State's largest game farm closing following violations

The state's largest game farm is shutting down after a joint investigation by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Department of Livestock found several violations including wild elk, deer and antelope inside a fence with the captive herd, FWP officials said.

The case raised concerns about wild animals being shot by game farm hunters, the spread of disease and genetic mixing between wild and captive animals, FWP investigators said.

Bryan Golie, a FWP Region 4 investigator, said multiple warnings were issued to the game farm to fix the fence to keep out the wild animals.

"At one point, we had to step in and say, 'Enough is enough,'" Golie said.

The owners, a husband-and-wife team from Fergus County, were investigated for unlawful possession of game animals, incomplete record-keeping, unlawfully allowing wild animals to enter their operation and fencing violations, FWP said.

Ivan Lynn Bowman, 71, was fined $3,999, given a suspended six-month jail sentence, and forfeited his hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for five years, FWP said.

Bowman's privileges already are suspended until October 2015 for shooting an overlimit of antelope in 2013, FWP said. The current sentence will begin then, FWP said.

Janet Bowman, 56, was fined $1,500.

Janet Bowman said she couldn't comment about specifics of the case.

"There really is a whole lot we'd love to say," she said. "Basically, they have an endless pot of money. And for the little person who is just trying to defend themselves to stay above water, it can break you."

Fergus County District Judge Jon Oldenburg issued the sentences April 14 after a plea agreement was reached.

FWP also began a civil case to revoke the license for the farm, and the Bowmans agreed to pay a $5,000 fine and shut down their operation, FWP said.

Located along the Judith River between Hilger and Winifred, the Bowman's 1,460-acre Judith River Ranch is the largest in Montana by acreage, said Mike Lee, commercial wildlife permitting program manager in FWP's enforcement division.

It is the third largest in terms of animals held with as many as 161 elk reported by the Bowmans in 2011, he said.

There are 30 game farms in Montana.

Initiative 143, passed in 2000, banned new game farms. The law banned existing game farms from being sold, and outlawed "canned" hunting inside game farms.

FWP said it became involved because it was alleged the Bowmans had illegally captured wild elk and allowed paid hunting of their animals. The Bowmans were not charged with fee hunting.

The case began in February 2014 with a tip to the Montana Department of Livestock, which oversees alternative livestock operations, about mule deer inside the facility, said Kyle Anderson, an FWP game warden in Lewistown.

"In the end we were ultimately trying to protect the natural populations of deer and elk," Anderson said.

Captive animals can transmit disease, including chronic wasting disease, to wild animals, Anderson said.

Chronic wasting disease has been found once previously in Montana about a dozen years ago in Philipsburg, Lee said. There is no known cure for the disease.

Golie, the regional investigator, said the mixing of wild and captive animals also can cause "genetic pollution of our wild stock animals."

"What we wouldn't want is alternative livestock breeding with wild animals," he said.

In April 2014, FWP said it found the Bowmans had inadequate fencing and allowed nine mule deer and two antelope to enter the game farm.

In May 2014, six DOL investigators and two FWP game wardens on horseback rounded up the elk and conducted an inventory. A helicopter also was used.

Six wild elk, four bulls, a cow and a calf, were found. The wild animals were identified because they did not have ear tattoos and tags like those on captive animals, Anderson said.

Records at the game farm also showed there were 47 more elk than than actually existed, FWP said.

The Bowmans agreed to close their operation and liquidate the domestic elk by Oct. 27, FWP said.

Reach Tribune Staff Writer Karl Puckett at 406-791-1471, 1-800-438-6600. Twitter: @GFTrib_KPuckett.