The Warm Springs Reservation is making significant progress in revitalizing its bighorn sheep population, with these efforts contributing to broader conservation successes on the reservation.
Austin Smith Jr. and the Natural Resources team from the Warm Springs Reservation recently attended the Wild Sheep Show in Las Vegas. There, they successfully auctioned off a once-in-a-lifetime bighorn sheep hunt, raising an impressive $280,000.
Smith Jr., General Manager of Natural Resources on the Warm Springs Reservation, emphasized the importance of this fundraising effort. “So just having funding to fundraise and go out and get auction, permits authorized and funding coming back to the Wild Sheep Foundation is great because it puts more money back into managing the resource,” he said.
The success story of the Warm Springs bighorn sheep population is remarkable. Smith Jr., who began working in natural resources at age 14, witnessed the reestablishment of the Mutton Mountain sheep herd in 2002, starting with just 20 sheep. Today, after more than two decades of management through various challenges, the population has grown to over 300.
Bighorn sheep hold significant cultural importance for Native Americans in the region. Smith Jr. noted, “If you go down there, there’s a lot of rock art down there, you know, the petroglyphs, and there are drawings of bighorn sheep,” he said. “So, I mean, that dates back thousands of years. Time in memorial. I mean, so they are very important not only for our history, our culture, but also just the management of it.”
This recent auction was the second bighorn sheep hunting fundraiser for the reservation. Its success is particularly crucial given the limited state and federal funding available for conservation efforts on the Warm Springs Reservation, especially for wildlife. The ability to raise nearly half a million dollars in the past through these auctions has become a vital source of support.
Smith Jr. explained the motivation behind these high-value auctions: “There are a lot of people with money who are willing to spend it, but they just like if someone were to give money to a church, this is kind of their way of getting money back. Know that 100% of it goes back to managing these key resources.”
The funds raised not only support conservation efforts but also allow the tribe to expand its natural resource employment. The Big Horn Tag auction is expected to continue, offering hunters a lifetime opportunity to pursue game over nearly 200,000 acres of prime sheep country.
The successful bidder will have the chance to hunt any California bighorn ram from August 1, 2025, to November 31, 2025, during a 10-day hunt. While an additional guide fee will cover Tribal guide services, hunters can also hire a preferred outfitter of choice, who must work with CTWS and Tribal member guides. All hunters must adhere to the rules and regulations outlined in the CTWS hunting regulations, the CTWS Hunting and Trapping Code 350, and other CTWS Tribal Laws and Policies.
These contributions play a crucial role in supporting sound wildlife management and conservation efforts that benefit not only wild sheep but also the broader ecology of the Warm Springs reservation.
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