Owner tried to keep escapees away from state shooters, official says
From staff and wire reports | Posted: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 12:00 am
Idaho game officers Monday shot and killed eight elk they said had escaped from a private hunting reserve and posed a threat to the genetic purity of wild herds roaming on the Idaho-Wyoming border.
The five cow and three young elk were the first domesticated elk killed under an emergency order issued by Idaho Gov. Jim Risch on Thursday, authorizing state agents to destroy the estimated 75 to 160 farm-raised elk that escaped in mid-August from the Chief Joseph's hunting reserve.
More than two dozen officers using aerial spotters had been unable to locate any of the escaped elk since the emergency harvest began Saturday. Idaho Fish and Game Department Director Steve Huffaker blamed the early lack of success on efforts by Rammell and his associates to keep the elk away from state shooters.
"We learned over the weekend the owner of these animals has been out there on four-wheelers hazing them and running them back into the trees, so we just left Sunday to let things settle down," Huffaker told The Associated Press Monday. "We went back in there with a small crew this morning and they were able to kill eight and spot several more."
Rammell did not return a message from AP left at his ranch Monday. In a weekend interview, his wife said they had been working to lure the elk back into the private hunting enclosure with oats, grain and molasses before state officers could shoot them.
"We've been up there and we've been chasing them trying to get them in and trying to bait them in," said Lynda Rammell. "If they would have given us more time, we would have gotten more of them in."
Huffaker acknowledged tensions were high between the Rammells and the state officers ordered to kill as many of Rammell's elk they can find to avoid potential introduction of disease and crossbreeding with wild elk.
"We'll do everything we can to avoid any confrontation we can, but this is a very serious problem and we still have to discharge our duty," he said.
Wyoming game wardens also have been given authority to kill any of the escaped elk that cross into the neighboring state.