From Chgo Suntimes
Idaho rancher vows fight over escaped elk

September 25, 2006

BY JESSE HARLAN ALDERMAN



ASHTON, Idaho -- When 100 farm-raised elk fled his private hunting reserve through a bear-dug hole under the fence, owner Rex Rammell -- a man with a history of locking antlers with the state -- didn't realize he'd wind up in the governor's cross hairs.

Like 'wrong side of mafia'



A month later, about 20 of the elk are dead, shot on sight under an emergency executive order from Gov. Jim Risch. About 40 have been recaptured and the rest are roaming near Yellowstone National Park, home to the nation's largest herd of wild elk.

Risch, joined by wildlife officials, says Rammell's elk will pollute the native gene pool and spread disease. Rammell, a veterinarian who made a career of breeding trophy bull elk, says he would like to run against Risch in four years on a campaign against government abuses.

''It's like I've gotten on the wrong side of the mafia,'' Rammell said of the state and public hunters who patrol the rock-cobbled roads near his ranch, taking elk in their sights.


AP

Didn't help his cause that he has tried to run rough shod over the rules and regulations that govern his type of operation.

I wonder why he didn't announce the escape of his elk from his whopping 200 acre hunting preserve for almost a month. I am sure it didn't have anything to do with the fact that he hadn't abided by tagging his elk with state approved tags.

The media has painted him to be a saint...some of us that live close have a different opinion.

Mine is that I think he is in the wrong, and I hope every last elk of his still out there falls to a hunters rifle.

My .02

300winnie,

Couldn't agree more. Now he's talking about his political plans. Only thing worse than a game farmer is a politician. Sound's like he released the animals himself just to get his name in the news. Maybe he's suffering from Crutchfield-Jacob's disease.

If 300WINNIE is correct, then 200 acres hardly qualifies him as a rancher.
Must be one heck of a hole under the fence for "trophy farmed elk to get UNDER the wire.

I am willing to bet that before it is all over, deer and elk farmers will spread most of the destructive diseases far and wide.

Local paper reports that he has sold his ranch. Hopefully Idahoans will put an end to these "shooter bull" type of operations

I think its funny. Way too many schmucks like him are doing their damndest to commercialize hunting until dollar signs are all thats left of it. Takes the joy out of hunting IMO.