FWP Commission to approve the beginnings of Park County Game Ranching?

6 foot tall fences, elk and private hunting parties?

I dont know what they call that here in Montana,

but back in Texas, we called it "Game Ranching".

On February 13, 2013, the FWP Commission tenatively approved the Park County Elk Brucellosis Working Group modifications to the 2014 Elk Work Plan. These modifications were supported by Helena FWP for adoption.

FWP Elk Brucellosis 2014 Work Plan Modifications in Park Co.
Please see page for complete information and contact information to submit public comments.


I have been documenting this elk brucellosis program since Nov. 2012. I have attended, audio recorded and transcribed the 3 Park County Working Group meetings so the public can see what the real objectives are.

There are proposed elk HD changes for this area supported by this group, on their private lands; wildlife prohibitive tall fencing by the miles, paid for with sportsmens dollars and again, no public hunter access required; extended kill permit and Elk Management Removal dates to May 15, including on DNRC public lands that they lease. They had objections to the DSA max quota of 250 Elk Management Removals.

This isnt about preventing the 0.00024% chance that a Montana cattle could possibly contract brucellosis from an elk. This is about depopulating, removing a forage competition ungulate from the landscape, sportsmens dollars subsidizing their Socialized Agriculture and game ranching.

They even had a 3rd recommendation to submit, do away with the Hunt Roster (not like they used it this last season, which is why they have never provided my requested information in my Public Information Request) “Use only Park County hunters for the EMR's (Elk Management Removals) and the kill permits. This is a local work plan, therefore utilizing local hunters would be a way to create relationships between hunters and landowners. These relationships could possibly result in the creation of additional hunting opportunities for future hunting seasons.”

There is also the question if any of these ranches have conservation easements on them for wintering. We have asked this question before and received no answer. In addition to trying to correct their repeated misunderstanding of brucellosis risk transmission to cattle, Dr. Mark Albrecht, DVM, also a member of the Statewide Elk Brucellosis Working Group, asked, “What about lands that are given up for conservation easements for wintering purposes? Thats private land, but it has also been paid for with a conservation easement. Mark Albrecht, Bozeman, Montana Statewide Elk Brucellosis Working Group. FWP just got raked over by Senator Brendan for double dipping...If youre going to start making all these exceptions, what about property thats got a conservation easement on it for wintering ground? Senator Brendan just was on Fish, Wildlife & Parks about paying for easements, then paying for access. So I think you might need to be careful on how that were to go...If youre hazing or shooting animals on property that had a conservation easement on it for winter ground, that would seem to be a conflict that you might want to address, to bring everyone together on that.”

http://www.emwh.org/issues/brucellosis/brucellosis.htm

Kathryn QannaYahu