Bozeman, Montana. Jan. 4, 2022 —The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) kicks off Sheep Week® first with its total emersion virtual platform going live on Monday, January 10.
Within Sheep Week, the Sheep Show Convention and Expo will begin in Reno, NV, with the Wednesday night Grand Opening Banquet at the Peppermill, January 12, and run through Saturday’s Grand Finale Banquet, the 15th. The Expo will be open at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center that Thursday, Friday and, Saturday the 13th through the 15th. The week-long event will include both the in-person and virtual exhibition halls, raffles, auctions, banquets, youth events, seminars, a sporting clays shoot, and much more.
“Sheep Week® is the largest celebration of all things mountain game hunting and conservation in the U.S., said WSF President & CEO Gray N. Thornton. “Our focus is bringing the wild sheep family together, having fun, and raising money for wild sheep.”
The online and nightly banquet auctions will offer nearly $6 million in hunts, trips, art, jewelry, firearms, and equipment, as well as coveted special conservation permits. The virtual expo allows mountain hunters and conservationists from around the world to experience all the excitement and community from the comfort of home or camp, even if they cannot travel to Reno.”
WSF responded to the pandemic travel and large gathering restrictions by hosting a total emersion virtual convention in January 2021. Through the success of this convention and member donations, WSF raised and directed over $6.2 million this year to wild sheep conservation and other mission programs. For 2022, this virtual option will still be available for those who cannot make the trip to Reno. For only $50, virtual attendees will be able to experience all the excitement of the in-person event along with accessing prize giveaways, streaming content, games, and sweepstakes opportunities, along with being entered to win a Desert Bighorn Sheep hunt in Mexico or an extreme spotting scope package from Swarovski.
“Hunting and conservation expos have been a valued part of our hunting culture for decades,” Thornton explained. “In our case, it’s how we raise critical conservation funding for wild sheep, but it’s more than that. Sportsmen and women are a special breed within our modern society. They are keeping alive an outdoor lifestyle and a commitment to wild places and wild things that should be celebrated. Our virtual expo is just one more example of hunters and conservationists finding a way to continue that legacy.”
Money raised is directed to programs to enhance wild sheep populations across North American and internationally through population enhancements, disease research, herd monitoring, habitat improvements, and other initiatives.
For a complete schedule of events, virtual registration, and other details, visit sheepweek.org.
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The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF), based in Bozeman, Mont., was founded in 1977 by wild sheep conservationists and enthusiasts. With a membership of more than 10,000 worldwide, WSF is the premier advocate for wild sheep and other mountain wildlife and their habitats. WSF has raised and expended more than $135 million on wild sheep habitat and population enhancements, education, and conservation advocacy programs in North America, Europe, and Asia to “Put and Keep Wild Sheep on the Mountain®.” These and other efforts have increased bighorn sheep populations in North America from historic lows in the 1950-60s of 25,000 to more than 85,000 today. www.wildsheepfoundation.org.
