After a five-year run at Park City, Utah, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation MTN Festival, presented by onX Hunt, rolled into Big Sky, Montana for a three-day run June 23-25, 2023. Held in conjunction with the Total Archery Challenge, the festival included a base camp featuring outdoor industry vendors highlighting the latest gear, the RMEF World Elk Calling Championships, presented by Sportsman’s Warehouse, and a Saturday evening celebration raising funds to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.
MTN Festival, presented by onX Hunt, sponsors include Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s, Browning, Danner, Davis Tent, Eberlestock, Fiocchi, LaCrosse Footwear, Leupold, Nosler, Pendleton Whisky, Sportsman’s Warehouse and YETI.
MTN Festival base camp
MTN Festival base camp
MTN Festival base camp
Total Archery Challenge course high above MTN Festival base camp (Photo credit: @jakub.utah/Total Archery Challenge)
Total Archery Challenge shooters take aim (Photo credit: @jakub.utah/Total Archery Challenge)
Total Archery Challenge – no, that’s not a target (Photo credit: @jakub.utah/Total Archery Challenge)
Bull elk greets participants in the RMEF World Elk Calling Championships
RMEF World Elk Calling Championships trophies up for grabs
2023 RMEF World Elk Calling Champions (left to right)
Shawn Preasmyer – Sportsman’s Warehouse Bozeman Store Manager
Professional – Beau Brooks La Center, Washington
Men’s – Patrick Littrell Peyton, Colorado
Women’s – Jessi Jacobsen Donnelly, Idaho
Pee Wee – Sam Wolcott Rexburg, Idaho
RMEF MTN Festival afterparty with emcee Randy Newberg, RMEF life member and public lands hunter
Everyone on their feet for the popular RMEF game Heads or Tails
Country music writers/performers Shane Minor (left) and Lee Thomas Miller shared tales and sang songs
Meal prepared by Jamie Teigen, OutdoorClass and Bugle magazine’s Carnivore’s Kitchen contributor
(Yes, it was as tasty as it looks)