Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- A trophy bull can turn up almost anywhere in elk country but opportunities to take one are rare.

When a monster steps out, a hunter often has no time to count antler points, much less compute scores. But not always. Sometimes there’s ample chance to really focus and size up an elk in your search for the bull of a lifetime.

Will you know a world-class trophy if you see one?

“All elk hunters are fascinated by antlers, but not everyone recognizes what it takes to grow trophies. Big headgear is a product of genetics, age and nutrition provided by great habitat,” said David Allen, president and CEO of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. “Learning to field judge antlers will help you understand even more about the elk you’re looking at, whether it’s one for the record books–or one to let walk away and grow up.”

RMEF offers the following general guidelines adapted from material provided by Boone and Crockett Club. For details, read “A Boone and Crockett Club Field Guide to Measuring and Judging Big Game.” Visit www.boone-crockett.org.

Counting Points–Most mature bull elk are 6x6s. An elk’s first antlers are usually spikes. In good habitat, a bull may have a 5-point rack as a 2-1/2-year-old and then a small six-point rack as a 3-1/2-year-old. Its best antlers, however, usually come at age 9-1/2 to 12-1/2, so remember that not every 6×6 is a trophy. Instantly identifying a six-point bull is not difficult. The fourth point, sometimes called the dagger point, is normally the longest point and most distinctive feature of an elk rack. If the main beam goes straight back from the dagger you’re almost certainly looking at a five-point antler. If there’s another point rising upward behind the dagger, perhaps making a horizontal “Y,” then you’re looking at a six-point antler.

A perfect, typical trophy rack has a combination of long points, long beams, good mass and a wide spread. However, some of these criteria are more important than others. Let’s look at each.

Beam Length–Most great elk have long main beams. In the all-time records book, the average beam length of the top 10 typical heads is over 58 inches. However, the average beam length of the bottom 10 is 55-4/8 inches–not much difference. If a bull appears able to “scratch his rear-end with his antlers,” it likely has the frame to be a trophy. No need to spend much more time considering beam length.

Inside Spread–Boone and Crockett records show a wide variation on spreads of trophy elk. Interestingly, the narrowest head in the book outscores the widest, which should be enough to tell you that spread isn’t everything. The top 10 typical entries range from 38-2/8 to 53 inches of inside spread for an average of 46-2/8 inches. The bottom 10 range from 38 to 49-4/8 inches for an average of 42-4/8 inches. Again, not a significant difference. In the field, simply look for a spread that stretches well outside the ears. This should indicate a spread somewhere in the low to mid-40s, and that’s really all you need be concerned about.

Mass–Most really big elk have heavy antlers that carry good mass through the length of the main beam. However, mass is very hard to judge. It’s unusual to have a lot of time to look at a big bull and mass is not where you should spend most of it. Just remember that very few elk considered “big” in the more visible characteristics have thin antlers. When hunting, quickly look for antlers that are visibly as large or larger in circumference than the ear bases, which are about 9 inches around. More importantly, the antlers should maintain that thickness to at least the fifth point.

Tine Length–If you have time to study a bull, really look at the tines. Length of the points is the single most important trophy criteria. The good news is that point length is one of the easiest things to judge because there is a yardstick. On a big American elk, the distance from the burr of the antler to the tip of the nose is about 15-4/8 inches. Let’s start at the bottom of the antlers and work up. A curved brow tine that appears to reach the end of the nose will be about 18 inches long. The next two points are usually shorter, but they still need to approach the burr-to-nose yardstick. Now comes the truth-teller, the dagger point. The dagger point is usually the longest point, and on a monster bull it will be half-again longer than the burr-to-nose yardstick, or even almost double that measurement. On a 6×6, the last point matters a lot. It has to be strong, at least 8 or 10 inches. This is less important if the bull is a 7×7, but you still need some inches in the top of the rack.

For a typical American elk, Boone and Crockett requires a minimum of 360 points to enter the Awards Book, and 375 points for entry into the All-time Records Book. For most bulls, inside spread is only 10-15 percent of its score. Mass is usually less than 20 percent. Beam length is worth close to 25 percent. This math means tine length accounts for about 40 percent of the score, sometimes more but rarely less.

So let’s look through the spotting scope at a really good 6×6 American elk. Get your notebook out. The bull seems to have really long beams, almost scratching his rump. Estimate 55 inches on each side: 110 points. Spread is fairly wide but not noticeably splayed out. Figure 45 inches of inside spread: 45 points. Mass isn’t huge, but pretty good. It starts at a normally heavy 9 inches and keeps it pretty well, maybe 30 inches of circumference on each antler: 60 points. So far, the bull is totaling 215.

Now let’s work out the points. The brow tines curve nicely and seem to pass the tip of the nose, about 18 inches each: 36 points. The next two points are about 16 inches each on both sides: 64 points. The daggers are quite good, about half again longer than the burr-to-nose yardstick. Let’s give them 22 inches each: 44 points. The back fork is also pretty good, about 8 inches on each side: 16 points.

Assuming both sides are equal, with no deductions for lack of symmetry, and you’re looking at a bull that will score 375–a Boone and Crockett-class typical bull!

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.9 million acres–a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- A traveling exhibit of world-class trophy elk is designed to help the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation inform the public about America’’s ongoing need for wildlife habitat stewardship and conservation.

RMEF’s 2011 Great Elk Tour, themed “Great Elk Need Great Habitat,” is appearing across the U.S. at sports and outdoor shows, sporting goods retailers, Pro Bull Riders events and more.

Tour schedules, photos and other details are updated frequently at www.greatelktour.org.

Sponsors include Danner, Federal, Hunter’s Specialties, Realtree, Sitka and Trijicon.

“Massive antlers are a product of age, genetics and habitat—but, unfortunately, quality habitat is disappearing all across elk country. Undermanaged forests, invasive weeds, new developments and subdivisions, land use changes and other factors are taking a toll,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We hope the Great Elk Tour helps remind people of the need to take better care the places where elk and other wildlife live.”

The 2011 tour features six monster bulls from five different states:

• Arizona—Net score: 442-3/8 B&C typical—After several days of tracking this bull, locally nicknamed “Mr. Big” in the San Carlos area, hunter Dan Agnew finally got a shot following a half-mile run at 6,000 feet in 80-degree temperatures. Gross score: 454-6/8 B&C typical.
• Arizona—Net score: 413-2/8 B&C non-typical—During the late 2008 rifle season, hunter Roger Dandy harvested this giant non-typical bull on public land. The bull stands as the 13th largest non-typical bull of all time. Gross score: 435-2/8 B&C typical.
• Colorado—Net score: 410-3/8 B&C non-typical (approx.)—These Colorado sheds were the find of a lifetime and some of the biggest ever found in the state. The bull was later seen on game-trail cameras and many believe it is still in the area. Gross score: 422-5/8 B&C non-typical (approx.).
• Montana—Net score: 388-6/8 B&C typical—Dave Bymaster harvested this bull on “Block Management” land in Montana on Oct. 30, 2008. It was the hunter’s first elk, taken after five arduous days of hunting. Gross score: 393-5/8 B&C typical.
• Nevada—Net score: 415-0/8 B&C typical (approx.)—On July 31, 2009, Tyson Nelson found an elk shed while scouting for deer. The antler matched a shed found months earlier by another local resident, who graciously gave that antler to Nelson to complete the set. Gross score: XX B&C typical (approx.).
• Wyoming—Net score: 407-0/8 B&C typical—Chris Renner harvested this massive non-typical bull on public land during the general hunting season. The bull ranks in the Top 10 ever taken in Wyoming. These massive antlers weigh approximately 42 pounds each. Gross score: 420-0/8 B&C typical.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.8 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)-More than 3,900 acres in Nevada are slated to be enhanced for elk and other wildlife as a result of several projects selected to receive 2010 grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The new RMEF funding, totaling $58,330, also includes an education project grant that will benefit schoolteachers and students in Nevada.

“”We’re proud to continue our long tradition of funding outstanding conservation and education projects in Nevada, thanks to our volunteers across the state and their dedicated work in organizing and hosting banquets and other fundraisers over the past year,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Since 1984, our grants have helped complete 184 different projects in Nevada with a combined value of more than $14.8 million.””

This year’s RMEF grants will help fund the following projects:

Habitat Enhancement
In the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, RMEF grants will be used to help thin 1,500 acres of pinyon-juniper invasion in shrub habitat used as summer range by elk in the White Pine Mountains area; install two 1,800-gallon tanks, water collection devices and wildlife drinking mechanisms to improve two 640-acre sections of the White Pine/Grant-Quinn Range; and prescribe burn 1,000 acres and hand-thin 350 acres to remove conifer encroachment in sagebrush habitat in North Schell Creek area.

Conservation Education
RMEF is providing sponsorship for the Great Basin 2010 Teachers Workshop to help instructors and, by extension, students better understand the wildlife, biology, ecology, geology, archaeology and history of the region.

Another RMEF grant will be used to help with appraisal of a property being considered for acquisition, which would permanently protect habitat and open public access.

Habitat projects are selected for grants using science-based criteria and a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering agencies and universities. A committee of RMEF field staff and volunteers selects education projects.

Partners for 2010 projects in Nevada include the Bureau of Land Management, Nevada Department of Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service, other organizations, agencies and landowners.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.8 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Elk Research Headlines RMEF Grants in Kentucky

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- A habitat research project using radio tracking devices on 16-20 bull elk in Martin County, Ky., headlines a statewide list of conservation and education projects selected to receive grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in 2010.

All together, the new RMEF funding totals $43,250.

“These grants are possible because of the successful banquets and fundraisers staged over the past year by our Kentucky volunteers—most of whom are elk hunters as well as devoted conservationists,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Since 1984, our annual grants have helped complete 69 different projects in Kentucky with a combined value of more than $6.3 million.”

RMEF also was, of course, heavily involved in the state’s historic elk restoration efforts.

The new elk research project, to be conducted in an area of reclaimed coalmines, will determine the animals’ preferred habitats, movement patterns and survival rates. Results will help refine future management strategies. Partners in the project include the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and the University of Kentucky.

RMEF grants also will help fund the following projects, listed by county:

• Barren County—Provide sponsorship for The Future of Bowfishing 2010 Youth Tournament to engage youths in outdoor recreation and conservation.
• Floyd County—Build an interpretive kiosk about elk at Jenny Wiley State Park.
• Franklin County—Provide sponsorship for National Archery in the Schools Program two-day archery camp for students in grades 4-12.
• Harrison County—In partnership with Licking River Outfitters, provide hunting opportunities for disabled veterans and terminally ill youths.
• Leslie County—Provide sponsorship for Hayes Lewis Elementary School involvement in National Archery in the Schools Program.
• Letcher County—Provide sponsorship for Letcher County Kids Day to engage youths in outdoor recreation and conservation.

Statewide—Conduct a literature review and publish a document including all existing research on wildlife responses to reclaimed surface mines in the eastern U.S. and Texas. Document will serve as a reference for regulators and wildlife managers; provide scholarships for need youths who would like to attend the Kentucky Conservation Camp, a program to engage students in outdoor recreation and conservation.

Webster County—Provide sponsorship for county schools’ involvement in National Archery in the Schools Program.

Habitat projects are selected for grants using science-based criteria and a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering agencies and universities. A committee of RMEF field staff and volunteers selects education projects.

Partners for 2010 projects in Kentucky include Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Kentucky State Parks, University of Kentucky, University of Tennessee, other organizations, companies and businesses, schools and landowners.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.8 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

10 Ideas for Efficient Elk Hunting

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- If you’re an elk hunter, or would like to be, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is offering 10 ideas for improving your efficiency this hunting season.

All were condensed from recent and coming features in RMEF’s bi-monthly member magazine, Bugle. A subscription comes with an annual RMEF membership for $35. To join, call 800-CALL ELK or visit www.rmef.org.

1. Scout from Space
If you’ve looked into the night sky, you’ve noticed the many satellites now orbiting our planet. They’re great tools for today’s hunter. Google Earth (earth.google.com) uses satellite images and aerial photography to give birds-eye views of elk country. Locate meadows, burns, roads, water, heavy-timber escape areas and more. You can even find places where the forest canopy thins to suggest hidden grazing spots for elk. Newer GPS units accept uploaded coordinates from Google Earth, allowing you to walk directly to and more efficiently ground-truth potential honeyholes.

2. Count Points Quickly
In good habitat, a bull normally has a 5-point rack as a 2-1/2-year-old and a small 6-point rack the following year. Instantly distinguishing five- and six-pointers is not difficult. The fourth point, sometimes called the dagger point, is normally the longest point and most distinctive feature of an elk rack. If the main beam goes straight back from the dagger, you’re almost certainly looking at a five-by-five. If there’s another point rising upward behind the dagger, perhaps forming a horizontal “Y,” then you’re looking at a six-by-six.

3. Practice for Stress
Flinging arrows in the backyard is a far cry from placing a perfect shot on a live elk. In addition to changing shot angles and distances, hunters also must cope with distractions and excitement. Hone your focusing skills by practicing out of your comfort zone. Go to a public range, enter a 3D tournament, practice in the rain, shoot with strangers, hunt small game, anything to break normal concentration and practice rhythms. If you’re with buddies, try talking trash: “Hey, watch and learn while I center-punch this target…” Creating pressure and mental stress, expressly for the purpose of ignoring it, can help you overcome bull fever in the field.

4. Get Dropped Off
Halfway between a fully guided hunt and a do-it-yourself endeavor, a drop camp is a good option for those who can hunt and cook for themselves, but need help setting up a comfortable camp in the backcountry. Many elk outfitters offer pack-in/pack-out drop camp services. Drop camps can come complete with wall tents, cots, table, chairs, stove, cut firewood, camp tools and water. Some outfits even provide food and two-way radios. Cost is typically much less than a fully guided elk hunt. Talk to several outfitters about a drop camp and see if it’s right for you.

5. Try a Treestand
Bowhunting elk the whitetail way can be super effective if you’ve scouted well enough to detect patterns in elk movements. Hang or set your stand near a waterhole, wallow, food source or travel corridor. A hot waterhole will be marked with fresh droppings, tracks and rubs–lots of rubs. Prime forage areas include parks, meadows and hayfields. Travel corridors can be trickier to find. As you search for well-used game trails, also look for terrain features such as cliffs or saddles that will funnel elk into your ambush zone.

6. Claw for Ivories
Some hunters have found that a normal claw hammer works well for removing ivories from elk. Easier than pulling a nail, they say. Open the mouth, position the claw around the base of an ivory and angle the tool so that you’re prying squarely against the roof of the mouth. Gently lift the ivory out of its socket. Repeat on the other side. The prized jewelry-teeth should pop out much easier (and safer) than by the normal method of cutting and working them out with a knife.

7. Figure a Tip
Everyone knows the appropriate tip for a waiter or waitress is 15-20 percent, but there is no standard for a hunting guide. Most elk outfitters step lightly around this topic because suggesting specific amounts can seem presumptuous. But many veteran hunters agree on a few points. If your guide has met realistic expectations, worked hard, kept promises–someone who’s been a fine hunting partner, made your trip enjoyable and did everything possible to put you in a position to fill your tag–a good tip begins at 5-10 percent of the cost of the hunt. For camp cooks and other hands, a good tip begins at $10 to $15 per day. If you happen to kill an elk, consider the guide’s added chores of retrieving, cleaning, hauling, caping, etc., and tip more if you’re comfortable doing so.

8. Save the Hide
A hide is far down the list of elk-kill souvenirs to take home, falling somewhere behind meat, antlers, ivories and even bones for the dog. Yet with proper care, a hide can be turned into a functional memento of a successful hunt. Companies today can turn elk hide into gun cases, vests, jackets, gloves–just about anything made of leather. In the field, treat hide with the same urgency as meat, to prevent spoilage. Don’t worry about scraping away all the fat and flesh, but do worry about cutting too many holes. Freeze or salt the hide until you can get it to a taxidermist, tannery or leather specialist.

9. Know Your Range
Most elk hunters practice with their rifle at a 100-yard range, which is fine for the close-in shots you may encounter in the field. In a recent survey, about 40 percent of hunters reported the furthest elk they’d ever shot at was within 200 yards, an easy stretch for flat-shooting modern rifles. But more hunters, about 60 percent, reported taking shots at elk that were 200 to 400-plus yards away. Shooting exponentially farther than you’ve practiced can be risky. Distance magnifies mistakes and miscalculations. If you can’t practice at 200-400 yards, invest in a rangefinder, bipod, ballistics charts and top quality ammo. Know your effective limits and don’t shoot beyond them.

10. Use Dry Rub
Marinades are commonly used in preparing elk meat but more and more professional chefs, like Bugle magazine’s chef-columnist John McGannon, prefer dry rubs. He says flavored liquids dilute natural flavors while dry rubs caramelize the protein and maximize the culinary potential of wild game, especially if you’re planning to grill, sauté, roast, broil or braise. Apply dry rub 30-60 minutes before cooking.

Here’s Chef McGannon’s recommended dry rub recipe for elk meat:

4.25 oz course ground black pepper
3 oz. smoked paprika
6 oz. course granulated garlic
6 oz. course granulated onion
1/4 oz. fine ground white pepper
2 tbsp dried thyme leaves
1.25 oz cane sugar
2.75 oz. ground ancho chili
5.5 oz course sea salt
1/4 oz. dried English mustard

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.8 million acres–a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. -(Ammoland.com)- Elk and elk hunting opportunities are abundant in much of North America, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is offering a sneak peek at upcoming seasons in its annual roundup of hunt forecasts for 28 states and provinces, now posted at www.rmef.org.

“Generally speaking, elk populations are in great shape and hunters have much to look forward to across the West, as well as in several Midwestern and Eastern states,” said David Allen, president and CEO of the Elk Foundation.” A mild winter, much needed spring and summer moisture and our habitat conservation successes all factor into our optimism for the upcoming hunting season.”

This summer, RMEF passed the 5.8 million acre mark for habitat conserved or enhanced for elk and other wildlife.

Allen added, however, that wolves continue to be a growing concern in regions where the predators share habitat with elk and other big game herds. In some areas, elk calf survival rates are now insufficient to sustain herds for the future. The urgent need to control wolf populations is a localized wildlife management crisis now compounded by a recent court decision to return wolves to full federal protections under the Endangered Species Act. RMEF has asked Congress to intervene and grant management authority to the states.

Here’s a condensed look at elk data from state and provincial wildlife conservation agencies. To see these forecasts in their entirety, with links to respective elk regulations or other Web pages, visit www.rmef.org. For even more coverage, see the Sept./Oct. 2010 edition of the RMEF member magazine, Bugle. To join, call 800-CALL ELK.

Alaska

• · Elk Population: Kodiak Archipelago (GMU 8), 650; Etolin (GMU 3), not available
• · Bull/Cow Ratios: Not available
• · Nonresidents: $85 hunting license plus $300 elk tag, and must hire a guide
• · Hunter Success: GMU 8, 17 percent; GMU 3, 5 percent

While bulls in the lower 48 average 700 pounds, bulls in GMU 3′s South Etolin Wilderness in southeast Alaska can get up to 1,300. However, recent success rates hover at just 5 percent with an annual average of six bulls killed for the entire unit. Zarembo Island northwest of Etolin has remained closed to hunting since 2006 because of low elk numbers. For GMU 8 in southern Alaska, odds are considerably better at 17 percent. Area biologist Larry van Deale says some recent trophies would have made the record books had the hunters cared to enter them.

Alberta

• · Elk Population: 33,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: Not available
• · Nonresidents: $255, must hire a guide
• · Hunter Success: Not available

This province offers opportunities for fine elk hunting as herds expand east and south onto the prairies and parklands. As herds grow, managers establish more hunting opportunities–last year alone saw three new areas open to elk hunting. Some of the biggest bulls are in these new units. The northern-most units have hunts well into January, and landowners typically welcome responsible cow hunters with open arms. The best (and only) shot for a nonresident is to go through an outfitter, as they are allotted roughly 10 percent of draw tags.

Arizona

• · Elk Population: 25,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 34/100
• · Nonresidents: $121 hunting license (nonrefundable to enter drawing) plus $595 elk permit
• · Hunter Success: 30 percent

Even though the state claims 25,000 elk, its mesas and arroyos could be hiding upwards of 40,000, says Brian Wakeling, Arizona’s game branch chief. They conduct elk counts in August and September, and the thick tree cover makes it tough to get accurate counts with aerial surveys. Overlooked elk means better odds for hunters. Plus, with abundant moisture this winter and little winterkill, elk herds are flourishing. Last year saw little daylight rut activity with bulls bugling only by moonlight, which held bowhunter success to around 25 percent. Logic says those big bulls that survived merely got bigger for this season. Also note the agency’s goal to get bull/cow ratios down to 25/100 to create more hunter opportunity. Translation: more bull tags.

Arkansas

• · Elk Population: 500
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 40/100
• · Nonresidents: varies for private landowner tags and three auction tags
• · Hunter Success: 42 percent

When Arkansas held its first elk-hunting season in 1998, hunter success was close to 100 percent. Now the elk are far wilier. Out-of-state hunters have a couple options: either buy an auction tag or contact a landowner for access. For the latter, hunters must receive written permission from the landowner to hunt their private property, and can only hunt there. Available tags remain the same as last year: 29 public-land tags (8 bull, 16 antlerless, 2 either-sex youth tags, plus 3 either-sex auction tags).

British Columbia

• · Elk Population: 50,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 20/100
• · Nonresidents: $189 hunting license plus $262.50 for elk permit. Must hire a guide.
• · Hunter Success: Not available

This province boasts a thriving population of Rocky Mountain elk and some of the biggest Roosevelt’s bulls in the world, says Stephen MacIver, wildlife regulations officer. However, a hunter must first hurdle the odds of drawing a limited-entry tag. The odds are roughly 35:1. However, guides are allotted a percentage of the tags. Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast in the far west have strong populations of Roosevelt’s. For Rocky Mountain elk, your best bet would be the Kootenay region in the southeast, which boasts the province’s highest success rates. Another good option is the agricultural zones in the Peace River region.

California

• · Elk Population: 1,500 Rocky Mountains, 6,000 Roosevelt’s, 3,900 tules
• · Bull/Cow Ratios: 20/100 to 90/100
• · Nonresidents: $145 hunting license (nonrefundable to enter drawing) plus $1,173 elk permit
• · Hunter Success: 75 percent

Conditions are ripe for a world’s record tule, says Joe Hobbs, California Fish and Game elk coordinator. On the East Park Reservoir Unit, good spring rains this year and a low harvest of old bulls last year have left the environment in top shape for antler growth. The bad news? Your odds of drawing a bull tag there are 1 in 350. On the Grizzly Island unit, odds are 1 in 1,000. Auction tags are a possibility, too, but if odds and auctions aren’t your thing, private landowners receive a limited number of tags, and some are available for sale. The Marble Mountains unit in the northwest has 35 bull tags, 10 antlerless and 5 late-season muzzleloader/archery either-sex tags.

Colorado

• · Elk Population: 286,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 30/100
• · Nonresidents: cow $354, any elk $544
• · Hunter Success: 23 percent

Colorado is the land of plenty for elk and elk hunters but it isn’t currently known for producing behemoth bulls. That could be a different story this hunting season. The past two falls have been cursed with warm weather. In the northwest where many of the bigger bulls roam, elk migration didn’t even begin until after regular rifle seasons were over. Couple that with abundant spring and summer moisture producing high quality forage and the setup is perfect for more trophy bulls. The state’s more-than 200,000 elk hunters also will find that cow tags have gone up $100, the Division of Wildlife has recommended cutting 1,500 cow/either-sex rifle tags across the state, and over-the-counter archery licenses for units 54, 55 and 551 have been nixed. On the other hand, places where herds remain above objective, such as the Gunnison Basin, will see more rifle tags available.

Idaho

• · Elk Population: 101,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 25/100
• · Nonresidents: license $155, tag $417
• · Hunter Success: 20 percent

Since 2007, Idaho’s elk population has fallen by 24,000. And for the second year in a row, out-of-state tag revenues in the state have mirrored that trend. Hunters list wolves, the economy and nonresident tag prices as factors. This isn’t ideal for state wildlife coffers, but it could be ideal if you’re looking for elk hunting all to yourself. Wolves have hit elk populations hard in the classic elk country of the Lolo, Sawtooth and Selway areas, and the state has capped tags. Bull/cow and cow/calf ratios are in tough shape, and the statewide population could fall below 100,000 for the first time in decades. But the declines are by no means across the board. Elk populations are at or above objectives in 22 of 29 elk hunt zones. And a mild winter boosted cow and calf elk survival rates across most of the state. The Beaverhead, Lemhi, Island Park, Teton, Snake River, Palisades and Tex Creek zones all have healthy herds and offer the kind of elk hunting Idaho is famous for.

Kansas

• · Elk Population: 250-275
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 40/100
• · Nonresidents: Private landowner permits and one Commissioner’s Permit, usually sold at auction
• · Hunter Success: 75 percent either sex, 50 anterless

Kansas now has unlimited over-the-counter either-sex elk tags. In certain counties across the state, namely those not adjacent to Fort Riley or Cimarron National Grasslands, any resident can purchase one, hook up with a landowner and hunt elk. Landowners in Hamilton County in western Kansas voiced concern over crop depredation, and biologists responded with the liberal permits. If you care to play the odds, enter the drawing for a once-in-a-lifetime tag. More than half the state’s elk reside on and around 100,000-acre Fort Riley, which allows hunting: 12 either-sex (up 4 from last year) and 15 antlerless permits.

Kentucky

• · Elk Population: 10,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 35-40/100
• · Nonresidents: $10 to apply, $365 for permit, $130 for hunting license
• · Hunter Success: 80 percent

This year, the Bluegrass State’s wapiti hunt was so in-demand that applicants from all 50 states applied, plus the District of Columbia. That’s a great vote of confidence for the East’s biggest herd, but it means the odds of drawing got even longer for nonresidents: 1:200. For Kentuckians, you’re competing against 29,000 other hunters for 720 tags–far better odds at 1:42. Permit numbers in the state have been on a rollercoaster. Last year, permits rocketed up 50 percent to 1,000 tags. Hunters had 60 percent success on cows and 91 percent on bulls. So, managers reined in the number of permits this year back to 800 in hopes of beefing up the population.

Manitoba

• · Elk Population: 6,500
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 35-45/100
• · Residents only
• · Hunter Success: 20 percent

Elk are the “most desired species to hunt” among province residents, says Ken Rebizant, provincial big game manager. Traditional strongholds such as the Porcupine, Interlake and Duck Mountain regions are going to have elk, and big ones, but they’re tough draws, as the province has no over-the-counter tags. But, since bovine tuberculosis has impacted the Riding Mountain herd, provoking managers to reduce herd numbers, interest in that area has waned. That may be all a resident needs to finally draw an elk tag.

Michigan

• · Elk Population: 780
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 60/100
• · Residents only
• · Hunter Success: 70 percent

For years, the state has tried to get its elk numbers down to around 800 and now it seems managers have succeeded. The tendency for elk to wreak havoc on some ag operations in the northern lower peninsula had managers working hard to reduce the herd. Now that they’ve hit their mark, Michigan will offer 230 tags, 150 less than last year. This year, the state will offer 75 any-elk tags with 155 antlerless.

Minnesota

• · Elk Population: 170
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 50/100
• · Residents only
• · Hunter Success: 79 percent

This year, Minnesota will issue 11 once-in-a-lifetime tags for two separate seasons. Last year, 2,072 applicants put their name in for 30 permits. The state gives landowners 20 percent of the available tags. Last year, managers were able to work out a five-year management plan that calls for 30-38 elk in the Grygla herd, 20-30 animals in the Kittson Central herd and a currently undetermined number in the Caribou-Vita herd. Discussions are being held between the state DNR and Manitoba Conservation regarding population goals for the Caribou-Vita herd, which freely travels across the border.

Montana

• · Elk Population: 150,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 5-25/100
• · Nonresidents: $593
• · Hunter Success: 22 percent

There are plenty of elk in many pockets of Big Sky country. In fact, Montana continues to boast the second highest elk population of any state by a margin of 30,000 animals. But some populations have plummeted in the past five years. The northern Yellowstone herd is down to 6,000 animals from 19,000 in 1996. Areas north of Yellowstone National Park have seen permits cut and over-the-counter tags change to a draw. Populations in the West Fork of the Bitterroot River and the lower Clark Fork River are 60 percent below objective with just 7 calves per 100 cows. All antlerless tags have been cut and bulls will be hard to come by. Elk populations are well below objectives throughout much of Region 1 in the northwest. Hunters will find elk widely dispersed and wary throughout their traditional ranges in the western third of the state where wolves howl. But the farther one goes east of the Continental Divide, the more elk appear. Most of the eastern portion of the state is 20 percent above population objectives.

Nebraska

• · Elk Population: 2,400
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: Not available
• · Residents only
• · Hunter Success: 80 percent bulls, 58 percent cows

The state’s elk herd is still growing consistently around 15-20 percent every year. As numbers grow, opportunities to hunt grow with them, but only if you’re a resident. This year, the state will issue 272 tags, up 40 from last year, with 98 bull and 174 cow permits. To promote strong landowner relations, one-third of those permits are available to private landowners in a drawing and are non-transferable.

Nevada

• · Elk Population: 12,300
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 32/100
• · Nonresidents: $142 hunting license plus $1,200 tag
• · Hunter Success: 44 percent

In the past two years, the state’s elk population has grown nearly 30 percent. Opportunities for hunters to chase them have followed suit. A few hundred tags more than last year will be issued this season for a total of 3,350. Ten percent of those tags go to nonresidents who are looking at pretty decent 1:44 odds to draw a bull tag. The quality of bulls in the harvest remains high with more than 67 percent of bulls reported being six points or better. The state’s Elk Management on Private Lands Program distributed 66 tags to property owners to do with as they wish. Estimated revenue generated from those tags topped nearly $500,000 for the landowners.

New Mexico

• · Elk Population: 75,000-95,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 42/100
• · Nonresidents: $27 nonrefundable fee to enter drawing, plus $562 standard bull tag or $787 quality bull tag
• · Hunter Success: 30 percent

Out-of-staters looking to hunt here will find no over-the-counter tags. Those who didn’t draw may be able to contact a landowner for one of their tags (be ready to write a hefty check). The state has no bonus or preference point system. Residents get the bulk of the tags, 78 percent. The state’s units are broken into “quality” and “opportunity” hunts. The former will get you a better chance at bigger bulls, but odds are steep. The Gila area holds around 20,000 elk.

North Dakota

• · Elk Population: 2,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: Not available
• · Nonresidents: One auction tag available
• · Hunter Success: 42 percent

Big news this year is the hunt inside Theodore Roosevelt National Park. With 950 elk, the park is looking to control elk populations, possibly killing 275 elk for the next five years to get the population at 100-400. For the rest of the state’s elk, things are pretty much status quo. Managers issued 561 tags–with 245 any-sex and 315 antlerless tags, the same as last year. Almost all hunting is now in the western Badlands.

Oklahoma

• · Elk Population: 2,300
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: Not available
• · Nonresidents: $306
• · Hunter Success: Not available

The Sooner State’s elk population is holding steady and the number of permits to hunt public land still hovers around 330. Odds of pulling one of those tags are dismal, less than 1 percent. But, if you do draw, there are some truly fine Okie bulls. Nonresidents looking to hunt here might do best to purchase a tag and then find a landowner who wants elk out of his winter wheat. For cow hunts, seasons are extended well into December and January.

Oregon

• · Elk Population: 120,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 15/100
• · Nonresidents: license $140, tag $500
• · Hunter Success: 13 percent

Due to budget constraints, biologists aren’t exactly sure how many elk they have as aerial surveys have been limited. But they think populations are stable. And, this year, managers plan to issue nearly 1,000 more permits than last season. Rocky Mountain elk dominate the east side of the Cascades while Roosevelt’s reign to the west. Most hunting in the steep and dark west is open to all comers with over-the-counter tags, while eastern Oregon is draw-only for rifle hunters. Bowhunters can hunt most of the east side with a general tag. Those eastern elk have some new neighbors, as a couple wolf packs have dispersed into the state from Idaho.

Pennsylvania

• · Elk Population: 700
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 28/100
• · Nonresidents: $250 for elk tag, $101 for general license
• · Hunter Success: 94 percent bull, 73 percent cow

To be blunt, this state has been growing some absolute toads. In 2006, a hunter killed a 425-2/8 non-typical, while just last year a hunter killed a 423-6/8 non-typical. Both bulls were around 6 years old. Records remain to be shattered if a bull can tack on a few extra years. Managers are currently revising the state’s elk management plan to determine how many elk that habitat and society will support. In the meantime, 51 tags will again be issued this season, with 18 bull and 33 cow.

Saskatchewan

• · Elk Population: 15,000-16,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 20/100
• · Residents only
• · Hunter Success: 20 percent

Landowner tolerance for elk dictates seasons in this province. In the south where there is a lot of private farmland and the only predator carries a rifle, you’ll find ample antlerless quotas meant to get elk off the crops and into freezers. If you want a bull, this just might be your year. With so much open ag land, bulls are easy to spot. To help them gain a little antler weight, managers only allow them to be hunted every third year, which has produced some 400-inch monsters. Moose Mountain Provincial Park in the southeast corner is home to 1,400 elk and has seen numbers gaining strength in the past decade. This is a draw-only unit, open to either-sex hunting, and also has outstanding bulls.
For challenging over-the-counter hunts, the north-central and western regions offer forests and meadow fringes that hide elk along with plenty of their four-legged predators.

South Dakota

• · Elk Population: 5,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 75/100
• · Residents only
• · Hunter Success: 50 percent

The state’s largest herd in the Black Hills National Forest numbered as many as 5,000 animals back in 2003. Aggressive management knocked that number down to the current 3,000. But public attitudes have shifted and there is once again a cry for more elk and more hunting opportunity. To reach a goal of 4,000 in the Hills, managers have had to cut rifle tags again this year to 1,065–a drop of 300 from last year. Still, residents’ odds of hunting a bull in the Black Hills are a solid 1:10. If you pull a tag, make the most of it, as you have to wait nine years to apply again.

Tennessee

• · Elk Population: 400
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: Not available
• · Nonresidents: $10 fee to enter drawing, $300 if drawn
• · Hunter Success: 100 percent

“We want to grow this elk herd and add more hunters,” says Steve Bennett, elk restoration project coordinator. The herd seems to be cooperating. Last year, five lucky hunters participated in the state’s first sanctioned elk hunt, taking five elk, four on the first day. State wildlife managers hope to see the herd reach 2,000 animals within the next two decades.

Utah

• · Elk Population: 68,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 15-80/100
• · Nonresidents: $65 hunting license, plus $388 general tag, $795 limited-entry tag or $1,500 premium limited-entry tag
• · Hunter Success: 17 percent

Statewide, hunters kill bulls that average around 6½ years, and Utah has seen good moisture this past winter and spring, keeping the hills green and lush. Translation: healthy brutes with big headgear. The most popular units include San Juan and Fillmore Pahvant but odds of drawing a limited-entry tag are tough. For residents, it’s 1:16. Nonresidents, 1:44. There are over-the-counter options, especially for archery hunters who are willing to hike into wilderness.

Washington

• · Elk Population: 55,000-60,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 12-20/100 in most units
• · Nonresidents: $432
• · Hunter Success: 8 percent

Washington has more hunters per elk than any other state. Managers help control densities by making hunters choose either westside Roosevelt’s or eastside Rocky Mountain elk. Both hunters and elk are split about 50/50. Generally, herd numbers are stable this season but the Yakima herd has seen a drop in calf recruitment, thus special permits for both branch-antlered bulls and cows have been cut 30-40 percent. While it may take some time for the Yakima herd to rebound, the state has plenty of other hot spots like the classic elk country of the Blue Mountains. This area in the southeast corner has seen an increase in bull permits the last few years. The southwest also offers over-the-counter permits, especially on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest around Mt. St. Helens where managers are trying to knock down herd numbers. Wolves have established at least two confirmed packs on the eastside.

Wyoming

• · Elk Population 120,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 23/100
• · Nonresidents: $577 for permit, $288 for cow-calf permit, $1,057 for special permit
• · Hunter Success: 43 percent

Certain places in Wyoming have seen significant impacts from wolves and other carnivores. Much of the Cody herd, near Yellowstone, is seeing poor calf-recruitment made worse by predation. Once a general hunting area, it is now a limited-entry draw. Areas around Jackson Hole and the Gros Ventre and Teton Wilderness Areas will see tightened seasons and antler-point restrictions to try and boost bull/cow and cow/calf ratios. Outside the northwest corner, the state’s elk populations are up 15,000 from last year and many units are far above objectives. The statewide objective is 80,000 elk. That’s 40,000 less than where the herd stands now. The state expects to have lots of leftover antlerless licenses. Aggressive seasons have been set in many places including the Snowy Range, Laramie Peak and Sierra Madre. Last year, the state shifted to a first-come/first-served online licensing system. Out-of-staters can now search for leftover licenses without having to wait in line (in Wyoming) for reduced and full-price tags. For those more interested in hunting bulls, the state allots 16 percent of its limited quota and general licenses to nonresidents.

Yukon Territory

• · Elk Population: 250-300
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 60/100
• · Residents only
• · Hunter Success: 29 percent

This province, which boasts 70,000 moose and only 35,000 people, last year held its first official elk hunt in 25 years. Twenty-six hunters took an elk home for the freezer. While much of the Yukon’s northern boreal forest can’t support elk, the Takhini Valley to the
south along the Alaska highway, and Braeburn to the north along the Klondike Highway, are elk strongholds. A total of 63 permits will be distributed by lottery for Takhini. Up in Braeburn, six permits are available.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.8 million acres–a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Texas is a mighty big place, but its borders aren’t nearly big enough to contain its residents’ passion for wildlife, hunting and conservation.

Over the past year, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation supporters across the state have raised enough money to grant substantial funding for elk habitat initiatives nationwide, plus keep some dollars at home for important conservation education efforts in 12 Texas counties.

In Texas, RMEF grants totaling $31,625 will affect Austin, Burleson, Fayette, Harris, Kaufman, Kerr, Lee, Madison, Potter, Victoria, Washington and Williamson counties.

Three additional projects have statewide interest.

For 2010, Texas also is funding RMEF habitat conservation and enhancement projects, primarily in the Mountain West, with grants totaling $126,012.

“All of this funding is possible because of the successful banquets and fundraisers staged over the past year by our Texas volunteers—most of whom are elk hunters as well as devoted conservationists,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Since 1984, RMEF grants in Texas have helped complete 84 different projects with a combined value of more than $1.3 million—and the state’s continuing influence on elk and habitat conservation nationwide also is significant and impressive.”

RMEF grants will help fund the following Texas projects, listed by county:

• Burleson County—Sponsor 4-H Shooting Sports 2010 to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation.
• Harris County—Sponsor Houston Safari Club 2010 Hunter Education Program to help teach firearm safety and hunting ethics.
• Kaufman County—Sponsor Hidden Acres Archery Program to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation.
• Kerr County—Sponsor Texas Youth Hunting Program’s “2010 Leadership and the Outdoors Camp” to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation; sponsor Troy Smith Ranch 2010-11 hunts for wounded military.
• Lee County—Sponsor 2010 Youth Shooting Event to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation (also affects Washington and Fayette counties).
• Madison County—Sponsor Madison County 4-H Shotgun Club to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation.
• Potter County—Sponsor Potter County Boy Scouts of America/4-H Shotgun Shooters Club to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation.
• Statewide—Sponsor Texas 2010 National Archery in the Schools Program to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation; sponsor Texas 2010 Youth Hunter Program; sponsor the Texas 2010 Elk Calling Contest at the Cabela’s store in Buda, Texas.
• Victoria County—Sponsor Victoria County hunter education laser shot simulator to help teach firearm safety and hunting ethics; sponsor 4-H Shooting Stars Archery for 2010.
• Washington County—Sponsor Washington County Youth Shooting Club to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation (also affects Austin County).
• Williamson County—Sponsor Texas Hill Country 2010 3-D Archery Shoot to introduce young people and their families to conservation and outdoor recreation.

Projects are selected for grants by a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff in Texas.

Partners for 2010 projects in Texas include the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, many local civic and sportsmen clubs, conservation organizations and others.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.7 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

New ‘Elk Chronicles’ Episodes on Outdoor Channel

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Country music star Blake Shelton hunting his first elk, baseball hall-of-famer Goose Gossage stalking a monster bull and many more adventures await viewers in 13 new episodes of Elk Chronicles beginning June 29 on Outdoor Channel.

Elk Chronicles is the official television program of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Presented by MidwayUSA, episodes air Tuesdays at 11:30 p.m. (EST), Sundays at 4:30 p.m. (EST) and Wednesdays at 6:00 a.m. (EST).

The new shows feature co-hosts Cameron Hanes and Brandon Bates along with a cast of hunters and conservationists in some of America’s best elk country. Legendary areas like Arizona’s White Mountains and New Mexico’s Double H Ranch, UU Bar Ranch and NRA Whittington Center are featured, as well as areas of Utah, Montana, Colorado and Wyoming. Archery, primitive firearms and conventional rifle hunts are slated.

In a very special episode, RMEF President and CEO David Allen joins legendary outdoor writer Jim Zumbo for an elk hunt with U.S. military veterans.

“Bugling bulls, spectacular landscapes, packhorses and wall tents. It’s the stuff that every hunter dreams about and we’re pleased to bring it to Outdoor Channel viewers,” said Allen. “We hope Elk Chronicles conveys both the excitement of the hunt as well as the urgent need to conserve habitat for elk, deer, other big game and all kinds of wildlife.”

To check local listings on Outdoor Channel, visit www.outdoorchannel.com.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.7 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.- -(Ammoland.com)- Wildlife conservation and public education projects in 17 Wisconsin counties have been selected to receive grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in 2010.

The new RMEF funding, totaling $48,620, will affect Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Burnett, Dane, Door, Grant, Green Lake, Iowa, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Marathon, Polk, Price, Sawyer and Washburn counties.

Two additional projects have statewide interest.

“These grants are possible because of the successful banquets and fundraisers staged over the past year by our Wisconsin volunteers—most of whom are elk hunters as well as devoted conservationists,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO.

“Since 1984, our annual grants have helped complete 176 different projects in Wisconsin with a combined value of more than $5.6 million.”

Wisconsin Elk to Benefit

RMEF grants will help fund the following projects, listed by county:

Ashland County—Provide funding for radio telemetry equipment operated by students from Glidden High School to research elk habitat use and movement patterns in the Clam Lake area (also affects Price County); renovate and maintain Clam Lake’s “Elk Capital of Wisconsin” sign.

Barron County—Sponsor Coyland Creek 2010 Youth in the Outdoors Day to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation (also affects Polk and Burnett counties).

Dane County—Sponsor Lake Marion 2010 Family Fishing Day to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation.

Door County—Sponsor RMEF Door County Chapter 2010 Youth Sporting Event to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation (also affects Kewaunee and Brown counties).

Grant County—Sponsor Southwestern Wisconsin Community School’s National Archery in the Schools Program to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation.

Green Lake County—Sponsor Berlin Conservation Club 2010 Youth Outdoor Skills Day to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation.

Iowa County—Sponsor West Park 2010 Youth Fishing Day to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation.

La Crosse County—Sponsor free subscriptions to RMEF’s “Bugle” magazine for schools in the La Crosse/Three Rivers area.

Marathon County—Sponsor Marathon County 2010 Sporting Heritage Youth Day to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation; sponsor Weston 2010-2011 hunter safety instruction materials.

Polk County—Sponsor Amery School District’s National Archery in the Schools Program to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation.

Price County—Sponsor Phillips Area 2010 Youth Field Day to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation.

Sawyer County—Provide funding for highway warning systems, including a warning light triggered by the radio collars on many elk in the area, to reduce vehicle collisions with elk (also affects Ashland, Bayfield and Price counties); maintain forage openings for elk by mowing 55 acres, hand-cutting woody vegetation on 30 acres and prescribe burning 5 acres in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest (also affects Ashland County); sponsor Hayward High School David Brinkman 2010 Memorial Scholarship; sponsor Hayward 2010 Outdoor Youth Day; sponsor Outdoor Adventures camp to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation (also affects Washburn County); provide funding for research on genetic variability and health of elk in Clam Lake area (also affects Ashland, Bayfield and Price counties).

Statewide—Sponsor Wisconsin 2010 Outdoor Education Expo; provide funding to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for printing the state hunting regulations booklets.

Projects are selected for grants using science-based criteria and a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering agencies and universities.

Partners for 2010 projects in Wisconsin include, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, U.S. Forest Service, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, other agencies, communities, corporations, landowners and schools.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.7 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Top 25 ‘Conservacation’ Spots for Family Getaways

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Montana --(AmmoLand.com)- First came the vacation. Then, the staycation. Now comes a newly coined concept, the conservacation.

It’s a vacation focused on conservation, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is recommending 25 top educational destinations where families can experience and enjoy learning about elk, other wildlife and their habitat.

Elk viewing areas like Rocky Mountain National Park and Theodore Roosevelt National Park are well known, but RMEF’s list is a compilation of alternative spots.

“With summer upon us and many families thinking about a getaway, we’re pleased to suggest the following locations,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO.

“All of these places are worth a visit any time of year, but some really come to life when elk are rutting or on wintering grounds. That’s when visitors are most likely to see these animals up close and possibly observe a spectacle of nature they’ll never forget—hearing an elk bugle for the first time has inspired many a new conservationist.”

Of course, hearing a turkey gobble, watching a whitetail doe and fawn, and countless other experiences can have the same effect. That’s why RMEF has long provided funding for educational sites and projects across the U.S., in and out of elk country, says Allen.

Elk are present only seasonally at some of the following locations, completely absent in others, so be sure to Google or call each facility for specific wildlife info before traveling. And don’t forget binoculars and camera!

Here are 25 RMEF-recommended spots for your family’s conservacation!

Arizona
1. Springerville, Ariz.— Sipe White Mountain Visitor Center/Interpretive Trail. Operated by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. RMEF grant recipient. In 1993, RMEF helped the
agency purchase this 1,362-acre property known for its trophy elk as well as threatened,
endangered and sensitive species. Visitor center, hiking trails, interpretive signage, wildlife
viewing sites, picnic area. Phone: 928-367-4281.

Arkansas
2. Ponca, Ark.— Ponca Elk Education Center. Operated by the Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission. RMEF grant recipient. About 450 elk reside nearby along the Buffalo National
River. Exhibits outline elk history, biology and restoration efforts. Various activities for all
ages, hiking trail, gift shop, picnic facilities. Many kinds of outdoor recreation available.
Phone: 870-861-2432.

California
3. Crescent City, Calif.— Redwood National Park Elk Meadow Viewing Area. Operated by the
National Park Service. RMEF grant recipient. Roosevelt’s elk are easily observed here
especially south of the Klamath River in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Gold Bluffs
Beach along Bald Hills Road and near Orick, Calif. Phone: 707-464-6101.

4. Tupman, Calif.— Tule Elk State Reserve. Operated by California Department of Parks and
Recreation. RMEF grant recipient. In 1874, cattleman Henry Miller began efforts to save tule
elk from extinction by unregulated hunting and loss of habitat. Today this remnant herd has
expanded on what is now park property. Animals from this herd have been relocated to start
new herds in other areas of California. Interpretive exhibits, picnic areas. Phone:
661-764-6881.

Colorado
5. Durango, Colo.— Durango Fish Hatchery and Wildlife Museum. Operated by the Colorado
Division of Wildlife. RMEF grant recipient. The hatchery produces rainbow, brown, Snake
River cutthroat, native cutthroat trout and kokanee salmon. Fish feeding, visitor center,
wildlife museum, aquatic and terrestrial wildlife info, mounted specimens, hands-on displays.
Phone: 970-375-6766.

6. Minturn, Colo.— Dowd Junction Elk Viewing Area. Operated by the U.S. Forest Service.
RMEF grant recipient. This lush habitat is winter range for several hundred elk. Good
viewing from U.S. Highway 24. Also visit the viewing area with telescope and platform at the
Holy Cross Ranger District office. Phone: 970-827-5715.

Illinois
7. Belknap, Ill.— Michael Wolff Memorial Wetland Viewing Area. Managed by the Michael
Wolff Memorial Wetland Foundation. RMEF grant recipient. A tributary of Little Black
Slough, this is rich habitat for migratory waterfowl, neotropical songbirds and wading birds.
Wildlife viewing platform, interpretative signage. Additional attractions nearby including
Cache River State Natural Area. Phone: 618-549-7901.

Kansas
8. Junction City, Kan.— Milford Nature Center. Operated by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. RMEF grant recipient. Activities, dioramas, live animal exhibits, nature trails, wildlife viewing areas, backyard habitat demonstration area. Picnic facilities and nearby
Milford Fish Hatchery are added attractions. Phone: 785-238-5323.

Kentucky
9. Frankfort, Ky.— Salato Wildlife Education Center. Operated by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. RMEF grant recipient. Dioramas, live reptiles, aquariums, interactive displays and computer programs. Wheelchair accessible trails allow visitors to see
eagles, bison, bears and natural habitats. Phone: 502-564-7863.

10. Golden Pond, Ky.— Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. Operated by the U.S. Forest Service. RMEF grant recipient. Many hands-on learning opportunities, exhibits, hiking trails, nature programs, living history farm, planetarium—and a 700-acre elk prairie. Animals from this herd have been relocated to help establish elk populations elsewhere in the eastern U.S. Phone: 270-924-2000.

Michigan
11. Holland, Mich.— Outdoor Discovery Center. Operated by the nonprofit Wildlife Unlimited. RMEF grant recipient. Group programs are designed to introduce the wonders of the natural world through live animals exhibits, short hikes, investigations and general nature discovery. Phone: 616-393-9453.

Minnesota
12. Detroit Lakes, Minn.— Pine to Prairie Birding Trail. Operated by area communities. RMEF grant recipient. A 200-mile driving trail featuring different habitats home to a tremendous variety of birds as well as opportunities for conservationists to study native wildlife. Interpretive signs at featured sites. Phone: 800-433-1888.

13. St. Cloud, Minn.— Sand Prairie Wildlife Management Area and Environmental Education Center. Operated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. RMEF grant recipient. This 700-acre wildlife area is situated in the flood plain of the Mississippi River and features moist to wet remnant prairie, dry prairie and aspen. Wildlife viewing, nature study, hiking. Phone: 320-255-4279.

Montana
14. Lewistown, Mont.— Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge/Slippery Ann Elk Viewing Area. Operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. RMEF grant recipient. Hundreds of elk congregate here during the fall rut offering spectacular wildlife viewing opportunities. A self-guided auto tour route takes visitors on a 20-mile loop through a variety of habitat types. Numerous interpretive signs. Phone: 406-538-8706.

15. Missoula, Mont.— Elk Country Visitor Center. Operated by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Free admission. Fun, hands-on exhibits, displays of record elk, western wildlife diorama, theater, nature trail, interpretive signage, gift shop. Focus on habitat and hunting heritage. Facility is part of the headquarters of the international conservation organization that has protected or enhanced over 5.7 million acres of habitat for elk and other wildlife. Phone: 406-523-4500.

Oregon
16. Charleston, Ore.— Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area. Operated by the Bureau of Land Management and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. RMEF grant recipient. Up to 120 Roosevelt’s elk and other wildlife species may be viewed here year-round. The O.H. Hinsdale Interpretive Center is popular at nearby Reedsport, Ore. Phone: 541-756-0100.

17. Seaside, Ore.— Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area. Operated by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. RMEF grant recipient. A popular Roosevelt’s elk-viewing area from November through April. Open pastures border a state highway offering excellent viewing of up to 200 elk during winter and spring. Paved parking areas, four viewing areas, interpretive signage. Phone: 503-755-2264.

Tennessee
18. LaFollette, Tenn— Sundquist Wildlife Management Area/Hatfield Knob Elk Viewing Tower. Operated by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. RMEF grant recipient. Elk were reintroduced here beginning in 2000 with vital funding and assistance from RMEF. Theviewing tower allows visitors to observe these magnificent animals. Phone: 615-781-6500.

Utah
19. Hyram, Utah— Hardware Ranch Wildlife Management Area. Operated by the Utah Divisionof Wildlife Resources. RMEF grant recipient. A good spot for a family outing to viewwildlife, especially in cold months when elk may be seen on this traditional winter range. Educational kiosks and exhibits. Phone: 435-753-6206.

Washington
20. Amboy, Wash.— Charles W. Bingham Forest Learning Center. Operated by WeyerhaeuserCompany in partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation and RMEF. Site is located inside the blast zone of the May 18, 1980, eruption of Mount St. Helens.Exhibits, trails, interpretive signage explaining forest recovery efforts. Additionalconservation attractions nearby. Phone: 360-274-7750.

21. Concrete, Wash.— Hurn Field Elk Viewing Site. Operated by the nonprofit Skagit Land Trust. RMEF grant recipient. This 64-acre property provides food and shelter for over 50 elk during winter and spring. Many other wildlife and fish species present. Gravel parking area, interpretive signage. Phone: 360-428-7878.

22. Randle, Wash.— Gifford Pinchot National Forest/Woods Creek Interpretive Trail. Operated by the U.S. Forest Service. RMEF grant recipient. An interpretive 1.5-mile trail loops through five habitat areas, offering hikers an opportunity to learn about wildlife and the habitat. Trail guides are available at the trailhead. Phone: 360-891-5003.

Wisconsin
23. Grantsburg, Wis.— Crex Meadows Wildlife Viewing Area. Operated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. RMEF grant recipient. At 30,000 acres, this is the largest state-owned wildlife area in Wisconsin. Education center, exhibits, habitat dioramas, classroom facilities, gift shop, wildlife mounts, maps, publications. Guided tours can be arranged. Phone: 715-463-2739.

Wyoming
24. Jackson, Wyo.- National Elk Refuge/Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center. Operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies with ongoing support from RMEF. Refuge holds up to 5,000 wintering elk, the world’s largest concentration. This herd has been the nucleus for replenishing and reintroducing elk herds across the U.S. Morethan 800 bison winter here, too. Visitor center, interpretive displays, book and gift store,videos, lectures, activities. Phone: 307-733-9212.

25. Lander, Wyo.- Lander Wildlife Education Center. Operated by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. RMEF grant recipient. Dioramas, exhibits, hands-on educationalopportunities, publications. Group programs can be arranged. Connects to the Popo AgiePathway with wildlife viewing sites and interpretive signage. Phone: 307-332-2688.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.7 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.- -(AmmoLand.com)- Wildlife conservation projects in 14 Colorado counties have been selected to receive grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in 2010.

The new RMEF funding, totaling $146,250, will affect Archuleta, Chaffee, Delta, Fremont, Garfield, Grand, Gunnison, Las Animas, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray, Park, Rio Blanco and San Miguel counties.

“These grants are possible because of the successful banquets and fundraisers staged over the past year by our Colorado volunteers—most of whom are elk hunters as well as devoted conservationists,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Since 1984, our annual grants have helped complete 502 different projects in Colorado with a combined value of more than $115 million.”

RMEF grants will help fund the following projects, listed by county:

Archuleta County-Prescribe burn 1,500-2,000 acres of ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forest to improve forage for elk and other wildlife in the Sheep and Davis creeks areas of San Juan National Forest.

Fremont County-Hydro-axe 400 acres of pinion-juniper to improve forage and distribution of elk in the upper Arkansas River basin on BLM lands (also affects Chaffee County).

Gunnison County-Restore 765 acres of riparian habitat and improve water table on elk winter range by installing check dams and re-establishing a single creek channel in the Graflin Gulch area of BLM lands.

Las Animas County-Use a hydro-axe to clear 200 acres of oak brush and conifer to improve habitat for elk in the Bosque del Oso State Wildlife Area.

Mesa County-Prescribe burn 2,167 acres of decadent shrubs and juniper to improve forage for wintering elk and deer in the Kannah Creek Basin area of Grand Mesa National Forest; enhance elk and deer habitat by prescribe burning 2,317 acres in the Mud Hill and Reservoir Gulch areas of Grand Mesa National Forest.

Montrose County-Conduct research on Sudden Aspen Decline by constructing exclosure fencing around 10 aspen stands to assess regional impacts of ungulate browsing and conifer encroachment (also affects Ouray, Delta, San Miguel and Mesa counties); treat noxious weeds and re-seed native grasses on 80 acres in the Tabeguache area of Uncompahgre National Forest.

Park County -Thin 60 acres and prescribe burn 2,167 acres to improve mixed conifer and aspen habitat utilized by elk and deer in the James Mark Jones State Wildlife Area.

Rio Blanco County -Enhance forage conditions for elk and deer by prescribe burning 250 acres of shrub-choked lands in the Oak Ridge State Wildlife Area; treat 300 acres of noxious weeds in the Flat Tops area of Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest (also affects Routt, Grand and Garfield counties), use hydro-axe to clear 150 acres, prescribe burn 880 acres, and treat noxious weeds on 100 acres in the White River National Forest.

Projects are selected for grants using science-based criteria and a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering agencies and universities.

Partners for 2010 projects in Colorado include Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Colorado Division of Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, other agencies, corporations and landowners.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.7 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.- -(AmmoLand.com)- Jim Zumbo, host of Jim Zumbo Outdoors on Outdoor Channel and longtime member and supporter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, has established a special elk hunt for veterans at RMEF’s Torstenson Wildlife Center/Double H Ranch in New Mexico.

The first-annual “Jim Zumbo’s Purple Heart Hunt” will be a cow elk hunt in November.

Participants will include the two high bidders in auctions held March 4-7 at the RMEF Elk Camp and convention in Reno, Nev., as well as two servicemen who are recipients of the Purple Heart medal for wounds suffered in combat. Each high bidder will hunt with the veteran they sponsor.

“The rewards that I receive from taking disabled military warriors hunting are immeasurable,” said Zumbo. “This elk hunt is an opportunity to not only offer quality hunting experiences to veterans, but also for able-bodied sportsmen to experience hunting side-by-side with troops who are true American heroes.”

RMEF President and CEO David Allen said, “RMEF is proud to be a part of Jim’s Purple Heart hunt. We will roll out the red carpet for these true American heroes. As Americans, we cannot do enough to repay those who serve our country with honor and allow us to enjoy our freedoms. The Purple Heart hunt is just another small way we can say thanks to these men and women.”

Zumbo is well known for his work with disabled servicemen, many of them amputees. He and country music singer Aaron Tippin are national spokesmen for the Outdoor Recreation Heritage Fund, which is part of Paralyzed Veterans of America. Zumbo has hosted military heroes on hunts in Africa, Alaska and a dozen other states.

Like most of his hunts with disabled vets, Zumbo plans to film the upcoming elk hunt, which may be aired on his television show.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.7 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

RENO, Nev. - -(AmmoLand.com)- Elk Camp 2010, which concluded March 7 in Reno, Nev., set the tone, direction and fundraising base to position the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for a big year in habitat conservation, officials say.

On the strength of $1.45 million in auction proceeds and an Elk Camp record for new memberships (preliminary figures show 2,867 members joined or renewed during the event), RMEF wrapped up its 26th Annual Elk Camp & Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Expo with gross fundraising topping $2.75 million.

Those dollars will help support the organization’s initiatives to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat.

RMEF recently topped 5.7 million acres conserved or enhanced, but RMEF President and CEO David Allen says the conservation to-do list in elk country is growing longer, not shorter.

“There was such great spirit at Elk Camp, you couldn’t help but get pumped up about where we’ve been and where we’re going. Habitat loss continues to chip away at the wild places relished by elk and elk hunters, but our volunteers, supporters and staff are headed home from Reno with a renewed sense of urgency and purpose and commitment to make a difference,” said Allen.

He added, “In many ways, Elk Camp is the official kickoff to our year, and after these past four days, I’m anticipating a great 2010.”

Other Elk Camp highlights included:

• RMEF launch of the Dale Earnhardt Land/Wildlife Legacy.
• First-ever live coverage of the RMEF/Leupold World Elk Calling Championships on ESPN Outdoors.com.
• New world champion elk callers including Joel Turner of Eatonville, Wash., who won his second title in the Professional Division.
• RMEF’s highest honor, the Wallace Fennell Pate Wildlife Conservation Award, went to Walker S. “Buddy” Smith, Jr. and wife Tammy Lynne Smith of Great Falls, Mont.
• Numerous awards and recognitions for RMEF volunteers and supporters.
• Good day-traffic in the expo hall with numerous attendees booking hunting trips.
• Entertainment by comedian Jim Gaffigan and country stars Neal McCoy and Sara Evans.

News releases on these and other headlines are posted at www.rmef.org.

Event sponsors included Roper, Leupold, Cabela’s, Gerber, Hunter’s Specialties, Midway USA, Mossy Oak, North American Hunter Magazine, Browning and Budweiser.

Allen said, “We can’t say thank you enough to our sponsors, exhibitors and attendees for their continuing support. Together, we’re helping to shape the future of elk country.”

The 27th Annual Elk Camp and Expo will be in Reno, Nev., March 3-6, 2011.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.7 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

RENO, Nev. --(AmmoLand.com)- Ten years after his death at the Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt’s enduring legacy as a competitor and outdoorsman has sparked a new partnership between the Dale Earnhardt Foundation and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The new venture has been christened the Dale Earnhardt Land/Wildlife Legacy.

Announcing the news March 4 at the RMEF annual convention in Reno, Nev., RMEF President and CEO David Allen said the partnership is good for wildlife and hunters.

“There are lots of NASCAR fans in the RMEF membership, and lots of conservationists among race fans. Teaming up allows us to redouble our efforts on projects that honor Dale’s memory—things like wildlife habitat improvement, land conservation, hunting access improvements and more,” said Allen.

Allen added the partnership will help RMEF gain visibility at NASCAR races and events.

Earnhardt’s son, Kerry, was in Reno for the announcement and to represent the Earnhardt family and others involved in the Dale Earnhardt Foundation. The nonprofit group based in North Carolina funds charitable programs and causes that sustain Dale Earnhardt’s lifelong commitment to children, education and wildlife conservation.

Teresa Earnhardt, Dale’s wife, said, “As a lifelong outdoorsman, Dale was committed to wildlife and land conservation, a passion which he shared with his friends and family. Now that legacy lives on through his foundation and we are honored to have a partner in RMEF. Our shared mission to conserve and restore native game and their habitat will ensure the same opportunities for future generations and ‘Continue the Legend.’”

Allen was a personal friend of Earnhardt. In fact, he directed marketing and sponsorships for the Dale Earnhardt/Richard Childress race teams and other NASCAR teams until Earnhardt’s fatal crash in 2001. He remains close to the family.

“When Dale wasn’t thinking about racing, he was thinking about hunting and sharing his passion for the outdoors with others,” said Allen. “It was an honor to know him and now it’s an honor to be working closely again with Teresa to help keep that legacy growing. Dale is the working man’s hero and RMEF is the working man’s conservation group, so this is a great fit. Dale would be very proud today.”

Childress said, “Dale was ‘The Intimidator’ for his fearlessness and competitiveness on the track, but the peacefulness of the outdoors also was a big part of who he was. I believe his quiet-time hunting and fishing helped recharge him for racing, and I know he’s smiling down now at being able to help other people enjoy the outdoors like he did.”

Realtree founder and president Bill Jordan, who also was a friend of Earnhardt, said, “I was fortunate to hunt with Dale and to know him both as an outdoorsman as well as a legendary driver. I’m so pleased to see RMEF teaming up to help honor his memory through conservation, because that’s so meaningful to both race fans and hunters.”

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.7 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

RENO, Nev --(AmmoLand.com)- Elk hunters, listen up: ESPN Outdoors.com will carry live coverage of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation/Leupold World Elk Calling Championships, March 5-6, from Reno. Nev.

Live streaming video will begin with preliminary rounds of competition at 9:00 a.m. (Pacific time) on Friday, March 5. Finals begin at 9:00 a.m. (Pacific time) on Saturday, March 6.

“If you like to hunt, call or listen to elk—and if you can go online—this event will be a real treat,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “These competitors are the best elk callers on the planet and viewers will learn a lot about elk.”

Cash, prizes and world-champion honors will be awarded in six divisions: Pee Wee (age 10 and under), Youth (age 11-17), Natural Voice (no calling devices allowed), Women’s, Men’s and Professional (sponsored competitors).

Judges include naturalists, hunters and former elk calling champions.

The event is being held as part of the annual RMEF Elk Camp & Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Expo at the Reno/Sparks Convention Center, March 4-7.

To watch the RMEF/Leupold World Elk Calling Championships, and to see daily coverage of the entire event, go to www.espnoutdoors.com.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.7 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(AmmoLand.com)- In letters to legislators and newspapers across the West, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is calling out groups like Defenders of Wildlife, Western Wildlife Conservancy and others for their disingenuous use of data on wolves and elk.

The RMEF action was prompted by each group’s recent op-ed articles in the media, as well as testimony before Utah lawmakers by Western Wildlife Conservancy Executive Director Kirk Robinson. All cited RMEF statistics to argue that restored wolf populations have somehow translated to growing elk herds in the northern Rockies.

“The theory that wolves haven’t had a significant adverse impact on some elk populations is not accurate. We’ve become all too familiar with these groups’ tactic of cherry-picking select pieces of information to support their own agenda, even when it is misleading,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We will not allow that claim to go unchallenged.”

RMEF population data, which come from state wildlife agencies, show that elk populations are expanding the most in areas of the northern Rockies where wolves are not present. However, where elk share habitat with wolves, such as the greater Yellowstone area, some elk populations are declining fast. In fact, since the mid-1990s introduction of gray wolves, the northern Yellowstone elk herd has dropped from about 17,000 to 7,100 animals—a 58 percent decline. Other localities in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming also are documenting precipitous downward trends.

Additionally, some research shows that elk remaining in areas of concentrated wolf populations are suffering nutrition loss, lower body weights and decreasing birth rates.

Allen said, “Every wildlife conservation agency, both state and federal, working at ground zero of wolf restoration—Idaho, Montana and Wyoming—has abundant data to demonstrate how undermanaged wolf populations can compromise local elk herds and local livestock production. There’s just no dispute, and emotion-over-science is not the way to professionally manage wildlife.”

RMEF continues to support state-regulated wolf management to include hunting and other viable methods. This position is supported by new reports of diseased wolf populations in the Yellowstone area.

“When wolves are too abundant, they’re more susceptible to diseases, just like all wildlife. The viruses and mange now spreading through wolf packs is another sign of way too many wolves,” said Allen. “Defenders of Wildlife would like to spin sick wolves as a reason to end hunting. But real conservationists know that diseased wildlife populations need better management. Hunting as a management tool delivers that, period.”

He added, “Remember, pro-wolf groups make their living by prolonging this conflict. There is no real incentive for them to admit that wolves are overly recovered. Fundraising is their major motive and they’ve built a goldmine by filing lawsuits and preaching that nature will find its own equilibrium between predators and prey if man would just leave it alone.

That’s a myth. The truth is that people are the most important part of the equation. This isn’t the Wild West anymore. People live here—actually quite a lot of us. So our land and resources must be managed. Wildlife must be managed. Radical spikes and dips in populations show that we should be doing it better. It’s not profitable for plaintiffs, but the rest of us would be better served if the conflict ended and conservation professionals were allowed to get on with their business of managing wildlife, including a well regulated hunting strategy.”

In 2009, RMEF got involved in the ongoing wolf litigation, supporting defendant agencies by filing legal briefs used in federal court to help delist wolves and proceed with hunting—

“facts conveniently ignored by groups who misuse our name, data and credibility to prolong the conflict. We stand for elk and other wildlife and what is happening right now is simply not good wildlife management,” said Allen.

See Allen’s letters to editors, Utah Senator Dennis Stowell and more at www.rmef.org.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.7 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.- -(AmmoLand.com)- ESPN Outdoors has confirmed upcoming daily online coverage, features, photo galleries and live streaming video from “Elk Camp,” the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s annual convention and expo, March 4-7, in Reno, Nev.

Coverage will be featured at www.espnoutdoors.com.

Links to the coverage will be provided at the Elk Foundation’s site, www.rmef.org.

ESPN Outdoors will present live streaming video of the RMEF/Leupold World Elk Calling Championships. Preliminary rounds of competition begin at 9:00 a.m. (Pacific time) on March 5; championship rounds at 9:00 a.m. (Pacific time) on March 6.

Elk Camp also includes Cabela’s-sponsored seminars led by authorities on bowhunting and other hunting skills, horse packing, marksmanship, wild game cooking, game calling strategies and more. Also included are displays of record elk, attractions and activities for the whole family, plus a 400-booth expo hall filled with outfitted hunting and fishing opportunities, art, gear, firearms and everything elk.

Daily admission to the event, held at the Reno/Sparks Convention Center, is $12 per person or $25 per family, and free for kids 5 and under.

Show hours: Thurs., March 4, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Fri., March 5, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Sat., March 6, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; and Sun., March 7, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Registered attendees can also enjoy banquets, auctions, entertainment, awards and more.

For more information, visit www.rmef.org.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.7 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- As the Boy Scouts of America celebrates 100 years of adventure, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is saluting the youth organization’s historic work in habitat conservation and more recent partnership for elk country.

The Scouting movement was founded Feb. 8, 1910, a date still commemorated as part of Scout Week nationwide. A centennial black-tie gala is slated Feb. 9 in Washington D.C.

“Boy Scouts began as a way to develop character, responsibility, citizenship and personal fitness, and since the very beginning Scout leaders understood that all of those qualities can be cultivated through outdoor activities—including wildlife habitat projects,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “The cumulative impact of Scouting on conservation in America is immeasurable, and we both congratulate and sincerely thank the millions of young people who’ve been a part of it.”

In 1992, RMEF began a partnership with Boy Scouts when a local troop requested funds to repair a wildlife drinking station in New Mexico. Since then, the partnership has grown to 17 states and over $162,000 in RMEF expenditures for Scout projects, events and activities.

Boy Scouts have used RMEF funding to re-vegetate winter range, restore aspen stands, treat weed infestations, repair and remove fencing, install educational kiosks, and more.

RMEF also has sponsored Boy Scouts attending everything from day camps to weeklong high adventure bases. In fact, between 2004 and 2009, more than 5,500 Scouts and 225 volunteers trekked across RMEF’s Torstenson Wildlife Center in New Mexico.

The Boy Scouts of America currently boasts 2.8 million young people between the ages of 7 and 20 plus 1.1 million volunteers in more than 290 local councils throughout the U.S. and its territories. For more information, visit www.scouting.org.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.7 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Arizona Elk Society 2009 Fundraising Banquet

Arizona Elk Society

Peoria, Arizona --(AmmoLand.com)- The Arizona Elk Society is hard at work to make our 9th Annual Banquet better than ever.

Please join us on March 20th to raise funds for wildlife habitat in Arizona.

This year we will have three Commissioners Big Game Tags.

The AES will auction off the Elk Tag, Antelope Tag and the AZ Buffalo Tag. Other Auction Items include lots of great hunts, Guns, Bows and tons of hunting equipment.

If you are interested in a Corporate Table please contact Cookie Nicoson at 928-699-9036. For Banquet tickets or questions call Kathy Nixon at 480-882-9477.

Banquet Tickets will be available online or go to the website and download the ticket application. For more info, contacts or to order tickets CLICK HERE.

If you would like to make a donation to the banquet please contact our Merchandise Chairperson Dee.

About:
The mission of the Arizona Elk Society is to raise funds to benefit elk and other wildlife through habitat conservation and restoration and to preserve our hunting heritage for present and future generations. Visit: www.arizonaelksociety.org

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Kimber and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation are teaming up to launch the new Kimber Model 84L, a rifle that one respected gun writer has already described as “as good as a lightweight rifle can get.”

Christened the “Elk Country Classic,” the first 475 Model 84L rifles are chambered in .30-06 Spfd. and will be available only at RMEF fundraisers beginning early in 2010.

Kimber Firearms

This sleek bolt action sporter weighs just 6 pounds, 2 ounces, and balances like a fine shotgun. Kimber upgraded the stock with specially selected AA-grade French walnut streaked with bold, rich grain. Each stock has hand-cut 20 lines-per-inch checkering, a hand-rubbed oil finish and is tipped in ebony. Special markings include an engraved floorplate with gold accents, engraved bolt handle and serial number that reflects the edition sequence. The rifle is elegant from every angle, but not flashy or overdone.

“Our banquet-goers get first dibs on these rifles, with proceeds conserving habitat for elk and other wildlife,” said Steve Decker, director of field programs for RMEF.

“Kimber has never launched a new product through a conservation group before, and we’ve never launched a new rifle, so this is one of the coolest things we’ve ever done at our events.”

A project coordinator at Kimber shared the enthusiasm, saying, “Many of us are dedicated elk hunters and RMEF members. Knowing these rifles will be used to further the RMEF mission means a great deal to all of us. I cannot imagine a stronger partnership.”

To find an RMEF fundraiser—the only place you can get a new Kimber Model 84L Elk Country Classic—near you, go to www.rmef.org and click “Attend an Event.”

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.7 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Two bucking bulls named for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation are debuting at Professional Bull Riders (PBR) events nationwide in 2010.

The bulls, RMEF Bugle and RMEF Elk Country, are owned by Jeff Robinson Bucking Bulls, one of PBR’s top stock contractors and owner of the 2007 PBR world champion bull, Chicken on a Chain.

An avid elk hunter, conservationist and supporter of RMEF, Jeff Robinson said, “I am extremely excited about our partnership with RMEF. My family loves to hunt and RMEF is making sure everyone has that opportunity well into the future.”

His two rookie bulls, challenging the world’s toughest cowboys in the Built Ford Tough Series events held around the country and televised on VERSUS, will help over 100 million PBR fans get better acquainted with RMEF and its mission. The organization recently topped 5.7 million acres enhanced and conserved for elk and other wildlife.

RMEF Vice President of Marketing Steve Decker said, “RMEF Bugle is shaping up to be an awesome bull. In his first two outs, in Baltimore in early January, he bucked off two of the best riders in the business and earned bull scores of 44 and 44.5 out of 50.”

That bull will continue to appear in PBR eastern events, while RMEF Elk Country will begin a tour of PBR western events later this year.

Fans will have chances to win RMEF merchandise at PBR events, cheer for cowboys to win RMEF apparel and rifles, and keep an eye open for RMEF logos and messages on PBR event banners, signage, exhibits, stock trailers, crew shirts, advertising and more, all thanks to Robinson’s generosity and conservation spirit, said Decker.

RMEF and PBR launched a “Cowboys for Conservation” promotion in 2007. Various components of the partnership have raised more than $200,000 and immeasurable public awareness of conservation.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.7 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- With its popular X-Bolt rifles and a partnership with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, outdoor icon Browning has raised tens of thousands of dollars for conservation in elk country. For 2010, the company is adding clothing items, knives and hunting gear to the mix.

The RMEF logoed merchandise will be available at retailers nationwide. Each sale will generate funds for habitat enhancement and protection, opening public access and more.

“We love what RMEF is doing,” said Travis Hall, chief operating officer for Browning. “Browning is very proud to work with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for the long-term success of America’s great hunting and shooting heritage. Providing Browning merchandise logoed with the RMEF brand will provide critical dollars for conservation.”

Steve Decker, director of field programs for the Elk Foundation, said, “I can’t say enough good things about Browning and its conservation leadership. Not only does this program create awareness of our brand, it helps support our mission to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat.”

In 2009, RMEF reached the 5.7 million-acre mark in habitat conserved.

Browning Firearms

Browning products designated to support this mission in 2010 include an X-Bolt rifle, Hells Canyon jacket, vest and pant in three different color patterns, Highlands Wool II parka, bibs, shirt and pant, caps in four different color patterns, padded Handler and neoprene rifle slings, Wild Boar flex rifle case, three different burl wood Packer knives, a Backtrack folder knife, and a Hi Power flashlight.

For more information, visit www.browning.com or look for RMEF licensed merchandise wherever outdoor products are sold.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.7 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- MidwayUSA, a catalog and Internet retailer with “Just About Everything for Shooting, Re-loading, Gunsmithing and Hunting,” is stepping up its support for conservation as the newest major sponsor of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation 2010 convention.

The RMEF Elk Camp & Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Expo is slated for March 4-7, 2010, at the Reno/Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nev.

The annual event is a primary fundraiser for the RMEF mission to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. MidwayUSA will present the convention’s “Grand Banquet Saturday” on March 6, including the night’s featured performance by country music star Sara Evans.

“Larry Potterfield and the entire staff at MidwayUSA continue to demonstrate a deep commitment to conservation and America’s hunting heritage. We’re very grateful for their partnership,” said Steve Decker, director of field programs for the Elk Foundation.

MidwayUSA also is the presenting sponsor of the RMEF TV show, Elk Chronicles.

“Dad taught me to hunt and fish and I’ve had a lifelong passion for the outdoors since,” said Larry Potterfield, founder and CEO of MidwayUSA. “Brenda and I have been fortunate enough to spend time in elk country and we are excited to do what we can to support the mission of RMEF.”

For more info about MidwayUSA, visit www.midwayusa.com or call 1-800-243-3220.

The RMEF Elk Camp & Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Expo will feature elk hunting seminars, displays of record elk, kids’ activities, auctions and an exhibit hall filled with art, gear, firearms and outfitted hunting and fishing opportunities. It’s all a showcase for one of the nation’s premier conservation organizations—RMEF recently topped 5.6 million acres of elk habitat conserved or enhanced.

For details, visit www.rmef.org.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Nineteen Utah counties are slated for wildlife habitat conservation projects using $262,462 in new grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The 2009 RMEF grants will affect Cache, Daggett, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Kane, Millard, Piute, Rich, San Juan, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington and Wayne counties.

All grants are funded by proceeds from Utah hunting permits sold at RMEF fundraisers.

“Thanks to our volunteers across Utah who helped drive the 2008 fundraisers that made these grants possible. When Elk Foundation banquets, auctions and other events transform into on-the-ground conservation work, it’s payday for all of our supporters who are passionate about giving something back to the outdoors,” said David Allen, Elk Foundation president and CEO.

Elk Foundation grants will help fund the following Utah projects, listed by county:

• Cache County— Use herbicide to treat weeds and then reseed 255 acres of elk and mule deer range at Millville Wildlife Management Area.
• Daggett County— Remove and mulch 390 acres of pinion-juniper to restore sagebrush habitat for elk in the Diamond Mountain area on BLM land; burn, chain and reseed 200 acres of winter range for elk and mule deer at Middle Fork Wildlife Management Area.
• Duchesne County— Thin ponderosa pine forest to improve vegetative diversity and big game forage on 450 acres in Dry Gulch area of Ashley National Forest.
• Emery County— Mechanically treat 1,000 acres to promote understory growth for elk, sage grouse and other wildlife in the Wildcat Knoll area of Manti-La Sal National Forest.
• Garfield County— Rejuvenate meadows and aspen stands within ponderosa pine forest by prescribe burning 1,000 acres near Ahlstrom Hollow in Dixie National Forest; repair and replace sections of an exclosure fence to protect an emerging aspen stand near Antimony Creek in Dixie National Forest.
• Grand County— Remove encroaching conifers and restore 2,115 acres of sagebrush communities in the Cedar Camp area.
• Iron County— Prescribe burn and reseed 1,000 acres to reduce pinion-juniper and improve riparian habitat for elk and other wildlife in the Cottonwood Canyon area of Dixie National Forest.
• Kane County— Repair wildlife drinkers by replacing underground storage tanks in Dixie National Forest.
• Millard County— Remove pinion-juniper overgrowth to restore habitat for elk on 614 acres in the Canyon Mountain area of Fishlake National Forest; increase forage on elk winter range by treating 750 acres of encroaching conifer in the Kanosh Bench area of Fishlake National Forest; improve wildlife forage by treating 1,050 acres of pinion-juniper near Pahvant Mountain on BLM land; enhance grasslands by treating conifer on 837 acres near Pahvant Mountain on Fishlake National Forest.
• Piute County— Partner with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to acquire 400 acres of crucial elk and deer winter range in the Kingston Canyon area.
• Rich County— Restore a 35-acre aspen stand by prescribe burning and fencing in the Otter Creek area of BLM land.
• San Juan County— Hand cut, pile and burn brush, and then aerially reseed 1,650 acres to improve habitat for elk and other wildlife in the Little Baullie Mesa area on BLM land; treat and reseed 53 acres of habitat in the Peters Canyon area on BLM land; thin 612 acres of encroaching conifer to improve forage for elk and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildlife east of La Sal on BLM land; use no-till range drill to re-vegetate 18 acres of crucial winter range for elk in the Upper Pack Creek area.
• Summit County— Restore native browse and forage for elk and other wildlife by disking and reseeding 300 acres of elk winter range near Harris Canyon in the Henefer-Echo Wildlife Management Area.
• Tooele County— Remove encroaching conifer to rejuvenate sagebrush and browse for elk on 1,400 acres n the Deep Creek Mountains on BLM land.
• Uintah County— Reduce lodgepole pine density and increase vegetative diversity by prescribe burning 815 acres of elk habitat in Ashley National Forest; treat noxious weeds and cheatgrass, and then reseed native grasses, forbs and shrubs, on 153 acres in the Big Park area on BLM land; aerially reseed 80 acres to improve habitat for a variety of species in the Johnson Draw area; remove conifer and seed 555 acres in the Book Cliffs area on BLM land.
• Utah County— Treat and prescribe burn 1,000 acres of oak-maple habitat to improve habitat for elk and other wildlife in Uinta National Forest.
• Wasatch County— Aerially and ground spray and reseed 932 acres of knapweed to improve habitat for elk and other wildlife in the Wallsburg Wildlife Management Area.
• Washington County— Remove encroaching pinion-juniper and aerially reseed native grasses and forbs to improve habitat for elk on 600 acres in the Eight Mile Bench area of Dixie National Forest.
• Wayne County— Improve 4,298 acres of big game winter range by prescribe burning, mechanical thinning and reseeding in the Thousand Lake Mountain area of Fishlake National Forest.

To date, partners for 2009 projects in Utah include Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, other agencies, corporations, landowners and organizations.

Since 1984, the Elk Foundation and its partners have completed more than 285 conservation projects in Utah with a value of more than $27 million.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- If you’re a screamer, bugler, grunter or chuckler, you may have what it takes to win the Super Bowl of elk calling, March 4-7, 2010, in Reno, Nev.

Competition is open to the public in the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation/Leupold 2010 World Elk Calling Championships. The event will be held as part of the annual RMEF Elk Camp & Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Expo at the Reno/Sparks Convention Center.

Featured in recent years by The New York Times and CBS Sunday Morning, the competition will return to Reno following a 2009 stint in Fort Worth, Texas.

“We’re searching for the world’s best elk callers and we think Reno may be the place to find them,” said Beth Shipley, RMEF special events director, who has been involved with the World Elk Calling Championships for 15 years. “No experience is necessary to enter and compete in the prelims, although many serious callers have already qualified for the finals by competing in regional competitions held around the country over the past several months. So, if you’re thinking of entering, start practicing now!”

An RMEF video featuring the natural elk sounds that competitors will be asked to mimic is at www.rmef.org/NewsandMedia/Videos/BullElkSounds.htm.

Competitors must be registered by 5:00 p.m. on Thurs., March 4. Registration forms and rules are available at www.rmef.org.

Entry fees are $10 for Pee Wee (age 10 and under) and Youth (age 11-17) divisions, $35 for Natural Voice (no calling devices allowed), Women’s and Men’s, and $100 for Professional (sponsored competitors). Entry fees also provide contest participants with admission to the expo.

Cash and prizes will be awarded for first- through third-place in all six divisions.

Preliminary rounds of competition begin Fri., March 6, at 9:00 a.m. Finals begin Sat., March 7, at 9:00 a.m., followed by awards and crowning of 2010 world champions.

Judges include naturalists, hunters and former elk calling champions.

A just-for-fun team competition also will be held. Up to three callers can work together in a comedy skit simulating interactions between bulls, cows and calves. Winners are chosen by the audience. There is no registration fee for the team event.

Spectator seating for the elk calling championships is included with daily admission to the expo: $12 per person or $25 per family, and free for kids 5 and under.

Along with the RMEF/Leupold 2010 World Elk Calling Championships, the expo will fill the Reno/Sparks Convention Center with elk hunting seminars, displays of record elk, kids’ activities, auctions and an exhibit hall filled with art, gear, firearms and outfitted hunting and fishing opportunities. It’s all a showcase and fundraiser for one of the nation’s premier conservation organizations. The Elk Foundation recently topped 5.6 million acres of elk habitat conserved or enhanced.

Show hours: Thurs., March 4, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Fri., March 5, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Sat., March 6, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; and Sun., March 7, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- She used to cry when her father came home with a dead deer.

Now she’s the first woman hunter to bag an elk in Tennessee in at least 144 years. Tami Miller of Franklin, Tenn., hopes her story will inspire other women to take up hunting.

“It’s hard to get a babysitter at 4:30 in the morning but the experience of hunting is worth the trouble,” laughs Miller. “My husband introduced me to hunting. It has definitely enhanced our marriage and our family life. It’s something we can share, something that brings us all together in the outdoors. I wish more women would try it.”

She added, “Hunting is exciting. It’s empowering and it’s beautiful. When you’re out there at sunrise, and it’s so quiet you can hear a leaf falling from a tree, it’s priceless.”

Miller and her husband, both avid conservationists and supporters of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, in October participated in the state’s first elk hunt in modern times.

Elk disappeared from Tennessee in 1865 following years of habitat changes and unregulated hunting. In the 1990s, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and RMEF began an historic effort to restore a wild herd to the Volunteer State. By 2009 the population had expanded enough for hunters to take five surplus bulls. Four permits were awarded via random drawing, one via auction on eBay.

Knowing that auction proceeds would fund elk and habitat conservation, Andrew Miller didn’t mind paying $17,700 for the permit—or giving the permit to Tami as a special gift.

“My husband and I scouted together through September and October and I grew more and more excited about the hunt. The historical aspects were always on my mind. I thought about the women who walked these hills a long time ago, hunting for elk so their families could survive. I felt honored to represent them,” said Miller.

When the hunt day arrived, Miller joined the four other hunters—all male—in a group elk camp co-sponsored by RMEF and staffed by volunteers.

“I was a little worried about being accepted. I wondered if the men would think I was pushing my way into their fraternity. But everyone was supportive and wonderful. I met so many great people who really wanted me to succeed,” she said, adding, “I was actually surprised at how many people were watching to see how the woman hunter would do. In my hometown, girls and women that I didn’t even know were coming up and wishing me luck.”

When all four of the men killed their bull on the first day, but Tami hadn’t even seen an elk yet, anxiety simmered as she worried about letting people down.

“Hunting isn’t all about getting an animal but I didn’t want to be the only hunter who didn’t get an elk. I probably should have prayed for help finding a big bull. But, the next morning, as my husband and I hunted together in a beautiful place, with the colors of fall all around us, the stress melted away and I just thanked God for this day,” she said.

At dusk, after a long stalk, with her husband and two friends by her side, Miller finally steadied crosshairs on a bull elk, an animal many times larger than her. She was nervous. As her husband had taught her years before, she drew two deep breaths, then held the third and squeezed the trigger.

When the rifle spoke, the elk was hers.

“When I started hunting, I knew it would be fun to get outdoors with my husband and watch him doing something he loved, but I wasn’t sure I could kill an animal. Since then, I’ve learned that I can be a provider, too. I can bring food home to my family,” she said.

Miller’s 5×6 certainly wasn’t the biggest bull in the Tennessee woods but it will always symbolize an enormously important part of her life:

“Marriage is about sharing things, and, for us, hunting has become one of those things.”

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Veterans Day, established on Nov. 11 to mark the anniversary of the end of World War I, is our country’s way of honoring those who served in American wars. Saying thanks to these heroes also is an important tradition for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

In just the past three years, RMEF has contributed over $25,000 and countless volunteer hours to provide veterans, many whom are disabled, with special hunting experiences, gear and support.

Funding also helped provide recreational opportunities for families of deployed soldiers.

“There are now more than 23 million veterans in the U.S., including a record 1.8 million female veterans, and I wish we could personally show them all how much we appreciate their service and patriotism,” said David Allen, president and CEO of RMEF. “This fall, as we exercise our freedom to hunt, venture into wild country and share the outdoors with our families and friends, let’s remember that none of it would be possible without our servicemen and women.”

The latest RMEF thank-you came in October when Master Sergeant Jim Shreve, a Purple Heart veteran who suffered a detached retina in both eyes while serving in Iraq, was invited for a special elk hunt near Jackson, Wyo.

The Jackson Hole RMEF chapter had received a Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioner’s tag for auction. Chapter members rallied supporters to purchase the tag especially for a veteran. Questar, EnCana Oil and Gas USA, Ultra Resources and the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of Wyoming contributed. More supporters helped with a reception, camp, gear, taxidermy, meat processing and access to a private ranch.

After several days of hunting, Shreve took an old bull with broken tines and scars from battles with other rutting bulls, it its own way a “wounded warrior.”

RMEF works closely with outdoor writer and former RMEF board member Jim Zumbo on many endeavors for disabled veterans.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- New grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will fund conservation and education projects in eight Michigan counties, and swell total RMEF support for the state’s Pigeon River Habitat Initiative to more than $190,000.

The 2009 RMEF grants will affect Cheboygan, Delta, Montmorency, Muskegon, Oakland, Otsego, Ottawa and Presque Isle counties.

“Our volunteers in Michigan devoted themselves to the 2008 fundraisers that made these grants possible. This is where Elk Foundation banquets, auctions and other events transform into on-the-ground conservation work, and it’s part of the payday for all of our supporters who are passionate about giving something back to the outdoors,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO.

RMEF has been a major supporter of the Pigeon River Habitat Initiative in each of the past four years and in 2003. Contributions have helped secure conservation easements, develop forest stewardship management plans, provide technical assistance for landowners, offer cost-share programs to help with wildlife plantings, and more.

Collectively, these efforts have impacted hundreds of acres for elk and other wildlife.

“RMEF has been a great partner and supporter for this project. There is no way we could accomplish the goals of this project without partners such as RMEF. Funding from RMEF also helps us leverage additional funding for conservation efforts in Pigeon River country,” said Eric Nelson, habitat specialist for Huron Pines, which manages the Pigeon River Habitat Initiative.

Elk Foundation 2009 grants for Michigan, totaling $19,544, will help fund the following projects, listed by county:

• Delta County—Sponsor the Delta Youth Archery Initiative to introduce young people to archery instruction, equipment, competition, safety, sportsmanship, ethics and leadership.
• Montmorency County—Renovate an elk display with a new life-sized mount of a bull elk to be used for educational purposes by the City of Atlanta, “Elk Capital of Michigan.”
• Oakland County—Sponsor the Sherman Middle School National Archery in the Schools Program to introduce youth to archery in a school environment.
• Otsego County—Promote long-term land protection, improve habitat for wildlife, discourage invasive species and develop sustainable forestry management as part of the Pigeon River Habitat Initiative (also affects Cheboygan, Montmorency and Presque Isle counties).
• Ottawa County—Sponsor the Ottawa County 2009 Youth Hunter Safety program (also affects Muskegon County).

Partners for 2009 projects in Michigan include Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Huron Pines, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, other agencies, schools and organizations.

Since 1984, the Elk Foundation and its partners have completed more than 80 conservation projects in Michigan with a value of more than $4.6 million.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Elk and other wildlife in the nation’s breadbasket will benefit from $31,343 in new grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The grants will help fund conservation and education initiatives in Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma.

Grant amounts are based on RMEF fundraisers held in the respective states.

“Elk Foundation volunteers drove the 2008 banquets, auctions and other fundraising events that made these grants possible. This is where their work begins to transform into on-the-ground conservation benefits, and it’s part of the payday for our supporters who are passionate about giving something back to the outdoors,” said David Allen, Elk Foundation president and CEO.

RMEF grants will help fund the following projects, listed by state:

Kansas
Received RMEF 2009 grants totaling $15,250. Projects include reducing depredation on private land by managing about 200 forage plots covering 750 acres for elk and other wildlife at Fort Riley military reservation in Riley County; enhancing riparian habitat by treating noxious weeds and planting cottonwood, willow and native shrubs on 777 acres at Cimarron National Grasslands in Morton County; and sponsoring Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshops statewide, Big Brothers Big Sisters Pass It On Outdoor Mentors programs statewide, and Ninnescah Valley Archery Club youth education programs in Pratt County. RMEF partners include the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and other conservation groups.

Nebraska
Received RMEF 2009 grants totaling $8,075. Projects include developing methodology for aerial elk surveys in the western panhandle of Nebraska including Dawes and Box Butte counties; and funding two scholarships for wildlife conservation students at Chadron State College. RMEF partners include the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Oklahoma
Received RMEF 2009 grants totaling $8,018. Projects include creating forage openings for elk, rejuvenating water impoundments and maintaining firebreaks at Spavinaw Wildlife Management Area in Delaware and Mayes counties; and enhancing forage for elk and other wildlife by prescribe burning 8,195 acres at Pushmataha Wildlife Management Area in Pushmataha County. RMEF partners include the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and other conservation groups.

Since 1984 in these three states, the Elk Foundation and its partners have completed 155 conservation and education projects with a value of more than $9.8 million.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Flu is on everyone’s mind this autumn. So for hunters who start feeling lousy upon arrival in elk camp, the diagnosis may seem obvious.

But, like skiers and mountain climbers, elk hunters at high elevations also are prone to altitude sickness with symptoms that look and feel like the flu—headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, coughing, shortness of breath and trouble sleeping.

Ways to prevent the flu are well publicized, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is offering the following tips for avoiding altitude sickness.

Altitude sickness is caused by thin air at high elevations. Your body must work harder to maintain normal oxygen levels in the blood. Breathing and pulse rates increase. Still, the lack of oxygen can knock a hunter down especially if they go too hard too soon.

“Most of us live at a much lower elevation than elk do. That alone puts many hunters at a disadvantage even before they begin their first stalk,” said Cameron Hanes, a fitness and bowhunting authority as well as TV show host and columnist for RMEF.

Hanes says most sufferers adapt to high altitude by the fourth day. The following tips can help you make better use of your first three days in elk country.

• When you arrive in high country, avoid physical exertion for the first 24 hours. This can be tough when you’ve been looking forward to the hunt all year, so if you can’t or won’t take a full day to adjust, be smart. Don’t go full bore right out of the gate.
• Hunt high, sleep low. At elevations above 5,000 feet, try to gain no more than 2,000 feet per day. You can hunt higher as long as you go back down 2,000 feet to sleep.
• Ascend very slowly past 8,000 feet. Acclimatize yourself. Acclimatization helps cells get along on a smaller oxygen budget. By gaining altitude slowly, your body will adjust gradually with few if any symptoms of altitude sickness.
• If traveling by air to a hunt above 8,000 feet, try to incorporate a layover of one to two days at an intermediate altitude.
• Drink water copiously and constantly.
• • Avoid alcohol for the first few days. Alcohol dehydrates you and drinking at high altitudes amplifies its affect.
• Consume a high-carbohydrate diet. Lots of granola bars, trail mix, etc.
• The prescription drug acetazolamide (Diamox) can be helpful as a preventive treatment but always consult with your doctor first.
• Fitness at sea level doesn’t guarantee an easier time when you’re at 10,000 feet, but being in good shape makes it more likely that your lungs can cope with the challenges of the high life.

If these tips don’t work, and if your symptoms persist even at lower altitudes, you may indeed have the flu.

Hanes serves RMEF as host of “Elk Chronicles” on Outdoor Channel and as a columnist for “Bugle” magazine. His second book, “Backcountry Bowhunting, A Guide to the Wild Side,” is currently in its fifth printing and is available at www.cameronhanes.com.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Elk and other wildlife on the parched Arizona landscape now have six new, reliable watering sources thanks to a landmark pipeline project spearheaded by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The partly buried 1½-inch pipe, 12 miles long, delivers useable wastewater from the City of Tusayan to areas south of the Grand Canyon—Arizona’s famous Unit 9 hunting area.

As part of this project, seven stand-alone water catchments also were built in the area.

The Elk Foundation expended $348,000 on this project using contributions from donors, proceeds from Arizona hunting permit raffles and grants from RMEF banquets and other fundraisers across the state. The Arizona Game and Fish Department provided $520,000. Other groups supported the project with volunteer labor and in-kind services.

Across the Southwest, water often is the missing ingredient for healthy habitat. In an average year, conservation agencies and organizations in Arizona annually spend over $100,000 hauling water into elk country. Severe drought can drive expenses way up.

“It took six years to design, facilitate and build this pipeline system but the valves are now open and water is flowing. From now on, in all but the most extreme drought years, we shouldn’t have to haul water into this region,” said Clair Harris, an RMEF member from Flagstaff, Ariz., who helped organize volunteer labor for the project.

Harris said more than 100 volunteers from every RMEF chapter in Arizona helped build the pipeline and catchments.

Over the years, RMEF funds and volunteers have been involved in the construction or renovation of over 30 watering sources across Unit 9. With the new additions, biologists agree the area now has a good minimum supply of water.

“Wildlife in this area is absolutely tied to these water developments and the new pipeline provides an efficient, reliable distribution system that will be beneficial for many species including elk, deer and other big game,” said John Goodwin, habitat specialist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Goodwin said the pipeline is supplied from a runoff pond at the Tusayan water treatment plant, supplemented with reclaimed effluent, snowmelt and rain. The pond is heavily used by local wildlife. A pump moves surplus water through high-density plastic pipe that won’t crush beneath vehicles, break from freezing or degrade in sunlight. The line is buried where soils are deep and runs along the surface where the ground is rocky. Water flows into six strategically located, fiberglass storage tanks averaging about 7,000 gallons each. Each tank is then connected to an auto-fill drinking device accessible to wildlife.

Stand-alone catchments are designed to collect rain and snowmelt on site, store water in 20,000-gallon holding tanks, and dispense water into drinkers.

The Kaibab National Forest approved the project after lengthy environmental analyses.

Goodwin credited the Elk Foundation and especially Harris as “a tremendous asset for coordinating progress on the ground and rallying volunteer labor so the project didn’t have to rely on contractors or paid employees.”

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)-Your crosshairs shift undecidedly between a raghorn bull and a big cow, both standing broadside at 60 yards.

The elk tag in your pocket makes both animals legal.

Which one do you shoot?

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation offers 5 reasons to consider taking the cow:

1. Reducing a herd to fit the carrying capacity of its winter range is a form of habitat
   conservation. Culling a calf-producer is more effective population control. Wildlife agencies
   issue either-sex tags specifically to encourage hunter harvest of cows.
2. Letting young bulls walk improves your odds for a big, mature bull next year.
3. A more abundant bull population tends to be older which can improve efficiency of the rut.
   Result: more bulls surviving winter, higher pregnancy rates in cows, fewer late calves and
   better overall herd health.
4. A less abundant cow population tends to be younger, more vigorous and resistant to diseases.
5. As tablefare, cows and calves are generally better.

Hunting remains the primary wildlife management tool today, vital for balancing elk populations within biological and cultural tolerances, says David Allen, Elk Foundation president and CEO.

“Habitat conservation, sound management, good hunting, healthy wildlife—they’re all tied together. And, more and more, adequate harvest of cow elk is becoming a factor. If you have an either-sex elk tag this fall, consider letting young bulls go and filling your freezer with a fat cow,” he said.

RMEF this summer passed the 5.6 million acre mark in habitat conserved or enhanced.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- With construction well underway and a grand opening scheduled for summer 2010, a planned state-of-the-art conservation education facility is now wholly owned by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) following a transfer from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The 7,000 square-foot Elk Country Visitor Center will sit on a 245-acre site in Benezette Township, Elk County. When completed, it will be the largest elk watching and conservation education facility in the eastern U.S.

The project began as a public-private partnership between the Commonwealth and RMEF. The Elk Foundation conveyed its share of the facility to DCNR on Sept. 15.

“The Elk Foundation has been a great partner in open-space protection and restoring the elk herd in the Pennsylvania Wilds, and we thank them for their help getting the Elk Center project off the ground. This project would not have been possible without their early partnership with DCNR,” said John Quigley, acting secretary of DCNR.

RMEF landed major support for the project from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, Dominion Foundation, Thoreson Foundation, Safari Club International, Eastern Chapter Foundation for North American Wild Sheep and many individual donors.

Additionally, Elk Foundation chapters across the country made special contributions toward the new facility.

“As it turns out, this project worked much like a land protection project—we facilitate and fundraise, then transfer the asset to a public agency that is better equipped to manage in perpetuity. We’ve never applied this model to a conservation education facility before but we’re pleased with the outcome,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO.

Going forward, RMEF will help promote the Elk Country Visitor Center and use it for special conservation and education events.

As RMEF conveyed its share of the visitor center, DCNR announced a new partnership with the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation (PPFF).

Allen said, “We’re confident that this important project is in good hands and that the new partnership is well positioned to help this landmark facility accomplish its goals.”

Marci Mowery, PPFF president, said, “The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation appreciates the work that the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has done to restore elk habitat and educate the public about elk. We look forward to working with the DCNR through the Elk Country Visitor Center to reach out to new visitors, give them a wonderful outdoor experience and share the story of the conservation efforts that have restored many of the natural and wild areas in Pennsylvania.”

Allen said Elk Foundation volunteers tackled fundraising for this project with the same gusto that annually supports traditional RMEF projects. Since 1984, RMEF and its partners have spent $14.4 million to complete 199 conservation and education projects that have protected or enhanced more than 14,800 acres of wildlife habitat in Pennsylvania.

DCNR will erect a bronze elk statue, acquired through the efforts of the Pittsburgh RMEF chapter, dedicated to the passion of all Elk Foundation volunteers.

The center also will include educational exhibits, trails, story theater, wildlife viewing blinds, meeting rooms and display areas.

Allen said the Elk Foundation remains focused on its core mission of habitat conservation for elk and other wildlife.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Eight counties in California are slated for wildlife habitat conservation projects using $227,571 in new grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The 2009 RMEF grants will affect Colusa, Humboldt, Inyo, Modoc, San Luis Obispo, Shasta, Siskiyou and Trinity counties.

Another project has statewide interest.

“California is the only state with three subspecies of elk—Rocky Mountain, Roosevelt’s and tule—but that’s only part of what makes this state special. Our volunteers all across The Golden State absolutely devoted themselves to the 2008 fundraisers that made these grants possible. This is where Elk Foundation banquets, auctions and other events transform into on-the-ground conservation work, and it’s part of the payday for supporters who are passionate about giving something back to the outdoors,” said David Allen, Elk Foundation president and CEO.

Elk Foundation grants will help fund the following California projects, listed by county:

Colusa County—Restore riparian zone native vegetation to improve habitat for elk and other wildlife on BLM land in Payne Ranch area. RMEF helped purchase the Payne Ranch several years ago and remains heavily involved in habitat protection and enhancement projects in the area.

Humboldt County—Improve forage for elk and other wildlife by removing encroaching conifers from oak woodlands and native prairies on BLM Lack’s Creek Management Area.

Inyo County—Using a helicopter, capture 18 elk and fit them with radio collars to research movement patterns, population status and herd composition in Owens Valley.

Modoc County—Continue prescribe burn program to improve forage for elk on Devil’s Garden area, and install four guzzlers to improve water sources for wildlife, in Modoc National Forest.

San Luis Obispo County—Install larger water tank to improve water source for wildlife and livestock on Gifford Ranch state lands; construct tanks and troughs for a year-round water supply in South Chimineas Ranch area of Los Padres National Forest.

Shasta County—Using a helicopter, capture elk and fit them with radio collars to research movement patterns, population status and habitat use across northern California (also affects Siskiyou and Trinity counties).

Siskiyou County—Use specialized tools to remove taproot and treat perennial, noxious weeds to improve forage for elk and other wildlife on 42 acres near South Fork Salmon River in Klamath National Forest.

Statewide—Assist California Department of Fish and Game with construction of panel traps to capture elk for management research and translocation.

Partners for 2009 projects in California include California Department of Fish and Game, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, other agencies, landowners and organizations.

Since 1984, the Elk Foundation and its partners have completed more than 350 conservation projects in California with a value of more than $20.5 million.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Two counties in Nevada are slated for wildlife habitat conservation projects using $77,500 in new grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The 2009 RMEF grants will affect Lincoln and White Pine counties.

“Our volunteers across Nevada helped drive the 2008 fundraisers that made these grants possible. This is where Elk Foundation banquets, auctions and other events transform into on-the-ground conservation work, and it’s part of the payday for supporters who are passionate about giving something back to the outdoors,” said David Allen, Elk Foundation president and CEO.

Elk Foundation grants will help fund the following Nevada projects, listed by county:

Lincoln County—Thin encroaching pinion and juniper from 1,000 acres of grasslands to improve forage for elk in Burnt Canyon area of BLM lands; research habitat use and migration corridors by installing GPS and satellite radio collars on 5 elk in Clover/Delamar Mountains area.

White Pine County—Mow and seed 200 acres to rejuvenate sagebrush, bitterbrush and grass to improve habitat for elk, mule deer, sage grouse and other wildlife in the White River/Ellison Creek area of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest; thin encroaching pinion and juniper from 1,000 acres to rejuvenate forage grasses and forbs in the White Pine Mountains area of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest; sponsor Great Basin 2009 Educators Workshop to provide teachers with experiences and tools to teach outdoor and ecosystem concepts.

A committee of Elk Foundation volunteers and staff select projects for grants. Additional projects are being reviewed and supplemental grants could be announced later this year.

To date, partners for 2009 projects in Nevada include Bureau of Land Management, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition, Great Basin National Park, U.S. Forest Service, other agencies, corporations, landowners and organizations.

Since 1984, the Elk Foundation and its partners have completed more than 170 conservation projects in Nevada with a value of more than $14.3 million.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Kentucky’s elk herd runneth over, and Virginia has decided to welcome the overflow and build a sustainable, huntable population of its own.

In August, the governing board of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) voted unanimously to end unmanaged harvest of elk by state deer hunters. For years, any Virginian with a deer permit could shoot an elk wandering across the state line from Kentucky. That practice is expected to officially end this fall.

Additionally, the VDGIF board also moved toward an official elk reintroduction and management plan for southwestern Virginia.

“Kudos to conservation leaders in Virginia. Restoring a native game species to management levels is one of the highest achievements in conservation, and it’s great to see Virginia aspiring to that goal for elk,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO.

He added, “The Elk Foundation is extremely proud of the role we played in restoring elk to neighboring Kentucky. With a lot of money, technical assistance from our staff and support from our volunteers, we helped relocate over 1,500 elk to Kentucky between 1997 and 2002. Today that herd has more than 11,000 animals and offers incredible hunting opportunities with legitimate chances to take world-class bulls.”

Research shows that Kentucky elk have dispersed into four neighboring states with varying degrees of hospitality. Virginians originally wanted to keep elk out but now the culture appears to be changing, said Allen.

As an extension of its mission to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat, RMEF promotes sound management of wild, free-ranging elk, which may be hunted or otherwise enjoyed.

A YouTube video clip of the VDGIF board discussion and vote is available at HuntingLife.com

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has filed a motion in Missoula federal court to enter an amicus curiae brief supporting state-regulated wolf hunting in Idaho and Montana. If the motion is granted by U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy, RMEF documents will be considered in Molloy’s decision on whether to allow or sto

p the hunt.

A hearing is scheduled for Monday and a ruling could follow soon afterward.

A coalition of 13 environmental groups filed an emergency injunction asking Molloy to stop the planned hunt and return wolves to the endangered species list.

“Long gone are the days when species like elk, bears and wolves can go completely unmanaged. We don’t live in a zoo and this isn’t the old West. It is frustrating that America’s wildlife conservation system, which has worked wonderfully well since the time of Theodore Roosevelt, has been reduced to a legal chess match,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO.

Allen said the Elk Foundation’s brief reinforces four main points:

• • Historic success of modern, hunter-based conservation in North America.
• • Viewpoints of hunters who continue to pay for the big-game resources that made wolf recovery possible.
• • RMEF-funded research, along with other scientific and anecdotal evidence, showing that wolf populations are fully recovered and that, where wolves are present with elk, wolves are having detrimental impacts on elk.
• • State wildlife agencies are best suited to manage wolves alongside other species.

Allen urged Wyoming and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to work together on a mutually agreeable wolf management plan to help clear a legal path to regulated wolf hunting in The Cowboy State.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Through the ages, many cultures developed special rituals meant to bring good luck to hunters. For today’s elk hunter, no sendoff conveys best wishes and confidence like The New Elk Hunter’s Cookbook and Meat Care Guide from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The 292-page book is a collection of favorite recipes from members of the habitat conservation organization, which has conserved more than 5.6 million acres for elk and other wildlife.

Different versions of elk chili, stew, roast, steak, stroganoff, meat loaf and casseroles are included along with many unique and wonderful recipes such as:

Elk Henley in Puffed Pastry

• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
• 2 pounds elk meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 2 large onions, chunked
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup port wine
• 6 juniper berries
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 sheet puffed pastry
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Melt butter in deep skillet. Add elk meat a few pieces at a time and brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Fry bacon until crisp. Set aside with elk. Add onions and mushrooms to pan and cook until golden brown. Stir in flour. Add port, juniper berries, broth and thyme. Bring to a boil. Add elk and bacon and simmer for about 30 minutes. With a slotted spoon, place elk in a greased, deep-sided casserole dish. Continue cooking sauce on medium heat until sauce thickens. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over elk. Roll out pastry to fit casserole dish and place atop meat mixture. Glaze with an egg glaze, made by beating an egg with tablespoon water. Bake at 400 degrees until crust is golden brown. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

The Elk Foundation cookbook also includes tips on caring for elk meat from field to freezer, aging instructions, essays on enjoying the bounty of a successful hunt, and recipes for various other game and meats plus everything from salads to desserts.

The New Elk Hunter’s Cookbook and Meat Care Guide is $19.95 plus shipping (next-day delivery is available). Order online at www.rmef.org. From the homepage, click “Shop Elk Country,” then “Elk Country Trading Post,” then “Books.”

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Seven counties in New Mexico are slated for wildlife habitat conservation projects using $65,358 in new grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The 2009 RMEF grants will affect Catron, Lincoln, Mora, Otero, Sierra, Socorro and Taos counties.

“Our volunteers across New Mexico helped drive the 2008 fundraisers that made these grants possible. This is where Elk Foundation banquets, auctions and other events transform into on-the-ground conservation work, and it’s part of the payday for supporters who are passionate about giving something back to the outdoors,” said David Allen, Elk Foundation president and CEO.

Elk Foundation grants will help fund the following New Mexico projects, listed by county:

Catron County—Improve forage for elk by mechanically thinning 750 acres of pinion and juniper to rejuvenate grasses, forbs and shrubs in the Pelona Mountain Area on BLM lands.

Lincoln County—Thin 1,100 acres of encroaching pinion and juniper to stimulate browse for elk in the Lincoln National Forest.

Mora County—Restore riparian, wet meadow and grassland habitat for elk and other wildlife in the Wagon Mound area.

Otero County—Develop 30 maintenance-free water catchment devices and wildlife drinking locations to improve habitat for elk, mule deer, pronghorn, javelina, scaled and Gambel’s quail, and other species in Otero Mesa area on BLM Lands.

Sierra County—Prescribe burn 9,078 acres of ponderosa pine, mixed conifer, pinion and juniper to enhance forage for elk in Gila National Forest.

Socorro County—Restore grassland and aspen habitat by thinning 1,600 acres and prescribe burning 8,433 acres of decadent conifer in Cibola National Forest.

Taos County—Re-seed native grasses on 2,243 acres to replace exotic pasture grasses and restore habitat for elk and other wildlife in Ute Mountain area on BLM lands.

Partners for 2009 projects in New Mexico include Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, U.S. Forest Service, other agencies, corporations, landowners and organizations.

Since 1984, the Elk Foundation and its partners have completed more than 220 conservation projects in New Mexico with a value of more than $18.4 million.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.— -(AmmoLand.com)- Elk and elk hunting opportunities are plentiful across the U.S. and Canada, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has just released its annual roundup of hunt forecasts for 27 states and provinces, newly posted at www.rmef.org.

“Elk herds are in great shape across most of the West, thanks to a mild winter and normal moisture. And, of course, the ongoing habitat stewardship projects supported by our members and volunteers have helped, too,” said David Allen, president and CEO of the Elk Foundation.

This summer, RMEF passed the 5.6 million acre mark for elk habitat conserved or enhanced.

Storylines within the Elk Foundation’s 2009 elk hunt forecast include the amazing herd growth following elk restoration efforts in Kentucky, wolf impacts on elk and hunting in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, massive elk populations in Colorado and the trophy bull reputations of Arizona and Utah.

Here’s a condensed look at forecasts from top states and provinces for total elk populations. To see all the reports in their entirety, including contact information for respective conservation agencies, visit www.rmef.org. For even more hutning including sidebars, see the Sept./Oct. 2009 edition of the RMEF member magazine, Bugle.

Alberta
Elk Population: 20,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: N/A
Nonresidents: $298 and must be accompanied by an Alberta resident Hunter Host or licensed guide.
Southwestern Alberta has a reputation for big bulls where elk are managed to ensure that plenty of bulls live long enough to reach their full potential. A little farther north, some impressive bulls are killed each year in the Peace River area. Warmer and drier than normal conditions over most of the province brought elk through the winter in great shape. Expect good hunting prospects this season for trophy bulls and cows.

Arizona
Elk Population: 25,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 35 to 40/100
Nonresidents: $151 hunting license (nonrefundable to enter drawing) plus $595 elk permit.
Arizona has one of the finest reputations in the nation as a trophy-producing destination. Any unit has potential for big bulls. More specifically, the units surrounding Flagstaff have been good. Units 1 and 27 on the east side, and 3A, 3B and 3C around Pine Top are units to consider as well. Arizona has seen favorable conditions for elk over the past several years and elk populations are stable in most regions. Elk numbers are increasing in the east-central portion of the state but additional antlerless tags are not being issued because biologists want more elk in this area.

British Columbia
Elk Population: 50,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 20/100
Nonresidents: $189 hunting license, plus $277 elk tag. Must hire a licensed guide, or in certain cases may be accompanied by a resident hunter.
Coastal British Columbia saw significant snowpack but nothing terribly out of the ordinary for wintering elk. Over the central and southern portions of the province, snowfall was normal to slightly below normal. Elk herds are burgeoning in productive habitat. Elk are especially abundant in the Kootenay region, an attractive area for trophy hunters where bull harvest is limited to animals carrying at least six tines on at least one antler. Many trophy areas in British Columbia offer rifle hunting during the rut, an option that has become increasingly rare in North America, with a few notable exceptions.

California
Elk Population: 1,500 Rocky Mountain Elk,
6,000 Roosevelt’s, 3,900 Tule
Bull/Cow Ratios: 20 to 90/100
Nonresidents: $143 nonrefundable hunting license plus $1,163 elk tag.
The state’s coveted elk tags are in short supply, making general drawing odds slim. There are three auction tags: one for Grizzly Island, one for Owens Valley and one multiple-zone tag in which recipients can choose to hunt one of the three sub-species. A proposal is afoot to allow nonresidents to purchase landowner tags for 2010, a move that could increase access for those who can afford an outfitter. Lucky residents who pull an elk tag can expect excellent conditions this fall. Elk populations are stable to increasing in all areas. Elk are also increasing in the Lake Pillsbury region, where a new hunting area may be opened next fall.

Colorado
Elk Population: 280,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 25/100
Nonresidents: $546 bull tag, $251 antlerless.
Colorado offers a bit of everything. Limited-entry, tough-to-draw tags provide a legitimate shot at a world-class bull in some units, such as those in the northwest corner of the state, but hunters need 15 to 20 preference points to draw. Over-the-counter tags are widely available, giving hunters a shot at a bull. Most will be spikes and raghorns but mature bulls can be found in these hard-hunted units. The state also allots a plethora of antlerless licenses—though around 10,000 less than last year—giving meat hunters excellent odds. Hunters should have more opportunity at mature bulls this year as the harvest was generally down last year because of weather.

Idaho
Elk Population: 107,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 10 to 50/100
Nonresidents: $142 hunting license plus $373 elk tag.
Have wolves eaten all the elk in Idaho? Not even close, says Brad Compton of Idaho Fish and Game. “We still have some good elk hunting. Wolves have had an impact on our herds in some parts of the state, but they’ve not been decimated like it’s been publicized.” Elk populations are fairly stable statewide with areas of western Idaho trending upward, while wolves have had the biggest impact on the Lolo and Sawtooth zones on the Idaho/Montana border. For 2009, caps will occur on tags offered in the Sawtooth and Diamond Creek elk zones. Idaho elk hunters enjoy around a 20 percent success rate on average. In an area such as the Lolo zone, elk are holing up more often in security cover. Compton suggests hunters who enjoy hunting whitetails in cover should try the same tactics for elk.

Kentucky
Elk Population: 10,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 35 to 40/100 (branch-antlered)
Nonresidents: $130 hunting license plus $365 elk tag.
Kentucky’s herd in the 16-county elk restoration zone could soon hit 11,000 animals. Giant typical and nontypical bulls are killed each season, making the state’s elk hunt wildly popular. With such robust numbers, Kentucky is upping its tag offerings by a large portion this season, boosting available licenses by more than 50 percent. The state will offer 250 bull permits and 750 antlerless permits, with 10 percent of the tags going to out of staters. Those who don’t draw can look to landowners who auction their permits or to auctioned Commissioner Tags.

Montana
Elk Population: 150,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 5 to 25/100
Nonresidents: $593 for regular drawing, $1,500 for outfitter sponsored tags.
Elk populations in Montana remain at or above management objectives in most areas, but many hunters will have to work harder to find elk this fall. Quentin Kujala of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks says tough wintering conditions in portions of western Montana decreased the number of yearling animals. Some areas will no longer offer over the counter, either-sex tags. Wolf impacts near Yellowstone National Park appear to be stressing elk populations. Anecdotal evidence from popular hunting grounds in the Snowcrest, Ruby, Centennial and Gravelly ranges suggest that wolves are dispersing elk in ways that make for tougher hunting. Finding a mature bull will remain tough in the region between Butte and Boulder, where extensive road access keeps bull/cow ratios extremely low. All in all, though, Treasure State hunters can expect a fine season.

Nevada
Elk Population: 11,000
Bull/Cow Ratio: 40/100
Nonresidents: $142 hunting license plus $1,200 bull tag or $500 antlerless tag.
With a 14 percent increase in adult elk numbers and a slight boost in bull/cow ratios from 2008, Nevada’s elk are thriving. Most areas have seen modest herd expansion with fairly rapid growth in Elko County. About 75 percent of the state’s elk are located in the eastern part of the state, where massive fires have converted brushlands to grasslands, hurting mule deer but boosting elk numbers. All of the state’s elk tags are issued by lottery. No matter where you hunt, the outlook is as good this season as it’s been in years.

New Mexico
Elk Population: 80,000
Bull/Cow Ratio: 45/100
Nonresidents: $547 standard bull tag, $772 quality bull tag.
For elk hunters, the “Land of Enchantment” lives up to its nickname with great opportunities to hunt elk in unique habitat, with potential for big bulls. From a management perspective, units fall into two categories: “quality” units that are managed for bigger bulls with low hunter densities, and “opportunity” units that have higher tag allotments to give more people a shot at an elk. Hunter success rates typically run from 35 to 50 percent in the quality units with many of the bulls killed being 6 years old or older. But hunters in the opportunity units do very well by most standards. Success rates run from about 12-30 percent. Overall, the state’s elk population is stable to slightly increasing.

Oregon
Elk Population: 120,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 12 to 30/100
Nonresidents: $439.
Oregon’s elk population trend has been stable over the past decade. The state’s herd is split almost equally between the Roosevelt’s sub-species in the west and Rocky Mountain to the east, groups that see notably different management. For the most part, general season hunting with over-the-counter licenses reigns in the west, while limited-entry regulations dominate in the east. Bowhunting is the exception, with most areas open to archers carrying a general tag. “Conditions should be fair to good, similar to last year,” says Test. Success rates are higher in limited entry units, but hover around 10 percent for general season hunting.

Saskatchewan
Elk Population: 15,000
Bull/Cow Ratio: 20/100
No nonresident tags available.
Saskatchewan’s elk fared well last winter. Snowpack across the province was variable but didn’t adversely affect elk populations. During the winter of 2008, two elk in the Nipawin area were found dead. Both tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), the first confirmed cases of the disease in free-ranging elk in the province. However, wildlife officials have been monitoring CWD for nearly 10 years after a mule deer in the Manitou Hills tested positive. Although the disease has the potential to adversely affect elk numbers, massive die-offs aren’t likely. CWD has plagued elk in several states, including parts of Colorado, without the disastrous effects some biologists predicted when it was discovered. Elk populations remain healthy and growing across the province, with a fine hunting season predicted for this fall.

Utah
Elk Population: 67,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 15 to 80/100
Nonresidents: $65 hunting license, plus $388 general tag, $795 limited entry tag, or $1,500 premium limited entry tag (allows hunting in all weapon seasons within a unit).
Utah is viewed by many hunters as one of the top destinations for trophy bulls, especially after last fall’s “Spider Bull” became the new world’s record nontypical. Elk enjoy rich habitat with populations stable or trending upward across the state. Permits are limited but over-the-counter bull tags are available if you’re willing to take a spike. New for 2009 is a regulation change that also allows the harvest of spike bulls in limited-entry units with an over-the-counter tag. Fewer unlimited areas allow hunting for any bull. Most of these are found in designated wilderness areas on the north and south slopes of the Uinta Mountains, where success rates run around 15 percent.

Washington
Elk Population: 58,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 12 to 20/100 in most units
Nonresidents: $396.
Bull/cow ratios are at management objectives nearly everywhere. Couple that with a snowy but manageable winter where no areas suffered above average mortality, and hunters should expect a favorable hunting season. Bull/cow ratios in some Blue Mountains areas are running the highest in the state. Overall elk numbers remain stable in the Evergreen State with slight increases in the northeast and some decreases in the southwest where managers have moved aggressively to trim the herd in the Mt. St. Helens area. Washington still offers over the counter bull tags for Roosevelt’s elk in the west and Rocky Mountain elk in the east. Bulls in the west must have at least three points on one antler, while spikes-only can be taken on a general tag in the east.

Wyoming
Elk Population: 105,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 11 to 40/100
Nonresidents: $577 for regular drawing, $1057 for special drawing, $288 for cow/calf.
Cowboy State elk populations are at or above objective and elk hunting opportunities have never been higher. Antlerless tags are abundant. Hunters can anticipate an exceptional elk season, with a few exceptions. Jeff Obrecht of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department cautions that access to the elk-factory Laramie Peak area is problematic with public lands highly fragmented and private lands heavily leased. Reduced forage on winter range left elk struggling in the southwest. Bull-to-cow ratios remain low east of Jackson where biologists are observing just 11 bulls to 100 cows. Leftover tags (after the drawing in 2009) went on sale on a first-come, first-served basis in early July.

One of the most notable changes in elk country for 2009 could be a wolf hunt in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Stay tuned to the respective state wildlife agencies for news and details. RMEF is a vocal supporter of state-regulated hunting to manage restored populations of gray wolves. For more info, visit www.rmef.org.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.