We’re thrilled to welcome back legendary guide Tanis Barkman to the podcast for the third installment in our Mountain Ready series — designed specifically for sheep hunters gearing up for their fall mountain hunts.

In this episode, we dive deep into one of the most critical skills for alpine success: glassing. Tanis shares her proven strategies for making the most of your optics in the high country, offering insight that can make the difference between spotting a ram or going home empty-handed.

But as always, the conversation doesn’t stop there. We explore what success truly means in the mountains — a theme Tanis speaks to with rare honesty and deep reverence. Her passion for sheep hunting, the wilderness, and the wild sheep themselves will leave you inspired and ready to tackle the backcountry with a renewed perspective.

Proudly sponsored by SITKA Gear

Supported by our Conservation Partners:

Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI, and Zeiss

Talk is Sheep welcomes Keith Balfourd, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Wild Sheep Foundation, to the podcast. A seasoned veteran in the conservation community, Keith has been deeply involved in numerous fundraising initiatives that benefit wild sheep and other wildlife species.

In this episode, Keith discusses the Wild Sheep Foundation’s support of the 2025–2026 Arizona Game and Fish Commission Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep Raffle Tag. Every dollar raised through this raffle will go directly to the Arizona Game & Fish Department Habitat Partnership Committee, furthering their mission to steward and protect the state’s wild sheep populations.

When it comes to managing a high-demand, limited-opportunity species like wild sheep, license sales alone aren’t enough—unless each tag costs tens of thousands of dollars. That’s why wildlife agencies offer special auction and raffle tags, which generate critical funding for conservation. Without these supplemental funds, there would simply be fewer sheep on the mountain.

Keith and Kyle explore the world of conservation permits and how fundraising models are evolving. The Wild Sheep Foundation continues to support this important raffle, even as the Arizona Game and Fish Department has moved away from auction permits—an act that underscores the Foundation’s unwavering commitment to wild sheep and conservation.

Thanks to funds raised from auction and raffle tags, Arizona has seen bighorn sheep hunting opportunities grow from just 44 tags in 1984 to 156 tags in 2024—a clear testament to the power of sportsmen-led conservation.

While entering the raffle may be a personal decision, your participation supports a cause far greater than any individual—Arizona’s wild sheep. That’s the true spirit of conservation.

To enter for a chance to win this coveted tag, visit: https://wildsheep.fanthem.io/give/sheep/online-raffles/bhs?referralCode=talkissheep

Talk Is Sheep is the official podcast of the Wild Sheep Society of BC. Proudly sponsored by SITKA Gear and supported by our Conservation Partners: Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI, and Zeiss.

We sit down with renowned BC hunter, hunting ambassador, filmmaker, and backcountry legend Adam Foss. The Foss family name is synonymous with chasing adventure and achieving remarkable success in the mountains.

This is Part Two of our Mountain Ready series, where we dive into the thoughts and preparations leading up to the sheep opener—topics that resonate with anyone planning a mountain hunt.

Adam covers a wide range of topics that will help set you up for success in the mountains. We explore what success really means, and discuss mountain hunt preparation, planning new hunts, mapping unfamiliar areas, selecting reliable hunting partners, and, of course, gear. As a recognized gear expert, Adam shares his insights on essential equipment—including clothing, emergency gear, sleeping bags, boots, and much more.

Adam’s passion and respect for the mountains always shine through. He offers invaluable advice not just on achieving success, but also on how to push through adversity and even enjoy the experience when energy and morale run low.

Talk Is Sheep is the official podcast of the Wild Sheep Society of BC. Proudly sponsored by SITKA Gear and supported by our Conservation Partners: Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI, and Zeiss.

Greg and Kyle welcome Washington Wild Sheep Foundation Treasurer Joe Hill and his son (also Washington Director) Mike Hill to the podcast while at the Wild Sheep Foundation Chapter and Affiliates Summit XVII in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

We often refer reverently to our Wild Sheep Family and the Hill family is truly a family dedicated to wild sheep. They are very active in their home state of Washington and the Washington Wild Sheep Foundation Chapter.

Joe and Mike discuss how they got involved in Washington Wild Sheep. We also dive into Joe's first wild sheep and go on to talk about his wife Kathy's Desert Bighorn Sheep harvest in Mexico. Mike played a pivotal role in both these hunts.

Of course we dive into conservation and the incredible work that the Washington Wild Sheep Foundation is doing. We chat about an important project that Washington Wild Sheep Foundation has supported the Wild Sheep Society of BC. They have signed on as a Conservation Partner for our California Bighorn Psoroptes Drug Treatment Trial in the Okanagan. An incredilbe story of the great work we are doing by collaborating.

Talk is Sheep is the Official Podcast of the Wild Sheep Society of BC. The official sponsor of the Wild Sheep Society of BC is SITKA Gear and our Conservation Partners - Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI and Zeiss.

We sit down with BC Sheep Guide Nolan Osborne. Nolan spends his fall on the mountain and we pick his brain on sheep hunting, aging sheep and being selective.

This is part one of our Mountain Ready series. We talk about the things we are all thinking about as we approach the sheep opener or topics that pertain to anyone planning a mountain hunt.

Nolan talks a lot about how he learned to age sheep, his go to strategies for aging and what tips he uses when trying to work out whether a ram is legal. We also spend a lot of time on being selective and what that means. Sometimes just because a ram is legal it maybe not the right ram to take and why it is important to choose a mature animal.

Talk is Sheep is the Official Podcast of the Wild Sheep Society of BC. The official sponsor of the Wild Sheep Society of BC is SITKA Gear and our Conservation Partners - Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI and Zeiss.

We welcome Mitchell Jones to the podcast. Mitchell is a regular guy - day job, family, loves to hunt and explore the outdoors. But, he now has the distinction of being on the receiving end of an encounter with a Black Bear.

This spring Mitchell and a buddy were out chasing early season bears with his dogs. They happen across a boar and after short work, the bear is down. Mitchell's three dogs are on the kill, but something was not quite right when they arrived at where the bear went down. Needless to say a struggle ensued with Mitchell finding himself with a boar on top of him.

We dive into the nuances of the hunt including the take aways that both hunters learned from the experience. We also explore what it is like hunting with dogs and how Mitchell got involved with them.

Mitchell is very knowledgable on the subject and he certainly tells a great story about his experience. While there was some blood spilled, in the end Mitchell walked away with a legendary story.

For more on Mitchell you can find him at @the_hunting_fool250

Check out our Magnificent Sevin Rides Again Raffle at: www.darelle.com/pp/bhcrc4

Check out our Leica Optics Package Raffle at: www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/wss-bc-leica

Check out our Backcountry Backpack Raffle at: www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/wss-bc-backcountrybackpack

Talk is Sheep is the Official Podcast of the Wild Sheep Society of BC. The official sponsor of the Wild Sheep Society of BC is SITKA Gear and our Conservation Partners - Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI and Zeiss.

We welcome Wild Sheep Foundation Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, Corey Mason to the podcast. We discuss Corey's decorated history in the conservation space, his journey to the WIld Sheep Foundation and some of the pressing issues currently in the spotlight.

We talked lots about a current issue we are seeing a lot of, Public Lands. Corey shares some of the threats emerging and what we really should be advocating for. We talk about some of the current issues and concerns for the wild sheep community and recent wins for wild sheep.

Check out the WIld Sheep Foundation at www.wildsheepfoundation.org

Talk is Sheep is the Official Podcast of the Wild Sheep Society of BC. The official sponsor of the Wild Sheep Society of BC is SITKA Gear and our Conservation Partners - Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI and Zeiss.

We welcome a friend of wild sheep to the podcast, Ram Hunter Pallister. Shane is well known throughout the sheep hunting community. Recently on a sheep hunt in Mexico, he was struggling more than usual and a after struggling throughout the hunt, he was convince that he needed to seek medical attention.

After rounds of tests in Mexico, traveling back to Canada, it became clear that Shane was suffering from stage four lung cancer - that's right there is no stage five. One thing we all know about Ram Hunter Pallister is that he is a fighter and has spent his whole life fighting to overcome health changes and remain on the mountain. He is not about to back down.

We discusses Shane's challenges, how he is coping and what is next for him. Recently his friends put together a couple of fundraising opportunities to support Ram Hunt in his treatments as he seeks medical care in the US. A great event was hosted in Ft St John with Cody Robbins attending and there is currently a Go Fund Me to support Shane: https://gofund.me/6e01cca5. Donations can also be sent direct to Shane at Trophysheephunter@gmail.com.

Talk is Sheep is the Official Podcast of the Wild Sheep Society of BC. The official sponsor of the Wild Sheep Society of BC is SITKA Gear and our Conservation Partners - Frontiersmen Gear, Gunwerks, OnX Maps, Precision Optics, Schnee's, Stone Glacier, Wild TV, YETI and Zeiss.