In most states, game farms are regulated by agriculture departments, though that wasn't always the case. In Wisconsin, for example, the Department of Natural Resources oversaw game farms until the mid-1990s, when the state legislature and then-Governor Tommy Thompson shifted responsibility to the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, a move the game farmers applauded.
Rowledge says these regulatory shifts across the United States weren't accidental. In the 1970s, more and more potential game farmers wanted to set up operations so they could sell elk velvet (the soft material that peels off newly formed antlers, which is marketed as a nutritional supplement and aphrodisiac), host "canned" hunts where animals are shot inside these farms, and market elk meat.
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It has been stated among those with whom I associate that Governor Tommy Thompson allowed elk from Western States to be introduced into Wisconsin to appease his cronies.
Hmmm ... Now everyone pays?
