Sometimes man-made hazards are in the elks’ way Holyoak recalled a time when a RMEF hunter came across the skull of a bull elk that had died by becoming tightly wound in an abandoned electrical line cable from an old railroad line. The foundation helps to conserve those habitats for elk to thrive. Cities in the West are constantly pushing out into primitive places, forcing elk and other wildlife to seek other habitats. The RMEF volunteers in many ways-some quite unglamorous, such as clearing weeds and downed trees, planting seedlings or ripping out old barbed wire fencing-but it all boils down to taking care of the land. Sacred ground: Restoring the home of the elk This tax-combined with all of the licenses and fees that hunters must pay that also fund conservation-have allowed the North American wildlife populations to flourish. Since its enactment, the Act has raised over $14 billion for these efforts. It taxed hunting equipment such as guns, ammunition and bows, and sent that tax revenue to wildlife, game and fish agencies for conservation efforts. To protect over-exploited species like the elk, the Pittman-Robertson Act was enacted in 1937. An estimated 500 to 1,000 of the creatures were left. In 1899, President Teddy Roosevelt wrote that “the wilderness had been conquered and all the game killed off.” In less than 20 years, a species population that began as 10 million strong was decimated to near-extinction. European trophy hunters flocked to the States to claim the most appealing elk antlers and hides and left the elk meat behind to rot. Elk were sold by the wagonload in cities like Denver. At the time, hunters bragged about killing over a dozen elk in 10 minutes. The commercial hunting of the elk was out of control. “The numbers were down, many of them were on the verge of just going away, because they hadn’t been managed at all.” “Going into the 1900s, there were all sorts of issues with our wildlife population,” Holyoak said. In truth, RMEF was founded to undo the damage done by those who hunted before them. Hunters protecting a population of widely hunted animals may seem like an oxymoron. Righting wrongs: Over-hunted elk throughout history The “on-the-ground conservation” means that RMEF volunteers are out in the wild landscapes, in the backwoods, climbing ridges and scaling mountainsides to protect the elk population. Mark Holyoak, director of communication and content for RMEF, explained that these hunters intimately know the land they’re working on and the animals they’re working with. RMEF also advocates for and is active in land and active forest management as key pillars to the support of elk and wildlife populations. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, fish and wildlife agencies, many landowners and other organizations to fulfill its goals. RMEF has partnered with other organizations such as the U.S. The foundation’s membership - up to 97% of which is hunters - is spread across the entire nation with headquarters in Missoula, Montana. They donate their time, talent and funds to the effort to preserve elk habitats. On the RMEF roster is more than 12,000 volunteers serving in 500 chapters across the nation. Its mission is to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, the habitats they call home and the respectful hunting heritage connected to them. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) is a combined effort by over 231,000 people-mostly hunters-to carry out meaningful, measurable, on-the-ground conservation work. Its revered reputation through the years means it comes as no surprise that the elk has been the subject of an organization’s conservation efforts for nearly 40 years. It was, and still is, an animal appreciated for every fiber of its being from meat to antlers to hide. In many indigenous traditions, the elk is viewed as a sage teacher, a survivor, a protector and a harbinger of good omens. The Rocky Mountain elk, gargantuan cousin to the commonplace deer, has a turbulent history of once being celebrated and appreciated, then exploited and commercialized and back to being sheltered and honored. These horned gentle giants lumber through America’s most environmentally rich states such as Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Nevada in search of grasses, edible tree bark and-if they should be so lucky-an unguarded apple orchard ripe for the grazing. In the northern and western reaches of the U.S, 1,000-pound creatures roam the plains, forest and mountains.
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