Bigjay73
Well-known member
Not that I am okay with how this went down, but I love how the original story claimed that there were 36-48 unclaimed elk, and in the end , there was actually 1. God bless the internet
Elk Massacre near Hwy.89 between Rawling and White Sulpher Springs
- Thread starter dcarnell
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longbow51
Guest
You know, in these days in Montana, with businesses closing right and left, none of us knows who among these people were doing it to feed their families too. Many of us here are unaffected as we are well off, or in jobs where the money continues to flow; government workers, teachers, etc.
So, no it's not sporting, and yes, it's a black eye on hunting, but, according to the Great Falls Tribune, "Still, the wildlife department determined that most of the hunters involved in the incident did not break the law. A killed elk went unclaimed and two killed elks were confiscated from hunters who were cited. The three were donated to a local food bank."
If I had a couple of hungry kids, no money in the bank, and my job disappeared, I'd kill game any legal way I could, and so would most.
This year is a little different. Maybe be a little slower to judge.
And GF Tribune, note that the plural of elk is not elks.
shrapnel
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Elk, cheap beer and whiskey will bring out the worst in a man. it appears that the Internet could be added to that list...
Addicting
Well-known member
Thing is all the folks bashing it should be bashing policy. Objectives are off and the BMA had a come one come all sign in book.
If the situation wasn’t created long ago for them to carry out these types of hunts, they wouldn’t. IE don’t put up stop signs at a intersection and blaming both drivers for doing 10 over as the cause of a crash. Ignore the fact that neither one of them had to stop.
It’s not that hard for a BMA to limit the sign in to one sheet of paper daily. If you get there and all the slots are full, you need to get up earlier.
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Why are we shocked at this? It happens yearly, and it's often times an outcome of the animosity our elected leaders have towards elk in general.
The original version of HJ 18 called for exactly this: Party hunting, with the added bonus of multiple B tags for each license holder.
The original version of HJ 18 called for exactly this: Party hunting, with the added bonus of multiple B tags for each license holder.
The Hedgehog
Well-known member
Pre howdy doody days, before jacked up trucks plastered with ridiculously dumb stickers, rangefinders, creedmores and $500 sitka jackets.
100 hunters and 50 elk is nuthin..
100 hunters and 50 elk is nuthin..
2rocky
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I could see a Reservation program similar to the Waterfowl refuges and sweatline with assigned blinds.
www.fws.gov
Hunt Area Admission Procedures - Sacramento - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The open season for each of the species listed below is concurrent with the seasons established by the State of California. Hunting geese, ducks, coots, moorhens, snipe, and pheasant is permitted. Hunting is permitted in accordance with all applicable State and Federal regulations and is subject...
MTelkHuntress
Well-known member
I dont think anyone is shocked at this, just sick and tired of seeing it happen so much. Perhaps new hunters are shocked because they havent experienced seeing something like this before. Masses of hunters shooting at frantic elk running around probably wasnt the view of hunting they initially had.
I remember a couple years ago getting to a spot really early to shoot a bull and then word got out in town that the elk were on the BMA and so many people showed up. I left even though I was the first one there. Wasnt worth being around so many people and the chaos that ensued.
I remember a couple years ago getting to a spot really early to shoot a bull and then word got out in town that the elk were on the BMA and so many people showed up. I left even though I was the first one there. Wasnt worth being around so many people and the chaos that ensued.
sacountry
Well-known member
I wish I could agree with you Longbow, but I saw a similar incident back in 2014 between Helena and Townsend.
click here to read the helenair article from 2014
A herd of elk on the valley floor moving through a checkerboard of private, block, and state land. Houses off in the distance in every direction. Along White's Gulch, the road that seperated districts where cows could be harvested, a firing squad of cow tag holders. Back at the Block sign-in box a line of trucks waiting their turn to sign in. Economically, 2014 was a good year.
This situation in Sulphur and other examples is more about moral and ethical decay. We see it in lots of places but when it shows up in hunting it becomes glaring and for good reason. It is also about elk management. That central area of MT has long had an elk over population issue. It's that area of the state that specifically lead to the acceptance of shoulder season hunting as a viable management strategy. I for one hold a B tag down in Sulphur just for that second chance to put some meat in the freezer if I'm still holding my general after Thanksgiving weekend. Cell phones are also at issue. Certainly the cell carriers know who's where, who called who, and who subsequently showed up to the scene. Can't go pulling cell phone records on everyone, but maybe those who get cited should?
I don't know the answer....but I do fear the multiple repercussions. Often times these block mgmt parcels have the owners home nearby. Why put your land back in the block system if there is a probability of a bullet entering your home? Of course, there are the animal rights people that love to embrace this stuff and blow it up even when it sounds like the vast majority followed the rules. Nothing good comes from this.
shoots-straight
Well-known member
A swing and a miss. Yes is was sarcasm. Wolves, teaching their young how to hunt when they kill more game than they need.
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longbow51
Guest
Wasn't really talking about 2014; I have seen this too from the parking lot at a ranch where the elk were clustered. I didn't like it then and don't like it now BUT this year is different and I just think we should cut people a little slack. It's fine if you disagree and I certainly respect your overall longterm view as it mirrors mine.
Roughwater
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Like any other large group there has and always will be a small % of hunters with no morals. Then you have the road hunters who some operate on the fringe sometimes stepping over the wrong side of the line if they think they won't get caught.
Good luck equals opportunity meeting preparedness to most. To the few, good luck equals opportunity meeting no one looking.
Good luck equals opportunity meeting preparedness to most. To the few, good luck equals opportunity meeting no one looking.
Roughwater
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Expensive beer and whiskey can do it too along with money (the love of), greed, jealousy,prejudice, not to mention plain old ignorance. The internet lets up voice an opinion before we think it out.
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timmy
Guest
Rifle season sure does brings out the slob hunters.
bigskyblueman
Member
Elk harvested near White Sulphur Springs were harvested unethically FWP says
On Oct. 25, a large herd of elk was fired upon by approximately 100 hunters near White Sulphur Springs. Many from Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and hunters around the state are calling the situation unethical, said FWP spokesperson Greg Lemon.
www.kbzk.com
runningmt
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My son had a 100 years shot at a group of elk filtering through the trees on opening day.
Couldn’t be more proud of the fact that he passed because he said there was always another elk behind the one he had the crosshairs on.
Couldn’t be more proud of the fact that he passed because he said there was always another elk behind the one he had the crosshairs on.
Bigjay73
Well-known member
The more I visit this post, the more I wonder what the complaint is. Which hunters were the unethical ones? Was it the 2nd truckload, the 5th, 10th? How many of us on the last day we were able to hunt would have passed up on filling a freezer with a cow standing out in a ranch that we could safely, legally kill? What is the ultimate point of a hunting license? Its to kill something isn't it? Thats want happened here, the vast majority of which was done legally apparently. Is it the type of hunt I go looking for? No, but who am I to tell others how and where to hunt. Now you can argue that it may not have been a safe environment, but unless we were there, can we be certain? This sounds like we need to look closer at the laws and regulations more so than the hunters.
What laws and regulations would you change? There is a difference between ugly and illegal. This is also proof it’s difficult to disproportionately push the harvest aspect of hunting (cough EMP) while forgetting about the hunting aspect of hunting.
8andcounting
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How was it safe ?! 100 people !!!
Bigjay73
Well-known member
You may be right, I wasn't there, couldn't say.
