Game farms, again

[TLC]

Tom, if you don't see the humor in your post that says - "It could have been a door to door hog salesman" - then you have some serious problems. just out of curiousity, how many door to door hog salesmen have you run into down there in texas? do they do the same with deer?

 

[JoseCuervo]

Ok, let's wait and see where the hogs came from. I'm betting on Texas, where 20% of the feral hog populations has pseudorabies.

Oak, remember they do things different in Texas....

 

[Tom]

Tom, if you don't see the humor in your post that says - "It could have been a door to door hog salesman" - then you have some serious problems. just out of curiousity, how many door to door hog salesmen have you run into down there in texas? do they do the same with deer?

I used the phrase in a humorous way, but don't think the person transporting hogs illegally is humorous, they are probably dangerous, if they illegally transport wild hogs. The pictures I saw on the internet didn't look like wild pigs at all though, they looked like domestic pigs. I'm thinking the transport process gave the pigs the "flu like disease", I mean its like winter up there in Colorado and being pulled around in a breezy trailer, instead of cuddled up with other piggies back home, that would give any piggy the flu, if its like flu for people. Is it?

I think the game farm there has demand for hogs from hunters there, so he tried to get hogs for locals to hunt to meet that demand. I don't think he will be able to afford to keep them in a fence, they tear up most normal fences, despite the demand for that there in CO. Maybe Oak is close and would go by sometime and take a picture of the fence, but I doubt he would spend time on that. I can't imagine that the fence would hold hogs and am amazed anyone expects it would.

If the hog salesman purported to be bringing him livestock hogs, would he have needed those papers that he didn't have? Then, he probably needs less papers at least, so maybe that's what he was attempting. I don't know what he was selling or trying to sell that game rancher, but its definitely not funny. The story thus far is very incomplete, though it shows multiple problems to be dealt with. They didn't even say if the plates were in state or out of state on the trailer and truck pulling it.

I think, they need to get rid of those hogs in that place, all of them, unless they want hogs all over the area, when they tear up the fence and escape, as they likely already have. They will multiply very quickly, I've read that's why the Spaniards dropped them off here at the coastal areas hundreds of years ago, to reproduce and be a good food supply.

 

[Oak]

16 feral hogs destroyed in Collbran after disease discovered
By DAVE BUCHANAN

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Sixteen feral hogs that tested positive for pseudorabies were killed last week by state wildlife and agriculture officials as part of an ongoing investigation at a Collbran ranch.

Little Creek Ranch remains under quarantine following the Nov. 17 discovery of a livestock trailer carrying the feral hogs along with 20 exotic sheep. Feral hogs are illegal to possess or transport in Colorado, and the driver of the truck did not have required transport or importation permits.
The sheep were returned to Texas, their state of origin.

Some feral hogs already at Little Creek Ranch tested positive for pseudorabies, a contagious viral disease that can cause abortions in hogs. The disease is considered a serious threat to commercial hog operations. Pseudorabies also poses a threat to domestic animals and wildlife.

Ranch managers agreed to euthanize all hogs on the property, which operates as a licensed commercial wildlife park.

The Division of Wildlife quarantine means no animals, alive or dead, may enter or be removed from the ranch until further notice.

“Our primary goal at this point is to contain pseudorabies,” DOW spokesman Randy Hampton said. “Because we have not dealt previously with this disease, its impacts on native wildlife are unknown.”

Because the case continues under investigation, DOW officials are not saying where the livestock trailer originated, where it was stopped for inspection or how state officials knew the truck was coming into Colorado.

 

[Oak]

COLLBRAN, Colo. — Exotic hogs seized by the state from a 760-acre Collbran ranch have been euthanized to prevent the spread of pseudorabies, which can be contagious to wildlife and domestic pets.

Exotic sheep also seized and quarantined in a livestock trailer on Nov. 17 were shipped back to Texas, where they came from.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture and the Division of Wildlife quarantined the animals at the Little Creek Ranch, owned and operated by Alan Baier.

A spokesman for the Division of Wildlife said he could not comment on possible civil or criminal penalties or regulatory violations.

“It’s an ongoing investigation. We really can’t comment,” said Division of Wildlife spokesman Randy Hampton. “At the present time, the priority for the Division of Wildlife is the containment of pseudorabies.

Officers with the state have tested the feral hogs, and some of them tested positive for pseudorabies.

“With the discovery of a positive test result, further testing of hogs on the ranch is unnecessary as all are potentially exposed,” as the virus spreads easily among swine, said Hampton. “The majority are either infected or carriers.”

Because of the virus, Baier has agreed to kill all the pigs on the ranch, Hampton said.

Feral hogs are illegal to possess in Colorado, Hampton said. Over the last two years, the Division of Wildlife knows of at least 30 feral hogs killed on ranches adjacent to the Little Creek Ranch by the ranch operators or by division personnel.

The Little Creek Ranch has a commercial wildlife park license, and it got the license before the state banned owning feral hogs. Because of that, Baier’s permission to own the hogs was grandfathered in, and they continue to have permission to have hogs on the ranch, Hampton said.

The original quarantine order cited more than 80 areas of the ranch’s fence that needed fixing. With holes in the fence, animals are able to leave the ranch,
potentially affecting the area wildlife and domestic livestock, the division has said.

“There are strict requirements in the licensing of the ranch for animals’ health and fencing that the ranch is required to live up to,” Hampton said.

Baier is “working on that,” Hampton said, referring to fixing the fence.

The state has maintained communication with Baier and his attorney, Hampton said.

 

[Tom]

Thanks for the update.

"Ranch managers agreed to euthanize all hogs on the property, which operates as a licensed commercial wildlife park."

That's the only reasonable way to preserve the guys fence, once its fixed again, I would think.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Oh what a great place to hunt!!

 

[guppie9]

Oh what a great place to hunt!!

Did you happen to see this quote?????

Recommended Rifle Calibers are 243 and up. (These recommendations are only recommendations, I can kill a Bull Moose with a 22 long rifle.

What a tard!!! How irresponsible is it to hunt a moose with a 22 long. I can kill an alligator with a steak knife, too, but it doesn't mean that it is smart or ethical.

 

[Tom]

I met some guys from Montana once that told me they hunted moose with a 22-250 because they didn't want to waste the meat. I can't believe you would hunt alligator with a steak knife, geesh. I thought you're at North Pole, AK? Is that for real or a fake?

 

[guppie9]

Tom,

North Pole, AK is a real place, I assure you. And damn cold, at that. Up here, it is illegal to hunt a moose with a .22. Most people use a .300 mag or larger to hunt moose with minimal waste if you shoot at the vitals. I'm sure that someone could kill moose with a small caliber weapon, but it has to be the absolute perfect shot. Why chance it? It just doesn't seem very smart to me.....kinda like killing an alligator with a steak knife.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Dude, Santa Claus lives there...

 

[guppie9]

Dude, Santa Claus lives there...

Sure does!!

http://www.santaclaushouse.com/

 

[snake river rufus]

Cripes even the chick is on her knees.

That's a pretty good place for a chick btw

Game farms for big game are illegal in Kansas. That hasn't stopped a certain rancher from near Medicine lodge from releasing a lot of them on his land. I agree game farms are bad news but at least the animals can (sorta) be watched. You can't do that for stock that is simply released.

 

[Oak]

Well, a good start.

STATE LIFTS QUARANTINE AT COLLBRAN RANCH

DENVER, Colo. - The Colorado Division of Wildlife and the Colorado Department of Agriculture have lifted quarantine orders for Little Creek Ranch, a commercial hunting ranch near Collbran. The agencies issued joint quarantines for the property on November 26, after a load of wild hogs and exotic sheep were seized attempting to enter the ranch in violation of state law and without required paperwork.

It is illegal to transport or possess feral hogs in Colorado. Transportation of other livestock into the state requires proper health inspection certificates and appropriate import permits.

Tests of the feral hogs in the trailer and within the facility were positive for pseudorabies, a viral disease that is highly contagious in hogs and can affect other wildlife, livestock and domestic animals.

As there is no treatment for the disease, the hogs in the trailer were euthanized after they tested positive for the disease. Tests were then conducted on feral hogs in the facility. After tests showed pseudorabies present on the ranch, state officials ordered the ranch owner to depopulate all hogs on the property and continued the quarantine. The ranch owner cooperated with the order to eliminate hogs and a Christmas Eve inspection by officials with the Division of Wildlife, Department of Agriculture and USDA Wildlife Services showed no evidence of hogs on the property.

The Little Creek Ranch remains under orders to eliminate any hogs detected on the ranch or on adjacent public lands, where escaped hogs have been detected on previous occasions. As transportation or possession of feral hogs is illegal, the ranch is prohibited from having any feral hogs on the property in the future.

The investigation into the transportation of the animals seized in the trailer is continuing.

 

[Oak]

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo - The owner of a Collbran area ranch has been issued a court summons in connection with the November seizure of 16 feral hogs being transported to his ranch. The Colorado Division of Wildlife issued a summons to Alan L. Baier DBA Little Creek Ranch LLC on Tuesday, Jan. 13.

Baier was summoned to appear in court at the Mesa County Justice Center on Feb. 25 at 8 a.m.

The summons lists the following alleged violations:

Colorado Revised Statute 33-6-109(4) - Unlawful possession of a prohibited species (16 counts) (misdemeanor, $250-$1,000 fine, 10 suspension points)

Additionally, Colorado Revised Statute 33-1-106 gives the Wildlife Commission the authority to establish rules and regulations for the taking, possession and use of wildlife in Colorado. Each conviction under these rules carries a fine of $50 and assessment of five license suspension points. The Division of Wildlife alleges that Baier violated the following regulations:

Wildlife Commission Regulation #006(B)(1) - Transportation of a state-listed detrimental species (16 counts).

Wildlife Commission Regulation #1108(C)(1) and (3) - Failure to maintain fencing to required specifications (2 counts).

Wildlife Commission Regulation #1110(B) - Failure to make records available for inspection when requested (1 count).

Anyone who receives 20 or more license suspension points for violations of Colorado wildlife laws or regulations faces an administrative hearing to determine if that person's hunting or fishing privileges will be suspend for a period of time from one year to life. If hunting and fishing privileges are suspended in Colorado the suspension is honored in 30 other states that participate in the Wildlife Violator Compact.

 

[Tom]

Wow, it looks like they are saying it was his trailer of hogs, he possed them, not the traveling hog salesman. Now, its only 2 holes in the fence, what happened to all the other holes mentioned above? He either bought the hogs or went all the way to Texas to get them and he didn't have the papers for it and its only 10 points against him. Is there a way to get the court records or will we just get whatever the press puts out and Oak finds? Its not looking good for that guy to survive. Thanks for keeping us updated.

 

[Oak]

I forgot to post this one a couple of weeks ago. Looks like he's getting out of the game farm business.

Formerly quarantined ranch for sale

By MIKE WIGGINS

Friday, January 02, 2009
A commercial hunting ranch near Collbran that was shut down under a monthlong quarantine is for sale.

Hayden Outdoors, a real estate company that sells recreational property in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas and New Mexico, is listing the Little Creek Ranch for $5.7 million.

Eric West, the listing broker for the ranch, said the property has been on the market for about a year and that ranch owner Alan Baier plans to drop his asking price. West said Baier had intended to sell 50 percent of the ranch’s mineral rights with the ranch but now intends to hold onto those rights.

West said Baier, whose family has owned and operated the 760-acre exotic game ranch for 40 years, wants to retire. Baier’s son, Travis, operates Rimrock Adventures in Fruita and doesn’t intend to continue running the ranch, he said.

“It’s a full-time deal running hunters 12 months a year,” West said.
West said while he has shown the property several times and gets a call from a prospective buyer every couple of weeks, he and Baier figure there might be a better market for the ranch if it’s converted into a buffalo ranch.

Reached Friday afternoon, Baier told a reporter he was on a long-distance call and asked the reporter to call back in five minutes. A subsequent call was answered by a woman with an answering service who said Baier was out of the office.

The ranch was shut down Nov. 26 after a trailer attempting to enter the ranch was found to be carrying illegally transported feral hogs and exotic sheep. Feral hogs are illegal to transport or possess in Colorado, and the truck driver did not have the proper import permits for the sheep.

The hogs tested positive for pseudorabies, which prompted the quarantine. Pseudorabies is a viral disease that causes certain animals to abort their young and also kills domestic animals.

All of the hogs on the trailer were euthanized, and Baier was ordered to kill the hogs on the ranch after they tested positive for pseudorabies. The sheep that were on the trailer were returned to Texas.

Baier also was ordered to repair the fence surrounding the ranch.

State wildlife and agriculture officials lifted the quarantine this week after an inspection found Baier had cooperated with the quarantine orders. The ranch remains under orders to remove any hogs on the ranch or nearby public property.

Tom, the two counts of failing to maintain fence were two different incidents, not number of holes in the fence. The 10 point penalty is per count, so 160 points total.

I'm sure you can get the court records if you're that interested.

 

[Khunter]

Tom,

That is why 95% of these people are on their knees in the hero shots. Their asses are to sore to sit.

http://www.coloradowildelk.com/exotic.html

Cripes even the chick is on her knees.

Are we able to equate game farms with butt sex? Or Texans defending game farms with butt sex?

This 'outfit' is the same guys who are breaking landowner voiucher rules in Colo. They tried, unsucessfully to keep me off of land I have rights to hunt with a deer voucher this week. Look forward to meeting the hguy who leads people to pets and circus animals to shoot, grip, and grin.

 

[Oak]

Wow, blast from the past! I guess I used to get fired up about some things.

Funny that this is the same guy you had to deal with, Khunter.

 

[Khunter]

Wow, blast from the past! I guess I used to get fired up about some things.

Funny that this is the same guy you had to deal with, Khunter.

I googled the outfitter name and this thread came up

Well not talked to him specifically yet, but he is the outfitter on the place and the ranch manager was telling me" I can't let you on with your voucher I sold you cause we have an outfitter on there." These guys all know they have been selling landowner vouchers to the outfitter for 'exclusive' ranch access and then selling even more of them to guys like me and trying to buffalo us into thinking we have no right to hunt the land except the last few days of the season, At least I am not the first guy CPW has heard from. "They thought they had the problem solved a couple years ago". Apparently not. I have been on the side of the road with an outfitter lying through his teeth as his client stood there and he was telling me I was on 'his' leased land as he tries to sell that he is not a fraud to his client. Not expecting a lot more out of this deal, but we will see. Maybe rainbows and pretty butterflies will come out of his mouth instead of curse laden invectives....

Feel like riding in there opening morning with my Rodney Dangerfield caddieshack alarm blazing, But my hunting partner is more of a peace lover than me.


LAst night the belligerent ranch manager had apparently had the wind taken out of his sails by CPW as he was a lot more reasonable in tone and word. He did say "Now I gotta confront the outfitter to let him know other hunters will be on the ranch" :hump: SCore on for sportsmen!


More to this later, but they got me amped up to work HARD to fix what's broke in Colorado's Landowner Voucher program. HAD to go through the above before CPW, or anyone, would provide the exact parcel data and acreages I am entitled to with my voucher. That should e available before you ever buy a landowner voucher so the process is transparent.