About Us

Preserving a Legacy

The Texas Bighorn Society (TBS) traces its roots back to 1981 when a small group of passionate bighorn supporters joined forces to form the Texas Chapter of FNAWS (Foundation for North American Wild Sheep) and the Texas Bighorn Society. Their shared goal: to spearhead the re-introduction efforts for bighorn sheep in Texas, which had faced severe decline due to habitat loss and overhunting.

This dedicated group embarked on an intense lobbying campaign, seeking support from the Texas Legislature and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. Their advocacy efforts bore fruit when the two groups merged under the umbrella of the Texas Bighorn Society, garnering crucial support from influential figures such as House Speaker Gib Lewis, TP&W Commissioner Perry Bass, Director Charles Travis, and others.

In 1982-83, TBS raised over $200,000 to construct four 10-acre brood pastures in the Sierra Diablo Wildlife Management Area. These pastures served as the nucleus of the revitalized bighorn re-introduction efforts and were formally donated to the State of Texas in 1983. The donation marked the beginning of a groundbreaking initiative to bring desert bighorns from Arizona, Nevada, and Utah to Texas, with TBS members playing a pivotal role in the transportation and release of these majestic animals.

Since then, more than 175 lambs have been raised and released into the mountains of Texas from this facility, laying the foundation for the resurgence of bighorn sheep populations in the state.

In 1985, the success of the restoration effort caught the attention of Mr. C.G. Johnson, who generously donated his 23,000-acre Elephant Mountain Ranch to TP&W. This donation led to the creation of a wildlife management area dedicated to desert bighorns. Subsequent transplants from Sierra Diablo pens to Elephant Mountain WMA in 1987 kickstarted a thriving bighorn population, which now numbers more than 150 animals.

Elephant Mountain WMA has also been the site of the Texas Grand Slam Hunt since 1996, generating funds for sheep management in Texas and providing hunting opportunities for sportsmen and women across the state.

Today, nearly 1500 bighorns roam seven locations in the mountains of West Texas, but TBS’s mission is far from complete. The society remains dedicated to returning bighorns to all their native ranges in the state, aiming to increase their numbers to approximately 3000. Funds raised from membership dues, annual Roundup Weekends, and auctions are channeled exclusively towards this noble cause.