The guests were initially treated to sessions featuring several graduate students from New Mexico State University outlining the history of elk in Arizona, their life cycles, habits, life expectancy and biology. A second session by the same team discussed ongoing efforts to better understand their habits by the use of radio collars placed on calves and cows. Migration patterns, longevity, daily habits and causes of mortality are being tracked with radio telemetry signals sent every two hours for monitoring.

Jason Capps, Arizona Game and Fish Wildlife Manager for Unit #1, spent almost an hour discussing how the Game and Fish Department manages the elk herd in the White Mountains. Statewide, there are approximately 35,000 elk so it is important to monitor their numbers and adjust hunting opportunities based upon scientific models as well as aerial surveys and hunter harvest reports.

Johnny Buford of Vortex Optics came in from Montana to provide an informative discussion about various optics available to hunters as well as those wishing to watch nature from afar. He provided numerous binoculars and telescopic viewers for the guests to try out. One lucky lady won a set of fine binoculars in a raffle.

George Andrejko, the official photographer for the Arizona Game and Fish Department, treated a number of visitors to a session on wildlife photography with an emphasis on camera selection, lenses and lighting conditions to capture the best images.

Steve Clark, Executive Director of the Arizona Elk Society, treated the entire group to an entertaining session on the calls that elk make. He demonstrated bull bugles, cow calls and even calf calls as they lose track of their mothers.

In a final session, Steve also spent the better part of an hour explaining to many of the guests about the steps that need to be taken to learn to hunt elk in Arizona. Most elk in Arizona are able to be hunted only through the tag process through a random draw each year. He also discussed firearms, guiding and other hunting topics.

The day ended with a tasty meal provide by the Arizona Elk Society served by many volunteers from around the state.

This workshop has grown in popularity each year and usually sells out. Many attendees come back for another year as they find the management and history of elk in Arizona fascinating.

At the conclusion of the workshop, Steve Clark and Jim Warren, President of the Arizona Elk Society - White Mountain Chapter, announced that the Society was donating $15,000 to the New Mexico State University study of elk in both Arizona and New Mexico to acquire much more reliable and better GPS iridium collars to be placed on calves in both states. These collars will enable the research team to better determine the causes for mortality – natural causes, lions, bears, wolves – and to find the locations more quickly. These newer collars will allow the team to spend more time in assessment and monitoring of habitat to better learn about these magnificent creatures. The $15,000 donation was earned from banquets held in the White Mountains in recent years and supported by area merchants and guests.