Conservation Legacy: Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund Aids WSF Projects

"Would you like to round up to support conservation?" The question caught 16-year-old Nathan off guard as he clutched his brand-new fly rod at the checkout counter. It was his first time in a Bass Pro Shops, and he was already in awe of the towering big game displays and the swimming pool sized aquarium full of fish he had only seen on Instagram. 

By Chester Moore

 
The cashier's friendly smile made him curious, so he asked, “What does that mean?”
 
The clerk explained, “Your spare change will go to the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund. It supports habitat conservation, outdoor education, and wildlife management.”
Nathan nodded, feeling pride knowing the outdoors industry was taking conservation so seriously and he could be a little part of it.
 
Outdoor lovers of all ages and demographics can round up for conservation at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's stores daily. This is making a big difference for wildlife, including wild sheep throughout North America.
 

2024-25 Grant-In-Aid Contribution

 The Bass Pro Shops-Cabela’s Outdoor Fund contributed $150,000 to Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) Grant-In-Aid projects for fiscal year 2024-25.

“We are grateful for the continuing support of the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund. They are an important ally in our work to put and keep wild sheep on the mountain. In this grant cycle, they are contributing to three projects that highlight the wide variety of conservation work they get behind,” said Kevin Hurley, WSF Vice President of Conservation.

The Socorro Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages 1.5 million acres in south-central and western New Mexico, in the heart of desert bighorn sheep country where $75,000 of the funds will go to help build water catchments and related structures.

  
 
BLM Officials have identified this region's Desert Bighorn Sheep Management Area as a priority landscape for large-scale habitat restoration, specifically habitat restoration for desert bighorn sheep and mule deer. They have also found that a lack of water restricts habitat use by desert sheep and other wildlife and note that it will specifically help with the movement of bighorns south of US 60.
 
"Water catchments are important in the conservation of not only desert bighorn sheep but many other species that call these arid areas home," Hurley said.
 
The East Cliffs project at Montana's Blue-Eyed Nellie Wildlife Management Area (WMA) will be the focus of $25,000 of Bass Pro Shop and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund support. 
 
  

This acquisition will add 31 acres to this Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (MFWP) WMA, encompassing a crucial winter range and lambing cliffs for the Anaconda bighorn sheep herd. This acquisition will connect public lands, maintaining an unfragmented corridor between the Flint Creek and Anaconda mountain ranges. 
 
The long-standing Tri-State Partnership will benefit from $50,000 from the Bass Pro Shop and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund.
 
This project unites wildlife agencies in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington to conserve bighorn sheep populations across state borders. This initiative responds to disease threats, specifically from Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (Movi), a respiratory bacterium which devastates bighorn herds. Through research, collaring, and a "test and remove" approach, infected sheep are culled to limit disease spread. This cross-border collaboration underscores the shared commitment to bighorn sheep's survival in the rugged Hells Canyon region.
 
"Working with WSF over the years, we've been able to help enhance critical habitat, increase recreational access, and ensure healthy wildlife populations for the future. Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's are proud to support WSF's mission to put and keep wild sheep on the mountain," said Libby Glaser, Outdoor Fund Specialist with Bass Pro Shops.
 

A Legacy Of Conservation

Bass Pro Shops’ and Cabela's Outdoor Fund (Outdoor Fund) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit charity with 97 cents of every dollar supporting conservation efforts. The Outdoor Fund invites Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's customers to round up their retail purchases to support key conservation projects across North America. 

"By bringing together customers alongside dedicated team members, industry partners, and leading conservation organizations, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's is creating North America's largest conservation movement to collectively shape the future of the outdoors and all who love it, for generations to come," Glaser said.

 
Conservation is at the core of Bass Pro Shops. The past decades have revealed the company’s unwavering passion for the outdoors.  Under the leadership of Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops and leading conservationist, the Outdoor Fund was established in 2019 to allow customers to invest alongside Bass Pro Shops in priority conservation efforts. 

  
 
“The Outdoor Fund truly has created synergies to assist in advancing Bass Pro Shops’ conservation pillars of conserving wildlife and habitat, advocating for sportsmen’s rights, and connecting new audiences to the outdoors. Since inception, our customers, through the Outdoor Fund, have invested more than $45 million in priority conservation efforts,” Glaser said.
 
The fund's commitment to WSF's work reaches far beyond this year's $150,000, totaling $626,000 over six years. These funds have made a wide variety of projects possible.
 

FY 2023-2024

• Franklin Mountains State Park. Desert BHS Establishment (TX) - $75,000 
• ID/OR/WA Tri-State Movi T&R - $50,000

FY 2022-2023

• E. Harcuvar Desert BHS Restoration (AZ) - $20,000 
• ID/OR/WA Tri-State Movi T&R - $30,000
• Socorro BLM Field Office (NM) H2O Developments - $40,000 
• Prescribed Burning for Stone’s Sheep Habitat Enhancement (NE BC) - $20,000
• Tommy Guzzler on DNWR (NV) - $10,000 

FY 2021-2022

• L. Belt Mountains BHS Restoration Year 2 (MT) - $20,000 
• ID/OR/WA Tri-State Movi T&R - $22,000
• Stone’s Sheep Capture/Collaring (BC) - $14,000 
• Prescribed Burning for Stone’s Sheep Habitat Enhancement, NE BC - $20,000 

FY 2020-2021

• L. Belt Mountains BHS Restoration Year 1 (MT) - $30,000 
• Tendoy BHS Restoration (MT) - $30,000 
• H2O Development in Northern Desert BHS Range (TX) - $25,000 
• Prescribed Burning for Stone’s Sheep Habitat Enhancement, NE BC - $10,000 
• StratoBowl/Custer State Park BHS Habitat Enhancement (SD) - $5,000 

FY 2019-2020

• Re-Development of 2 BHS Drinkers, Peloncillo Mountains, Graham County (AZ) - $20,000 
• Stone's Sheep Baseline Health Assessment, Peace Region (BC) - $10,000 
• DNWR Guzzler #6 (NV) - $25,000 

"The Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Outdoor Fund is creating a powerful legacy of conservation, and in the world of wild sheep, they are helping accomplish everything from collaring Stone's sheep for important research in British Columbia to contributing greatly to restoring desert bighorn sheep to the Franklin Mountains near El Paso, TX," Hurley said.

 

The Rest Of The Story

 
At the beginning of the story, a young man named Nathan learned about the Outdoor Fund firsthand. Two years later, Nathan is a senior in high school and plans to seek a career as a game warden. The author has been this young man's hunting mentor for five years and has told Nathan much about wild sheep and WSF's work. On a more recent trip to Bass Pro Shops, Nathan was excited to round up for conservation and asked if any of the funds helped bighorns. When he learned they did, he felt a sense of pride.
 
"That's so cool. I would love to hunt a bighorn one day, and it's nice to know that I'm investing in that by rounding up for conservation," Nathan said.
 
The Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Outdoor Fund aids wildlife and fisheries around the country. It also gives millions of people a chance to learn about conservation and get some skin in the game for the sake of wild places and wildlife including wild sheep.
 

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A Profile of Bob Ziehmer 

Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's leadership has deep roots in conservation. Bob Ziehmer has dedicated his career to advancing conservation initiatives that benefit wildlife, habitats, and the outdoor sports community.
 
As the Senior Director of Conservation at Bass Pro Shops, Ziehmer leads projects that reflect his lifelong commitment to conserving natural resources and supporting outdoor recreation.  Ziehmer is also a member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s Board of Directors, where he collaborates with policymakers to support legislative initiatives that uphold America’s outdoor traditions. 
 
Upon partnering with WSF for the first round of $626,000 in Grant-In-Aid funding, Ziehmer expressed his enthusiasm for supporting WSF's vision.

“We are proud to support WSF’s commitment to keeping all wild sheep populations healthy and strong,” Ziehmer said.  “WSF’s on-the-ground habitat projects and dedicated research efforts continue to take wild sheep management to new heights and are critical to creating the next generation of citizen conservationists.” 

 

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Contributing Author: Chester Moore is an award-winning wildlife journalist, wildlife photographer, and lifelong hunter from Texas. He operates the Higher Calling Wildlife® blog and podcast and contributes to many outdoors publications.