The reestablishment of bighorn sheep in North Dakota was nearly shelved after numerous translocations of bighorn not suited to the terrain and harsh winters which hampered lamb recruitment. A phone call from WSF's Kevin Hurley, then with Wyoming Game & Fish Department to Brett Wiedmann, North Dakota Game and Fish Department's Bighorn Program Lead and Biologist, turned the tide when Hurley advised Wiedmann of an opportunity for some Missouri River Breaks bighorns from Montana. Similar in bloody size to the extirpated Audubon sheep that called the Mandan country home, and with financial support from the Minnesota-Wisconsin chapter of FNAWS, now Midwest WSF Chapter that initial translocation from Montana to North Dakota was what was needed.

Brett Wiedmann and Kevin Hurley join Sheep Fever co-host Gray Thornton for a conversation of the initial challenges, at times failures, and then success of the North Dakota bighorn comeback. Brett gives a history of bighorns in the state, he and Kevin discuss that fateful phone call, and they both share where bighorn sheep restoration and bighorn sheep hunting in North Dakota are today.

The 91st North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference recently concluded in Columbus, OH, hosted by The Wildlife Management Institute (WMI). Why a podcast about a conference? Because this is where the rubber meets the road as far as wildlife and natural resource conservation is concerned, for everything from whales to hummingbirds.

Sheep Fever sits down with WMI President & CEO, Tony Walsey, and WSF's own Corey Mason to share a glimpse of the incredible width and depth of conservation efforts taking place every day across North America and internationally.

Take what you see in the "media" with a grain of doubt. Not everything is in crisis. There is and has been a colossal effort taking place by people, businesses, departments, universities, agencies, institutions, and organizations working under the banner of wise use without waste – the true definition of conservation.

For decades, the hunting and conservation community has advocated—through organizations, programs, and initiatives—for educating the non-hunting majority on the value of hunting to wildlife and habitat conservation. This need is even enshrined in the Wild Sheep Foundation mission: to educate the public and youth on sustainable use. But have we succeeded? Is this focus still critical? And how do we move the needle on public perception?

In this episode, Mark Hall of the Wild Origins Canada Foundation joins Gray N. Thornton to explore how storytelling can reach the "moderate middle"—impacting, educating, informing, and challenging thought around hunting and conservation. They discuss what messages resonate, which fall flat, and how to shape hearts and minds in a changing landscape.

Mark also shares the vision behind Project Grizzly Balance—an effort to restore the sustainable use of grizzly bears across British Columbia and beyond for the benefit of both wildlife and people.