Mark Holyoak from RMEF: Unveiling the Work of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation [EP 429]

Welcome to Episode 429 of the Outdoor Biz Podcast. Today I’m talking with Mark Holyoak, Director of Communication at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Mark has been in the communications business for 35 years. He spent the first 24 years as a television broadcast journalist in Kansas, Washington and Montana. In 2012, he accepted the position of director of communication at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, where he oversees Bugle magazine, produces written and digital content, creates video scripts, and is responsible for all internal and external communications. He likes to hunt, fly fish, hike, play softball, basketball, and hockey, and ride his mountain unicycle with his kids.

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Show Notes

• 00:00 As a child in the 70s and 80s, I spent most of my time outside, exploring the creek bottoms, catching crawdads, fishing, and playing with friends. It was a carefree time when we would leave the house in the morning and only return when it was dark. I have fond memories of hiking, skipping rocks, and playing with critters - typical kid stuff, really.
• 04:41 Fond memories of hunting with parents in Utah.
• 07:04 Bonding through outdoor activities, father and son.
• 11:11 Transitioned from news anchor to public relations director.
• 15:21 Father, a petroleum geologist, inspired deep love for profession.
• 17:12 Gaining factory work experience, learning from veterans.
• 19:31 Elk organization's efforts support wildlife and habitat conservation through fundraising and projects like forest thinning and prescribed burns.
• 24:34 Preserving land for public hunting and fishing access.
• 27:16 Addressing environmental and animal rights movements is crucial. These movements pose challenges such as limiting fishing and public access. Professional wildlife managers and biologists are essential for informed decision-making.
• 30:41 Hunting expeditions with family and friends in the mountains, seeking elk but not always successful, while also feeling excited about introducing the activity to a grandson and an unexpected interest from an older daughter.
• 33:24 Take decisive action and create opportunities.
• 37:47 I Considered buying various fly fishing bait colors.
• 39:29 Manages Elk Foundation publication staff and media monitoring.
• 44:04 Conserved 72,000 acres, opened access to 78,000. Large easement in Kentucky for public access.
• 36:52 What's one or two of your favorite books? I'm not really a book reader. I'm more of an online article reader. RMEF's Bugle Magazine. Although I do like John Grisham, I'll say that.
• 34:34 Favorite piece of Outdoor Gear under $100: So I really like fly fish. I buy the materials, and I tie my own flies. I really enjoy that. And so I came across my wife's embroidery thread. She had Orange for October caddises and olive green for olive caddises and black and yellow for really vibrant, for just Adam's flies or just all sorts of everything. And so I didn't purchase it. I'm like, Hey, when's the last time you did any of this? Oh, I don't really do that anymore. I'm going to take this bag, it has all these different colors in it. So it wasn't a purchase. It was more of just a pilfering. Right. And, but that's what I use. I mean, you can obviously go and get different types of materials from Sportsman's Warehouse or Cabela's or wherever you shop and make your own bodies. But I'm telling you that embroidery stuff works great

Learn More

To learn more about Mark and The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, visit their website at: https://www.rmef.org/

You can also visit The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation on these social sites:

YouTube

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Next Steps

If you enjoy interviews devoted to the outdoor industry, find us online at ricksaez.com/listen. We welcome likes and comments, and if you know someone who is also an outdoor enthusiast, go ahead and share our site with them, too.

Keywords

#Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, #Elk hunting, #Conservation, #Advocacy, #Land conservation, #Access projects, #Habitat enhancement, #Wildlife overpass crossings, #Outdoor industry, #Wildlife management, #Outdoor excursions, #Family activities, #Volunteer projects, #BLM, #Forest service, #Highway wildlife migration, #Fly fishing, #Hunting skills, #Television broadcast journalist.

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