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The anti-elk ranching battle in other states. Scroll down...
Updated 8/13/08
NORTH DAKOTA
The list of signatures on petitions handed in to him by the "North Dakota Hunters for Fair Chase" was incomplete. Although NDHFC thought they had enough signatures to make the November 2008 ballot, there were164 signatures were disqualified because of incomplete petitions, it is unknown how many would be out due to non-registered voters, duplicates, etc. which is quite common in sometimes large volumes.
North Dakota law requires each set of petitions to contain specific details to be considered as legal. Some of the petitions where missing pages, particularly one that was missing a list of the sponsoring committee’s names.NDHFC have until August 27, 2008 to correct the problems and add more signatures. If this is completed by that date, an initiative may end up on the 2010 ballot.
By Tom Remington
"The "North Dakota Hunters For Fair Chase" has some serious explaining to do and may also be in line to offer up an apology or two for not being very honest and transparent……but they won’t. It’s not part of their mission. Their goal is to tread on American’s rights while attempting to force their ideals down the throats of their neighbors in what now clearly indicates the desire to use whatever means available to them. In this case, accepting, if not asking, for the help of the Humane Society of the United States..." See article HERE!
By Tom Remington May 2008
The initiative drive is in progress with little known of success in obtaining signatures... more to come as information becomes available.
By Tom Remington
The citizens of North Dakota will have to make the decision, providing NDHFC (North Dakota Hunters for Fair Chase) can get enough signatures to get their initiative on the November 2008 ballot. Unfortunately, the information the voters get won’t be all facts...If this initiative were to pass, the likes of the Humane Society of the United States, PETA and tons of other animal rights groups will be foaming at the mouth to get into North Dakota and continue the onslaught to end hunting once and for all...
OREGON
2008 OR Legislative Session Overview
Courtesy of FriendsofHunting.org
SB 490 – Sponsored by Senator Vicki Walker, this bill directs the Fish & Wildlife Commission to adopt rules prohibiting the use of Internet or closed circuit media in hunting. It was broadly supported in both chambers and has been signed into law by the Governor, with an effective date of July 1, 2008.
SB 572 – Would have completely redefined the management of wildlife in Oregon and virtually reclassified all animals not indigenous to the state. The bill’s language was very broad, as well as vague. While it did pass through the Senate, upon arriving in the House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, several concerns had been raised. Due to some significant lobbying and questions raised about the merits of the bill, Rep. Arnie Roblan did not schedule the bill for a work session and it died in committee.
SB 804 – This legislation was requested as the result of the recent Supreme Court ruling regarding the definition of “wildlife.” Representatives of ODFW testified that the ruling completely overrode all previous rules regarding their authority to define exotic animals and the department needed the legislation passed to restore their authority to manage wildlife properly. Deputy Director Roy Eliker testified in committee that ODFW was not seeking broader authority and would not attempt to exceed the department’s previous role or status but as merely seeking to regain its previous role in managing wildlife. Based on this testimony, the legislation did pass both chambers and has been signed into law by Governor Kulongoski.
HB 2295 – This is the legislative proposal to redefine gray wolves as a game mammal. There was sufficient opposition mounted to keep the proposal in the House Committee on Natural Resources and it received only one public hearing and died in committee.
HB 2970 – This legislation was introduced at the request of the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife and clarified some concerns regarding the suspension of an individual’s hunting or fishing license. It is part of the Wildlife Violators Compact and will bring Oregon into a better position to be able to support the compact. The legislation strengthened the sanctions for those who violate hunting laws and allows suspension of a violator’s license for committing crimes against the state’s wildlife and hunting laws. It has been signed into law by the governor.
HB 2971 – This bill allows ODFW to appoint agents to hunt cougars that damage property with dogs and was promoted as another for ODFW to properly manage the state’s cougar population. It was supported by ODFW but was still somewhat controversial due to the many complaints of anti-hunting activists. It was opposed on the basis that it violated the state initiative prohibiting hunting with dogs, but the bill still won legislative approval and has gone to the governor’s desk for his signature.
HB 3164 – Sponsored by Representatives Krieger and Clem, this bill was meant to clarify how public lands should be used for wildlife management and was designed to increase access to public lands for hunting. The bill was passed overwhelmingly in the House but stalled in the Senate once it reached that chamber’s Natural Resources Committee. It never even received a hearing in the Senate and died in committee.
HB 3165 – Also sponsored by Representative Krieger, this legislation directs the Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commission to establish a youth hunter mentoring program. The bill received a public hearing in House Agriculture on March 21, 2007. It was supported also by Oregon Gun Owners, Oregon Hunters Association and National Rifle Association-Oregon. Unfortunately, despite all the positive aspects of such a program, the bill never received a work session in the House and died in committee.
HB 3437 – This bill added crocdylia (crocodiles) to the list of exotic animals in Oregon but was originally written to establish new procedures for defining who can and cannot own and breed exotic animals in Oregon, and ban most exotic animals as pets. While it did make it to the House floor for a vote, it was referred by the committee chair, Rep. Arnie Roblan, back to the House Committee on Rules for further consideration. The bill was amended to restrict the ownership of some exotic animals and exempt anyone with a USDA license from the legislation but has still not been sent to the floor for a vote.
Members of the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to deny three petitions to change elk-ranching rules for the state. The consensus was that the issues surrounding the commercial ranching of elk need more discussion before such petitions could be considered. “We are fortunate in Oregon to have clean wild and farmed populations as far as elk are concerned,” said Zane Smith, a commission member from Springfield. “There are a number of issues that I feel need more consideration before we trigger rule-making.” The seven members asked biologists and other officials with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to come back at the February commission meeting with recommendations. Among the issues they were told to consider are the affects of any rule changes, the groups affected by any changes, and a time frame for them to draft and present any recommended rules.
The third petition was one presented to the Commission from a group of Oregon elk breeders. The two petitions submitted to OFWC call for either ending all commercial elk farms by the year 2012 or capping the limit on farms to 16 and providing for the eventual dismantling of the industries through the inability to transfer ownership in any way. While it is encouraging to see that the OFWC isn’t interested in jumping into this issue and running roughshod over the elk industry, it is disturbing that once again, like in Idaho, hunting organizations have opted to team up with the likes of the Humane Society of the United States. Making decisions such as this to ban a clean and safe industry, should not be taken likely. This has to be based strictly on science and whether it can be proven to be a valid and large enough health risk to both humans and other wildlife, to warrant a stripping of one’s rights as an American. Teaming up with an organization that is systematically using divide and conquer tactics along with chipping away at one small aspect of hunting at a time, is flat-out wrong. I never thought I would live long enough to see the day that true sportsmen would consider HSUS a partner in the preservation of our hunting heritage.
By Tom Remington 3/18/08
"...Are we to believe that diseases that affect elk and the rest of our ungulate species can only be spread in one direction?..."
1/24/08 By Tom Remington
Ron Angland, with the Oregon Fish and Wildlife (OF&W), and Dan Edwards, Kelly Smith & Karen Smith with the Mad Elk Coalition are pushing for regulations that will destroy the cervid industry in Oregon:1. NO OUT OF STATE SALES BEGINNING APRIL 7, 2008 OF&W are overstepping their authority as they have no jurisdiction outside Oregon when it comes to regulating legal hunting preserves.2. DOUBLE FENCING 10 FOOT APART WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS The state's own high fenced enclosure, Starkey, would of course be exempt from this regulation.3. NO MEAT SALES AFTER DECEMBER 31, 2007 As of 5/08 No bulls can be sold out of state for the purpose of paid harvest, other regulations pending.If these don't constitute infringement upon rights, (free enterprise, interstate commerce, etc.) then what does?!
3-5-07 by Tom Remington
(this has now happened twice!) A private elk ranch in Sisters, Oregon was the scene of what appears to be intentional cutting of two fences in order to free 35 elk. Authorities say two fences were deliberately cut...
4-26-07 by Tom Remington
Oregon lawmakers, with the encouragement of the Humane Society of the United States, are systematically going about stripping landowners from their rights to own property and have the freedom to do as they choose on their land...
Things that make you go hmmmmmm.......
2/7/07
The Oregon elk ranchers are currently being battled by the "MAD ELK COALITION". This particular group includes the Humane Society of the U.S., The Oregon Hunter's Association and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Another strange relationship between "pro-hunting groups" and one of the largest "ANTI-HUNTING group in the country.... Yet in Oregon, their F&G agency operates the Starkey Experimental Forest and Range. http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/starkey/introduction.shtml This "Project" is located in La Grande Oregon right outside of the Oregon/Idaho border. This is a 25,000 acre "enclosed" pen, with a mixture of cattle, deer and elk. Not only does the F&G operate this facility, but they offer paid hunts on the animals which are enclosed in these pens. And according to their website, "After testing, the animals are returned to the appropriate pastures through a series of gates. Within the pastures, researchers document the number of offspring produced and the population status of the herds.Surplus animals can be loaded onto a truck at the handling facility and released outside the enclosure."
2-7-07 by Tom Remington
1-22-07
by Tom Remington
On the heels of the debate in full swing in Idaho, members of a hunting organization in Oregon have stooped so low as to be partnering up with their biggest enemy, the Humane Society of the United States. The Oregon Hunters Association, along with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, has teamed up with HSUS to put an end to elk farming there. Using the events in eastern Idaho last summer where elk escaped a ranch there, the unlikely and disturbing coalition is using much of the same misinformation to instill unfounded fear in the people in order to ban elk farming. It is very sad that groups these days, like HSUS, OHA and RMEF, believe that it is American to yank the livelihoods out from under hard working people for reasons not found viable through science. The MAD-Elk Coalition - HSUS, OHA and RMEF - sent two petitions to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission for consideration...
TENNESSEE
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) attempts to import elk from Kentucky that does not meet state or federal import regulations After TWRA was denied their importation request from Canada in early 2007, TWRA tried to import elk form Land Between the Lakes (LBL) in KY that did not meet import regulations in regard to disease issues. The Non Traditional Farmers And Ranchers Coalition (NTFARC) again stepped forward and made government officials aware of the problem and proved that the herd had not met the testing and monitoring regulations to insure that the herd was safe for importation. Even though TWRA had imported elk from this herd in years past, TWRA was unable to obtain any elk this time due to NTFARC efforts and therefore NTFARC again protected TN's wildlife and livestock from disease and insured that the same laws and regulations that cover the domestic cervidae industry are also enforced on a state wildlife agency.UPDATE: The importation was allowed to take place, yet the NTFARC's efforts resulted in the TWRA having to TB test the animals prior to shipping- other potential threats from this action are unknown as the health history of the animals in question is little to non-existent in the absence of good monitoring practices.
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