Elk Foundation Grants for Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma

MISSOULA, Mont. 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.

RMEF to Raffle $23K in Guns, Gear at ISE Consumer Shows

MISSOULA, Mont. ?More than $23,000 in hunting guns, bows and gear will be raffled at five 2010 consumer sports shows in the Ultimate Elk Hunter?s Raffle presented by International Sportsmen?s Expositions (ISE) and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Raffle monies will be used for RMEF habitat projects in the respective ISE show states.

In 2009, RMEF passed 5.6 million acres of habitat conserved or enhanced, and over a half-million acres opened or secured for public access.

Five prizes valued at $4,500 total will be raffled at each 2010 ISE show, including:

? Denver, Colo.?Jan. 7-10
? San Mateo, Calif.?Jan. 14-17
? Sacramento, Calif.?Jan. 21-24
? Phoenix, Ariz.?Feb. 26-28
? Salt Lake City, Utah?March 18-21

To enter the raffle, show attendees may purchase tickets at the RMEF booth. Each ticket represents one chance to win a prize in a drawing. Purchasers can place their tickets into different hoppers for a chance at different prizes, or all tickets into one hopper to increase their odds for a special item.

At each ISE show, separate drawings will be held for each of the following items:

? Browning ultimate hunters package including Browning X-Bolt Composite Stalker in .325 WSM, gun case, X-Cellerator sling, Storm Gore-Tex parka and pant, XPO big game gloves and camo Buckmark cap. Value: $1,590.

? Remington XHR 700 in 7mm Rem Mag. Value: $905.

? Winchester Model 70 Featherweight in .325 WSM. Value: $859.

? BowTech 2010 flagship bow (not yet released but promises to be another industry changer). Value: $850.

? Sitka Gear ultimate clothing package including Ascent pant, Core top, Jetstream jacket and cap. Value: $540.

See complete rules and drawing schedules at the RMEF booth at each ISE show, or go online Nov. 1 to www.sportsexpos.com for details and photos of prizes.

In addition to the Ultimate Elk Hunter?s Raffle, RMEF and ISE are partnering on several new ventures in 2010. RMEF is adding to ISE show attractions with its popular Great Elk Tour featuring a traveling display of world-class trophies designed to show that ?great elk need great habitat.? RMEF also is sponsoring ISE?s Adventure Theater, and Best of the West Elk Calling Contest hosted by former world champion Chad Schearer.

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.

About International Sportsmen?s Expositions
For nearly 35 years ISE has produced America?s premier hunting, fishing and travel shows. Featuring as many as 500 exhibiting companies including leading manufacturers and retailers, guides and outfitters, resorts and lodges, and nonprofit outdoor organizations and groups, each ISE also offers hundreds of seminars, contests, hands-on special features, plus a huge Youth Outdoor Sports Fair that?s dedicated to creating the next generation of responsible outdoor enthusiasts.

New Pipeline Delivers Water to Arizona Elk Country

MISSOULA, Mont.? 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.?

QDMA’s 2009 Whitetail Report Now Available

On January 15 at the SHOT Show in Orlando, Florida, the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) unveiled the Whitetail Report, a detailed look at the status of whitetail populations and deer hunting in North America. Intended as a reference for the outdoor media, the Whitetail Report focuses on emerging issues and current challenges facing the whitetail. The document includes useful facts, statistics and science compiled by QDMA that will provide outdoor communicators with article ideas, valuable reference material, and quotes to use throughout the coming year.

To download the Whitetail Report, visit http://www.qdma.com/media/

Among many topics in the 68-page report, you will find:

• Trends in yearling-buck harvest rates and antlerless harvest, including state-by-state statistics.

• A look at the top states in harvest of mature bucks (3 1/2 years old or older).

• Trends in youth hunter recruitment and other deer-hunter demographics.

• The economic impact of deer hunting compared to other forms of hunting.

• The latest on the impacts of hemorrhagic disease (HD) and chronic wasting disease (CWD).

• Deer-vehicle collision data, and other suburban deer management issues.

Plus, many other current issues, as well as supplemental information on Quality Deer Management techniques, whitetail biology and the latest in deer research.

The white-tailed deer is the foundation of the entire hunting industry. Of active North American hunters, 78 percent hunt whitetails, more than the combined percentages for wild turkey, pheasant, quail, waterfowl, grouse, elk, mule deer and coyotes (survey by Responsive Management and the NSSF, 2008). QDMA created the Whitetail Report to provide outdoor writers, editors and communicators with a yearly health report for whitetails and – by extension – the hunting industry.

About QDMA
The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) is a nonprofit conservation organization that works to educate and encourage hunters and landowners to practice biologically sound deer and habitat management techniques. Founded in 1988, QDMA has more than 53,000 members in 50 states, Canada and abroad. For more information, visit www.QDMA.com or call (800) 209-3337.