When Rulon Jones opened his game hunting preserve in Bingham County, Idaho, one requirement was to erect his fences. Before the entire enclosure was complete, the wild game such as elk, deer and moose, had to be chased out. Several attempts were made to do this but not all the wild animals were removed before his fencing on his 2,000 acre spread, was completed.
Last week fish and game officials went to Jones’ ranch to hunt down and kill the remaining animals. This attempt was unsuccessful and Governor Otter ordered them to stop with the killing and look at other ways to release the animals unharmed.
The Department of Fish and Game and the Department of Agriculture got together with Mr. Jones, and it was decided that the ISDA would extensively review all records for Jones’ game ranch animals and make a determination if his animals were all disease-free. They would check for tuberculosis, brucellosis, chronic wasting disease, meningeal worms and muscle worms.
If given a clean bill of health, then Governor Otter says the animals shall be set free. Jones has offered to pay the associated costs of getting the animals out of his enclosure. They will try baiting the animals in a way to get them to leave on their own. If that is not successful, then live trapping will be tried. As a last resort, the animals may have to be killed. If that is deemed necessary, Jones will be issued a permit and under the direction and assistance of the ISDA and IDFG, the remaining animals will be killed.
With this effort of the governor and the cooperative spirit of the ISDA, IDFG and ranch owner Rulon Jones, much can be accomplished. I think it also shows that the governor and other state officials are beginning to understand the validity of the testing procedures for certifying the animals that are on Idaho’s game ranches. There is no disease and the animals are genetically pure.
Tom Remington
