Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

[Tigger]

We are all avid elk hunters and RMEF is the nonprofit that supports elk, yet it rarely gets mentioned here. Why is that? I have had a few dealings with the org and they have all been positive. They unlock access to thousands and thousands of acres for us to hunt. They support hunting and outdoor education.

I would encourage anyone who is an avid elk hunter to consider joining RMEF or going to one of their banquets. No, I am not employed by RMEF, but have been a long time member.

[Lefty]

Good post!1


From my perspective Im kind of an on-again, off-again with RMEF, DU and Delta memberships, Mostly because our local banquets and activities I haven't been available. However, I (and my family)have helped out with many conservation activities

At one time I believe there was an "attitude " for many of the organizations. And many wildlife banquets were not family-friendly.
Being a school teacher it was kind of embarrassing financially that I couldn't contribute financially to an organization.


Our local RMEF chapter has their big shindig when Im Snow goose hunting.
DU Im elk hunting.

[Indian Summer]

I was a rock solid member for many many years. Decades. They lost me when they failed to take action on the wolf situation. If any organization had a duty to do what was right by its members, it was the RMEF. To do right by the elk. They represent an animal which is the main food source of wolves.

Instead they took what they considered to be the politically correct approach and do nothing. They denied it was a problem. Said it wasn’t their concern. I communicated directly with some of the people in the foundation. They were right up the road from me in Missoula. They really didn’t want to hear about it at all. Look at the situation now. Who was right? I love Bugle magazine, but after that, they’ll never get my money again. To this day they aren’t doing enough about the re-introduction of those bastards. Look at Colorado.

[WapitiTalk1]

Huh, didn’t know that.

[Indian Summer]

Huh, didn’t know that.

You won’t find the facts in print. If you do some Internet searches you’ll see official statements where they remain neutral. Why? Currently they support that introduction of wolves to Colorado. What! my opinion is based on actual personal experiences, communicating with people at the elk foundation. It was almost like talking to the forest service. As long as the trees are OK everything’s fine. Just fine. The reason it upsets me is I felt that if anyone should spearhead a movement against this, it should have been the RMEF. You would think they had learned a thing or two after observing the drastic decline in the elk population in Yellowstone Park. Elk=wolf food!

[Lefty]

Joe . the protect the -wolf movement has a lot of money and their influence is unbelievable

Idaho and Montana have billboards lining our freeways

Rocking the boat doesn't help.
Idaho just lost in court where too much of this is playing out. Our legislature opened up wolf trapping and hunting. shooting to reduce the numbers of wolves : the courts shut it down

Im not sure where Montana is right now, but driving through Bozeman two weeks ago, Montana is looking more and more like Colorado

RMEF is much like Ducks Unlimited: Looking to protect and improve elk habitat and they have. How much of your RMEF money do you want playing in the political sandbox?

Science and biology are losing; the courts are winning.
Outdoorsmen are losing in the biology dept too, our biologists drop on the green side. A few months ago I was talking with Idaho's new bear biologist who has been spending the majority of his time in Unit 61 Island Park. I had to give him names and contacts regarding grizzlies. And the fellow had been speaking with "sportsmen" who want to reduce hound hunting and baiting and change over-the-counter areas to draw chances of 5%

Running into a FED biologist, Shows up 40 minutes after sunrise because he's afraid of the dark and saying we were on the only leek in that country( moron there were dozens within 10 miles of us)

[Indian Summer]

I totally understand that and have all already considered all of that. They could make bolder stronger statements though. It makes me sick to see that they are even afraid to do that. Perhaps they think that a lot of their members are wolf lovers. I’m not sure but they’re just way too wishy-washy on the whole subject for me. I definitely would not want them to spend their money on frivolous lawsuits. But the fact remains they miss handled the situation. They didn’t handle it at all. They still don’t. They made a statement saying they approve of the introduction of wolves to Colorado. That is in print. Why? it should be the opposite. It should say that we have been shown that their recovery model does not work. That the original plans are never carried out and the projected numbers are never enforced. Instead they remain silent. Like I said, they’ll never see my money again. I don’t need any more access or habitat. I’m 59 years old. I have hunting places. We deal with the wolves how we see fit. I just hate to look around and see everything going downhill so badly. State wildlife agencies with their hands tied. Makes me sick. If I saw 100 of them standing there, I’d shoot everyone of them. Is it because I hate wolves? Heck no. It’s because I hate the politics that put them there and the fact that they go unchecked while they decimate our wildlife populations. Screw that. Yes, a bad subject for me.

How are things looking up around Noxon and Trout Creek Rory?

[>>>---WW---->]

Sorry guys, but I have to agree with Indian Summer. The wolf reintroduction in Colorado was passed by a majority of the voters along the I- 25 corridor city population of the state. But, the wolves were released in the high elk population area on the western slope. No thanks to lack of concern from the RMEF. This makes me wonder if RMEF will get involved with the possibility of grizzly bear reintroduction in Washington!!!!!!!
Another issue I have is that I can't see spending my hard earned dollar on the $295,000 salaries of the public information personnel plus the $662,661 salary for the CEO and president of the organization.

[Swede]

I do not know why RMEF would care if they plant Grizzly bears in the Pasayten Wilderness of north central Washington. I lived in Winthrop and worked out of Twisp for eight years and never saw or heard of any elk there. When I lived there, I understood anyone with any Washington elk tag could shoot any elk in season there. I never bought an elk tag as I had never seen so much as a track or any scat. The farmers did not want elk in the area. They did not like the deer but had to tolerate them.
I have never been a member of RMEF, but suspect they put their money and resources where they think it will do the best for their members. Fighting against the wolves is a loser in most States. If the wolves could not be kept out of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, they sure could not have been kept out of Colorado. I wonder when the State will change its name to Calirado in recognition of the newer residents that have arrived? One thing I have noticed here is that many Californians want to get away from California, but they bring their values and way of living with them.

[Tigger]

I would like to see where it is in print that RMEF backed the wolf reintroduction in CO. I just went to their website and it says the exact opposite:

"RMEF, like 49% of Colorado voters, did not support the ballot measure that mandated reintroduction of gray wolves in Colorado." This was in a letter they sent to CPW. The letter also says they should follow the North American Model of Wildlife Management (ie allow hunting). Also on their website, there is an infographic that states "Colorado Wolf Initiative: Why it is a BAD idea". Another news release states: "To be clear, RMEF strongly opposes the forced introduction of gray wolves to Colorado".

So I think it is pretty clear they did not support wolf reintroduction in CO. A quick google search found multiple places where their statements oppose it. Let's make sure we get our facts straight.

[Lefty]

I can't see spending my hard-earned dollar on the $295,000 salaries of the public information personnel plus the $662,661 salary for the CEO and president of the organization.

I will agree those salaries are good enough reasons.
I would think the CEO could be a volunteer, Some paid office personnel would be necessary.


https://rmef.org/elk-network/rmef-offers-comment-on-colorado-wolf-management-plan/

I don't know if it was me or not but the Cascade NP timeline was adjusted by a few years. I had a sit-down ( actually a stand-up and walk around) ,,, with the Parks big grizzly promoter/bear expert and with some perfect timing in front of people of some influence.
At that time There wasn't anything in the griz plan in general about the time grizzlies come out of winter and how grizzlies need to be outside the park. In the springtime, or how much meat?protein needed to be available I used some of Yellowstone's research regarding when bears come out and how grizzlies would not have winter or fresh kills and grizzlies would need to go to lower elevations in the spring, outside the park, from March through May the park had no real grizzly habitat. Comments like mine had to be addressed, and were

the latest release of info, "biologists" didn't believe there would be much impact on livestock and people. on springtime bears, all of a sudden grizzlies became a bit more herbivores in their research.

This Wolverine thing will get out of hand too. The abuse of the Endangered Species Act to eliminate people and hunters that live outside whatever animal they choose.
Outdoorsman are out gunned. Science and real biology don't exist in their world
Minnesota with 4000 wolves ( real experts use that 4000 number) The misuse of legislation.
My brother tried to deal with the closure of commercial turtle trapping last year in Minnesota. The cute and cuddly ( think bear 399) crowd keeps getting more and more, Sign this , and send us 450.00 crowd is out gunning outdoorsman