Whether you call it “barbed wire” or “bob wire,” old fencing can impede the movements of big game across the landscape. That’s why a dedicated crew of RMEF volunteers, including Montana Knife Company employees, took on a recent habitat stewardship project along with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) to remove abandoned fencing from Flathead Ridge Ranch in northwestern Montana.

The latest RMEF Film, “Clearing the Way on Flathead Ridge,” shows just how much work goes into a fence-pull project. It’s not easy. Remove the wire from the posts … free the wire that has become tangled in brush … roll it into bundles … pull up the posts … pile the scrap for transport off the property … and repeat. It takes sweat, perseverance and determination, but as volunteers attest in the film, the results are worth the effort.

“It’s important to do this kind of work, and I believe more people should try to dedicate a little bit of time to doing this stuff—and they can do that with RMEF,” said Josh Smith, CEO and founder of Montana Knife Company, who helped with the fence pull. “It’s a good thing to go out and actually dedicate a day or two to try to help conserve that habitat for those elk that we get to hunt and view.”

The majority of Flathead Ridge Ranch’s 126,000 acres are open to public hunting, fishing and camping through the Montana FWP Block Management program. Elk, mule deer, black bears, wild turkeys and many other game species are found on the ranch’s property spanning Flathead, Lincoln and Sanders counties.

Dilapidated fencing no longer in use for ranching and grazing livestock poses dangers to wildlife that can become entangled in the wire. It can also be a burden to hunters, and many give their time through RMEF volunteer work projects to clear decrepit fencing from critical big game habitat. RMEF habitat stewardship projects like the Flathead Ridge fence pull have, to date, enhanced more than 7.7 million acres vital to Conserving America’s Big Game.

“Clearing the Way on Flathead Ridge” is live now on RMEF’s YouTube channel. To find out how you can join us in making habitat better for big game, check out our Volunteer page.