The most successful people don’t just tick all the right boxes – they stand out from the crowd. They’re recognized and respected, which means that they’re in a position to influence others.
To join the Elks, a person must be an American citizen, 21 years of age or over, believe in God and be of good character. Membership is free.
Tracking
The ability to track is an invaluable skill for hunters. Tracking is the process of identifying animal tracks, signs and other clues to find your quarry. It requires the skills of observation, deduction and pattern recognition that seasoned hunters have developed over years of hunting.
The late season can be a tough time to hunt elk, as they’re busy bulking up for the winter and consuming extra calories. Elk calls aren’t as effective post-rut, and physically, a late season elk hunt can be grueling with long hikes through deep snow. It can also be difficult to predict where a bull will be.
A group of hunters launched this charity challenge, based on the popular high-speed auto rallies, to make a difference in the lives of others. They wanted a mission beyond the fun of spending a week on the road in fast cars with like-minded people, and came up with the idea to raise money for Shriners Hospitals, as well as a local children’s hospital and Texas EquuSearch, an organization that reunites missing persons with their families.
The Lodge Chair Challenge allows a Lodge to earn points when its members donate to the ENF through the Online Remittance Form, which is the fastest and most accurate way to submit remittances to the ENF. To be eligible, donors must provide a donation total and a batch number for each remittance. To monitor donor participation, Lodges can view a report of their District and State Membership Support results online. Click here to learn more about the ENF’s Online Remittance Form.
Hunting Preserves
Whether you agree or disagree with the concept of hunting preserves (also known as game farms), they do provide a unique opportunity to get out in the field and hunt big game that may not be found on public or private land. Those that choose to visit such reserves can enjoy the challenge of finding and hunting big game while also helping to fund wildlife research and conservation efforts.
Aside from bringing in revenue for a landowner, hunters are often the most important source of funds for the conservation of wild fish and game animals. Hunters pay for habitat improvement projects, compensating farmers for crop damage, wildlife biologist salaries and winter feed for elk. In addition, the money generated by the sale of hunting licenses and permits helps with countless other wildlife management tasks such as migration studies, disease diagnosis and reintroduction programs.
Hunting preserves can be commercial and cater to a wealthy clientele or they can operate as memberships based on a daily fee. Daily-fee preserves can help operators establish a reputation in the industry, attract customers and build a clientele before evolving into a membership model that will generate annual revenue.
Preserves can offer a more controlled hunting experience which is beneficial for new hunters who want to gain confidence and skills before heading out into the wild. Many new hunters feel intimidated when they first begin to hunt wild game and the idea of encountering an animal in a dense forest with few other humans present can make them nervous or even turn them away from the sport altogether. Aside from the safety factor, hunting on a preserve can also save hunters time and money.
In an effort to introduce more people to the sport, some hunting preserves also offer a variety of events such as archery, youth hunting days and elk calling seminars. Such events can be a great way to expose people to the sport and to teach them about some of the challenges of hunting and what the RMEF is doing to help the sport grow and thrive.
Physical Challenge
The physical demands of a late season elk hunt should not be underestimated. Whether tracking an elusive herd or stalking a buck from a stand, an elk hunter has to be in top condition to complete the task at hand.
During the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals in 2009, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) awarded an outdoor adventure of the winner’s choice to each of the three riders or stock contractors who won the most Trophy Bull points. RMEF and its members have helped conserve or enhance more than 5.4 million acres of wildlife habitat, including elk herds.
Each year, the Grand Lodge Fraternal Committee encourages students enrolled in 5th through 8th grades to write an essay expressing their thoughts about patriotism. The winning national essays are presented to Grand Lodge in each division at the following Grand Lodge Sessions. Plaques are awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each division and a monetary award is disbursed for each grade level winner. To enter, students should submit their essay to their local Elks Lodge. Each entry must be identified by name, grade, school attending and sponsoring Elks Lodge on the cover page.
Predicting Behavior
In the fall, elk are busy bulking up to prepare for winter. They need extra calories to fuel their herds through the cold and snow. Knowing where they are foraging for food can help late season hunters find their quarry.
Predicting behavior can be a challenging endeavor. However, it can be a rewarding skill to acquire. With a little practice, it can allow hunters to get closer to the game without disturbing it.
The ELK game is a fun way to support RMEF’s mission. It allows people to donate online in small increments, and they can win prizes if they hit certain targets. In addition to the RMEF, the game also supports Shriners Hospitals for Children and Texas EquuSearch, which helps reunite families of missing persons with their loved ones.
RMEF’s Chair Challenge rewards Lodges for the percentage of their members who donate to the Elks National Foundation this fiscal year. Lodge Chairs can monitor participation percentages of their members with the Foundation Fellowship Report, which shows them donor breakdowns by classification (first-time donors, second-year donors and more). You can view the report here. To qualify, a donor must be a member or card-carrying spouse/widow and have a valid address on file in CLMS to count.