King’s Outdoor World Blog

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• 1. Alberta-wes  |  September 15th, 2006 at 12:42 pm

  What is it with these game farms ?? We are up against the same things up here, and I guess I just dont get it. Listening to, and reading their point of view, I am just not able to understand where the benefits lie. Mabey I am ignorant and need to educate myself on this, but God knows I have tried. I am NOT trying to pick a fight here, however, I am pretty sure someone is going to get mad at me for this one……So here we go…… LETS PROMOTE FISH & WILDLIFE FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS ! ! ! !

• 2. Alberta-wes  |  September 15th, 2006 at 1:50 pm

  Anyone that is related to the game farming induatry that is educated on the issues, and is not going to get all defensive and attack, please enlighten my troubled mind. Wes.

• 3. Alberta-wes  |  September 15th, 2006 at 3:02 pm

  Im sorry. The question. Why do you farm these animals, when it is an activity known to have adverse effects our wild herds ? ? Why jeopardize over 100 years of management and conservation efforts ? ? Anyone,,, please.

• 4. Oregon-Jeff  |  September 15th, 2006 at 3:35 pm

  $$$$’s as a suggestion?

  This article may help; reference the “trophy” fees for the bulls charged by the Owner - $6k.

  http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0914escapedelk14-ON.html

  We can only hope more sportsman and wildlife viewers become aggressive in lobbying for making this type of harvest illegal and thus the practice unprofitable.

• 5. From Idaho  |  September 15th, 2006 at 3:57 pm

  I live 30 minutes from this farm and I agree that they should not exist. This guy who ownes it has been in trouble for not properly tagging his elk a few years ago. But today the Idaho Fish and Game and Governor of Idaho decided it would be a good idea to go kill all the elk in that area. That does not make any sense at all to me, let them go they will turn wild. If the State of Idaho was worried about conservation they would manage the wolves better ( or at all ).

• 6. From Idaho  |  September 15th, 2006 at 3:58 pm

  And a quick note, these elk are probably healthier then the wild elk.

• 7. Dave Langston  |  September 15th, 2006 at 4:24 pm

  I am the one along with another outdoor writer that busted this WIDE open a few weeks ago. This was published first in the Idaho state Journal which took my story via tlephone and by the Fishing and Hunting News. This guy is a joke and an outlaw and needs to be put away.

• 8. From Idaho  |  September 15th, 2006 at 4:38 pm

  Holy Moly Dave don’t hold anything back “Outlaw” Too funny. So do you think that there should be no management of wolves? All I was trying to get across is that these elk will be wild (if not already) they will never shoot them all. It just seems like a waste of tax payers money like introducing wolves.

• 9. From Idaho  |  September 15th, 2006 at 10:10 pm

  DAVE, I wonder why Fish and Game cut the elk tags in the Island Park area in half????????????????????????????????????

• 10. From Idaho  |  September 15th, 2006 at 10:12 pm

  Must be to many elk being killed by hunters.

• 11. Alberta-wes  |  September 16th, 2006 at 7:54 am

  Sorry to pry, but still waiting to hear back from a game farmer.

• 12. Alberta-wes  |  September 16th, 2006 at 8:33 am

  And for response #5, you bet, I would agree that CWD and other illneses are definately improving the health of our wild herds ! ! !??? A concerned Alberta Outdoorsman….

• 13. jerm  |  September 16th, 2006 at 11:12 am

  Alberta, My father-in-law runs an elk ranch here in idaho and i’ll tell you that these domestic elk get checked every year for these diseases and every game farm that i know of has never had any of these diseases! I dont know why people like you have to sit here and say that its all these domestic elk spreading these illnesses, if anything its the wild elk contaminating the domestic elk. The fish and game have to blame it on somebody but themselves.

• 14. jim  |  September 16th, 2006 at 11:41 am

  I’m sorry jern…but CWD did come from a game ranch, I hope your farther in-law is using double fences

• 15. jim  |  September 16th, 2006 at 11:52 am

  Don’t get me wrong…I’m not against game ranching, if it is done right…like I said before, if you can make a living for yourself and family doing what you love, well heck, that’s what life is all about….just like cattle ranching, if it is done right than everyone can benefit, if not ….then everyone looses….MAD COW….CWD and so forth

• 16. Alberta-wes  |  September 16th, 2006 at 12:05 pm

  Wow, you know, I suppose you may be right, except its getting pretty tough to rule out you fellas, when there have been MULTIPLE cases of the disease found on these farms. What with escapees, illegal transplants by these farmers letting these animals loose due to high feed costs in the winter, and cross fence contamination, we outdoors people appear to be fighting a losing battle. When these so called farmers fought for and were granted the right to begin operation of these farms in Alberta for example, they were to install double fencing for said reasons. Now how something big like that was not regulated during building of these confines completely blows me away. Wether the science supports cross fence contamination or not, there was always fears of the spread of diseases. There were alot of people against these farms happening, and now, outdoorspeople everywhere have seen their worst dreams realized.CWD is not the only illness that can and does inflict these animals my friend. You may want to stop and take a look around you. My blue heeler dog is not a transmitter of these diseases. Its coming from somewhere. If you are a lover of all things wild, you sure arent proving it, and if it is about money, mabey you ought to have bought angus cattle. Since when was OUR outdoors ever about money anyways ? ? We could go back and forth for days unfortunatly. And unfortunatly, some people believe that they have the right to live their lives in such a way, that inadvertantly affects others, without a second thought. Im sorry if this sounds bad or harsh, but I believe in my outdoor way of life, and am very concerned about the very real threats that may be the demise of it. A concerned Alberta outdoorsman.

• 17. Alberta-wes  |  September 16th, 2006 at 12:24 pm

  In closing, I might add that science has not yet been able to prove exactly where CWD has came from, but all signs and indications ARE pointing at the game farming industy. I am just not certain that I could wait around for the answer if I were in your familys chosen profession. Seems to me theres just too much to lose.

• 18. Richard  |  September 18th, 2006 at 12:02 pm

  To alberta-wes If you would spend more time learning what you are talking about from a scientific factual record you would know that cwd is in the wild population of all cervids from deer to elk and even moose. Just like with the beef industry wherever you check for this disease you will find it as far as the wild population cwd has had no effect on their population except where paranoia has opened a saughter of these animals and even then mother nature steps in and the birth rate increases on my farm where cwd has been found in the southern part of my state the limit of deer is 5 deer a day from mid september to january and this year almost all the does have had triplets. and the population is actually up. So before you start ripping hard working cervid farmers get some facts. Also as in all facits of this world their are some bad people that do not follow the rules.

• 19. Alberta-wes  |  September 18th, 2006 at 11:20 pm

  The fact that deer, elk, and moose are carriers of CWD just sort of went without saying, but thanks. Do you know what this disease does to these animals? Just to be sure, what you are proposing is that we just let this thing go, mother nature has already found the answer for us. Has your population of deer really jumped right to the task of dealing with CWD all by its self ? The triplets you speak of couldnt be from a mild winter, and a succesful reproductive rate for 2006. A wild guess would say that they are trying to drop the population to somewhere more relative to the carrying capacity of the given habitat, what with all the deer tags alloted. Or mabey it even has something to do with keeping numbers in check so CWD doesnt decimate your wild herds. If you were the area biologist where I call home, my children would have to go to the zoo to see what a mule deer looks like. Good luck with your elk hunts.

• 20. Alberta-wes  |  September 19th, 2006 at 11:41 am

  Richard, your last sentence shows promise, it seems you understand there is a right and wrong. The problem lies with your lack of understanding, in who is right and who is wrong. You guys had better pray its you who is right.

• 21. Jason  |  September 21st, 2006 at 12:05 pm

  This is getting to be a dog fight. But listen for those who are pro game ranches or HIGH FENCE. In my area Rulon Jones ya former denver broncos “defense star” whoopie; has a game ranch and the fish and game won’t comment on the amount of elk they have had to kill because they have crossed the fence into his inclosure also there are a few sightings that have confirmed his elk getting over the fence into the wild population. Oh did I mention he only received a $500 fine for poaching a moose. These high fence operations do not promote what hunting and the outdoors is about. Yes they may offer a great hunt for the exec behind a desk who does not have the balls to get out and do a do it your self or for the handi cap. Think about it, its hunting not shooting! Yes the lowered tag numbers are directly related with the wolves anybody not trying to cover their ass can tell you that or uunless the person is not from the area and does not know one way from the area. This goes for anyone no matter how intelligent they try to appear on a piece of writing. A education bought and paid for does not still make your thoughts and ideas any better. There is many reports on how the wolves have drasticaly reduced the number of elk if you can’t find any then find guides and others who frequent the BACK country to tell you what they have witnessed. Oh ya, my friends that are State Biologists have told me that what they turn in for recommendations are seldom ever heard. They have told me that the suits end up turning it into something else to help their self or to build up their image. THanks Jason

• 22. Idaho Falls  |  September 22nd, 2006 at 10:51 am

  I’d like to as “from Idaho” what rock he’s been living under. You live 30 minutes from Rammell’s ranch and all you can say is “they will turn wild”?

  What if those escaped elk that are going to “turn wild” have CWD or some other desease? Or if in fact they are not a pure breed of elk. Have you seen the racks on some of these penned elk? Ever wonder if they are genetically altered? You want to hybridize the wild population?

  Rex Rammell is a weizel and has been in trouble over his operation for years, this just may be the final straw in getting him shut down for good.

  If in fact you live within 30 minutes of Chief Joseph you should know all too well about Rex and his exploits.

  Canned hunts are joke, just like those who run them.

• 23. BILL--- MONTANA  |  September 26th, 2006 at 3:57 pm

  UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS A SENSITIVE ISSUE WITH A SIMPLE
  SOLUTION. HARVEST AS MANY OF THEM AS POSSIBLE. THE
  WOLVES WILL GET THE REST. MONTANA OUTLAWED GAME
  FARMS FOR A REASON AND THEY HAVE ALL THE
  DOCUMENTATION AS TO WHY THEY DID IT. IGNORANT YOU
  SAY……. I OPENLY ADMIT, MY OUTDOOR OPINIONS, ARE
  IGNORANT TO THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT LIVE,WORK,
  HUNT AND FISH IN OUR GREAT OUTDOORS…….
  OUR WILD OUTDOORS!!!!!!
  ====================

• 24. Idaho Hunter  |  September 27th, 2006 at 6:12 pm

  I also live 45 minutes from Rammel’s elk ranch. I am in favor of shooting all his elk due to the fact that he has lied in the past about what he does with the elk, the could be carrying some diseases that we don’t know about. I have been told by neighboring farm owners that he has not feed these elk since he was in the middle of selling his elk farm to a local realtor for big money. The more elk that are lost (hopefully to shooting) the less money he will bring in. I agree BIG TIME that the Idaho Fish and Game should better spend there money like WOLF management. Like so many of us hunters in this area take it upon ourselves to try and manage the Wolves on our own. Rammel is a known lier and someone who tries to get around the law.

• 25. from Idaho  |  September 28th, 2006 at 8:45 am

  Idaho Falls

  That is not all I said you must be educated in Rigby.

• 26. Justin  |  September 28th, 2006 at 9:28 am

  #13 ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS WHAT THE HELL

  YOUR SAYING THAT THE WILD ELK IS INFECTING THE DOMESTIC ELK (WHAT THE HELL) IM PRITTY SURE THAT THE RAISING OF ELK IN A PEN HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN AROUND. WILD ELK HAVE BEEN IN THESE STATES FOR EVER AND FOR SOME REASON I THINK THEY HAVE BEEN DOING JUST FINE WITH OUT PEOPLE FEEDING THEM. SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT ALL THESE DEASES HAVE ALL BEEN KINDA POPING UP NOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE TRYING TO RAISE THESE(WILD) ANIMALS.

• 27. Justin  |  September 28th, 2006 at 9:30 am

  ALSO BRAVO BRAVO #23 WELL SAID GIVE HIM A ROUND OF APLAUS

• 28. Casey  |  September 28th, 2006 at 12:10 pm

  Ya’ll elk lovers can do all the ranchen that ya’ll want to but i’m going to stick to deer hunting

• 29. justin  |  September 28th, 2006 at 12:16 pm

  Casey its not just elk farms in colorado there are even deer farms it is just getting way to out of control for all wild animal

• 30. Idaho Girl  |  September 28th, 2006 at 9:25 pm

  I am stuck between a rock and hard place. I work for IDFG and my father owns an elk ranch. So no one else sees both sides more than I do. But I do have a few questions that I just can’t seem to figure out. Why is it that all of a sudden a greater value has been put on Idaho’s elk that any other animal within the state. Am I not correct that tax payers within this wonderful state pay billions of dollars a year to try and save steelhead and salmon? That IDFG releases game birds for hunting seasons? Now why is it that an accidental release of some elk has every one ranting and raving about how aweful game ranches are when millions of hatchery and farm raised animals are released on purpose every year. These animals are every bit as likely to contaminate the wild gene pool and spread disease but you don’t see anyone ranting about them do you. Before we criticize game rancheres within this state maybe you should look at all they are doing to ensure their animals do not have any diseases, that they do not escape, and that their gene pool remains diverse. Don’t let one dumbasses mistakes ruin your opinion of every other rancher. I would also like to clear up one other thing. Not all domestic elk are bred for hunting. My father makes most of his profit off of meat sells to restaurants and locals within the community. Now before any says these are wild animals and that’s just not right, think about your real reason for hunting besides being at one with nature. 99% of you are going to say for the meat, to feed your family. That is exactly what my father is doing, feeding his family and many others as well. That’s what a FARM does.

• 31. LOVE OF THE GAME  |  September 28th, 2006 at 11:10 pm

  yes i guess i have to agree with you idaho girl that the ranches that raise elk for meat and not hunting should be allowed but. just like the famers and ranchers of cattle they are a bussiness trying to make money. But as soon as theese ranchers of cattle let people pay to come and pick and hunt a steer for the purely reason of getting the horns of it. You never heard of a ranch that lets people do that. Mainly because its not fun. And its cruel the steers have no where to run they are pinned up and can not get away from the hunter. So as you can see this is the same reason im not in favor of having people ranch bull elk for hunts its un natural and they do not have a chance they will become friendly with people the more there around us. so then they will just eat right out of our hands then thats when these stupid ass rich faggots come in and pay 10 grand to shoot a enourmouse bull that at one time eat out of a childs hands.

• 32. Idaho Girl  |  September 29th, 2006 at 12:55 pm

  Of course they are trying to make money. Who in this world is not trying to make money? I am not sure which ranch you are talking about where the animals have no where to run. Every hunting ranch I have been to consists of more than 5000 acres. That is a hell of a lot of area to run. I don’t diagree with you that it’s not a sporting way to hunt but those “stupid ass rich faggots” as you put it would probably never have the chance to shoot a bull elk in the wild. They don’t have the brains or time to do it. It’s a magnificant feeling to take a huge bull elk and if that’s the only way they are able to do it, then more power to them. Not all of them are in it just for the huge rack, the majority of them want the meat and if they don’t want it, it does not go to waste. Some of them even hunt cow elk on the ranches, you can’t say that’s for the huge rack now can you? If you think about it, if a traditional hunter comes up on a huge bull and a spike, odds are they are going to shoot the huge bull. It’s human nature, we want the biggest and the best. It almost seems to be that some people are jealous that these”stupid ass rich faggots” are able to shoot such a huge bull elk when the common folk have to work for it in the wild. Every one is entitled to their own opinion in life but it just aggrevates me when people have such strong views on a subject and they don’t even have factual information on the subject, it’s all heresay.

• 33. Idaho  |  September 29th, 2006 at 2:11 pm

  Believe in our life time here in Idaho we will see Elk season closed in the wild because of our great wolf deal (which really sucks). So game farms may be the only place you will have to be able to hunt these great animals. If you don’t have $$$ then I guess you will have to go out of state where there wolves are managed unlike Idaho.

• 34. Alberta-wes  |  September 30th, 2006 at 9:29 am

  Idaho girl,
  It seems as though you are missing the whole point. What do you and your father have to say of the threat against your wild population down there. This is not about elk racks. I wished you people could see past that, as well as this whole money thing. Mabey you folks should ” get some facts on the subject,” Quote Quote.

• 35. Alberta-wes  |  September 30th, 2006 at 1:07 pm

  That is probuably the strongest argument that I have ever heard, for “in favor” of these farms, being that I have never associated myself with people from the industry. Clearly stated, you claim these Elk are for food purposes, “Almost exclusively”. Sort of leaves some questions, though knowing what you are paying for both cows and bulls with proven genetics, leaves even more questions unanswered. Last elk that I ate, was a pretty small bull with no promise of ever being a trophy bull with good genetics, but he probuably ate just the same. You also state that government releases fish, and birds, but no one is picking on them. These hatcheries are mighty consistent facilities, and are not operated by Joe Blow that just happens to own some land, and has some money he would like to spend. As far as birds, Ring neck pheasant, hungarian partridge etc, arent native to the North American continent, and have never proven to be a threat to our native populations of both game and non game birds. The fairytale you and your father are living in, you know, waking up and doing chores, feeding and watering the Elk, etc, is more than likely, in the not so distant future, going to bite us all in the ass.

• 36. Idaho Girl  |  September 30th, 2006 at 1:27 pm

  All I wanted to do was enlighten some of you on a few facts that many people do not know. Simply stated my family loves Idaho’s wild elk population along with every other animal within this state. We do not want any thing bad to happen to any of them. Yes, I see there is a potential for domestic game ranches to spread disease but I do not believe it is any more of a threat than releasing fish from a hatchery (where I actually work) that are definatly carriers of devastating diseases to wild populations. Both game ranches and hatcheries do all that they can to prevent these diseases but there is only so much humans can do. There’s this thing called MOTHER NATURE. I don’t care if you are for game ranches or not. All that I care is that a few people open their eyes and realize there are many more destructive things that we humans are doing to destroy our wildlife and attacking all game ranchers is not the first step we should be taking to resolve these problems. Maybe the first step should be attacking the regulatory agencies that are not ensuring these animals are properly cared for.

• 37. Alberta-wes  |  September 30th, 2006 at 1:35 pm

  I just read your post, and have no reply….. Well said.

• 38. Idaho Too  |  October 1st, 2006 at 10:57 pm

  Agree, Well said Idaho Girl. But apparently the regulatory agency was told to back off in this case. Hunters are going to insist the legislature either allow Ag to regulate these guys or shut ‘em down. But that regulation/enforcement costs all of us money.

  As for 33’s post, enough with the wolf hysteria. IDFG is doing is doing what they can within the regulatory framework. Yes wolves are eating a lot of elk - too many in some areas. More importantly they are changing elk behavior (in my and may others I’ve talked to experience) and they’re harder to find and harvest in some areas. But guess what, 4 wheelers, fancy archery equipment, rangefinders, inline muzzleloaders etc are giving hunters an edge too. Wolves will be controlled and all the elk won’t disappear, its just going to take real data and a bit longer than many would like. Personally I had my first close (10yd) encounter with a wolf last elk season. It was the highlight of the hunt (which was successful). Now let the wolf debate resume, or is there a separate forum for that?

• 39. owen  |  October 2nd, 2006 at 12:32 pm

  There is little doubt that CWD has been around much longer than the white man and that ungulates have been dying from it for centuies longer than we have been able to identify and test for it.

• 40. Alberta-wes  |  October 2nd, 2006 at 3:11 pm

  Owen,
  I must not have been obtaining up to date information as of lately. I wonder if I might bother you to explain this a little better, and mabey also whom the source of such findings have came from, is there a paper on this somewhere ?? If indeed there is “little doubt”, you have my full attention.

• 41. While we're discussing wolves...  |  October 3rd, 2006 at 2:32 pm

  Hey, I realize wolves aren’t the topic at hand, but dammit, there’s a reason all our forefathers killed those bastards in the first place. #38 above says he saw a wolf last year within 10 yards, and it was the highlight of his hunt. Hmmm…bet you’d have changed your tune if the snow was deep, he was hungry, and had his other ten buddies with him…

  Maybe somebody can verify or dispel of this rumor I heard. Was talking to a guy who told me the wolves that were reintroduced awhile back are actually a different species, supposedly Canadian, and are actually bigger than the native wolves we always had (yes, that’s right, we always had wolves in Idaho, they were not extinct, just very small in numbers). He told me the first thing the newly introduced wolves did was find and kill off the few native wolves we had. So now we’re left with a bigger badder breed of wolf than we used to have, a breed that appears to be spreading like wildfire. Anybody out there know enough about this to verify?

  I was against wolf introduction from the start. Now that they’re spreading all over the state, it really makes me nervous to raise kids out in the country.

• 42. Mark  |  October 3rd, 2006 at 6:00 pm

  CDW came from the Colorado State University verterinary campus when they were housing some mule deer next to some sheep for a couple of years. They let the deer go after the sheep died from some prion (CDW) Who’da thunk?

• 43. Rando  |  October 4th, 2006 at 7:48 pm

  This issue is we meddle way too much with our wildlife, we try to be god. The poor elk that lived without wolves for 100 years lost their knowledge/instincts of how to handle this predator. This has been devastating to elk herds in Idaho. The wolves introduced into Idaho were not the native wolves of old. My favorite archery spots are vacant and eerily quiet. Idaho Girl states “there is this thing called Mother Nature”, however that does not include humans meddling. Fish hatcheries have screwed up native fisheries and elk farms will do the same to our elk herds if allowed to continue. Take a look at Australia and see how well humans have played “Mother Nature”. It is disgusting that someone that pays to shoot such a magnificent animal tries to call himself a hunter. I have nothing but feelings of repulsion when I here about these Antler Whores paying for their trophy. They are not hunters, they are some corporate yuppie that doesn’t even know the first thing about the animal he hunts. This type hunting gives our hunting heritage such a bad name and fuels the anti-hunting group. I hope they ban HFH in Idaho and force the meat ranchers to equip all their penned elk with GPS radio collars.

• 44. Scott  |  October 4th, 2006 at 9:02 pm

  from one Idaho hunter… I hope they outlaw farm raised elk, then we don’t have these problems like this one. heck the dude that owns the ranch was just arrested for obstruction. Do away with this farm hunting and kill as many wolfs as you can!!!!!

• 45. elkilnfool  |  October 5th, 2006 at 7:01 pm

  Lets leave the wild ones wild. we have all ready ruined the buffalo, the introduction of the wolf was a spit in the eye to are great grandfathers and grandfathers, a mistake that will be paid for with loss of big game animals and time, to me that is to high a price. These elk that got loose, they didnt really get loose they just
  did what they are supposed to do. And the ones that dont get taken by hunters, predation and starvation will be picked off on a
  winter feed ground in wyoming. I live to hunt, hunt to live. I know that people are critics of everything especially when they dont have the facts. Im an avid archery hunter from wyoming and if Idaho wants to keep sending us the cream of the crop, then i guess there’s nothing i can do, except for maybe bugle one in……..

• 46. Chuck Feney  |  October 5th, 2006 at 8:56 pm

  To 41:
  The wolves they transplanted are a different species than what was originally in Yellowstone. They came from the Nordeg and Cadamin area of Alberta. My son and I went up to Nirdeg toi hunt wolves in 2003 december. The tag is $5 CAN and you can get more than one.
  The moose in that area are Canadian Moose, not the smaller Shiras. The whitetails are the biggest I’ve ever seen body wise, I think the does are as big as mule deer bucks in Montana and they have very small ears. Even though it only 800 miles away, the zone is boreal spruce - no really tall trees, but thick spruce forests. It is very different than Yellowstone and so were the WOLVES they captured there. They were transplanted on one condition - they could never be returned to ALberta!
  Ed Bangs and his Crewe violated every species law and they did it boldly. They might as well bring siberian tigers, a specie that really needs help and requires large elk and deer populations. They could call them mountain lions!

• 47. King’s Outdoor Worl&hellip  |  October 12th, 2006 at 10:51 am

  […] Idaho has defintely been the center of much of this attention. Last year in 2005, a huge 502 SCI bull was doing the rounds on the Internet and email that we posted here to help clear up the confusion. It was a bull taken on an Idaho high fence hunting preserve. Then in 2006 things took a bad turn as we reported that 160 domesticated elk escaped into the wild from an Idaho game farm. This is a very heated topic and pretty bad situation that the the land owners, Fish and Game, local sportsmen and the Governor’s office are all involved in. Of course we can’t forget our recent stint of confusion as the “claimed” Selway-Bitteroot 575 Idaho elk turned out to be a high fence elk from Quebec. […]

• 48. Kristy Hein  |  October 28th, 2006 at 8:54 pm

  You know if we go around in this world and continue to make uneducated and uninformed decisions regarding people’s livelihood and personal rights, we are all in BIG trouble. Please visit our Idaho Elk Breeders Website @ www.thetruthaboutelk.org for anyone who wishes to make informed decisions and or opinions in regards to this most important matter. F&G uses scare tactics (i.e. disease, genetic impurities) to springboard their own political agendas. If we allow them to ban Idaho Elk Ranching based on lies and not proven scientific data, then we are doing a dis-service to all hunter’s rights and rancher’s rights. There has never been 1 positive disease test on ANY Idaho domesticated elk, period. ALL are tested for genetic purity. 1/3 of those slaughtered “escapees” have been tested and ALL were negative for diseases and parasites. And by golly they were ALL Pure Elk, what do you know?

• 49. The Best of 2006…Monste&hellip  |  May 23rd, 2007 at 1:03 pm

  […] Unfortunately, two scandals were the only news that came out of Idaho in regards to big bulls. The first scandal was an Internet spoof over a supposed Selway-Bitterroot 575 archery bull; and the second was over 100 escaped elk from a high-fence ranch. The escaped elk caused a firestorm of criticism over high-fenced hunting ranches while people searched high and low on the Internet trying to find out if the 575 Selway-Bitterroot archery elk was legit. Droves of visitors swamped our King’s Blog for answers. After all was said and done, the 575 archery elk from Idaho was actually a 560 rifle elk from a high-fence ranch in Quebec, Canada. […]

• 50. Viktor Popp  |  May 25th, 2007 at 6:21 pm

  Cronic wasting desease,can be traced back to the LaramieWY
  and Fort Colins CO Fish and Game Research Facilities in1967.
  The desease was not recognised,and the deer trade between
  those two facilities contaminated both Facilities.Some of the
  Animals where released back in to the wild,and some where
  given to the DenverZoo.The Denver Zoo,did sell some Elk and
  Deer to a elk farm,and also to a Zoo in Canada.Some of the animals died,but some of them did not.Around 1997 the first
  known Elk farm being infected,was I believe in Nebraska.The
  owner’s name of the Farm was Ritterhausen.[I did send him a
  Contribution,like most Elk Farmers did.He lost everythink he had
  all his Animals where destroyed.]The Fish and Game Department,traced those Animals to several other Game Farm’s
  and eventually back to the Denver Zoo.I did contact a former
  Manager [I met many Years ago]of the Laramie Research
  Facility,and he confirmed what I allready knew.Also he
  mentioned to contact the most knowledgeable person on this
  Desease.It was a Lady Biologist from a University in WY.
  [mayby Casper WY,I can not realy remember her Name] I did
  call her,and had a good conversation with her.Cronic Wasting
  Desease,has been around for a long time in the wild,but never
  recognised.The political solution was to cull all the wild Deer
  and Elk in south west WO.and north east CO.[the wildlife
  experts,where overruled by Politicians in the Departments.]
  It was not a smart thing to do,because only some Animals
  contracted the desease,and there was no danger of CWS
  entering the foodchain,because of the spacies barrier] After
  killing many Deer and Elk,and the ignorant public vorgot about
  CWS the departments let nature take it’s course.The state
  of Wisconsin was a prime example of mass hysteria.Some
  sick wild Deer in Michigan where also blamed on a deerfarm,
  and after the state investigated ,it turned out that the wild deer
  infected the private herd.[about 1999]This all happened several
  years ago,and I have been out of the Elk Business since 2004
  I enjoyed my Elk,[Certified TB free,Certfied Brucellosis free,how many Cattle and Hog Farmers are Certified?]and so did many people that visited my Farm.If you use a selective
  breading technique,over a few years you can raise some enormus Bulls,and this can be done with some effort.Dog
  Breeders,Horse Farms and the Cattle industry uses the same
  procedure,why cant a Deer or Elk Farmer not do it?
  Today most Elk Farms are gone,thanks to some ignorand
  members of our society,and ruining some good honest people
  that enjoyed to raise a beautifull Animal.[some like to raise hogs]Today CWD is known to move east,and a Rancher Friend
  of mine in far east WYcontacted the Game Department to
  make them aware of the dead deer he some times find’s.The
  Instructions he got where,let nature take care of it,ignore it.
  At least somebody is using commonsnse,and keep the
  political correct CROWD in the dark.
  All I can say in closing “RESEARCH IS A WONDERFULLTHING”
  do it,get the fact’s first,then make a statement.

• 51. Eric  |  November 10th, 2007 at 9:43 pm

  To jim. I think you need to get your facts staight.CWD did not originate in farm raised elk. It originated in WILD!!! deer undergoing research by Colorado State University and the Colorado Division of Wildlife at Ft. Collins. Furthermore, Observational evidence and most theories suggest that CWD originated from the sheeps TSE disease where due to the close proximity of the sheep to the wild deer they may have randomly passed the disease on.

• 52. Viktor Popp  |  December 1st, 2007 at 2:19 pm

  JIM,I’m still waiting for your response.And to Montana Bill,
  everybody has an opinion,but dont believe,that your’s is the correct one.

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