There are no greater allies for elk, other wildlife and hunting than Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation volunteers. These men, women and children give of their own time to host banquets and other events that generate vital funding to further RMEF’s mission. When opportunities are available, they also get out on the ground to improve habitat. Below are five examples of recent volunteer projects scattered across the nation.

KANSAS

The old saying goes, “there is strength in numbers,” but scores of people are not needed if you have passion, energy, commitment and purpose—case in point, a small gathering of RMEF volunteers and partners in north-central Kansas. Nine hearty souls came together on the grounds of Fort Riley, home of the state’s only wild, free-ranging elk herd. They spent the day tearing out, cutting and dragging off a half mile of old, barbed-wire fencing buried deep in thick and thorny vegetation.

As one participant put it, “It’s not glamorous. It’s not fast. But it’s real. And it’s what conservation looks like.”

Thanks to their efforts, the lyrics of the historic Kansas state song, “Home on the Range,” ring as true, and even safer, than ever. After all, that is where the deer and the antelope (and elk) play.

KENTUCKY

In a historic 2023 partnership, RMEF teamed with The Nature Conservancy, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Kentucky General Assembly to create the largest voluntary conservation agreement in Kentucky history. That project conserved and opened permanent public access to what is now called the Cumberland Forest Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and its sprawling 55,000 acres of prime elk habitat.

Earlier this year, RMEF hosted an intimate volunteer workday on that same landscape (see photo at top of post). Volunteers cleared woody debris and vegetation from roads to improve access conditions for WMA users. Attendees also helped with herbicide applications to treat invasive plant species in forest openings. Those efforts, combined with prescribed fire and follow-up herbicide treatments, enhanced more than 3,000 acres of habitat.

MONTANA

Some three dozen RMEF volunteers recently spent a Saturday morning on a forested piece of private land in northwest Montana. Flathead Ridge Ranch is enrolled in Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Block Management Program, which allows public hunting across the majority of its acreage. The public can also camp and cut firewood there.

The volunteers focused their efforts above Brown Meadow Pass, where fencing made it difficult for elk, deer, bears, mountain lions and other critters to safely pass. A team of workers removed more than a mile of barbed-wire fencing, clearing the way for elk, deer, bears, mountain lions and other critters to move across the landscape.

SOUTH DAKOTA

More than 50 RMEF volunteers recently converged on South Dakota’s Black Hills to both share in a fun time and help out the area’s wildlife. The annual South Dakota Summer Rendezvous attracted volunteers from the Mount Rushmore State, Iowa and Minnesota for camping, good food and a project that continues a legacy of stewardship for a property RMEF conserved more than two decades ago.

RMEF acquired the Meeker Ranch near Custer in 2004 and then conveyed it into public land as part of the Black Hills National Forest. The nearly 280-acre property includes a degraded stream and adjacent wetland that South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks worked to improve for wildlife and fish. For two days, RMEF volunteers worked alongside wildlife and fish managers to plant nearly 6,000 willow trees with the goal of conserving water and improving aquatic habitat.

UTAH

All wildlife species love water. And now there will be more of it stored and ready to use in central Utah because of a fun, family-friendly, collaborative effort between RMEF, the U.S. Forest Service and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

More than 65 volunteers of all ages gathered for the annual Utah Summer Rendezvous work project. They installed two new water guzzlers that will each capture and hold 1,800-gallons of rainwater, boosting the number of guzzlers installed by RMEF and partners within Fishlake National Forest to 30. Given the arid landscape, that is great news for elk, mule deer, moose, mountain lions, mountain goats, small mammals, raptors, songbirds and other wildlife.