The Idaho Department of Lands (DoL) is charged with raising state funds from public lands in Idaho. Not wanting to balance failing funding by curtailing state subsidies for public lands ranching, they appear ready to consider making other mistakes.

    On the 4th of August, I received an email update from Nate Helm, Idaho Director of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, stating that he has received questions regarding methods by which state lands could generate revenue. He was apparently pleased to announce that, and I quote, that “two proposals have indeed been made to the DoL to lease property for confined hunting operations. One proposal was from the McCall area and the other in Eastern Idaho.”

    “Hunting operations” is a euphemism for what is, in my opinion, a sad abuse of animals; canned hunting. A large enclosure contains tame or semi-tame animals, and these animals are conditioned to be comfortable around people and are often trained to appear at feeders regularly, at specific times. Clients of these facilities pay to shoot these animals, often at the feeders, providing themselves with a “trophy” without much effort. In some cases, operators can often offer a “no kill-no pay” guarantee.

    Regardless of your thoughts on hunting in the classical sense, I would hope that we could all agree on an abhorrence of shooting animals behind fences. Quoting from the U.S. Humane Society’s website on the issue, “”Fair chase”-a concept central to the philosophy of many in the hunting community-doesn’t exist in canned hunts. The self-described ethical hunting community (including groups like Boone & Crockett, Pope & Young, and the Izaak Walton League) is becoming increasingly vocal in its opposition to canned hunting.”

    There are concrete reasons to ban canned hunting. Chronic Wasting Disease, which can destroy deer and elk herds in the wild, can incubate in game farms. The largely unregulated canned hunting industry artificially contains animals in concentrated areas, possibly increasing the likelihood of disease transmission.

    In an effort to protect animals and the public, Wyoming, Montana, and California have outlawed game farms. Idaho should too.

    In his update, Nate Helm suggested that the Department of Lands is apparently doing serious research on the proposed canned hunt operations; “The local regional offices for the Idaho Department of Lands are collecting input regarding the requests. They are coordinating their efforts with the Idaho Departments of Agriculture and Fish and Game. Additionally, they have solicited information from other states currently managing lands in a similar fashion. Mike Murphy, Chief, Surface & Minerals Resources, has been tasked with collecting all of the data and providing the Land Board with a report/recommendation.” I learned recently that the Department of Lands has turned down one of the proposals, but continues to struggle with funding.

    Western Watersheds Project has tried for years to increase revenues to the Idaho School Endowment Trust by competing for State land leases but those efforts have been rejected because WWP opposes livestock grazing on public lands.

    Since such proposals affects lands on which we all pay taxes, I would hope that the Department of Lands also consults with the public, through a comment period or public hearing. If they are indeed consulting with other states in our region, I sincerely hope they reach the same conclusion Montana, Wyoming and California already have.

    We should say no to canned hunts in Idaho. For more information on canned hunting and its affects on animals, please visit The U.S. Humane Society’s website at http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/stop_canned_hunts/.

    As for the Department of Lands, the answers to their funding problems are simple and direct. Accept bids from groups other than ranchers for the use of land which is supposed to be held for the public. Moreover, end the costly and destructive practice of free-range grazing on public lands.