Pictures from the RMEF Convention Thursday

Here are some great pictures. A few are sideways and I apologize but at this late hour there is nothing I can do! I hope you enjoy!



A couple of really beautiful coastal brown bears. Some day I hope to get up to Alaska and get an opportunity to hunt these beautiful bears!

One of Mossback's beautiful elk!
One of the famed Mossback Muleys!
My mom(Mary) getting close to one beautiful bear mount!
The very first item up for bid in the mens hunter auction. It sold for a mere $100.00

One beautiful fish coffee table!

The Lewis & Clark Quilt!
A beautiful wood burning!

Handcrafted mirror!
A custom hat by Rands
A wooden RMEF electric guitar!

Pool table with the RMEF logo!

An elk chandelier I would love to have! If I only had a house that could hold it!

A really nice bed!
Various art!
The elk chair!
Hand created log furniture!


An original piece!
A really nice painting all on turkey feathers!

A grand slam of Bronze sheep(Dall Sheep, Big horn, Stone Sheep and Dessert sheep)
A beautiful original of a couple of bears playing!








Rifles for the auctions on Friday and Saturday!
Yes it is a real Clydesdale and it will be brought into the auction floor. My expectation is somewhere between 30 and 50 thousand dollars will come for this horse! Budweiser is very generous to elk country and to conservation!
Moose sculpture of elk!

This is the one tag I would really like to bid on! It will go for somewhere over $30,000.

A beautiful Gun case that went at auction today for about $1500.00

The Big Game Rifle for 2007!


We love Budweiser in ELK COUNTRY!


The Runners!
This bull grosses 411! All I can say is WOW!



One Beautiful Muley!

Cowgirl Runners sponsored by Brunton!


Lunch is served!


Dennis Jones Studio
This is a coffee table that trickles water down for the elk to wallow in! An amazing piece of art!


One Big Cat bronze!

The Auction Stage where it all takes place!

Mom got a new watch and I am saving up my money to bid on a couple of items but really not yet sure what or when. Otherwise the opening night was a great dinner and Bill Engevol the comedian was very very funny! I doubled my money in the casino tonight and I am looking forward to the friends of the foundation breakfast coming early at 8am! I am off to bed!

Kevin

Welcome to Elk Camp

What a whirlwind of a day! It has begun.. I shot about 55 pictures today and as promised I will get them all up online tonight.. But first I am off to the opening Ceremony, hitting a roulette table and having some fun! Mom had a wonderful day at the womens auction and got a brand new watch.. Picture to follow by Sunday!

I will post more tonight!

Tangled Elk 1 of 2

Elk Cut Loose 2 of 2

Arrival in RENO a day early!

This young man is 82 years old and got to stand in the Magic Money tower and collect funds from the swirling masses of cash. The lady running the booth was supposed to give him 30 seconds and since it was his birthday gave him about 3 minutes in the booth so he got to collect about 100.00 or so in ones and fives! Very nice gentleman and we all cheered him on!




The Silver Legacy is ready for the onslaught of the RMEF! They really do such a great job of taking care of us all here! I really do enjoy this city and I appreciate the opportunity to visit every year!





This sign is famous and you cant even get in close.. So this is the best picture that I am going to get during the week.





The clouds were looking a bit ugly over the Sierra Nevada Range but I am sure the skiers in Tahoe were getting a bit excited! Sounds look they could get a good foot up there tonight and the powder hounds are ready!



Sheplers Western Wear is an institution to the serious western wear buyer! I got a new pair of jeans and looked for some new boots but I decided to pass and will have to keep shopping for the right pair!

The worlds greatest deer blind! A good dose of comedy

Big Moose!

Now this ladies & gentleman is what they call some outstanding yard art! Trick or Treat?!

Correction from Big Game Outfit

I had an error on this link and would like to republish it for everyone. Check out Clints Website. He is a fantastic guy in an area of Manitoba known for giant whitetail and bear! I am excited to be working with him!

Big Game Outfit
www.biggameoutfit.ca
Clint C. Small
1-866-519-2044
I have known Clint for the last couple of years and he is a class act. I plan on hunting with him in the next couple of years. Hopefully in 2008 if all works out well!

Jim Zumbo Controversy

Jim Zumbo has made a tremendous mistake stating that no hunter should ever use an assault rifle to hunt with and listing the AR-15 as an assault rifle. More then likely he is going to pay for that comment with the loss of a career as one of the great hunting writers of all times! The domino's are already falling! I personally hope he makes it through this!

The following is posted on the Remington Arms web site:

Remington to Sever Sponsorship Ties with Jim Zumbo

Remington Arms
Madison, North Carolina
As a result of comments made by Mr. Jim Zumbo in recent postings on his blog site, Remington Arms Company, Inc., has severed all sponsorship ties with Mr. Zumbo effective immediately. While Mr. Zumbo is entitled to his opinions and has the constitutional right to freely express those opinions, these comments are solely his, and do not reflect the views of Remington.

"Remington has spent tens of millions of dollars defending our Second Amendment rights to privately own and possess firearms and we will continue to vigorously fight to protect these right," commented Tommy Millner, Remington�s CEO and President. "As hunters and shooters of all interest levels, we should strive to utilize this unfortunate occurrence to unite as a whole in support of our Second Amendment rights."

We regret having to terminate our long-standing relationship with Mr. Zumbo, who is a well-respected writer and life-long hunter

Outdoor Life Comments as well:

Due to the controversy surrounding Jim Zumbo’s recent postings, Outdoor Life has decided to discontinue the “Hunting With Zumbo” blog for the time being. Outdoor Life has always been, and will always be, a steadfast supporter of our Second Amendment rights, which do not make distinctions based on the looks of the firearms we choose to own, shoot and take hunting. Please direct any comments you have to OLletters@time4.com.

Jim's Apology:

I was wrong, BIG TIME

Someone once said that to err is human. I just erred, and made without question, the biggest blunder in my 42 years of writing hunting articles.

My blog inflamed legions of people I love most..... hunters and shooters. Obviously, when I wrote that blog, I activated my mouth before engaging my brain.

Let me explain the circumstances surrounding that blog. I was hunting coyotes, and after the hunt was over and being beat up by 60 mph winds all day, I was discussing hunting with one of the young guides. I was tired and exhausted, and I should have gone to bed early. When the guide told me that there was a "huge" following of hunters who use AR 15's and similar weapons to hunt prairies dogs, I was amazed. At that point I wrote the blog, and never thought it through.

Now then, you might not believe what I have to say, but I hope you do. How is it that Zumbo, who has been hunting for more than 50 years, is totally ignorant about these types of guns. I don't know. I shot one once at a target last year, and thought it was cool, but I never considered using one for hunting. I had absolutely no idea how vast the numbers of folks are who use them.

I never intended to be devisive, and I certainly believe in United we Stand, Divided we Fall. I've been an NRA member for 40 years, have attended 8 national NRA conventions in the last 10 years, and I'm an advisory board member for the United States Sportsman's Alliance which actively fights anti-hunters and animal rights groups for hunter's rights.

What really bothers me are some of the unpatriotic comments leveled at me. I fly the flag 365 days a year in my front yard. Last year, through an essay contest, I hosted a soldier wounded in Iraq to a free hunt in Botswana. This year, through another essay contest, I'm taking two more soldiers on a free moose and elk hunt.

When I started blogging, I was told to write my thoughts, expressing my own opinion. The offensive blog I wrote was MY opinion, and no one else's. None of the companies that I deal with share that opinion, nor were they aware of what I had written until this firestorm started.

Believe it or not, I'm your best friend if you're a hunter or shooter, though it might not seem that way. I simply screwed up. And, to show that I'm sincere about this, I just talked to Ted Nugent, who everyone knows, and is a Board member of the NRA. Ted is extremely active with charities concerning our wounded military, and though he's known as a bowhunter, Ted has no problem with AR 15's and similar firearms. My sincerity stems from the fact that Ted and I are planning a hunt using AR 15's. I intend to learn all I can about them, and again, I'm sorry for inserting my foot in my mouth.

Jim Zumbo

MY COMMENTS:

Jim Zumbo is probably finished as an outdoor writer because of this comment, even though he has apologized and the current article and apology were quickly removed by Outdoor Life. I hope that is not the case!

I have always been a really great fan of Mr. Zumbo, his writing, and especially his television show. His tremendous amount of conservation work, his empathy for the people he hunts around and with, and his respect for the animals he hunts has always impressed me. I am saddened by the controversy surrounding this very explosive issue because I looked forward to the opportunities to sit with my 3 kids and watch Jim Zumbo on television and share with them the stories that he brought from all around the world hunting in remote lands.

Jim Zumbo, you still have my respect, I am glad you apologized and I wish you the best and I hope this blows over quickly so I can show my kids the wonderful world you brought us.

While I personally will never choose to hunt with an assault rifle or an AR-15, I will not tell anyone in this world that they cannot hunt with one as long as they are accurate with that weapon. Whomever I do hunt with needs to be practiced and accurate with whatever they choose to hunt with. NUFF SAID!

Update on the Wolf Photos

Here is an update on the wolf vs moose photos. The photos were taken by a biologist studying the wolves from a helicopter. The following site is where you can learn more about his project. www.isleroyalewolf.org is the link to the site. I was very impressed by the what I learned by reading all about their very important research on the wolves of Isle Royal.

I am off to the RMEF Convention in RENO!

Well all I am off to the RMEF Convention in RENO. While I will not be blogging from the floor of the show, I will be taking lots of pictures and trying to get them up online each and every night! My first post should be Wednesday night!

Pictures from the Outdoor Shows

After two seperate weekends at the Outdoor Shows here is a smattering of pictures from the shows. The team from the Virginia Outdoor Show is going to send me some pictures from the Turkey and Elk calling competitions to post as well. Thank you to everyone who showed up to my seminars. I really enjoyed the opportunity to teach and I hope you all gained some valuable information.

Wolf attack on a moose from a tree stand!

I am unsure of the origin of these photos, they were sent from me from a friend in Manitoba who got them from a friend in Ontario! I would be very interested in learning a bit more about the time of year these photos were taken and the original photographer! Either way they are some of the most impressive photos I have seen of what a pack of wolves can do in the wild! I am often amazed when someone tells me not to be afraid of wolves in the back country. I will keep my fear in check, but I will keep a healthy bit of concern when calling elk during archery season and they come running in looking for a fresh meal. While I am glad that wolves will soon be de-listed in the west, I hope we as a society have some tolerance of these amazing creatures and never fully eradicate them because I believe as the Native Americans do that they are a part of the spirit world and must be given the room to roam and hunt as they have for thousands of years.

Essay number 2 by Brandon McGuire

Brandon McGuire
February 2007

NWTF scholarship autobiography


Hunting started out as a way of life for early humans. The hunting and gathering methods of life were essential. Those traditions were passed down and I feel that as an American that tradition should be kept alive. Hunting is ethical and preserves the balance between us and nature. Every year that I buy a hunting license I am helping preserve land so that years later it will be available for the next generation to enjoy.
Hunting gives me a chance to sit in the woods and consider everything going on in my life. It is one of the most relaxing past times that anyone could ever enjoy. Every time I return from hunting life is easier. I am at ease and the pressures of going to school are lessened. I also feel that I am able to help provide for my family financially when I bring home food for the table. The meat that I am able to harvest is a blessing for my mother and I to enjoy. It is this food that saves money instead of buying processed meat from the grocery store. It tastes better when I know every step taken in processing the meat happened with my own hands.
I am not worried that I am eating something that was not properly taken care of. I process it all at home with my own grinder so I know there are not any pieces of tainted meat. It is healthier and less fatty than beef. I can cut it any way I want to. I can have a steak and not pay an outrageous amount for that particular cut of meat. The meat provided by hunting is a benefit that all Americans have the opportunity to enjoy if they would just take the time to learn how to hunt.
My great grandfather was a sharecropper in a rural community in North Carolina. Hunting helped supplement the food supply for his family of eleven children. My grandmother, whom I am very close with, was raised in the kind of atmosphere where hunting was appreciated. She has been very supportive of my hunting efforts. My Uncle Jimmy first took me out in the woods when I was eleven. Although that first day was not a success for harvesting an animal I was able to take what I learned that day and apply it to other hunting experiences.
It was his son, Steve Owens, who now works for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries as a Biologist who got me involved on a firmer level by helping me participate in youth days events. I attended three Occoquan Bay day hunts, all of which I harvested a doe. On those hunts the participants were given special tags to take does which would not count as ones from their hunting licenses. As much as I would have liked to take a buck I did my part in conserving that environment. I was able to participate in several squirrel hunting workshops where I was taught about the lives of squirrels and their habits in hopes that in a few hours I would be able to harvest my own. A mentor was assigned to my mother and I and since then we have experimented with different cooking methods with the squirrels I have shot. My name was drawn for a special early spring turkey hunt after participating in an all day turkey hunting workshop in Charlottesville. My area showed active signs for turkeys. However, although we could hear their calls, I was unable to take a shot since I they did not come into view.
The National Wildlife Turkey Federation sponsored a Jakes event in Fredericksburg in 2004 where I met Kevin Paulson. He had a booth that offered information about the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. He was impressed with the efforts by my single mother to encourage my hunting experiences and offered to take me hunting. Since then Kevin has become my mentor, friend and has generously provided hunting gear and many hunting opportunities including a ten day elk hunting adventure this past October in Montana and is planning my first antelope hunt in September.
My family has a strong background in hunting and I wish to continue this tradition. I will pass down the knowledge of the benefits of hunting to my children in hopes that one day they will decide to participate in these types of important conservation efforts. I wish everyone could enjoy the opportunities that I have had and learn just how beneficial and fun hunting can be.

Essay One by Brandon McGuire

Brandon McGuire

NWTF scholarship essay


Hunting has been a valuable resource for my family for many generations. My family has always been one of hunters, and we maintain that tradition. My maternal great grandfather was a sharecropper with eleven children who had to supplement their food with hunting. One of his sons, my Uncle Jimmy, was the one to teach me about hunting when I was eleven. Not only was it his influence that sparked my interest in hunting but also it was those moments in the woods together that allowed our relationship grow.
My mother shows excitement when I leave to go hunting because she knows that I am trying my best to help provide for the two of us. Even though she herself was not directly exposed to hunting she saw the value that hunting could provide and made every effort in her busy schedule to see that I was given a chance to learn.
Traditional hunting reflects a form of conservation that all Americans should practice. The cost is minimal as compared with the amazing benefits. I am able to process the animal any way I wish. Steaks are a luxury in a single family home. So I truly enjoy being able to come home with them directly from a deer I was able to process myself. Hunting has become a form of financial relief in that our freezer can become quickly filled with meat just from one deer. The meet is healthier for us to eat also.
In the stillness of a cool morning, I am given the chance to calm my spirit and reflect on God’s goodness in my life. The woods are prone to a relaxing environment. Hunting is an activity that promotes maturity and helps me better develop into a man with a broader perspective on life.
I have been fortunate to have been able to take one deer in the last three years, except for this past winter, while attending the Occoquan Bay Youth Hunts sponsored by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. My Uncle, Steve Owens, has accompanied me on each of the hunts and has shown me how to properly skin and process the meat. Because of his job with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries as a Biologist, he has consistently forwarded information on other hunts including squirrel and turkeys. My mother saw to it that I was able to attend the workshops. We even participated in a special hunt one cool March in Charlottesville, where she drove us there after receiving permission to set up camp so we would be there when the hunters arrived early in the morning. My assigned area showed active signs for turkey but we were unable to shoot any since we were not able to have one come into view.
Hunting has helped me grow into a young man those around me can be proud of. I have developed life long skills and knowledge of animals, nature and conservation. I have made strong relationships through hunting with my extended family and made new friends for life.

Virginia Sport Show

What an amazing show the Virginia Sport Show has been for me! Today I had the opportunity to judge my very first elk calling contest and actually the very first sanctioned calling contest in the state of Virginia! What a thrill! I gave away all of my elk calls to a young 6 year old girl who could of beaten most of the adults in the contest! She was a real winner! I am hoping to have pictures of her on the blog in the next couple of days! It reminds me that I have a lot of work to do with my own kids to get them out there calling and hunting more often!

The seminars are going really well and those that are attending are asking a ton of questions and I hope learning lots!

Gotelk.com Domain for Sale

I just got an inquiry from an outfitter asking me to sell to them the www.gotelk.com domain name. I currently own that domain and it is currently forwarded to the www.rmef.org site! It is officially for sale as of today and here is how it is going to work. This domain is very valuable and could offer its owner a wealth of opportunity. The price is now set at $10,000.00 and whoever buys it will have to write one check for the site directly to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation so that it can be put into a Habitat Partnership to provide conservation funds on the ground. I am not negotiable on this amount, and I will not in any way receive a dime for this transfer! I want the value to go to the majestic elk and other wildlife throughout the land that we all call elk country!

It will be for sale starting today and will be listed for sale from now until December 31st, 2007. At that time if it is not sold, it will be donated directly to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and they will have the opportunity to auction it off for the same cause! Feel free to contact me at anytime via email at kevin@huntinglife.com.

New Link to find Canadian Fishing Outfitters!

Check out this new link to find some Canadian fishing outfitters!

realfishing

As well check out! Triple R Outfitters out of Quebec up on that site! I personally know the owners and will be hanging out with them this weekend at the Virginia Sport Show!

Senate swiftly endorses wolf, grizzly hunting

HELENA(AP) - The Senate overwhelmingly endorsed a plan Thursday to allow wolf and grizzly bear hunting once those animals are removed from federal protection.

A bill by Sen. Joe Balyeat, R-Bozeman, was given nearly unanimous preliminary approval in the Senate. Only Sens. Dan Harrington, D-Butte, and Carol Juneau, D-Browning, voted against the measure. It will most likely pass the Senate and be sent to the House for further debate.

Wolves were reintroduced to the Northern Rockies a decade ago after being hunted to near-extinction. More than 1,200 now live in the region, and Balyeat said the wolves are not only threatening to wipe out the elk population in that area but also are posing a threat to humans as well. "We've got a big problem on our hands," he said.

Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced plans to remove wolves from federal protections within the next year. Grizzlies surrounding Yellowstone National Park have been protected under the Endangered Species Act for 30 years, but they could be removed from federal protections in a matter of months, according to the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Balyeat's bill creates wolf-hunting licenses for residents and out-of-state hunters and sets up an annual lottery for wolf and grizzly tags.

Wolf tags would cost $19 for residents and $350 for out-of-state hunters under the measure. Grizzly licenses are already included in state law and cost $50 for residents and $300 for nonresidents.

Colorado wants hunting in park

ESTES PARK, Colo. (AP) -- Up to 3,000 elk that have made Rocky Mountain National Park their home are destroying aspen groves and meadows and ruining beaver ponds, prompting state wildlife commissioners to urge their hunting.

At their monthly meeting Thursday, the State Wildlife Commission said they would seek to change a 78-year-old federal law prohibiting hunting within the park.

"It's been interesting with some of the nonsense that goes on," said District Wildlife Manager Rick Spowart. "This is a difficult herd to manage."

Elk have been found with Christmas lights, swings, plastic patio chairs, and even bicycles wrapped around their heads in neighboring Estes Park.

"Culling is not hunting; it's shooting them," said Commissioner Rick Enstrom. "It's a waste of a valuable resource. "

"The Division of Wildlife is willing to manage" the herd, Enstrom said.

Park officials last year proposed killing off some of the park's abundant elk herd at night with silencer-equipped guns.

There are estimated to be between 2,200 and 3,000 elk and officials want to reduce that to about 1,700. Their numbers have increased because the animals have few predators and no hunting is allowed in the park. The culling would happen over 20 years at a cost of $18 million.

Beavers use both willow and aspen trees for food and to build their dams. Both have been eaten down by elk.

The division would be prepared to train hunters and supervise the hunt, Enstrom said, adding that the park could save money by charging hunters.

Unregulated hunting left few elk in the area at the beginning of the 20th century and about 50 were brought in from Yellowstone National Park in 1913 and 1914.

From 1969 to 1999, the number of elk in the area increased from 500 to 3,000.

About 100 elk are found in the Town of Estes Park year-round. They have become tourist attractions, though they are also causing problems.

Barry's Hunting Trips

I got this note from Harry Walker! For those of you who do not know Harry, He is the Owner/Outfitter for Sandy River Outfitters. He has been guiding and outfitting for the last 15 plus years and runs a fantastic operation out of Manitoba. Harry specializes in black bear and whitetails and I am honored to be a friend of his and have the opportunity to hunt with him in 2008! Check out his site and give him a call.....Sandy River Outfitters.

I had the pleasure of meeting his son Barry at the Philadelphia Sport Show and what a kick this young man is. He is intelligent, well mannered, and from what I can see a pretty good shot and fisherman! I look forward to seeing more of his great pictures and that of his brothers as well throughout the next several years! Barry took the pheasants while in Philadelphia and took the hog and fish the very next week!

Kevin

Here are a few pictures of my son Barry who was 13 at the time. He shot 6 Pheasants and a Chucker Partridge while hunting in Pa. with Greg Stewart, who is a client and friend of mine. He shot both the Russian Boar and the Ferrel hog in the picture with a 243 while we were hunting with some friends of mine near Bryan Texas. He also caught 3 Kingfish while deep sea fishing from Port Aransas Texas.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Harry

ALERT...Rocky Mountain Elk Park-- ELK Situation

I got the following email today and I think it is important to post up here because I would love to get on a plane and travel to Estes, CO to give my two cents on this topic and hopefully one of you will do just that! Hopefully the turnout is huge in favor of having a lottery for these precious elk. If they are smart they will hold a raffle for all of the tags and raise some money for the research and management of that entire herd! I would buy at least a $1000.00 worth of tickets to get a chance at one of those big bulls!

This came from www.elkcamp.com.

Jay Houston runs the site and has written the book on elk hunting literally, so check out his site and buy his books, I own them all! I hope this does not infringe on any kind of copyright issue but I felt it was best to get the information out there!


The following is an email sent to you by an administrator of "ElkCamp.com Hunter's Forum".

Message sent to you follows:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here a copy of a note I got from Jay that he got from Brett Axton.....

"I received the following note from DOW Wildlife Commissioner Rick Enstrom regarding a public hearing on management of the Rocky Mountain NP. Specifically, there will be discussions of using hunters as agents to cull species, as opposed to spending millions of dollars using sharp shooters. If you are in the area, plan to attend and make your comments known on this subject. This is a great way to have grass roots input on the land unit in your backyard. Thank you."

"Just a quick note to alert you to the fact that the CO Wildlife Commission is holding public hearings on the issue in the backyard of the RMNP, Estes Park this Thursday @ 9 a.m. Vaughn Baker, superintendent of RMNP will be in attendance to discuss the effort and the Division will present the DAU plan (population objectives) for the area. Meeting is located at the Holiday Inn - Rocky Mountain National Park, 101 Saint Vrain. Phone (970) - 586-2332."

If you want to have some input about the use of sportsmen to control the Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park instead of hired assassins, try to attend the meeting on Thursday. The more folks the better. Pass this along to other hunters too. I wish I could be there but it's a pretty good drive from my frontyard to that backyard but for you that are close, here's your chance to let your voice be heard....

Have a great day;

Phil "Ol' Arky" Weaver

Mystical Spiritual Albino Moose

Two separate people sent me these photos today and so thank you to Dennis and Harry who sent them for me to put up on the blog! Now if Harry will only send me the great pictures of his son out hunting hogs in Texas and Pheasant in Pennsylvania I will be able to get those up!

If I had moose tags and I saw these two in the field, I would never shoot them. The Indian Nations used to revere the albino Buffalo and I would have to believe that there is some serious spiritual ramifications to anyone who messes with these two moose! I hope they live a long and prosperous life!

Locked Elk

RENO, Nev. (AP) -- It's not all checking hunting and fishing licenses.
Sometimes the issues are bigger. Like when a Nevada game warden was handed the chore of figuring out how to separate two bull elk who locked horns while sparring and couldn't untangle them.

The saga began Nov. 21 when a rancher in Reese River Valley spotted the two elk.
By the following day, the animals were gone and the rancher assumed they had separated.

A week later, according to Nevada Division of Wildlife biologist Tom Donham, the rancher was out looking for some of his cows and saw the elk again.

This time, he called the wildlife department and Donham, game warden Brian Eller and Bureau of Land Management wildlife biologist Bryson Code headed out to see what they could do.

When they reached Indian Valley, south of Austin, it was Nov. 29, one week after the elk were first seen.

"When we arrived where the rancher had last seen them, we found them pretty quickly. They were both lying on the ground and one of them was in a very uncomfortable looking position with his head directly above the others head and his nose pointing straight up to the sky," Donham said. Eller said he wondered if they had survived their ordeal.

"Once we found out they were alive, I was hoping they couldn't move and would stay where they were. That didn't happen. When they ran off, I was hoping that they could not go very far. That didn't happen either," he said.

The elk may have been sparring at the outset, but Donham and Eller say they used teamwork to run for nearly a mile to evade the newcomers. "It looked like they had been doing it all their lives; serious cooperation if I've ever seen it," Donham said.

After two unsuccessful attempts, Donham was able to get a tranquilizer dart into one of the elk. With one down, the other could not run, but was also partially tranquilized in order to separate the two.

Eller and Code helped hold the elk down while Donham used a hand saw to remove part of an antler off one of them.

"As soon as they were apart, the bull that hadn't gotten a full dose jumped to his feet and Bryson, Brian and I quickly gave him all the room he wanted.
He went off about 30 yards and lay down for about 10 minutes before finally walking up the hill and over the ridge, none the worse for wear" Donham said.

The other elk was treated with antibiotics and eventually walked off as well after the tranquilizer had worn off.

"If these two bulls had not been discovered, and we never got the call, they more than likely would have both died. Watching the bulls walk away, and knowing that we likely saved them from a slow death was definitely one of
those moments that makes this job rewarding."

Western tag Applications for Non-Residents

There are a few great services out there to help you navigate the incredibly complex world of applying for tags in different states for trophy areas and trophy species. The process can be rather confusing and complicated. For many species the only way to get drawn for these very special lottery type hunts is to put in each and every year and build up preference points. One example of this is Montana Big Horn Sheep! If you really want an opportunity at this majestic species you are going to have to apply year after year. And you have to send in about $800.00 every year to apply(most of which you get back if you are unlucky in the draw).

Sometimes you will get lucky and get drawn in year one, but more then likely you will have to wait until you have 5 to 15 years worth of preference points of applying for that specific species.

There are several groups out there that do this type of work for you and some of them are booking agents for outfitters as well. Some of these services are very reasonable and some of them are quite expensive. I stumbled across a great service by asking around to everyone I knew who was using these services and came up with Carters Application Service.

These guys do the work of applying for you in all of the western states and they do all of the research as well into the trophy areas so that you are getting into the right draws for the areas that hold trophy animals. Their fees are very simple at $50.00 per state and $10.00 per additional species. They are also very helpful, as I came to find out today after I had completely screwed up my form, their staff helped me to sort out the areas that I wanted to apply and had all of the facts and figures I needed in order to get started at a reasonable pace.

I also ordered a membership to their magazine Huntinfool and I will have a review of that up on the blog in the near future. I have not used them as a booking agent so I will not speak for that part of their business but I really did enjoy working with the application team.

Check them out at www.huntinfool.com!