Auctioned PA Elk Tag raises $85,000
A Special Elk Conservation Tag recently raised $85,000 at an auction held by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF). The Special Elk Conservation Tag is a PA elk hunting license created by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. On March 26th, this particular elk hunting license was bought at auction in excess of the the previous record of $52,200 set lat year.
The impressive total says a lot about Pennsylvania’s elk, and how others view the Keystone State and its elk herd, said R. Matthew Hough, executive director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. It’s the reason why tens of thousands of hunters line up for a chance at a license, and why visitors flock to the state’s elk range each year during the height of the bugling season.
“The fact people are willing to pay that kind of money to come to Pennsylvania and hunt elk speaks for itself – which is a good thing, because that $85,000 total leaves me completely speechless,” Hough said. “What people need to understand is the incredible amount of good that money will do.
“The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has been an important partner of the Game Commission for decades, and without RMEF and the amount of work it has done to purchase land, establish elk habitat and otherwise work to benefit elk and other wildlife, Pennsylvania’s elk wouldn’t be where they are today,” Hough said. “The $85,000 raised at auction will pay dividends to Pennsylvania’s elk by enabling RMEF to do even more good work.”
The RMEF’s membership includes more than 11,000 Pennsylvanians. Since 1991, the foundation and its partners have completed nearly 400 conservation and hunting-heritage outreach projects in Pennsylvania, with a combined value of more than $23.5 million. The RMEF has made 10 land acquisitions that have opened or secured public access to 8,999 acres on Pennsylvania’s elk range. The organization has also been involved with land-enhancement projects on the elk range that total another 11,776 acres.
Dave Ragantesi, senior regional director for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, said the RMEF looks to continue it’s commitment to Pennsylvania’s elk with the recent auction proceeds. “The money raised through the auction will stay in Pennsylvania, and we look forward to using these funds to continue to improve the habitat on Pennsylvania’s elk range, and in maintaining our commitment to Pennsylvania with our conservation partners.”
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