Forty years is a long time. If you’re reading this and you’ve lived that long (or longer), you know what we mean.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation officially opened its doors as a hunter-based, wildlife conservation organization on May 14, 1984. Over that time, it increased its influence as a mover and shaker of good on many different fronts, but especially for helping to ensure the future of elk, mule deer and many other wildlife species, hunting and conservation.
RMEF achieved many accomplishments over its four-decade lifespan – numerous land conservation and access projects and much habitat enhancement work. It also supplied long-time and ongoing support for wildlife management and research. And it promoted the importance of hunting, both past and present, and its critical tie to generating funding and support for nationwide conservation work. That is why RMEF has the mantra of Hunting Is Conservation.
As an organization, RMEF fought through lean times but learned and grew along the way, and did so with hope, endurance, dedication, integrity and a smile. Below is a series of yellowing photos from RMEF’s Wapiti newsletter that first hit the presses in January of 1986. While each image has its own story, the collection shines a revelatory light on the passion and direction of RMEF’s mission and the staffers, volunteers, members, donors, supporters and others who made it happen.
(Photo credit: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)
The first-ever Wapiti newsletter, then called Foundation Afield (January 1986)
A classic, yellowing “wanted” ad from that inaugural issue – note the second and third paragraphs
1986 letter from Montana Governor Ted Schwinden
The corporate seal, seen on Dan’s blanket, made a recent return for RMEF’s 40th anniversary and is available on hats and shirts. View those here.
Anheuser-Busch stepped up late in the game to help RMEF purchase the Robb Creek Ranch – the organization’s first-ever land conservation & access project.
Jim Zumbo served on the RMEF Board of Directors two different times
Bill Gamradt supplied illustrations for Bugle magazine for 40 years (and still does so today)
And the rest, as they say, is history!