John Oxley of Sandpoint, Idaho, experienced the ultimate land transformation after he was named the 2015 Create & Conserve contest winner. Bobcat Company, along with partners Rick and Julie Kreuter — co-hosts of the hit television show “Beyond the Hunt” on The Outdoor Channel — selected Oxley as this year’s winner and visited his land to establish access trails, plant trees, provide erosion control and develop conservation plots.
Over a week, Oxley’s land — set two hours northeast of Spokane, Wash. — was transformed with the help of several Bobcat machines. A Toolcat 5600 utility work machine, two utility vehicles, two compact excavators and four compact track loaders, as well as 17 different attachments, were used to create a conservation plot, develop a three-and-a-half mile trail, install drain tile and repair a water eroded hill. The conservation plot and pond portions of the project will provide another food and water source for wildlife, including elk, moose, bears, mountain lions and deer.
“John’s location is absolutely beautiful,” said Robert Gilles, segment application marketing manager at Bobcat. “His property is dedicated just for wildlife, wildlife viewing and hiking, and is not hunted on. It is an ideal conservation location, and we were able to come in and ensure it could be enjoyed for years to come.”
The Bobcat Create & Conserve Contest and Habitat Event were created in 2013. Entrants are asked to describe their ideal land transformation project that supports conservation, and provide images of their property showing how Bobcat equipment can help them with their conservation efforts. Bobcat Company selects the winning entry and — with help from Rick and Julie Kreuter, and other partnering sponsors — supplies equipment and other prizes, and manpower to complete the project.
Partnering sponsors include:
• Burris
• Yeti
• Stealth Cam
• DU-HA
• Big Green Targets
• Epic
• Walker’s
• PSE
• Tru-Fire
• Redneck blinds
• Hornady
• American Hunter
• Innerloc
For more information, to see before and after images, and to watch how the projects were completed, visit bobcat.com/landing/createandconserve.
