Respected Hunter, Writer, TV Host Joins RMEF Board of Directors
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation 02.11.13
A familiar face known to many as the country’s most prominent big game hunter is joining the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation board of directors. Jim Zumbo is actually set to begin his third term on the board.
“There is nobody who better understands that Hunting is Conservation than Jim Zumbo,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Jim’s vast experience in the field around the country and his vision and dedication to spreading our hunting heritage will benefit RMEF for years to come.”
“My reaction to being on the board again is one of pure joy. I’ve watched RMEF grow since its inception, and always have felt like I was a part of the RMEF family,” said Zumbo. “I look forward to being in a position to help make decisions about the direction we go and the everyday issues we must deal with.”
Zumbo has degrees in Forestry and Wildlife Management. He used that knowledge while working 15 years alongside state and federal agencies, including an 8-year stint at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as forester, biologist and game warden. Zumbo later accepted positions as Western editor, editor-at-large and eventually hunting editor at Outdoor Life magazine. He left the magazine after almost 30 years to host “Jim Zumbo Outdoors” on the Outdoor Channel.
Zumbo hunted extensively in North America and abroad. He chased deer in all 50 states and elk in all major western “elk” states, and hunted in all but three Canadian provinces. He also took part in at least 35 hunts in Alaska. Zumbo now dedicates most of his time recently to hosting hunts for injured military members as a form of therapeutic rehabilitation. He is a recipient of RMEF’s Wallace Pate Award, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Outdoor Channel and is an RMEF Life Member.
“My vision for RMEF is not just to stay the course, which is outstanding, but to expand it and take it to higher levels never seen before,” added Zumbo. “Part of that expansion is to see a quarter million members in the near future.”
Fittingly, Zumbo lives in Wapiti, Wyoming, with his wife, Madonna, and two black labs. He is a passionate fisherman, and enjoys wild game cooking, vegetable gardening, and continually amassing a huge pile of firewood.
Other RMEF board members will be announced in the near future.
