Washington Wild Sheep Foundation
Transcription
Washington Wild Sheep Foundation
SUMMER ISSUE June 2012 Washington Wild Sheep Foundation BOARD OF DI RECTORS SUBMISSIONS: The Wild Sheep Newsletter is published by the Washington Wild Sheep Foundation. Members, friends and committee chairmen are invited to submit stories, photos, comments and short articles. Address all newsletter correspondence to: Glen Landrus 2751 Scenic Hills Dr. Clarkston, WA 99403 509.758.7839 E-Mail: ramslam@hotmail.com Changes of address require 30 days notice. Information, articles and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Washington Wild Sheep Foundation or its officers. Officers: President Glen Landrus 2751 Scenic Hills Dr. Clarkston, WA 99403 H-509.758.7839 W-509.243.4151 ramslam@hotmail.com Vice-President Bryan Bailey 3121 St. Hwy 508 Onalaska, WA 98570 H-360.978.6048 W-360.496.5411 F-360.496.3373 starbaileyranch@aol.com Vice-President Andy Kelso PO Box 656 Graham, WA 98338 C-253.312.7347 ovis99@centurytel.net Secretary Ken Harris 221 NW 105th St. Seattle, WA 98177 H-206.706.7921 W-206.200.3611 muledeer338@comcast.net Treasurer Mike Vincent C-206.793.6363 mikevincent7@hotmail.com COMMITTEES Board Members: Craig Martin 744 Wolf Fork Rd. Dayton, WA 99328 H-509.382.4930 C-208.750.6433 lionhunter@bmi.net Clinton Harris 3905 403rd St E Eatonville, Wa. 98328 mandyrwest@hotmail.com Roy Reese 2501 S.E. 115th Court Jerry Tyrrell, Past President Vancouver, WA. 98664 C-503-329-9291 600 S 56th Place buckeyeroy@gmail.com Ridgefield, WA 98642 360.887.7400 Mark Torres jtyrrell@pacificdda.com riopino@comcast.net H-425.888.0932 Earl Landrus C-425.864.1887 1191 Lawrence Dr. Clarkston, WA 99403 Dennis Bagnell C-208.790.5220 206.650.8021 wash33806@yahoo.com Membership & Merchandise: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Group Projects: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Newsletter & Special Projects: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wildlife Projects: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Publicity: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Banquet: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Website: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HERD LIAISONS NC Herd NE Herd SE HERD 1 ON THE COVER: Photo by Shawn McCully www.shawnmccully.com 2 Bryan Bailey Ken Harris Jerry Tyrrell Craig Martin Bryan Bailey Andy Kelso Glen Landrus Sinlahekin, Mt. Hull, Vulcan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Steve Kline Lincoln Cliffs, Hall Mt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Steve Kline Hells Canyon, Asotin Ck., Mtn View, Black Butte, Joseph Ck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Glen Landrus SE HERD 2 Wenaha, Tucannon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Craig Martin S CENTRAL Quilomene, Selah, Cleman, Tieton, Umtanum . . . . . . . . . .Bryan Bailey N CENTRAL Swakane, Chelan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ken Harris FROM THE PRESIDENT By Glen Landrus No rest for the weary! It seems with the involvement with the Washington Wild Sheep Foundation there will be moments to sit back and catch your breath before the next event comes along. Not this year! The Washington WSF chapter is co-hosting the “Sheep Summit V” in the Hells Canyon area June 21-23. The purpose of the “Summit” is to get leaders from all wild sheep chapters and affiliates together to work on strategic planning, network and share ideas. Previous Summits have been held in Cody, WY, Edmonton and Denver. We are expecting approximately 80 folks from California to Pennsylvania and from Alaska to Texas. Tours at WSU, Jack O’Connor Center, and a jet boat trip up Hells Canyon will be the high lights of the weekend. The Summit is replacing the traditional summer “Tri-State” event this year; look for that event to return next summer. We had another successful banquet as part of the Seattle Sportsmen’s Convention in February. A big thanks to Ken, Andy, Mike, Dennis for leading us in this successful endeavor. We also had tremendous support from many other of our members in volunteering throughout the weekend. Thank you, thank you, thank you! As you will see later in this issue, your board of directors for the Washington Wild Sheep Foundation has decided to host our own banquet beginning in 2013. We had a great twelve year run with our SCI partners and without question the wildlife of Washington and many other places have benefited from the cooperative. We still look forward to supporting each other in funding conservation projects and joining forces whenever necessary. That being said, we will need even more help leading up to, during and after the March 19, 2013 at the Snoqualmie Casino in North Bend. The facilities are amazing, the location is more ideal and the price will hopefully make the one-day event more affordable for most of our members and guests while returning more money to wildlife conservation projects. Be sure to contact one of your board members at any time to get more involved. Check out the banquet promotional page for the exciting banquet announcements! Later in this newsletter you will find the article about the die-off in the Asotin herd. This is a devastating blow to a herd that had been the one positive in all of the Hells Canyon area. Spring surveys indicate about 30-40% of the herd is lost. Permit levels will be maintained in 2012 due to the survival of some rams across all age structures. Good luck to everyone with the special permit draws this summer. I hope you all draw the dream tag you’ve been waiting for! Yours in Conservation, Glen A. Landrus WA WSF President 3 2 0 1 1 M E M B E R S O N LY R A F F L E W I N N E R with my backpack and a bag full of books and assignments, all due by the end of September. The next hurdle was to find a legal ram and get close enough to harvest it with my bow. My conversation with the biologist revealed that there were two full curl rams that inhabited some private land adjoining the National Forest where I had seen the ewes and juvenile rams the month before. First stop was to get permission to access the canyon where these rams called home. The land was owned by a large corporation and much to my dismay, the ranch manager politely explained; “I could not let you hunt, even if you were the governor”. I thanked him and headed back to the area I had hunted previously. The remainder of the season did not produce any legal ram sightings and so ended the saga of my first Wyoming sheep tag. By the way, I did get my assignments completed by lantern light and handed them in on time. FULLFILLMENT OF A CHILDHOOD DREAM By Robert Kiser As a young boy, one movie that made a lasting impression and imbedded a lifelong affliction into me was; Gordon Eastman’s, “Challenging the Northwest Territory”. I remember watching the film as a young boy long ago, with a couple of my young friends at the Saturday matinée at our local movie theater. After absorbing every minute of the show to its conclusion, we left the theater vowing to each other that someday, we would be sheep hunters and hunt for all the sheep of North America. Of the three of us at the show that day, I guess I was the most bitten of all. Over the years of raising families and our work careers, interests and opportunities changed somewhat for my two friends, but not for me. I have always known that I was afflicted with the sheep hunter virus and never gave up on the quest that I began in 1977. The first eruption of this virus happened at the age of twenty. After applying for six years for a Wyoming Bighorn tag, I was successful in drawing a tag in my home state. The area I drew was close to home and I was going to get my first sheep with a bow, or so I thought. The archery season started and I was hunting out of a backpack for days at a time. The days were warm and clear, I was having the time of my life, spotting ewes and small rams on a daily basis. The end of August came too quickly, as I realized I would have to start classes at the University of Wyoming in a couple of days. I went back to town to attend class and talk with the local game biologist in order to get more information about the sheep in the area. School had taken a backseat to my obsession, as I talked with each of my professors about my dilemma. How was I going to get my bighorn ram if I had to sit in class every day? Luckily my professors understood as they too were hunters and outdoorsman and valued the scarcity and opportunity of such a tag. After three days of class, I was on my way back to the mountains 4 My father must have felt my pain; He was over 60 and knew that if we were going to enjoy a sheep hunt together it would have to happen in the near future. Two years after my unsuccessful Bighorn hunt, he booked Alaskan Dall Sheep hunts for us as an early college graduation present to me. We had a great hunt and both got rams. Phase I complete! This started me down the road that I could not stop on or turn off of. I was addicted to sheep hunting, with no job or money to support the habit. I completed college and got a job and began to stockpile my money. I looked at every cancellation hunt to be found for the next several years, still not enough funding in my stockpile. I met my future wife, Mary about the same time several other things happened. Lloyd Zeman with Safari Outfitters contacted me regarding my interest in a Stone sheep cancelation hunt for half price and I had enough in my stockpile to pay for it! First issue; How to explain this to Mary and the hunt started in two weeks, which would only work if I could get her approval and get off work for two weeks on short notice. Long story short, Mary was very understanding, loved hunting and the outdoors and readily approved. I also got the vacation time approved and was soon on the second leg of my quest. I had a great hunt in British Columbia and took home a nice ram. Phase II complete! The next twenty five years priorities and money went to raising a family and starting a business. I still applied religiously in my home state building points to hopefully have another chance for a Wyoming ram. In 2009, I got that chance and made the most of it with a nice ram and a great hunt with John Porter of Morning Creek Outfitters in Cody Wyoming. Phase III complete! Pursuit of the completion of phase IV, Desert sheep, seemed like one of the most difficult to achieve yet. With miniscule draw odds, high tag prices, Mexican hunts costing more than I paid for my first house, the odds seemed almost insurmountable and the dream maybe not in my cards. My thirty five year quest culminated in a successful Desert sheep hunt with El Fuerte Outfitters on March 7, 2012. The evening of February 19, 2011, Mary and I came home from dinner and she checked our phone messages. I had set down to watch the Outdoor Channel, when she came into the room and asked if I knew a Glen Landrus and was expecting a call from him. My first words were; are you kidding me? With total amazement I had a message from Mr. Glen Landrus at the Washington Wild Sheep Foundation Banquet. I promptly returned the call and was speechless when he asked if I was ready to go on a Desert Sheep hunt with El Fuerte Outfitters. I was overwhelmed; I had just won the Washington Wild Sheep Foundation Members Only Raffle for a Desert Sheep hunt. Once the shock passed, I realized that the first step in completing my journey had just begun. I had enough luck to beat the odds, but I had a feeling that I should stay away from any lightning storms between now and the hunt! Dall Sheep - 1977 Having never been to Mexico, I started reading other Desert sheep hunt reports and articles in the different magazines as well as gathering the necessary clothing and gear. The year long wait was excruciating, but the day finally arrived when my son and I found ourselves in the Del Cabo airport, face to face with Ty Miller of El Fuerte Outfitters. After clearing my rifle with the military personnel at the airport, we were on our way to La Paz. We arrived that evening at the Villaggio Turistico Mar De Cortez, a very clean hotel about ten minutes north of La Paz. There we met Kiki, Sergio and Oliverio, our guides who would take us into the El Mechudo Mountains of Baja California Sur. At six a.m., the next morning we were underway and stopped to check the zero of my rifle. We drove further north along the Sea of Cortez and turned west into a large arroyo. We proceeded several miles to the end of the primitive road and parked the truck in the sandy wash. The plan was to stay out for three days, so we prepared our packs for a three day spike camp. After walking several miles up the sandy bottom of the arroyo, we turned south and headed up the steep rocky terrain to the first of several plateaus. The landscape was very dry and desolate and had not seen any precipitation in over two years. The guides indicated that the sheep were scattered and the rams might be difficult to locate because of the parched conditions. Looking over the vast desert terrain, all I saw was literally thousands of steep nooks and crannies for the sheep to hide in and could only imagine the hours of glassing it would take to find a sheep. Our first stop to glass the vast terrain, overlooked many small ridges that dropped into the multiple drainages feeding into the main arroyo we had just hiked through. After about ten minutes, Kiki spotted a sheep dropping off a ridge top several thousand yards away. We quickly Bighorn Ram - 2009 picked up our gear and headed toward the ridge where the sheep had disappeared. Making our way carefully through the brush and cactus we finally reached a saddle that opened up into several more drainages. Across the canyon one ridge away, a full curl ram was bedded looking down the drainage. He was slightly uphill and 417 yards away. We talked about taking a shot from this position, but the wind was difficult to judge with no grass or foliage to gauge the direction and speed of the wind at the ram’s location. I opted to move for a closer shot, which involved backing out of our current spot, moving around the end of the ridge we were on, down a small canyon, back up the draw below our first position and climb to the top of the ridge between us and the ram. After relocating to the closer ridge, I was 205 yards away and below the ram. I found a good rest, controlled my breathing and squeezed off the shot of my lifetime. The ram was down and Phase IV was complete! As I sat next to my ram, gazing over the canyons and ridges of the vast desert terrain, I felt very fortunate to have found a ram so quickly, not to mention winning the hunt in the first place! In closing, I would like to thank Ty, Kiki, Sergio, Oliverio and the rest of the crew at El Fuerte Outfitters, especially the Washington Wild Sheep Foundation and all the organizations that provide raffle opportunities for those hunters that need a Desert sheep and might not have the financial ability to accomplish their goals. 5 R A N G E -W I D E B I G H O R N S H E E P T H R E AT bighorn sheep conservation and restoration efforts in the western U.S. Wildlife-related outdoor recreation is an important economic sector for many western states; bighorn sheep are an important component of this economic sector. Annually, hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent on wild sheep hunting and viewing opportunities, bringing significant revenue to many western communities from hunters, wild sheep enthusiasts, photographers, and tourists. Wild Sheep Advocates Working to Block Domestic Grazing Rider Bill May 17, 2012 To: All Wild Sheep Foundation Chapters and Affiliates From: Gray N. Thornton, President/CEO & Jack Atcheson, Jr., Chair, Wild Sheep Foundation In summer/fall 2011, U.S. Representative and House Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Sub-Committee Chairman Mike Simpson (R-ID) successfully included a rider (Section 431) in the FY2012 Appropriations Act (H.R. 2584) to prevent the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management from making and implementing any new regulation or land use decisions which would reduce or change the distribution of current domestic sheep numbers on public land grazing allotments, to protect bighorn sheep. Without specifically mentioning the Payette National Forest’s July 2010 Record of Decision (ROD) on domestic sheep grazing, this Simpson rider prevents further implementation of that duly-rendered ROD, following a ~7-year, comprehensive NEPA analysis that called for strategies to avoid and minimize potential bighorn/domestic sheep interaction on public land grazing allotments (primarily the Salmon River drainage in Idaho). Initially designed to address a specific situation affecting Idaho/Oregon/Washington, this rider now has adverse effects and ramifications on bighorn sheep management, west-wide. Originally pursued as a 5-year moratorium on USFS/BLM land use decisions, the FY12 Section 431 rider was reduced to one year’s longevity. Given the Congressional record on federal government budgeting, it is likely that attempts to attach this appropriations rider to a “Continuing Resolution” in fall 2012 will again be made, perhaps indefinitely prolonging the negative implications of this rider on bighorn/domestic sheep pro-active management. Again, this rider is no longer just an Idaho issue, it is one that now affects bighorn sheep, range-wide! • The Payette National Forest’s 7-year long process for reaching its ROD was thorough, transparent, technically sound, and utilized the best and most comprehensive scientific analysis ever compiled on bighorn sheep-domestic sheep interaction/conflicts. A database of more than 50,000 bighorn sheep telemetry locations was used in landscape-scale habitat selection analyses and disease transmission risk assessments developed by the U.S. Forest Service and collaborator. • Wildlife management via this legislative rider is driven by this onesize-fits-all, “top down” mandate for an issue that calls for, and requires, locally-derived solutions. We do not support policy and law from the federal government that prevents citizenry from helping develop and implement local solutions to local problems (see attached Wild Sheep Foundation 1-page policy and 3-page supporting statement on Domestic Sheep/Bighorn Sheep for details). Ramifications of this Congressional rider nullify any hope of resolving localized issues between bighorn and domestic sheep, and are counter-productive to long-term, meaningful solutions. Any incentive to collaborate and participate in a public process to resolve or mitigate these or future issues has effectively been removed by this rider. There are several primary misnomers and much misinformation used to justify this rider: G Legislative talking points for the FY12 Section 431 Appropriations Rider • Legislating wildlife management via Congressional riders, thereby nullifying duly-rendered federal land-management agency decisions that protect wildlife habitats (including for bighorn sheep), is not appropriate. This rider wrongly supersedes federal land management agency decisions which were based on sound science and existing federal law and regulation. Furthermore, this legislative rider ignores and repudiates citizen involvement and public engagement in the NEPA process, as required by law and encouraged in practice. • The Simpson FY12 domestic sheep rider was an inappropriate way to address socially, biologically, and economically complicated management decisions, and negates the time and effort made by the public and agency personnel who were committed to legitimate comprehensive analyses and open decision-making processes on our nation’s public lands. • Millions of private and public dollars have been raised and spent on 6 G G G Misnomer: Contact between bighorn and domestic sheep does not result in dead bighorns. H Fact: Over the past 35 years, there has been a growing body of peer-reviewed, published data and literature that repeatedly demonstrates, in some cases irrefutably, that contact between domestic and wild sheep results in disease transmission and subsequent bighorn sheep mortality. Misnomer: There are no demonstrated or proven field situations involving bighorn die-offs as a result of contact with domestic sheep. H Fact: There are numerous well-documented captive and field situations where bighorn die-offs have occurred following contact with domestic sheep and/or goats. Misnomer: Bighorn sheep will develop natural immunity to disease pathogens within a few generations of exposure to bacterial agents carried by domestic sheep and/or goats. H Fact: Bighorn populations, after experiencing disease related dieoffs, do not exhibit increased survival rates. Misnomer: A bighorn sheep cure-all vaccine is imminent. H Fact: According to the lead scientist researching this possibility, if ever developed, and if practicable to deliver, a vaccine ready to be used for field application is at least 10-15 years in the future. out. Spatial and temporal separation of domestic from wild sheep is the best strategy we currently have now to prevent disease transmission. G Misnomer: Best Management Practices (BMP’s) are effective to avoid domestic/bighorn interaction and subsequent disease transmission. H Fact: At present, BMPs have not been rigorously tested, either in captivity or on-the-range, to demonstrate their efficacy in reducing interaction and subsequent disease transmission. When used, the U.S. Forest Service, BLM, and others have found that BMPs have largely failed to eliminate interaction between bighorn/domestics; bighorn sheep losses have occurred despite attempted BMPs. Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) Alaska WSF WSF – Alberta Chapter California WSF Eastern Chapter WSF Idaho WSF Iowa Foundation for N.A. WS Montana WSF WSF – Midwest Chapter New Mexico WSF Oregon Foundation for N.A. WS Utah Foundation for N.A. WS Washington WSF Wyoming WSF Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society Elko Bighorns Unlimited Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn Nevada Bighorns Unlimited Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep Texas Bighorn Society Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia It is the recommendation and request of the Wild Sheep Foundation and its Chapters and Affiliates that wild sheep conservationists actively oppose any attempt to renew the Section 431 FY12 Appropriations Act Simpson rider. Furthermore, we recommend against any new replacement or modification language which continues to adversely affect management of bighorn sheep and their habitats, by undermining scientifically-sound land use decisions or circumventing legitimate, lawful citizen involvement in land use planning processes for public lands. We urge your support for consistent, technically-sound NEPA analyses including public participation in land use/natural resource management planning. Please make your feelings known to your respective Congressional delegations, and please share this message with your membership or others who may have an interest in this issue. www.fethastyx.com Todd Daniels of Tall Tails Guide services is here to offer you premier and fair chase outdoor fishing adventures in The Great Pacific Northwest. Todd has over 30 years of on the water experience! Fishing only the finest waters Washington State has to offer, using top quality gear, boats and transportation… you’ll be fishing in first class! Todd is a custom outfitter and is always willing to accommodate to your specific needs. Fishing in groups of 5 or less to keep your trip personal and memorable. Expect a full eight hours on the water, or until the daily limit is achieved. Bring along a fishing license, a lunch, the proper attire, and a smile . . . he will do the rest. TODD DANIELS - 206.437.8766 7 D I S T R I C T 7 B I G H O R N S H E E P OV E RV I EW The data returning indicates that the rams are using ranges typical for the herd and their age class at this time of year. Data comes to us via an email every other day or so, and collars should keep transmitting for two years. Each collar is equipped with a remote drop off function, so the collars will release at a predetermined date and start transmitting a mortality signal. At that point we will recover the collars and download the entire data set. Herd Status As mentioned above, these are good times for sheep in District 7. All the herds are healthy and productive, and as I write this, new lambs are on the ground for 2012. We will be doing spring lambing counts in May and June which will give us another point of data to assess the status of the population. The Swakne herd has proven to be consistent over the past 5 years in its production and, post fence construction, its mortality rates. The fence has curtailed the huge number of vehicle collisions we experienced a few years ago and we fully expect to regain the ram composition we had. In fact, we expect this year to be a banner year for the ram composition given some of the counts we have gotten this winter. By David Volsen District Wildlife Biologist, Wenatchee Swakane Capture 2012 Bighorn sheep herds in Washington’s Wenatchee District are in great shape, as robust a population as we have seen since their introductions into the Swakane, North Shore and Chelan Butte ranges. One issue we track in an effort ensure the population’s stability is potential interaction with domestic sheep and goats in the district. Work across the west has shown that wild sheep will often seek out domestics when they share the landscape. Young rams are often the culprits, going on forays that sometimes end with them mingling with domestic stock. Knowing the range, distance and frequency of these forays helps us define the security of a herd and our management actions to maintain their health, and there is no better tool to do this than the GPS collar. On 2 March 2012, we worked with Leading Edge Helicopters of Lewiston to deploy GPS collars on five young bighorn rams within the Swakane herd. The capture crew was involved in a number of projects in Central Washington during the week, and with a little coordination, we pulled of the collaring effort that lasted roughly one hour. The capture was handled in a slightly different manner than usual, with the helicopter crew deploying the collars for us without transport of the animals. This allowed us to keep costs down and get collars deployed without the potential for additional stress on the animal. Biological samples were taken on each animal and sent for evaluation. Five young (roughly 1/2 curl) rams were collared between Wenatchee and slightly north of the Swakane. Four (4) of the collars were ARGOS collars and one a downloadable GPS collar. Of the five collars, one seems to be somewhat intermittent in its output. The collars were programmed to report 5-6 locations per day; however, the one collar only seems to be returning 1 or 2 locations per day. Transmission rates are often spotty with collars; however, when the collar is retrieved it will often have stored data that did not get transmitted. 8 The Chelan Butte herd is for all purposes, a success. Numbers are up, ram numbers are up and there is every indication that the herd is exploring new habitats both to the north and to the south of the Butte. We continually find sheep in new areas, are seeing signs of movement between subareas. These indicators point to an increasing herd, and the potential for the expansion of the population in and around Chelan Butte; good news for the future. With good news there is always some bad. Over the years our enforcement officers have tracked problems with domestic dogs running sheep on the Butte. They have been successful in stopping some problems in the past, but this year we had a mortality that officers feel was the direct result of domestic dogs. A mature ram had to be euthanized after being harassed by dogs, falling from a cliff face and breaking a leg. Local residents are on the lookout for problems and officers are keeping close track of sheep in the area. The Manson herd along the north shore of Lake Chelan continues to be the hardest herd to manage. The remote nature of the area and the difficulty in getting good location data from the ground and from the lake give us the narrowest picture of a population in general. The data we do get indicates that the potential for robust herd is there and we are building a better under standing how sheep interact with that landscape. We hope to get more flight monies in the future to try to pin down a better population estimate and picture of its composition. On another positive note, we are offering a mountain goat tag on the south shore of Lake Chelan this fall. This should be a quality hunt that offers a great opportunity to experience some of the best county Washington has to offer. I look forward to hearing the stories coming out of this unit over time. Custom Carbon and Stainless Steel Rifles Idaho Afloat offers one-day and multi-day whitewater adventure vacations in Idaho and Montana. A whitewater trip is an excellent way to experience the great outdoors and reconnect with those most important to you. Idaho Afloat provides everything that you will need to make your river trip the vacation of a lifetime. Without the normal distractions of everyday life you’ll leave the river rejuvenated and reconnected. Idaho Afloat offers something for all ages and interests, and they would love to help you decide which trip would be best suited to you and your fellow travelers. For more information on Idaho Afloat vacations visit www.idahoafloat.com or email info@idahoafloat.com or call 800-700-2414. Accurate Arms Rifles Company was founded some 25 years ago, to set out to provide sportsmen and sportswomen an elite custom rifle built on traditonal concept of reliablity, accuracy and impecable craftsmenship. www.accuratearmsva.com WEB ONLY SPECIAL Check Out These Books As Well! "Blacktail Legends of the Pacific Northwest" WEB ONLY SPECIAL The Fourth Edition of the "Record Book for Oregon's Big Game Animals" The Second Edition of the "Record Book for Washington's Big Game Animals" SOLD OUT The First Edition of the "Record Book for Idaho's Big Game Animals" www.nwbiggame.com 9 T H E G R E AT W I L D E B E E S T E X P E R I E N C E parents and the trackers caught up with us and we let the trackers do what they do best. I can’t believe how amazing those guys are at finding traces of the animal. This Wildebeest was determined to get away from us, he laid down a few times but got spooked every time we got close. We played the video back and we decided that I didn’t make a great shot, I hit him a bit low in the shoulder, not hitting any vitals. It was beginning to turn dark so we decided we would leave him until the morning. I was so disappointed in myself that I didn’t make the shot and that we couldn’t find him. I’m glad that my dad was there to tell me, “If hunting was easy everybody would do it.” By Katie Tyrrell I honestly don’t know where to begin. Two years ago my dad asked me if I wanted to go to Africa on a hunt. My obvious response was, “heck yes”! So the planning started and we booked our hunt. We booked our hunt with Guy Whittall of Roger Whittall Safari’s in Zimbabwe for June 2011. The first year after we booked the hunt I was excited, but it didn’t really sink in that I would be flying around the world to go hunting. The year leading up to the hunt was filled with target practice, loading bullets, and studying shot placement. It seemed like every week my dad would ask me if I had been studying my shot placements and quizzing. I felt like I was ready and couldn’t wait to go. While I was on my trip I kept a journal. As much as I would like to publish all of it, it might take up the entire magazine! I was very fortunate to have hunted many different plains game, but I would like to tell you the story of my Wildebeest. About a week into our three week adventure, we came upon a herd of Wildebeest. Guy (our PH) spotted one in the group that look like a shooter, so we decided to sneak up on them to try to get a shot. We walked very slowly and stayed behind bushes, it is very hard to sneak up on 100+ animals! Once we got to about 200 yards, Guy and I crawled to about 150 yards. The Wildebeest that I would take was standing on his own looking at us. Guy set up the sticks and I prepared to shoot. I saw his shoulder and decided to aim at that spot. I touched off my 7mm and looked back into my scope to see all the Wildebeest running wild. Guy and I hot footed after the herd and he thought that he saw my Wildebeest lay down behind a bush, so we went to take a closer look. As we came up closer he took off running and Guy and I were once again in hot pursuit following his tracks. We finally saw blood and I was able to take a breath. My 10 The next morning we started out at dawn to find the Wildebeest. Somehow we started off right where we left off the night before, like I said before, these guys are amazing at what they do! They were able to find his tracks again so we followed them. We followed them to the spot where the Wildebeest bedded at some point. We also found evidence that he was spooked and ran back the way he came. So, we followed his tracks over the tracks we followed in. There was no blood and the tracks were getting harder to follow. We ended up in a Mopane forest where it was a bit more open. Unfortunately, the Wildebeest met up with his herd and we lost his tracks. This was the first time that I wasn’t able to make the shot and bring the animal down. I was so upset and my confidence was shaken. Once we got back to the truck, Guy had me take a few practice shots to get my confidence back up. I was right on, that made me feel better. I learned an extremely valuable lesson on this hunt. Shot placement is everything, no matter how much you practice shooting at a target, it will never be the same as shooting in real life. We never did find that Wildebeest and there was never any Vulture activity in that area. I can only hope that it wasn’t a fatal wound and that he survived. Now you might be thinking, “Why would she write about a nonsuccessful hunt?” I wanted to write about that because I ended up taking the lessons I learned and applied them to a successful Wildebeest hunt a week later and boy was it fun! The day before we were to leave Humani to go to another camp, we hunted with another PH because Guy went to get the next camp ready. We were looking for Zebra and possibly a big Impala. My dad and I were sitting on the back of the truck talking about the missed Wildebeest. He asked if I would like to try for another one if we saw a big one. Just as I was saying yes, Gareth (our PH for the day) slammed on the brakes. There was a great looking Wildebeest off in the distance. We checked it out and decided to go for it. We crawled up to about 200 yards and set up. Gareth had me sit down and use the sticks to get steady. The Wildebeest was slowly walking to my right but stopped and gave me what I though was a great shot. I touched off my 7mm and saw the Wildebeest go running. I knew I hit him good and was excited that I made up for my bad shot. We all took off to find any sign of blood or tracks. Gareth and his tracker had to find the tracks and follow them about 200 yards before they finally found blood. Another sigh of relief, but it was a deja-vu moment from the last hunt. We followed the tracks and blood into the bushes. We saw where he laid down a few times, but we could never get a glimpse of him. There was a good blood trail, but the blood was full of fat. Gareth thought I must have hit him in the brisket area. After about an hour of following the Wildebeest, we decided to grab some water and let my dad and Gareth get there big guns. The Wildebeest went into some thick brush and we didn’t feel that my 7mm would be adequate if we came across any large animals. After chugging some water and sitting in the shade, it was time to get going. We followed the tracks (even I could follow these since the right back hoof was splayed open) until we found where he had bedded down not more than 1,000 yards from where we were taking our break! There was still plenty of blood but his tracks showed that he was running off and on. We made our way out to a small clearing and I spotted the Wildebeest about 150 yards away. Gareth had the open shot, so he took two shots with his 458 Lott. We weren’t sure that he hit it because the Wildebeest was in the brush and running away. We ran towards where it was and found a fresh spray of blood and a chunk of bone. We thought for sure that we would find the Wildebeest not far from there, boy were we wrong! It was easy to track now, there was blood on the ground and on the bushes as we passed. The splayed hoof print also made it easy when the blood wasn’t there. We spotted the Wildebeest a few times, but couldn’t get close! At that point Gareth started to run towards where we though the Wildebeest would go. Now Gareth is over 6 feet tall and I am about 5’3”, but I was determined to keep up! Again we go to a clearing and had a glimpse of the animal. This time it was dad’s turn to get into the action. He was using his 375 HH to take a good off hand shot at the backside of the animal. The Wildebeest was STILL running! At that point I looked back at my mom who was running to keep up, I was so proud! I had to forget about her though, I had to get this animal down! So I took off with Gareth and has tracker. I don’t know that I have ever had that much adrenaline, but I’m glad I did! Finally we caught up to the Wildebeest and this time it was my turn. He stopped about 100 yards in front of us and I took an off-hand shot. Now, I hadn’t practiced much at off-hand shooting, so it was a struggle. It appeared I hit him, but he still was upright! He walked behind a tree so only his head was showing. I found a tree to rest on and zeroed in on his jaw, the only shot I had. After I touched off my 7mm, I looked up in time to see the great Wildebeest finally drop to the ground. I was dripping with sweat and shaking with shear adrenaline. My mom and dad made it up to us and asked if I finally got it. My mom said, “Man, that sounded like a Western Movie!” We walked up to the great beast who had ridden his adrenaline as far as he could. I’m not sure how many times we actually hit him, but my final shot broke his jaw and neck. My first shot was placed just right, if he was broad side. When we looked back at the video, he was actual quartering away a bit. Again, I learned a good lesson in shot placement. We studied hime for a bit and took many pictures and videos and then it was done. I have so much respect for these great plains game of Africa. This was by far the most challenging hunt I have ever been on. I got to take more shots here then I will at home in 10 years. There is nothing better than real life practice to make you a better hunter. I would like to thank a few special people that made this hunt possible. First my dad Jerry. Without him I would never have this great experience, and more importantly, I wouldn’t have the knowledge of how important hunting is to wildlife conservation. Second, I would like to thank my mom Kathleen for experiencing this great hunt with us, you are the best. Last but not least, I would like to thank Guy Whittal and the staff of Roger Whittall Safari’s for this amazing experience. Humani ranch is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The people there are one of a kind and I hope that I get the opportunity to go back someday. If you would like a copy of my journal from my 18 day hunt, please email me at katie_tyrrell@hotmail.com. For more information about Roger Whittall Safari’s go to: www.safarisafricazimbabwe.com/index.php 11 LIFE MEMBERS Alan Day Alden Johnson Alfredo Julian Allen Shearer Andrea Blume Andrew Reese Andy Kelso Andy Shearer Bill Latimer Bill Shields Bob Aynes Bob Manger Brad Crocco Brad Morlock Brent Naylor Brenton Scott Bruce Moe Bruce Moe Bryan Bailey Bryan Flintoff Butch Kuflak Carl McCrary Chad Martin Chip McBroom Chris Culbertson Chris Kneeland Clint Harris Curt Blakeway Cynthia Newman Dale Koch Daniel Eck Dave Balmelli Dave Nelson Del Carter Dennis Bagnell Dennis Dunn Dick Larson Don Winters Doug Argo Doug Eck Dustin Olson Earl Landrus Eric Jenson Erik Potter Gary Babcock George Vincent Glen Eaton Glen Landrus Harold Coleman Harry Waterman James Michael Reese James Silver Jason McKenzie Jay Naccarato Jeff Baier Jeff Corigliano Jeff Knapp Jeff Siems Jeremy Martin Jerry Martin Jerry Tyrrell Jim Fink Jim Hall Jim Peterson Jim Young Jody Miller Joe Hill Joel Balmelli John Amistoso John Hobbs John McGregor Jon Taylor Joseph Dale Koth Joseph Mills Joshua Prouty Karen Eaton Katie Blume Kay Eck Kelly Davis Ken Harris Kurt Kobus Larry Jacobs Larry Sides Lee Anderson Leroy Thomsen Louis Lincoln Mark Sprengel Mark Torres Mary Eck Mary Hunt Matt Bell Matt Yancey Matthew Mitchell Maynard Mallonee Mervin Vincent Michael Hill Mike Carpinito Mike Hill Mike Holden Mike Schanbacher Mike Smith Mike Vincent Mitch Morgan Mychal Murray Nathan Weis Patrick Zummo Paul Blume Pete Seda Ralph McClintock Randy Clark Randy Pittman Randy Rauschmier Ray Hecox Ray Reser Rick Gilcrist Rick Harness Rick Parker Rob Smith Robert Thorndike Robert Visnaw Rocky Crate Roger Clouse Ronald Moon Roy Reese Rudy Gasser Rusty Hunt Ryan Kolodejchuk S. Crismore Jr. Sam Wilkins Scott Ellis Shad Wheeler Steve Kline Steve Stewart Tammy Bailey Taylor Blume Ted Mellotte Terry Hunt Tim Argo Tim Fallon Todd Thorndike Todd Walton Troy Vest Tyron Zumach Vern Dollar Wade Winder Wayne Plocharsky William Garroutte Willis Eck Wilton Davis III Is your name missing from this list? E-mail us at washingtonwsf@gmail.com BAN Q U ET R EVI EW 2012 By Ken Harris We had another fun and successful fundraiser February 17-18 at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. Every year it is nice to get together with our Members and friends to support these essential causes that mean so much to us all. Also, getting to catch up, telling stories from the past season, and camaraderie are something we all look forward to. It is really nice to see all of you and we hope everyone had a great time. Pulling off a successful event is difficult. The planning and coordination is tedious work which requires an all year commitment from many people. Of course, the outcome is always rewarding, and getting to work with such quality people is not only a learning experience, but a privilege. This year we had involvement from many of our Members that helped tremendously! There are so many areas that need to be covered and that support was much appreciated. For fear of leaving someone out I won’t name all of the names, but I want to express a personal “thank you” to all of you who helped. Really… I mean it! So remember, we can always use more help getting donations, organizing, or supporting the many working positions during the event. Consider contributing? It is rewarding and enjoyable! This past Seattle Sportsmen’s Convention marked the 12th year we 12 have partnered with the Seattle Sportsmen’s Conservation Foundation (SSCF) and the Seattle Puget Sound Chapter of SCI. It has been the largest wildlife conservation fundraiser in Washington for a long time. This partnership was invaluable for setting a standard in wildlife fundraising and for achieving our goals. I would be remiss if I did not recognize the contribution of our partners and express our appreciation. We made some great friendships that will continue forever. Thank you. But, like all good things… they come to an end. Our Membership has expressed a desire to have our own exclusive banquet for quite awhile. We have spent much time considering this and decided to go back to having our own Washington Wild Sheep Foundation banquet in 2013. (Read more about this in the President’s message). We have a unique group, and feel now is the time to reorganize our fundraising efforts. This emphasis will help focus our unique brand and hopefully energize our membership moving forward into the future. Thank you again for all of your help. I’m excited for next year and look forward to seeing all of you at our banquet in March. It will be the best yet! ASOTI N H ERD Pneumonia Claiming Asotin Creek Bighorns What had been a remarkably healthy herd of bighorn sheep is suffering from a disease that has plagued other herds in the Hells Canyon region since the late 1990s. Members of the Asotin Creek herd, which numbered more than 100 animals late last year, are now dying of pneumonia. "We are already down 30 to 40 percent," said Paul Wik, district wildlife biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at Clarkston. "We think the mortality has the possibility of continuing through the fall, and we may see it continue through the next rut when they have so much contact. We are predicting lamb survival will be quite low this summer." Pneumonia swept through many bighorn herds in the greater Hells Canyon area in 1995 and 1996. Wildlife biologists and researchers believe the outbreak was triggered when domestic sheep or goats carrying the disease came in contact with wild sheep. Since the initial outbreak, and resulting all-age die off, the affected herds have continued to be plagued by lingering illness and poor lamb survival. Researchers at Washington State University are testing dead sheep from the herd. The disease was found in three dead ewes wearing radio collars and in one ewe killed by a cougar. One dead ewe tested negative for the disease. Wik said the department is intensively monitoring the herd but has no plans at this time to take other actions. In November, five sheep from the Asotin herd were captured and taken to WSU for research. All of them tested negative for the disease. Because of herd's health, some animals were periodically trapped and used by researchers trying to learn more about the disease. The Asotin herd has been subjected to highly managed hunting. Wik said it is possible a two-tag hunt previously planned for this fall will continue. "Based on our survey data we still have adequate number for a very limited harvest," he said. Despite its close proximity to sick herds, as well as the outskirts of Asotin and Clarkston where some residents keep domestic sheep and goats, the Asotin herd represented an island of good health. That changed in January when sheep began to die. Wik said it appears the disease may have been imported from a wandering ram belonging to the Black Butte herd that lives near the mouth of the Grand Ronde River. That herd previously suffered from the disease and the same strain of bacteria was found in dead sheep from the Asotin herd. "It seems logical that would be the source of the outbreak but we are not able to say that at this time," Wik said. Ewes from the Asotin herd with severe "sore mouth" virus. Deadly pneumonia has also been documented. BANQUET DONOR “FOR A FAIR CHASE HUNT BOOK WITH BREDESON GUIDING & OUTFITTING” ELK * MOOSE * BLACK BEAR * WOLF & COYOTE HUNTS CONDUCTED IN WMU 356: WAPITI, BIG SMOKY RIVER & WMU 355: HEADWATERS OF RED ROCK CREEK & CUTBACK RIVER (non baiting) SPOT & STALK RR#1,Site 1, Box 11, Stn. Main Member of: Grande Prairie, Alberta Canada T8V 2Z8 THE ALBERTA PROFESSIONAL OUTFITTERS ASSOCIATION PHONE: 780-538-4251 FAX: 780-538-4231 & THE ALBERTA TRAPPERS ASSOCIATION EMAIL: bredeson@xplornet.com LICENSED, BONDED, INSURED 13 BANQU ET N EWS! Washington Wild Sheep Foundation Banquet Saturday March 9, 2013 Snoqualmie Casino North Bend, Washington Raffles Silent Auction Live Auction $60 per ticket Watch our website for more information! washingtonwsf.org We will be GIVING away a Dall Sheep hunt to one of our life members who is at the banquet!!! Display your Sheep Mounts at the 2013 WA WSF Banquet! March 9, 2013 $1000 in prizes given away! For each mount you bring to be displayed during the banquet, your name will go in for a drawing for $1000 in prizes! Early bird incentive: 3 raffle tickets for each mount brought in from 10 am to noon 2 raffle tickets for each mount brought in from noon to 2 pm 1 raffle ticket for each mount brought in from 2 pm to 4 pm For more information contact Bryan Bailey/Glen Landrus 14 THAN K YO U BANQ U ET D O NO RS! Accurate Arms www.accuratearmsva.com GOABC www.goabc.com Rainier Archery Alaska Big Game Safaris www.biggamesafarisalaska.com H Ranch Outfitters www.hranchoutfitters.com Ridgeline Taxidermy Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game www.adfg.state.ak.us Healing Waters Lodge www.hwlodge.com Rifles Inc. Alden’s Taxidermy (360) 352-0256 Huntin Fool www.huntinfool.com Royal Tine Outfitters Bailey's IGA Morton & Rochester, WA Hunt Of A Lifetime www.huntofalifetime.org Safari Press Battle Creek Golf Course www.battlecreeklinks.com Idaho Afloat www.idahoafloat.com Shawn McCully Bauer Ranch Jerry Tyrrell Silver Bow Outfitters & Guides www.spillout.com/bauerranch Bob Larson (503) 812-2643 BowTech Archery www.bowtecharchery.com Bredeson Guiding & Outfitting www.bredesonoutfitting.com Chris "Master Caster" Ward Coastal Conservation Assn. www.ccapnw.org Dennis Dunn Joshua Spies www.joshuaspies.com Kain's Fishing Adventures www.kainsfishingadventures.com Kawdy Outfitters www.lancasterfamilyhunting.com Kuvhima Safaris www.kuvhima.co.za Lance Brewer/Beth West Western Stores www.bethwest.net www.str8arrows.com Leupold D.E.R. Knives LLC www.derknives.com Lilly & Kemph Outfitting Doug Eck Studios www.dougeckbronze.com Muley Crazy Deuling Stone Outfitters www.deulingstoneoutfitters.com Northwest Big Game Inc. Eastman’s Journal www.eastmans.com Northwest Safe Company Eden Ridge Outfitters www.edenridgeoutfitters.com Pacific Power Generation El Fuerte Outfitters www.bajabighornsheep.com Pat Pauley Wildlife Art Ellis Hunting Ranch Quarter Circle Nine Outfitters www.ellishuntingranch.com Fetha Styx www.fethastyx.com www.leupold.com www.lkoutfitting.com www.muleycrazy.com www.nwbiggame.com www.nwsafe.com www.pacificpowergen.com www.patpauleyart.com www.royaltine.com www.rainierarchery.com (406) 859-5274 www.riflesinc.com www.royaltineoutfitters.com www.safaripress.com www.shawnmccully.com www.silverbowoutfitters.com Silver Fox Outfitters www.silverfoxoutfitters.com Sitka Mountain Gear www.sitkagear.com Snohomish Golf Course www.snohomishgolfcourse.com Snoqualmie Cattle Co. www.snoqualmiecattleco.com Superior Skulls (425) 888-0932 Tall Tails Guide Service www.talltailsguideservice.com Tony Russ www.tonyruss.com Track & Trail Safaris www.chrisbilkey.co.nz Trophy Hunting Spain www.trophyhuntingspain.com Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife www.wdfw.wa.gov Wild Sheep Foundation www.wildsheepfoundation.org Wild Track Outfitters www.wildtrackoutfitters.com Wilderness Mint www.wildernessmint.com 15 Member Sally Torres took this really nice bull from the Dayton unit last fall while she was 7 months pregnant! 16 WAWSF board member Mark Torres took this monster Shiras moose last fall. The bull was 41" wide and scored 165 B & C. Congrats Mark! WAWSF board member Roy Reese called in this great Merriam's gobbler in Klickitat Count for his hunting buddy David. SILVER FOX OUTFITTERS I'm Eric Rauhanen with Silver Fox Outfitters a full-time outfitter here in Alberta Canada. I run a series of hunts for my clients that cover many species. With the downturn in the world economy I've sharpened my pencil and tried to do my best to arrange a hunt at a price that is just right for you. Spring Bear • Early Season Bow • Elk • Rutting Moose Tent Moose Camp • White Tail Deer • Wolf I can mail you a printed brochure and a reference list if you send me your postal address. If you have any question at all about the great hunts we offer or you'd like me to e-mail you a reference list feel free to call or e-mail me. It's a toll free number 1-800-899-5064. My goal is to get you here in Alberta as one of my clients one day. Contact: Eric Rauhanen c/o Silver Fox Outfitters 53406 Rge Rd 183 Yellowhead County AB T7E-3T3 1-800-899-5064 hunting@telusplanet.net www.silverfoxoutfitters.com BANQUET DONOR Montana Hunting, Fly Fishing, Horseback Riding, Hiking and Snowmobiling Vacations For over 17 years, Silver Bow Outfitters has been committed to delivering top quality Montana hunting and fly fishing experiences for our clients. Whether you are an avid sportsman looking for the Montana hunting trip of a lifetime, a devout fly fisherman or woman seeking the challenge and solitude of the wilderness lakes of northwest Montana or just want to enjoy our breathtaking scenery and abundant wildlife, our Montana outfitter and guide service will take you on a Montana hunting, fly fishing, horseback riding or snowmobiling vacation trip with memories to last a lifetime. 500 East Fisher Road Libby, Montana 59923 Hunt@SilverBowOutfitters.com 406-293-4868 www.silverbowoutfitters.com BANQUET DONOR Montana Hunting Trips and Vacations Since 1985 17 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Name Address City State Phone# E-mail Credit Card CC # Visa Mastercard Supporting Member 3-Yr Supporting Member Life Membership* 18 (Please include!) Exp. Make checks payable to WA WSF & mail to: Signature New Member or Renewal (check one) Zip $25 Annual Dues $50 Annual Dues $300 One Time Fee WA WSF Box 236 Asotin, WA 99402 Fax to 509.758.7267 WA WSF board members Ken Harris and Dennis Bagnell put the hammer down on walleye recently at a tournament in Coulee City. After years of futility at the bottom of the leaderboard, luck prevailed as they placed 3rd overall!! 2 0 1 2 WA R O C KY M T N B I G H O R N R A F F L E EARLY DEADLINE! RAFFLE TICKET ORDER FORM Ticket orders must be received by July 9, 2012. Drawing will be held by July 13, 2012. MAIL TO: WAWSF RAFFLE PO BOX 236 ASOTIN, WA 99402 • No ticket stub will be mailed in return - keep brochure as receipt • Provide and email address and a receipt will be sent • Do not have to be present to win Hunt Information Hunting Season Dates: September 1 – December 31, 2012 Hunt Area: GMUs 113, 181 and 186 Name Mailing Address City State Zip Day Phone Email √ BOX NEXT TO THE NUMBER OF TICKETS PURCHASED 1 ticket for $20 2 tickets for $40 5 tickets for $100 10 tickets for $200 2009 Raffle Winner George Pigeon with his 190 6/8” net B&C ram - state archery record 25 tickets for $500 50 tickets for $1,000 Other tickets x $20 = Total Due $ PAYMENT Check/Money Order Mastercard Credit Card Number 2011 Raffle Winner Gary Jones (lt) with his beautiful 40 1/2” x 16” ram from the Grand Ronde area. Expiration Signature VISA PO Box 236 Asotin WA 99402 PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID RIDGEFIELD, WA PERMIT NO. 94 BANQUET DONOR Todd Walton, Registered Guide #1199 P.O. Box 874271 • Wasilla, Alaska 99687 (907) 355-4271