News

News From the Mountain

Drinker builds and water hauls, survey results, sheep summits, board changes and the volunteers behind the work.

2025
Steven G. Torres Honored with the Desert Ram Award
CAWSF board member Steven G. Torres receives the Desert Ram Award, inscribed for a lifetime of dedication working with agencies, conservation organizations, the academic community and professional societies on behalf of desert bighorn sheep.
2025
Featured Donor — Lathrop & Sons
Featured donor Lathrop & Sons Boot Co. advertises its Mountain Hunter boot, and the chapter asks whether you have considered trying new boots, for a new season or to be more comfortable in the field as we age.
2025
New Leaders, Old Faces — Jim Fitzgerald Becomes President
Long-time member and volunteer Jim Fitzgerald has stepped up as president of CAWSF. Don Martin, president for many years, is thanked and continues as VP North.
December 9, 2024
You Were Represented at the California Wild Sheep Summit XXXV, December 9, 2024
CAWSF hosted Sheep Summit XXXV on December 9, 2024 with CDFW, USFS, BLM, NPS (Mojave and Joshua Tree), Twentynine Palms Marine Base, China Lake Naval Station, mine reclamations, CAWSF and SCBS, restating the collective vision for bighorn persistence, science-based management and recreational use.
December 4, 2024
CAWSF Sponsors Drinker Upgrade and Restock in 2024
December 4, 2024 volunteer project in the Orocopia Mountains: CAWSF, SCBS, DWU and CDFW added a third tank to the R10 Fay Dee big game water development and restocked it by helicopter.
March 15, 2024
Important Information About the Sikanni River Outfitters Special Drawing
Sacramento, March 15, 2024: new owners of Sikanni River Outfitters cancelled all big game hunts for two years, so the CAWSF drawing that would have been held April 27, 2024 is cancelled and every ticket buyer will be refunded, with refunds taking 4-6 weeks.
January 2024
National Convention Report (Reno)
The chapter was at the National Convention in Reno in mid-January and thanks the members who stopped by, purchased raffle tickets and purchased tables for the upcoming fundraiser.
2024
CAWSF Sponsors State Lands Wildlife Water System East Mojave “Aurora” 2024
First State Lands Wildlife Water System in the East Mojave, nicknamed “Aurora”, completed by CAWSF and SCBS volunteers with CDFW crew and donated excavation work; ten captioned photos of the drinker and rain-mat build.
2024
Distinguished Life Member Ben Gordon Honored at GSCO National Convention
CAWSF Director Ben Gordon is recognized for achieving his Super Slam and Pinnacle Awards, illustrated with six photos from recent hunts (Alpine, Beceite and Kri-Kri ibex, sheep, caribou and moose).
2024
Distinguished Life Member Mike Borel Honored at National Convention
Gray N. Thornton, Ike Eastman and Donald C. Martin present the Gordon Eastman Grass Roots Award to founding chapter member Mike Borel on the main stage at the opening dinner.
2024
Wild Sheep Foundation Conservation Funding Through 2023
WSF's comprehensive report on how it spent conservation funds from its 1983 inception through the end of calendar 2023, with a California funding breakdown.
2024
Historic Drinker Installation — First State Lands Lease Water Project
The Give a Lamb a Drink Foundation (GALAD) has funded and completed the first water project built through the state lands lease water project program, in conjunction with the Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep. A video of the project is available.
December 1, 2023
California Wild Sheep Summit XXXIII, December 1, 2023
Report from the 33rd California Wild Sheep Summit on December 1, 2023, part of the yearly series that increases cooperation between public and private organizations on sheep success.
September 2023
Annual Report — Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery, 2021-22
Excerpts from the 2021-22 annual report of the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program: the range-wide population rose for a second consecutive year, reaching 277 females. An editor's note cautions that about 50% of the sheep died the winter before publication.
August 24, 2023
WCB Funds I-8 Wildlife Crossing
News release announcing that the Wildlife Conservation Board funded the I-8 wildlife crossing — a win for the Peninsular bighorn corridor CAWSF had been campaigning for since 2023.
August 8, 2023
CDFW Surveys the White Mountains — Fall 2023
CDFW's fall 2023 survey of the White Mountains desert bighorn — a range that holds many sheep and far more terrain to glass.
July 1, 2023
2023 Board Changes
Effective July 1, 2023 members elected John Oldenkamp, Mike Torres and Matt St. Martin to the Board and re-elected Robert Keagy, Donald C. Martin, Matt Burke and Ken Crother; the officer slate for the term is listed.
May 20, 2023
Old Dads Vermin Water Haul
The legacy Vermin water development — three upright plastic tanks manifolded to a New Mexico style drinker box, fed from a slick-rock canyon check dam — did not fill last season, so a water haul was run.

Showing 18 of 92

News From the Mountain

Steven G. Torres Honored with the Desert Ram Award

Featured Donor — Lathrop & Sons

New Leaders, Old Faces — Jim Fitzgerald Becomes President

You Were Represented at the California Wild Sheep Summit XXXV, December 9, 2024

CAWSF Sponsors Drinker Upgrade and Restock in 2024

Important Information About the Sikanni River Outfitters Special Drawing

National Convention Report (Reno)

CAWSF Sponsors State Lands Wildlife Water System East Mojave “Aurora” 2024

Distinguished Life Member Ben Gordon Honored at GSCO National Convention

Distinguished Life Member Mike Borel Honored at National Convention

Wild Sheep Foundation Conservation Funding Through 2023

Historic Drinker Installation — First State Lands Lease Water Project

California Wild Sheep Summit XXXIII, December 1, 2023

Annual Report — Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery, 2021-22

WCB Funds I-8 Wildlife Crossing

CDFW Surveys the White Mountains — Fall 2023

2023 Board Changes

Old Dads Vermin Water Haul