.25
14.5
16.5
15.75
14.125
14.5
15.5
15
16.125
14.375
14.75
15.25
15.5
16
15
WINTER 2014 | 15
2013 Ram Horn Measurements....continued from page 13
HD
302
302
302
302
303
303
303
305
315
421
422
422
422
423
423
424
424
424
441
441
441
441
482
482
482
482
482
482
482
482
482
482
482
482
482
482
482
500
500
501
502
County
Gallatin
Gallatin
Madison
Madison
Park
Park
Park
Park
Beaverhead
Lewis And Clark
Teton
Teton
Teton
Teton
Teton
Lewis And
Lewis And
Lewis And
Teton
Teton
Teton
Teton
Fergus
Fergus
Fergus
Fergus
Fergus
Fergus
Fergus
Fergus
Fergus
Fergus
Fergus
Fergus
Fergus
Fergus
Fergus
Park
Sweet Gra
Park
Carbon
16 | WILD SHEEP
Harvest
Date
9/16/2013
9/16/2013
9/28/2013
10/5/2013
10/5/2013
10/8/2013
10/9/2013
10/10/2013
11/19/2013
9/15/2013
10/20/2013
11/10/2013
11/13/2013
11/24/2013
12/1/2013
11/3/2013
11/8/2013
11/21/2013
11/11/2013
11/22/2013
11/26/2013
11/29/2013
9/7/2013
9/15/2013
9/15/2013
9/17/2013
9/21/2013
10/4/2013
10/8/2013
10/11/2013
10/13/2013
10/18/2013
10/19/2013
10/19/2013
11/8/2013
11/8/2013
11/21/2013
9/19/2013
9/15/2013
9/21/2013
10/19/2013
Age
7
12
11
6.5
5
8
5
7
7.5
5
8
7.5
7.5
5.5
8.5
8
8.5
7.5
7.5
9
7.5
7.5
10
9
9
9
9
6
9
9
7
6
7
9
9.5
9.5
8.5
2
11
7
10
Right
Horn
Length
37.625
36.625
31.875
33.375
30.5
40
32.25
29.875
39.75
29.625
37.5
32
35
28
28.75
39.25
37.5
33
34.5
39
33.375
36.75
39
36.375
37.125
40.625
38
37.125
36.875
36.5
38.375
35.875
40.5
34.25
36.25
37.25
39.125
22
31.75
34.5
35
Circum
Right
Base
16.375
15.125
14.125
16.5
13
15.25
15
13.25
14.875
14.75
15.25
16
15.25
14.5
14.125
15.75
15.75
14.5
13.75
14.5
14.625
14.5
16
15.5
16
16.25
15.375
16.125
14.375
14.25
16.5
16.875
16.5
14.75
16.5
15.25
14.75
11.75
14.5
14.75
14.375
Left
Horn
Length
38.125
36.125
33.5
33.375
30.5
37
32.25
29.375
31.125
29.875
34.125
34.625
36
28
33
34.5
37.5
34
38.25
35
34.5
34.125
39.5
37.875
39
40.5
37.5
36.75
36.875
36
38.75
38.875
37.25
32.5
35
35
38.25
22.125
31.5
34.75
34
Circum
Left
Base
16.375
15.125
14.375
17.5
13.375
14.875
15
13.5
14.75
14.75
15.25
16.5
15
14.5
14.375
15.5
15.75
14.5
13.75
14.75
14.625
14.5
16
15.125
16.125
15.625
15.5
16.125
14.5
14.375
16.625
16.125
16.5
14.5
16.75
14.875
15
12.25
14.75
14.875
14.375
HD
County
Harvest
Date
Age
502
502
503
503
503
620
622
622
622
622
622
622
622
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
680
Carbon
Carbon
Carbon
Carbon
Carbon
Phillips
Phillips
Phillips
Phillips
Phillips
Phillips
Valley
Valley
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Blaine
Chouteau
Chouteau
Chouteau
Chouteau
11/12/2013
11/14/2013
9/16/2013
10/19/2013
11/16/2013
9/15/2013
9/17/2013
10/15/2013
10/26/2013
11/2/2013
11/14/2013
9/15/2013
11/9/2013
9/16/2013
9/25/2013
9/28/2013
10/1/2013
10/5/2013
10/5/2013
10/6/2013
10/9/2013
10/20/2013
10/21/2013
10/22/2013
10/26/2013
11/2/2013
11/4/2013
11/7/2013
11/7/2013
11/10/2013
11/14/2013
11/22/2013
11/25/2013
9/15/2013
9/29/2013
10/15/2013
11/9/2013
10
5
6
8
9
11
9
7
8
4.5
6.5
7
4.5
9
12
11
10
8
8
8
8
5
6
9
7
9
8.5
9.5
8.5
6.5
6.5
8.5
7.5
9
9
12
7.5
680
Hill
11/1/2013
10
Right
Horn
Length
34.875
29
26.75
30.25
29.75
38.125
32.625
39.5
30.75
33.5
35.5
39
36.25
36.875
42.25
39.75
40.5
39
38.5
39.25
34.5
40.25
32
39.25
36.875
38.375
36.5
39
37.625
35.375
38.875
40.625
35.25
39
42
39
38.75
37.375
Circum
Right
Base
13.5
14.25
14.25
14.25
14.75
14.25
14.75
14.75
14.875
17
15.75
18.125
15.5
15.625
16.375
15.625
15.25
15.625
17
15.5
15.375
16.5
16.25
14.75
15.5
14.75
15.25
15.25
15.5
14.25
16.125
16.25
15.75
16.5
15.875
16.25
15.5
15.875
Left
Horn
Length
35.25
29.25
26.75
30.375
29
39.625
37.75
41.875
33.125
36.25
35.375
38.625
32.875
37
45.5
38.5
39.75
37.25
40.375
40
37
38.875
34
40
37.5
39.75
37.375
39.5
41.5
37.75
39.875
36.875
34.5
41.625
39.75
37.125
41.875
38
Circum
Left
Base
13.25
14.25
14
14.25
15
14.375
14.75
14.75
14.875
17.125
15.375
19.125
15.5
15.875
16.125
15.75
15.25
15.75
17.375
15.5
15.375
16.125
16.125
14.75
15.625
14.75
15.375
15.375
15.125
14.25
16
16.375
15.625
16.625
16.25
16.25
16
15.875
WINTER 2014 | 17
Ronald Laws
1935 – 2013
O
n October 13, 2013 wild sheep supporters lost former board member and friend Ronald Laws. Ron was very
passionate about the wild sheep that lived on the cliffs across the Flathead River from his house east of Paradise,
Montana.
Ron served on the Montana Chapter Board of Directors from 2002 to 2005. His primary concerns were to stop the
highway mortality of bighorn sheep between Plains and Thompson Falls, Montana and to acquire the former Pickering property near his house. Ron worked tirelessly on these two projects while serving as a director. After leaving
the board primarily due to failing health, Ron would call or email me every couple of months to see if we were making progress on his projects. He was thrilled in early 2011 when I told him the Pickering property was a priority for
acquisition by Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks using auction tag money. It was deemed the Full Curl Acquisition
by FWP. Ownership of this property now rests with FWP and is open to public hunting. A sheep hunter took a very
nice ram on this property during the 2013 season. Controlling sheep mortality on Highway 200 is still a high priority
for FWP and the Montana Chapter.
Almost all the hunters who drew a tag for sheep hunting district 124 near Paradise, Montana met Ron Laws. Ron
would tell hunters where to find sheep, he often let them stay in his bunkhouse and use his boat to cross the Flathead
River. For hunters with their own boat, Ron watched over a privately owned boat ramp along Highway 200 and he
would direct hunters to the site. All of Ron’s help came with a price. He required they join the Montana Chapter and
support the wild sheep in Montana.
Ron was a friend to all who knew him and he was dedicated to many causes including wild sheep. The world is a
better place because of men like Ron Laws.
18 | WILD SHEEP
WINTER 2014 | 19
NONPROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
MISSOULA, MT
PERMIT NO.74
Montana Wild Sheep Foundation
PO Box 17731
Missoula, MT 59808
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Membership Information
Interested in becoming a member? Simply complete the below form and return with payment.
Name:______________________________________
Phone:__________________________________
Address:_________________________________________________________________________________
Email:______________________________________
Select category (one only please per form) and membership length:
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3 year - $120.00
Life - $350.00
Corporate (1 year only) - $100.00
20 | WILD SHEEP
Mail this form and dues to:
Montana Chapter WSF
PO Box 17731
Missoula, MT 59808