MT archery elk - We're baaack!

[Horn Seeker]

NICE! Been away for a while and was sure you were ending up skunked! Great job...

 

[elk_hunter]

Congrats, Randy. Helluva bull!

 

[Big Fin]

Here comes the pitch, he swings. Holy Cow, that ball is gonna be outta here. Home run! Home run! OYOA has just cleared the bases!

I like this one. I like this one A LOT!

Adding some graphics, then sending it off to the network.

 

[Lawnboy]

So far the two that I've seen are GREAT! You guys are in for a treat. The production quality, content, messaging and everything in general is head and shoulders above 99% of the crap on outdoor TV.

 

[Corax]

Arrg! I'm going through withdrawal already! When is this going to be on the website, and even more important, when will the video come out? No, don't tell me - I am going to have to wait until the Fall to see this. My favorite changes every time I watch one of the videos (which are starting to show signs of wear), but the rifle hunt at this location is definitely one of them.

 

[DreaminofMT6X6s]

I'm with Corax...WE ARE DYING TO SEE IT!!!

 

[wheelieking]

Land Swap

Heard that chunk of land was in process of a Land swap and will soon be owned by the N-,Sunlight.

 

[wheelieking]

HMMMMMM! Cats got everyones Tongue!!!!

 

[shoots-straight]

HMMMMMM! Cats got everyones Tongue!!!!

Why don't you enlighten us? Out of the blue, on the bowhunting OYOA thread you come out and say something about a lands swap. Fill us in.

 

[Lawnboy]

Heard that chunk of land was in process of a Land swap and will soon be owned by the N-,Sunlight.

I heard rumor of that but I'm not sure it's really happening. I would hope that the BLM would do a public comment on the swap instead of some closed door non sense. I'm sure N bar is claiming it hardly gets used and so it makes sense to swap it out to us.

If it does get swapped out I want an equal chunk that is currently attached to blm with public access that's on the ranch currently. Somehow I believe that will never happen and the public will get screwed again on the exchange. We will see. (Hopefully not)

 

[shoots-straight]

I heard rumor of that but I'm not sure it's really happening. I would hope that the BLM would do a public comment on the swap instead of some closed door non sense. I'm sure N bar is claiming it hardly gets used and so it makes sense to swap it out to us.

If it does get swapped out I want an equal chunk that is currently attached to blm with public access that's on the ranch currently. Somehow I believe that will never happen and the public will get screwed again on the exchange. We will see. (Hopefully not)

I've worked several "Land Swaps" with private owners. As Tjones said on another thread, "The public land hunter rarely makes out in these swaps. "

 

[Big Fin]

HMMMMMM! Cats got everyones Tongue!!!!

Lots of people are aware that the BLM has been approached about a land swap that would include these parcels. Any swap requires full public hearing, scoping, appraisals, and an Act of Congress. Really, the it does require Congress to approve. The BLM cannot do this on its own.

As such, I think most guys are waiting to see if the BLM gives any credibility to request being made by the landowner in question. Expect to see a lot of comment if the BLM starts holding public meetings.

If so, I think you will see a mobilization of the hunting crowd, requesting exactly what Lawnboy mentioned. We want equal quality ELK ground in the same area, not some sage flats further east that will be hammered by commercial interests in some other non-hunting use.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Good luck if your BLM people are as crooked as the ones I dealt with a few years ago in Wyoming regarding a land swap. Back in the 90s just before I started hunting the area I still hunt in, they swapped several thousand acres of prime hunting land that also had a premier trout stream flowing through it. It was done even though the Wyoming G&F wrote them a letter that I have on file asking that it not be completed because it would eliminate the public from accessing the entire area for anything. They swapped it anyway and got a POS land in return that is worthless for anything! When I learned of another intended swap of more good BLM land for junk land to the same rancher about 10 years ago, I wrote a letter with maps, etc. during the required comment period and it was rejected for stupid reasons that were essentially lies that I then responded to with the true facts. I, and another local resident who was writing letters to stop the exchange, both appealed our rejections and it went all the way to the Court Justices in DC that handle all appeals after initial rejections are appealed within the required time frame. During the time of the final appeals that we both ended up winning, we found out that the Wyoming BLM went ahead and illegally swapped the land and the deeds were signed and registered in Worland. The head Judge lambasted the BLM in his writeup for doing what they did while the appeals were in process, but stated that if the complainants (us) wanted to take it further it would have to be done through the Court system since the Justices had no authority to overturn the deeds signed by the rancher and BLM in the swap or do anything to the BLM personnel involved in the swap. There is no way either of us could afford the costs associated with what would have been needed to even start the process, so I have had nothing but negative feelings towards the BLM ever since. I was told that BLM Director Bennett, who was the top guy in Cheyenne that signed off on the paperwork that allowed the swap to go through illegally, died a terrible, lingering death of cancer over the following three years or so. As my dear old recently departed Dad used to tell me: "What goes around comes around!" and I truly feel that guy met the qualifications of that statement!

Big Fin---I question your statement about Congress being involved in land swaps, as there was absolutely no Congressional involvement in the one I just mentioned I was involved with. The BLM does have to take a lot of steps that are all mandated by law and the first is that they have to publish notice of the intended swap in local newspapers for a certain amount of time stating there is a comment period and the dates of said period. If there are negative comments, they have to be addressed and if the person does not like what they receive it can be appealed like we did ours all the way up to the DC Court. It involves a ton of paperwork, all of which has to be sent certified with CCs to various US government offices, but if we don't do that and just allow them to do whatever they want with our lands, the public will be screwed almost every time. We got screwed on the one I mentioned even though I and the resident won the final appeals!!!

 

[Big Fin]

Top Gun - Everyone of these I have been involved in required full appraisals, public notice, AND an Act of Congress. Just finished one in February with our clients. We had been working on it since 2006. It was bundled with some other Forest Service exchanges.

I have worked on many exchanges, all with the USFS, and everyone got attached to some sort of legislation that got it authorized in Congress, with none ever being stand alone legislation. All required appraisals, public comment, etc. Maybe they don't REQUIRE an Act of Congress, but I have yet to see one in MT, with the USFS, that did not.

Maybe BLM operates under different rules. If so, given this land in question is BLM land, I guess I would be even more tuned in.

The Montana Senators know of the feelings hunters have on this. The BLM knows. I have spoken with many of them. Not sure where our Congressman would be on it, but probably not on the side of hunters. Not saying we couldn't get screwed, somehow, someway, but right now, it seems to be just a consideration.

If there is a concern, it is the fact that the people wanting to acquire this BLM land have hired Cy Jamison's firm to investigate this option. Jamison was Director of the BLM under George Bush, v.1. If anyone would know how to get something done under the radar, he would. Jamison is a Montana guy who knows the players and has the DC connections to make something work in the BLM system.

 

[wheelieking]

Its All in who you know and HOW BIG YOUR NET WORTH IS!!!!

 

[lbirch]

I remember following this hunt last year. I recorded it a couple of days a go when it aired and just finally got to watch it. It was just as I pictured it when reading. You're definitely a hard working and determined hunter. I do have to laugh at your facial expressions when things don't go right. It was a really good episode. Thanks.

 

[Lawnboy]

Before Randy hopped the bush plane for his Alaska moose hunt he texted me something he wanted posted on this thread regarding a BLM meeting. Here it is:


"On September 18th, in Lewistown, the BLM is holding a meeting about a land exchange for these properties we have been hunting and accessing with a helicopter. I don't know the details of the proposal, but it might be worth keeping an eye on. Hopefully if an exchange goes through, it is for way more access of equally , or better ground. I would go, but I am in the Alaska bush at that time." Randy

 

[idelkhntr]

Good luck. Looking forward to the updates.

 

[Randy49er]

Are you going to Lewiston to see what happens LB?

 

[Jwill]

Seems a really odd coincidence that a meeting like this gets held when Randy is thousands of miles away and with no access to technology...