Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting RMEF struggling??????

Another classsic, this one was so slick it got right by me the first time, but I've gotta give credit where credit is due:



So you cast an aspersion (a falsehood at that) accusing three guys you don't know from Adam of some sort of "internet subterfuge" (yes, I know you didn't use that word) and then want to turn it around and whine about "someone of my character" making an issue of it?

That's just awesome, keep 'em coming.

WOW!! I haven't been implicated this much in anything since the "Great Shaving Cream Incident" on the Science Club field trip to Chicago while in High School!!!

Sundles- Just check out my posting regularity on this site. I didn't just show up to comment on this thread or to you in particular. I disagree with your stance on public lands management, but I'm sure you are no more bothered by that that I. My view of public lands management comes from a bit of a different perspective than yours.

Not implicating nor casting aspersions, but thought that I would share the response from RMEF to my query about what proportion of lands that they have conveyed to governmental entities is open to hunting:

Hi Ben, and thanks for taking the time to contact us and get the statistics from the source. Through acquisitions, land exchanges and other fee-title transactions, RMEF has acquired and transferred to a federal, state or local governmental entity approximately 626,875 acres of land to date, which are now open to public access. It is true that not all of those lands are open to public hunting for one reason or another. However, 622,268 acres of that is in fact open to public hunting, leaving us with over 99% of those lands we were involved with now open to public hunting thanks to RMEF members and supporters who help us to complete these projects. Information on specific projects can be found on our website under the Conservation tab and then Lands We�ve Helped Protect site. Most projects have a link to the current managing agency so people can find out the specific access status or contact information.

I think that one of the areas that can often confuse people is our Conservation Easements. If a project is listed as a Conservation Easement it means that RMEF and the landowner have a legal agreement on that landowner�s private property. The agreement usually entails things such as the landowner relinquishing their development rights, building rights and other rights that could be detrimental to the habitat on their property to RMEF. The Conservation Easement properties are not always open to the public for hunting as they are still privately owned. However, many landowners are enrolled in state block management hunting programs for the public. These Conservation Easements are generally donated to RMEF and we are not acquiring fee-title to the land like in the above cases you were describing. As you know RMEF is a strong advocate for public access and hunting access for everyone. It is a big part of what we aim to accomplish and do accomplish thanks to our supporters like you.

Jennifer Doherty | Lands Specialist
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
5705 Grant Creek Rd., Missoula, MT 59808
406.523.4563 phone | 406.523.0211 fax

Thanks, mudhen, great info.

Sundles, I support the RMEF and have never seen any proof that they supported wolf relocation to the US. You claim to have proof. Can you please scan and post, or give us a link, to the documents you claim to have seen? If you can, I will change my mind about the RMEF.

Having been involved with RMEF on several levels, I can tell you that they never endorsed wolf reintroduction officially. There may have been some yahoo somewhere that thought there would be benefits of having another top tier predator, but this whole RMEF conspiracy is a myth and supported wholly on specious claims at best and hearsay without substantiation.

There are other areas where RMEF has made missteps, but this whole wolf argument is silly and not worth the time of anyone with any sense. If you hunt elk, you should be buying tags, supporting NRA, SCI, RMEF, and anyone else who has a voice in expanding and protecting elk habitat and opportunities to hunt them.

Had a free ticket to the Hamilton banquet last night. Man did I get drunk and spend money.

For your donations, I hope you are blessed with a 350" bull this fall, uphill from the truck, and only 100 yards from the trail head.

Bigfin, Cast some of those blessing my way, That sounds like one of my dreams.!!

Went to our local dinner last Saturday. They had to go back to the venue and ask for additional seats as it was the biggest crowd they ever had. That said, there were numerous big ticket items (those greater than $1500) in the live auction that had to be pulled because minimums couldn't be reached.

Had I not have already had my fall planned there were some damn good mulie/goat hunts for a song.

My wife an I had a good time, she donated $700 in her services (medical), we spent a bunch on raffle tickets and came away with a new shotgun.