Bursting at the seamsīy 1988, our staff had grown to 12, and our offices were spread across a vacant dentist's office, a mini mall and an abandoned grocery store. It took time, hard work and patience, but by the end of 1984, membership had ballooned to almost 2,500. So they borrowed additional funds and printed 32,000 copies of the first edition of Bugle magazine, which they mailed out and distributed to grocery stores and gas stations throughout the West. But they believed they'd made a commitment to these people. The team borrowed funds to mail out 43,000 brochures soliciting members, promising a subscription to an international magazine about elk and an annual international convention. Spiking camp in the back room of a trailer house in Troy, the four - a pastor, a realtor, a logger and a drive-in owner - created an organization that would directly benefit elk and other wildlife by putting money to work on the ground. That gift helped kick off our incredible growth and conservation achievements. At the Salt Lake City Elk Camp that year, Ray Goff, former Elk Foundation board member and vice president of Anheuser-Busch, announced a $500,000 gift from the company. In 1988, we notched our first land acquisition - the 16,440-acre Robb Creek property in Montana - and received our first ringing endorsement from the corporate community. We also funded our first project that year - a $450 grant to fund a graduate student's research project on elk in the Northern Yellowstone herd. In April 1985, we held our first convention in Spokane, Washington. Once the elk train got rolling, it never stopped. In 1984, four hunters from Troy, Montana, asked each other, "Can you imagine life without elk and elk hunting?" With the answer a resounding No!, they pooled their talents and resources and created the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in May of that year. HistoryĮlk Foundation founders: Bob Munson, Dan Bull, Bill Munson and Charlie Decker. * Educating members and the public about habitat conservation, the value of hunting, hunting ethics and wildlife management. * Fostering cooperation among federal, state, tribal and private organizations and individuals in wildlife management and habitat conservation. * Promoting the sound management of wild, free-ranging elk, which may be hunted or otherwise enjoyed. * Conserving, restoring and enhancing natural habitats. In support of this mission the Elk Foundation is committed to The Mission of the Elk Foundation is to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. David Allen, President & Cheif Executive Officer She noted many individuals, foundations, and local establishments that donate to the Foundation’s local efforts.Conservation Home Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation Pheasants Forever Ducks Unlimited Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Quail ForeverįOUNDED: 1984 | HEADQUARTERS: MISSOULA, MONTANA The Yellowstone-Taylor Fork Chapter is the smallest in the state, Kelli says, but that doesn’t mean it lacks support. She and Pete plan to take their grandchildren hunting one day, and they believe that without the land acquisitions for which they’re striving through RMEF, that may not be possible because of the rate at which land is being lost to development. It’s also about protecting wildlife habitat, in general. Notably, RMEF acquired 640 acres in the Taylor Fork drainage, and 6182 acres in the Porcupine Drainage. Near Big Sky, in the mid-90s the Foundation was part of a larger land exchange project in which they coordinated with the Forest Service and FWP to protect land that might otherwise have been developed. None of the group’s volunteers, committee members, or donors are paid or receive any other services for their work. Pete is the Chair of the Yellowstone-Taylor Fork Chapter of RMEF, and with help from fellow volunteers and committee members Kelli, John Flach, and Angela Search, runs the Big Game Banquet in West Yellowstone every June. “We hope to instill that belief in others,” she added. “I believe in the mission statement, which is basically ‘conserve, protect and enjoy,’ ” Kelli said. She and her husband Pete are longtime supporters of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and both of them, as well as their three grown children, are life members. She still loves to hunt and believes fiercely in land conservation. Big Sky resident Kelli Delzer tagged her first elk when she was 13.
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