2016 - Kenneth Barr, California
Kenneth Barr is a man who has a love for the land, raises pears and wine grapes in Northern California, and has an incurable passion for hunting.
Growing up in Northern California hunting on the family farm and taking small game, feral hogs, and black tail deer, Ken graduated from UC Davis, which followed by a short career working for an Ag Bank. However, he soon discovered that his love of the outdoors couldn’t be satisfied by sitting in an office. Ken moved to Lake County, California, where he purchased his first pear orchard. Over the years he grew and expanded his acreage into a successful agricultural business. Ken continued to hunt deer in California and the western U.S. for years, but he always had dreams of traveling the world for big game.
With his first international sheep hunt to British Columbia in 1991, Ken quickly contracted a severe case of sheep fever and his hunting odyssey began. Between 1997 and 1998, Ken took twelve different species of wild sheep in a single twelve-month period, something that possibly no one else has ever done. It was on one of these sheep hunts that Ken encountered an international hunter who convinced him he should broaden his hunting horizon and hunt not only sheep but other species worldwide. Ken took on this challenge and to date has hunted in 52 countries; extensively in North America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, including trips to South America and the South Pacific.
Ken has always set very high standards and goals for himself, and these apply to his passion for hunting. Some of the goals he has achieved include receiving awards such as the Grand Slam of North American Sheep (3x), the Ovis World Slam (3x), the Capra World Slam (2x), the Triple Slam (2x), the Capra Super Slam 30, the Ovis Super Slam 30, and the Super Slam of North American Big Game.
Ken has been honored to receive the 2008 SCI Hunting and Conservation Award, the 2012 Conklin Award, the 2012 Ullmann Award – Magnum, the 2014 SCI International Hunter Award, the 2015 OVIS Award, and he was also a 2015 Pantheon recipient.
A Life Member of the NRA, Wild Sheep Foundation, Grand Slam Club/Ovis, SCI, Mule Deer Foundation, Wild Sheep Foundation Summit, and a Member of the Fund Raising Committee: Central Coast Chapter MDF, Ken is a strong believer in Wildlife Conservation and Education. He is a contributor to the SCI Foundation Hunter Legacy 100 Fund, the Conklin Endowment Fund, the Wild Sheep Foundation: Chadwick Ram Society, the Mule Deer Endowment Fund, Weatherby Foundation International, and Grand Slam/Ovis. Ken sponsors anti-poaching programs in Africa as well as several local conservation programs.
It is often asked “Who is this guy?” when referring to Ken. A very quiet and reserved man when it comes to talking about himself, Ken loves to hunt, especially Cous Deer, elephants, and cape buffalo, and he quietly goes about doing what he loves. He isn’t a big talker, but if you are fortunate enough to get him started Ken has some great stories that he tells with the passion only another hunter could truly appreciate.
