Wyoming urges Idaho to outlaw game farms

JACKSON, Wyo. – Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal is asking Idaho to ban game farms and to help enact a communication system among the two states and Montana.

Freudenthal’s request to Idaho Gov. Jim Risch comes in the wake of domestic elk escaping from an eastern Idaho game farm.

Freudenthal said in the letter dated Thursday that Wyoming banned game ranching 30 years ago because of the risks to wildlife and to avoid situations like the domestic elk escaping.

“We still firmly believe the ramifications of such operations to legitimate hunting recreation, and disease transmission – including brucellosis – to wildlife and domestic livestock, is not in the public interest,” he wrote. “I’m hopeful that as a result of this regrettable development, that Idaho will consider implementing similar restrictive measures against game ranching and related high fence shooting operations.”

In Montana, voters passed an initiative in 2000 that stopped the issuance of new game farm licenses, rendered existing licenses nontransferrable and made it illegal to shoot game farm animals for a fee.

Freudenthal also suggested developing a protocol to notify each state when “actions or events in our respective jurisdictions – from whatever source – pose a threat to wildlife or domestic livestock in an adjoining state.”

Freudenthal thanked Risch for the actions he took calling for a hunt on the escaped elk, and for the state notifying Wyoming.

In a statement released by Risch’s office, Risch said he would “take the lead” in developing a notification plan. Risch did not address Freudenthal’s request to ban game farms.