(U.S. - Id.) canned elk "ranchers" anxious
Mary Finelli
ELK FARMERS FEEL IN CROSS HAIRS
Ranchers Worry Regulations will Increase in Wake of Herd's Escape
The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.)/Knight-Ridder Tribune, Parker Howell,
Sept. 14, 2006
Ecological concerns about dozens of elk that escaped from an eastern Idaho
ranch where visitors pay thousands of dollars for a shot at trophy bulls
has, according to this story, reopened deep-rooted controversy surrounding
elk farming in the state.
Concerned that the domestic elk may carry disease or impure genes that could
spread to wild animals, state game officials have killed several of the elk,
which may have escaped from the ranch as long ago as early August.
The incident has North Idaho ranchers worried about their image and that it
will lead to more restrictions. They say that raising elk -- a practice
banned in Washington -- is safe and within their rights as landowners.
Yet state wildlife agencies and conservation groups claim the escape
highlights potential threats posed by elk farms, necessitating greater
restrictions.
Officials believe the elk escaped on -- or before -- Aug. 14 from Rex
Rammell's 200-acre Chief Joseph hunting reserve, located near Yellowstone
National Park. Guests pay as much as $5,995 to shoot bulls he's bred to have
especially large racks.