FEDERATION OF WESTERN OUTDOOR CLUBS

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REGULATION OF GAME FARMS IN IDAHO

    The Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs is on record opposing commercial game farms, where herds of wild animals like deer and elk are raised inside fenced areas.

    Animals concentrated in an unnaturally small area are much more susceptible to acquiring diseases and propagating them. If these animals escape into the wilds, they pose an unacceptable risk to indigenous wild animals. Such has happened--as when animals with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), an incurable and fatal disease, escaped from a Colorado game farm and infected animals in more than a dozen states and two Canadian provinces.

    Some of the game farm animals are slaughtered, with the meat largely going to upscale restaurants. The bigger/better antlered animals often are sent to commercial fenced-in "hunting preserves" where so-called "sportsmen/women" pay large amounts of money to shoot a penned-up "trophy" animal. This not only violates the Spirit of Fair Chase which ethical hunters abide by, but is a stupid, non-sporting activity analogous to "Simple Simon" fishing in a bucket. Montana's and Wyoming's legislatures have already outlawed game farms. However, Idaho's legislature has transferred oversight and regulation of game farms from the Department of Fish and Game (DF & G) to the Department of Agriculture, where regulation and oversight is apparently non-existent.

    The Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs urges Idaho's Governor and the Idaho legislature to:

-- transfer oversight and regulatory authority over commercial game farms and "hunting preserves" to the Department of Fish and Game, and provide adequate funding for related testing and research;

-- limit the species commercially raised to those currently being so raised;

-- direct the "State Land Board" to give no more permits for game "farms/preserves;"

-- require double-fencing that meets DF&G criteria around all game farms/"preserves;"

-- ensure that all publicity by Idaho's Public Relations agency, which is directed towards enticing big game hunters to Idaho, carries the message that its wild herds will be protected from escaped game farm animals;

-- enact legislation that would prohibit any new hunting preserves and game farms from being established and would prohibit existing facilities from being transferred or sold to others; and

-- provide a legislative response to the Fish and Game assessment of the hazards posed by existing game farms to Idaho's magnificent wild game resources and close or phase out those facilities posing such risks.

[contact: Marty Huebner, Vice President, Idaho, patmarty@srv.net]

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