We welcome Mackenzie Clarke to the podcast to talk about Bighorn Sheep in the Okanagan. Mackenzie is the Senior tmixʷ Biologist for Okanagan Nation Alliance and she is tackling the issue of Psoroptes Mange in Bighorn Sheep in the region.

Recently Okanagan Nation Alliance and the Wild Sheep Society of BC signed a Memorandum of Understanding focusing on the recovery on these wild sheep populations. Mackenzie dives into the multitude of issues that are plaguing these herds, what ONA is doing and her specific role in the project.

The Wild Sheep Foundation and their Chapters and Affiliates through their Grant in Aid program partnered on this year's Psoroptes Mange Drug Treatment Trials. The goal is to see if captive Bighorn Sheep can be cleared of the disease using drug treatments and if so how long they can remain cleared of the disease.

Mackenzie is incredibly knowledgeable and this is a great discussion on the great work the Okanagan Nation Alliance conducts throughout their territory for many species including Grizzly Bear. The Wild Sheep Society of BC is grateful for this opportunity to work together with Okanagan Nation Alliance on this project and other initiatives of shared values.

Talk is Sheep is the Official Podcast of the Wild Sheep Society of BC. The official sponsor of the Wild Sheep Society of BC is SITKA Gear and our Conservation Partners - Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI and Zeiss.

This is a bonus update for Talk is Sheep to:

-announce the winner of our Jurassic Classic Rifle and 50/50 raffles

-introduce our Gift of Conservation promo where you can win a $500 Sitka Gift Card

-update our listeners on our plan for Sheep Show in Reno

-highlight our upcoming raffles

-wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

WIN a $500 USD Sitka Gift Card through our Gift of Conservation Promotion.

Check out the details at www.wildsheepsociety.com/membership.

Pick up tickets on our Wild Sheep Raffles.

2025 Yukon Dall Sheep Hunt Raffle - Iron North Outfitting

www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/wss-bc

2025 Yukon Mountain Caribou Hunt Raffle - Rogue River

www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/wss-bc-caribou

2025 Alberta Pronghorn Antelope Hunt Raffle - Silver Sage

www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/wss-bc-antelope

Talk is Sheep is the Official Podcast of the Wild Sheep Society of BC. The official sponsor of the Wild Sheep Society of BC is SITKA Gear and our Conservation Partners - Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI and Zeiss.

This is a bonus update for Talk is Sheep to:

-announce the winner of our Jurassic Classic Rifle and 50/50 raffles

-introduce our Gift of Conservation promo where you can win a $500 Sitka Gift Card

-update our listeners on our plan for Sheep Show in Reno

-highlight our upcoming raffles

-wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

WIN a $500 USD Sitka Gift Card through our Gift of Conservation Promotion.

Check out the details at www.wildsheepsociety.com/membership.

Pick up tickets on our Wild Sheep Raffles.

2025 Yukon Dall Sheep Hunt Raffle - Iron North Outfitting

www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/wss-bc

2025 Yukon Mountain Caribou Hunt Raffle - Rogue River

www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/wss-bc-caribou

2025 Alberta Pronghorn Antelope Hunt Raffle - Silver Sage

www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/wss-bc-antelope

Talk is Sheep is the Official Podcast of the Wild Sheep Society of BC. The official sponsor of the Wild Sheep Society of BC is SITKA Gear and our Conservation Partners - Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI and Zeiss.

We sit down with Landon Birch and Morgan Anderson to discuss Stone's Sheep, specifically those in Region 7A in the Central Northwest part of British Columbia. Landon is completing his Masters Studies on these wild sheep and is working closely with Morgan Anderson of BC's Ministry.

Population surveys revealed what appeared to be declining Stone Sheep population in the study area. This led to a deeper dive into these populations which ultimately resulted in Landon specifically studying how habitat quality was impacting these populations. He brings us up to speed on the status of this WSSBC supported project while Morgan provides valuable context from the provincial government's perspective including an update on region 7A's sheep populations.

Talk is Sheep is the Official Podcast of the Wild Sheep Society of BC. The official sponsor of the Wild Sheep Society of BC is SITKA Gear and our Conservation Partners - Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI and Zeiss.

It is a long journey from the London Zoo to Africa studying bushmeat harvesting to the Comox Valley woodlands. We sit down to speak with Vancouver Island hunter Janna Rist about her personal journey into hunting.

Janna grew up in a family where her father would often go into the woods in pursuit of protein. While she always had a keen interest, Janna herself was never the one pulling the trigger. A few decades later she found herself in British Columbia and having developed a strong connection to canines and interest in blood tracking, the path led her naturally to hunting.

Without a mentor, Janna was in search of the right fit for her foray into hunting. Enter Women Hunt®. After hearing Wild Sheep Foundation's Women Hunt® Chair Renée Thornton speak on a podcast about their program, Janna was hooked. She quickly learned all she could about the program and after applying waited patiently hoping to be chosen.

Janna, having just returned from the Women Hunt® Field to Fork™ course in Texas, discusses the program, her journey and her passion for hunting. She has a deep appreciation for conservation and wildlife, however despite growing up in the UK and being a highly educated PhD, she was unfamiliar with the North American Model of Wildlife.

Janna is an articulate and passionate hunter and it is exciting to hear her share her journey and enthusiasm to hunt. You don't want to miss this episode of Talk is Sheep.

For those interested in Women Hunt® be sure to visit https://www.wildsheepfoundation.org/womenhunt.

Talk is Sheep is the Official Podcast of the Wild Sheep Society of BC. The official sponsor of the Wild Sheep Society of BC is SITKA Gear and our Conservation Partners - Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI and Zeiss.

We welcome Chad Hall to the podcast to talk Sheep Hunting and the courage involved to face your challenges whether they are in the mountain or in the operating room.

Chad, a lifelong passionate hunter, was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer when he was just 19. He spent the next two years fighting the cancer. He underwent several surgeries to remove a large tumor from his femur and endured more than 300 days of extensive chemotherapy before finally bringing the disease into submission. His entire knee had to be replaced, and he lost parts of his quad muscle, femur and tibia. After these surgeries, Hall spent thousands of days in physical therapy learning to walk again. He learned through his experience that life is short and to get the most out of his. One of his lifelong dreams was to train so that he'd be physically strong enough to hunt wild sheep.

We discuss Chad's journey in the Sheep Hunting world and how he recently completed his FNAWS/Slam. We dive into how he got involved with Sheep Shape and the challenges he faced along the way as well as the other survivors that were part of the show. We also discuss Chad's most recent Bighorn Sheep hunt.

Check out Chad's journey at @chadreelwild and the Sheep Shape youtube Channel.

Talk is Sheep is the Official Podcast of the Wild Sheep Society of BC. The official sponsor of the Wild Sheep Society of BC is SITKA Gear and our Conservation Partners - Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI and Zeiss.

This is a special release of the Talk is Sheep podcast and a bit of a change from our regular content. We sit down with WSSBC Director, Justin Kallusky to talk about mental health and how outdoor places, wildlife and conservation can play a role in a healthy state of mind.

Justin is most easily recognized as the World Record Mountain Goat holder, however at the Society we certainly know Justin for his deep thinking, respect for wildlife, ability to communicate and his passion for all these things. He shares his personal journey to inner happiness and how the outdoors helped him in difficult times. We commend Justin for having the courage to have these tough conversations.

Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of British Columbia at 1-800-SUICIDE provides a confidential, 24-hour toll-free crisis line for people who are feeling suicidal, are concerned for someone who might be suicidal, or for emotional support. Crisis line workers are able to provide intervention through emergency mental health teams or other emergency services, and may also refer callers to their local crisis centre for additional support and information. Call 1-800-784-2433 or dial 9-8-8 if you are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including thoughts of suicide.

Talk is Sheep is the Official Podcast of the Wild Sheep Society of BC. The official sponsor of the Wild Sheep Society of BC is SITKA Gear and our Conservation Partners - Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI and Zeiss.

We welcome Thomas Lees to the podcast to talk about hunting in Alaska - in particular, Dall's Sheep hunting. Thomas has grown up hunting with his Dad, Jerry an Alaska legend that has a passion for sheep hunting having taken 40 rams to date.

We talk about how Thomas's upbringing, his most memorable hunts, and what it is like to hunt with a guy like Jerry that is obsessed with sheep hunting and harvesting old, mature rams. We talk about the current state of wild sheep in Alaska and discuss conservation. Thomas is a young guy and he documents his experiences through his Instagram @backcountry.alaska and his Youtube channel instagram.com/backcountry.alaska

Talk is Sheep is the Official Podcast of the Wild Sheep Society of BC. The official sponsor of the Wild Sheep Society of BC is SITKA Gear and our Conservation Partners - Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI and Zeiss.

What no Way! FS!

We welcome the What No Way Guy to the podcast to talk about hunting, conservation, cars and more. Shaun is a true to life influencer and after seeing him take his first elk we had to have him on the podcast. He is a hunter and sustains his family on wild meat.

Shaun is not your every day guy and that is what makes this podcast so special. With 8.5 million followers on social media, to say that his reach is powerful is an understatement. The important part to note is that Shaun is not immediately recognized as a hunter. We talk about the reaction he receives when he posts his hunting content. There are some very interesting take aways in this podcast with Shaun and it was an incredibly engaging and enlightening conversation.

@1Campfire, an initiative of the Wild Sheep Society of BC, works to dispel some of the stereotypes of hunters. Shaun has done a great job in breaking down these stereotypes and reaching the non-hunting public with the importance of harvesting your own sustainable, free range organic wild meat.

Check Shaun out at @whatnooowaaay.

Talk is Sheep is the Official Podcast of the Wild Sheep Society of BC. The official sponsor of the Wild Sheep Society of BC is SITKA Gear and our Conservation Partners - Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI and Zeiss.

We welcome Matt Ward to the podcast. Matt is an ardent WSSBC volunteer, lead of our Ruck in the Park and Ruck in the Shulaps programs and a die hard sheep hunter that just got kicked out of the less than one club.

We sit down and speak to Matt about his fall and his incredible Stone's Sheep. Matt and his hunting partners had an epic trip deep into sheep terrain and came out with a story and a ram. He also talks about a new program the Society is leading called Fitness, Conservation, Community. Have a listen as Matt discusses what is in store for 2025.

Talk is Sheep is the Official Podcast of the Wild Sheep Society of BC. The official sponsor of the Wild Sheep Society of BC is SITKA Gear and our Conservation Partners - Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI and Zeiss.