Fly me in Scotty!!
- Thread starter Stubaby
- Start date
wingman1
New member
That's great news. I bet the Wilks are fuming. I bet they fence the whole border and start in September. Just a hunch but it wouldn't surprise me if all the elk are push off the BLM before the season starts.
Topgun 30-06
Active member
Great news and if they do put up a fence it will show their true colors.
wingman1
New member
BLM is playing damage control after the Bundy showdown.
Thought there was an inclination that this was going to happen before Bundy? Either way, I'll take it.
theat
Well-known member
Got to love it when public comments actually influence government decision making.
JM77
Well-known member
May not have turned out that way if it was a trade for state ground. Congrats to those who put up the fight.
bigskyblueman
Member
Good news. Occasionally the unwashed masses win one when we find the right pressure points. This trade was an insult to the collective intelligence of the hunting community. If the Wilks brothers haze and fence these elk inside their ranch, the state should pursue legal remedy, if such exists. This was not the best way to introduce themselves to the people of Montana and hunters in general.
katqanna
Well-known member
Tony Schoonen submitted this to the Billings Gazette and it just got printed.
Stand up for Montanans' access to public lands
Stand up for Montanans' access to public lands
katqanna
Well-known member
Bullwhacker Road
Now they open it?
Wilks Brothers plan to open Bullwhacker Road
Public will be able to access 50K acres
Now they open it?
Wilks Brothers plan to open Bullwhacker Road
Public will be able to access 50K acres
MThuntr
Well-known member
I wonder what they are brewing up now! They'll appease the uninformed masses with the Bullwhacker access and slip something in while the public is still jaded with a "win"
katqanna
Well-known member
That was my thought. Why now after years, when a petition with over 1600 signatures gets delivered and the BLM rejects the proposal, with discussion of creating a new road, do they suddenly feel magnanimous and open the blocked road to public hunter access on public lands?
Legislature is only 8 months away. I'm sure we'll see a number of bills.
double_a85
Member
I am sure the Wilkes will keep trying. They have spent tens of thousands of dollars on those new roads all around the perimeter of the property... and even more hiring "security guards" during hunting season patrolling those roads, making sure no one sneaks on the ranch.
Here's why: It's wonderful PR.
Nemont
Well-known member
I agree, they bought the ranch from Robinson's in order to just trade it for lands inside their NBar property, if the BLM built a road to access the public land blocked by the closure of the Bullwhacker trail then any leverage they had is gone. Why not just open it now and say they believe in letting the public access their land.
Now their allies can point to this opening as how generous the Wilks Bros are and therefore the next proposal shouldn't be opposed because they let the public access lands by this actions.
Nemont
Yep.
There are tactics, and then there is strategy. Guess which one successful business owners & billionaires focus on.
katqanna
Well-known member
While they say it is open now, if a guaranteed access road is not built and general hunting season comes around, nothing is stopping them from closing access back up when they choose. Or in comparing a copy of the petition signatures with their sign in box to "see who is using it."
wingman1
New member
You don't have wait until hunting season to see the small army of security they have on hand. I flew in a few weeks ago for a 3 hour Horn hunt and was bombarded by a helicopter, a patrol vehicle and a motorcycle. I caught the patrol vehicle guy standing 2 feet from the tail of my supercub taking pictures of my N number.
The whole thing kind of reminded me of Mad Max and the thunder dome.
The whole thing kind of reminded me of Mad Max and the thunder dome.
