Anyone going to the Reno Sheep Show next month?

[ssgjpd]

This was my first time attending and enjoyed it. Got to talk to a couple of outfitters that I was looking at booking with and set a date for 2026. My wife also enjoyed it and was a table away from the bidding battle.

 

[cuerro viejo]

You’ll wake up one day hopefully and realized all that check writing, the large “donations”, auction tags etc ended up with very little going to the resource. Right now you have some home town pride that your state is producing big rams. The attention is on your state and you’re proud. But the minute the quality drops off all the attention goes to the next herd that will be exploited until it stops producing big rams. And so forth.

Glad to hear you are not doing anything more than me for sheep “conservation”. For a minute there I thought maybe I was slacking.

Or you can just do nothing and not give a damn and watch them continue to fade away like you are doing.

Got it, thanks for nothing more than condescending remarks and pointed shots.

 

[Elkhuntinfool78]

I went this year for the first time and I guess it's not my thing. There are some average folks there but imo it's mostly the wealthy who are there to stroke each other's ego and looking to "buy" their next big trophy.

It honestly kinda sickens me to see what hunting has become today.

 

[cuerro viejo]

I’m a life member and I write conservation organizations checks. Is that not what you do?

Good luck on your 2025 draws

Yes, so why is more funding such a huge issue?

 

[WCB]

#1 maybe treading water or the conditions of the herds are only as good as they are because of the millions WSF and other Sheep specific organizations have contributed. Maybe there would be even fewer sheep to hunt or no hunts.

#2 besides the auctions tags and bidding anybody right now can go out and purchase a sheep hunt and hunt every year. Oh yeah including Bighorns right in MT basically over the counter. But it would actually take effort. I get everyone wants to draw a tag in their home state in the unit they live and and shoot a sheep from their ATV/UTV. Go to Mexico and shoot a Desert sheep for sub $40k.
Money is always a limiting factor and most the guys that bitch would complain if they drew a tag and that tag cost them $5000. But I guess as a resident few bucks for application fee and a couple hundred tag keeps them interested. You would be amazed at how many guys mentioned the hunts for purchase at the show were so expensive but then talked about their 3-4 custom rifles that cost anywhere from $5K-$8,000. Pretty good chunk of change towards a sheep hunt if you ask me.

#3 I also get the optics side of it with Mr. Money Bags getting "Mountain Hunter of the Year" awards and the pats on the back, elbow rubbing, etc. Some games are not made to be played by everyone and don't act like if you had the kind of money some of these guys have you wouldn't do the same damn thing. Hell if I won the Billion dollar lotto...I'd make it a point one year to by every single Sheep tag auctions at Sheep Show just for the hell of it.

 

[cuerro viejo]

Really? The consequences of more funding is lower sheep populations but more raffle tags. Do you like lower sheep populations? And less sheep tags? Because that’s what record raffle sales have us at right now. Of course we have your herd that is supposedly doing well. A broken clock is still right twice a day. But as a whole it is broken. So broken that guys will use your example to show the progress. Of course we had to let JJ kill the biggest ram…for conservation right?

The misappropriation of conservation dollars voids any of these record fundraising campaigns. You haven’t heard about all the young blonde admins Gary has around? Or chartering flights for F&F to fundraising events? Too good to fly on commercial flights?

All that matters is those at the top get their big rams. Throw in some crumbs for the blue collar guy to keep them happy.

After all bread crumbs are still bread.

That’s your theory, as of right now those tags are help funding research, restocking efforts, and habitat. It’s documented, not just state but federal when PR dollars are allocated/matched

How much do think just one helo survey costs?

Better question is how bad would it be with out the additional funding from tags?

I get it you don’t like that states auction tags…..

 

[sndmn11]

restocking efforts

Restocking what?

 

[cuerro viejo]

Restocking what?

Sheep….

When did relocation/restocking become solely funded by hunting applications and tag money?

Here are three facilities I can think of:
Elephant mountain/ Sierra Diablo TX
Red Rock Wildlife Management Area
WildHorse island

 

[sndmn11]

Sheep….

When did relocation/restocking become solely funded by hunting applications and tag money?

Oh! I thought the W stood for Wild.

 

[C Bow]

I read this and I understand the frustration but It has always been the people with money make the rules. Sheep hunting is for sure a rich mans game. The average person would have to save for a lifetime to go on a quality sheep hunt

 

[cuerro viejo]

Oh! I thought the W stood for Wild.

lol, ya I feel same way about the elk restocking in Southwest…..

 

[sndmn11]

lol, ya I feel same way about the elk restocking in Southwest…..

I don't have a position on it other than I have an internal chuckle at some organizations.

Pheasants Forever and Trout Unlimited, both promote invasive species. I enjoy both, but there's irony...

 

[cuerro viejo]

I don't have a position on it other than I have an internal chuckle at some organizations.

Pheasants Forever and Trout Unlimited, both promote invasive species. I enjoy both, but there's irony...

I’m same way,I like to eat both, and hunt pheasants all the time, but ya I do think PF does a decent job on private land access and promoting and opening up state walk-in hunting programs on private, but it’s hard to wrap my head around what some would consider invasive protections and promotion

 

[Steve O]

Really? The consequences of more funding is lower sheep populations but more raffle tags. Do you like lower sheep populations? And less sheep tags? Because that’s what record raffle sales have us at right now. Of course we have your herd that is supposedly doing well. A broken clock is still right twice a day. But as a whole it is broken. So broken that guys will use your example to show the progress. Of course we had to let JJ kill the biggest ram…for conservation right?

The misappropriation of conservation dollars voids any of these record fundraising campaigns. You haven’t heard about all the young blonde admins Gary has around? Or chartering flights for F&F to fundraising events? Too good to fly on commercial flights?

All that matters is those at the top get their big rams. Throw in some crumbs for the blue collar guy to keep them happy.

After all bread crumbs are still bread.

That is the most flawed logic I’ve ever seen.

WSF gets 5% of the auction amount. 95% goes DIRECTLY to the sheep program of the state offering up the tag. Most of the auction tags now have a 5% premium automatically added to the final price so the STATE gets 100% of the auction prices.

Maybe you are confused…

The other conservation tags go back 90-95 to the F&G department as the department sees fit. That “fit” is almost always called out in the description.

Other auction items go to various specific causes like “wounded warrior” or “women hunt” or a batterwd women’s shelter or kids rehab center. Then there are some items that go into WSF coffers for all the grants they give out to various game departments and conservation groups.

You make a lot of bold statements that are completely wrong.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

@Tricer

 

[Travis Bertrand]

Mtn Forged

 

[Travis Bertrand]

Allterra Arms