The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation funded more than 25 habitat projects in Utah this year that positively affected more than 27,000 acres. RMEF also sponsored research, installed guzzlers and provided outreach to advance Utah’s rich hunting heritage.

RMEF grants for 2012 total $187,750 and directly affect 16 counties: Beaver, Cache, Carbon, Duchesne, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Kane, Millard, Piute, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Tooele, Uintah and Utah. Six additional projects have statewide interest.

“We have a deep history with Utah that dates back almost to our roots as a land and conservation organization,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Looking ahead, these projects further solidify our commitment to elk and elk country in a part of the West where the elk population is growing.”

RMEF’s mission is to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage. Since 1985, RMEF and its partners completed 395 different conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in Utah with a combined value of more than $ 42.4 million.

Funding for RMEF grants and projects is based on local membership drives, banquet fundraising by RMEF chapters and volunteers, and funds raised through the auctioning of Utah conservation hunting permits. Allen thanked RMEF supporters for their dedication to conservation in Utah and all across elk country.

RMEF grants will help fund the following 2012 projects in Utah, listed by county:

• Beaver County—Installation of a new 10,200-gallon guzzler to benefit elk, mule deer, pronghorn and chukar in the Wah Wah Mountains west of Milford.
• Cache County—Replace a deteriorated elk trapping structure with a new structure used for annual testing of wintering elk for brucellosis and gathering other biological data at the Hardware Ranch Wildlife Management Area (WMA); provide sponsorship of Cache Valley Scholastic Shooting Sports Program which introduces school-age youth to clay target sports and recreational shooting.
• Carbon County—Spread a mix of perennial grasses, forbs, shrubs and sagebrush in the 14,864-acre Gordon Creek WMA, which is home to 5,000 wintering mule deer and 1,000 elk. Seeding followed up by herbicide treatment for cheatgrass.
• Duchesne County—Thin dense, young ponderosa pine stands on 590 acres in the Burnt Mill Spring area to reduce stand density and improve habitat for a variety of species including elk, northern goshawk, turkey, mule deer, moose and small mammals.
• Garfield County—Mechanically mulch and seed 2,000 acres of pinyon-juniper encroachment to restore sagebrush steppe habitat, open wildlife movement corridors and reduce hazardous fuel loads near Panguitch and Hillsdale; lop and scatter pinyon and juniper trees encroaching on 570 acres southwest of Circleville; restore aspen stands through conifer removal and fencing on 783 acres of summer habitat northwest of Escalante; and drill seed 38 acres of habitat in the Kingston and Black Canyon WMAs along the East Fork of the Sevier River to prevent future establishment of invasive species (also affects Piute County).
• Grand County—Burn, drill seed and apply herbicide to restore 1,200 acres of desert grassland habitat as part of four-year, 4,400-acre project in the Cisco Desert near the Utah/Colorado border to benefit wildlife and livestock; reduce pinyon and juniper trees on 670 acres that crowd out grasses and forbs in the Little Jim area; use chaining to remove pinyon and juniper trees on 1,166 acres to improve forage for elk, bison and other wildlife on Moon Ridge; and install four guzzlers in the north Book Cliffs to provide alternate water sources (also affects Uintah County).
• Iron County—Thin and scatter pinyon and juniper trees to restore sagebrush steppe habitat on up to 4,000 acres throughout the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources’ Southern Region; and aerial seed 575 acres of mountain brush habitat in big game transition/winter range on the northern portion of the Cedar City Ranger District.
• Kane County—Lop and scatter pinyon and juniper trees followed by seeding select areas with grasses, forbs and shrubs on 2,530 acres of elk, mule deer and sage grouse habitat northeast of Kanab on the Skutumpah Terrace.
• Millard County—Remove pinyon and juniper trees to improve 900 acres of habitat in the foothills of the Pahvant Range and 600 acres south of Kanosh near Damron Canyon; and install guzzlers on the east slope of the Pahvant Range to provide water for wildlife (also affects Sevier County).
• San Juan County—Use prescribed burning, mechanical, chemical, seeding and livestock grazing management strategies to improve 1,000-2,000 acres of the sagebrush ecosystem for a variety of species in the Beef Basin; and use thinning methods on pinyon and juniper on 800 acres in the Johnson Creek and Recapture Creek drainages north of Blanding.
• Sanpete County—Lop and scatter pinyon and juniper on 853 acres and apply seeding to unauthorized and now-closed ATV trails to restore sagebrush steppe habitat in the Manti Face WMA; and lop and scatter pinyon and juniper to restore 869 acres of sagebrush steppe habitat on winter range near Manti.
• Statewide—Sponsor the final year of a three-year study to determine the effectiveness of many wildlife road crossing designs; provide “elk education trunk” to educate youth and the public about elk biology and habitat needs; sponsor the final year of a four-year study on how to best place guzzlers to maximize their effectiveness; sponsor a study to isolate factors likely responsible for the continuing decline of the moose population; and sponsor a study to understand key factors that affect aspen sustainability and the ecosystem services that are forfeited when quaking aspen disappear from the landscape. The study conducts a survey of aspen regeneration responses in intact forest stands on the Dixie, Fishlake and Manti-La Sal National Forests.
• Tooele County—Project to improve sagebrush habitat and reduce fuel loadings on 898 acres of the western foothills of the Oquirrh Mountains southeast of Stockton.
• Uintah County—Provide aerial seeding of grasses, forbs and browse species on 550 acres of land in the Book Cliffs near Pine Spring Canyon followed by the removal of encroaching pinyon and juniper trees to improve forage for wildlife; remove pinyon and juniper on 200 acres on big game winter range and sage-grouse brood rearing/winter habitat north of Calder Reservoir on Diamond Mountain; remove pinyon and juniper to restore 415 acres of sagebrush steppe habitat on Winter Ridge in the Book Cliffs; construct temporary exclosures around 26 acres of regenerating aspen stands to protect them from browsing near South Canyon in the Book Cliffs (also affects Grand County); and remove pinyon and juniper trees to restore sagebrush steppe habitat on 620 acres in the Book Cliffs south of Vernal.
• Utah County—Remove pinyon and juniper trees across 860 acres in Spanish Fork Canyon and seed the areas with perennial forb browse and thermal cover species.

Conservation 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. RMEF volunteers and staff select hunting heritage projects to be funded.

Partners for 2012 projects in Utah include the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Forest Service and other agencies, foundations, organizations and universities.

Read and join the discussion on Utah Habitat, Elk and Wildlife Receive Help from RMEF Grants at OutdoorHub.com.

Grants provided by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will fund archery, shooting and hunting heritage programs for hundreds of youth in Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma. The funding will also improve elk and small game habitat in Kansas and Oklahoma, and go toward elk research and tree replanting efforts in Nebraska.

“It is vital that we invest resources in promoting and sustaining our hunting heritage,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “These grants show our continued commitment to reaching out to the next generation in a part of the country that was home to historical elk range.”

RMEF’s mission is to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage. The RMEF grants, totaling $28,050, will affect three counties in Kansas, two counties in Nebraska and 10 counties in Oklahoma. A project in Kansas has statewide interest as does an additional project in Oklahoma. Since 1985, RMEF and its partners completed 185 different conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in these three states with a combined value of more than $12 million.

Funding for RMEF grants is based on local membership drives and banquet fundraising by RMEF chapters and volunteers in Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Allen thanked RMEF supporters for their dedication to conservation in the Midwest and all across elk country.

RMEF grants fund the following projects listed by state and county:

Kansas

• Riley County—Seed and fertilize 469 acres of existing forage plots on the Fort Riley Military Reservation to improve habitat for elk, white-tailed deer, turkey, bobwhite quail, ring-necked pheasant and many non-game species (also affects Clay and Geary counties).
• Statewide—Sponsor Kansas Pass It On-Outdoor Mentors program to help introduce at-risk Kansas youth to outdoor recreation and conservation.

Nebraska

• Cherry County—Assist Nebraska Game and Parks to capture and fit elk with telemetry collars to determine distribution and population census method in vicinity of the 19,131-acre Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, which may provide a future hunting opportunity; RMEF volunteers and others plant conifers and hardwoods in 2006 Big Rock wildfire area; provide grant for equipment to launch the National Archery in the Schools Program at Zion Lutheran School in Valentine.
• Sioux County—RMEF volunteers remove woven wire boundary fence and replace it with wildlife-friendly fencing to facilitate safe movement of elk, deer and bighorn sheep.

Oklahoma

• Adair County—Use dozer operations to push timber 15 feet back along 8.1 miles of roads that serve as firebreaks to enhance safety and effectiveness of controlled burning operations to benefit wildlife in the Cookson Wildlife Management Area, 85 to 90 percent of which is in closed canopy condition. Disking, mowing and herbicide treatments to be used to maintain firebreaks. Downed timber to enhance small game habitat (also affects Cherokee County).
• Delaware County—Implement herbicide treatments and ridge-top clearing renovations in the Spavinaw Wildlife Management Area to maintain forage openings and increase forage quality for elk, white-tailed deer and other species; re-establish nesting structure and brood rearing habitat for turkey and quail; perform maintenance on nine existing ponds; burn 5,000 acres on elk summer and winter range to improve forage for elk, deer, turkey, quail and migratory songbirds (also includes Mayes County).
• Oklahoma County—Provide grant for archery equipment for the City Kids Outdoors National Archery in the Schools Program to introduce at-risk youth to the outdoor recreation.
• Pittsburg County—Provide grant for archery equipment, rifles and other supplies to assist growth of the largest 4-H shooting program in Oklahoma (also affects Haskell, Latimer and Leflore counties).
• Pushmataha County—Burn 5,000 acres on elk summer and winter range in the Pushmataha Wildlife Management Area to improve abundance and quality forage for elk, deer, turkey, quail and migratory songbirds.
• Statewide—Provide funding for the Oklahoma Youth Hunter Education Challenge that gives outdoor skills and safety training to youth who complete their hunter certification.

Conservation 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. RMEF volunteers and staff select hunting heritage projects to be funded.

Partners for 2012 projects in Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma include the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and other agencies, schools, organizations and foundations.

Read and join the discussion on RMEF Grants Help Youth, Elk and Habitat in 3 Midwestern States at OutdoorHub.com.

The World Elk Calling Championships will reach its most elite level ever when the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation celebrates the 25th anniversary of the event at Elk Camp 2013 in Las Vegas. The Champion of Champions competition will bring the top elk callers in the world together on the same stage to determine which contestant is the master at mimicking the wildest sounds in America’s backcountry.

“This promises to be among the most exciting events at Elk Camp,” said Steve Decker, RMEF vice president of marketing. “After we crown the 2013 champion, that participant will immediately join previous years’ winners from the professional division and we’ll see and hear who really is the Champion of Champions.”

Twelve men currently lay claim to the title of professional world elk calling champion including Bryan Langley of McMinnville, Ore., the 2012 reigning champ. Six of those contestants won multiple world championships. One of them is Joel Turner of Eatonville, Wash., who came out top in 2008, 2010, and finished as runner-up in 2012.

“It’s going to be good to have all those folks who have won before compete head to head. It’ll be good fun,” said Turner. “I didn’t compete in 2007 because of the birth of my son but I’ve been in the top three since 2006 so that’s a pretty good accomplishment. I’m proud of that.”

Sponsored by Leupold, Champion of Champions contestants will compete for a premier archery elk hunt to be filmed for RMEF’s Outdoor Channel television show Team Elk, along with a host of other valuable prizes. They will be judged according to the quality of their cow, calf and bull sounds.

“You don’t know what the judges know or what they think the elk sounds like so when you get in the top three or top five, it’s up for grabs,” added Turner.

When suggested that any ties should be broken by how contestants fared the previous hunting season, Turner chuckled, “Maybe we have to go with who got the biggest bull.”

In addition to Champion of Champions, RMEF’s World Elk Calling Championships will feature competitors in six different divisions: professional, men’s, women’s, voice, youth (11-17 years) and pee wee (10 years and under). Winners receive prizes and cash ranging from $500 to $2,500.

The preliminary rounds of the 2013 World Elk Calling Championships take place Friday, March 1, in the Las Vegas Convention Center. The finals are scheduled for Saturday, March 2, followed by the Champion of Champions. The event is part of RMEF’s annual convention and expo, which runs Feb. 28-March 3 at the Mirage and Las Vegas Convention Center. It helps raise awareness of elk, habitat and the conservation initiatives of RMEF.

Read and join the discussion on Champion of Champions to Highlight 2013 World Elk Calling Championships at OutdoorHub.com.

Elk calf recruitment research, healthy forest efforts and the maintenance of wildlife water sources are among the South Dakota conservation projects funded this year by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. RMEF also sponsors projects and events to engage youth and families in South Dakota’s rich hunting heritage.

RMEF grants for 2012 total $83,769 and directly affect five counties: Custer, Fall River, Lawrence, Meade and Pennington. Additional projects have statewide interest.

“Continuing to fund research about declining elk numbers in the southern Black Hills will give biologists a better idea of what’s really happening on the ground,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “This three-year study will also help wildlife managers document the effects of predation by mountain lions and help them reverse the trend of a shrinking elk population.”

RMEF’s mission is to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage. Since 1985, RMEF and its partners completed 192 different conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in South Dakota with a combined value of more than $32.2 million.

Funding for RMEF grants is based on local membership drives and banquet fundraising by RMEF chapters and volunteers in South Dakota. Allen thanked RMEF supporters for their dedication to conservation in South Dakota and all across elk country.

RMEF grants will help fund the following 2012 projects in South Dakota, listed by county:

• Custer County—Assist the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) address overpopulation issues by hazing elk out of the Wind Cave National Park where elk are above population objectives into adjacent units which are below objectives; fund ongoing study to examine elk nutrition, pregnancy rates, movement and predation in the southern Black Hills, including competing hypotheses concerning movement and mountain lion predation, to determine causes behind continuing declining elk numbers in Custer State Park (also affects Pennington County).
• Fall River County—RMEF volunteers will monitor and repair as needed guzzlers used by elk and other species in the Black Hills (also affects Custer, Lawrence, Meade and Pennington counties).
• Lawrence County—Thin pine from 250 acres of timber stands and meadows on state Game Production Areas to improve hardwood and grassland habitat for elk and other wildlife. Project will also remove trees infected by mountain pine beetles, reduce fire danger and provide opportunities to implement future prescribed burns. The Black Hills lost 75 percent of its hardwood components on winter range and 95 percent on summer range over the last 125 years (also affects Custer, Fall River and Pennington counties).
• Pennington County—Regenerate aspen on 100 acres in the Palmer Gulch area to improve habitat for elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, wild turkey and non-game birds on the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve.
• Statewide—Complete $10,000 commitment toward construction of an elk display at SDGFP Outdoor Campus West, a facility to educate youth and adults about outdoor skills, wildlife, conservation and management practices; provide funding for South Dakota Outdoor Expo which introduces children and families to outdoor recreation and conservation.

Conservation 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. RMEF volunteers and staff select hunting heritage projects to be funded.

Partners for 2012 projects in South Dakota include the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, Black Hills National Forest and other agencies, organizations and foundations.

Read and join the discussion on RMEF Grants to Benefit South Dakota Elk, Habitat and Hunting Heritage at OutdoorHub.com.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation launched a completely revised website at www.rmef.org that offers new features, easier access and up-to-date information on elk, conservation efforts, habitat enhancement projects and hunting-related issues.

“This website is the elk authority on the Internet. It provides the best source of everything you need to know about elk, elk country, and elk hunting anywhere,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “It is also visually appealing, easier to navigate and the new additions are both informational and educational.”

New or enhanced features of the site include the Hunt Planner, an interactive map that shows current or historic elk range; current weather conditions; the latest state hunting rules, regulations and license information; and the locations of hunting districts. RMEF members can create and save more detailed maps that highlight public and private land boundaries. Other new improvements include a predator management and control section with updated nationwide news on wolves, lions, bears and other predators; and a news ticker that tracks conservation, habitat, hunting and other elk-related issues as reported by outlets around the country.

The site also features membership and donor information; the latest on RMEF conservation efforts, hunting heritage programs and scholarship opportunities; media coverage about RMEF; the latest on state and chapter events for members and volunteers; elk biology; and offers transparency and accountability by opening the books on the organization’s financial operations. RMEF members will also be able to access the entire issue of Bugle magazine online. The site will include additional content and new features such as a legislative ticker in the months to come.

“As we, as an organization, work to further our mission of enhancing the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage, our new website helps us better inform our constituents worldwide exactly how we’re doing that,” said Allen.

In addition to the revamped website and continuing social media efforts via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, RMEF also recently launched a new blog. Elk Tracks, found at http://rmefblog.blogspot.com/, highlights projects and volunteer efforts carried out by RMEF chapters and includes relevant opinions on current events and issues.

Read and join the discussion on RMEF Launches Revamped Website at OutdoorHub.com.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation acquired 231 acres of key elk habitat in north-central California thanks to a gift by RMEF supporter Ted Martin. The transaction links together existing parcels of Bureau of Land Management acreage and creates public access to what was previously private property.

“This relatively small acquisition has big ramifications,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Not only does it maintain the integrity of year-round range and calving areas for more than 100 tule elk, but it opens the door to an area not previously accessible to hunters and those who enjoy viewing wildlife.”

Located approximately 70 miles northwest of Sacramento, the property offers prime opportunities to view elk along Highway 20. The acquisition ensures it will not be subdivided or developed, which would have been detrimental to the health and future of the herd.

Moderate slopes with open flats are the dominating features at an elevation of 1,500 feet, however it also contains riparian habitat. Indian Creek is a seasonal drainage, Cache Creek is a year-round stretch of water, and there is also a small pond. The vegetation is mostly grassland with mixed brush, some oak and riparian plants along the waterways and supports elk, deer, quail, turkey, raptors and other species.

Land on three sides of this Indian Creek property is owned by the BLM. RMEF will eventually transfer the property to the BLM, which plans additional on-site restoration work, with assurances that it remains available habitat for elk and other wildlife. RMEF is working on an additional acquisition in the same area.

“This transaction would not have been possible without Mr. Martin’s continued support of the RMEF’s Permanent Land Protection program,” added Allen. “Properties like this don’t come available often, and when presented to him, he jumped at the opportunity to make the acquisition happen. RMEF would like to thank Ted Martin for continuing to assist us in protecting valuable California wildlife habitat.”

Since 1988, RMEF protected or enhanced more than 107,000 acres of habitat in California.

Read and join the discussion on RMEF Acquisition Provides Access for Public and Crucial Habitat for California Elk at OutdoorHub.com.

A new year, a new venue, and new features highlight Elk Camp 2013 when the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation transforms the Las Vegas strip into the Elk Hunting Capital of the World. RMEF’s annual expo and convention is set for Feb. 28-March 3 at the Mirage and the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“We are excited to return to Las Vegas and build on the progress and enthusiasm from a year ago,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We have plenty of accomplishments from 2012 to officially recognize, including one that is a real game changer for us. And hosting Elk Camp at the Mirage gives us the opportunity to celebrate elk and habitat conservation in ways greater than ever before.”

RMEF relied on the excitement and energy of past Elk Camps over the last 28 years to incrementally set the stage for renewed efforts to better carry out a mission of enhancing elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.

“We can’t wait to get to Vegas to be with our members and volunteers from across the country,” added Allen. “The synergy and support we will generate together from Elk Camp 2013 is vital to propel RMEF toward another year of success in achieving our conservation goals.”

In 2012, since its inaugural Elk Camp in Las Vegas earlier that year, RMEF helped permanently protect and enhance thousands of acres of habitat, bolstered elk populations east of the Mississippi River, contributed funding toward predator-ungulate research, supported wolf hunts in six states, applauded the increasing numbers of hunters nationwide and the delisting of wolves in Wyoming, received several conservation awards, and introduced thousands of youth to hunting and conservation.

In addition to the new venue, the Elk Camp 2013 expo and convention is expanding to four days. Highlighted events for attendees include:

• Exciting fundraising auctions, raffles and games featuring a wide array of must-have items, including fully guided and outfitted hunts, trips, original artwork, special big game permits, custom firearms, ATV’s, a New Holland tractor and much, much more.
• The 25th anniversary of the World Elk Calling Championships presented by Leupold.
• World-class entertainment with performances by Ronnie Dunn, the Charlie Daniels Band, Daryle Singletary and others.
• The Wednesday evening Welcome Reception, Friends of the Foundation breakfast, Opening Ceremonies & dinner, Ladies Auction, Hunters Bonanza Luncheon, Volunteer Fun Night, Grand Banquet concert & dance, FCA prayer breakfast and surprise presentations.
• The largest Elk Camp exhibit hall and expo yet with 350 companies in more than 600 booths covering 200,000 square feet selling or spotlighting adventures and outdoor-related services for hunting, fishing, camping, travel, ATVs, trucks, clothing, wildlife art and other products.
• New special features such as the RMEF Great Elk Tour, a giant casting pond and contest, and Eastmans’ Trophy Deer Display.
• Continuing favorites like the RMEF Trading Post & conservation raffle, Midway Laser Shot Range, Boy Scouts of America “Scouts Challenge,” 3D pop-up archery range, Youth Sports Fair (hosted by the Nevada Department of Wildlife), Adventure Theater Seminars, a 40-foot aquarium demo tank and hourly talks from pros about gear and techniques. International Sportsmen’s Expositions, which produces America’s premier hunting, fishing and travel shows, manages the exhibit hall and expo. For booth information, contact [email protected] or call 800-545-6100. To view the current exhibitor list, go to http://www.SportsExpos.com/
• Registration packages, discounted rates, VIP treatment and choice reserved seating available for RMEF members. The new Monarch Package (members only) provides access to all events at $550 per person. For additional registration information, visit http://www.rmef.org/ or call 866-455-RMEF.

Public walk-up admission for an adult to attend expo hall is $12 daily. Admission is FREE for youth under age 16 and active military (with ID). Show hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28, through Saturday, March 2, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 3.

MidwayUSA is the official sponsor of Elk Camp 2013. Other sponsors include Aflac, Browning, Brunton, Budweiser, Danner, Cabela’s, Leupold, North American Hunter, Nationwide, Nosler, Realtree and Hunter’s Specialties.

Read and join the discussion on Bigger, Better Elk Camp 2013 Coming to New Venue at OutdoorHub.com.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation teamed up with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to permanently protect more than 8,000 acres of prime elk habitat in northwest Colorado.

RMEF received funding from CPW and lottery-funded Great Outdoors Colorado to place a conservation easement west of Steamboat Springs on 8,658 acres of the expansive Wolf Mountain Ranch, which first garnered interest as a conservation property in the 1980s.

“The ranch is at the epicenter of the Bears Ear’s elk herd—one of the largest herds in the world,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “This shows our continuing commitment to elk and elk country in northern Colorado as RMEF now holds five conservation easements within a 50-mile radius of Wolf Mountain.”

“Along with Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wolf Mountain Ranch and other non-governmental organizations, we are in the process of a 10-year landscape scale habitat protection project in this area that will eventually protect more than 66,000 acres of prime wildlife habitat for years to come,” said Northwest Regional Manager Ron Velarde of CPW. “Habitat protection is critical for the future of hunting in Colorado, and we are proud to be part of this effort.”

“It is very important that we protect this habitat,” said Jim Haskins, Area Wildlife Manager for CPW in Steamboat Springs. “Working together with RMEF and Wolf Mountain Ranch, we have taken a big step towards preserving an important part of Colorado’s hunting and habitat heritage.”

Wolf Mountain Ranch is a working cattle operation that has a CPW wildlife management plan to ensure high wildlife utilization, and is used by public hunters as a participant in the CPW Ranching for Wildlife program. It is a key migration route for elk that spend the summer high in the Gore Range and travel to their winter range 60 miles to the east. The ranch is also a calving ground and, on any given day, is home to 300 to more than 2,000 elk. It also supports populations of Columbian sharptail grouse and greater sage grouse, mule deer, black bear, mountain lion and other indigenous wildlife species.

“The Wolf Mountain project speaks to the heart of who we are as an organization,” added Allen. “RMEF constantly strives to help out elk, other wildlife, their habitat and to ensure our hunting heritage.”

RMEF protected an additional 1,377 acres on Wolf Mountain Ranch in 2011. To date, RMEF teamed with other conservation organizations to permanently protect 16,127 acres of land on this property. Statewide, RMEF amassed nearly 175,000 acres of permanent land protection since 1987.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - RMEF Partnership Protects Key Elk Habitat in Colorado

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation completed its first Nevada conservation easement which now protects 645 acres of prime elk habitat for a regional herd.

“This is big for us,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “RMEF has a history in Nevada that dates back decades, but this working relationship with a conservation-minded family solidifies the positive impact we can have on elk now and in the years to come.”

Located near Wells in the northeast part of the state, the property is home to 100 to 300 elk during all seasons, and provides crucial habitat as a calving area. It is an island of vital forage with a seasonal creek and five spring-fed ponds in an area of checkerboard ownership heavily grazed, both on public and private lands. It is also provides key habitat for mule deer, antelope and sage grouse.

“I have always had the goal of keeping it for wildlife. That’s why I bought it and what I enjoy about it,” said landowner and RMEF member Gardner Davis. “The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is one of the very few organizations I believe in.”

Since 1988, RMEF completed 194 projects in Nevada resulting in more than 12,000 acres of permanent land protection, and protecting or enhancing more than 276,000 acres of habitat. RMEF funding is already in place for prescribed burns planned for either this fall or next spring to improve forage on the Davis property.

“Landowners like Gardner and Janell Davis make a tremendous difference for elk and elk country,” added Allen. “Their examples are vital in helping carry out our mission of conserving habitat and ensuring the future of our hunting heritage.”

While not open for public access, Davis does allow hunters to use his land if they seek written permission.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - RMEF Secures First Conservation Easement in Nevada, Protects Key Wildlife Habitat

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has topped $400,000 in grants and pledges to advance the science of wolves, wolf interactions with elk and other wildlife, and wolf management overall.

The total includes more than $200,000 in science grants in just the past five years, more than any other five-year period in RMEF history.

Nearly all of these contributions have funded independent research by universities, state and federal wildlife conservation agencies and Native Americans.

RMEF partners have included Yellowstone, Glacier and Grand Teton national parks, Jasper National Park of Canada, University of Idaho, Idaho State University, University of Montana, Montana State University, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, University of Wyoming, Nez Perce Tribe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Elk Refuge, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Geological Survey Biological Resources Division, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wyoming Game and Fish Department and others.

“RMEF has contributed to a tremendous body of scientific work with wolves,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Today’s leading wolf experts, including those directly involved with wolf reintroductions since 1995, continue to say that restored wolf populations can and should be managed like other wildlife—and that’s the policy that RMEF strongly supports.”

To see RMEF’s wolf position and supporting comments from biologists, click below:

http://www.rmef.org/NewsandMedia/Wolves/WolfPosition.htm

Since launching in 1984, RMEF has contributed more than $7.8 million to various research and management studies. Evaluating elk habitat, using radio telemetry to measure herd movements and habitat preferences, developing computer models to assist with elk management, and measuring the effects of chronic wasting disease, habitat loss, weather and predators are among the many scientific areas advanced by RMEF funding.

Allen said he’s increasingly frustrated by environmental, animal rights and anti-hunting groups who tout science but contribute nothing, and often work to defy science by using emotional pleas and lawsuits to confuse wolf issues, mislead the public and make money.

“I’m proud that RMEF and its core membership of hunters stand on a solid record of supporting today’s most credible science on wolves, while helping to conserve more than 6.1 million acres of habitat along the way,” said Allen.

RMEF funding for wolf-related research: Total contribution: $407,295. Grant totals awarded by period: 2008-2012—$200,748, 2003-2007—$117,336, 1998-2002—$63,932, 1993-1997—$10,864, 1992 and earlier—$14,415.

Sample projects funded by RMEF:

2011—Research on elk calf survival, recruitment and cause-related mortality in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley.

2007—Research to measure effects of wolf predation on elk in Idaho’s Clearwater River basin.

2003—Research to measure elk calf recruitment in areas of large-scale wildfire and wolf reintroduction in Idaho.

2003—Research on predator-prey relationships to develop models for balanced management plans in Wisconsin.

2002—Research on effects of growing wolf populations on elk herds in hunted and non-hunted areas in Montana.

1999—Research to measure neonatal mortality of elk in areas with and without grizzly bears and wolves in Wyoming.

1999—Research on predation and interactions between wolves and mountain lions on winter ranges for elk, deer and bighorn sheep in Idaho.

1996—Research on elk survival rates in areas of wolf predation in Montana.

1996—Research on elk feeding efficiency and carrying capacity in areas of wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park.

1990—Research on rates and sources of all elk predation (including human) to determine implications for big game management in Montana.

1989—Research on prey selection by wolves in multi-species systems including elk in Jasper National Park of Canada.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - RMEF Tops $400,000 in Grants to Advance Wolf Science