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Senate advances bill to allow harvest of domesticated elk; ranchers and sportsmen debate ethics and markets
Summary
Senate Bill 45 would remove a two-year-old prohibition on hunting domesticated elk and authorize Department of Agriculture rules on carcass transport; proponents cite 21 ranches and market changes, while opponents raise ethical and sporting concerns.
The Utah Senate debated and advanced Senate Bill 45 on Feb. 9, 1999, a measure to permit the harvesting of domesticated elk and to give the Department of Agriculture rulemaking authority over carcass transport and related regulatory procedures.
Sponsor Senator Blackham described the bill as a narrowly tailored change that "simply eliminates the prohibiting the hunting of domestic elk and simply allows... rulemaking authority, Department of Agriculture, for the transportation of carcasses." He said about 21 ranches in Utah operate domesticated-elk operations and that market conditions — notably a steep decline in the velvet-antler market — have reduced ranchers’ revenue streams. Allowing trophy harvests, the sponsor argued, would create an additional economic outlet for a small group of capital-intensive ranch operations.
Opponents and some colleagues expressed ambivalence or opposition on ethical and sporting-quality grounds. One floor speaker said the practice risks inviting wealthy out-of-state hunters and could alter the nature of big-game hunting. The sponsor and supporters responded the operations would be fenced and inspected, that disease-control measures were confirmed by the state veterinarian, and that similar managed-harvest practices exist for pheasants and buffalo.
The clerk announced the bill would pass to the third-reading calendar after recorded votes on the floor. The sponsor asked the wildlife community to be consulted and noted that several large conservation groups were taking neutral positions.
Why it matters: The bill alters how domesticated wildlife may be handled and harvested in Utah and touches on regulatory authority, animal-health safeguards, and the balance between agricultural enterprise and hunting traditions.
What’s next: The bill advanced to the third-reading calendar and may return with amendments or further consideration of wildlife and disease-control protocols.
