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Article: The Great Game-Ranching Debate.(proposition to stop game ranching in Montana's 2000 election)
- Article from:
- Sports Afield
- Article date:
- April 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Hearst Communications, reprinted with permission of Hearst. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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THE SIGNS SPROUTING along Montana's highways before the November 2000 election pulled no punches. Erected by the Montana Alternative Livestock Producers (MALP), they read: "Stop environmental and animal-fights extremists from destroying another Montana industry. Vote against I-143."
The industry in question was game ranching, mainly for elk, and the ballot initiative designed to end it in the state--I-143--was straightforward. It would prohibit game ranches from charging fees for shooting captive big-game animals, in effect putting an end to shooting animals "behind a fence." It would also prohibit any new game ranches from being licensed, but allow existing game ...