HELENA, Mont., March 9, 2015 - A rare Shiras moose hunting license brought in a record $60,000 at a Ducks Unlimited auction last weekend by the Helena DU chapter during its annual dinner. Past moose licenses sold at auction for $15,000 to $20,000. Proceeds from the license sale will go to the moose conservation initiatives of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

"We are blown away by the success of this auction for Montana habitat work. It was basically over in three minutes," said Steve Christian, an organizer of the event and member of Montana DU state councils. "Our thanks go out to the people who participated in this auction and to our buyer, who is making a major contribution to Montana wildlife."

DU won the right to auction off the license from MFWP. The license is good for the 2015 season anywhere in the state where people can legally hunt moose.

The auction was a good draw for the DU banquet. "We hosted the auction in hopes of increasing attendance at our banquet and help us raise more money for DU's conservation programs in Montana," Christian said. "This auction was a great experience, and we hope we get the chance to do this again."

DU has been conserving grasslands and wetlands in Montana since 1984. With DU's Peaks to Prairies Initiative covering Montana's pristine wetland and river complexes from the Rocky Mountains to the prairies, much of the habitat work also benefits the Shiras moose and other important wildlife species.

DU has four full-time Montana conservation staff members who are widely recognized for their knowledge of wetland habitat conservation. Since 1984, DU has spent more than $23 million conserving almost 73,000 acres in Montana.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 13 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org. Connect with us on our Facebook page at facebook.com/ducksunlimited, follow our tweets at twitter.com/ducksunlimited and watch DU videos at youtube.com/ducksunlimitedinc.

Media contact:

Becky Jones Mahlum

701-355-3500

bjonesmahlum@ducks.org