Darting Elk on Private

[bigharge]

Still doing my own research on this one but curious if anyone else has ran across private land owners darting elk and moving them into a high fence area.

Seems completely unethical but wanted to clarify the legality on it. This particular ranch/property is in New Mexico

 

[smw110136]

Darting a wild elk and transporting it to private private property (high fence or not) would be illegal, not just unethical. If this action is legal anywhere in the United States I would be shocked.

 

[Rainer]

Well in Saskatchewan they dart high fenced elk and ship them to farms in the States. Gotta get the freak pic for the Gram. It is also how CWD is being transferred legally

 

[wytex]

Didn't a Northern NM ranch get in trouble many years back for capturing wild elk in their high fence.
Somewhere near Chama ?

 

[WapitiBob]

Chama Land and Cattle
The culprit is long gone and Frank Simms has been running it since.

 

[Schaaf]

Why do you hate landowners?

 

[3855WIN]

Elk are hard enough to move when you quarter em out. Can’t imagine loading the entire critter up.

 

[TLowell02]

I think more details are needed. Darting wild elk on public lands?

 

[bigharge]

Yeah I’m not trying to point fingers and I’m not personally a witness to it. However a relative that returned back from a outfitted hunt on a private ranch in New Mexico made some comments about things the guides had discussed while hunting.

This was a large private ranch but within the ranch was a separate property that was high fenced. Guides had made the comment that a lot of the bigger bulls around there end up in there with a dart gun, and there were plenty of dart guns hanging in the facility. Also mentioned they said all you have to do is run through there with the corn spreader and could shoot whatever elk you could afford.

Now I live in Texas and that’s common practice for most things. It’s not my cup of tea but I know it’s a legal way of harvesting an animal. Just peaked my curiosity as to the legality of it when it came to elk in other states.

 

[TLowell02]

Interesting. Seems like something Game & Fish might be interested in unless it is taking place on reservation land?

 

[LuketheDog]

Yeah I’m not trying to point fingers and I’m not personally a witness to it.

I love when people say things like this...it's like dropping a "no offense, but..."