RMEF

fullthrottle

Very Active Member
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I have been a member for years, but can't help but notice every time I turn on the sportsmans channel someone from RMEF is hunting some premier hunting ranch that cost thousands to hunt. Is our donations really going to help elk on public lands and the average sportsman who will most likely never have the opportunity to hunt these high dollar areas, or am I just donating to promote and improove these private lands and pay for the RMEF guys to continue going on these premo hunts?
 
From the information I gathered a few years ago anyways. the rmef is one of the more reputable organizations. They actually opened their books and showed where there donated money goes. As far as the t.v shows I am sure they have done projects for some of the areas you speak of. But I am also pretty sure it is a tax right off for the property owner to donate his business I.e land to a non profit organization.
 
Not one dollar of any donations goes to pay for a hunt by someone in the RMEF. A lot of times making contacts in elk hunting gets people invites on primo ranches.

Just like other orgainzations out there such as the NRA: you may not agree with 100% of what they do, but there is no one else out there doing what they do so effectively.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
 
I doubt there are any shenanigans going on but it would be refreshing to see the hierarchy of some of these con orgs actually hunt where and how the rest of us need to.

I suspect we'd find them lacking!

Just my 2 cents,
Zeke
 
I wouldn't hold it against them. They have to promote themselves. Nobody else is looking out for the elk herds like they are.
 
I think that if an organization is promoting the conservation of private lands into public hands, and promotes the rehabilitation of public lands for wildlife, that they would focus their marketing/tv show on public lands available to members. I think that they took a wrong turn years ago, and hired musicians, celebrities, and car racers to work for/promote or be showcased on the show. I think that the show should be 90% common guy hunting (these ARE the volunteers that have built the organization), and 10% trophy hunts on private lands or reservations.

www.hunthardcore.com
 
The old guard like Jim Zumbo are hard to beat, but those guys are few and far between today. I remember an article he wrote about how he climbed over a mountain range to get to some land locked public land.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
 
I know of three Team Elk episodes in the coming year that will be self-guided public land elk hunts. We did them for RMEF. One on public land of MT, another in the Bighorns of WY, and the last one a late season elk hunt in northern AZ.

In addition to the episode being filmed where many other hunters are chasing the same elk, we did them in locations near where RMEF has done access or conservation projects. We took time in each episode to talk about the work that has been done on the land, near the areas we hunted.

As to their TV show costs, it is all paid for with the sponsorship you see on the show. None of the TV show expenses comes from membership dues.

The level of branding, marketing, and promo RMEF gets from the TV show, at no net cost to the organization, is immense. It would cost a fortune to go out and buy that level of message integration elsewhere.

Yes, a great group doing a lot for western hunters.

"Hunt when you can - You're gonna' run out of health before you run out of money!"
 
Been a member awhile.
Had a sit down @ the H&H a few years back with head of lands aquisition to talk of how to get grant/info for my place.Nice guy,good meeting.
I asked about their hunts and such. He said he and most RMEF folks wished they could afford those hunts. They charge $ to make $ to buy land and save land for all of us.
As stated above while I do not agree with some things they do,I will continue to be a member.
 
As a member for over 10 years, I have supported specific projects and the ongoing effort to preserve and improve elk habitat. The group has preserved or assisted in preserving hundreds of thousands of acres of habitat, and securing access to even more, in CO alone. Glad to hear other votes of confidence for RMEF. They walk the walk.
 
I think REMF is a good conservation group. About 10 years or so ago, their dirrector said how he liked to hear the wolves howl in one of their bugle magazines. They didn't want to offend their non hunter members. Different leadership now. They changed course and the past few years are doing good. I think they are a good conservation group.
 
Here's the deal. The TV show RMEF Team Elk stands on its own. It is funded totally by sponsorship money--the outfits and companies you see in the commercials. No donor dollars are used to fund any of these hunts. The show is used for outreach and is an effective tool for doing so.

We have several public land, do-it-yourself hunts scheduled for later this season as well as several youth hunts.

Mark Holyoak
RMEF Director of Communication
[email protected]
 
R.M.E.F. books are all ways open. and they remember who they work for.( wildlife and you ).....
 
That organization is a strong supporter of our sport. They have my support til such time they aren't work for us. Good Group!
 
RMEF is a great organization. The TV show is marketing pure and simple. I wish it had more about their member's hunts and public land projects also but no doubt what happens on many private properties can have significant benefits on public land herds too. It would be smart of them to not have the RMEF employees participating in the hunts - it does not look good. Pheasants Forever is another great organization.

There are some really bad ones out there - Ducks Unlimited in my opinion. There are objective reviewers that support this opinion in many publications and rankings of non-profits. There was also a time when a group of DU employees/Board members landed at our small local airport on their way to the national convention (in a private chartered jet). The excess and attitude I witnessed were too much for me. DU does some good things but they should be able to do more - not very efficient. I was a committee member for many years and was bought in hook line and sinker for over a decade but there are much better organizations out there.
 

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