Shooting Domestic Elk Inside Fences. It’s A Snap! Isn’t It?
March 7, 2007
That’s a great title isn’t it! This is a term we all hear used on a regular basis from those who think that game ranches should be banned. We hear over and over how “unethical” it is to hunters to go on a ranch that has game contained behind fences, and shoot these poor defenseless animals.
From some of the same people who promote those lies, we find a different account when they’re trying to use other scare tactics to influence the people.
On the KPVI NewsChannel 6 website, I found this article about the Idaho Fish and Game’s attempts at getting a few remaining deer and elk off Rulon Jones’ 2,000 acres game ranch. Southeast Region director for IDFG, Mark Gamblin, had this to say about the unsuccessful attempt yesterday at finding and killing these animals.
“We were unsuccessful. To our knowledge, we didn’t move any wildlife outside the enclosure – which is not surprising because these are wild animals. They are in their native habitat and that type of effort almost always is not successful.”
This is not the first time IDFG has attempted to get the animals off Jones’ ranch before he brought in his own animals. Last summer attempts were made to drive the wild animals out before the fences were completed.
The writer of the article had this to say about the difficulties facing IDFG.
Yesterday’s exercise – even though it was unsuccessful – gave the people involved an idea of the rough terrain they are working with. It also let them know how long this process will take.
Gamblin concurred.
“In all likelihood, this will be an ongoing problem or issue for some time, and of course, we’d like it to be resolved as quickly as possible for the public’s benefit, but we’ll just have to take it a step at a time and we’ll do the best we can.”
What I’m not understanding here is why if it is unethical to hunt deer or elk or other big game animals on the “shooter bull” operations because there is no “fair chase”, that IDFG officials can’t find and kill these remaining animals?
Don’t tell me. I know the answer. It’s because these are wild animals and the ones Rulon Jones is bringing in are all tame. Will they come when you call them Mr. Jones?
I got this photograph from Jones’ Broadmouth Canyon Ranch website. These photos are depicting some of the terrain in the Blackfoot Mountains where his 2,000 acre ranch is.
Looks to me like an easy place to go shoot one of the ranches’ “tame” elk. I can’t see any place where an animal would have room to roam nor any reasonable means of escape. Maybe if you look closely you’ll see the rope around the elk’s neck where he was tied up before the hunter slaughtered the animal.
Of course I am being facetious.
Tom Remington
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