09/11/06 Escaped elk cause `a mess`

Idaho Fish and Game Director Steve Huffaker summed it up this way. HUFFAKER "It's a mess." He is referring to the escape of up to 160 domesticated trophy elk from an eastern Idaho game preserve. HUFFAKER "Department of Fish and Game for years now has been very concerned, and so have sportsmen, have been concerned about these domestic farms and shooter bull operations in rugged country, in wildlife habitat." Governor Jim Risch has told state agencies that they can kill all of the elk that escaped from the Chief Joseph hunting preserve near Rexburg before they start breeding with wild elk in the region. For Huffaker this escape is a crisis, a definite threat to wild elk. HUFFAKER "I concerned about brucellosis. I'm concerned about chronic wasting disease. I'm concerned about the genetic composition of these animals because we don't know where they came from or whether they're descendants of real elk or if they're crossbred with red deer or God knows what else." Governor Risch says the owner of the elk herd did not report the escape. That came from residents who saw the animals in farm fields and the nearby forest. The elk are supposed to be tagged but Huffaker says some of those tags are not visible 150 yards away as required by state law. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott