Wild Sheep Show

Renée Thornton
Women Hunt® Founder & Chair



Renée Thornton is a world traveler and Seven Continent Club member, and the Founder and Chair of the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Women Hunt® program and committee, as well as the Women in Hunting® initiative. Raised in rural Alberta in a large French-Ukrainian Catholic family, she built a 30-year career in federal government and politics before retiring, marrying her husband, and relocating to Montana. Although she wasn’t raised in a hunting family, Renée became a hunter in 2016 after years of seeking more ethical, locally sourced meat. Her experience as a solo, adult-onset female hunter fuels her commitment to helping more women enter hunting and conservation, and to strengthening understanding of hunters’ role in wildlife and habitat conservation. Renée is an active volunteer, public speaker, and advocate, using her professional background to engage legislators on hunting heritage and rights. She also works to connect and collaborate with wildlife professionals through partnerships such as The Wildlife Society and through industry collaborations. A dedicated supporter of wild sheep conservation, she holds multiple life memberships across WSF and its chapters and affiliates, along with life memberships in SCI and the NRA. She recently joined WSF’s Marco Polo Society, establishing an endowment to help secure the future of wild sheep. Outside of advocacy, Renée enjoys hunting, fly fishing, hiking, backpacking, and camping. Her hunting experience includes a wide range of North American and international species, and she aspires to pursue wild sheep and become an accomplished mountain hunter. She is also an avid reader, writer, business leader, mentor, and is bilingual in English and French.

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