CONSERVATION AWARDS

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 APRIL 2, 2002 

     The Texas Bighorn Society was honored to receive the “Lone Star Legends Partnership Award” from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, in recognition of our exceptional work with them in restoring desert bighorns to the state of Texas. Mr. Clay Brewer and Mr. Mike Pittman, both biologists for TP&W, and integral components of the successful sheep program in Texas, nominated TBS for this honor. The award was presented by TP&W Executive Director Robert L. Cook at their annual Lone Star Legends Banquet held at the University of Texas Alumni Center in Austin, Texas.
     In the words of Mr. Cook, “Parks and Wildlife has had no better long-term partner than the Texas Bighorn Society, nor have we had one with a nobler purpose, the preservation of desert bighorn sheep in Texas. In 1981, this dedicated group breathed life back into a program that was virtually dead, and broke! Since that time this relatively small group has generated over one million dollars for the restoration, conservation, and management of desert bighorn sheep. About $60,000.00 annually is spent on work projects every spring. Even more impressive is the fact that every penny is going to the program – there is no overhead – zero administrative costs.
     “This generous band of heroes are committed to the preservation of this unique breed of wild sheep for generations of Texans yet unborn. This group does not settle for just raising money, they work, they have fun, and they succeed!!!” 
     TBS President Mr. Jerrell Coburn, accepted the award with several of the Board of Directors in attendance, but it was earned by the unflagging support and selfless labor of the finest group of conservationists to ever grace an organization! 

CONGRATULATIONS TBS!

March 6, 2001

Presented by Mr. Ruben Cantu of Texas Parks & Wildlife
on behalf of the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society.

     It is my honor to present the Excellence in Wildlife Conservation Award for Outstanding Achievement to the Texas Bighorn Society.
    I’d like to share a little history about the Texas Bighorn Society and their efforts to restore desert bighorn sheep to Texas.

     Historically, desert bighorn sheep occupied most of the arid mountain ranges of the Trans Pecos region of Texas. By the early 1900s, Texas bighorn populations had declined or were extirpated from much of the historic ranges. These declines resulted from a combination of factors including: competition for forage by domestic livestock, introduced diseases from domestic animals, unrestricted hunting, and restriction of movements by net-wire fencing. 
     The last documented sighting of a native Texas bighorn occurred in October of 1958 on Sierra Diablo Wildlife Management Area. It is believed that the last native Texas bighorns were gone by the early 1960s.

     In 1981, a small group of bighorn sheep supporters formed the Texas Bighorn Society. The goal of the Texas Bighorn Society is to …” further the reestablishment of Desert Bighorn Sheep into Texas.”

     TBS’s key focus is on habitat improvements. TBS has raised money for, and helped install more than 30 guzzlers on Sierra Diablo WMA, Black Gap WMA, and Elephant Mountain WMA, and a variety of private ranches in west Texas.
     Although, the waterers are intended to enhance bighorn habitat and ultimately survival, a wealth of other wildlife benefit including black bears, mountain lions, mule deer, javelina, and a variety of song birds and other nongame species.

     TBS raised more than $200,000 for the materials and construction of  a 10-acre brood facility at Sierra Diablo WMA that has resulted in the release of over 175 sheep. TBS has helped defer costs to TPWD for the purchase and transport of several out-of-state transplant of bighorns.
     Most recently, TBS volunteers helped TPWD with the capture and relocation of 45 bighorns from Elephant Mountain WMA to Black Gap WMA.

     TBS has played an active role in educating the public about desert bighorn sheep and conservation. TBS has co-hosted a variety of public forums regarding bighorn sheep, has an informative website, produces a newsletter for TBS members, and can be seen regularly at wildlife functions with their Information Booth/Display at events like Texas Wildlife EXPO, Safari Club Meetings, and Foundation for North American Wild Sheep.
     TBS has also been a co-sponsor for a variety of research projects.  They have provided capital equipment to TPWD for research projects, funded a long range planning project for desert sheep, and are currently sponsoring a research project with TPWD and Sul Ross State University evaluating guzzler use by desert bighorns.

     One of the outcome measures used by TBS for their role in reintroducing desert bighorns to Texas is the amount of hunting opportunities that are available. In 1984, a TBS member purchased a bighorn hunt in Utah and opted to donate the tag to the restoration efforts in Texas.  This generosity was acknowledged by the governor of Utah, who matched the donation with another sheep, both of which were transplanted to Texas.
     To date, over 20 sheep permits have been issued to private landowners or public hunters for harvest of desert bighorn sheep. 

     Ultimately, TBS is one of many partners that have aided in the restoration of desert bighorn sheep in Texas. They have formed strong alliances with TPWD, the Texas General Land Office, private landowners in west Texas, the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, and university researchers.
     Their membership is a hard working, generous group that puts their money where there mouth is. They have raised over $1 million all of which goes back into the resource: desert bighorn sheep in Texas!

     With the efforts of the Texas Bighorn Society, the desert bighorn sheep population currently stands at over 300 individuals across 7 mountain ranges: the Baylor, Beach, Sierra Diablo, Sierra Vieja, and the Van Horn Mountains, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's (TPWD) Black Gap and Elephant Mountain WMAs.