Volunteers are the heart and soul of the Arizona Elk Society (AES). Without their dedication, passion, and hard work, our mission to conserve and protect wildlife, educate the next generation, and support our veterans would not be possible. To honor these incredible individuals, we hosted our 2nd Annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on Saturday, December 14th. It was a day filled with gratitude, laughter, and celebration, as we came together to recognize the backbone of our organization—our volunteers.
The event took place under sunny skies, creating a perfect backdrop for the day. With 120 attendees from various programs, including youth events, habitat restoration projects, banquets, and 
veteran’s programs, the luncheon was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect and reflect on the impact we’ve made together in 2024.
Our staff and board of directors took pride in serving lunch as a small token of appreciation for our volunteers’ year-round efforts. The menu featured a delicious spread of pulled pork from Rudy’s BBQ, corn on the cob, mac and cheese, hot dogs, burgers, and cake—a feast worthy of the hardworking individuals we celebrated.
In addition to great food, the event included plenty of fun and meaningful moments. Attendees enjoyed games, music, and a special video highlighting the year's events and accomplishments. For the first time, we introduced volunteer awards to formally recognize those who went above and beyond in 2024.
Highlights of the awards included:
A heartfelt thank you goes out to all of our volunteers who made 2024 a successful and impactful year. Your dedication is nothing short of extraordinary. To give over 100 hours of your time is a testament to your love for what we do and your belief in our mission. If you see these incredible individuals at an event, please take a moment to say thank you:
We’re already looking forward to 2025 and another year of making a difference together. Will you be part of our volunteer community next year? We hope so! Volunteering with AES isn’t just about giving back—it’s about joining a family, creating lifelong memories, and making a tangible impact on wildlife conservation and our community. Whether you’re new to volunteering or a seasoned pro, we’d love to see your name on our awards list next year.
Project season is wrapped up and we're already planning for next summer. Stay tuned for updates about upcoming volunteer opportunities. To get on the list early click below to email Russ.
Registration is open for our spring VORTEX equine therapy program. This is not a riding program, yet it teaches such things as reading/matching your energy level to a horses energy level, grooming techniques, leading with rope, leading through applied pressure, round pen work, leading horses through obstacle courses, and team building exercises. This program is ran in cooperation with the EmpoweRanch in south Phoenix at 308 W Siesta Way and runs for 8 weeks each Thursday from 2-4 PM. We have 7 openings for this VORTEX program. Please pass this information along to anyone you think would be interested or benefit from this program.
The dates are February 6, 13, 20, 27 and March 6, 13, 20, 27
Bass Class - This is a beginner fishing class learning all the ins and outs of bass fishing
When: Four classes at our office in Peoria 1/23, 2/4, 2/11, 2/18 followed by our fishing trip 2/21-2/23
We have some new guidelines for all of our HRO programs. Please email Russ for details and registration. Hope to see you there!
On December 5
Thursday, December 5, the Heroes Rising Outdoors along with EmpoweRanch held its 7th of 8 VORTEX sessions. At check-in this week, we answered our normal weekly question of how we were feeling, and the question of the day was what is something that was a thorn in the past couple of weeks for you, and what was something that was a rose for you in the past couple of weeks. This helped the participants to understand that even though there are thorns in life, there are also roses amidst them.
After check-in everyone got to go out and say hello to the horses, getting a chance to groom them if they wished. It was time for the day's activity when the grooming was finished. This is one of the most challenging activities for the participants to go through in the whole VORTEX session. We set out a line of logs, and then through nonverbal and silent communication, have to work as a team to see how many times they can lead Dancer across the logs. This really focuses on honing in on communication through hand signals and applied pressure to lead Dancer where they want her to
go. There were several different times they tried this with different time increments. They were successful every time leading Dancer across the logs. The last time they were asked to set a goal of how many times they could lead Dancer across, and they ended up beating their goal! Their teamwork was awesome to watch.
December 17
Thursday, December 12, the Heroes Rising Outdoors along with EmpoweRanch held its final VORTEX session for the fall class. We had our end of the program potluck BBQ, so before check-in we were able to stuff ourselves with some amazing food. We had a special guest with us as one of our volunteer’s dad, Mr. Mike, played the banjo and sang for us as we ate.
At check-in, we had our weekly question of how we were feeling, and the question of the week was what will you take away from this VORTEX session and what will you leave behind from this VORTEX session. It was really cool to hear some of the answers that followed. Although a smaller group for our fall session, this has been a really good one.
Our final activity we had the veterans and volunteers set up an obstacle course together. Then each participant got a chance to lead horses through it. Each person was able to get the horses through the obstacle course perfectly. We then presented each participant with a certificate of completion for the course. We would like to thank the volunteers for this program and participants alike for being able to commit to the entire 8-week program. Lasting friendships were strengthened and formed, and new members of the AES/EmpoweRanch family were added.
We have a spring VORTEX session starting in February and running through March. If you are interested, please contact me at russj@arizonaelksociety.org for more information.
I received a phone call from Thomas Wagner from Heroes Rising Outdoors, Tuesday November 26. He informed me that he had a late season bull elk tag for unit 6A. The hunt starts on Friday November 29th. That gave me 3 days to prepare for my hunt to go after a bull elk. So the packing and preparation started. It was all hands on deck. My son (Tate Benham) came over and we started loading anything and everything we thought we would need for the hunt. We arrived in unit 6A Thursday night November 28th and set up camp to prepare for the morning hunt. It was 28degrees when we arrived at camp. When camp was finished being set up we decided to hit the sack for a 5 AM wake up call.
Day 1
The alarms went off and we rolled out of our sleeping bags got dressed for the 21 degree weather and then headed out for the hunt. As the sun was justcoming up we see 2 cow elk 5 min after 
shooting hours start. Our hopes of harvesting an elk rise and the excitement raises. After not seeing a bull with the cows we continue our hunt. After hours of scouting and glassing and a lot of miles later we spot a cow elk off to our left. We stop and hunker down and patiently wait. After about 30 min we now have about 6 cow elk , 75 yards in front of us and 3 more 50 yards to our left. All of the elk keep looking to their left so we decided to move about 50 yards to our right to see what they keep looking at. As we settle in again we start to see more elk coming over the ridge in front of us. Fast forward an hour and we are now surrounded by about 20 to 30 cow elk. My son Tate said bull, bull, I see antlers. Off to our left a young spike bull walks into view at about 60 yards. Being a late season hunt and the elk have been being chased all over the unit for months I decided to harvest this animal. It was an amazing day 1 hunt. He may not be the big 6x6 trophy that everyone is looking for but he is a trophy to me. I would like to thank the Arizona Elks Society and their HRO program for this opportunity. I would also like to thank RAK Hunt Outfitters (Ray and Kim Byrne). After harvesting our elk they graciously offered us to use their skinning station. RAK Hunt Outfitters is a nonprofit hunting guide services that works with the Arizona Elks Society and the Hero’s Rising Outdoors program to take disabled veterans on hunting adventures in Arizona. I would also like to thank my son Tate Benham for helping me on this adventure. This is another trip that made some amazing memories for me having my son with me throughout this adventure. I would also like to thank my wife Ginger for being supportive and allowing me to go on this adventure over the holiday on short notice.
This next hunt was sure something special. We had just finished three hunts and were packed up and leaving camp when I got a call from @tomwagneraz . A sheep tag had just been donated to his organization and the season had already started. When I found out who was getting the tag, I knew we had to step up and help at no charge.
Command Master Chief, Teddy Seitz, is a true hero and an all-around badass! He spent 25 years serving our country in the United States Navy as an explosive ordnance technician. He was deployed on multiple combat tours, survived multiple explosions, and sustained several injuries. Master Chief Seitz was an honorary recipient of the Bronze Star for his heroic combat actions. He is from my
hometown of Wickenburg and grew up with my older brother. To say this tag was well deserved is an understatement!
When I got the word out to our team they immediately jumped in to help. @chad_roberts88 , @andygrand and @tonystanley387 started working on getting a plan together to hunt the weekend and find a big ram for Teddy. On the 3rd day of hunting and after passing multiple rams, the guys found the ram they were looking for. They made a plan and after getting into range Teddy made an unbelievable shot on the ram of his dreams!
There were so many great folks who stepped up to make this hunt happen! Thank you Chad, Andy and Tony for stepping up to help Teddy and get him a Kofa stud! Thank you @tomwagneraz and @heroesrisingoutdoors for all you do for our veterans! Thank you to the family that chose to donate this tag to a very deserving man!
Congratulations, Master Chief Seitz , and thank you for your service and sacrifice to our country! I’m glad you had an epic experience and found the ram of your dreams!
Arizona Diamond Outfitters
We’re thrilled to share another successful Wild in the City event, held at the Ben Avery Shooting Range on March 1st. This one-day outdoor skills camp, organized for kids aged 6-16, brought together families and volunteers for a memorable day filled with learning, fun, and connection to nature.
This time, we had a younger group of participants, with only two teenagers among the crowd. It was heartwarming to see how well-mannered and engaged the kids were throughout the day. One particularly unforgettable moment was during our group photo session. We always aim to include the horses in the picture, but it’s not always easy to manage. This group of kids impressed everyone by staying so quiet and patient that you could’ve heard a pin drop as the horses were led into position. Even the parents were amazed by their cooperation!
The day was packed with a variety of hands-on activities designed to teach outdoor skills and spark curiosity. The kids rotated through stations that included:
During our lunch break, we enjoyed pizza while Nancy, the Wildlife Education Outreach Coordinator from the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), captivated everyone with an incredible presentation. She brought owls, falcons, and other wildlife, giving the kids an up-close and personal experience with these amazing animals. Her dedication and enthusiasm madethe presentation a standout highlight of the day.
As the event wound down, we handed out a special gift to each child: a brand-new sleeping bag courtesy of the Arizona Elk Society. This has becomeone of my favorite traditions, as it’s also a chance to hear what the kids enjoyed most. While archery and shooting were the most popular activities, there were plenty of votes for fire starting, owl pellets, survival bracelet making, and fishing.
The joy and smiles on the faces of kids, parents, and volunteers were a testament to the success of the day. Our mission is to equip these young adventurers with new skills and inspire them to explore the incredible natural beauty of Arizona.
None of this would be possible without the incredible support of our volunteers, parents, and partners. A huge thank you to Nancy and the AZGFD for enriching our program with their wildlife presentation and EmpoweRanch for bringing the horses. And, of course, a heartfelt thank you to the Arizona Elk Society team for making Wild in the City an event to remember.
We’re already looking forward to the next Wild in the City and the opportunity to continue fostering a love for the outdoors in the next generation. Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to this wonderful experience!
Our Scholarship Application is open. APPLY NOW! Arizona Elk Society gives 2 scholarships to high school seniors and 1 to a college student. Please pass this information to a student if your life. Click above for the application.
We have several youth events coming up that you will want to mark your calendar for.
February 28th HRO Golf Outing
March 1st Wild in the City
April 5th Mesa Banquet
Do you believe in leaving a long-lasting outdoor legacy for future generations? 
Arizona's conservation leader