KUIU intends to preserve hunting for generations with the latest effort from its Conservation Direct program.
Conservation Direct is a conservation initiative consisting entirely of company and customer-funded efforts, using every dollar invested to complete each project. These directives are based on environmental needs identified by organizations in the game and habitat management categories to create hunting opportunities for future generations.
KUIU launched Conservation Direct in January 2020 with a bighorn sheep transplant in the West to kick start the new Rocky Mountain Bighorn nursery program on Antelope Island in Utah and to reintroduce bighorns in the North Dakota badlands. More than two years in the making, the initiative came together with the reintroduction of three Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep herds to the West.
For its latest initiative, the brand partnered with the Nevada Department of Wildlife and the Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn to provide water for bighorn sheep in the San Antonio Mountains near Tonopah, NV.
More than 30 volunteers were flown into the area to assemble an 11,500-gallon artificial water catchment system in a remote location in the mountains. The system consists of a water catch, water container, drinker, and fencing to ensure that bighorn sheep in the area have consistent access to water. Through this initiative, the water guzzler rainwater and snow and then use the water catch to store water in five large containers. The drinkers provide a structure for the animals to drink from while fencing surrounds the installation and keeps the guzzler from being destroyed.
“KUIU Conservation Direct and our customers are thrilled to team up with the great people at the Nevada Division of Wildlife and The Fraternity of the Desert bighorn for the build of this Guzzler in the San Antonio Mountains,” said Brendan Burns, chief hunt officer & director of conservation. “Projects like this create a legacy of action for the people who donate and volunteer while helping the wildlife of Nevada.”
More information about the installation of KUIU’s San Antonio One Water Guzzler can be found here. See the full video documenting the installation here.