(Photo credit: Kevin Bird)
Lasting Legacies
by Christina Rodriguez
Kevin Bird is passionate about giving back to elk country to help conserve it for his “three little birds” to enjoy.
Hidden among the aspen and scrub oak that cover the hills and mesas near Rifle, Colorado, Kevin Bird lay in wait for the opportunity to kill an elk.
With heavy winds blowing through the hills, he lifted his call to his mouth and let out a bugle. Immediately a bull sounded back. With an arrow nocked he focused on the path he anticipated the bull might take to the wallow in front of him.
“Next thing I know I hear a bugle,” says Kevin. “I look over to my right and he’s standing 20 yards broadside. I’m like, oh boy, well, didn’t expect him there.”
Kevin took the shot and killed his first elk. He was in his mid-20s and had only been hunting for a few years at that point. His dad, who’d hunted there for over 35 years and was intimately familiar with the country, helped track the bull, as did his brother. After 30 minutes of keeping his eyes to the ground, Kevin picked his head up. “As soon as I looked up, I could see the elk. It was just a super special moment to have my dad and brother there.” It was a dandy 6×6, the largest bull any of them had killed at the time, making it all the more special.
After growing up in Kansas City, Kansas, Kevin set off on his own at age 20 and settled in Breckenridge, Colorado, where he managed a restaurant. It was there he met his wife, Erin, who had come to interview for a job. While they started off as coworkers, a friendship developed and they began dating.
After a few years Kevin took Erin on what he claimed to be a wine tasting trip for his restaurant. While at the vineyard they went for a walk, and he proposed on the hillside. Erin and Kevin married in 2011 and now have three daughters ages 10, 8 and 6, whom he points to as his inspiration for donating to RMEF. He wants them to be able to experience chasing majestic elk through beautiful country as he has.
An avid bowhunter, Kevin knew of Bugle magazine and admired RMEF’s mission work, which led him to become a member in 2011.
“Everything is so computer and tech these days that I really love to get outdoors,” says Kevin, “It’s my happy place.” He appreciates that RMEF not only protects elk herds and habitats, but also our hunting heritage by improving public access to hunting opportunities. “It was just a no brainer for me ,” says Kevin.
Erin comes from a family who is passionate about donating to causes they believe in, which helped convince Kevin he wanted to do the same.
Kevin decided to give to the organization through donor advised funds (DAFs)—an investment account created for the sole purpose of supporting charities you love. Once you contribute, you’re immediately eligible to take a tax deduction that same year. Then those funds are invested for tax-free growth, and you recommend donations to eligible charities such as RMEF. DAFs are the most popular and fastest-growing way to give.
Kevin named his fund “Three Little Birds” after his daughters and the song of the same name by Bob Marley, which gained special meaning for his family after it played during the gender reveal party for his third child, becoming representative of his excitement to “have three little birds chirping at my window.”
“It just kind of represents my three little girls and how special they are and how blessed we are to have them,” says Kevin.
To get his daughters involved in conservation work, he was excited to bring them to RMEF’s Weston Pass fence removal project in Colorado in the summer of 2023. Unfortunately, a massive rockslide caused a major detour on I-70 that blocked them from getting to the event.
Even though they missed the work project he soon found other ways to immerse his daughters in the outdoors. In the fall of 2022, he took his 10-year-old out after elk and deer for the first time. Much like the hunt where he tagged his first elk, a bugle made magic happen. Except this time, it wasn’t him doing the bugling. “She bugled and actually had an elk bugle back,” says Kevin, “which, as a dad, was super cool.”
Kevin feels it’s important to teach kids about conservation and to help where they can. “I absolutely think it’s crucial to get the next generation involved; they’re the future leaders,” he says.
In the fall of 2022, he took his 10-year-old out after elk and deer for the first time. Much like the hunt where he tagged his first elk, a bugle made magic happen. Except this time, it wasn’t him doing the bugling.