For decades, the hunting and conservation community has advocated—through organizations, programs, and initiatives—for educating the non-hunting majority on the value of hunting to wildlife and habitat conservation. This need is even enshrined in the Wild Sheep Foundation mission: to educate the public and youth on sustainable use. But have we succeeded? Is this focus still critical? And how do we move the needle on public perception?

In this episode, Mark Hall of the Wild Origins Canada Foundation joins Gray N. Thornton to explore how storytelling can reach the "moderate middle"—impacting, educating, informing, and challenging thought around hunting and conservation. They discuss what messages resonate, which fall flat, and how to shape hearts and minds in a changing landscape.

Mark also shares the vision behind Project Grizzly Balance—an effort to restore the sustainable use of grizzly bears across British Columbia and beyond for the benefit of both wildlife and people.

Matt Besko—Executive Director of the Hunting and Fishing Branch with Alberta Forestry and Parks—joins Sheep Fever co-host Gray Thornton for a conversation on modern wildlife management. Besko oversees hunting and fishing regulations, allocation, trapping, carnivore management, and human-wildlife coexistence across Alberta.

With more than 30 years working as a wildlife, fisheries, and habitat biologist, he brings a practical perspective on balancing opportunity with long-term conservation. The discussion covers Alberta's management approach, bighorn sheep stewardship, and the realities of managing wildlife across a range of landscapes and competing interests.

They also get into hunting traditions in North America and Europe, and why those roots still matter. It's an honest conversation about the challenges, the tradeoffs, and why this work continues to matter.

In this episode of Sheep Fever, Gray Thornton sits down with Ricardo Olivieri of Beretta to explore what it means to represent a brand with over 500 years of history. Olivieri shares insight into Beretta's enduring philosophy, from its deep-rooted commitment to craftsmanship to the generational knowledge passed down through its workforce. The conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at how a firearm moves from concept to completion, highlighting the precision, artistry, and innovation that define the brand.

The episode also touches on Beretta's role in conservation, including a standout moment from the 2026 Sheep Show where a one-of-a-kind SO6 EELL Sparviere Marco Polo shotgun raised more than $500,000. Those funds are now supporting wild sheep conservation efforts through the ION Partnership across Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada—putting a 500-year legacy to work on the ground for wild sheep.