By: Mitch Hicks

Mitch Hicks — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 23:31:28 +0000

I am an Idaho native of 48 years. Born and raised in southeastern Idaho. If I wanted to live in Texas I’d go there. For a time I did. I’m an avid hunter, angler and a 15 year veteran of fish and wildlife law enforcement. Overwhelmingly the greatest number of complaints I hear from hunters and fishers are about the possessiveness private land owners are exerting over public resources including wildlife. While at the same time one can empathize with these folks the greatest complaints of private land owners is trespass. Operations like Mr. Rammell’s Chief Joseph preserve are a disgrace to the state of Idaho and the wild treasures Idaho holds. Treasures that are dwindling because of out of control commercialization of wildlife and wild lands. Governor and Senator Shoup, Senator Borah, Senator Church and Governor Andrus are Idaho’s founding fathers of the state’s wildness. They could not be proud of how these operators have compromised their visions. As well as all of the people who are thankful for the preservation of Idaho’s natural diversity. High fence, $1000 a point, operations aren’t constructive or progressive to Idaho’s hunting heritage. It’s just another sociological indicator that wild things are expendable in likeness to salmon, steelhead, bull trout, grizzly, wolves, sharptail, on and on. Idaho’s government is not being responsible by allowing it. Neighboring states have asked Idaho to stop. Schreiner Farms moved out of Washington state to Idaho when Washington outlawed their operation. Zeph Creek, Mountain View, Elk Springs, Juniper Mountain, Pine Mountain, Rim Rock, Velvet Elk, Thunder Mountain, Broadmouth Canyon, The Idaho Elk Breeders Association and Chief Joseph to name a few need to move on too. The Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho ought to be insulted to have Mr. Rammell name his operation after one of their most honored leaders, Chief Joseph. ESPN (Associated Press 1/3/07) and New West Magazine (2/7/07) have caught on. The Boone and Crocket Club and the Pope and Young Club have condemned these types of operations. Sadly Idaho Fish and Game lost control to the Idaho Department of Agriculture in the 1990′s. More than 200 domestic elk have escaped from these operations and countless free roaming deer and elk have penetrated into the pastures with captive herds. There’s no such thing as an elk proof fence. Just ask Idaho Fish and Game and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (Starkey Experimental Station). Captive intervention should only be for research and unsustainable populations. Fair chase hunting, natural procreation of indigenous wildlife, public lands and cooperative private lands are what’s right for our nation’s wildlife. Not closing lands to reasonable public access and not making indigenous wildlife agricultural products.

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By: Mitch Hicks