Our projects in the woods will be ramping up this month. Come join us, bring the family, join a great community and do some good for wildlife. Bring a camper or a tent or just come out for the day. We'll feed you as long as you're there. Let's give back to this great state we live in. Here are the dates:
Apache Maid (34.72963, -111.52575) Logworm Fence
July 18th - One day only moving logs
July 25th-27th
August 1st-3rd (in conjunction with EmpoweRanch for Veteran's Campout)
August 15th-17th
WMC Capps Ranch Restoration Project (34.32829 N, -110.20478 W)
August 8th-9th
Coleman Lake (35.16114, -112.16831) Logworm Fence
August 22nd-24th
Houston Draw (34.47723, -111.2002) 1 Rock Dam & Continuous Fence Build
October 10th-12th - looking for 2 teams this weekend, many hands make light work
October 24th-26th
If you have questions, please email Russ
Russj@arizonaelksociety.org or click below to sign up
If so you'll want to sign up for our youth hunt camp. The hunt number was 3067.
Below is the link to register for the learn to hunt camp
Would you like to learn more about the habits of elk and how to hunt? Come join us for a one day seminar. Bring your kids! Dan Adler hosts who is the owner of Diamond Outfitters and one of the best hunters we know! We'll have lunch and a vendor area set up. Volunteer or attend
On June 7th, the Arizona Elk Society's White Mountain Chapter hosted our annual banquet at the Elks Lodge in Show Low—and what a night it was! From exciting new features to time-honored traditions, the evening was filled with fun, generosity, and unwavering support for wildlife conservation.
The room buzzed with energy as guests tried their luck at our many games, placed their bids in the auctions, and reconnected with old friends. If you couldn’t make it this year, 
here’s what you missed—and why you’ll want to mark your calendar for next time.
One of the most noticeable upgrades this year was our brand-new sound system. For the first time in recent memory, every word from our beloved auctioneer Dan Turley came through loud and clear. Dan has been a staple at our banquets for over 16 years, and with his crew behind the mic, the room always comes alive. Their energy, professionalism, and humor help keep the night running smoothly—and most importantly, they help us raise critical funds for Arizona’s wildlife and wild places.
We also added a few new twists to the lineup of games, keeping the night fresh and exciting. One standout was the Henry Raffle, which quickly became a crowd favorite. For $40, guests received a “Beer Buddy” tumbler—more on that in a moment—stuffed with $40 worth of bucket raffle tickets and an entry into a limited drawing for one of four beautiful Henry rifles. With only 125 tickets sold, the odds were fantastic, and the excitement was high.
The Beer Buddy itself was a new prize this year and turned out to be more than just a fun keepsake. This multipurpose drink holder can handle anything—cans, bottles, or even those trendy skinny cans. Whether you’re trying to keep your coffee hot or your beer cold, the Beer Buddy has you covered. Practical, versatile, and just plain cool, it was the kind of item that had everyone asking, “Where can I get one?”
Of course, the classics were still in full swing. Our dice game and blackjack table were packed all night, and the ladies’ raffle was a hit as always—selling out quickly and featuring a gorgeous array of prizes curated just for them.
At the heart of the evening, though, was our shared passion: wildlife conservation. Every ticket bought, every game played, and every item auctioned off helped fund our mission to preserve Arizona’s wild heritage. That’s what brings us together each year, and it’s what made this night so meaningful.
A huge thank-you goes out to everyone who made this banquet possible—from our hardworking volunteers and dedicated staff to every guest who showed up ready to have a good time and give back. We are so grateful for your support.
Until next year, Show Low—thank you for another unforgettable evening!
Team work makes the dream work!
AES partnered with FONAF fix a water catchment in Unit 7E.
On June 6-7, the Arizona Elk Society, along with FONAF held a project at TT Basin Tank in Unit 7E. This particular project was a water catchment rebuild. On Friday, several volunteers from both organizations worked to tear the old catchment apart, then on Saturday they rebuilt a brand new apron. These are assembled in 12x12 foot sections, then each section is screwed together. The total size of this apron rebuild was 24'x36'.
They also replaced a catchment fence around the apron using no climb fencing and t-posts. This helps to keep animals from walking on the apron. Thank you to the volunteers who came out and worked on this project and making this a functioning water catchment again.
Apache Maid which is near Stoneman Lake in unit 6A we'll be building a logworm fence. Come join us for the weekend!
White Mountain Water Catchment
August 8th & 9th AES will be at Capps Ranch Tank rebuilding a water catchment. Friday we will tear down and Saturday we will build the new one. Here are the coordinates (34.32829N,-110.20478W). Come join us in the mountains! Click below to volunteer.
We are ramping up our Sawyer Program. Out first project is March 15-16th. If your certification is expired that's okay! Or if you are interested to see our sawyers in action come on out,help and see if this is for you! Click the form below or email Lindsay at lindsayl@arizonaelksociety.org
On Thursday, June 26 the Heroes Rising Outdoors held it’s first ever HRO Summer Hiking Series event. We had 4 veterans accompany us on this event, as well as one of our veterans’ spouses. We met at the office in Peoria and left out at around 7 AM, heading to Water Wheel Falls and Geode Hill near Payson. When we arrived to the parking for Water Wheel, we were greeted with an almost empty parking lot, which was great because this is a popular swimming hole and can get quite crowded. The day was beautiful. We walked along the 
East Verde River and explored the rocks around it, taking in the sights of Waterwheel Falls. Then we headed up Ellis Creek to view Ellis Creek Falls. After taking in the sights there, we headed back down the trailhead, where we paused for lunch along the creek.
We loaded back up and headed to the geode hill parking area. We had the whole hill to ourselves as no one was there. We made the small hike up the hill to the top, and started looking for geodes, fossils, and whatever else we could find. We broke open a few geodes, and one of our veterans found a nice hollow one which he was going to take back home and cut open with a wet saw. We also found a few fossils, and a piece of petrified wood. We spent probably an hour on the hill, then headed back down to the vehicle.
We hiked about 3 miles total at both places. A great start to our summer hiking series which we hope will take off and grow with each new location we go to. Each veteran loved being out in the wilderness and exploring areas that they had never been to before. There was lots of conversation getting to know each other better, and each veteran was interested in coming back for more hiking to different locations.
If you are a veteran who would be interested in our summer hiking series, or know a veteran who may be interested, please email russj@arizonaelksociety.org for more information. Below are our scheduled hikes for the summer:
July 24 Oak Creek Canyon
Aug 28 Red Mountain
Sep 25 Bill Williams Mountain
in the cool pines of northern Arizona, near Stoneman Lake atApacheMaid. This campout is organized by EmpoweRanch in partnership with the Arizona Elk Society’s Habitat Project. Meals will be provided courtesy of the Arizona Elk Society.
Please click below for more details
We are excited to announce a new program for our Heroes Rising Outdoors. We are looking to start a summer/winter hiking series in 2025.
July 24th - West Fork Oak Creek
August 28th - Red Mountain
September 25th - Bill Williams Mountain
May 23-25 Wapiti Weekend
June 7-8 White Mountain Chapter Banquet
July 11-12 Northern Arizona Peaks Chapter Banquet
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