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1)      There are 93 domestic cervidae facilities in Idaho administered by the ISDA, over half of those are reported to be TB and Brucellosis accredited by the USDA and under the mandatory rule that the industry themselves ask for, all animals that have died or that have been slaughtered or otherwise shot for trophy animals have been submitted for CWD testing over the past 8 years. These are documented disease free DOMESTIC LIVESTOCK .

 

2)      The animals that are being discussed here are of proven SUPERIOR GENETICS. Several bulls harvested on Idaho ranches this past year scored over 500 inches and the all time INTERNATIONAL champion for 2005 scored 602 inches at the national competition. This is due to some excellent management practices.

 

3)      It has been reported by ISDA officials that 450 trophy bulls were booked for harvest in the SE portion of Idaho for the 2006 season, and generated some $20 million to the local economies of rural Idaho, notwithstanding the millions generated by the meat and antler industry. The facts are that there is a modern fast growing trend that should be welcomed by Idaho not shunned and treated as something dirty and unethical. These are disease free DOMESTIC LIVESTOCK of superior genetics that are being harvested.

 

4)      The health benefits of elk meat and velvet antler are astounding. Products derived from elk velvet antler have helped millions of people to overcome the pain a multitude of ailments. Physicians are recommending that patients with heart disease not eat red meat unless it is from deer and elk. Elk meat is a much sought after commodity by many high end restaurants. This is due in part to the fact that we raise HEALTHY animals tested for disease.

 

5)      This industry has been unfairly treated like the red headed “step child” by some Idaho state officials and unprotected by our governing agency. The US population is in a paradigm shift over such issues as the taking of trophy animals and the whole idea of hunting in general. This is a legitimate growing industry that is trying to be thwarted by those that have little idea as to the possible potential and we feel our industry has little bearing on the wild hunting population that has been documented as being in decline.

 

6)      As a viable agricultural industry governed by the Idaho Department of Ag, we collectively and respectfully ask the good Governor of Idaho that this industry remain status quo. It is extremely important to the industry that the “hunting” ranches and breeding operations remain under the same state department and with the same regulations. As the industry breed association we hereby offer our assistance to the governor to help write new legislation that may have become necessary.

 
 
WHAT IS DEER FARMING?
Gerald W. Evers

Deer and elk farming refers to the raising of non-native deer and elk for venison, velvet antler, and stock for game ranchers. There is also a market for the antlers and hides. In the eastern US, this usually occurs on small acreages of improved pastures.

Game ranching is the management of deer and elk for recreational hunting and/or venison production on large acreages of rangeland and forest.

Deer farming is not new. Archaeological digs indicate Phoenicians used domesticated deer around 4000 B.C. and the Chinese have a history of deer use that dates back 5000 years. Reports on domestication of deer in
North America occurred over 100 years ago. USDA published farmer bulletins on deer farming in 1908 and 1910.

Interest in deer farming decreased until the mid-1970's when the modern deer farming industry began to develop because of the surge of activity in New Zealand and Europe in marketing venison and deer by-products. In 1993, the estimated sale of deer and deer products produced in the US was $3.8 million.

The population of non-native deer in Texas increased over 300% from 27,538 in 1974 to 90,112 in 1994. The most recent survey in 1996 of exotic hoof stock operations in Texas reported 106,000 non-native deer of
which 91,000 were under high fence. The predominant deer breeds were axis - 55,400, fallow - 27,200, sika - 12,000 and red deer - 4,800.

Elk are considered to be native to North America but they are believed to be descendants of red deer that crossed the Bering Land Bridge from Asia to North America 120,000 years ago. Elk developed larger body size
and antlers than red deer because of the abundant high-quality forage in the previously unoccupied habitat of North America.

Some of the earliest reports on domesticating and farming elk in the United States were from Oregon in 1849, Illinois in 1877, and Montana in 1896.

Beginning in the twentieth century, surplus elk from Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks were given or sold to private land owners and ranchers. Elk farming has increased dramatically during the last twenty years. A 1999 census in Canada reports 53,535 elk on 1,879 farms.
The North American Elk Breeders Association estimates the number of elk farmed and ranched in the United States at over 100,000.

Inability of native white-tailed deer to utilize warm-season perennial grasses does not allow them to be farmed as readily as the introduced deer species and elk.

Farming of deer and elk has many advantages. Because grasslands are used to meet most of the nutrient requirements of the deer, it is an environmentally friendly agricultural system that protects both soil and water.

Deer farming is well suited for small land owners or larger farms or ranches that desire to diversify. Five acres of improved pasture in East Texas are sufficient for a one-buck herd of 25 to 30 fallow, sika, or axis does and to
carry the weaned fawns to slaughter weight. Venison is a lean meat, low in fat and cholesterol, which is an attractive alternative to chicken and fish for health conscious Americans.

At the present time, from 80 to 90% of the venison marketed in the US is imported from New Zealand. Deer numbers are not large enough to support the infrastructure for regional marketing of venison at this time.

Most venison is sold by the individual deer farmers. There are several small slaughter plants capable of handling deer. A marketing survey of Texas restaurants reported that approximately 20% of the hotel, country club, and German-theme restaurants served exotic game
meat.

Because non-native deer can reach slaughter weight on well managed pastures, grain feeding in concentrated feeding operations such as is required for production of poultry, swine, dairy, and beef is not
necessary. However, deer and elk farming is not without risk. As with other agricultural enterprises, good management is necessary along with an understanding of pasture production and animal nutrition, growth,
reproduction, and health as well as economics. Deer and elk are more difficult to handle than other livestock and require special fencing and handling facilities. Individuals interested in deer farming should visit deer and elk farming operations in their area.

Other information sources are the North American Deer Farmers Association (9301 Annapolis Road #206, Lanham, Maryland 20706-3115; Phone 301-459-7708; http://www.nadefa.org) and the North American Elk
Breeders Association (1708 N. Prairie View Road, PO Box 1640, Platte City, Missouri 64079; Phone 816-431-
3605; http://www.naelk.org).

 

 

 

Fact VS Fiction

 

The domestic elk industry, both in Idaho and nationally will continue to work with the governor's office, the legislature and Department of Agriculture as it has done in the past, being a self-regulated industry

.

Traditional opposition to elk ranching is based primarily upon misinformation and a "chicken little" mentality.

 

FALSE: Domestic animals are all sick and threaten the health of wild herds.

 

TRUTH: There has never been a documented case of brucellosis, tuberculosis or chronic wasting disease in domestic elk in Idaho, notwithstanding close surveillance by ISDA and in specific animal health programs, USDA. To the contrary, the presence of brucellosis in wild elk in eastern Idaho is well documented and has been a true threat to Idaho's cattle industry brucellosis-free status for many years. In the recent past, at least two cattle herds were found to have brucellosis. In at least one of those cases (Albertson, which was in close geographical proximity to the current debacle) the strain of brucellosis was identified as coming directly from wild elk. The domestic elk industry has always been proactive in seeking animal health programs for diseases of concern and has lobbied for such programs both in the Idaho legislature and in Congress; i.e. current tuberculosis and CWD eradication programs, which, to some degree, owe their existence to the domestic elk industry.

 

FALSE: Domestic elk pose a threat to the genetics of wild elk.

 

TRUTH: Idaho only allows the raising of pure elk. Red deer and hybrids are prohibited by statute. There is nothing inferior about the genetics of domestic elk. The genetic makeup of thousands of domestic elk in the United States comes directly from wild elk which were removed from Yellowstone Park in an effort to limit the size of that herd.

 

FALSE: Recent events are indicative of the practices of all elk producers.

 

TRUTH: The vast majority of elk producers in Idaho and elsewhere strive diligently to manage compliant operations and to protect the health of their herds and their substantial investments in those herds. It is truly suicidal to fail to adhere to the regulations and in particular the relevant animal health programs.

 

FALSE: Domestic elk are "captive" animals.

 

TRUTH: In the State of Idaho, domestic elk have been considered livestock by statute. They are not being "held against their will" but are readily adaptive to being domesticated.

 

NEW! FALSE: CWD came from a private game farm in Colorado.

 

NEW! TRUTH: CWD has estimated to have been present in the wild for 30 or 40 years. It’s symptoms were documented in the CO Division of Wildlife’s and in the Colorado State University @ Ft. Collins' cervid research pens in the 1960’s -some of those animals escaped, or were returned to the wild, or were sold to zoos, including the Denver Zoo. At a CWD symposium in 2003, Dr. Beth Williams was the keynote speaker. To start her power point presentation, she told the 150 invited guests and the press, that CWD was originated and spread by high fenced facilities. At the conclusion of her address, she was asked if the high fenced facilities she blamed were game farms or the high fenced facilities of the Colorado Department Of Wildlife at Ft. Collins, Kreming, Meeker, Colorado State University, and Sybil, Wyoming. She admitted on camera that she was referring to those research facilities, not game farms.  

Questions every sportsman should answer!

Why are you trying to stop hunting on only 13 privately owned elk herd ranches? If the sportsman's complaint is hunters having an unfair advantage because they hunt elk that are seldom hunted, then how is it different that many private outfitting & guiding ranches offer exclusive hunting and guided hunts on their land to hunt 'wild' elk. There is absolutely nothing that prevents these ranches from helping the 'wild' elk on their property get through the year by supplemental feeding them. It is illegal to shoot an elk at a feed site or a salt lick. There also is a rule that the 13 private elk breeders have imposed on themselves on the hunts they provide.

"Please 'sportsmen organizations' will you tell me why you support and promote these 'wild' ranches but say the other isn't 'fair chase' hunting?"

Are 'sportsmen organizations' really afraid that elk from private ranches will pollute the pure wild strain of elk? Private elk herds must each have been DNA tested and were shown to be genetically pure elk to be legally raised in Idaho. All the elk that are on the private elk ranches in Idaho are Rocky Mountain now were bought from the Yellowstone herd; surplus elk from the about 50 years ago when the government sold them to private elk ranchers, this fact is available per the National Archives and Records Administration. This was before they started feeding them to the wolves but that is another issue.

Are 'sportsmen organizations' really afraid that elk from private ranches will spread disease to 'wild' elk? Private elk herds must ALL be checked for disease and there has NEVER been one case of brucellosis, TB or CWD ever found in any private elk herds in Idaho. Now both Montana and Wyoming, which don't have any private elk ranches have had many wild elk test positive for all of these diseases. Idaho hasn't built a fence around the State to keep those WY and MT elk from getting into the pure Idaho elk herds. If the real reason was disease I would think it more important to isolate from a known source than one that has never had a problem.  

Why does the IDFG want to get rid of private elk ranching? Could it be because private elk ranches are in direct competition with the wild elk hunts IDFG sells? Is it because the IDFG doesn't receive any money from the private elk ranchers because the Idaho legislature put them under the Idaho State Department of Agriculture? Could it be as simple as supply and demand; eliminate the competition and you can set the price for the product? Why else would IDFG support eliminate private wild game ranches?  

Did you know, according to their website the leading anti-hunter group Human Society of the United States, also wants to eliminate private wild game ranches? Don't you think that is odd company the IDFG and some Idaho sportsman groups are now aligning themselves with?