The Conklin Foundation has announced their 2026 award winner as Jeff Demaske.
Demaske was born in Mauston, Wisconsin, in 1968 and started hunting at an early age on his family farm in central Wisconsin, primarily hunting grouse and squirrels with a .410/.22 over/under shotgun. Eventually, he moved on to hunting white-tailed deer. After college, Jeff moved to Greeley, Colorado, and started multiple construction, land development, and infrastructure companies.
Jeff’s primary passion is mountain hunting. He has hunted 36 Ovis species, harvesting more than 91 rams, including multiples and completing 13 Grand Slams of North American Sheep. He’s successfully harvested 38 Capra species, with over 50 total billies. In total, he has harvested more than 300 species around the world. In addition to his passion for mountain game, Jeff always looks forward to his yearly trips with friends and family to hunt white-tailed deer and mule deer on his ranch in Kansas.
Not only is Jeff a dedicated hunter, but he is a staunch conservationist. He is a life member of the Wild Sheep Foundation, Grand Slam Club/Ovis, Safari Club International, Dallas Safari Club, and countless smaller chapters and affiliates. He is a dual member of the WSF Marco Polo Society (#29 and #100) and gives back by 100% donating hunts to the <1 Club, as well as a Dall sheep hunt to a United States Marine Corps and Purple Heart recipient.
