Thanks to the generosity of our loyal members, GSCO has been able to continue to be the established documentation and records-keeping organization for legally taken Grand Slams of North American Wild Sheep, Ovis and Capra World Slams, Youth 3, Super Tens, Super 25s and Super Slams of North American Big Game. It is through these milestones that we promote, excite, and challenge our members to pursue game throughout the world. We truly believe that Hunting Is The #1 Conservation Tool.
However, we also feel that it is necessary to do even more.
Here are some recent GSCONSERVATION initiatives:
Grand Slam Club/Ovis and KUIU Conservation Direct Fund Record Bighorn Sheep Translocation
GSCO and SCI: Working Together for a Common Goal
GSCO’s “Boots on the Ground” Initiative Kicks Off with Mt. Taylor Mule Deer Project
GSCO’s “Boots on the Ground” Conservation, sustaining today…saving tomorrow.
GSCO ANNOUNCES NEW DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION
GSCO is committed to becoming a leader in stand-alone, boots-on-the-ground conservation projects, including:
· Guzzlers
· Habitat improvement projects
· Transplant and relocation projects
We will also continue our collaborative efforts with other conservation partners, working toward a common goal: ensuring robust and thriving wildlife populations where future generations have the opportunity to hunt.
I am happy to announce that, effective February 1, 2025, GSCO has created and filled a new Director of Conservation position. Taking inspiration from KUIU’s Conservation Direct playbook, we will launch our own boots-on-the-ground projects. These initiatives will not only focus on sheep but also include elk, antelope, and other North American species. While primarily centered in North America, our future projects will expand beyond these borders to other countries as well.
Please join me in welcoming our Director of Conservation, Darren Tucker. Darren has dedicated more than 30 years to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and we are incredibly fortunate to have someone with his expertise leading this brand-new position.
– Jason Price
And now, a message from Darren:
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country.” That statement holds true today and can be expanded to the international level. I am truly honored to have the privilege and opportunity to serve Jason, the Board and the GSCO membership as your Director of Conservation. Like most of you, I’ve enjoyed a lifelong passion for wildlife and hunting and will hit the ground running to implement truly impactful wildlife conservation projects on behalf of GSCO.
With the assistance of the newly formed French Outfitters Association (FOA) we have just completed our first French Mainland Corsican Mouflon (FMCM) conservation project consisting of more than 5 hectares of heavy mulching, substantial light mulching and more than 15 hectares of cultivation for habitat improvement with great success in southern France.
Also, in partnership with WSSBC, we will be helping with a prescribed burn for wild sheep enhancement in northeastern BC with the overall goal of restoring and enhancing the habitat to ensure sustainable sheep populations and to support ecosystem diversity at a landscape scale. The objectives of the burn program are to:
Use prescribed fire to treat between 250-1,000 ha of sheep habitat annually to sustain and enhance lambing, summer, and winter sheep habitat across northeastern BC, measure the effectiveness of prescribed burn treatments on achieving habitat and wildlife objectives, and extension and reporting of results. Secondary project objectives include:
Contributing to fuel management objectives, achieving landscape-level objectives identified in higher-level plans, and maintaining ecosystem diversity.
The GSCO Hunting & Heritage Foundation is also doing great things for not only hunting conservation but educating our youth on the importance of conservation through hunting. Just recently we were able to partner with R3 to hire two full time employees with a 3:1 match from the Pittman-Robertson Act. The new additions will be instrumental in implementing our message of conservation into our education system. This is a State by State initiative and we are hopeful with our partners we can expand into all 50 states in the very near future.
We are always on the lookout for opportunities to have a meaningful, sustainable impact on the conservation of North American species and other mountain species of the world.
Grand Slam Club/Ovis – Canada is happy to be a part of Ian Gazeley’s PhD research project which addresses the significant threat posed by the bacterium Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M.ovi) to North America’s wild sheep. M.ovi, commonly found in domestic sheep and goats, can be transmitted to wild bighorn populations, leading to severe disease outbreaks. This research is a cooperative effort between Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta, the government of Alberta, the University of Alberta, the Alberta Professional Outfitters Society, Parks Canada, GSCO – Canada, and several NGOs. The goal is to understand the movement and habitat selection of Rocky Mountain bighorn rams to help predict and mitigate disease spread.
The study has deployed GPS collars on 91 bighorn rams in southwest Alberta to track their movements and habitat use. Data from these collars, combined with information from already collared rams in Banff and Waterton National Parks, is providing insights into metapopulation connectivity, disease risk, and predation rates. In 2024, GSCO – Canada contributed over $10,000 to support collaring costs for this research.
The project will enhance understanding of bighorn ram ecology, identify high-risk areas for disease transmission, and inform management strategies to protect these iconic animals from devastating outbreaks. The research is expected to produce valuable data for wildlife conservation and contribute to the long-term health and sustainability of bighorn sheep populations.
