Here's why elk ranches should be illegal in every state

[Tom]

That happens in zoos a lot, but its not a zoo animal, if its in a high fence, that's not sufficient, there's a lot of difference. National park animals seem a lot more tame than most all of the high fence animals hunted that I have seen down here. I think if you restricted elk in a high fence to just farming them, like Montana does now, no hunting of them, they would be more tame. That will end though, I know that, when those people with the liscenses for it die. I'll change it to common, not natural if that helps, its pretty common for a fence to break, it happens all the time, people get their animals or they get killed, they fix the fence, life goes on just fine. That's the idea.

 

[TheTone]

That happens in zoos a lot, but its not a zoo animal, if its in a high fence, that's not sufficient, there's a lot of difference. National park animals seem a lot more tame than most all of the high fence animals hunted that I have seen down here. I think if you restricted elk in a high fence to just farming them, like Montana does now, no hunting of them, they would be more tame. That will end though, I know that, when those people with the liscenses for it die. I'll change it to common, not natural if that helps, its pretty common for a fence to break, it happens all the time, people get their animals or they get killed, they fix the fence, life goes on just fine. That's the idea.

Huh?? My head nearly exploded trying to understand this.

 

[Washington Hunter]

its pretty common for a fence to break, it happens all the time

Thanks for providing one great reason why elk farming should be illegal.

 

[MarvB]

Again.....sigh! And I'm old enough to know better......

 

[Tom]

WH, you think that's a reason to be illegal?

The only elk allowed in those farms are real elk. They are tested for disease all the time, so they are real healthy elk too. If one escapes or one gets sick, there's no big risk then, they are managed for both health and minimum genetic risk. People have known fences break for a long time, even before elk farms, they knew that, I bet.

Isn't that why they are legal in so many places now?

 

[Washington Hunter]

Isn't that why they are legal in so many places now?

No, it's why more and more states will be making them ILLEGAL. If we're really fortunate, ALL states will eventually come to their senses and ban elk farms. Well, except Texas of course. We can dream but still that would be just a bit too much to ask.

 

[280]

Tom you are wrong, the elk are not tested all the time, they are not disease free, they are not pure, they do pose a risk,,,thats why they are becoming more and more illegal,,,,,,http://www.mad-cow.org/jul99_news.html

 

[Tom]

Huh, not tested? Geesh, are you blind? Read this from Excaliber's link.

DISEASES IN DOMESTICATED ELK

All domesticated elk are tested for CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) at slaughter. There has never been a positive CWD result in any domesticated Idaho elk herd. Only 1% of wild elk were tested for CWD in 2005. Up until last year, our domesticated elk required TB testing every 24 months. Due to the non-existence of TB in our private herds, the ISDA moved the requirements up to every 36 months. Our elk are also tested for Brucellosis, and any animal coming into Idaho from an outside state, requires this testing also. We are only allowed to purchase an out-of-state animal from at least a 5 year CWD certified herd. The only way a ranch can receive it’s 5 year CWD certification, is to have turned in every single brain on every animal (over 16 months of age) which has died or been slaughtered on their ranch. If we do not have a brain sample on (1) adult animal, we will lose our CWD status. If the F&G is concerned with disease, We feel they should adopt a program such as ours, in order to test every single wild animal. If we work together, we should be able to help eradicate disease in the wild, as we have done in our own private herds.

 

[280]

Did you read my link?,,,geesh

 

[Tom]

Does it say something about Idaho elk being not wild or being sick or not being tested? The extract from Excalibur's link addresses each of those.

 

[280]

does excaliburs link say Rammel`s elk were pure and disease free?

 

[Tom]

Right on the first page it says the escapes were disease free and pure.

What does that madcow link say? I've read on it before and thought it was a bunch of inacurate scare tactics, but I'm willing to discuss something specific there if you point it out.

Here's some "facts":
UPDATE ON THE EASTERN IDAHO SITUATION: The majority of the 36 "escapee" animals have already been tested and those were negative for disease and were found to be negative for Red Deer Genes. The remaining results on these animals continue to trickle in, and are waiting to be verified for accuracy. The ISDA has also tested the rest of the animals which were not slaughtered by state officials, and they too are negative for disease. All of the Chief Joseph domesticated elk were also negative for parasites, yet 1 of the wild elk tested was infested with fairly large liver flukes, i.e. infestation of parasites.

 

[280]

so you are saying all Idaho game farm elk are tested for CWD?

Tom you also pick and choose which articles are accurate?

 

[Tom]

I pick the accurate ones to be accurate ones.

I pick the non-accurate ones to be not accurate.

At least that's the theory for my choosing, eh?

It says they can only bring in CWD free elk. Every animal has to be tested that's killed and it has to be negative, all of them, for 5 years, or they don't get the CWD free status. Pretty good system, eh?

They really are working on controlling that disease, at least on game farms.

 

[280]

CWD can only be diagnosed through a necropsy.

break out the dictionary Tom, then explain how they can bring in LIVE CWD free elk, when the only CWD test has to be done when they are DEAD

 

[shoots-straight]

Someone that can write Tom tongue tell him that tests for Red Deer blood are anything but conclusive. You can have skipped several generations without introducing the red deer, then the fourth, seventh or eighteenth generation might show the gene. Explain that to him. I never seem to be able to talk his jargle.

 

[Washington Hunter]

"jargle?" LOL I like that.

Tom, how about this for simplicity: Not very often is it a good idea for man to mess with Mother Nature.

Don't you agree?

 

[noharleyyet]

Game farm redux is limping toward 200 posts. I can't see how any sportsman could advocate the 'arcade' shooting of captives.

I'm done.

 

[Tom]

280, 5 years CWD free, that's the criterion, all deceased animals tested. That's how they control it. WH, Don't mess with mother nature, that's like the ostrich putting their head in the sand, it doesn't work. We mess with mother nature in everything we do, even dieing.

Straight shooter, what genetic test for red deer genes are you talking about?
Isn't it a fact of biology that half the genes come from each parent in each of the offspring? They are not all inconclusive tests, they report some positive and some negative, only some are inconclusive, then they repeat. What test are you talking about? If its always inconclusive, then they don't use that one. Geesh, some of the posts you people put up here.

 

[280]

Tom so how are the incoming live elk tested to be certain they are CWD free? I am fairly certain Idaho game farmers are not importing CWD free dead elk,,,LOL

I can't see how any sportsman could advocate the 'arcade' shooting of captives.

,,,This must mean Tom then is not a sportsman