They gathered a mere 25 miles from Mount Rainier’s towering 14,409-foot peak. Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation volunteers from across the state came together in the heart of southcentral Washington’s elk country to roll up their sleeves in the Oak Creek Wildlife Area.The goal? Remove fencing that restricts the movement of elk and other wildlife and remove tree tubes from young saplings that will provide future forage and cover. And that’s exactly what they did. When all was said and done, they posed for a victorious team photo with a stack of old poles, fencing and barb wire. It was a great way to kick off the annual Washington State Rendezvous.
The first evening’s highlight was a bring-your-favorite-dish pot luck dinner. As you can imagine, the selection was wide and tasty. Folks received awards for favorite dessert and dinner dishes. The winners had their entries “immortalized” by being placed in the ever-growing Rendezvous Recipe Book. Two-time World Elk Calling Champion Joel Turner provided the post-dinner entertainment by sharing calling strategies.
Saturday morning began a day chalk full of hands-on fun and learning. Activities included geocaching with a twist, archery shooting, a 3-D shooting competition, Dutch oven cooking techniques, gun raffles, award presentations, games, silent and live auctions, and even an after-dinner sing-a-long. RMEF co-founders Charlie Decker and Bob Munson were on hand which, of course, always lead to some unexpected shenanigans.
Sunday morning included updates on RMEF news and successes before everyone broke camp and headed for home.
“In the last three years we have really changed the goal and outlook of this event. It has gone from a ‘workshop’ format where seminars and presentations were the primary activities to a RMEF family camping trip full of activities where folks get to participate and learn as they go. Our new focus is on fun and teambuilding,” said Brian Anderson, RMEF regional director for western Washington.
Mission accomplished! It was a great weekend for the 82 RMEF family members of all ages in attendance.