started in 1974
Bozeman, Montana
- 1974 formed Foundation for North American Wild Sheep (FNAWS)
- 1977 incorporated as a non-profit
- 2008 FNAWS changed name to Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF)
- has raised and put on the mountain more than $115 million
– desert bighorn sheep have soared threefold in North America, from around 25,000 in the 1950s to 85,000 today - 12,000 WSF, Chapter and Affiliate members
Wild Sheep Foundation
412 Pronghorn Trail
Bozeman, Montana 59718
406.404.8750
About the Wild Sheep Foundation
The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) is a hunter-founded conservation organization headquartered in Bozeman, Montana. It began in 1974 as the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep (FNAWS), when a group of sheep hunters set out to raise money for restoring wild sheep and protecting their habitat, and it was incorporated as a nonprofit in 1977. In 2008 the group adopted its current name to reflect a broader mission covering wild mountain ungulates and their habitats worldwide.
For gun owners and hunters, WSF is one of the clearest examples of the North American conservation model at work: hunter dollars, special permit and tag auctions, and volunteer chapters fund state, provincial and tribal wildlife agencies, habitat work, research and transplants. Bighorn numbers that had fallen to roughly 25,000 in the 1950s have since grown to about 85,000 across North America. WSF also runs youth and new-hunter programs, including the S.H.E.E.P. shooting, hunting and ethics program, and its annual Sheep Show convention in Reno, Nevada, draws more than 15,000 members and hunter-conservationists. The organization remains active in 2026, with Gray Thornton serving as president and CEO.
Key Facts
- 1974: Foundation for North American Wild Sheep (FNAWS) formed by sheep hunters
- 1977: Incorporated as a nonprofit to fund wild sheep restoration
- 2008: FNAWS renamed the Wild Sheep Foundation
- FY 2021-2022: Cumulative fundraising reported at $136 million; $6.6 million distributed that year
- January 18-20, 2024: Sheep Show convention held in Reno, Nevada
- January 22-24, 2026: Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience scheduled at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center
Sources
- NRA Hunters’ Leadership Forum: Hunters’ Dollars Sustain Wild Sheep (2024)
- Candid (GuideStar): Wild Sheep Foundation profile
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