Mar 5, 2024
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
Facebook
X
Instagram
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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