MISSOULA, Montana-Elk and other wildlife in the nation's breadbasket will benefit from $31,343 in new grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The grants will help fund conservation and education initiatives in Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma.

Grant amounts are based on RMEF fundraisers held in the respective states.

"Elk Foundation volunteers drove the 2008 banquets, auctions and other fundraising events that made these grants possible. This is where their work begins to transform into on-the-ground conservation benefits, and it's part of the payday for our supporters who are passionate about giving something back to the outdoors," said David Allen, Elk Foundation president and CEO.

RMEF grants will help fund the following projects, listed by state:

Kansas-Received RMEF 2009 grants totaling $15,250. Projects include reducing depredation on private land by managing about 200 forage plots covering 750 acres for elk and other wildlife at Fort Riley military reservation in Riley County; enhancing riparian habitat by treating noxious weeds and planting cottonwood, willow and native shrubs on 777 acres at Cimarron National Grasslands in Morton County; and sponsoring Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshops statewide, Big Brothers Big Sisters Pass It On Outdoor Mentors programs statewide, and Ninnescah Valley Archery Club youth education programs in Pratt County. RMEF partners include the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and other conservation groups.

Nebraska-Received RMEF 2009 grants totaling $8,075. Projects include developing methodology for aerial elk surveys in the western panhandle of Nebraska including Dawes and Box Butte counties; and funding two scholarships for wildlife conservation students at Chadron State College. RMEF partners include the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Oklahoma-Received RMEF 2009 grants totaling $8,018. Projects include creating forage openings for elk, rejuvenating water impoundments and maintaining firebreaks at Spavinaw Wildlife Management Area in Delaware and Mayes counties; and enhancing forage for elk and other wildlife by prescribe burning 8,195 acres at Pushmataha Wildlife Management Area in Pushmataha County. RMEF partners include the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and other conservation groups.

Since 1984 in these three states, the Elk Foundation and its partners have completed 155 conservation and education projects with a value of more than $9.8 million.

I've always been told all knowledge is good. As hunters we must continuously filter, store, and decipher information to make the best choices for our hunts. This season has been one of frustration for me due to personal matters that have limited my scouting and hunting time to near zero. On opening weekend, unable to hunt myself, I was able to steal an hour to share in the success of my fellow bow hunters at our local deer butchering station. One thing I heard really stuck in mind. Joe was saying how he had rattled a 140 class under his stand last evening. Unfortunately the buck never presented anything but a frontal shot, and Joe was ethical enough to pass, always a hard decision on a buck of that caliber. What struck me as strange was I have never seen much success with the horns prior to pre rut time in early November. A little bit of intel to store in my brain.

I was finally able to find a few hours on Thursday morning for a little bow hunting. Not having the scouting I usually have under my belt by now, I choose a stand I have much success in years gone by. I never carry my horns this early in the season, but had thrown my Primos rattle bag in my carry bag based on Joe's tale of the giant buck. A still and warm dawn gradually unfolded around me. As perfect as it seemed, deer movement was non-existent. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I beat and rolled the rattle bag around in my hands for a good 30 seconds or so. I had barely switched the bag for my bow, when I saw a set of deer legs headed in my direction at a very quick pace. A nice 8 point buck was headed toward my tree with his head down like a bird dog on a running pheasant. At less than ten yards my Matthews Drenalin sent an arrow though both his lungs and he went down on the spot. Had I not picked up that little piece of information from Joe, I would never have even though of rattling that early in the season. Thanks Joe!

Rattling has accounted for the two biggest bucks of my life and certainly is hands down my favorite way to hunt whitetails. There is no bigger adrenalin rush then to have a big buck charge into the horns. For every hard charging buck though, there are two that sneak in quietly, and size of the buck seems to have little to with the aggression of their response. This was the first buck I have ever called in with any sort of artificial horns (bag), always believing nothing could match the sound of the real things.
Another little bit of intel. Here are a few of the lessons I have learned calling over the past 20 years of rattling success. Wind is everything. How hard it's blowing and which direction will determine your success or failure more than any other factor. Still mornings tend to have the highest attraction rate, followed by mid day. I have had very little success with evening stands and the studies from Texas bear this out. Blind rattling has produced far more bucks for me than rattling at cruising bucks off in the distance. When I see a buck out of range I grunt and sometimes use a doe bleat can with great success. Always expect the responding buck to try to get downwind of your position so try to pick a stand that can exploit this. I don't believe you can rattle too loud, and I always bang the horns for all I'm worth. Again the studies from Texas bear this out. Lastly, the Texas study showed that you will only see about a third of the bucks that respond, and that number plummets if you rattle from the ground instead of a tree.

I urge you all to try this exciting method of deer calling. Many are skeptical, but it works everywhere bucks are found, just not every time. Keep at it and you will experience the thrill of an aggressive buck coming to pick a fight with you. Good hunting.

When I was younger I was always interested in rifles and hunting. I  was interested in it from the day I shot my first rifle, it was a .223 Remington up at our cabin with my great grandfather. My great grandfather has always been proud of my shooting because as the years progressed I started to get better than him my grand father and my mother.

My first hunt ever was with my mother at one of her friends ranch.  We got out in the field and she shot a doe. Ever since then my dream has been that I would become a pro hunter or guide and be able to travel around the world or the country hunting new game that I have never shot before.

I shot my very first deer when I was twelve years old with my grand father and my mom, it was a nice typical 3x2, after that my interest with rifles started not becoming a challenge to me. I wanted a bigger challenge, bigger than just shooting something from hundreds of yards away I wanted to get closer than that.  So that is how I got into bow hunting, it just seemed like more fun and a bigger challenge. 

I bought a Martin bow that was a forty pound bow  so I could not really go out for an elk or any thing.  I bought it  from a sporting good store in our town I got better and better over the year shooting at their range non stop almost every day just to get better. That hunting season I shot my first deer with my bow it was a Mulley doe at about 28 yards. The doe that I shot yesterday was my seventh animal.

I have had more fun bow hunting than I have ever in my life. This year has to be my most favorite year for hunting ever, even though the general season has not even started yet. This year I wanted to try some thing new and try hunting out of a tree stand it was my first year ever to do it. I have hunted out of ground blinds and all sort of stuff also have had not too bad of luck on spot and stalking animals.  When I was13 I shot a 5x6 mule deer the spot and stalk way. That was the biggest buck I have shot yet, Pope and Young score was 138 3/8.  When I was 14 I shot a 4x5 mule deer. 

This year I started out the season really lucky I went out the opening day of archery season and started to head out to my stand and there were deer already sitting in the hay field so I thought I should just back out of there and not scare them out. I returned to my stand the next afternoon.  I got set up in my stand, got my bow ready and everything.  About a half an hour later I started to have deer moving into the hay field.  I passed up about ten does because I did not want to just shoot some thing the first hour I was there and spook them out of the field, so I waited about another hour and watched some deer cross the river coming towards the field that I was hunting in.

Then I couldn’t here them any more so I started to watch some other deer.  The deer were really spooky all day long. I was watching these deer start to go out of range then I hear something move from the bushes to the side of me. I started to watch it pretty good,  I took my eyes off it for about a minute to watch another place and when I looked back to were I heard the noise and there was a beautiful 4x4 whitetail buck all in velvet chasing a doe.   I used my range finder and he was at about 32 yards,  I placed my pin right on the kill zone and released my arrow. I hit him perfect, he did not run more than twenty yards and dropped over dead.  The reason I am telling you about almost all of my hunts I have been on is because to me every time I get a chance to go out it is way too much fun just being out in the wilderness.     

But my favorite hunt of all time had to be the hunt I went on yesterday with a kid that I have known since he was a baby. His family took care of me last while my mom was in the hospital with cancer. He had been asking me if we could go hunting some time soon, so yesterday I thought it would be a good day to take him out. We first went up to a spot that one of my friends shot a doe. We got up there and it was a crappy day out  because it was about to snow and it was really windy.  But to me it was just fun because I got spend some time with him. He kept telling me I hope you shoot some thing, so I decided to go to one of my friends ranches out in the valley where the chances were better.  On the way out to the ranch we were looking up in this field off the road watching elk, it made his day to see some elk. We got to the ranch and got out of the truck watching some deer.  I asked if he wanted to go after them, of course he wanted to.  We got all of our stuff on and I sprayed him down with some scent killer, he did the same to me. The deer were just on the other side of the ranches junk yard so I had him walk with me.  These deer had no idea that we were there.  I told him to walk close to me so it would not scare them off as easy as if they saw two of use. I spotted the deer and we started to stalk them just a little closer. I went around a large bush with him, and showed him which one I was going to shoot. 

I used the range finder and she was at 51 yards.  I took the shot and hit her perfect right in the kill zone.  She ran about 80 yards and dropped dead.  The look on Ty's face was worth shooting the deer in so many ways. We walked over to where I shot him trying to find my arrow. When we got to the animal he was stoked to be out there hunting.  He helped me gut it out and before we started to drag her we had to do something that I have done with all of my animals.  We took two fingers dipped in blood and wiped it on his face and he wiped it on my face to say thank you to the deer that gave her life for us.   He helped me drag the deer to my truck.  After that I took some pics of him and the deer. He was really proud of that and so was I.  

That had to be favorite hunt of all time just to be out there with him and enjoying the hunt with him.

Editors Note: From time to time we are going to be adding stories from aspiring writers and Pro Staff.  We hope you will enjoy the enthusiasm and excitement these hunters share for their passions!!!

Elkhorn Outfitters devoted it's 4th week of October to hunting with the youth. Hosted by Jim Zumbo and the Outdoor Channel, these kids were required to write an essay to Elkhorn based on what hunting means to them and their families. Upon review, Dick and Cheryl Dodds (Owners of Elkhorn) invited 8 of the essay contestants to come hunt over 100,000 acres near Craig Colorado on Management tags, ranging from Antelope to Elk.

My excitement to be apart of this week was unmeasurable; partly because I was a youth hunter during the same youth week at Elkhorn 10 years ago and now was apart of the same week except on the other side of the fence as a guide. I knew how cool of an experience I had sharing my first big game hunt with my father and now had a chance to be with and share that same experience with two youth hunters and their fathers!

Archery is one of the oldest shooting sports, yet it ranks high in participation among both genders and youth. More and more women each year are joining the archery shooter statistics. Before you go out and buy a bow, the following should help to make your purchase a success for you at the range or in the bow stand.

As with most shooting and hunting equipment, proper fit is one of the most important aspects. Before purchasing a bow, you should get measured for length of pull and draw weight. Many companies have bows available for women and youth that are more compact for smaller stature and a lighter draw weight.

You don't want too light of a draw weight if you're going to use the bow for hunting, because the lighter the draw weight, the less kinetic energy in the released arrow and the less impact on your target. On the other hand, you don't want the draw weight set so high that you can't get the bowstring pulled back. Bows are designed that the draw weight can be adjusted up or down. It's a good idea to start at a lower weight. Practice several days at the lower weight then adjust the weight up in five-pound increments over the next few weeks to a weight that you can comfortably pull back.

Bow hunting in eastern Oregon is one of my favorite seasons, brisk mornings' warm afternoons and still plenty of daylight to satisfy even the most regimented of schedules.

The phone rings late one night, its Denny he hasn't gotten an Elk yet and the last weekend is upon us. I agree that I will go with him and help him by calling the elk so he can get one. 6 am rolls around I'm outside sipping on hot coffee in the early morning chill watching the Dew on the grass dry... Waiting...

7 am nothing.. I called Denny just to make sure he woke up. Who wouldn't! Its Bow season! He's on the way had battery problems. Coffee is gone, most of the morning dew is dried up already and I am thinking NO WAY are we going to get in the Elk! They will be bedded down already...UGH! This is a waste of time I can be doing so much more than running around looking for sleeping elk!

But after all we were friends. That's what friends do... Help each other especially in a small town.

EDGEFIELD, S.C. - The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) announced Monday that respected wildlife biologist Donnie Buckland has joined the Federation's conservation department as Director of Upland Programs.

"We are thrilled to welcome Donnie to the NWTF family," said George Thornton, NWTF CEO. "His valuable experience and leadership will be an asset to our conservation staff and will have an immediate impact on our wildlife and land management programs."

Buckland joins the NWTF after a long career as a biologist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, senior field representative with the National Rifle Association, and most recently, as senior vice president of Quail Unlimited.

"The NWTF's many great accomplishments benefit not only turkeys, but many species of wildlife," said Buckland. "I see this as a great opportunity to join a team that has a passion for wild turkey management that matches mine for quail and the upland habitat that both species require. I am eager to help the NWTF continue to have a positive impact on quail, turkeys and other wildlife, and the Federation has proven they have the resources and hard-working people to benefit wildlife populations, habitat, and both the hunters and non-hunters who enjoy North America's natural resources."

Saint Paul, Minnesota -- Tech Mix, Inc., makers of energy recovery and performance products for sporting dogs, have joined Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's wildlife habitat conservation efforts as a new sponsor. For each Tech Mix product sold bearing the PF/QF logos, including K9 Restart™ Energy Bars, K9 Restart™ Chewables, K9 Restart™ Natu-Joint and K9 Performance Tabs™,Tech Mix will make a donation to support Pheasants Forever's conservation work.

"Sporting dogs need instant energy and the proper hydration to be their best," said Mike Nelson, President of Tech Mix, Inc., "But they also need wild spaces to do what they do. It's exciting to develop this relationship with Pheasants Forever and all its loyal supporters who value their dogs not only as companions but working partners in the field."

"Sporting dogs help create and keep conservationists, as evidenced by the 70 percent of Pheasants Forever members that are dog owners," said Joe Duggan, Pheasants Forever Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Relations, "Keeping that companion happy and healthy is a must, and we're proud to call Tech Mix, Inc. partners in conservation."

The omission of a regulation that has been in place for decades in this year's digest has caused some hunters and trappers to wonder whether they still are required to display their licenses in the middle of the back as has been done for many, many years. "Yes, it still needs to be displayed," Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe answered.

Roe noted that the Game Commission is supporting House Bill 460, sponsored by Rep. Neil Goodman (D-Schuylkill), which proposes to remove the statutory requirement that licenses be displayed, and thereby allow hunters to place their hunting license in their wallet with other ID.

When the agency was drafting the digest this spring, Roe said it was believed that the HB 460 would be enacted before the start of the license year on July 1. So, to avoid potentially conflicting information, a decision was made to modify the wording about the requirement that licenses must be displayed.

"License buyers do need to remember that the digest is not the 'Game & Wildlife Code' or its attendant regulations, and should not be considered final on legal interpretation," Roe said. "In printing the digest, the agency simply summarizes the more important and frequently misunderstood hunting and trapping regulations."

MISSOULA, Mont.—More than $23,000 in hunting guns, bows and gear will be raffled at five 2010 consumer sports shows in the Ultimate Elk Hunter’s Raffle presented by International Sportsmen’s Expositions (ISE) and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Raffle monies will be used for RMEF habitat projects in the respective ISE show states.

In 2009, RMEF passed 5.6 million acres of habitat conserved or enhanced, and over a half-million acres opened or secured for public access.

Five prizes valued at $4,500 total will be raffled at each 2010 ISE show, including:

1. •    Denver, Colo.—Jan. 7-10
2. •    San Mateo, Calif.—Jan. 14-17
3. •    Sacramento, Calif.—Jan. 21-24
4. •    Phoenix, Ariz.—Feb. 26-28
5. •    Salt Lake City, Utah—March 18-21