ca wsf newsletter - California Chapter – Wild Sheep Foundation

CaliforniaWild SheepFall 2012IN THIS ISSUEFrom the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Out and About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Solar Energy and BighornSheep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102012 WSF Chapter and AffiliatesMeeting Raises the Bar . . . . . . . 16Recollections of a MemorableSheep Hunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18New Drinker System Developedby SCBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Photos from the Field . . . . . . . . . 24News of Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Phillip LeonDesert BighornWhite Mountains, CAAugust 2012Guided by Terry Anderson and Jake Franklin, SanGorgonio Wilderness OutfittingA Publication of the California Chapter Wild Sheep Foundation

Nor-Cal’ s Big Game SpecialistBrian S. MacDonaldVice PresidentFinancial AdvisorTel: 415.274.6054800.450.8655Fax: 415.644.5511brian_s_macdonald@ml.com101 California St., Suite 2575San Francisco, California 94111-5898800.937.0615Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.Danny Smith’sUtah state recordram from 20066-Month Comple t ion on MountsState-of-the-Art Alarm Systemto Pro tect Your Trophie s!Free Shipping TagsAsk about our trophy hunts andvideography!OFFER TO DO TALKS / PRESENTATIONSDick Weaver continues to do good things for wildsheep and wildlife conservation. To that end he iscurrently offering to do talks or presentations and willdonate the proceeds to a local wild sheep cause inGlenwood near where he lives.He also has an extensive collection of “stuff,” whichhe is willing to donate to help sheep.Contact Dick Weaver through the editor,mike.borel@contextnet.com.E r i c G o u l d , O w n e r18631 Lloyd Lane, Suite D, Anderson, CA 96007Shop: 530-229-0775 | Cell: 530-510-9441www.artisticwildlifetaxidermy.netEmail: artisticwildlife@sbcglobal.netArtistic Wildlife TaxidermyNor-Cal’ s Wild Sheep Specialist!CA WSF 2Fall 2012

2012 CA WSF DIRECTOR ELECTIONby Don MartinWe elected one new person to our Board ofDirectors: Eric Gould. The following introducesEric to you.In the past I have been on the California DeerAssociation and the Mule Deer Foundation Committees,and also on the Board for California TaxidermyAssociation. I enjoy helping at annual dinnersto raise money for the wildlife. In the nearfuture I would love to do hands-on field work forthe Wild Sheep Foundation.We re-elected the following Directors:Steven F. BoitanoMike J. BorelJohn F. CavinKenneth D. FishBen GordonRoger L. McCoskerERIC GOULD – Anderson, CAI have had a passion for wild sheep since I was 18years old. My first Dall sheep was taken in Alaskaat the age of 23, and I have been fortunate to huntall over the world since then. I have been a taxidermistin California for 25 years and a huntingguide for over 20 years. I love the excitement ofhunting, as well as the art of recreating life-likeanimals, and I have been fortunate enough tomount some of the largest sheep in the world.The above will join the following Directors whoseterms extend until June 2013:Paul A. BrissoAdam CasagrandeKen CrotherBob KeagyDon C. MartinKyle M. MeintzerDwight OrtmannOfficers serve a 2-year term with elections inodd numbered years. So current officers areunchanged.Wildeats EnterprisesJohn McGannonjohn@wildeats.comwww.wildeats.comBlackrock OutfittersMichael Hornbargerbighornnv@sbcglobal.netArtistic Wildlife TaxidermyEric Gouldartisticwildlifetaxidermy@yahoo.comwww.artisticwildlifetaxidermy.netGrand Slam Club/OvisDennis Campbellgsco@wildsheep.orgwww.wildsheep.orgCA WSF 6Fall 2012

OUT AND ABOUT IN SHEEP COUNTRYby Gary Thomas, SCBSEmergency Tank Installation in the SheepholesWe installed our closed top tank and New Mexicodrinker box 1 mile from the empty Bear Claws site andfilled it full of water. Now we cross our fingers andpray the sheep find it soon. The start of our monsoonis July so we may get rain and fill Bear Claw beforeSudshole is empty. This was a joint project betweenBLM, CDF&G and SCBS with a lot of time put inby the agency’s to get the approval to do it. TerryAnderson went to Bear Claw the first of June to inspectit after Jeff Crouse called and said it had not beeninspected and found the collection pipe had pulledapart and the tanks were dry. This site has a satellitereporting system on it, but the person that looks afterand repairs them has moved and it was not reportingproperly. We loaded up tanks and tools Friday and leftCady Saturday morning at 6:00 a.m. and got to thework site at 10:00 a.m. to began the install and left at3:30 p.m. with the tank and drinker full of water waitingfor the sheep to find it. I want to thank SteveMarschke, Neal Samson, Glen Rice, Neal Ringley,George Kerr, Le Hays, Avy Hays, Zach Thomas, JohnVought from SCBS. Jerry Mulcahey and Dave Bakerfrom the Blyth DF&G office came out and hauled1,500 gallons of water and worked with us all day.We need to rebuild our emergency response crew todo this work in the future, so if you would like to beon it or know someone please give me a call.August 10, 2012 Big Gee Repair and Water Haul19 people came out to Camp Cady to haul waterand repair the flood damaged Big Gee wildlifedrinker and I can tell you it was a great experienceand an outstanding success.Friday afternoon we loaded up the trucks withwater tanks, tools, pipe and pipe fittings. After thetanks and trailer were full of water we headed tothe bunk house and Steve cooked hamburgers andsmoky links, John Nelson made the best beans I everhad and Wayne and Linda Snively came by withlemon sugar cookies for the group. Kathy Ridleywith the San Bernardino Sheriff Rescue also cameout and gave us a phone number to call if we needhelp in an emergency. After dinner we went overwhat we hoped to accomplish the next day and thenturn in as 4:00 a.m. comes early. The next morningeveryone was up at 4:00 a.m. but little Miss SleepyHead who we all know but will remain namelesscame into the kitchen and filled up on sweet rolls,Fall 20127cookies andcoffee. I think a few were surprised, me the most butwe were on the road and out the gate by 4:00 a.m.and met Jeff and Le at Basin Road on time.Steve led the 9 vehicle caravan in his Jeep andwe made it up the wash to the first turn with outgetting off track and lost. From there it was easy asthe old road was still there till we dropped in to thesecond wash. From there on we had to move a lotof rocks and find a new route up the canyon to BigGee. The old route the last 5 miles was gone alongwith most of the trees and brush and this is wherewe had to drop the water trailers. Where there wereonce big boulders and brush was now a smoothwash and where an easy drive was we now had tomove rocks, brush and fill in holes. The last bad spotwhere you go in to the upper canyon is still a tightturn but is better than it use to be.Well after 5 hours of driving we were there andstarted to pump water in the tanks and repair thepipes that were gone. Steve and John Roy tookcharge of cleaning the drinker box and replacing thepipe from the tank. John Nelson and Jim Knybelwent up the wash and started working on the pipefrom the dam and rain mat and I kept the watertrucks coming and pumping water. After we emptiedthe trucks Jeff, Le, Mike and I went back to the watertrailers and came back with another 850 gallons ofwater for a total of 3,000 gallons.By 2:30 p.m. we had the pipe repaired to thedrinker and from the dam and rain mat to the tanks.Unless you were there you don’t know what a toughjob it was in the 110 degree heat and what peoplethat care about wildlife can do when we ask.We had 7 new people show up for this projectso a big thanks to Tom Barton, Art Figueroa, JimKnybel, Joe Preiss, Mike Woods Jeff Jones, Andrew.The dependable who always show up to helpwere there and they were Carlos Galinger, Le Hays,Mark LeCompte, Steve and Debbie Marschke, JohnNelson John and Linda Roy, Joe Steinmetz, and JohnVought.If it wasn’t for people like these and many I didnot list who come out to the desert in the middle ofsummer and to give their time and money to helpus keep water in the drinkers by hauling water andmaking repairs a lot of sheep would not be aroundin the Fall.So from me and all of us that care about thewildlife a BIG GEE THANKS.CA WSF

WISDOM FROM CALIFORNIA DESERTSTUDY AND A CURIOUS MINDby Dick WeaverOUTSMARTING ACALIFORNIAMOUNTAIN LIONfrom Dick WeaverMark Dickson’s story inspiredme to write this for the newsletter.Let me mention the desertbighorn book Desert Bighorn. Ifyou have a copy or can get yourhands on one, there is a chapteron petroglyphs. Bighorn sheepare depicted in the rock art inmany of the desert ranges inboth the United States and Mexicomore than any other animal.One of these sites is in NewMexico, just as Mark imagined.This petroglyph shows a ramwith two arrows in it.Native Americans were ableto take bighorn in other waysalso. There were two storiesrelated to me that I believe aretrue. Sometimes when followinga game trail you might runacross a hunting blind. Theseblinds will be near water. Aretired DFG employee related astory to me about a spring I hadfound with a rock blind nearby.He told me this: an Indianworking for a rancher that rancattle where I made this find,told him what he learned fromhis grandfather. The way theycaptured bighorn was with ashort bow and dart-like arrowfrom blinds near water. Hisgrandfather said they hadsoaked the arrows in a brothmade from herbs but he neverlearned what plants were used.This broth sedated the sheep.The sheep would walk awaythen lay down and go to sleep.The hunters would have a religiousritual that gave thanksbefore processing the sheep. Themeat, hide, horns and boneswere all used.Do not confuse rock blindlikestructures that can still befound in the desert where GeneralPatton trained troops fordesert warfare in WWII. Theseare different and not near water.The other story I heard froman early day rancher in SanDiego County near the Mexicanborder. I always made an effortto get as much bighorn informationas I could from local residents.This fellow told me hehad known some Indians thatcaptured sheep in nets. Theyoung men would get in a lineand walk toward the bighornwhich moved away from themtoward where they had set up anet across a game trail. Whenclose the young men would rushthe sheep to tangle into the net.What makes the story believableto me is that I found two rockpylons on each side of a gametrail. These pylons would anchorthe net, just as it was describedto me. Shortly after that I readwhere a net had been found in adry cave in an archaeologicaldig. Early homesteaders told storiesof Indians also catching rabbitsthis way in historic times.The native people were centuriesahead of us in drive netand mobilization of game.Dick Weaver is CA DFG’s firstMr. Desert Bighorn and nowretired in New Mexico andstill active in helping CA WSFand SCBS.One day an old German Shepherd startschasing rabbits and before long discoversthat he’s lost. Wandering about, henotices a Mountain Lion heading rapidlyin his direction with the intention ofhaving lunch. The old German Shepherdthinks, “Uh oh! I’m in deep troublenow!” Noting some bones on theground close by, he immediately settlesdown to chew on the bones with hisback to the approaching Mountain Lion.Just as the Mountain Lion is about toleap, the old German Shepherdexclaims loudly, “Boy, that was one deliciousMountain Lion! I wonder if thereare any more around here.”Hearing this, the young MountainLion halts his attack in mid-strike. A lookof terror comes over him and he slinksaway into the trees. “Whew!” says theMountain Lion. “That was close! Thatold German Shepherd nearly had me.”Meanwhile, a squirrel who hadbeen watching the whole scene from anearby tree figures he can put thisknowledge to good use and trade it forprotection from the Mountain Lion. Sooff he goes. The squirrel soon catchesup with the Mountain Lion, spills thebeans and strikes a deal for himself withthe Mountain Lion. The young MountainLion is furious at being made a foolof and says, “Here, squirrel, hop on myback and see what’s going to happen tothat conniving canine!”The old German Shepherd sees theMountain Lion coming with the squirrelon his back and thinks, “What am Igoing to do now?” But instead of running,the dog sits down with his back tohis attackers, pretending he hasn’t seenthem yet, and just when they get closeenough to hear, the old German Shepherdsays, “Where’s that damn squirrel?I sent him off an hour ago to bring meanother Mountain Lion!”Moral of this story: don’t mess withthe old dogs. BS and brilliance only comewith age and experience.CA WSF 8Fall 2012

MONTANA BIGHORNSTry Not to Drool on the Newsletter [Editor]Thanks to Steve Hill for SharingSouthern Hunting SafarisScott Thomsonnzhuntahr@xtra.co.nzwww.southernhunting.co.nzUSA Shooting Teaminfo@usashooting.orgwww.usashooting.orgFall 20129CA WSF

SOLAR ENERGY AND BIGHORN SHEEP:Habitat Framentation, Mitigation, and SportsmenPart IIby Vernon C. Bleich, Ph.D.Last December, I was a keynote speaker at a symposium inLas Vegas, Nevada, the theme of which was “SportsmenSpeak on Solar.” That symposium, sponsored by theTheodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, was attendedby individuals affiliated with numerous conservationorganizations, representatives of federal and state bureaucracies,politicians, and representatives of the media. Thematerial in this article has been adapted from thataddress, and is a continuation of Part I of this article,which was published in the previous issue of CaliforniaWild Sheep.Limitations on fiscal and logistical resources, incombination with sometimes well-meaning but illogicallegislation, are over-riding considerations in mitigatingproject impacts. I argue that mitigation measures andhabitat enhancement options should be implemented inways that will have the greatest positive influence onbighorn sheep at the level of the landscape, and thatmembers of Congress must be further educated in theways that their previous actions have hindered opportunitiesfor conservation. Further, politicians need to be educatedthat flexibility, when implementing mitigation orenhancing habitat to help restore ecosystem function, isan important consideration. Sportsmen can play animportant role in that educational process.Finally, I want to emphasize that I view mitigationas being the grand prize for losing. A strategy that avoidshaving to mitigate is in the best interest of ecologicalprocesses and, ultimately, in keeping bighorn sheep onthe mountain. In a paper published in Biological Conservationsome 25 years ago, Lanny Schwartz, Steve Holl,and I introduced the notion that desert bighorn sheepexhibit a metapopulation structure, and that concept hasbeen widely accepted among wild sheep managers;indeed, it now forms the basis for bighorn sheep conservationstrategies in the majority of the western states. Inthat same paper, we emphasized that the meaningfulapplication of traditional wildlife management techniqueswill remain important conservation strategies.The points I have discussed today are in keeping withthe approach that Lanny, Steve, and I advocated early on,but they have been confounded immensely by politicalprocesses and by the changes now occurring across thedesert. They have been further complicated by the facts(1) that we don’t know as much as we should know; (2)that we know more about large populations than smallones; (3) that there continues to be an emphasis on lookingfor large populations rather than monitoring those ofuncertain or unknown status; (4) that all populations areimportant (although they do not necessarily contributeequally to metapopulation function); (5) that all habitatused by bighorn sheep, including those flat, intermountainareas, is important to their persistence; (6) that thedesert as we have known it is rapidly changing; and,(7) that continuing habitat fragmentation is the greatestthreat to the viability of desert bighorn sheep at the levelof the landscape.To be effective in voicing their concerns, Sportsmenmust overcome the pervasive arguments made by many“environmentalists” and even some solar project proponentsthat, “the only reason you want to conservebighorn sheep is so you can hunt them.” In my opinion,that is an argument that all too many politicians havebeen overly willing to accept, and that far too few of themhave challenged. The professionals involved in the managementand conservation of bighorn sheep have taken,and continue to take, far too many risks on behalf of conservationfor increased hunting opportunity to be a legitimateargument. For every sheep that is released to helpreestablish an historical population, one must be caught;with each aerial survey or capture event, dedicated individualsare placing their lives on the line in the interest ofconservation. If increased hunting opportunity was themotive for taking such risks, I’m certain we would havefar fewer populations of bighorn sheep on historicalranges than currently exist. For the same reason, individualsaffiliated with non-governmental organizations haveexpended hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollarsto conserve and manage habitat for bighorn sheep,support research, and to advocate for that species. Indeed,the professional biologists, the technicians, and the laypublic that work so hard on behalf of the conservation ofbighorn sheep do so for one reason: we are concernedabout the future of that species.The successes associated with the conservation ofbighorn sheep have come at no small cost to thoseinvolved in that work and it is wrong, and damned disrespectful,to those that have made conservation their life’swork for critics to raise the argument that hunting is themotivation for increasing the distribution and numbers ofdesert bighorn sheep. Further, it is disrespectful of America’ssportsmen, who have been the primary advocates forwildlife conservation.The misguided perception that conservation equatesbest to setting aside areas in which development can nolonger occur, yet ignores the importance of other criticallyCA WSF 10Fall 2012

important areas, cannot withstand scrutiny — especiallygiven the level of development proposed to occur in thedeserts of the American southwest. Over the long term,conservation must be considered in the context of thelandscape, rather than something that is acceptablebecause there is the perception by some that adequateamounts of habitat already have been protected. I emphasizethat what happens outside protected areas is asimportant, and sometimes more important, than whatactually happens inside them. Further, those who arguethat sportsmen only want to have more animals to huntmust be convinced that we do not advocate conservationsimply so there will be more game. Instead, it must beemphasized that hunting is a byproduct of good conservation,and that we advocate for bighorn sheep and otherwildlife even in the absence of harvest opportunities.Any successes towards the goal of offsetting impactsof solar development will be contingent upon the realizationthat human intervention within some areas — suchas national parks or legislated wilderness — that havebeen held by purists and politicians to be inviolable, willbe necessary to offset the effects of continued habitat fragmentation.Thus, I urge sportsmen to take up that challenge.More than 20 years ago, I participated in a paneldiscussion on viable populations at a national meeting.One panel member argued that, “No matter what happensoutside of national parks, we will always havebighorn sheep in national parks.” I countered his statementby saying, “Jim, I beg to differ with you. I think wewill always have a physical presence of bighorn sheephabitat within national parks, but what happens outsideof those parks will have a profound influence on thepersistence of wild sheep within those protected areas.”Jim willingly conceded that point.Sportsmen can play a very important role in ensuringthat viable populations of large mammals continue toexist across the landscape — a landscape that is beingincreasingly impacted by human activities, all of whichhave enormous implications for populations of bighornsheep and other large mammals. I urge you to speak witha united voice, and make your concerns known. Sportsmenwill have an increasingly important role to play inconservation as human populations increase, climatechange occurs, and more and more demands are placedon the land. Wildlife conservation must be elevated to thesame level of recognition and importance that other activitieson public lands have achieved, particularly in thecontext of wilderness areas, national parks, and landscapelevelneeds. Please speak with a united voice, one that willbe heard by the politicians and the agencies that hold thekeys to the future of wildlife conservation in an environmentthat is being increasingly compromised by habitatfragmentation. Seek the opportunities, and find the timeto make your voices heard.Dr. Vern Bleich is an independent wildlife biologist whoworked for the California Department of Fish and Gamefor 34 years. He remains active in wildlife conservationissues, particularly those related to large mammals inhabitingarid ecosystems of the northern Great Plains, and thedeserts of the southwestern United States. Interested partiescan contact Vern at vcbleich@gmail.com.Tejon RanchBrian Grantbgrant@tejonranch.comwww.tejonranch.comThe Gatlin Brothers andGold Country Casinowww.gatlinbrothers.musiccitynetworks.comwww.goldcountrycasino.comState of NevadaDepartment of Wildlifewww.ndow.org/huntSilver Spur OutfittersTrent Snydercoloradobigracks@aol.comwww.huntsilverspuroutfitters.comCalifornia Dept of Fish and Gamewww.dfg.ca.gov/huntingLikhulu SafarisMatt van Vuureninfo@likhulusafaris.comwww.likhulusafaris.comFall 201211CA WSF

CA WSF 12Fall 2012

CALIFORNIA SHEEP TAG STATS2012 and 2011Thanks to DFG Tony Straw for the following:Fund-Raising Lottery Stats 20122012 Applications 2011 Applications % of Total 2012 Fund RaisingApplication Type Total Total Received in 2011 Drawing RevenueFund-Raising Owens Valley Elk 13,694 12,024 114% $71,893.50Fund-Raising Open Zone Deer 17,331 15,517 112% $90,987.75Fund-Raising Open Zone Antelope 6,548 - - $34,377.00Fund-Raising Bighorn Sheep -Kelso Peak and Old Dad Mountains 16,537 - - $86,819.25Sheep Big Game Draw Applications by Residency 2011 and 20122012 Sales 2011 Sales 2012 Sales % 2011 Sales %Item Yr - Item Name Quantity Quantity by Residency by Residency2012 - 0280 Bighorn Sheep TagDrawing Application (Res) 12,753 12,179 94.92% 94.80%2012 - 0281 Bighorn Sheep TagDrawing Application (Nonres) 682 668 5.08% 5.20%Totals 13,435 12,847Eden Ridge OutfittersJohn McCollumedenridgehunts@aol.comwww.edenridgeoutfitters.comCanadian Mountain OutfittersBryan Martinbryanmartin@gmail.comwww.canadianmtoutfitters.comCabela’s T.A.G.S. ServiceEric Pawlakericpawlak@cabelas.comwww.cabelas.com/big-game-tags.shtmlAndes Safari PeruGonzalo Paredesandesafariperu@hotmail.comGunwerkscustomerservice@gunwerks.comwww.gunwerks.comMcBride’s Metal WorksEd McBrideed@mcbridesmetalworks.comwww.mcbridesmetalworks.comFall 201213CA WSF

EIGHT SURPRISING CELEBRITY HUNTERSWhile Hollywood might be filled with bunny-hugging animal-rights activists, you would be surprisedto know that there are some in La-La-Land with an eye more akin to your own. And when you countathletes and musicians who enjoy shooting and hunting, the fraternity of outdoor aficianados growsconsiderably. Here are eight celebrities that you might be surprised to learn share your hunting passion.EVA LONGORIAActressAARON LEWISLead Singer, StaindKURT RUSSELLActorTOM BROKAWJournalist and AuthorSince she was 4 years old,Longoria has been shootingguns and hunting on her family’sproperty in south Texas. Not onlydoes she enjoy putting a roundin the boiler room of a whitetailor feral hog, the Mexican-Americanbeauty also takes great pridein being able to gut and skinher own game.Lewis is an outspoken supporterof hunting and lists hunting onthe bio page of Staind’s website.When asked about the possibilityof backlash from vegetarians,anti-hunting and animal-rightsgroups, he responded with anundaunted “Bring it on.”This lifelong actor, who beganhis career at age 12, has a greataffinity for the outdoors.Escaping the hustle ofcelebrity is what it’s about forRussell, who enjoys roughing iton his own while hunting thebackcountry in pursuit of elk.As the anchorman and managingeditor of NBS Nightly News,Brokaw is known in householdsacross the country and aroundthe world. He’s almost as wellknown to many of the inhabitantsresiding in America’s troutstreams. He is a passionate flyfishermanand also treks theupland fields questing afterquail and other birds.HERSCHEL WALKERHeisman Trophy Winner,NFL Running Back,MMA FighterWith a background in lawenforcement, Walker is an avidshooter. Now he is squaring offagainst opponents half his age inthe Octagon for professionalmixed martial art fights, and hasalso tackled the Alaskan tundrain pursuit of brown bears.JAMES HETFIELDLead Singer, MetallicaThe hard-singing metal man isn’tshy about telling the world heenjoys hunting. While he hasshied away from taking strongpolitical stances, Hetfield hasmade it known that he’s pro-gun.When asked if he voted for AlGore instead of George W. Bush,he replied: “No. I’m afraid ofsomeone taking my guns away.”AVRIL LAVIGNEPop ArtistOnce a teen punk, girl-powerrock star, Lavigne has maturedsomewhat and her music turnedto more mainstream fare.The singer has hunting listedas a favorite pastime on severalwebsites and allegedly wouldoften take to the wildsaround her home in Canadawith her brother.SHAQUILLE O’NEALNBA All-StarIf you think staying concealedin a duck blind is tough to do,try accomplishing the feat whenyou exceed 7 feet in height andweigh more than 325 pounds!Known for inventing his ownwords and monikers, O’Nealcoined the term “Shaqfari” forwhen he heads afield in pursuitof waterfowl boars, goatsand more.CA WSF 14Fall 2012

HUNTER NUMBERS UP 9% BETWEEN 2006 AND 2011PRELIMINARY NATIONAL REPORT SHOWSFor More Information, Contact: Bill Brassard, Jr., 203-426-1320NEWTOWN, Conn. -- The number of hunters age16 and older in the United States increased 9 percentbetween 2006 and 2011, reversing a previousdownward trend, a preliminary report from theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Departmentof the Interior shows.Preliminary figures show an increase from 12.5million hunters in 2006 to 13.7 million in 2011.Final data will be included in the upcomingUSFWS 2011 National Survey Report. USFWS hasconducted a national survey every five years since1955, with the last being the 2006 National Survey,released in 2007.“This increase in hunters mirrors what ourmembers are telling us – strong sales to an expandingconsumer base,” said Steve Sanetti, president ofthe National Shooting Sports Foundation, the tradeassociation for the firearms, ammunition, huntingand shooting sports industry. “There is increasedinterest in firearm ownership – from customersnew to the market to existing customers lookingfor the newest products. Purchases are being madefor the enjoyment of recreational target shootingsports – such as sporting clays, IDPA and 3-guncompetitions – as well as for personal protection,and, as these figures show us, for hunting.”The preliminary report also shows that huntersspent an average of 21 days pursuing wild game in2011. Additionally, the report shows that huntersspent $34 billion on trips, firearms and equipment,licenses and other items to support their huntingactivities in 2011.The national survey is paid for by sportsmenthrough the use of Pittman-Robertson Federal Aiddollars. This year is significant as it is the 75thanniversary of the Pittman-Robertson Federal Aidin Wildlife Restoration Act.About NSSFThe National Shooting Sports Foundation is thetrade association for the firearms industry. Its missionis to promote, protect and preserve huntingand the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF hasa membership of more than 7,000 manufacturers,distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges,sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For moreinformation, log on to www.nssf.org.McBride Hunting ServicesRowdy McBriderowdymcbride@sbcglobal.netR&R Guide ServiceRob Jonesrcjones@gci.netwww.rrhunting.comWhite Goat GalleryRick Taylorwildworld@netiidea.comwww.whitegoat.comKingfisher Charters and LodgeChuck Haydurico@aptalaska.netwww.alaskakingfisherlodge.comMule Shoe OutfittersJustin or Sandy Wrightmuleshoe@wbaccess.netwww.muleshoeoutfitters.comBig Racks of MontanaMichael Beattierev7v@live.comwww.facebook.com/pages/Big-Racks-of-Montana-OutfittersFall 201215CA WSF

2012 WSF CHAPTER AND AFFILIATES MEETING RAISES THE BARby Kyle M. MeintzerSince the first WSF Chapters and Affiliates meetingwas held in Cody, Wyoming in 2008, it just keepsgetting better and more productive for our objectiveof “Putting and Keeping Sheep on the Mountain.”This year the event was held in Lewiston, Idahoand co-hosted by the Washington, Idaho and OregonChapters.Lewiston, of course, sits at Ground Zero for thedisease conflict between wild and domestic sheep.Following a WSF Board meeting on Thursday, June21, a morning meeting of the Chapters and Affiliateswas held the next morning. Well north of 50 attendeeswere there (up from 14 at the first meeting in2008) and much great information and many valuableideas were shared.Everyone then boarded busses for a trip to WashingtonState University, where we received an updateon the work WSU is doing to find a way to solve thedisease issue that exists between domestic sheep andwild sheep. The update was first-rate, as was the subsequenttour of the hospital facilities and then a shorttrip to the large pens that hold the wild sheep thatWSU uses for its studies.The events on Saturday were just as informationaland enjoyable. The day started with a visit to the JackO’Connor Center, which is a “must do” for any sheepfanatic visiting the area. In the afternoon, the attendeesjoined in a jet boat tour up and back the SnakeRiver through Hell’s Canyon. A great many wildsheep were spotted, but there was a heartbreakingstory behind many of the sightings. The wildlife professionalsfrom Oregon and Idaho survey the canyonfrequently, so have good knowledge as to the statusof the herds. Far too often we would see several eweswith very few, if any lambs, only to learn that just afew weeks earlier those same ewes had several lambs.WSU’s research on a solution to this problemmust continue!The meeting wrapped up that evening with agreat BBQ at the home of WA WSF President GlenLandrus. Relationships were built and strengthenedand a goof time was had by all.The Utah Chapter stepped forward to host the2013 Chapter and Affiliate Meeting, and while the2012 event will be a tough act for them to follow, Iwouldn’t bet against it!CA WSF 16Fall 2012

THOUGHTS ON THE CHAPTER AND AFFILIATES MEETINGIN LEWISTON, IDAHOby Ted Schutte, Past President of National and the Iowa ChapterI wish to thank everyone for the wonderful experiencelast weekend at the Chapter and Affiliate Summitin the Tri-State area of Idaho, Washington, andOregon. A special thanks to the host committees whoorganized such a fun-filled weekend.The trip to Pullman and WSU was special to meas I knew Rocky Crate, the man who made thisresearch possible, well. We were friends and talked forhours on the phone. It was a blow when he informedme of his brain cancer, and he told me then of hisdesire to aid in the research of bighorn sheep diseases.It was the funds he left after his death that startedthis much needed research for a wildlife species he sodearly loved. Then the jet boat trip brought backmany more memories. Back in the early ‘90s when Iwas on the National Board, Duncan Gilchrist wastalking about Hell’s Canyon and the wonderfulpotential for many bighorn sheep. We started the initiativethen and it continues today.I hope so much that I see the day that we mighthave 1,000-2,000 bighorns in that vast and beautifularea. While riding the jet boat, my thoughts turnedto a ram named Teddy. Back in the late ‘90s, VicCoggins and the gang named a young ram in thecanyon Teddy. That, along with the many enduringfriendships, was the greatest honor I received whileserving FNAWS. I had hoped a hunter would takeTeddy, but he was too smart for them and lived togrow impressive horns and died at a good age froman infection that developed from a crack in theright horn.As I looked at the bighorns we saw, I thoughtmaybe some of Teddy’s genes were walking thosehills. What a beautiful area, and the potential it holdsis incredible. A special thanks to the Washingtongroup and to Glen Landrus for opening his home forthe Friday evening event and to the Oregon gang forthe wonderful food on Saturday evening. Again,thanks to everyone who had any part in this Summitweekend. The best part of all was renewing friendshipswith a very special group of people.Fall 201217CA WSF

RECOLLECTIONS OF A MEMORABLE SHEEP HUNTby Bob KeagyI re-read my friend Craig Boddington’s e-mail. After ahiatus of many difficult years, Nepal was recently reopenedto hunting, and Craig had just returned formone of the very first mountain hunts. He had huntedwith the same outfit, Mahesh Busnyat’s “HimalayanSafaris,” that I had hunted with many years earlier,and enthusiastically called it “the best mountainhunt.” He’d gotten a dandy Blue Sheep, and had alsoenjoyed the wonderful warmth of the Nepalese people.I went down into my trophy room, pouredmyself a frosty Jack Daniels and stared reflectively upat my Nepalese Bharal, or blue sheep. The mountflanked my markhor and Bezoar, and was dramaticallycolorful, with the salt-and-pepper gray cape, coalblacklegs, and snow-white socks.Ah, yes – Himalayan Safaris and that fine gentleman,guide, host, and owner, Mahesh BusnyatWas Nepal the “best mountain hunt” in theworld? Well, hmmm … I swished the ice in my glassand thought back ...It was almost 20 years ago that my friends JackGraf, Lee Bohner and I, together with my long-sufferingbride, Pam, flew aboard a Royal Thai 737 downinto the green and mustard-gold valley of Kathmandu.The first view of Kathmandu was of stair-stepsof terraced paddies, blending gradually into an enormoustown, but no real skyline, or much of a discernablecity~center.Landing at Kathmandu, we were met by Mahesh’spartner, Khezar, who welcomed us to Nepal on behalfof Himalayan Safaris, and drove us in his Toyotamini-bus to the fabled “Yak n’ Yeti” Hotel. This hotelis famous in mountain-climbing circles, and was verycomfortable, with a post-British colonial ambiance.We spent the first two days sight-seeing, taking inbeautiful stupas and elaborately carved temples builton the edge of the famed Ganges, as well as an additionalone-day side trip, fishing for the fabledMahsheer. While fishing, monkeys were common inthe trees around us. Although we got skunked forMahsheer, the country was lovely.The fourth morning we were ready to go early.The method of trans port to the sheep camp in thisrugged country is a combination of helicopter andlots of shanks-mare.By 6:00 a.m. we were all packed, with a lot of ourheavy stuff checked with the Bell Captain. The morningwas cold, with a heavy ground fog as weapproached the military terminal at Kathmandu Airport,where we were greeted by smiling Ghurkaguards with FN-FAL’s and Sterling sub-machine guns.(NO, I didn’t ask if they were loaded!). Parked 50 feetaway were our two Bell Jet long-range helicopters,and picturesquely enough, several more monkeys sataround the choppers; reminding us we were in a farplace.After several hours, the fog dissipated, an we tookoff for our first leg of the trip in. In the sparkling,clear air, the steeply terraced fields, with thehugely overpowering glittering white wall of theHimalayas on the right side of the helicopters simplyhas to be seen to be believed.Landing at the small city of Pokhara, we quicklyrefueled, and then off to the base camp “landingpad.” Climbing to over 10,000 feet, we skimmed overmountain passes, deep valleys, shining silver streams,and tiny ant-like farms far, far below. On the rightside of the chopper, Dhauligiri and Anapurna loomedhuge, cold, and white, white, white!Soon we saw a tiny plume of smoke on a mountains’shoulder, and. approaching closer, you couldsee dozens of people including what was obviously aplatoon of porters. clearly, our “landing pad”!Setting down in the Bell helicopter on this narrowshoulder, with all the Nepalese in silent witness,you experienced a sense of deja vu’– didn’t you seethis once in a Lowell Thomas movie???As the helicopters spooled down, the 30 someoddporters grabbed our gear, and we commenced asix-hour hike to the base camp. This was on a reasonablydecent trail, and we made good time. The countrywas again beautiful, and part of the hike wasthrough a verdant Rhododendron forest, following asmall mossy stream bed.For all its beauty, we were still glad to stagger into(9,500 foot) base camp about 5:00 p.m.CA WSF 18Fall 2012

The base camp of Himalayan safaris is a stonebuilding with a hand hewn plank ceiling/roof, surroundedby comfortable tents for the hunters, and acook-house. Surprisingly, just inside the door of thecookhouse was a huge pile of potatoes, which havebeen very successfully introduced into the Himalayasfrom their original high Andes home.Mahesh, who had joined us in Pokhara, hadeveryone organized and jumping. Tea was ready inseconds of our arrival, bags placed out side of thetents, rifle cases carefully laid inside tents, chairs andtables set up around a roaring fire, etc.The first three days were spent acclimating ourselvesto the 9,500 foot level, and climbing daily tothe first pass above camp, which was 12,500feet. During these hikes we were closely watched byour sherpa guides, who were gauging our stamina andability. My sherpa, Dawa, tall for a Nepalese and anaccomplished mountain climber, never left my side,and “Memsahib” was constantly followed by her“sherpa shadow,” Kami.One reason for their caution was that, in thesedays before satellite-based communications, it wasfour hard days by fast mountain runner to the nearesttelephone in case of any emergency. Radios werenearly useless in these mountainous areas.Mahesh is a true character. A gentleman of theold school, he was, at first, seemingly a bit stand-offish.It rapidly became apparent however, that he wasas friendly, honest and truly concerned a person asanyone could possibly care to meet. An excellentguide and host.After three days of acclimatization, we split-up atthis point, with Jack Graf and Lee Bohner making a12-hour hike to sheep camp number 2, including agrueling long pull over a 14,500 pass. Pam and Ideparted to sheep camp number one, which was onlyan eight hour pull.Hiking the trails of Central Asia is always interesting,as you can see history on every hand. old peddlersslowly hiking the trails with enormous packs,pilgrims, herds of goats--an interesting insight intocommerce in the year 900! We followed a rivercanyon for most of the way, with the river, mostlyfrozen, far below on our right-hand side. The countryat this altitude was a sere, even brown, with hugerock outcroppings. Occasional ptarmigan flew in thevalley below to our rightAs we got higher, the other travelers disappeared,and we were heartened at about 11,000 feet to seethree ewe blue sheep grazing on a hillside not over350 yards from the trail.Further on, on the opposite side of the trail wesaw five more blue sheep, including one immatureram. Pam was able to get excellent videos of thesheep moving off, but discouragingly, they ran almoststraight up a mountain face, and over the top, atroughly 14,000 ft.We got into camp about 4:30 p.m., foot-sore andtired. As usual, the porters had already set-up camp,and the ubiquitous tea was ready and waiting. Oneporter attracted my attention, as he proudly carriedthe “potty” on his head like a crown to the camp,and, indeed, it was all set up soon after we arrived.We had one of Maheseh’s excellent meals, madeall the better by the appreciation of the enormouseffort entailed in fixing it. Since there is no wood at12,500 feet, all the wood came on porter’s backs,water came from a river 400 yards below, and thefood itself was obviously packed in, as were the silverwareand plates.Remember that not every memorable moment ina hunt is related to the hunting itself. That eveningsomething happened that I will not soon forget. wewere tired and shivering as we got into our sleepingbags, when Kami appeared at our tent opening. Thesherpas had used some of the precious wood, andsome of the water laboriously carried uphill, and, loand behold, Kami was holding two very hot hotwaterbottles for Memsahib’s cold, aching feet. Akind, thoughtful gesture!The next morning, to our surprise, Mahesh toldus to take the day off! He could spot no sheep fromcamp. and he was going to send our hard-workingsherpas up on the ridges to scout out to where thesheep had disappeared.Our camp appeared well situated--since arriving atcamp, I had stared across the river below us to what,to me, looked like an ideal sheep basin. The basin wasabout two miles across, and was a swale between twogreat arms of a mountain ridgeline at about 14,500feet. While it was above us, I could see a fairstream (now frozen) issued out of the bottom of thebasin, and it looked as though the basin would providegood shelter to the blowing winds on three sides.Further, we could see some sort of sheep up there, butwhat they might have been was impossible to tell.That night, an exhausted Dawa came back tocamp, and said that he could find no huntable sheepon any of the ridgelines behind us. Mahesh said thatnext day Dawa would check the ridge network acrossthe river, and report back.Although I am a great believer in taking an occasionalbreather while sheep hunting, two days in abase camp at 12,500 feet seemed a bit much. Nevertheless,it was obvious that the mountains were steeperand higher than we could easily negotiate, andMahesh was obviously saving our strength until heknew where the sheep were hanging out. We thereforestayed in camp and read Rudyard Kipling, anddid a little hiking looking for pick-up Bharal horns.That evening Dawa came back and said that therecontinued on page 20Fall 201219CA WSF

continued from page 19was indeed one, and only one, ram on that ridgelinesystem, and that he was lurking in the very basin wehad been eyeing.It was clear, looking at the opposing ridgeline,that one could walk about 1 1/2 miles up a valley tothe left, peak-out at the 14,500 pass that Jack and Leehad gone through two days earlier, follow the ridgefor 1/2 mile to the right, and you’d be right above thebasin. Winds blew towards camp, so there was noway the Bharal could catch our scent.The next morning we were up early, and after abreakfast of sweetened rice with raisins and cashews,we forded the river below camp and began ourclimb up the far side.About eight hundred yards up the side of theslope, I stepped on a small rock in an odd way. Idon’t know how to this day, but I managed to twistmy ankle. I sat for a few moments, then got up, andusing my climbing staff, started up the ridge. As longas I kept my foot flat, I didn’t have too much pain.Up the mountain we went, up frozen freshets, uptussocks of grass growing out of rock, until finally Isaw a gunsight cut 100 yards straight up. I switchbackedagain and again, always careful of my footplacement, and finally made it through the notch.It was the beginning of the wind-swept ridgeline.The slope was much less, so we could walk along theridge just below the ridgeline. Nevertheless, progresswas slow. We were perhaps approaching 15,000.It was obvious that rather than going to the backof the basin, Mahesh was leading us out on one ofthe fingers that formed the left side of the basin.If the ram was still in the basin, we would be firingacross the basin.Dawa, who, as usual had been scouting ahead,came back, crouching low, just below the crest of theridge line. The sun was bright, the grass slippery, andI was feeling the effects of 15,000 feet elevation. Dawareported that the ram was still in the basin.We worked out on one of those awful rocky fingers,solid rock, sun-blasted, wind ripping across, withonly an occasional blade of truly god-forsaken grass.As we progressed out the ever-narrowing rocky finger,there was soon a two hundred foot sheer dropstraight down on either side.Mahesh eased over the crest, and then ever-soslowlyeased back, just his head, very slowly.He told me to quietly chamber a round, that theram had some how sensed us (as only a wild sheepcan) that there was a strong wind, that the sheep wasready to run, that the shot would be steeply downhilland a bit over 400 yards.Riigghhtt!!! Piece of Cake! 400 yards downhill in atyphoon? NO problem! Yeah. right!I eased next to Mahesh, and spotted a small grayant out in the center of the basin. Ye gods! Lookingthrough my scope, I was shocked to find the bharalram starring right, directly, at us, and obviously hewas about to bolt.I rested my .300 on a rock, and was in the proneposition, with only my head showing over the ridgeline. The rest was solid, but the wind was ripping atmy clothes, and lifted my baseball cap right off myhead, whirling it, lost forever, into the Himalayanabyss behind us. It looked, however, that in the basinitself things were, in fact, relatively sheltered, and theshot appeared possible.I put the crosshairs on the backbone of the ram,and walked the scope to about 18" into the wind, toaccount for drift. The ram was tensing to bolt just asthe rifle barked into the roaring winds.Astoundingly, the ram dropped like a sack ofcement. With none-to-convincing a voice, I askedMahesh if I should shoot again. I believe Maheshknew that it was doubtful/even-steven whether Icould duplicate that shot, and he diplomatically saidthat it wouldn’t be necessary. The ram,THANK GOD,was evidently shot through the heart. I instantlyresolved to attend church more often.Now it was time to scramble down various turningsand occasional flat spots off of that damnableridge, and down into the basin. As we went down theslope, the grass got taller, the slope became less steep,but it was still a long way to the sheep. Laughing,yelling foolish things like school kids, we reached thesheep.It was a beautiful ram, well into the SCI book.Looking back to ridge, it was almost impossible tobelieve how far away I’d shot from. I sat down in thegrass and rested. I knew I couldn’t climb back the wayI’d come, but the camp was almost 1 1/2 miles directlybelow and in front of us, looking for all the worldlike a white toy camp, reduced in size by the distance,but clearly visible in the crystaline mountain air.I knew everyone in camp must have heard theshot, and through our binoculars we soon saw a partysetting out to help us bring down the ram.I quietly admired the ram for several minutes,and then at Mahesh’s suggestion began working myway down a frozen handy freshet. Frozen solid, itstood me in good stead as a “down” staircase, while Iused my walking stick to good advantage. It wasalmost as difficult to go down the side of the mountainas to go up it-- we got on some really steep stuff,but we took our time, and eventually got back tocamp around 3:30 p.m. Amazingly, the crew fromcamp came boiling up the ridge past us, carrying alarge basket. The ever-stout Dawa merely put the raminto a large basket, two others helped lift it onto hisback, adjusted a head-band, and off they went, downwardsto camp at a great rate, soon passing us. Maybethey’d done this before? In any, case, clearly it wasCA WSF 20Fall 2012

fresh lamb curry for dinner!Soon after we got back to camp, we spotted a figurecoming over the pass towards our camp- It wasLee Bohner.Lee came into camp with a sheep that appearedto be the twin of mine. In fact, his was slightly bigger,with a combined score along all six measurements of115, while mine went 110.His had been an even more grueling experience,but he had his ram.We were somewhat afraid of snow, so we decidedto go back to base camp the next morning, and awaitJack Graf’s arrival. If possible, we’d send a runner outfor the helicopter, and get back to Kathmandu a littleearly.The next day was the long hike/hobble back tobase camp, where the tents and cookhouse with awelcoming curl of smoke looked like old home week.Huge Lammergeyers drifted in the air below camp.That night we had our usual wonderful curry and hottea, the aroma now headier at the lower, richer elevation.We were followed by an exhausted Jack Graf onthe following day, who marched into camp with yetanother quite similar sheep, this one scoring 111 SCI.The runner left that afternoon for the nearesttelephone, and the four of us spent two days in basecamp, watching the unparalleled beauty of the area,especially the moonlight on Anapurna, which gloweda reflected wonderous blue-white.The runner must have made excellent time, forthe next morning we walked five hours downhill tothe helicopter pad, and set up camp. The next morning,we saw the sun glinting on something about 500feet over a notch at the far end of the valley. It wasthe helicopters, and the scene was instantly a scene ofmass confusion, as gear was piled up, skins rolled,and last good-byes to our faithful, kind sherpas weremade.The two choppers came in like “ApocalypseNow,” flaring dramatically at the last minute.Mahesh spent several minutes with the pilots,obviously exploring something.We had told Mahesh that we would very muchlike to see the famous “Tigertops” resort in the Terai(low land jungle) area of Nepal. Mahesh continued adiscourse on arranging this with the pilots as wewatched the last of our gear loaded into the tail sectionof the choppers.With many a lump in our throats, we boardedthe choppers, and began to wave and yell good-byes,as the engines spooled up and the rotors kicked in. Aswe lifted off, our sherpas waved back, as they shrankand shrank and finally disappeared, still waving.We had a wonderful time at Tigertops. We rodeelephants, watched Asian Rhino, Muntjac, sambar,Monkeys, dined enormously, visited a native village,and soaked up the inherent friendliness of Nepal.After three days in the Terai. we returned to theYak n’ Yeti in Kathmandu, and reclaimed our excessbaggage. Pam and I shopped the jewelry stores andbought ruby beads, lapis lazuli, and silver handicrafts.On the last night, our guide and friend Mahesh,picked us all up, and took us to his home for a familydinner. His wife, a wonderful person. Mrs. Khezar,and one other lady had worked all day to prepare afeast of many home-made curries, condiments, saladsand desserts.Finally, after several refreshing Nepalese “Iceberg”beers, Mahesh, to our great surprise presented each ofthe hunters with Gurkha knives, as yet anothermomento of our Nepalese adventure.We were truly sorry to board our flight the nextmorning, heading for the bustling metropolis ofBangkok, then home..Hmm... but was it the “best” mountain hunt?What is “best”?I thought back over hunts in snowy Kirghizia,the high Altai and sere deserts of Mongolia,rugged Turkey, Tajikistan, Montana, Alaska, BritishColumbia, North West Territories, New Zealand, thePicos de Europa of Spain--all wonderful mountainhunting venues, with spectacular trophy animals. Iremembered the beauty of the morning fog creepingthrough the ranks of coffee trees in the Bale Mountainsof Ethiopia while hunting mountain nyala. But,in the final analysis, it is not the sheer size nor theplace in the “book” of the trophy, but the overallexperience, taken as a great mixing kaleidoscope,that determines “best.”Yes, it was the friendly people, the lovely country,a fine guide and memorable host in Mahesh Busnyat,a spectacular trophy, hunting with dearfriends, and the prevalent feeling of being in a specialplace that made the Nepal adventure so very memorable.Yep, I guess by that standard, it was a great,and possibly our best, mountain hunt, as well.Fall 201221CA WSF

PHOTOS FROM THE FIELDWalter ChuckDesert BighornAugust 2012 - CaliforniaScoring 177 4/8 gross, 176 net, largest ram ever takenout of the unit and second largest ever taken out of theregion. Don Martin, CA WSF Director, assisted.Dan ReynoldsDall SheepAugust 10, 2012Possible new #1 Pope & Young.Bob RichertDesert BighornAugust 20, 2012 - White MountainsTaken at 12,500 ft. elevation. The ram was 8+ years old andscored 162 2/8. Hunted with Dry Creek Outfitters.Phillip LeonDesert BighornAugust 24, 2012 - White Mountains169 1/8. Guides Taken with Terry Anderson and Jake Franklinof San Gorgonio Wilderness Outfitters. Biggest in four yearsfrom the Whites.Gus ArveloDesert BighornAugust 16, 2012 - ArizonaT2012 auction tag hunter for desert bighorn, got his ram on the first day of his hunt. He got the ram wenicknamed “Nanook” back in 2010. We’ve only seen him a few times since the first sighting in October2010. The check-in score on Nanook was 187 gross, 186 4/8 net. He was 10 years old.CA WSF 22Fall 2012

NEW DRINKER SYSTEM DEVELOPED BY SCBSby Steve MarschkeThe Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep hasdeveloped a completely new style drinker system for desertwater developments. These new systems will allow us tocontinue and expand our mission of desert bighorn conservationthat started in 1962. In the past we have typicallyused rain collection systems comprised of check dams andabove ground tanks. The old systems had many plumbingfittings and were prone to maintenance issues includingfreeze breaks and corrosion. Over the years many of theoriginal galvanized steel tanks were replaced with polyethylenetanks but the collection and distribution systemsremained complicated. We tried a few different commerciallyavailable tanks but found them to be less than ideal,mostly because they were not designed specifically forwildlife water applications. Due to these limitations SCBSdecided to pursue the development of our own tank design.Glenn Sudmeier spent many hours developing the specificationsand working with mold fabricators and the moldingcompany to design the new tank. SCBS used fundsbequeathed by the late Bob Campbell to finance the cost ofthe mold. We have arranged with Innovational RotationalMolding of Madera, California to produce the new drinkertanks using our mold.The new tanks have several improvements over thosewe have been using in the past. Capacity is up from 1,800gallons to 2,300 while at the same time reducing theweight from 800 pounds to 750. Due to the one-piece rotationalmold and internal supports, the structural integrity isvastly improved, allowing us to completely bury the systemwith up to 4 inches of soil. This reduces the visual impactas well as the potential for freezing and allows us to placethe drinker directly into the top of the tank. With thedrinker in the top of the tank, all distribution plumbing iseliminated along with maintenance and repair issues. Plusthe water source is at ground level where it closely resemblesnatural water sources available to wildlife. Since thedrinker is an integral part of the tank, it is enveloped by theFall 2012New tank fresh out of the mold23underground water storage and the drinker water temperatureis thereby moderated. The new tank has lifting lugsthat are integrally molded that were developed with inputfrom pilot Steve DeJesus to allow simple yet secure transportationby helicopter. We have accomplished all of theabove improvements and yet have reduced the cost pertank by about 50% – since we own the mold, we don’thave to pay any royalties!SCBS has already installed six of the new drinker tanksat various locations. With funding that we have receivedfrom CA WSF and other donors, we have scheduled severalmore installations for this coming winter at various locationsin the Mojave Desert. Because of the in-ground designthese systems take more work to install than above groundtanks but by careful site selection, we have been able toexcavate and place single tanks with a crew of 10 volunteersin one day. We will need all of the help we can get –more volunteers equals more water developments andmore water for wildlife. That means more sheep on themountain! If you would like to help with future installations,please contact me at info@scbs.org or check our websitewww.desertbighorn.org for the calendar.New drinker tank nearly buried in Marble MountainsTwo new drinker tanks in South Bristol MountainsNote from Editor: CA WSF recently approved$36K for the equipment required for 3 brandnew drinker sites! SCBS will provide thelabor to get the permits and get the unitsinstalled! The sheep are cheering!CA WSF

WOLF DELISTINGReprint from Big Game Foreverwww.biggameforever.orgToday is a good day for the future of wildlife inAmerica. The court victory which upholds the constitutionalityof the Congressional wolf delisting isnow final. This has been a long time coming.Thank you for your support and patience on thisimportant endeavor. See the correspondence belowfrom our attorney Ted Lyon.Here is what is happening: No appeal has beenfiled with the Supreme Court on the CongressionalWolf delisting challenge. This means that all legalremedies have been exhausted by the parties challengingthe wolf delisting provisions. The 9th circuitruling upholding the Congressional wolfdelisting language is now the law of the land. Wolfmanagement in Idaho and Montana can continuewithout the cloud of this litigation.We are grateful to the other conservation organizationsthat joined as parties in the wolf litigation.Certainly this was the effort of not a few, butof many. In particular, we are grateful to attorneyTed Lyon for his tireless work on the lawsuit onbehalf of the conservation organizations and forhis work in obtaining for passage of wolf delistinglegislation in Congress.Thank you for your tireless support.DEFINITIONSContributed by Beverly ValdezIn the news a Southern California man was put under72-hour psychiatric observation when it was foundhe owned 100 guns and had (by rough estimate)1 million rounds of ammunition stored in his home.In California, he was called “mentally unstable.”In Arizona, he’d be called “an avid gun collector.”In Arkansas, he’d be called “a novice gun collector.”In Utah, he’d be called “moderately well prepared,” butthey’d probably reserve judgment until they made surethat he had a corresponding quantity of stored food.In Montana, he’d be called “the neighborhood‘go-to’ guy.”In Idaho, he’d be called “a likely gubernatorialcandidate.”In Wyoming, he’d be called “an eligible bachelor.”In Oklahoma, he’d be called “a good neighbor.”And, in Texas, he’d be called “A huntin’ buddy.”Point Blank HuntsJoe Jakabjoejakab@pointblankhunts.comwww.pointblankhunts.comWild Sheep Foundationwww.wildsheepfoundation.orgAlaska Department of Fish and Gamewww.adfg.alaska.govLowa BootsDan Hilldanhill4@me.comwww.lowaboots.comFront Sight Training Instituteinfo@frontsight.comwww.frontsight.comHunt In EuropeSrdja Dimitrijevicinfo@huntineurope.comwww.huntineurope.comCA WSF 24Fall 2012

CATTLE AND SHEEP INDUSTRY SUINGU.S. FOREST SERVICE ON PLANNING RULEfrom National Cattlemen’s Beef Associationwww.beef.orgNCBA: US Forest Service planning Rule violates lawNational Cattlemen’s Beef AssociationUpdated: August 13, 2012WASHINGTON The Public Lands Council (PLC),National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) andthe American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) filed alawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), challengingits latest forest planning rule. PLC, NCBA andASI join multiple industry organizations, such as theFederal Forest Resource Coalition, Minnesota TimberProducers Association and the California ForestryAssociation in filing suit, claiming that the new planningrule, finalized in March 2012, violates theNational Forest Management Act (NFMA), the Multiple-Use,Sustained-Yield Act (MUSYA) of 1960 and theAdministrative Procedures Act (APA).Under the NFMA, USFS is required to promulgateregulations under the principles of the MUSYA, whichset out the process for development and revision ofland management plans, guidelines and standards.Individual forests follow the direction of the planningrule and develop specific management plans. Thenew planning rule, however, is flawed in multiplerespects. For example, the planning rule requires USFSto “maintain a viable population of each species ofconservation concern within the plan area.” The illdefinedterm “viable population” does not appear inNFMA or any other statute, according to PLC ExecutiveDirector and NCBA Director of Federal LandsDustin Van Liew. He said this vague term opens thedoor to even more litigation by radical special interestgroups. Van Liew said the rule also effectively turnsUSFS guidelines into legally enforceable standards,throwing away hard-fought victories establishing thatguidelines are discretionary — not mandatory — andtying the hands of land managers unnecessarily.“It is clear the USFS did not consider input fromfarmers and ranchers when creating and approvingthis new rule. This isn’t a surprise at all. Just look atthis administration’s track record. From the EPA toUSFS, they refuse to venture off the city sidewalks ofWashington, D.C. to get a glimpse of reality from thefarm and ranch community,” said Van Liew. “Wefind it unfortunate that our industry must resort tolegal action against the USFS. This is something thatcould have been avoided if the agency had beenresponsive to our specific comments about the rule’spervasive legal overreach.”In the new forest planning rule, the general focusis on ecosystem services, sustainability, preservationand even “spiritual values” over multiple-use, a cleardiversion from the statutes governing management ofour national forests. The new rule also fails to reflectMUSYA and NFMA requirements governing activeland management for multiple uses, including livestockgrazing, timber management and recreation.Livestock producers have been America’s publiclands stewards for generations, according to VanLiew, working within the multiple use managementapproach established by Congress for national forestsystem lands. Ranching operations across the Westrely on access to public lands and such operationsprovide an economic base for rural economies whilemaintaining wildlife habitat and diversity and preservingvast areas of open space across the range.According to Caroline Lobdell, counsel for thelivestock associations and executive director of theWestern Resources Legal Center, “The Forest Servicehas a long history of getting it wrong in the forestplanning rule arena,” Lobdell stated, referring to theagency’s failed attempts in 2000, 2005 and 2008 toreplace the 1982 planning rule. Lobdell explainedthat a rule requiring forest plans to elevate the “broadterm ‘ecosystem services’ to at least the same status asthe multiple uses established by Congress uses likeoutdoor recreation, range and timber simply cannotbe reconciled with the productive purposes for whichour national forests were established.”Van Liew said he is confident that an in-depthreview of the forest planning rule will show that theregulation is a clear violation of law.Society for the Conservationof Bighorn Sheepwww.sheepsociety.comExplorer Satellite CommunicationsAndy Coolsales@explorersatellite.comwww.explorersatellite.comFall 201225CA WSF

TABLES TURNED ON HUMANE SOCIETYfrom the LA TimesThe Humane Society of the United States, an organizationthat does next to nothing for animal shelters but sues, badgersand lobbies politicians and businesses into adopting itsradical animals rights agenda, is getting a taste of its ownmedicine.In a little-reported ruling by a judge in the District ofColumbia earlier this month, the HSUS is going to court toface charges under RICO statues on racketeering, obstructionof justice, malicious prosecution and other charges fora lawsuit it brought and lost against Ringling Brothers Circus’parent company Feld Entertainment, Inc.After winning the case alleging mistreatment of elephantsin its circuses brought by Friends of Animals (latermerged into HSUS), the American Society for the Preventionof Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Animal WelfareInstitute (AWI), lawyers at Feld filed a countersuit with alitany of charges ranging from bribery to money launderingto racketeering. The attorneys for the animal rights groupsasked the judge to dismiss all charges, but most remainedbecause the evidence was overwhelming. So in earlyAugust, HSUS will be facing the music in a case that shouldattract the attention of hunters, ranchers, farmers and anyoneimpacted by HSUS’ radical animal rights agenda.District judge Emmet G. Sullivan did dismiss allegationsof mail and wire fraud, but he did so only becauseFeld didn’t have standing to file this charge. His ruling allbut set the stage for a class-actionRICO lawsuit against HSUS for misrepresenting itself inits fundraising campaigns across the nation. This lawsuiteasily could bankrupt HSUS, put it out of business and sendsome of its top executives to prison.For the first time, a group has fought back against theanimal rights and environmental extremists who have beensetting policy in this country for the past 20 years or more.Now, instead of getting rich off their lawsuits and fundraisingschemes that misrepresent their efforts and accomplishments,they could be driven out of business. These groupshave cost the farming and ranching industry jobs andraised the price of products we buy every day. They arebehind the efforts to ban sport hunting across the nation.They have forced state wildlife and fishery agencies towaste countless millions of dollars on lawsuits and havespearheaded policies and legislation like the Marine LifeProtection Act (MLPA), which has ruined livelihoods inrecreational and commercial fishing without helpingmarine resources.These groups operate with surly arrogance and believethey are above the law. Thankfully, that is not the case.Stay tuned.HARMFUL WILD SHEEP MEASURE REMOVED FROM HOUSE BILLfrom WSFControversial amendment that would have impededbighorn sheep management plan is dropped from federalappropriations billWASHINGTON – A coalition of sportsmen-conservationiststoday applauded the elimination of a controversial amendmentfrom a U.S. House of Representatives appropriationsbill that would have prohibited implementation of a science-basedmanagement plan for bighorn sheep populationsin a national forest in Idaho.The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, TheodoreRoosevelt Conservation Partnership, Western Association ofFish & Wildlife Agencies and Wild Sheep Foundationroundly praised Rep. Mike Simpson’s decision to withdrawhis rider to the House appropriations bill for interior, environmentand related agencies. The amendment would haveprevented advancement of a management plan in thePayette National Forest that separates bighorn sheep fromdomestic sheep grazing on public lands. Simpson, of Idaho,is chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior,Environment and Related Agencies.AFWA, the TRCP and WSF issued the following statementin response to Rep. Simpson’s decision:“We thank Chairman Simpson for removing the wildsheep rider from the House interior appropriationsbill. Conflicts between wild sheep and domestic sheep needto be managed by wildlife professionals and range managersusing best available science and not by Congress. Welook forward to working with Chairman Simpson, the statefish and wildlife agencies, the Forest Service, the grazingindustry and conservationists to conserve wild sheep inIdaho and other Western states.”Clay Brewer, chair of WAFWA’s Wild Sheep WorkingGroup, offered further affirmation:“We greatly appreciate Representative Simpson’s effortsto foster development of solutions at the local level by recognizingthe critical role of science and collaboration forthe benefit of all stakeholders.”CA WSF 26Fall 2012

NEWS OF INTEREST FOR CA WSF MEMBERSCollected and Submitted by Beverly ValdezDepartment of Interior Documents Illustrate LatestAttempt to Resurrect Controversial Wild Lands Policy:“WASHINGTON– Bureau of Land Managementguidance manuals recently discovered by CongressmanRob Bishop (UT-01) and Senator Orrin Hatch(R-UT) show that the U.S. Department of Interior(DOI) has resurrected the controversial Wild Landspolicy killed by Congress in April 2011. Includedin the manuals is language directly lifted from Secretarialorder 3310 and its supporting documents,known as the DOI’s Wild Lands memo, illustratinghow BLM employees are to identify and managelands with wilderness characteristics. CongressmanRob Bishop and Senator Orrin Hatch, along withother Senators and Representatives from the West,today issued a letter to Secretary Ken Salazar outliningconcerns and questions about the DOI’sefforts to re-establish Wild Lands through the newguidance manuals.” (Source: Homepage of Rep.Rob Bishop) for more information follow this linkhttp://1.usa.gov/NqVtNxRule To Downlist Straight-Horned MarkhorProposed By U.S. Fish And Wildlife: Announcingthe good news to SCI prior to the Federal Registernotice, SCI was contacted by the Deputy Chieffrom the Division of Congressional and LegislativeAffairs about the proposed markhor rule. The Fishand Wildlife Service (FWS) proposed a rule todownlist straight-horned markhor from “endangered”to “threatened” status. This proposal ishuge! It admits that “hunting” is the main reasonwhy the species recovered and can be downlisted,“markhor populations significantly increased onlyin conservation areas managed for trophy hunting”(Pakistani Government). It also forces FWS toacknowledge that because U.S. hunters were notallowed to import markhor trophies while thespecies is/was classified as endangered, U.S. hunterscould not actively participate in a conservationeffort that resulted in a species’ recovery. Thedownlisting includes a special rule that will makeimportation of markhor possible due to its proposedthreatened status. To read the proposed rule,go to http://1.usa.gov/QPRv8YDan Richards Voted Out As California Fish AndGame Commission President Following LegalCougar Hunt: “The California Fish and GameCommission voted unanimously for Jim Kellogg aspresident, thus ousting previous commission headand controversial cougar-hunter Dan Richards.Richards was gracious after the vote, expressing hisappreciation to the commission and immediatelyturning over his gavel. Richards had said previouslythat if he was removed as president, he’d stay onthe commission until his term ends in January. Atthat point it would be up to Jerry Brown to reappointhim, which Richards himself said is unlikely.At today’s meeting, just one citizen spoke in favorof Richards, who caused a stir in February when heshot and killed a cougar in Idaho. The smallturnout is in marked contrast to a Fish and GameCommission meeting in March, when 60 peopleexpressed their support for Richards during thetwo-and-a-half hour public comment period.Richards became notorious to some after posingwith the mountain lion’s dead carcass for an outdoorsmagazine. That caused an uproar as animalrightsorganizations and a slew of Democrats in thelegislature sought to remove him from office,though the effort petered out. Cougar hunting islegal in Idaho but not in California.”(Source: KQED News) To read more, visithttp://bit.ly/Qmko6eSportsmen group supports Dept of Interior/BLMsolar planhttp://www.flyrodreel.com/blogs/tedwilliams/2012/july/sportsmen-coalition-applaudsAZ - Hosting a BH viewing and info workshopagainhttp://www.santanvalley.com/things-to-do/thingsto-do/event-news/item/7681-bighorn-sheep-workshop-canyon-lake-viewing-tour-set#.UBBy2UQitm8ID - BH sheep get ‘no respect’ - article mentionsWSF as donating to researchcontinued on page 28Fall 201227CA WSF

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors/2012/jul/18/idaho-bighorns-lack-respect-state-leaders/NM - hunting bill (inventory of public lands wherehunting is allowed but access blocked) is supportedby environmental grouphttp://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/16/4635078/sportsmen-back-congressmans-hunting.htmlNV - Reward increases trying to find the personwho killed a female desert BH and left lamb to diehttp://www.lvrj.com/news/reward-upped-to-8-000-for-information-on-bighorn-sheep-poaching-162423926.htmlUT - “Goat man” made big news and turns out tobe a hunter dressed as a goathttp://www.theblaze.com/stories/goat-manspotted-in-calif-turns-out-to-be-hunter-in-clevercostume/Hunters can report harvest online with CA DFGonline systemhttp://www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/harvestreporting/http://www.realtree.com/hunting/realtree-huntingblogs/realtree-outdoor-news/california-hunters-andanglers-can-now-report-onlineOnline reporting not seen as helpful by manyhttp://www.nrahuntersrights.org/Article.aspx?id=6753Quote from Gray Thornton, President WSF, pickedup by several press sourceshttp://www.lsonews.com/hunting-news/2260-edited-for-web-by-conor-harrisonUtah: Zion’s bighorn sheep thriving after spottyhistorywww.state-journal.com/ap sports/2012/07/10/bc-bighorn-sheep-shCA: Wild pig problem in Cleveland Nat’l Foresthttp://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/environment-forest-service-takes-aim-at-wild-pigs/article_7bb59a16-61ea-5eec-975ebed30858ed33.htmlUS Rep Heinrich hunting access bill is makingnews in NM and everywherehttp://www.mymotherlode.com/news/state/ap/1229892/Sportsmen-back-congressmans-huntingaccess-bill.htmlCalifornia Harvest reporting onlinehttp://www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/harvestreporting/NV - female sheep poached and lamb left deadhttp://greenvalley.8newsnow.com/news/news/131362-mother-bighorn-sheep-poached-baby-lamb-leftdeadAZ - view Bighorn sheep with AZ F&W (similar towhat we’ve been doing with SCBS)http://www.ammoland.com/2012/06/18/reserveyour-spot-to-view-bighorn-sheep-with-wildlifebiologists-on-az-canyon-lake/#axzz1z12VgR7HTX - drought, domestic sheep, humans causingdecline in bighorn sheep numbershttp://www.statesman.com/sports/outdoors/afterdrought-wildlife-census-counting-on-bighornsheep-2399065.htmlSD - Fish & Parks study survival of bighorn lambshttp://rapidcityjournal.com/news/researchers-huntfor-lambs-to-study-dwindling-bighorn-sheepherds/article_468a8291-de38-5ecc-8f16-67d0abac482a.html?comment_form=trueCA - DFG Enforcement Chief Nancy FoleyHonored as Wildlife Professional of the Yearhttp://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2012/06/26/dfgenforcement-chief-nancy-foley-honored-as-wildlifeprofessional-of-the-year-2/Several stories on lead bullets threatening thecondor zone - due to a new scientific paper outthis weekhttp://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/west/view/20120626lead_poisoning_from_hunters_bullets_still_threatens_california_condors/srvc=home&position=recenthttp://www.ecollegetimes.com/student-life/epidemic-of-lead-poisoning-from-hunters-bulletsthreatens-california-condors-1.2745709#.Ts7q3Aitm8http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/06/california_condors_wont_make_i.htmlhttp://www.gtweekly.com/index.php/santa-cruz-blogs-commentary/santa-cruz-news-ticker/3943-condors-vs-hunters.htmlCA WSF 28Fall 2012

Acceptance of a $10,000 grant from U.S. Fish andWildlife Services Habitat Conservation Planninggrant that will be passed on to the Coachella ValleyConservation Commission to acquire approximately1,342 acres of land for the protection ofPeninsular bighorn sheep habitat, and to providefuture wildlife oriented public use opportunities.Salton Sea area (Desert Ranch) donated to be openhabitat for Peninsular bighorn sheephttp://www.mydesert.com/article/20120529/NEWS07/205290312/-2-9M-deal-gives-species-safe-habitat-near-Salton-SeaOcotillo Express Wind project going forwardwww.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/commentary/controversial-imperial-county-wind-project-toproceed.htmlUSSA - Three things to know about hunting rightshttp://protectwhatsright.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/three-things-to-know-about-your-hunting-rights/AZ - Bighorn sheep focus at workshops; apply athttp://www.azgfd.gov/bighornworkshophttp://www.thecerbatgem.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2204:bighornsheep-take-center-stage-at-game-and-fish-workshops&catid=97:lake-mead&Itemid=84AZ - May be a lawsuit regarding California condorand lead ammohttp://azdailysun.com/news/local/condor-poisonings-spur-possible-lawsuit/article_5b32b200-d1db-5a55-9b44-8b75d38814c4.htmlGET YOUR MESSAGE TOCALIFORNIA SHEEP HUNTERSAdvertise in the California Wild SheepQuarterly Newsletter or onOur Web Site www.cawsf.orgFull Page – $250 b&w; $350 colorHalf Page – $150 b&w; $250 colorQuarter Page – $100 b&w; $200 colorBusiness Card Size – $50 b&w; $150 colorBook 3 consecutive issues and get the4th free (same ad and size).Make check payable to CA WSF and sende-version or camera-ready ad to our office.Web Site Advertising RatesRotating Banner, shows on All Pages -$100/month or $1000/yearCA WSF423 Broadway #617Millbrae, CA 94030-1905(650) 697-6561cafnaws@cafnaws.orgCal-TIPCalifornians Turn in Poachers and Polluters1 888 DFG-CALTIP(888 334-2258)A Confidential Secret Witness Program CalTIP(Californians Turn In Poachers and Polluters)is a confidential secret witness program thatencourages the public to provide Fish and Gamewith factual information leading to the arrest ofpoachers and polluters.CalTIP was introduced in California in 1981 inorder to give Californians an opportunity to helpprotect the state's fish and wildlife resources. Thetoll free telephone number operates 24 hours a day,7 days a week. You do not have to give your name.For more information go tohttp://www.dfg.ca.gov/enforcement/caltip.aspx.Fall 201229CA WSF

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CA WSF423 Broadway #617Millbrae, CA 94030Non-Profit Org.US POSTAGE PAIDMillbrae, CA 94030PERMIT 31w w w . c a w s f . o r g