Kentucky Veterans Enjoy Elk Hunts of a Lifetime

MISSOULA, Mont.—Five veterans returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were recently welcomed home to Kentucky with news that they’d been selected for elk hunts of a lifetime, sponsored by grateful volunteers and supporters of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Kentucky servicemen receiving cow elk tags, fully guided hunts, tent camps, meals and more include:

1. Lt. Col. Gene Hughes of Union
2. Matthew Armstrong of London
3. Maj. Tim Culver of Cox’s Creek
4. Jeff Ford of Lexington
5. Lt. Col. Mike Farley of Corbin

Hughes’ hunt will be held later this month in New Mexico. The other four were held last month in Kentucky, with each hunter successfully taking elk.

In a letter to the Elk Foundation, Hughes wrote: “My father shared with me the sport of hunting…He taught me to respect the land, the landowner and the importance of fair chase…Since I was a young teen my dream has been to hunt elk…Your organization has tied two of my greatest passions together—my lifelong dream of hunting elk and my military career.”

The special hunts were made possible through a partnership between Elk Foundation volunteers and Kentucky’s Ataya Land Company, which receives elk tags from the state for herd management purposes. Normally sold at auction, this year’s Ataya cow tags were instead earmarked for Kentucky veterans. Elk Foundation members nominated servicemen and women, without distinctions of branch, grade or rank. Over 80 veterans were nominated. Hunters were selected through a random drawing with Kentucky Congressman Geoff Davis presiding.

Following the drawing, Hughes was re-deployed and unable to attend the Kentucky hunt. The upcoming hunt in New Mexico was scheduled around his return to the U.S.

Dennis Edmondson of Dry Ridge, Ky., the Elk Foundation’s volunteer state chair, said the hunts were gratifying for the hosts as well as the hunters.

“This was a unique opportunity to show our appreciation for servicemen and women of post-911 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In camp, we had volunteers from four different Elk Foundation chapters across Kentucky. They did everything from guiding hunters to cooking to maintaining camp. It was so rewarding to see dreams come true for these veterans,” he said.

Edmondson expressed appreciation for strong support from Natural Resource Partners Inc., James River Coal Company, Taylor Orr and Green Hill Mining, and Frank and Anita Allen.

Sponsors also included the Elk Foundation, Ataya Land Company, Lancaster Outfitters and Outdoor Channel.

Congratulations to ‘Team Elk’ Member Goose Gossage

MISSOULA, Mont.—The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation congratulates Team Elk member Rich “Goose” Gossage on his election and upcoming induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The nine-time All-Star relief pitcher, only the fifth reliever to be immortalized in Cooperstown, is an avid elk hunter and conservationist who last year helped start Team Elk, a cast of sports celebrities who support and raise awareness of the Elk Foundation and its mission to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat.

Charter members of Team Elk also include golf legend Jack Nicklaus, NASCAR star Richard Childress and others.

“Goose is a longtime friend. He is one of the truly good guys and he has a tremendous work ethic. He’s someone you’d like to have in elk camp because he gets it—he enjoys the hunt and he’s passionate about stewardship for land and habitat. These are the things that drive all our members whether they’re truck drivers or accountants or Hall-of-Fame athletes,” said David Allen, president and CEO of the Elk Foundation.

A Colorado native, Gossage played 21 seasons for nine different teams, spending his best years with the New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres before retiring in 1994. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he became one of the earliest manifestations of the dominating closer. Gossage made trips to the World Series in 1978, 1981 and 1984.

“The Hall of Fame is a huge honor for me and my family. I am just as proud to be a longtime member of the Elk Foundation and a part of the work they do for elk and wildlife in general. I have been to many Elk Foundation banquets and the people there are my kind of folks,” said Gossage.

Gossage will be inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in a July 27 ceremony at Cooperstown, N.Y.

Allen said the Elk Foundation will commemorate the event with a custom-made rifle of Gossage’s choice and that the newest Hall-of-Fame member will be in a hunting camp somewhere this fall on behalf of the Elk Foundation and its new television show.

“Young Blood” Photography Exhibit to Open in New York

COLUMBUS, Georgia, Jan. 14, 2008 – Realtree Inc.

Photographer Erika Larsen spent a year traveling across the United States looking for its next generation of hunters. With an open mind and a curious eye, her photography exhibit "Young Blood" puts a fresh face on an ancient practice.

Setting out from New Mexico, Larsen traveled through Wyoming, Illinois, New York, Maryland, North Carolina, and Georgia. Along the way she joined many hunting expeditions as she sought the perspective of child hunters.

"In Larsen's images the natural light is her paintbrush," Amy Berkley, photo editor at Field & Stream magazine, said. "This light is cast on the faces of young hunters who seem wise beyond their years."

These faces show America's youth connecting to hunting's storied past.

Many children today waste away their time with video games, television and movies. Larsen's subjects take a different path. For them, the thrill is learning to follow their instincts and being immersed in nature.

"All these children have something in common, they are at home in nature," Berkley said. "This natural, beautiful environment is fully realized in Larsen's images."

As children learn to hunt, they not only carry on a sacred tradition, but also learn to embrace the environment. They experience up close the lessons of life and death and become part of that cycle. No longer just observers, these children are working parts of nature.

Hunting is a tradition that has been passed down through families for centuries. In some places it is a means of survival, in others a sacred sport. For everyone, learning to hunt is a coming of age.
Hunters often consider what they do to be a privilege, even a ritual, which outsiders do not fully understand. From the vantage point of the young hunter, Erika Larsen takes us inside that world.

Young Blood will open in New York City at Redux Gallery In January.
The exhibition is being presented by Realtree® and originally appeared in the December/ January issue of Field & Stream.

Erika Larsen is a freelance photographer based in New York City. Her work appears regularly in magazines including Field & Stream, Time and Newsweek. She has been photographing the world of hunting since 2003.

Her previous project "The Hunt" garnered her a National Magazine Award nomination and a 2007 Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Young Blood
Opening Exhibition

Redux Gallery
116 east 16th Street
12th floor
NY, NY 10003

Opening Reception
January 17, 2008
6:30-8:30

The show will run through February 1, 2008