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"Canned Hunt" Ranch Owner Speaks Out, Defends His Industry

Humane Society Wants to Shut Ranches Down

by Matt Kroschel

Story Created: Nov 23, 2011 at 11:59 AM MDT

Story Updated: Nov 27, 2011 at 3:20 PM MDT

Crawford - It’s every hunter's dream: a guaranteed kill, trophy-sized animals, and even the chance to shoot at some exotic species. The ranch hunting operations are known as canned hunts by animal rights groups, and activists want them shut down.

Ranch owners are defending their livelihood and speaking out exclusively with NewsChannel 5. Keith Siebert, owner of Black Canyon Bulls near Crawford, admits there may be a few bad apples, but the vast majority of hunting ranch owners are doing the right thing and not harming their herds.

There are literally dozens of these ranches in Colorado. The Humane Society claims these operations are cruel to animals, while state wildlife officials have their own concerns. Colorado president of the Humane Society of the United States Holly Tarry told NewsChannel 5 sometimes these animals are tame and don't have a chance to escape the hunters who pay big money to shoot them inside pens.

In other states, the Humane Society has teamed up with sportsmen's groups to get bans passed on captive hunts. So far though, the measure has failed in Colorado several times to get a total ban.

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Anna Rodriguez said on Tuesday, Aug 21 at 9:33 PM

WTH??? why not put the people out in a ranch and hunt them down. or Criminals and cage them in like animals and what I mean by criminals the ones who Kill , Rape .. Instead ogf us paying with our tax money to keep them in Jail.. Save the animals

kathy said on Wednesday, Jan 11 at 6:48 PM

AS USUAL MONEY TALKS IAM POSITIVE THE ANIMALS HAVE MORE HEART THAN THE SO CALLED HUNTERS THAT KILL FOR THE SAKE OF KILLING. WATCH THEM CARE FOR THEIR YOUNG YOU JUST MAY LEARN SOMETHING, WHEN YOU GO TO CHURCH PRAY GOD FORGIVES YOU YOU ARE REALLY JUST A MURDERER.

C said on Wednesday, Dec 21 at 2:21 PM

Well, I have to admit, I am a hunter and have had others pay to put pheasants out in field for me to shoot (however, I was more-or-less 'on the clock'). It's true that it couldn't and shouldn't be called hunting, but this sort of thing has been going on for eons (see hunting behind fences around European King's estates). It is/was all for the rich, i certainly couldn't afford it. But, I ask, how is picking out a fenced big game animal different from planting a field of corn, flooding it and then paying for the exclusive right to hunt this field any better? Or, putting out bails of food so that large animals will visit your property, or using motorized robot decoys that suck the birds in like no natural item ever could (also legal in CO)? There are many marginal hunting techniques that just don't get the discussion they deserve. I also have the feeling that many people, including myself, might support the ban of caged large mammal hunting, but not the ban of 'game-farm' birds

Joan said on Monday, Dec 5 at 1:30 PM said on Monday, Dec 5 at 2:34 PM

THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS INHUMANE, GUTLESS, MENTALLY SICK, COWARDS & THE PEOPLE WHO THINK MONEY CAN BUY ANYTHING, EVEN ANOTHERS' LIFE. WHAT THE H--- IS A DEAD HEAD FROM AN INNOCENT ANIMAL GOING TO DO FOR ALL YOU SICK NON-HUMANS. WHY DON'T YOU TAKE YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS NEIGHBORS SCHOOL CHILDREN (A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ANIMAL) AT THE HANDS OF THE "WEAK" MEN/WOMEN. HOPEFULLY YOUR KIDS WIL RUN AWAY FROM HOME,YOUR FRIENDS WILL TURN THEIR BACKS ON YOU & YOUR SPOUSE "FRAME YOU". YOU WILL BE JUDGED ON JUDGEMENT DAY! YOU ARE ALL SORRY SOULS.

WildRNot said on Sunday, Dec 4 at 11:41 AM

Colorado is whacked. They license these ranches allowing private possession of wildlife and they license wildlife sanctuaries... YET COLORADO ALLOWS NO NATIVE WILDLIFE THE RIGHT TO SANCTUARY!! 180 days rehab or kill it, may not even be kept by wildlife educational centers. You can have a canned game killing ranch, a kangaroo as a pet and adopt a wild mustang but not even one non-releasable songbird or raccoon can be allowed sanctuary or educational permit - KILL IT! P&W says. Stakeholders have NO idea how hypocritical this agency is with OUR wildlife! It's all about $$$$.

Patti said on Saturday, Dec 3 at 4:40 AM

Let's put these gutless cowards - both the ranch owners and the so-called "hunters" - in the fenced-in areas with these animals... without their big manly guns to make it more fair... and see how they do. They should be ashamed of themselves. It makes ME feel ashamed to admit I live in Colorado!

Tara C. said on Thursday, Dec 1 at 11:11 PM

Poor animals. And HSUS sent out this link to all of their subscribers so EVERYONE knows. I'm a total animal person and it kills me inside when I see or hear about an animal being killed; Yeah I eat meat, but it's how I survive. I don't like when people do something like this to animals or kill/hurt them for no reason. It breaks my heart.

steamfitter said on Thursday, Dec 1 at 6:30 PM

can hunts or not if you listen to the humane socity they dont want to stop at can hunts they want all hunting band these animals are not wild they are raised on the ranch, if you only knew how many cows are shot on a ranch for meat it would shock you. alot of pepole think meat comes from a pill or you make it dont if you dont like the can hunts dont go, and to the comment on showing taxes the counties are making sure of that on there ag stats.

Janie said on Thursday, Dec 1 at 5:29 PM

This type of "hunting", or murder of an innocent, unsuspecting , fenced in animal for cash, is NOT HUNTING AT ALL. I've been a Colorado resident for over 20 years, and understand the sport of hunting for food, although I do not engage in it--but collecting cash and allowing an industry that murders caged prey is sickening. I suggest these perverts find another "industry" to engage in. It is time for it to STOP NOW. It's time to get some educated and moral folks in power in this state and stop bowing down to murderers and miners. We are a tourist destination now. Grow up. And you fat, lazy hunters--take up fishing, mountain biking,hiking, skiing or horse back riding. Enjoy our beauty and stop killing our wildlife for trophies, no less. Yuck.

Wendy said on Wednesday, Nov 30 at 10:31 PM

I think killing animals for hunting, sport, or any kind of self gratification is inhumane, cruel, and barbaric !!! All animals that are killed are defenseless against man made weapons. Animals are God's beautiful creatures. The only consolation I have for these innocent creatures that are hunted is that they are all guaranteed a place in heaven, whereas any man who kills animals for hunting, sport, monetary gain, or just to get a high, is sick and deserves capital punishment himself.

Steve said on Tuesday, Nov 29 at 10:57 PM

I got a Purple Heart and a Combat Action Badge in Iraq. if these gutless cowards want to man up and hunt, there are enough scumbags on the planet that could use your services. Hunting animals in a pen, you hunters are pathetic and disgusting and not worth my blood shed for you. Join the military be a real man, you low life's, a trophy Grand Junction pull your head out.

Jodie said on Tuesday, Nov 29 at 5:22 PM

This just shows how cruel humans are. What have we, as a human race, become? This has really saddened me.

Linda Jantzen said on Tuesday, Nov 29 at 4:36 PM

This has been going on for a long time. There are places all along the front range that allow hunters to shoot penned animals. Heck, Ted Nugent has a whole ranch full of caged animals in Texas just so he can shoot them. Humans are cruel. We like to think we are above all of this. But we aren't.

Colo43 said on Tuesday, Nov 29 at 4:25 PM

They need to fine the hunter along with that land owner. Its truly a shame the animal can't have the same option of running them down and killing them !

Sarah said on Tuesday, Nov 29 at 3:49 PM

Why is it that I can only seem to come up with FAT and LAZY? Oh, that right because that is the truth. FAT and LAZY. Don't even get me started on the issue of breeding wild life! If you do- add STUPID to that thought.

pantheragirl said on Tuesday, Nov 29 at 3:41 PM

Takes a big man to hunt an animal that is enclosed and drugged. I saw the undercover operation show on Animal Planet and it was disgusting!! There is a huge difference between hunting and killing for sport!! Hey if you want to hunt then pay the price for the liscense and stop whining!! People have no morals anymore and canned hunts make all hunters look bad!! Don't like my comment then move on to the next!

DiL said on Tuesday, Nov 29 at 3:29 PM

Please put the "slippery slope" arguement aside. I have never and will never hunt, but do realize others rights to do so. It is encouraging to see the disgust amoung true "hunters" regarding this pen and kill money program. Please contact your State Reps. and DOW officals and share your distain.

Tom Sykes said on Monday, Nov 28 at 12:23 PM

As a long time hunter, I find this practice extremely offensive. It's bad enough that so many " hunters" are now using ATV to hunt with. This is an even bigger joke and should be illegal. Elk hunting is not supposed to be easy and those not up to the physical challenge, should take up knitting.

Greg Munther said on Monday, Nov 28 at 8:32 AM

You are correct Any....Ranching for Wildlife is a terrible program for the general public hunter. Follow the money. I have checked with people connected in Utah, New Mexico as well as Colorado and all have seen multiple scams on these operations.

Any Mouse said on Sunday, Nov 27 at 4:41 PM

While they are outlawing this practice maybe they could outlaw guided private land hunts which proliferate all over Colorado. Cause you know they aren't much different. Buy a fourth season bull tag, all the animals are down in the alfalfa, shoot it, guide drags it out and brings it to the meat processor where they donate the meat and cape the head for the trophy to be sent back to where ever. 100% success rate. Ten thousand dollars. At least those canned hunts aren't taking the animals off public land.

Rick Hooley said on Saturday, Nov 26 at 5:57 PM

As a lifetime big game backcountry hunter I find this an insult. To call this hunting is a lie to boost the ego of the shooter. It's no different than driving out into the pasture and shooting the fattest beef cow. Only you don't usually prop the beef cow up and get your picture taken with it. The animals are not afraid of you and probably even come closer to you before you shoot them thinking they are going to get fed. This is not fair chase hunting and never will be.

Janine said on Saturday, Nov 26 at 4:33 PM

First, our struggling State should look at all land owners taxes. Do they claim this income? If not, Arrest them for tax evasion. Second If a paid hunter is allowed access to public lands then all hunters shuold be allowed. Paid hunters should stay on the private land they paid for. Private Land Tags should be used ONLY by the person who filed for them and never up for sale to the public. Colorado wildlife belongs to the people of the State of Colorado. That's the Law.

Rick Eversole said on Saturday, Nov 26 at 6:52 AM

In NE Colorado I am not aware of any caged killing fields, but even allowing one such despicable enterprise to operate anywhere in CO is appalling and a mockery of our State's hunting ethics & reputation. It's further evidence that the slobs who roar about on ATV's, supposedly hunting, are posers of the worst kind and lazy louts to boot. Small wonder that many people want all hunting banned; who can blame them? If we value our 'right' to hunt then we should all demand such zoos be closed forthwith, and the rampant use of ATV's on public land be sharply curtailed if not prohibited entirely.

Floyd said on Friday, Nov 25 at 11:13 PM

Some very good comments here, too many "ranchers" have forgotten what it is to be a real rancher, they have gotten lazy because too many non-hunters have paid BIG bucks (green) to cross their private property to hunt public lands. HSUS will find some way to use those "ranchers" to shut down all hunting. I hunted the last season on public lands with a very narrow strip of steep acess while the oweners on both sides charged BIG bucks and provided motorized acess to the same public lands to be hunted by those not able to pay for easy acess. Seems like there ought to be a law about charging to hunt public lands.

Anonymous said on Friday, Nov 25 at 8:30 PM

It's all about the Benjamins baby.

Erik Jensen said on Friday, Nov 25 at 5:20 PM

It is a joke that the Humane Society is getting to claim they are "out front" on the issue. Hunters, we need to speak up and reject those voices in our ranks who talk about a "slippery slope" if we ban this. The slippery slope is the privatization of wildlife, the spread of diseases into wild deer and elk herds, dividing hunters between those who can pay and those who can't, and that is before you even talk about all the negatives of killing a penned animal ! I just travelled from Minnesota to Colorado this fall for my first attempt at hunting elk with a bow in a wilderness area. I'm definitely coming back sometime. We weren't successful, and that's what makes it hunting - the animal has insticts to evade predators, including human ones. Someone said hunting is about a relationship between the hunter, the land and the wild animals that live there. Canned hunts totally sever this relationship.

DLien said on Friday, Nov 25 at 9:26 AM

City Park Zoo would offer as much fair chase as one of these canned hunts.

Greg Munther said on Thursday, Nov 24 at 10:28 PM

"It’s every hunter's dream: a guaranteed kill, trophy-sized animals".....this premise is absolutely wrong. I have hunted for 60 years and deliberately limit my equipment to traditional archery equipment and methods to reduce my certainty of a kill. That is called fair chase, where the animal has at least an even chance of surviving. Yes, hunters in Montana stood up to such degrading activity and banned canned high fence hunting. To defend this activity as hunting urging hunters to defend this is pure disrespectful of true hunters . Such captive hunting is a turn-off to the non-hunting public which will ultimately determine the fate of hunting in this country.

T Downing said on Thursday, Nov 24 at 8:54 PM

In no way should this killing be called hunting. There is absolutely no element of the fair chase ethics within these caged up operations. The animals have no chance to get away or are not able to use their amazing instinctive senses...It is a shame and a travesty that Colorado continues to have these type of operations legal...The rich tradition of hunting deserves better and more importantly, the animals deserve the respect to be hunted by fair chase methods instead of this terrible act of killing a penned up animal.

AmericanPatriot. said on Thursday, Nov 24 at 8:05 PM

Well Scott, what they do is lie about it, with the landowner as an accessory before the fact. Ask yourself how would you like to be around one of these guys, with him in possession of a firearm? They’re too lazy to learn to hunt and the safest place is right out in front of them. And you get to sit across a campfire from them and listen to their prevarications while they are too drunk to keep their story straight. They get lost in the woods or lose their rifle, snore like a chain saw and set their tent on fire. I ran into one of these guys that had wandered off the canned hunt property a few years back. He was really a sorry sight. He had spent the night curled up in the oak-brush, no food, no water and no idea where he was. But being the Good Samaritan that I am, I pointed him back toward civilization and shared a few squares of my emergency Ex-lax bar with him. Hope he made it but even if he didn’t, he should be easy to track. Just watch your step, that trail could be slick.

Scott said on Thursday, Nov 24 at 4:38 PM

I can "understand" why the land owner allows this shameful activity. He/she want to make money. I don't agree with it, I can just "understand" why he's doing it. What I don't understand (and certaintly do not agree with) is why the "participant" does it. The memories of hunting are kept alive through stories of the hunt. What stories do they tell? They pay money and shoot an animal with no chance to escape? What story is that?

Dave Lloyd said on Thursday, Nov 24 at 3:37 PM

I am not a hunter,but I have no problem with hunting. Its not cruel and i is man versus beast in the wild where the beast has terrotroial advantage. This is not about hunting, this is about money and "prestige" and is cruel because the animals stand absolutely no chance.

David Petersen said on Thursday, Nov 24 at 1:57 PM

First, how about more real names on these comment posts? It's way too easy to hide behind a a made-up moniker, no matter what side we take. I am a lifelong traditional bowhunter and have lived and hunted in CO for more than 30 years. Even on heavily hunted, ATV-abused public lands, I find it embarrassingly easy to kill wild elk with a rifle. The idea that some self-styled hero, even with a rifle, is so incompetent and insecure that s/he must pay thousands to execute trapped half-tame "wild"life garners no sympathy with real hunters. Pack of putrid poltroons, any way you slice it. So far as HSUS leading the charge against these aboninations ... we'll it's an embarrassment for hunting groups that we haven't already cauterized this festering abscess, as hunters did in Montana -- rather than leaving it to the "antis" to get the job done. Some hunters so fear, thus hate, HSUS they would rather see canned killing (I refuse to apply the word "hunt" here) than cooperate. Big dumb mistake.

Deb said on Thursday, Nov 24 at 12:36 PM

As always it's all about the money! A real hunter does it for the food. And hunts like a REAL man!!

Jonathan Gilbert said on Thursday, Nov 24 at 12:33 PM

Canned hunting is just a reflection of their participants and proponets--low self esteem, low self worth, fears of sexual inadequecies etc. @Not A Whiner, well, yoiur certainly sound like a whginer to me. Tell us how " humane" a canned bow hunt is when 99% of the hunters cannot deliver a kill shot. So waek its pathetic..

AmericanPatriot. said on Thursday, Nov 24 at 9:10 AM

I have been an avid black powder hunter for well over 50 years and the canned slaughter is an industry built on a lie. How many of those trophy heads mounted on walls were killed in a stall and then a story fabricated about an epic Colorado elk or deer hunt? This “industry” is an insult to sportsmen and to a noble animal and it besmirches the name of anyone connected with hunting. And no, true hunters don’t have to side with a “canned” slaughter industry in order to protect their sport. And when they do, they’re only helping to destroy an American heritage. We don’t need this slaughter industry or the bogus liars who masquerade as hunters that participate in it. Shut them down, move them out and charge them with trespassing on sacred ground.

justice2 said on Thursday, Nov 24 at 7:55 AM

Stop calling it hunting. When you round up cattle you don't call it hunting.

confused said on Thursday, Nov 24 at 12:05 AM

What were the "Exotic" animals that were mentioned at the start of the story. All I saw were buffalo and elk. Why is this such a sport? Find your own game, hunt them proper and use the meat. All these ranchers do is contain the animals for the lazy hunter who has more money than skill

NotAWhiner said on Wednesday, Nov 23 at 10:35 PM

Listen to all of you nag. Go hang out with the mangy "occupy" hippies. It's an industry and last I checked, probably far more humane than most other farms and ranches.

Anonymous said on Wednesday, Nov 23 at 10:27 PM

I'ts no different than killing a cow, probably more humane in most cases! Find a hobby and quit worrying about what everyone else is doing! I don't understand why people have to stick their noses into things that don't concern them! Mind your own business and get a life!

Lee said on Wednesday, Nov 23 at 7:58 PM

The "Humane Society" wants to ban all hunting. It's a slippery slope hunters, be careful who's side you pick. I would never pay for a canned hunt, but I'm glad the industry brings money into the area.

AmericanPatriot. said on Wednesday, Nov 23 at 6:28 PM

Banning “canned” hunts, now there’s an idea that’s long overdue. Now if we could do the same thing with the Forest Service “Special Use Permits” that sell EXCLUSIVE USE CAMP SITES to the Big Game Outfitters for 3% of the outfitter’s gross profit every year, we could take another slice out of the commercialization of our wildlife resources. After that, we could tackle the CO DOW’s creative bookkeeping which allows them to sell more out of state tags than any other western state. It seems everyone is chasing the “bucks”, you know the green ones. As for me, well I’m done with my lifelong love of hunting. It just got too commercial.

Bambi said on Wednesday, Nov 23 at 6:19 PM

I totally agree with Brat and Word. The elite big money so called "hunters" paying to murder a maybe tame animal that can't possibly escape and not for the purpose of the meat...very unsportsman like. I don't know how those "ranch" owners can sleep at night...blood on their hands. But I guess green in their pocket compensates any feelings of guilt.

Brat said on Wednesday, Nov 23 at 2:38 PM

It's disgusting. Where is the pride in this? It's one thing to go out into the woods, find your animal, and kill it for food all the while preventing over population. But to breed elk like livestock and someone else to pay big money to get their jollys is sick.

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