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Outdoor Life Honors Elk Foundation Founders

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Outdoor Life has named two founders of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to a list of 25 people who’ve had the greatest positive impact on hunting, fishing and conservation.

RMEF icons Bob Munson and Charlie Decker are part of the magazine’s third annual “OL 25” list honoring leaders, innovators, conservationists and unsung heroes.

Photos and bios appear in the December/January 2010 edition of Outdoor Life.

Online voting for fan favorites lasts through late December at www.outdoorlife.com.

Outdoor Life Editor-in-Chief Todd Smith said, “When we step into the woods or wade into a clear mountain stream, we rarely stop to think about the many people who have made enjoying that experience possible. Yet there are thousands who devote their time, talents and energies to building this way of life we call hunting and fishing. Most are just ordinary sportsmen who’ve done extraordinary things—and Bob Munson and Charlie Decker are perfect examples.”

In 1984, Munson and Decker led a charge to launch a conservation organization focused on habitat for elk and other wildlife. Now 25 years later, RMEF is one of the nation’s most effective wildlife outfits, having conserved or enhanced more than 5.6 million acres and helped restore elk herds to historic range across the country.

RMEF has over 150,000 members in 500 chapters nationwide and a volunteer force that donates countless hours each year to fundraising and on-the-ground conservation efforts.

“We owe it all to Charlie and Bob,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “They started this movement, took personal risks and made sacrifices to see it through tough times, and continue to serve on our board.

They are the Elk Foundation’s heart and soul.”

Munson works in sales for MunsonWorks, a Lynnwood, Wash., firm specializing in inclined elevators. Decker owns and operates Decker Logging of Libby, Mont.

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.

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Calling All Screamers: Enter the Super Bowl of Elk Calling

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.

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