The Latest

Wild Sheep Foundation Executive Vice President of Conservation and COO Corey Mason has been appointed to the federal Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation and Access Council, helping bring hunters’ perspectives to national discussions on wildlife conservation, habitat management, and public access.

The Wild Sheep Foundation has approved $2 million in Grant-In-Aid funding for 24 wild sheep conservation projects across North America, Central Asia, and Europe. From disease surveillance and habitat improvements to population restoration and wildlife research, these investments support WSF’s mission to put and keep more wild sheep on the mountain.

Austin Smith, Jr., of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, joins Sheep Fever to explore tribal wildlife management, treaty rights, ecological stewardship, and the importance of collaborative conservation.

Wild Sheep Foundation President and CEO Gray N. Thornton has been named the recipient of Dallas Safari Club’s 2027 Peter H. Capstick Hunting Heritage Award, recognizing more than three decades of leadership in wildlife conservation, sustainable use, and hunting advocacy. 

GPS and video collars are giving researchers a new look at how desert bighorn sheep navigate the heat, water limitations, and rugged terrain of Sierra El Álamo—and providing lessons that could strengthen restoration efforts across the Southwest.

Wildlife conservation—and the challenges facing hunting heritage—know no borders. CIC Director General Arno Wimpffen joins Gray Thornton and Kurt Alt to discuss how international collaboration, sustainable use, and stronger public understanding of hunting can benefit wildlife, landscapes, and communities worldwide.

A new restoration facility in western Nebraska could give wildlife managers a powerful tool to combat disease, rebuild struggling bighorn herds, and return sheep to suitable habitat. With support from the Wild Sheep Foundation, the project marks a new chapter in Nebraska’s decades-long effort to restore bighorn sheep. 

Wildlife biologist Christina Wilson shares how her conservation work in the Florida Keys studying mosquitoes led to her apply for the Women Hunt program. Her experience changed how she sees food, land, and confidence. Dana and Christina discuss protecting fragile habitat, ethical hunting, processing game, and the sisterhood that helped Christina step outside her comfort zone.

What does the future of wild sheep conservation look like—and how do you build a plan to get there? Sheep Fever co-host Gray N. Thornton sits down with WSF conservation staff and biologists Corey Mason, Kevin Hurley, Kurt Alt, and Bill Jex to unpack Conservation Vision 2030.

Northwest Montana’s Ural/Tweed bighorns once numbered 150–200 animals. Today, this native Rocky Mountain Trench herd is estimated at roughly 40 sheep. Highway mortality, shrinking habitat, predation, and isolation all threaten its future—but targeted conservation actions could give the herd a path back.

The Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund is continuing its commitment to wild sheep with a $150,000 grant supporting WSF’s Grant-In-Aid Program for fiscal year 2026–27. Over eight years, the Outdoor Fund has contributed $926,000 to advance wild sheep conservation projects across North America. 

As the Wild Sheep Foundation approaches its 50th anniversary, Chairman Kyle Stelter is focused on what comes next. He joins Keith Balfourd to discuss ten priorities for his two-year term, building on a decade of momentum and advancing a clear goal: more wild sheep on more landscapes.