Sheep Fever The Wild Sheep Foundation

The Wild Sheep Foundation is growing and is pleased to announce the formation and official charter of the Southeast Chapter of WSF!
The mission of the Southeast Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation is to build a community of conservationists to raise resources in support of scientific wild sheep management practices and habitat improvement. This is to ensure that future generations will enjoy the healthy populations of North America's sheep herds. We are a volunteer organization dedicated to sharing our passion for mountain hunting, educating the public and youth about the sustainable use of mountain resources, and highlighting the important role hunters play in wildlife conservation, regardless of where we live.
Sheep Fever co-host Gray N. Thornton visits with SE Chapter Steering Committee member Patrick Morse of Ponte Verde, Florida, on why the chapter was started, its goals, plans, and events for the coming year, as well as the inaugural chapter banquet in May/June of 2025 in Islamorada, FL which will coincide with the Chapter & Affiliate Summit XVII. While the chapter will serve members from Louisiana to Virginia and down to Florida, membership is open to everyone. Join us today! For membership options: https://www.wildsheepfoundation.org/memberships/chapters-and-affiliates/southeast-wsf

We’re going to Texas in this episode to talk about restoring desert bighorn sheep to a mountain range that hasn’t seen sheep since the early 1900s. Sheep Fever co-host Keith Balfourd visits with Texas Bighorn Sheep Society president Sam Cunningham, WSF’s VP of Conservation Kevin Hurley, and Texas outdoor writer and WSF contributor Chester Moore to discuss the Franklin Mountains State Park desert sheep restoration project. From water guzzler installations awaiting the translocation of 80 sheep to herd surveillance and predator management, there is a lot of ground to cover in what will be a historic move for the Lone Star State’s desert sheep population. The goal is a new nursery herd in a disease-free range for future translocations across the state.

Jana Waller Bair is the Host and Executive Producer of Skull Bound TV and Skull Bound
Chronicles, a hunting and conservation series on Carbon TV that is currently in its 15th season.
Jana has been a lifelong hunter and was appointed as a Wildlife Commissioner in Montana in
2021. After serving her term, she moved to Utah, where she resides with her husband and WSF
auctioneer, John Bair.
Jana is a proud member of the Wild Sheep Foundation as well as many other conservation and
hunting organizations. Jana is an active supporter of WSF’s Women Hunt® program and serves
on the recently launched Rubye Mayflower Blake Legacy Fund committee, a program of
Women Hunt®, which provides healing hunts, and other outdoor experiences, to women who
have experienced abuse or other life trauma.
In this episode Jana and Sheep Fever co-host Gray N. Thornton talk bear hunting,
conservation, her start, leadership, and award-winning work in outdoor media, as well as the
pivotal role women play in, and the powerful narrative they give, to the traditional outdoor and
shooting sports.
Jana also talks on a current Epic Hunt Series collaboration with WSF where a lucky raffle
winner will join her in the Northwest Territories in the fall of 2025 for a bucket list all expense
paid mountain caribou hunt with Mackenzie Mountain Outfitters. Both the winner and Jana will
hunt caribou. Tickets are only $60 and non WSF members receive an annual membership with
their first ticket purchased. The raffles concludes June 30, 2024 so don’t delay! Get your tickets HERE. 

In this episode of Sheep Fever, we visit with Mark Truax, President and CEO of Pac/West Strategies, to discuss the attempted ban on mountain lion, bobcat, and lynx hunting in Colorado. This ban, proposed through a voter’s ballot initiative and backed by out-of-state animal rights groups, raises important questions. Why mountain lions? Why Colorado? Why a voter’s ballot process? The answers; because it’s winnable. Mark and his company are on the ground in Colorado, trying to prevent this measure from becoming the law of the land and opening the door for other attempts in other states.
As sportsmen, we understand the role of predator/prey relationships, ecological realities, and the necessity of science-informed wildlife management to prevent situations where too many are just as bad as too few, regardless of the species. But do Coloradoans have all the facts, especially those who have recently moved to this western state? Or does saving these beautiful cats from “trophy hunters,” as this initiative is being sold, look like the right thing to do?

Conservation has increasingly become a global topic and a global effort. In this episode, Sheep Fever co-host Keith Balford visits with Shane Mahoney, CEO of Conservation Visions, to discuss various topics, including the growing connectivity between conservation efforts here in North America and those happening beyond our borders. You'll learn how influential our North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is in other countries struggling to do what is best for wildlife and people, especially in the context of how important internal hunting is to these countries when most of their revenue comes from US sportsmen. The conversation shifts to an informative discussion on how hunting and sustainable use are being challenged like never before, who and what's behind these increased efforts, and what can be done.
The question is raised: is our current suite of hunter-conservationist organizations built to take on such challenges when the focus for many is species conservation, not bumper sticker campaigns and ballot initiatives being proposed by anti-hunter groups? Shane believes it's time for an overarching wildlife conservation policy to codify successes to date that can't be denied, one that accounts for the challenges wildlife faces today and into the future and guards against those pushing for change for the sake of change yet are offering no durable solutions other than they don't like hunters hunting.

Preparation, readiness, and confidence are everything, especially on backcountry hunts. WSF recently became the title sponsor for the next three years of  Western Hunt Fest (WHF) events, and WSF’s Women Hunt® program became the title sponsor of the women’s division for the same period. WSF’s Sheep Fever host Gray N. Thornton, and Women Hunt founder and chair Renée Thornton, visit with WHF co-owners Jeffrey DeVaul, Guy Duplantier, and Efren Gonzalez to discuss their motivations behind establishing this next-level archery shooting, fitness, and backpack challenge across Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada this summer, as well as what shooters can expect. Archery hunting readiness has rightfully become a year-round pursuit. Giving bowhunters specialized events tailored for the type of shots and conditions they will encounter in the field elevates this preparation beyond just shooting foam in the backyard. Plus, friendly competition with like-minded hunters adds an element of community while helping duplicate the stress of making the shot count.
2024 Events:
April 13-14 Raton, NM May 4-5 Palisade, CO May 25-26 Reno, NV June 1-2 Colorado Springs, CO June 27 Championship Baily, CO www.westernhuntfest.com