The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation held Elk Camp in Reno, Nev., March 4-7, a yearly celebration of elk, elk country, and elk hunting.

The convention is a place for hunters to book trips, swap stories, purchase gear, and attend seminars from legendary elk hunters like Wayne Carlton of Carlton Calls and Al Morris from Hunter’s Specialties. Even if you’ve never hunted elk before, Elk Camp will get you fired up to buy an elk call and head for the timber.

Considering that elk are one of North America’s most expensive—and difficult—animals to hunt, the approximately 20,000 hunters in attendance were some of the most die-hard outdoorsmen and conservationists you’ll find anywhere.

That’s why I found two pieces of information that I gleaned from the show particularly interesting.

The first involves a new land access/conservation program known as the Dale Earnhardt Land/Wildlife Legacy. The new venture is a partnership between the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Dale Earnhardt Foundation.

This new partnership is a big deal because, as more than one hunter expressed to me at the show, gaining access to land and preserving existing wildlife habitat from development are two of the greatest challenges that we face.

“There are lots of NASCAR fans in the RMEF membership, and lots of conservationists among race fans,” said David Allen, president of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. “Teaming up allows us to redouble our efforts on projects that honor Dale’s memory—things like wildlife habitat improvement, land conservation, hunting access improvements and more.

“When Dale wasn’t thinking about racing, he was thinking about hunting and sharing his passion for the outdoors with others.”

Allen was a personal friend of Earnhardt. In fact, he directed marketing and sponsorships for the Dale Earnhardt/Richard Childress race teams and other NASCAR teams until Earnhardt’s fatal crash in the 2001 Daytona 500. Allen still remains close to the Earnhardt family.

Earnhardt’s son, Kerry, was in Reno for the announcement and to represent the Earnhardt family and others involved in the Dale Earnhardt Foundation. The nonprofit group based in North Carolina funds charitable programs and causes that sustain Dale Earnhardt’s lifelong commitment to children, education, and wildlife conservation.

Teresa Earnhardt, Dale’s wife, said, “As a lifelong outdoorsman, Dale was committed to wildlife and land conservation, a passion which he shared with his friends and family. Now that legacy lives on through his foundation and we are honored to have a partner in RMEF. Our shared mission to conserve and restore native game and their habitat will ensure the same opportunities for future generations.”

Childress, an NRA Board Member and Earnhardt’s long-time friend and team owner, said, “Dale was ‘The Intimidator’ for his fearlessness and competitiveness on the track, but the peacefulness of the outdoors also was a big part of who he was. I believe his quiet-time hunting and fishing helped recharge him for racing, and I know he’s smiling down now at being able to help other people enjoy the outdoors like he did.”

In addition to restoring and preserving elk herds and elk habitat, a challenge of perhaps equal concern is a hunter’s ability to actually land an elk tag. Ever-changing regulations, a state-by-state patchwork of confusing tag drawings, and the high-cost of guided hunts are all significant barriers to entry for the average person who wants to get involved in elk hunting.

To make sense of it all, a cottage industry has popped up to help hunters land big-game tags in the West. The Huntin’ Fool is a magazine and consulting service devoted to providing hunters with information on new regulations, application deadlines and fees, and advice on how to go about applying for tag drawings and which units in each state provide the best opportunities for trophy-class hunts. They will also recommend guide services, fill out your application for you, and answer any question you have about applying for a tag over the phone.

“You’ve got to get in and play the game,” said Garth Carter, founder of The Huntin’ Fool magazine, during a seminar he hosted at Elk Camp. “Very few states do over-the-counter tags anymore. We specialize in drawings, landowner tags, and the overall process of helping people find places to kill trophy-class animals.”

In essence, The Huntin’ Fool teaches hunters the ins and outs of the application process, a service that has become almost imperative in light of how often states change their regulations—and how burdensome the process of getting a tag has become.

To learn more about The Huntin’ Fool, visit www.huntinfool.com.

While certainly a valuable tool, one has to wonder if states need to re-evaluate how they issue tags if people need to hire consultants just to make sense of the process.

Next year’s 27th annual Elk Camp will return to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center March 3-6, marking the 13th time Reno has hosted the event.