ADBSS

The Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society

Dedicated to the Conservation and Population Enhancement of Bighorn Sheep in Arizona.

In 2024 the Arizona Game and Fish department has been posing the question of whether the auction of the special big game license tags fit the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

In the video below, Mr. Gray Thornton, President and CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation addresses this concern by reviewing the history of the primary source of, and what has now become the standard bearer of, funding wild sheep conservation in North America. A model of funding wildlife conservation so successful and efficient that it has been copied in many other countries.

Jim Shocky presents a little history on the Desert Bighorn Sheep and the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society. Learn how Arizona went from less than 700 sheep to over 6000 and how we raised over 9.5 million dollars for Sheep conservation! Watch for the curl on the ram at the 5:03 mark! 

FUNDING

Funding for the on-the-ground conservation projects we perform comes from various sources such as fundraising events, donations and grants. We also market and auction/raffle donated sheep tags by Arizona Game and Fish Department through their Special Big Game Tag Program. 100% of the dollars raised from these tags are given to the Arizona Game and Fish Department for bighorn sheep conservation. The list below shows the dollars raised annually from these tags.

2023    

$270,000  ADBSS Desert Auction

$200,000  ADBSS Rocky Auction

  $89,550  AZBGSR Desert Raffle

2022

$300,000  ADBSS Desert Auction

$260,000  ADBSS Rocky Auction

$162,550  AZBGSR Desert Raffle

2021    

$315,000 ADBSS Desert Auction              

$210,000  ADBSS Rocky Auction

$167,425  AZBGSR Desert Raffle

2020    

$270,000  ADBSS Desert Auction

$270,000  ADBSS Rocky Auction

$202,675  AZBGSR Desert Raffle

2019    

$265,000  ADBSS Desert Auction

$200,000  ADBSS Rocky Auction

$167,575  AZBGSR Desert Raffle

2018    

$315,000  ADBSS Desert Auction

$200,000  ADBSS Rocky Auction

$173,175  AZBGSR Desert Raffle

2017    

$210,000A  DBSS Desert Auction

$200,000  ADBSS Rocky Auction

$168,925  AZBGSR Desert Raffle

2016

$380,000  ADBSS Desert Auction

$197,500  ADBSS Rocky Auction

$162,650  AZBGSR Desert Raffle

See records from 1984-2011

2015    

$225,000  ADBSS Desert Auction

$115,000  ADBSS Rocky Auction

$161,500  AZBGSR Desert Raffle

2014    

1$45,000  ADBSS Desert Auction

$180,000  ADBSS Rocky Auction

$151,800  AZBGSR Desert Raffle

2013    

$160,000  ADBSS Desert Auction

  $97,000  ADBSS Rocky Auction

$132,750  AZBGSR Desert Raffle

2012    

$160,000  ADBSS Desert Auction

  $75,000  ADBSS Rocky Auction

$130,450  AZBGSR Desert Raffle