Wild Sheep Society of BC Magazine is published four times per year for the Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia by
Sportscene Publications Inc.
10450 - 174 Street Edmonton, Alberta T5S 2G9 Ph: 780.413.0331 Fax 780.413.0388 Email: info@sportscene.ca www.sportscene.ca
Winter 2024 Issue Editor in Chief Kyle Stelter (CEO) Editors Peter Gutsche Nolan Osborne Bill Pastorek Contributors Helen Schwantje, DVM Design & Layout Sportscene Publications Inc. Printing Elite Lithographers Co. Ltd. Editorial Submissions Please submit articles and photos to communications@wildsheepsociety.com No portion of Wild Sheep Society of BC Magazine may be copied or reproduced without the prior written consent of the Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia. The views and opinions expressed by the authors of the articles in Wild Sheep Society of BC Magazine are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia.
Board of Directors.......................................................................................4 CEO Message.............................................................................................5 Meet Our Team............................................................................................6 Projects Update...........................................................................................8 Salute to Conservation Mountain Hunting Expo........................................10 South Okanagan Bighorn Sheep Disease Symposium.............................14 WSSBC Vital Contributor: Craig McLean..................................................18 A Kamloops Lake Dream Come True........................................................20 A Silver Sage Antelope Buck Fit for a Monarch.........................................24 Women Shaping Conservation: Embracing the Outdoors.........................30 Membership Update..................................................................................32 WSSBC 2024 Events Calendar.................................................................33 9 Benefits of Functional Training for Backcountry Hunters.......................34 1Campfire: What Does 1Campfire Do?.....................................................38 Frontiersmen Gear: Knife Care in the Field...............................................40 King of the Canyon....................................................................................44 Monarch Members ...................................................................................50 Horseback Trip..........................................................................................52 Member Highlights....................................................................................56 Dream Rams: Second Chance Ram.........................................................60
Cover photo by Peter Gutsche – WSSBC Director
PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 43363024 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to
Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia
#101 - 30799 Simpson Road, Abbotsford, BC V2T 6X4 www.wildsheepsociety.com
Printed in Canada
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Chief Executive Officer – Kyle Stelter 250-619-8415 ● kstelter@wildsheepsociety.com
Vice-President – Mike Southin 604-240-7337 ● msouthin@telus.net
President – Korey Green 250-793-2037 ● kgreen@wildsheepsociety.com
Secretary – Greg Rensmaag 604-209-4543 ● rensmaag_greg@hotmail.com
Vice-President – Chris Barker 250-883-3112 ● barkerwildsheep@gmail.com
Treasurer – Joe Humphries 250-230-5313 ● joseph_humphries@hotmail.com
Jesse Bone 250-802-7468 jesse.wssbc@gmail.com
Peter Gutsche 250-328-5224 petergutsche@gmail.com
Greg Nalleweg 778-220-3194 greg@nextgenelectrical.ca
Tristan Duncan 778-921-0087 tristan@wildsheepbc.ca
Benjamin Matthew MD 778-558-0996 ben.matthew@ubc.ca
Colin Peters 604-833-5802 colin.peters12@gmail.com
Rob Englot 250-719-9607 renglot@telus.net
Matt McCabe 250-320-6048 mattmccabe.wssbc@gmail.com
Robin Routledge 250-262-9058 robin.wssbc@gmail.com
Communications Committee Chair: Kyle Stelter ● 250-619-8415 kstelter@wildsheepsociety.com Fundraising Committee Chair: Korey Green ● 250-793-2037 kgreen@wildsheepsociety.com Government Engagement Committee Chair: Greg Rensmaag ● 604-209-4543 rensmaag_greg@hotmail.com
Jurassic Classic Trevor Carruthers ● 250-919-5386 ● trevor.carruthers@shaw.ca Raffles Joe Humphries ● 250-230-5313 ● joseph_humphries@hotmail.com Women Shaping Conservation Rebecca Peters ● 778-886-3097 ● rebeccaanne75@gmail.com
Hunter Heritage Committee Chair: Jann Demaske ● 970-539-8742 demaskes@msn.com
Bookkeeper Kelly Cioffi ● 778-908-3634 kelly@dkccompany.com
Indigenous Relations Committee Chair: Josh Hamilton ● 250-263-2197 josh.wssbc@gmail.com
Executive Assistant Michael Surbey ● 604-690-9555 exec@wildsheepsociety.com
Membership Committee Chair: Peter Gutsche ● 250-328-5224 petergutsche@gmail.com
Hunting Expo Coordinator Kris Wrathall ● 604-340-4903 ovisslam@outlook.com
Projects Committee Chair: Chris Barker ● 250-883-3112 barkerwildsheep@gmail.com
Administrative Coordinator Rebecca Peters ● 778-886-3097 wildsheepsocietyofbc@gmail.com
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Danny Coyne Darryn Epp Jeff Jackson Trevor Carruthers
WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
s this magazine goes to press, we are winding up another fall hunting season and seeing stories of some beautiful mountain monarch rams that have been taken this year. Two come to mind immediately. First is WSSBC Member Lindsey Stroud’s giant Bighorn ram taken on a Limited Entry Hunt this fall. The other incredible ram is the 2023 Mountain Sheep Special Hunting Permit which sold at Wild Sheep Foundation’s Sheep Show in Reno last winter. The ram was taken by Nelson Mitchell and guided by Backcountry BC and Beyond. I found some irony in that both rams precisely scored a whopping 195 6/8 inches. This a true testament to the quality of rams British Columbia continues to produce. Congratulations again to all those involved and thank you to both parties for sharing the hunt with us. Our directors, volunteers and support staff are working arduously this time of year to prepare for our two major events, the Northern Fundraiser and the Salute to Conservation and Mountain Hunting Expo. Both events are going to be off the charts this year with numerous exciting additions for 2024. New to 2023 was our Friday Night Kick Off Party for our Northern Fundraiser. Frontiersmen Gear is sponsoring Friday night once again and we will be showing the Canadian premier of Beyond Bonds, a Women Hunt® and Women Shaping Conservation Film. Tickets are still available to both events and as we usually sell out, we suggest you do not wait to secure your seats. Our Southern event has left Kamloops and relocated to Penticton in 2024 and is rebranded as our Salute to Conservation and Mountain WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
Hunting Expo. On Thursday, February 22nd we have added “A Run in the Park: MTNTOUGH for Wild Sheep Conservation” followed by a night of Bighorn Whiskey Tasting and Cigars. New for 2024 is our Mountain Hunting Expo which includes our Sheep Hunter University with guest speakers Carbon TV’s Julie McQueen, Kifaru’s Aron Snyder, SITKA Ambassadors Cam and Adam Foss, Joe Eppele and more. Please note that we have two full nights of banquets, guest speakers and live auction. Be sure to register for the entire weekend as we have two amazing nights of celebration planned for you. We have significantly increased our vendor experience and elevated our show to new heights. Our exhibitors include Precision Optics, Stone Glacier, Kifaru, Snowy Mountain Rifles, Kuiu, Wild TV, Frontiersmen Gear, Schnee’s and many more. If you are a mountain hunter or aspire to be, you cannot miss this opportunity to meet with the best vendors and learn from the best of the best. We hope to see you all in Penticton for a great weekend of celebrating with our wild sheep family. On November 25th and 26th the Board of Directors and staff of the Wild Sheep Society of BC met in Richmond for two fulsome days of meetings. We held a positive Strategic Plannings session focusing on the future of the organization with a commitment to healthy wild sheep populations in British Columbia. It was inspiring to see so many people who care deeply about BC’s wild sheep so involved and focused on a bright future for the resource. We had many positive outcomes from those meetings that we will share with our dedicated membership moving forward.
I do want to take a moment to recognize our dedicated members, donors, sponsors and volunteers. I am incredibly pleased that SITKA Gear has generously committed to another year as our Official Sponsor. We are excited to welcome two new Conservation Partners, Schnee’s and Wild TV. For those that listen to our Talk Is Sheep podcast, you may have noticed that we have added MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab as our Title Sponsor. Please consider supporting and take the time to let our corporate sponsors know we appreciate their confidence and investment in healthy wildlife and ecosystems here in BC. In closing, I want to simply say thank you to all our members for everything you have done to support BC’s wild sheep. I also want to recognize all our hard-working directors, volunteers, donors, and supporters for helping to bring our fundraisers to fruition. I am consistently humbled by all that you do, and I am so excited about the great work we will continue to carry out in the years ahead. In Conservation and Wild Sheep, Kyle Stelter Chief Executive Officer 5
It has been my privilege to sit on the board for WSSBC for close to three decades. I could not have imagined the opportunities that have presented themselves along the way. What at the time seemed like a small gesture, in running for Treasurer to complete the board, started this lifelong passion for wild sheep. Starting as Treasurer lead me to transition into the VicePresident role, mentored by then President Glen Keunzal. Glen was a dedicated advocate for BC’s sheep, and he passed immense knowledge on how to get things accomplished. I have been fortunate to serve as President, Director and I am now back in the Vice-President role. Throughout this my good friend and hunting partner, Mike Southin, has been on the same journey. At our last board meeting in Richmond the topic of mentorship came up. Upon reflection, it is one of the best things about the Society with all of us benefiting from past President’s involvement. To me, that shows the WSSBC is very special and that our members get what we do and why we do it. I currently sit on numerous committees for the Society but my passion lies within projects. We need to rebuild and maintain all of BC’s Wild sheep populations and maintain their habitats for perpetuity. Part of this journey has allowed me to be involved with transplants, the Fraser River test and remove project, the development of the Okanagan project partnership with ONA centered around habitat use and eliminating the disease issues,
as well as supporting all of our Northern projects. Lastly, but most important, I thank all of our members, as without your continuing support for wild sheep we would not be achieving any of these objectives. My ask to members is to please reach out to your MLA’s, ask them for policy and regulation limiting Domestic and Wild Sheep interactions. With the elimination of disease, we would see a robust return to healthy Wild Sheep populations on the landscape.
Ever since I was very young, I have always had a deep fascination for being outdoors and pursuing wild things in wild places. For a young person without any significant adult mentor, many experiences were learned through experimentation, handling, and observation. Hunting, fishing, and pursuit through photography enabled purpose for those days spent in the field and further solidified the deep-seated passion for our natural world. Many years later, an opportunity to work as a wildlife technician reaffirmed that need to contribute to conserving the precious resource we are responsible to steward, though a permanent job in such never did transpire. Instead, I chose occupations working with my hands—becoming an automotive mechanic and welder. Currently I spend employment days working as a pressure equipment inspector in the oilfield industry. This lifestyle now permits a schedule of working about half the year and the remaining days restoring my mental and emotional health in
the great outdoors. Ultimately my soul food comes from an involvement in wildlife conservation, being immersed mostly with mountain game species like wild sheep and goats, and the amazing people that care for them.
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WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
by Peter Gutsche
ur projects committee, led by WSSBC Vice President Chris Barker, must be commended for their hard work in 2023. They have met regularly throughout the year, scrutinizing new projects before recommending them to our Board of Directors for approval. As we continue to grow our organization, we have more project proposals coming to us than ever before. This growth has required us to refine our process to ensure that we continue to get the most bang for our buck and have the biggest impact for Wild Sheep populations, criteria we have always demanded of our project work. While never perfect, we are continually adding requirements for future funding proposals to ensure, amongst other things, that the work we support can be communicated to our members, as well as to the public in a more timely and digestible way.
2023 has been yet another banner year for funding Wild Sheep projects throughout the province. Since our June meeting, your Board has dedicated over $475,000 toward Wild Sheep projects in almost every corner of the province, for every sub-species of Wild Sheep that call British Columbia home. We continue to strive for a balance between regions, species, and the work itself, be it research, habitat, disease, or other. In this work, we have been fortunate to have collaborative relationships with many First Nations, wild sheep researchers, wildlife professionals, outfitters, guides, government staff, and other NGO’s in this endeavor. We are humbled by, and grateful for, the continued support of our shared goals for Wild Sheep, and the habitats they populate throughout British Columbia.
Here’s a look at what we have approved in the past six months.
June Approvals $70,000 – BC - Yukon Dall Sheep Project (Region 6) $60,000 – Cassiar Stone Sheep Study (Region 6) $15,000 – Stone’s Sheep Salting Program (Region 7B) $15,000 – Elk Valley Invasive Weed Management (Region 4) $1,150 – Wild Sheep Sampling equipment (all regions) $750 – Health Sampling Kits (Region 7B)
July Approvals $30,000 – Bull River Grasslands Corridor Habitat Project (Region 4) $24,000 – South Thompson Lamb Monitoring Master’s Student - MITACS match (Region 3) $1,500 – Inter Provincial Exhibition 4-H Sponsorship (Provincial)
September Approvals $90,000 – Northern Burns in Region 7. $45,000 was allocated from the Jurassic Classic Fundraiser (Region 7b) $20,000 – South Okanagan Disease Symposium (Region 8) $20,000 – Gene Transcription in Wild Sheep (Provincial)
October Approvals $40,000 – BC - Galton-Wigwam Sheep Project (Region 4)
November Approvals $35,000 – for an Okanagan Disease Bighorn Sheep Project (Region 8) $30,000 – Stone’s Sheep Research (Region 7a) $25,000 – Ungulate Enhancement (Region 7b) $1,500 – The Wildlife Society AGM Sponsorship (all regions) 8
WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
The Wild Sheep Society of BC (WSSBC) is hosting a South Okanagan Bighorn Sheep Disease Symposium on Thursday, February 22nd, 2024 in Penticton, British Columbia (BC). The symposium will follow up on a commitment made by the WSSBC at the 2022 BC Wild Sheep Summit, in Prince George, BC. The South Okanagan Disease Symposium will be collaborative, bringing wild sheep researchers, First Nations, wildlife professionals, knowledge holders, hunters, outfitters, guides, government staff, and wild sheep advocates together to listen, network, and promote the use of science in the management of wild sheep health in general, and for South Okanagan Bighorn Sheep specifically. Sharing and building on all ways of knowledge, methods, results, and lessons learned here in BC and elsewhere are the recipes to recovery and conservation of wild sheep in BC. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
The goal of the symposium is to have invited speakers present, discuss, and share information among attendees. The symposium will create a shared knowledge base and identify opportunities for cooperation in addressing BC’s most critical wild sheep health challenges, strengthening the collaborative approach that continues to support wild sheep management and conservation in the South Okanagan and across British Columbia. Our goal is to take these sheep populations from Disease to Resiliency. Assessments of thinhorn and bighorn sheep herd health in BC have created a variety of herd health profiles. They vary tremendously with some herds not apparently affected by infectious diseases, others suffering from
acute or chronic respiratory diseases in a similar manner as other jurisdictions, and some periodically impacted by shortterm viral diseases or long-term parasitic infestations. The BC South Okanagan bighorn metapopulation is unique, with cumulative health challenges that include most, if not all the above conditions. The symposium creates a unique venue for WSSBC members and regional government biologists to meet with colleagues, wildlife professionals, advocates, and researchers for updated information, knowledge sharing, and networking on wild sheep disease management challenges. For BC residents it is an incredible opportunity to mix with friends, colleagues and researchers to truly understand BC wild sheep disease management challenges without the need to travel outside of BC. 15
Thursday, February 22nd – Room: 1, 2, 3 Invited speakers include Daryl Lutz (WAFWA), Dr. Peregrine Wolff (WSF), Dr. Kate Huyvaert (WSU), Dr. Kezia Manlove (USU), Dr. Caeley Thacker (BC Provincial Wildlife Veterinarian) and more. Guests will summarize the current knowledge and research on wild sheep diseases and the potential management options, particularly for those diseases that affect the South Okanagan bighorn metapopulation. Topics will include summaries on hemorrhagic disease viruses (Bluetongue and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease viruses), Psoroptic mange caused by external mites, and respiratory disease associated with Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae. Discussions will include recommended approaches to management of the diseases where they exist, the successes and failures experienced over time, and new directions and research recommendations. The outcome is expected to lead to the creation of a cooperative process and sheep health management direction for BC’s wild sheep.
Thank you to our generous sponsors of the Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia’s, 2024 South Okanagan Bighorn Sheep Disease Symposium.
7:00 am 8:00 am 8:00 am 8:30 am 9:30 am 10:30 am 10:45 am 11:30 am 12:00 pm 12:45 pm 1:45 pm 2:30 pm 2:45 pm 3:45 pm 4:45 pm
Breakfast Symposium start Welcome & Introduction from organizers and partners Plenary(ies) – Description of disease types South Okanagan Bighorn Sheep Herd Health, population status/trends, health issues – historic/recent/current Break Update on disease recognition and surveillance methods Update on herd health assessment methods in BC and elsewhere Lunch Update on disease management tools: – What are the objectives? – What is the science? – What are the policies? Break Bighorn Disease Management Examples - successes and failures in BC and elsewhere Panel discussion: Recommendations and next steps for SOK BHS disease and herd management – From Disease to Resiliency Wrap up and Thank You’s
If you have any Registration issues, questions, or require assistance please reach out to: ● Rebecca Peters, Admin Assistant – Ph: 778-886-3097 Email: wildsheepsocietyofbc@gmail.com If you have any concerns, comments, or questions for the WSSBC please reach out to: ● Kyle Stelter, Chief Executive Officer – Ph: 250-619-8514 Email: kstelter@wildsheepsociety.com ● Michael Surbey, Executive Assistant – Ph: 604-690-9555 Email: exec@wildsheepsociety.com If you have any questions, concerns, additions, or have relevant content to contribute/present: ● Dr. Helen Schwantje, Disease Symposium Lead Email: helen.schwantje@gmail.com Website link: https://www.wildsheepsociety.com/sokdiseasesymposium/
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WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
Job/Volunteer Title Wildlife Biologist, Okanagan Region, WLRS. Job/Volunteer Description I work for the Province of British Columbia in the wildlife Branch. As with most jobs we have a variety of rolls and tasks. These range from mundane and relatively uninteresting work such as permit reviews, budgeting, report writing, and funding proposal developments. We are also responsible for the inventory work; annually we spend a hundred hours in a helicopter surveying wildlife from Mountain Goats, Sheep, Moose, elk, and deer throughout the region. In addition to surveys we spend a significant portion of each year capturing, handling, sampling and putting tracking collars out on animals throughout the region to support our ongoing research work and population assessments. When we aren’t in the field for research or inventory work a significant portion of time is spend in outreach and education, this is everything from presenting to public groups, speaking to wildlife best management practices for professionals and public education about our current pressures that our wildlife is feeling. I outreach and speak to Universities, NGO (Such as at WSSBC AGM), stakeholders, First Nations and other special interest groups in an effort to provide as much information as possible to those that love the wildlands and wild animals Related Experience/Duration in industry I began working in wildlife Biology in 2005, I’ve worked as a Park Ranger throughout the province. Over this time I’ve worked on everything from Songbirds and grasslands to grizzly bears and Roosevelt elk. Starting in 2012 I began working for the province as a Wildlife Biologist originally in the South Coast working on Roosevelt elk recovery program. Since late 2014 I have been in the Okanagan and working on our local big game animals. Why are you passionate about wild sheep? There is something about the country they live in and their ability to move through cliff faces that seem impregnable. I’ve been passionate about sheep for my entire life and spent much of my youth photographing the big horn sheep in Kamloops where I grew up. I’ve been involved in Big Horn Sheep counts since I was 7 years old and still try to attend the annual counts at Spence’s Bridge, Vasuax Lake and Kamloops. Favourite parts of your role that affect wild sheep I love any of my work that allows me to directly interface with the wildlife, specifically the capture and handling work. When we get to spend time in the sheep county and actually get our hands on the animals to help inform us about their movements, habitats, pressures. Anytime I get to handle live wildlife it’s a unique experience. External influences/Challenges you face in your job to help average people understand it’s more difficult than it may appear? a) The scale of influences that come to bear on our wildlife populations. b) The scope and ramifications of seemingly unimportant activities that can have a trickledown effect on our populations. Any comments relating to your appreciation for, or involvement in WSSBC I’ve always been a big support of WSSBC and the drive and passion the members bring, along with the financial contributions to help support wild sheep and the wildlands that support them. It never ceases to amaze me how much money and support can be drawn out of sheep fanatics to help support and enhance our wildlands. Within my region I have seen WSSBC fund and support so much, from reducing the risk from Domestic sheep and goats, habitat enhancement work, support and funding for research work, population transplants and augmentations, helping with private land acquisitions for conservation values. 18
WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
- photos Jeff Jackson
wasn’t raised as a hunter. I didn’t grow up eating wild game. Sheep hunting was never really on my radar until drawing the tag of a lifetime. I had no idea what to expect heading into the hunt, but I definitely wasn’t expecting to come home with the ram that I did. When the LEH Draws came out I had honestly forgotten what I had put in for so when I saw Mountain Sheep – successful, I said to my boyfriend Jared “did we put me in for sheep?” to which he excitedly responded, “did you get drawn?!” We quickly checked the authorization: Valid for one mountain sheep – ram only – Kamloops Lake. Odds of the hunt – 3094:1. Jared, being the one who got me into hunting and knowing the popularity of the tag told me “You WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
just won the hunting lottery!” Trip planning started immediately. We were heading to Kelowna in early July, so we added a stop in Kamloops to our trip—I was by no means in “sheep shape” so I needed to scope out the area and see what I was getting myself into. During the trip to Kelowna, I was diagnosed with MS. It obviously
wasn’t the answer I wanted to the issues I had been having but it was the answer I received. I decided very quickly that I wasn’t going to let the diagnosis get me down and that I was going to do everything in my power to be a fully functioning healthy individual for as long as I can. I cleaned up 21
- photo Jeff Jackson
my diet and bought a spin bike and started exercising with the short-term goal of being in good enough shape to hike the hills and be able to make it through the hunt. I’ve learned quickly that MS is unpredictable. By the end of August, I was feeling pretty good and anticipated getting stronger over the fall leading up to the November 1st opening date of the tag. MS had other plans. September hit and I was thrown into a flare up that left me barely able to walk for most of the month without using a crutch or support of some kind. I had lost any progress I had made, and it was starting to look like I maybe wouldn’t be able to go on the hunt and fill my once in a lifetime tag. Fortunately, things started to improve towards the end of September and by the middle of October I was telling myself and anybody who asked how I was feeling about the idea of hiking after a ram that I wouldn’t be winning any races but I was going to make it happen. I knew it would be slow 22
going but I was determined I wasn’t missing out on the opportunity. We couldn’t make it back to Kamloops again before the season opened so we enlisted the help of WSSBC Director Matt McCabe, who I had recently met in May at a mutual friend’s wedding, to do some spotting for us and find out what kind of rams were in the area. Not being able to do the scouting trips ourselves wasn’t great but having the help of Matt, who knew the area and had an idea of what could be in the zone was so great! We arrived in Kamloops on October 31 and headed straight to the Savona end of the lake where we met up with Matt and another friend, WSSBC Monarch Member Nathan French who had been out scouting all morning. We spent the afternoon checking different spots and making a game plan for the morning. We got our first look at my ram around 4:00 pm on the 31st. All 3 of the guys had their
spotting scopes out—I only had my binoculars but I knew by their reactions we had found a good one! It was decided quickly that he was the target ram for the next morning. Jared and I, along with his dad and brother, Dan and Brandon met up with Matt and Nathan just after 7:00 am on opening day. As soon as the sun started coming up, we were looking at sheep. The target ram was where we had left him the night before along with some new rams we hadn’t seen yet. We watched them all for a couple hours just weighing out the options. The target ram made his way over a ridge and out of sight. He had clearly been in a fight overnight as he was limping as he walked away—something he hadn’t been doing when we left him the night before. Jared, Nathan and I decided to make a stalk on him around 10:00 am. I was nervous and excited. I followed Jared and Nathan and slowly made my way WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
- photos Nathan French
up through the hills and along a ridge to where they were waiting. We had found him, bedded down on his own. We all got set up and waited for him to stand up. Nathan with his camera, Jared with the spotter and me with my 270. I made sure I was ready and steady over and over again with the ram at 185 yards downhill while we waited around half an hour for him to stand. We called the rest of the crew, Matt, Dan and Brandon, and told them to make their way to us, to be there when I pulled the trigger. When Matt came over the ridge with Maverick, Nathan’s dog, the ram stood up and turned towards us for a perfect broadside shot. I took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. Everything after that moment is a bit of a blur. I vaguely remember Jared saying, “you nailed him!” I don’t know how much time had passed before he told me to get up and give him a hug. Congratulatory hugs were given all around when I did stand up. All the guys waited patiently (or not so patiently) for me to get down to him and get my hands on him first before they all came and checked him out. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
The rest of the day was spent taking photos and dealing with the meat. When we got back to the trucks, Nathan rough scored him at 177 inches. After 4 months of planning and anticipating the hunt, it was all over in less than a day. I can’t thank everyone who helped enough – Jared, Dan and
Brandon for making the trip with me, Matt for scouting, Nathan for taking all the amazing photos and everyone for helping pack him out. The whole experience still seems surreal. It’s something I will probably never get to do again, and I will never forget. 23
by Anthony Klubi
ack in March of 2023, Brandon Roth and myself hit the road for Kamloops to attend our first Salute to Conservation. A short 10-hour drive later we found ourselves amongst friends sharing a cold drink and telling stories from the past seasons. Being my first time attending the show there was lots to take in, from the stunning sheep mounts lining the halls, the awesome venders, action items, and of course the chance to meet up with lots of new folks.
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WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
As the night went on and I was wandering around the event room, I purchased a few raffle tickets for each available draw. One of the first tickets I grabbed was for the pronghorn antelope guided hunt with Sliver Sage Outfitters. Growing up, my uncle had a pronghorn mount hanging on his wall and I had always wanted to have the chance to hunt them some day. A little while later, Brandon decided he was going to buy a ticket for the antelope hunt. As we walked towards the table I said “good you buy a ticket and then I’ll buy the winning ticket after you.” He had gotten ticket #031 and I had got #032. Well as luck would have it a few hours later, that earlier statement would ring true as Kyle called out that lucky #032. I was pumped to say the least, finally a chance to hunt pronghorn but possibly even better yet, and the ability for the foreseeable future to rub it in every chance I got that Brandon didn’t pony up for two tickets. The rest of the weekend in Kamloops was a blast; WSSBC put on a great show
WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
with many awesome speakers, learning opportunities and project updates. Along with the Saturday night banquet and auction, they raised a pile of money for conservation efforts. Now for me it’s a waiting game, seven long months till my hunt. Saturday October 14th, I started my 16-hour driver from Smithers BC
to Brooks, Alberta. after arriving in Brooks Sunday, I met up with Billy of Silver Sage Outfitters. We had a good chat of what the plan for the hunt was going to be and exchanged a few hunting stories. Prior to leaving on this trip I had spoken with several others who had the opportunity to hunt with Billy in the past and it was clear
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I was in for a great experience. Over the years, Billy has continued to show his support for conservation, donating several hunts to WSSBC in which they have been able to turn in to dollars on the ground. The next morning I met up with Gord my guide and we started our hour drive to where he’d been seeing a good buck hanging around. Gord is a seasoned guide and all around great guy to share a hunt with. As we sat along the field’s edge in the truck watching the sun come over the horizon, waiting for legal shooting light, Gord shared a few pictures of the buck we would be targeting. As I personally had never seen a pronghorn antelope in person, before I knew I’d be completely relying on Gord to put me on a good buck. It didn’t take long before we caught our first buck on the move but it was clearly not the one we were looking for. We watched until he trotted off out of sight, then continued down the road stopping to glass over every roll and into every coulee with no luck. After a couple hours we made our way over to a chunk of private land we’d been given permission to hunt, where we ended up jumping a group of eight antelope. Giving us a brief chance 26
to get a look before they blew out, we could tell there was a decent buck in the group. We backed out of the area giving them a chance to settle down, then we repositioned at about 800 yards to get the spotter on the buck for a better look. Once I was able to get my phone scope set up to watch the group, which had five bucks in it, it wasn’t hard to see that one was considerably larger than the rest. We took a few pictures for reference but ultimately decided to move on and continue to look for the other buck Gord had seen prior. We drove around for another couple hours spotting a few more groups of antelope, one of which we believed to hold the big buck we had been looking for, unfortunately they were a long ways into a no go zone and headed in the wrong direction. Now at this point the sky was starting to darken in the distance and with a weather forecast the next few days not in our favour. Being this hunt was only three days, the question became if we wanted to continue to cover ground in hopes of finding more bucks or to relocate the bigger buck from earlier. After a few short minutes of reviewing pictures of the buck and knowing this may be the one and only time I hunt
antelope in my life, I made the decision that I’d be more then happy to go home with a buck of that calibre. Once back to the area we last seen the group with our now target buck, it only took a few seconds to relocate them in the large pasture. A few moments later we notice a second group of twelve antelope approaching from our left. We were able to quickly determine that they were a couple young bucks with a bunch of does. This unfortunately created a problem for us, as now there were twenty sets of eyes to avoid come time to stalk in. Problem number two arose shortly after the herds merged, as the presence of a hot doe got the bucks fired up. We had been hoping the antelope would settle down and possibly bed were we could find some cover in the terrain to make a stalk in on the buck. But the next couple hours, we just sat and watched as the big buck pushed the hot doe around while trying to fight off the six other smaller bucks. With the way these animals move up and down the field chasing each other it made it seem next to impossible to set up for a stalk. They’d finally settle down just long enough you’d think you might just get a chance, but by the time you’d get the wind right to start WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
moving in, all of a sudden they are 1200 yards in the other direction. After a few failed attempts to move in close, the whole herd up and ran till all we could see was the dust in the air. We regrouped at the tuck and moved a few kilometres down the range road to get ahead of the herd. Wouldn’t you know it, a bit of luck and the herd split. The big buck took his doe and ran her off with four of the smaller bucks in tow. Leaving the remaining antelope about 1.5 km behind, meaning that many less eyes to bust us. Now the game is on, we are about 1000 yards ahead of the buck with the wind in favour and they are walking straight for us. I work my way out in to the field behind a small roll and get set up behind my gun and wait for them to come into range. After a few minutes of waiting, the first buck walks out with a second right behind him, patiently waiting for the big one but nothing. Gord peaked his head over to see where they were. With no antelope in sight we knew they must have turned and went back the way they came. With the wind still in our face we started to make our way across the field as quickly as one can crouched over. After about a 400WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
500 yard dash, I caught a glimpse of ears over the next roll and we quickly moved in. Now approximately 400 yards away and not willing to take a standing freehand shot that far, with no cover left in front of us, I started to belly crawl in to the point I could get a clean shot without the roll in the field obstructing my shooting lane. Finally set up and comfortable, I made a final range at 240 yards. The buck cleared the doe and was broad side; I touched off a round right behind the shoulder. As I rack another round and resettled my crosshairs on the buck he’s already starting to wobble. As he tips over, I watch the rest of the bucks waste no time in starting to push the doe trying to claim her for themselves. Walking up to and putting hands on this great buck, its not lost on me how lucky I’m as a BC resident to have the opportunity hunt these cool animals. Hunting pronghorn antelope in the flatlands of southern Alberta my not seem as cool to some as we all picture a northern BC stone sheep hunt, nor is it the grind we experience for days on end with heavy packs scaling mountains. But they are super cool challenging animals to chase around
in their own. For those wondering, the table fare of pronghorn is excellent and my only complaint is you don’t get 400lbs of meat off them. I’d like to thank Billy of Silver Sage Outfitters for your continued support of conservation and the great hunts you provide. Gord my awesome guide, he was a blast to share this hunt with. Also I’d like the thank all of the board members and volunteers of WSSBC for all the hard work they put in day after day creating ways to raise money for conservation. Attending my first Salute to Conservation in 2023 was amazing and I can’t wait for 2024. Lastly I’d like to thank each and every member of the WSSBC, with out your continued support of this organization, none of this would be possible. Editors note: Anthony Klubi won this Silver Sage Pronghorn Antelope hunt through Wild Sheep Society of BC’s raffle program. Silver Sage generously donates this hunt to us each year and there are tickets for sale on our Wild Sheep Raffles for this hunt as well as at our 2024 Northern Fundraiser. Congratulations Anthony on a great buck. 27
Empowering Lives Through Conservation, Hunting and the Integral Link to Mental Well-being by Rebecca Peters
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WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
ocated deep within the Wild Sheep Society of BC (WSSBC), we find a passionate community committed to the preservation of our outdoor spaces, conservation, and the tradition of hunting. As a nonprofit organization, we acknowledge the challenges we face, particularly in inspiring and encouraging more women to participate actively in conservation and hunting. Despite the persistent stereotype of these activities being male-dominated, we firmly believe in the opportunities available for women in this space. Women are encouraged to discover the confidence within themselves, believing in their capabilities and finding the courage to actively participate. Recognizing the importance of comfort, there are numerous programs tailored exclusively for women. These initiatives provide supportive environments where women can thrive in outdoor pursuits, conservation and hunting. Women HuntTM, AWIC Summit, Bristol Bay Retreats, BCWF – Women Outdoors, Women Want to Shoot and of course WSSBC – Women Shaping Conservation (WSC) to name a few. The WSC program was initiated not to advance a personal agenda but to broaden the perspective of what it means to connect with the outdoors. It goes beyond preserving hunting as a lifestyle; it’s about a deep appreciation for the environment and wildlife. We understand that, at first glance, some may question the motives behind such programs. However, the committee envisions a future where everyone benefits from the advantages of engaging with nature. One pressing concern is how to encourage more women to appreciate and actively participate in the WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
outdoors, conservation and hunting. We are witnessing a positive shift with an increasing number of women joining our ranks, but there’s still work to be done. The outdoors, whether through conservation, hunting, hiking, or camping, offers immense benefits for mental health. In an era marked by a noticeable decline in mental well-being, especially among children, the healing power of nature becomes ever more essential. Is it considered selfish to aim for the well-being of others while simultaneously improving our own health? We argue quite the opposite. Caring for the environment, wildlife, and our mental and physical health is interconnected. Our actions today shape the world we leave for future generations. It’s a responsibility we all share, collectively striving to make healthier choices in what we consume, how we live our lives, and how we nurture our mental health. Participation is key. It’s not just about advocating for conservation
and hunting; it’s about embodying a lifestyle that respects our ancestral connections. Our DNA carries the legacy of hunting and harvesting, principles that sustain both our bodies and the environment. By making conscious choices, such as consuming real food and embracing the outdoors, we not only honour our heritage but also contribute to a healthier planet. So what can each of us do today and every day moving forward? Start by sharing your love for the outdoors. Share your stories, both the triumphs and the challenges. Become a role model and mentor for those who are just starting their outdoor journey, be of Service. Engage with your community and emphasize the importance of our outdoor spaces and the benefits they provide. When we prioritize our mental, emotional, and physical well-being, a ripple effect occurs. Our families, friends, communities, and the environment all begin to shift and heal. Let’s be proactive stewards of our planet, guiding the next generation towards a balanced and healthy existence. The Wild Sheep Society of BC, Women Shaping Conservation invites you to participate actively, ensuring a brighter, more sustainable future for us all. 31
y the time you have this in your hands the days will already be getting longer, signalling the end of one year and the beginning of the next. It is our hope that you can enjoy the holidays with your loved ones and those closest to you. For some of you, it will surely be spent with fellow members of your WSSBC family. 2023 was another phenomenal year of growth for the Wild Sheep Society, and specifically for our Membership. At the time of this writing, we have welcomed over 280 new members to our organization, with more than 90 upgrading and just shy of 500 renewing their membership. The total value of these memberships amounts to over $425,000 and this massive commitment from you inspires us to work harder than ever before. Only in 2021 did we add a larger number of new members to the Society, where incredibly, we added over 400 to our fold. This year, however, was our largest financial gain and it was our upgrades doing the heavy lifting for us, speaking to the continued passion you have for Wild Sheep. Since the dust settled on our convention and AGM this past March, we have welcomed over 40 new Life Members, 20 Monarch’s, nine Silver’s, six Gold’s, and an astonishing six Platinum’s to our ranks. These are incredible figures, and they speak to your dedication for our shared cause. We cannot express our gratitude enough. With these additions we have hit a new milestone, as we recently passed the 1500 mark for total membership. This includes slightly over 750 Life members and a further 150 Monarch’s. Only a few short years ago these totals would have seemed incomprehensible; Again, a testament to you all in continuing to be passionate and committed to Wild 32
Sheep and conservation here in British Columbia. For that, we thank you, as we look toward to our next goal of achieving 2000 by the end of 2025. This will be no easy task and we will continue to lean on your support to do this We are confident you will step up to the plate yet again, by helping us spread our good work to those around you. Of special note, and with heavy hearts, we must thank everyone for your incredible support of the Cabana family as they faced every parent’s worst nightmare, tragically losing their beloved daughter Danielle at the age of six. The #Danistrong campaign was launched to show our support for them in their time of need and our Membership blew our expectations away. Because of you, we were able to enshrine Danielle Cabana as our most recent Platinum Monarch Member, where her legacy will live on for eternity. Many of us on the Board know Denis and Tressa personally, as they are both committed conservationists and passionate volunteers at our Jurassic Classic event, and we genuinely thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support. 2024 is shaping up to be another amazing year for our membership and we have a few exciting ideas currently
in the works to both expand our organization and give back to those who give so much already. This year, we will have more volunteer opportunities than ever before, with sheep counts being organized in the Okanagan/ Similkameen, Spences Bridge, South Thompson, and Fraser River areas. We are also working on organizing multiple pint nights, spread throughout the province, to bring our Wild Sheep community together. Yet another great opportunity for good times is the return of our Kamloops golf tournament, with a new date in June. And of course, we cannot forget our two major fundraisers, the Northern, taking place in Dawson Creek, and our southern event, the Salute to Conservation, now being held in Penticton. Time spent with good people is always time well spent, and we hope you will be able to join us at many of these events throughout the year. Additionally, we are always seeking new ideas for events or projects in your backyard, so don’t be afraid to reach out with your suggestions! Sincerely, Peter Gutsche – Membership Chair 250-328-5224 petergutsche@gmail.com
https://www.wildsheepsociety.com/membership/#join https://www.wildsheepsociety.com/volunteer/
WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
2024 WSSBC Conventions:
WSSBC Volunteer Opportunities & Events:
Feb 2-3 – WSSBC Northern Fundraiser (Dawson Creek, BC) https://www.wildsheepsociety.com/northern-fundraiser/
January 2024 – Fraser River Drop Net Capture
Feb 22-24 – Salute to Conservation & Mountain Hunting Expo (Penticton, BC) https://www.wildsheepsociety.com/salute2conservation/
https://www.wildsheepsociety.com/volunteer/
March 2024 – Ashnola/Similkameen Mountain Sheep & Goat Count (With ONA and RMGA) April 2024 – Spences Bridge Sheep Count April/May 2024 – South Thompson & Kamloops Lake Sheep Monitoring June – WSSBC Golf Tournament – (Kamloops, BC) June/July/August – Fraser River Sheep Counts July 5-7 – Ruck for the Shulaps, with Matt Ward and Matt McCabe
2024 Conservation Conventions:
August 23-25 – Jurassic Classic
January 11-14 – Dallas Safari Club (Dallas, TX) January 17-20 – WSF Sheep Show (Reno, NV) Jan 31-Feb 3 – Safari Club International (Nashville, TN) Feb 15-18 – Western Hunting & Conservation Expo (Salt Lake City, UT) Feb 16-17 – Eastern Chapter WSF (Lancaster, PA) March 1-2 – WSF Alberta (Calgary, AB) March 9 – Washington WSF (Tacoma, WA) March 13-16 – BC Chapter of The Wildlife Society Conference (Kamloops, BC) March 15-16 – Midwest Chapter WSF (Minnetonka, MN) June 13-16 – WSF Chapters & Affiliates Summit (Calgary, AB)
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by MTNTOUGH ou’re miles from the nearest road, your gear has weighed you down for hours, and yet your energy and focus feel untouched. This is your gut-check. It’s a measure of your grit, functional strength, and mental toughness. It’s the many benefits of functional training earning their keep. There are 9 no-nonsense benefits to functional training that resonate the most with backcountry hunters: • Enhanced Real-World Functionality • Reduced Risk of Injuries • Improved Balance and Coordination • Increased Muscle Strength and Endurance • Better Joint Mobility • Enhanced Athletic Performance • Higher Calorie Burn • Improved Posture and Muscle Tone • Mental Boost and Enhanced Brain Health
In this guide, we’ll dig into each of the 9 benefits, some of the science behind it, and share functional exercises that aren’t just for show. These are purpose-built, field-tested movements that translate directly to the rugged terrains and high-stakes moments of the hunt. Welcome to the first stage of becoming an elite backcountry athlete.
Forget the vanity muscles or how much weight you can bench press. With functional training it’s all about how well you manage the challenges that hit you square in the face when you’re miles from anywhere.
2. Reduced Risk of Injuries Every step is a risky step when making your way through untouched nature. So making ‘one wrong move’ is inevitable. That’s why a twisted ankle is the most common injury for
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1. Enhanced Real-World Functionality Forget the gym mirror - this is about real-world performance. Functional training mimics the exact movements you’ll use in the wild, whether you’re sidehilling or keeping your head on a swivel thanks to a sudden noise. Think about the Front Rack Step-Up: confined to the gym, it’s just another exercise. But take the same movement into the wilderness and it becomes a rehearsal for stepping over uneven terrain.
WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
backcountry hunters. The difference though is you’re miles from help and thousands of feet above flat land. This can wreck your hunting plans in an instant. At best, an injury in the backcountry is an inconvenience. At its worst, it’s potentially game over. Functional training places a premium on improving your movement patterns and joint stability to keep you injury-free. Enter functional training, which zeroes in on joint stability and balanced muscle development. By building a resilient body, you’re less susceptible to injury and other unpredictable situations that might turn your hunt into a chaotic test of survival. Exercises like hip circles and leg swings are great for this. More than a warm-up movement, single-leg squats and lateral lunges are great for building strength that protects your lower body they’re your insurance policy against ankle sprains and twists. 3. Improved Balance and Coordination Nobody walks through the backcountry; they more or less balance their way along an endless series of uneven and deceiving ground. It requires a great deal of balance to perform safely. Master it, and each step becomes a calculated move rather than a game of chance. Adding movements like the single-leg deadlift is one way to build confidence in your feet. This challenging exercise is just what you’ll need when desperate for stable footing. Whether you’re crossing fallen timber or making your way up a hill, training for balance in the wild is a must. 4. Increased Muscle Strength and Endurance There’s nothing leisurely about walking in the wilderness. You’re always hauling extra weight, you’re never truly certain how strong your footing is, and you’re either ascending or WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
descending - level ground doesn’t exist here. This makes the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other an exhausting full-body workout. By design, functional training builds muscular strength and endurance across your major muscle groups as well as those smaller, stabilizing muscles that often get overlooked when hitting the gym. You can build the right strength and endurance to manage this in a number of ways. But on the scrappier side of functional training, doing squats with a sandbag captures the experience of carrying your pack in the backcountry. You’ll forge legs, core, and back muscles that power you forward and the endurance to keep moving when others would turn back. 5. Better Joint Mobility and Flexibility From flash floods to wildfires and blizzards, trudging through extreme weather is a given. It creates a landscape that’s always in a state of change. The physical landmarks and holds you relied on last weekend can be completely erased and compromised the next. It’s a place governed by the ability to adapt. This is key to functional training and holds significant weight when it comes to your joints. Whether you realize it or not, every time you move your body in the backcountry, you’re opening yourself up to a flexibility test. The landscape isn’t always what it seems. A slight misstep or putting too much faith in a foothold can instantly test the limits of how far your joints and limbs can stretch before they crumble. Putting your joints to the test and strengthening them before you ever reach the middle of nowhere is the best way to handle this. To do this, try adding dynamic movements like the push up walkout (inchworm) to your routine. This exercise is incredibly efficient. With a simple series of steps, it enhances your fitness 35
for the backcountry terrain. Better joint mobility and flexibility can draw inspiration from any influence, so long as it makes you better prepared in the field. Nothing’s off the table…even atypical practices like yoga. The average mountain athlete is laughably different from a yoga enthusiast, but if you think yoga poses are just for enlightened yogis, then think again. It’s not the most popular topic of training for western hunting, but it’s an always present force while you’re out there. So don’t skimp on training that increases your flexibility and range of motion. 6. Enhanced Athletic Performance This is the part of functional training that pipes the nuances of your sport or occupation directly into the conversation. It’s highly specialized: drawing a bow with precision, shouldering a rifle under pressure, or cutting through thick brush like it’s second nature. You don’t even need gym gear to apply functional training to improve athletic performance. Ever tried holding a deep squat while drawing your bow? With only your bow and bodyweight this drill is going to make you more decisive and boost your shot accuracy in those split-second moments - the ones where your target turns, and you have a small window to a broadside shot. 7. Higher Calorie Burn Hunting the backcountry is the equivalent of a vertical marathon. You need energy. Lots of it. The average 40-year-old male carrying a 50lb pack will burn through 6,000 calories every single day of his hunting trip. Functional training, with its compound movements and fullbody engagement throws gasoline on your metabolic fire. This 36
is how muscular endurance is fortified. Exercises like burpees and kettlebell swings are the perfect ambassadors for this category, providing sustained energy during those long marches. 8. Improved Posture and Muscle Tone Securing a 40+lb backpack to your hips and shoulders then hiking for miles is your posture’s version of a trial by fire. Thankfully, functional training stresses core engagement and balanced muscle development. Both help to shape your posture and allow you to carry heavy loads. Plank variations, like monkey planks, are best suited for the job. In addition to building core strength and better posture, monkey planks also minimize back strain. With a strong back and an upright posture, you can carry the weight and focus on the hunt, not a nagging pain. 9. Mental Boost and Enhanced Brain Health Functional training builds muscle and mind in equal measure. Coordination, focus, rapid decision-making. These aren’t just buzzwords, they’re your connective tissue between everything else out there. Helping you connect the dots between the balance of strength and endurance. Agility ladder drills, for instance, are arguably more about brainwork than footwork. They force you to think on your feet – literally. Functional training imparts the mental agility to keep a hunter sharp when the stakes are highest. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
s hunters, few tools in our kit are more important than our knives. They are inextricably linked to the hunt, as crucial to our success as our rifles and bows. As one of human being’s earliest tools, they played a pivotal role in our evolution as a species. Like an old familiar pair of mountain boots, they bear the marks and memories of seasons passed. While hunters often carry some form of fixed or folding blade knife in their bag, truck, or camp, the current trend towards ultralight replaceable blade scalpels has left many hunters lacking in blade care and maintenance. A good knife performs its tasks unfailingly, maintaining an edge through skinning, deboning, and breaking down animals. A great knife does all that with ease as if an extension of one’s hand. Well taken care of, quality knives will last many lifetimes, passed down like your WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
grandfathers pre-64 30-30, and just as deadly in the field. If you’ve been hunting for more than a couple of decades, odds are good that you have some semblance of blade maintenance skills in your repertoire. From my observations, many of the younger or newer hunting generations have either lost or never learned these vital skills. If you’re still using a pull-through sharpener or your fixed blade hasn’t been shaving sharp since it came out of the box, fret not, this one is for you. Keep in mind, if you own a highquality production or one of our handmade custom blades, and you aren’t familiar with sharpening and maintaining one yourself, it is best not to start learning on that. Pick up a cheap blade or an old kitchen pairing knife and practice until you are consistent. As a guide and avid backcountry hunter, with a touch
of blade nerd in me, my knives must be clean, cared for, and hairpopping sharp at all times—yours should be too. This isn’t as complicated as you may think, and there are a few simple tools you’ll need for the job. Worksharp Guided Field Sharpener The Guided Field Sharpener is a complete sharpening solution for field, home, or shop use, designed exclusively for sportsmen and knife users who need a complete, robust, and compact manual sharpening solution. It incorporates 5 stages of sharpening and honing, each with built-in angle guides for a consistent bevel across the entire blade. 20°and 25º guides, 320 & 600 grit diamond, fine ceramic rod, and a leather strop combine to provide one solution from repair 41
to creating a highly polished sharp edge. These are about $40 online and are often found at Canadian Tire, House of Knives, and many hunting/ outdoor stores. Cleaning Cloth/Silicone Cloth Just about anything will do here, though I like to use wet wipes to clean my blades after I’ve finished skinning, cutting meat, or breaking down an animal. If I’m storing them for a few weeks or months, I will use a silicone cloth for rifles, reels, etc before they go back in the sheath. Leather Butter There are a million different products that fall under this category, but a wax with real beeswax in it will always give the best results. In the last several years I’ve used our Frontiersmen Gear Leather Butter and it performed flawlessly on all leather goods. Treat your sheaths, boots, belts, and horse tack and they work for you for years to come. Maintenance itself is pretty straightforward; keep your blades clean and sharp and your leather oiled. The more you get into the habit of touching up your blade, the less likely you are to end up with a dull blade and a long and frustrating sharpening 42
session to bring it back to life. Remember the golden rule: a sharp knife is a safe knife. Make it a practice to touch up your blade often to avoid a complete loss of the cutting edge. Dry your knife thoroughly before storage, wipe off excess fat to prevent sheath clogging, and be aware that blood, corrosive in nature, can promote rust if left unchecked. Whether at home or in the field, knife sharpening follows three pillars: creating a burr with heavy grit, refining the burr with fine grit, and removing the burr through
stropping. In the field, just focus on maintenance—straightening the micro-teeth with a fine grit rod and a bit of stropping can work wonders. Lastly, don’t forget to apply leather butter or wax after every hunting trip. This simple step not only protects your leather goods but also ensures that your knife and its sheath endure, becoming a reliable partner in your hunting legacy. So, take the time to care for your blades, and they’ll repay you with a lifetime of successful hunts and cherished memories. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
n the late spring of 2022, I was fortunate to plan a do-it-yourself Rocky Mountain goat hunt in northwestern British Columbia. The hunt would take place in the heart of the Cassiar Mountains along the banks of the infamous Stikine River. The Stikine is a mighty and iconic river that flows from the northern interior of BC to the Pacific Ocean in southwest Alaska. Considered one of North America’s last truly wild rivers, the Stikine invokes a sense of awe and amazement. Its origins stem from an area known to the Tahltan people as the Sacred Headwaters, a place of unsurpassed beauty and cultural significance. Three of the largest salmon-producing rivers in BC are born from this remote plateau, with the Stikine being the most revered. From its birthplace, the river begins its long, arduous 610-kilometre journey through some of the wildest and most game-rich country left on the planet. It has been said that more people have walked on the face of the moon than traversed the river’s length. Without question, one section of this river stands out above all others: the Grand Canyon of the Stikine. Often referred to as Canada’s Grand Canyon, this portion of the river is considered the Mount Everest of whitewater to kayakers, not just deserving respect but demanding it. For millions of years, the water has scarred the landscape. At its deepest point, the river lies a staggering 980 feet below the plateau. At its narrowest point of just seven feet across, 10,000 gallons of water thunder violently through a narrow slot of ancient volcanic rock every second. As the area’s geography was influenced by a major volcanic eruption from Mount Edziza, also known as the Sacred Ice Mountain (one of Canada’s largest volcanoes), the entire area holds magical energy. It’s unlike any other place I’ve ever been. Astonishingly, the Stikine, and its many tributaries, are home to one of the world’s most unique populations of Rocky Mountain goats. The goats here have adapted and flourished—not at the tops of mountains but deep within the WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
plateau’s canyons. Living life on the vertical, the goats defy gravity and cheat death upon the petrifying cliffs which hang above the rivers. This would be the stage for the most epic hunt of my life. Into the Adventure My quest for a Rocky Mountain goat came hot on the heels of a week-long sheep hunt with my friend Charlie. That hunt left Charlie’s feet in a terrible state. Aside from countless blisters, his big toenails had turned black and blue, beginning to separate from the toe. Despite barely being able walk, he assured me he was good to go. As there was no way I could have conducted the hunt solo, I was extremely appreciative of his mental and physical resilience, which would more than make up for his questionable hand signals later on. After a well-deserved rest day and a futile attempt to tape his toenails in place, Charlie and I set out for goat country. I found myself chuckling while writing those words as the nearest actual mountain stood miles away in the distance. Having been fortunate to harvest several goats over the years in a more typical, mountainous setting, I was excited to hunt them in such a unique
location. I wondered what it would feel like to be the one looking down on them for a change. As we began our scenic drive west, we were confronted with a stark reminder of the unforgiving power of mother nature. In 2018, two forest fires (the South Stikine and Alkali Lake fires) merged to form a fire of epic proportions. As the two fires ravenously burned toward one another, they displayed fire behavior that had rarely been seen before. Described as having animal-like tendencies, the 100-foot-tall flames took on a life of their own and devoured everything caught in their path. Before us lay what can only be described as complete and utter devastation. As far as the eye could see, where a once vibrant and productive forest once stood, a wasteland of ash and cinder remained. The magnitude of the destruction was truly astonishing. Nearly 125,000 hectares of forest and a large portion of the community of Telegraph creek were reduced to little more than ashes. It was hard to conceive how anything could have survived such a catastrophic event, but upon closer inspection, new signs of life were beginning to take hold within the blackened landscape. It never 45
only takes one to be in a good spot bud.” Charlie was right. The next day we would head further upriver. With any luck, we’d find ourselves a billy in a spot where we at least stood a chance. For the time being, though, there was no sense worrying about what may or may not happen. We would simply kick back and watch the sunset on one of mother nature’s finest shows. After a well-deserved night’s sleep, we awoke to yet another spectacular day. As the sun began to cast its first rays of light, I was deeply grateful for such wild and beautiful places. Seeing things like that dawn reminded me why I am so drawn to nature and hunting. As far as I was concerned, the day was already a success—not even the cold oatmeal or instant coffee could convince me otherwise. ceases to amaze me how nature can be so fragile and yet incredibly resilient. As the fire had jumped the Stinkine River in several places as though it were nothing more than a small creek, I wondered how the goats had faired. It was easy to visualize countless scared mountain goats seeking refuge from the insidious flames at the bottom of the canyon as the flames roared wildly overhead. With the truck safely parked and a few cold ones on ice, we hopped in a jet boat for a short ride down the river. Upon bidding farewell to our captain, we began a grueling hike through the web of fallen trees. Access to the hunting grounds came entirely by foot. To say you had to want it would be an understatement. After several hours of swimming through the chest-high blowdown under the weight of our overloaded packs, the forest canopy began to give way to a vibrant blue horizon. We could hear the faint sound of a cascading river in the distance. As we stepped out of the forest and onto the canyon’s edge, it felt like we had stepped back in time. It was truly aweinspiring, and we both just stood there silent, taking it all in. After savoring the view, we dropped our packs and worked quickly to set up camp. Getting there was only half 46
the battle. With the sun beginning to make its way toward the horizon, we were eager to finish our chores and start glassing. As I dug through my bag to fetch all the necessities to make dinner, I was disgusted to find that I had forgotten the fuel bottle for the stove. Charlie sarcastically assured me he loved cold Mountain House as we both devoured our cold dinners. After choking down our dinners, we hiked to a vantage point that would afford us an unobscured view of a large portion of the canyon. After a couple of hours glassing, all we managed to turn up was a group of three nannies, each with little white balls of fluff in tow. Our attention shifted beyond where we were able to hunt. On the opposite side of the river, several goats (which more closely resembled white specs of sand compared to the massive vertical cliffs to which they clung) defied gravity with each precarious step. I was immediately struck with a sense of astonishment, watching the goats go about their nightly routine. I also was skeptical about how we would ever hunt an animal in such a location. It was evident that the vast majority of the goats here simply died of natural causes, not at the hands of any human hunter. Upon expressing my concerns, Charlie simply replied, “It
A Funny-looking Goat As we set out, we stopped periodically to glass the slopes and cliffs below. Unfortunately, the only goats we saw were safe and sound on the opposite side of the river. As we pressed on, the sun and temperature climbed higher while my expectations of finding a goat sunk lower. Then out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a small patch of white a few hundred yards below. As I lifted the binos, I could make out the rear end of a goat sticking out from an overhang of rock and vegetation. It was almost comical how it had wedged itself into such an awkward-looking spot. Although uncomfortable looking, the bed provided relief from the unrelenting summer sun. As it didn’t appear to be going anywhere in a hurry, we settled into a suitable location and began the waiting game. Given how the goat bedded, it was impossible to determine the size or sex of the animal, but something told me it had to be a billy. As the hours slowly ticked bye, Charlie and I discussed every option available once the goat decided to move. Because of the terrain, we concluded there were only two spots from where I could take a shot. We would likely lose him to the turbulent waters below if I were to shoot anywhere else. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
As we continued to wait patiently, my mind began to wander. My attention shifted toward enjoying the moment, no matter the outcome. My views and expectations as a hunter have evolved as I’ve gotten older. In my younger days, I spent much of my time focused solely on the results. Somewhere along the way, I realized that I couldn’t fully appreciate the process and all the little things that make each hunt special with that mindset. As I stared upon the canyon, something strange happened. For the first time in my life, it didn’t matter whether I harvested an animal or not. The moment I let go of all expectations, I experienced joy and appreciation on a level I had never felt before. I was living in the moment and enjoying every second of it. Then I felt compelled to capture the moment with a poem for no apparent reason. As I write these words upon this page Smelling scents of aspen and wild sage The river carves the rocks below Born from ice and melting snow Through a land unchanged since time began And not yet spoiled by the hands of man With white acrobats defying death The hunters wait with shallow breath I pinch myself, it’s not a dream I’m hunting goats on the mighty Stikine
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As I glanced up from my notebook and peered over the edge, the goat finally began to stir. After remaining relatively calm for over four hours, my heart began to race. At last, I could get a good look at it. Sure enough, it was a beautiful billy. One thing that immediately struck me was that his head looked disproportionately small relative to the rest of his body. Without hesitation, the goat immediately stood up and walked right where we hoped he wouldn’t. And seemingly out of my life forever. I stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do next. Playing Cat and Mouse Remember when I was saying that it didn’t seem all that important whether I harvested an animal or not for the first time in my life, that I was simply happy to be there and living in the moment? Well, the moment that big billy gave me the slip, all of those warm fuzzy feelings went out the window. In an instant, the switch flipped from grateful spectator to determined hunter. My predatory instincts immediately took over. Without saying so much as a word to Charlie, I chambered a round and began carefully stalking my way down to where the billy had disappeared. As each precarious step brought me closer, my heart began to race. The slope got progressively steeper until I reached a point where it dropped off a nearvertical cliff below me. Just as I grabbed a handful of bushes to lean out over the cliff, a whistle caught my ear from above. As I glanced back up the hill, I saw Charlie making the strangest hand 48
signals I had ever seen. He had his hands in front of his face in the shape of what I presumed to be binoculars and looked around like a lost European tourist. I couldn’t figure out what message he was trying to convey. Given my current predicament, I was a little bit annoyed. I motioned to him to give me a second by putting one finger up (no, not that finger) and then turned around to peer over the edge. Seeing nothing but certain death if I continued, I turned around to look back at Charlie, but he was gone. The interaction left me somewhat confused as I slowly worked my way back up the hill. Upon reaching the top and not seeing him, I wondered what was happening. Things were seemingly going from bad to worse. In only a few short minutes, not only had I lost an enormous mountain goat but my hunting partner as well. Not knowing what else to do, I started working my way back up the canyon in the direction the goat went. I assumed Charlie had gone that way, but after 15 solid minutes of walking, neither goat nor Charlie was around. The whole time I spent walking, I replayed the encounter repeatedly in my mind and wondered if there was anything I could have done differently to yield a different result. I couldn’t shake the sick feeling in the bottom of my stomach as I rounded the corner, only to see Charlie standing exactly where he was a half hour ago. This had better be good, I thought to myself as I covered the last 50 yards. “Where the heck did you go?” I asked, somewhat annoyed. He told me that while I had been stalking my way down toward the goat, he had gone in the
opposite direction to gain a different angle. From his new perspective, he could see that the goat had walked some distance below and bedded in a small cave at the base of a cliff. Charlie then returned to where we had been sitting to get my attention. I was unknowingly standing only 20 yards above the billy. When I motioned for Charlie to give me a second, he assumed I would continue down the hill and end up face-to-face with the trapped billy. “I thought it was going to be hilarious!” Charlie said. “You guys running into and scaring the crap out of one another. I ran back to my vantage point to get a frontrow seat for the show!” “So, you know where the goat is?” I asked. “Yeah, he’s right down over there,” Charlie replied nonchalantly. “So what you’re telling me is that this entire time I’ve been running around looking for you and the goat, you’ve known where he has been this entire time?” As Charlie nodded, I couldn’t decide whether to punch him as hard as I could or give him a big old hug. “So, what was with the binocular hand signals?” I asked. “You know, I was trying to tell you I had eyes on him,” Charlie said. Never in my life had I ever heard of such a thing! What hunting shows has this guy been watching? I thought to myself. I considered punching him again, but knew better as I would need him to help me pack the goat. “Let’s go get him’’ I said. As we began hiking, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Several hundred yards below was the unsuspecting billy bedded in a cave. As I looked in disbelief, I imagined what Charlie must have been thinking as I stood right on top of the giant goat. It definitely would have been something to see, had I been able to confront the billy under such incredible circumstances. Still to this day I have to laugh when I think about who would have been more surprised. After several minutes of carefully navigating our way down an adjacent ridge, I poked my head gingerly over the top for a look. My heart skipped a beat. Less than 200 yards away was the giant goat. After spending a couple of minutes WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
trying to get comfortable on the steep and uneven terrain, I told Charlie I was ready to shoot. “Are you going to wait for him to stand up?” Charlie asked. “Nope,” I replied. I wasn’t going to risk having him take off again. As soon as the crosshairs fell upon his snowywhite shoulder, I gently squeezed the trigger. The tranquility of the canyon was shattered with a thunderous roar. The second shot rang out from my rifle as I attempted to anchor him in the cave. Rocky Mountain goats can be incredibly tough to put down. Living in the most rugged and inhospitable terrain North America offers, goats have evolved to embody the essence of durability and resilience. Knowing this all too well and with the billy still struggling to leave the cave, I fired my final chambered round. With one last defiant act, the goat hurled himself from the cave and into the abyss below. Giving Thanks After several nerve-racking minutes, we approached the fallen monarch. It is difficult to explain the thoughts and feelings one experiences in such WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
a moment as they are often profound and paradoxical. While one can feel immense satisfaction and joy from accomplishing a seemingly impossible goal, it is often accompanied by sadness for having taken a life to do so. However, for myself, the feeling of remorse is fleeting as it is important to remember that we as humans are not separate from nature but rather an integral part of it. Within nature’s inherent complexity, a symbiotic relationship will always exist between life and death, hunter and prey. I placed my hands upon his beautiful white coat and thanked the billy for his life. It immediately became clear why the goat’s head appeared deceptively small just a short time ago. Upon his head sat the largest set of horns I had ever seen. They were disproportionately big, thus making his head appear small. Being a firm believer that it’s not the size of the horns that make a hunt memorable but rather the size of the experience, I felt incredibly blessed that both had turned out to be larger than life. When I set out on this hunt, I was convinced that I was only chasing goats. Despite being blessed with the largest
goat ever recorded, I realized I had found everything I sought before even pulling the trigger. I found adventure in one of the most intriguing places on earth. The opportunity to test myself against one of the most rugged landscapes in B.C. motivated me. The chance to live amongst and observe one of North America’s most rugged and iconic animals left me humbled. I will never forget being so grateful and reverent that I was inspired to write poetry during a hunt. I wouldn’t have wanted the experience to unfold any other way. Over the years, the hunts I’ve come to appreciate are the ones that constantly push me the hardest mentally and physically and rarely go according to plan. In my opinion, the best stories are those in which adversity is overcome, and one is forced to dig down deep to find a strength you never knew you had. This hunt had it all. Would it have been easier if the goat had presented me with a shot the first time we spotted him? Absolutely. Would it have made more sense if Charlie had just waved me back up the hill to explain what was going on? You’re darn right, but where’s the fun and adventure in that? 49
Thank you to our Monarchs for elevating us to new heights! Monarch Platinum: (30) Don Lynum (29) Erik Skaaning (96) Adam Foss
Monarch Gold: (1) David Heitsman (2) Frank Miles (151) Jordan Walker
Monarch Silver: (4) David Hale (52) Terry Earl (33) Oliver Busby (85) Casey Cawston (108) Barry “Bear” Brandow (43) Kyle Southgate (97) Melanie Stelter
Monarch:
(3) Barry Watson (13) Gray Thornton (18) Chase Oswald (22) Korey Green (28) John Woodcock (36) Rebecca Peters (42) Robin Routledge (48) Chris Wheeler (59) Ben Berukoff (65) Stu Rhodes (69) Darren Thomson (74) Craig Stolle (80) Jeff Jackson (88) Daniel Mclaren (92) Joey Prevost (99) Gabriel Krahn (103) Ben Stourac (107) Jonathan Viel (112) Andrea Mussfeld (116) Justin Bunce (120) Amanda Wannop (127) Denis Cabana (131) Brogan Vipond (135) Amberlee Ficoceillo (139) Ken Jyrkkanen (144) Lyle Wood (150) Jason Bellows
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(9) Omer Hrbinic (58) Nolan Wannop (145) Danielle Cabana
(12) John Davies (10) Daryll Hosker
(79) Tom Foss (94) Cameron Foss
(17) Malcolm Bachand (64) Ricky Roman (55) Chris Barker
(31) Bill Pastorek (6) Kyle Stelter
(24) Mike Southin (143) Travis Ormrod
(21) Jeff Glaicar (15) Chad Rattenbury (78) Trevor Querel (53) Benjamin Matthew (83) Jesse Wuerch (124) Bill Jacobsen (125) Robert Cook
(41) Steven Rochon (49) Adam Janke (8) Kevin Hurley (92) Joey Prevost (60) Greg Rensmaag (126) Trevor Nelson (148) Scott Clarke
(37) Peter Gutsche (45) Rob Englot (84) Jeffrey Brown (56) Anonymous (73) Nick Negrini (86) Greg Nalleweg (153) Greg Sawchuck
(5) Darryn Epp (50) Lawrence van der Peet (19) Rodney Zeeman (25) Kelly Cioffi (32) Nathan French (38) Justin Leung (44) Mike Kirk (51) Branden Adams (61) JT Hansen (66) Sabrina Larsen (70) Dean Bergen (75) Glen Watkins (81) Nolan Osborne (89) Russ Burmatoff (93) Don Willimont (100) Michael Surbey (104) Chuck Peeling (109) Don Stevenson (113) Ryan Jones (117) Marty Thomas (121) Chris Post (128) Thomas Madsen (132) Micah Pyde (136) Dean Ficoceillo (140) Wyatt Teskey (146) Jesse Bone (152) Kris Wrathall
(7) Waylon Vipond (14) Brad Moore (20) Josh Hamilton (26) Fred Vitali (34) Neil Armsworthy (39) Sean Davidson (46) David Pearse (54) David Heathfield (62) Jeff Agostinho (67) Magnus Mussfield (71) Glen Cartwright (76) Caelin Folsom (82) Steve Hamilton (90) Devon Stuart (95) Mark Gushattey (101) Kyle Noble (105) Kyle Burritt (110) Joe Eppele (114) Dale Hislop (118) Leighton Garfield (122) J. Alex Brucker (129) Liezel Armsworthy (133) Norm Earthy (137) Garland McAnerian (141) Markus Stelter (147) Tash Baycroft (153) This could be you!
(11) Ken Kitzman (16) Colin Peters (23) Foster Thorpe-Doubble (27) Carlos Dionisio (35) Stefan Bachmann (40) Rod Deighton (47) Frank Briglio (57) Clint Gill (63) Mike Tomlinson (68) Rhett Pedersen (72) Levi Reid (77) Jonathan Proctor (87) Darcy East (91) Tyler Sawicki (98) Arnold Zwiers (102) Alex Kairouz (106) Anthony Klubi (111) Michel Beaulieu (115) Jamie Bowe (119) Matthew Peschke (123) Chad St. Amand (130) Brian Scott (134) Jesey Hickling (138) Lorne Wood (142) Nicholas Stelter (149) Doug Skelly
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his summer my papa, Chris, my auntie Cassidy and I left for the ferry terminal. Our reservation was for 5:45 pm and we offloaded at about 8:20 pm. While we were waiting to offload we saw some seals by the rocks. It was so pretty; I’ve never seen seals at the ferry terminal. After we offloaded we were on our way to 100-mile House where we were going to stay at Papa’s friend Mike Southin’s house. At about 10:30 we stopped in Hope for gas, finally arriving at Mike Southin’s house. I was very tired, I slept the way up, and when we arrived I crawled into bed and passed out. We woke up at 8:00 am and left his house at around nine. Mike made us a very yummy breakfast, and Lani (Mike’s wife) made coffee and tea for us. Mike had so much dead stuff, I was jaw-dropped—he had a polar bear!—and probably over fifty dead animals all over his house. His log house was beautiful, so thank you again for hosting us. Now back on the road again, the next stop was Eureka Peak Lodge. The drive up there was breathtaking. We saw animals, beautiful homes, fields, lakes, and mountains. Fast forwarding about one hour, we started to go through the bumpy backroads, with no service. We saw Canim Lake, a momma deer and her two baby fawns, and eventually a sign for Tiny Tim Lake. After driving in the backroads for about an hour and a half, we saw Crooked Lake, then across the lake a beautiful lodge. Hooray, we made it! We saw the gorgeous ranch, but the horses were more beautiful. After talking with the Outfitter Stewart and Guide Jack for a bit, we had sandwiches, some cookies, water, and a rest break. We started to load the pack horses up, and we were all introduced to our horses. My horse Jasper was a beautiful caramel chocolatey brown colour. He was gorgeous. Once our pack horses WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
(Patch, Butch) were all packed and everyone was on their horse, we said goodbye to Stewart. After about two to three hours of horseback riding, we arrived in the alpine; it was so gorgeous. Going downhill was a bit nerve-racking, but it was fun. Our guide Jack was so awesome. He always would talk to us checking in on us. It was very hot for me, but mostly for the horses. We arrived at camp after riding for about 6 hours, had chilli for dinner, got the tents set up, then we put on the hobbles and bells on the horses. I also had some hot chocolate to keep warm. At night, we saw voles running around everywhere which was kind of creepy. Once I was off to bed, I passed out right away! We woke up at eight, had eggs, bacon, sausage and toast. I brushed the horses before the saddles were put on, and we also got snacks for the day. We left the pack horses behind; they were neighing a lot when we left!
Then we started our next adventure. Our big lunch spot was at this small cold lake, but no one was brave enough to go in. We had lunch and napped and then we were off to the airstrip. There was a square mark in the grass on the airstrip, which Jack said was a shed. There was also an airplane tire. This was the highlight of the trip as the view was beautiful. We looped back to camp, with having logged five hours of riding for the day. When we arrived back at camp, we removed the saddles, and completed the nightly routine. We had stew for dinner made by our chef Jack. My Auntie Cassidy and I found a little pool to rinse off which was cold but very refreshing. After dinner, we heard water splashing around in the pot we use to wash dishes, and a mouse got into the water and almost drowned. That evening, we all passed out very fast after a long day on the horses. We wanted to rest up for the busy day ahead. 53
We woke up on day three for the journey home starting off with French toast, eggs, bacon. We loaded up the pack horses and got our snacks ready and took down camp. We moved the table and some other items over to the little cabin where Jack stayed and we got to sign our names in the cabin. Once everything was packed and put away, we journeyed back to the ranch. We got to see a mountain goat, marmots, and many beautiful views. The most exciting part of the trip was reaching the highest elevation; we were at 10,000 feet. We had been riding for two hours when we reached that point and it was beautiful. On our way down we saw a seaplane; it was the outfitter, Stewart. We finally reached the part where we had to say goodbye to the Alpine. I was sad to leave, but I loved this trip so much and knew I would come back. After going downhill for about another two to three hours we reached the ranch. The three days went by so fast. We got off the horses, 54
unpacked the pack horses, and loaded our truck up with our stuff. Dreading this part, I hugged Jasper and said goodbye to him; he was the best horse. I’m so thankful for Jack, he was an amazing tour guide! We said goodbye to the other horses and of course Jack and Stewart. Overall this trip taught me to appreciate wildlife even more and take the time to just be in nature and not worry about what’s going on with my phone. It was just such a great experience overall, and I’m so excited for other people to get to experience the fun just like I got to. Editors note: Peyten’s Grandpa, WSSBC Vice President Chris Barker, purchased this trip at our 2023 Kamloops Convention live auction. We are grateful for this annual donation from Stuart Maitland and Eureka Peak Lodge and Outfitters and thankful to Peyten for the article. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
Members, send us your hunt story (~50 words plus a picture or two) to communications@wildsheepsociety.com. After seven years of elk hunting with my dad and many lessons learned, success arrived on opening morning of our elk hunt this season. You couldn’t dream up a better morning in the elk woods. This bull was the third bugling bull that day, with bugles sounding off from our first call. He came into 80 yards for a frontal shot walking up the trail. My dad and I congratulated each other. We worked 7 years and 1 day for this moment together. Then the work began to break him down and start the 6 km pack out. – Blake Peeling
A special tag in a special place. Not often a goat hunt can be considered a walk in the park. Having Dr. Ward with me supplied over-the-top positivity and no fear of heights. Time well spent getting vertical with the vertically challenged! – Cole Hank 56
East of the sun west of the moon, Kyrgyzstan, that was the destination. Chasing sheep and Ibex through the drifting snow of the Tian Shen mountains was happening. After a solid week on horseback and on foot, Kelsey managed to harvest a 9 year old 43inch Ibex billy and I was lucky enough to get a 50-inch Marco Polo with wide sweeping tips. I also was fortunate enough to take a 41-inch Ibex on the last day of the hunt. A perfect ending to a dream come true hunt. – Kyle Southgate
Middle of August 2023, left of the highway. 1st sheep hunt for Matt Peschke and 3rd sheep hunt for Devin Gassoff. Nasty 11 hour hike in. Rams spotted first morning but they spooked. Spent the next day finding them again. Two days watching and verifying age. A couple nights under the tarp soaking up the Northern BC adventure. One 680 yard shot with the Fierce CT Rogue 300prc on day five. Alternate route taken out that was shy on water, but heavy on brush. Come Out Heavy Podcast for the full story. – Matt Peschke WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
This year I decided I would really like to put in for a LEH for moose. I talked to my family and put in for a group draw with Papa and Uncle Ty. We had to wait a long time to get the results, but we were very lucky to be drawn for the LEH. It was hard waiting for the day to go out hunting. I was so excited when it opened, and we got to go out. We set out to go scouting, making our way to the high spot on the land to spot. We looked and waited for a bit. Then we decided to check another area, soon we made our way over to the next spot. We were on our way when Papa spotted a moose, it was a cow. Uncle was still looking, then he saw the bull. We jumped into action, to get set up. I thought I had my clip in my gun, didn’t get it in quite right so it fell, and the bullets shot out of the clip everywhere. My uncle helped me gather myself and get set up. I found the moose in my scope and readied myself. Then I took my shot. I hit it! We waited a bit and then uncle and Papa went to look and see if they could find the trail. When they came back to where I was, they
WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
asked where I thought I hit it and then told me I got him! We made our way over with our equipment. After taking a few pictures we started to process the moose. We called for reinforcements (the recovery crew Nana, Mom and my sister) to get him out of where he was and loaded into the truck, and then home. I am very thankful for my family helping me. helping guide and teach me about hunting and the outdoors. I am very grateful for my moose; it will help feed my family. – Wyatt Matson
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Brogan and I set out on a caribou hunt in mid-September as it looked like the writing was on the wall for GOS season to turn into a LEH system across the province. During the first couple of days, we had blown stalks and grizzlies in the area, and the wind was swirling, and we were just talking too loud. We were on a stalk about 700-800 yards away on the third day, and Brog got sick. I believe the 17km hike that day and not eating much caused this, so we returned to spike camp, hoping the bulls would be around in the morning. We woke up, and they were another 10 km away. So, we played cat and mouse with them for the next couple of days, never getting a second opportunity. On Day 5 or 6, we found a few bulls bedded down, and this was our chance, but we found that getting within a hundred yards was possible. Once
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we were within range, Brog made a couple of dandy shots to put him down. Then came the late-night pack out. Brog Packed the horns back to base camp 12 km away. Taking a kid is tough for the first few years on mountain hunts, but year after year, he improves greatly and will become an outstanding hunting partner. Things he learned on this trip are how to make correct cuts for taxidermy, how to turn the ears and salt capes, how to keep the fire going in the night and camp set up, and how much of the hunt is mental (failed stalks) Watching the wind, I let Brog make many decisions throughout the hunt and lead the way. All these skills need to be acquired to become a solid hunting partner. A recent follow up to this hunt was a trip for Mule Deer, where Brog again found success. – Waylon Vipond
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by Bill Pastorek
by Lindsey Stroud
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WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
y passion for hunting was ignited at the tender age of 10 when I experienced the thrill of taking my first buck with my dad, Don Kasner, and my brother, Jordan. My addiction to sheep hunting began the moment I took my first Rocky Mountain Bighorn at the age of 16. With my dad by my side, I harvested my first ram. In 2015, my life took an unexpected and terrifying turn when I experienced an anoxic brain injury. For a month I lay in a coma, leaving my family unsure if I would ever wake up. When I finally did wake up, the concern turned to if I would ever walk again, or even simply be the same me. Fueled by an unyielding determination to return to the mountains, I worked hard for months to regain use of my arms and legs. The following summer I triumphantly walked down the aisle to marry my best friend, Brody Stroud. The next couple of years my family hit the mountains hard in search of a legal bighorn, focusing on the Kootenay region of British Columbia. After many failed attempts, in 2020 Brody finally put it together on a legal Rocky Mountain Bighorn ram while hunting with my brother. I so badly wanted to be there that day. The following autumn I found myself in Northern BC on a fly-in Stone sheep hunt. We were in a spot that holds great sentimental value for our family—the site of my father’s last Stone sheep hunt with his dear friend Dale, who passed away shortly after the hunt. We put a stalk on a band of rams, and I took a legal one with my dad and brother at my side. Then came 2023. After drawing a Rocky Mountain Bighorn tag in the Kootenay region of British Columbia, I trained hard. And after numerous failed scouting attempts, I was amazed to spot a giant of a ram over two miles away through my binos on the day before the opening. We embarked right away on a three-hour trek up the mountain. My husband, brother, and I all spent a sleepless night huddled in a two-person tent. WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC
We hoped the grizzly that had made the ginormous tracks we had seen wouldn’t stop by for a visit. On September the 10th we began our final journey towards the mountain summit, after the magnificent animal we had seen the day before. Another three hours up and we began to traverse, across but still angling up the mountain. As we approached a patch of shrubbery my husband whispered, “There he is, but he’s got us pinned down.” Ever so slowly we slunk to the ground. The three of us waited patiently for well over an hour while the ram’s eyes never left us. We ranged him at 240 yards. Finally, he turned and began to feed away. We made our move. I crawled about 10 yards ahead, popped in my Spartan bipod, and steadied my rest. He took a few steps, quartering away to the right, and I took my shot with the .300 Win Mag. The
ram hunched, turned, and ran 50 yards towards us. He ended up behind a small tree, and all I could see was his head and horns. After a couple agonizing minutes, the ram turned again, took a few steps, and presented a completely broadside shot at 180 yards. I focused on my breathing. Good breath in, deep breath out. At the end of my exhale, I had a perfect rest. I gently squeezed the trigger and “WAP.” The sound of the impact echoed through the valley. I turned to Brody and whispered, “Did you hear that? I heard the hit!” The ram took a few more steps, reared back, and tumbled down the slide. The boys walked back to the treeline to grab their packs, and I headed down to the ram. He was face down, hidden in the foliage. It wasn’t until I stepped around that I realized I had actually gotten what I had been hoping for: a double61
broomed dark-horned ram. I stared at the ram in disbelief, amazed at the sheer mass of both the body and horns. When Brody and Jordan returned, they caught me with my hands on my head just staring at the ram. They started whopping and hollering once they had the same view I did. We took our time taking photos and enjoyed the moment. After processing the ram and making the long trek down the mountain we connected with my dad; he was anxiously awaiting our return. When he caught a good view of the ram, his hands went instantly to his head. Like father, like daughter. And what a great gift for my dad on his 64th birthday. I don’t think this book is long enough for me to list the names of everyone who helped me achieve my goal. Just know I thank you all so, so, so much. I would never have harvested this ram without you all. Authors note: The ram scored Net 195 6/8 B&C points. Horn lengths are 39 4/8 by 43 2/8 inches, with bases that go 16 1/8. This story is taken from the upcoming sheep hunting book, “Dream Rams of the North,” by Bill Pastorek – Expected for release in the Fall of 2024.
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WILD SHEEP SOCIETY OF BC