RMEF Project Opens Land Up to Elk, Sportsman in Madison Valley

Hunters and sportsman have an additional 631 acres at their disposal after the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation removed a 3,000-square-foot home from Madison Valley. RMEF’s Mark Holyoak said the project not only protected and conserved important elk habitat but actually improved it.

"This property kind of butts-up against the Madison-Wall Creek Wildlife Management Area," Holyoak said. "We were able to get a heads up on that and had to make a purchase. As part of that process, we opened up a bid process. Somebody bought the home, put it up on wheels, and wheeled it out of there. Now we've got just valley grasses that have opened up again. As of last week, there were 1,200 elk there on that exact property."

Holyoak said RMEF recently conveyed the property to FWP.

"We purchased it last year, but it wasn't until earlier this week that we were actually able to convey the property over to FWP," Holyoak said. "They just added it to the wildlife management area that was already there and just enlarged it. It just makes that particular piece of public land that much larger."

Holyoak said the actual home site will be reseeded and a small man-made pond will be reclaimed.