Why give your money to RMEF if your “out east” ?

[TheTone]

I’ve flip it around; why as a western hunter should I support them? I read about way more projects they help with for eastern elk than my home state. They basically don’t do anything here except hold banquets to raise money for HQ. Zero attendance at public meeting, no organized comments, and the closest regular project I know about started with just a few locals and then they added there name to it

 

[WTFJohn]

Another thread with the same entitled mentality that displays itself here occasionally.

Thank you NR for your great sacrifice and for saving the elk herds with your one trip a year where you bring most of your food freeze dried and you sleep in the woods. I will remember your name and your NR $, and bow to a little figurine of you every morning before turning on my lights (who am I kidding, you keep them on). I hope we can keep over-pressuring & hunting our herds so you can feel good about your donation and can make a social media post or two about braving the wild west. I look forward to your two posts asking about where to hunt in a new area, and a followup where you divulge info a local gave you publicly, post some skyline pictures, and end it with a story about wounding and losing a bull. The grit of the NR is just so inspiring, they just won't quit (unless it's donating to an unrelated organization when state F&G won't listen to them as NR).

Maybe if you're that fair-weather about things, just admit you don't love the animals/resource and just want to get 'your share' regardless of what that actually means.

 

[mt terry d]

I was a relatively early member, 1985. New Montana resident. It was started by some great people; their magazine had on the cover "Dedicated to elk and elk hunting". It wasn't a polished mag but it was good and real.
By early 90's articles began which were by writers that had "hunted". It was a change of attitude which was more like "yeah, I guess hunting elk is okay. Sorta".
And their motto changed. I don't even know what it is anymore.
Then they had a survey of subscribers, one question was "how many elk have you killed?".
RMEF came out later with their survey results and an explanation of their methodology. "We threw out the obvious false responses like the guy who claimed he'd killed 30".
At that point I'd killed 4 or 5 with the bow and one with rifle and knew some olg guys who had easily
killed that many and more.
Between that and their politically correct going green attitude I quit them. Never given them a cent since.
Never will.

 

[Lurch12]

The conserve everywhere! Where RMEF Conserves Map -- Check the link..

Their mission is: Ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.


They try to increase the herd, open access for hunters and conserve the land the elk herds live on. While increasing these items, they open up land for us to hunt, the improve the quality of the herd increasing numbers, which intern will result in more tags allocated.

 

[Dos Perros]

If you pop open the OnX app and fly around you'll see the little RMEF logo all over the place.

 

[longspeak74]

They were integral in reintroduction back to WI. I will gladly pay my paltry membership fee.
Some people can't get out of their own way.

 

[Axlrod]

I can't answer that for you. If you feel they are doing you no good then don't contribute.

I live "out west" I don't hunt any of the places they have projects on. I figure the more places kept wild, the more spread out the people using those places will be.

As an organization they have leveraged the contributions of a couple hundred thousand member's into 8.6 million acres.
8.6 million acres that will NEVER have ranchettes with part-time owners, or a subdivision, or a mini mall etc. No organization is perfect, but the land they are helping preserve is truly priceless. I'm a Life member and will always help them. Because I like looking at mountains WAY more than looking at buildings.

 

[*zap*]

I don't have enough $ to worry about 'giving' it to anywhere....

 

[SDHNTR]

Ive supported them and many others most of my life, I love flipping through beautiful pictures in the magazine, but someone please tell me why I should continue to support RMEF and organizations like that? I know they do great work in MI on our little heard, but if I, as a NR in western states, will be continually sh*t on by their game management folks why send my money out there for habitat or anything else? The residents and various states have it covered right?
To me it looks like it’s getting to be a rich man’s sport and unless I go with an outfitter on private land and have my hand held I’m not going to have much for opportunities going forward.

Call the waaaaaaambulance. Lame post alert!

 

[TVW]

SCI is leaps and bounds ahead of some of the other conservation organizations. Moving their convention to Nashville has doubled the attendance, I believe. DSC is moving their convention to Atlanta for a couple of years as Dallas is renovating and rebuilding their convention center.

RMEF, Wild Sheep, etc. should probably take notice of the larger population in the central and eastern part of the country. Missed opportunities??

Please try to join as many of the conservation groups as possible and please attend their conventions and meetings. Happy hunting, TheGrayRider.

So having a big convention makes them the best Conservation Org?

I have multiple projects within an hour of my house that RMEF has had a significant hand in....I don't know of a single project or issue in the State of Idaho that I've seen SCI have anything to do with. What do they actually do with all that money from the convention?

I'm becoming more and more of the opinion that if you want your money to actually do some good you should be focusing on giving it to local and state level organizations.

Idaho Wildlife Federation does more to actually help hunters in Idaho than all the other conservation groups combined. Just something to think about.

 

[mi650]

About 20 years ago, I was warehouse manager for a large int'l freight forwarder, got a call from them looking for storage of give-aways, raffle prizes, etc... I did it all at no charge. Not just storage, but repacking, palletizing where needed, the whole works. When it was all said and done, iirc it would have been about $10k for any of our regular customers. I never even got so much as a thank you email.

Yea, RMEF isn't even on my radar these days.

 

[Tourguide]

Hasn't RMEF contributed to the re-establishment of elk herds in NC, KY, MI, and other states?

Indeed they have sir, plus a few other states

 

[Swampcruiser]

I was a relatively early member, 1985. New Montana resident. It was started by some great people; their magazine had on the cover "Dedicated to elk and elk hunting". It wasn't a polished mag but it was good and real.
By early 90's articles began which were by writers that had "hunted". It was a change of attitude which was more like "yeah, I guess hunting elk is okay. Sorta".
And their motto changed. I don't even know what it is anymore.
Then they had a survey of subscribers, one question was "how many elk have you killed?".
RMEF came out later with their survey results and an explanation of their methodology. "We threw out the obvious false responses like the guy who claimed he'd killed 30".
At that point I'd killed 4 or 5 with the bow and one with rifle and knew some olg guys who had easily
killed that many and more.
Between that and their politically correct going green attitude I quit them. Never given them a cent since.
Never will.

No entitlement here, I’m just sick and tired of the western residents sense of ownership of the animals that I’m not welcome out there. As long as my federal tax money ends up in your state I have a right to be there.
As for the MI, KY herds … yup glad they did that. I’ll never get access to them unless I buy a governors tag or basically win the draw lottery.
Totally missed my point.

 

[KurtR]

No entitlement here, I’m just sick and tired of the western residents sense of ownership of the animals that I’m not welcome out there. As long as my federal tax money ends up in your state I have a right to be there.
As for the MI, KY herds … yup glad they did that. I’ll never get access to them unless I buy a governors tag or basically win the draw lottery.
Totally missed my point.

So you think you are entitled to animals for a week out of the year then it’s up to everyone else to raise them.

Why are you not welcome there are all kinds of license sold.

 

[cmahoney]

Do you really think you need private land and an outfitter in the near future to get a tag?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Swampcruiser]

Check Montana’s regs mahomey… much easier to get a tag if you use an outfitter

 

[Swampcruiser]

So you think you are entitled to animals for a week out of the year then it’s up to everyone else to raise them.

Why are you not welcome there are all kinds of license sold.

I just said no dipsh*t … are you enamored with the word entitled. You don’t feel welcome or nearly having an opportunity at tags unless you drop $50 a year for 5 years. Check out Wyoming… trimming NR tags down every year. I could care less if I’m welcome or not when I’m there

 

[Swampcruiser]

I think some of you simpletons are missing the point lol. You western residents are more than happy to accept money from RMEF to buy up land tracts but then want to keep out the people funding it as if you completely own the resource.

 

[mt terry d]

No entitlement here, I’m just sick and tired of the western residents sense of ownership of the animals that I’m not welcome out there. As long as my federal tax money ends up in your state I have a right to be there.
As for the MI, KY herds … yup glad they did that. I’ll never get access to them unless I buy a governors tag or basically win the draw lottery.
Totally missed my point.

Must be some miscommunication between us. I don't understand the "entitlement" comment.

And I agree with you re: federal lands. Taxation without representation much? I've said for years that federal ground should be a federal tag ( cost of $1. ) Any American citizen would have equal chance for a tag.

 

[signing off]

I'm a volunteer for RMEF and live central US. Whether I get to hunt west or not I am aware of one thing.
The Falls Creek project convinced a President to permanently authorize federal conservation funding.
THAT IS FOR ALL OF US. In every state. Maybe even helpful to US territories.