Save Our Durfee Hills Public Lands Petition

[mtmiller]

My first post--tired of the elitists spreading their agendas on this site.

smithrmk,

Very simplistic and narrow minded post there.

Sounds like you guys are even.

Do you want to dispute anything Buzz posted?

 

[mtmiller]

I would like to see opinions on the trade that don't have the words Wilks or Texas. Is the trade proposal in the best interest of the American people who have entrusted the BLM to manage their public lands for them?

 

[BuzzH]

Moderators, maybe you can take a good look at the way some of your most consistent posters try to bully and belittle new posters, or those who share a different opinion. Many of my fellow hunting buddies would use this site more often if these people were to put a muzzle on their derogatory comments. Is that simplistic and narrow minded enough for you buzzzz!

Cry baby,

Your first post was a real winner, calling those that want to keep Federal Lands for future generations "elitist", and the "commercial hunting crowd". Really? How many of the 30-60 hunters a year that access the Durfee's via air are from the "commercial hunting crowd"??? Whats your definition of "elitist"?

My definition of elitist types are those that would support a land trade, that would take public lands and access to those lands, away from the public forever.

Your "good neighbor" approach on this board, is about on par with the way the Wilks have handled this transfer from the start. Instead of embracing the Montana public FIRST, no, lets just try to bully our way into getting what we want. Lets buy the Anchor Ranch, as suggested by the BLM, to use as a bargaining chip to get what we really want, complete control of the Durfee Hills. When that doesn't pan out, lets build an illegal fence and trespass to do it. When we get called on that, then lets "all be friends" and "neighborly".

By the way, this is a "buyer beware" situation. The Willks have created this situation with the Durfee's. There was no guarantee when the purchased the land around the Durfee's that they were assured a land swap with the BLM. Just like the advice the received from the BLM to use the Anchor Ranch as a bartering chip to make the swap...they got some bad advice.

The only thing that stinks of elitism in this whole deal, are the posts you've made and the assumption by the Wilks that could swirl in and run rough shod over the United States Citizens.

What part of "our public lands are not for sale" don't you and the Wilks understand?

 

[Kevin W]

From the outside looking in I have no ties with the Wilks brothers and have never hunted the Durfee Hills Public Land. But maybe someday I will or my son will or my grandson / sons will. That said I agree whole heartedly; "our public lands are not for sale".

 

[antlerradar]

Always nice to see a first post that doesn't begin with I drew a great tag but I am not looking for your honey holes.

Smithrmk, Welcome to the world of public land hunting. Places that are hot get a lot of pressure but it will dissipate over time as people get tired of the crowds.

I am sure there are other isolated bits of public land that is just as good as Durfees. It is only a matter of time before hunters start flying into them too.

 

[Chucknduck]

"but i could if i wanted. Been invited as a friend"

'nuff said.

lol

 

[schmalts]

I would like to see opinions on the trade that don't have the words Wilks or Texas. Is the trade proposal in the best interest of the American people who have entrusted the BLM to manage their public lands for them?

What's your opinion? You have an inside view of the BLM.

 

[double_a85]

I signed the petition. While I don't personally hunt that chunk of property I may in the future.

 

[bigskyblueman]

Elitists? Nonsense. A group of hunters and citizens wish to see a public parcel in a vast expanse of private land, remain public. The Wilks boys introduced themselves by trespassing, bulldozing trees, spreading weeds, and treating the boundary like the North Korean border. Not a very friendly greeting, to say the least.

 

[wingman1]

Smithrmk,

Sign the petition or take your rant to another thread. Sounds like you have an exclusive place of your own and could care less about saving the Durfee Hills.

 

[smithrmk]

Sorry would never sign a petition that only allows a very small amount of hunters to access a very small area that can only be accessed by someone with aircraft. What I do support is making a trade with the blm for an area that allows thousands to access, thousands of acres. You can't tell me that the average American citizen would choose to not support a trade that allows a wider range of recreationalists to access a national monument. Greed is what i see if you sign the save the durfeees petition. Your claims of this public property being damaged beyond repair is a blatant lie. Any scaring is temporary. These guys were in the process of a construction project with big equipment. Guess none of you have ever seen a large scale fencing project through heavy vegetation or wet ground. Big mess with big ruts. Smooth things out and re seed and it disappears in a few years. Take a look at newly seeded ground and you will see that it gets hammered by the elk and deer. Hint: go there to find animals to shoot. Just as good as an alfalfa field, but with cover. I've seen with my own eyes the Wilks fencing projects that border a ranch I hunt and they clean up and burn they slash piles. These guys on here that are trying to convince you that the Wilks are evil and that I have no idea what I'm taking about are the wolves in sheep's clothing. They scare and manipulate you so their honey hole doesn't get taken away. Pure greed! Remember this is a trade, not a sale. You are not loosing public land. You are trading land. Zero net loss. Land that will be used by many more American citizens, than just a few hunters.

 

[katqanna]

I just got back to Bozeman from a 3 day documentation trip to Lewistown and south.

I was called this last week from a neighbor of the Wilks that spoke of a number of documented problems going on out there. I did some preliminary research on his information, then accepted his invitation to come out there, so two of us spent yesterday driving on public access county roads that had been blocked off/posted by a variety of private landowners, one of which was Theodore Roosevelt the IV.

The landowners are huge public lands/access/wildlife advocates. We got the personal tour all around, made great connections, were offered to come out to their place to hunt as well. That Garmin Montana 650 is bloody useful for geocoded photos of where you are at.

I spent about 5 hours today at the Clerk and Recorders office data mining. There is more to this land exchange than what they are saying, it is worse than before. What is more interesting than all the data I got there on roads, is what isnt there - a certain area is like the Bermuda Triangle with missing documents from their files. I found two index cards that stated documentation was not there, when it should have been.

Thankfully, whoever took documentation, didnt take it from connecting roads that mention the missing documented areas - proving not only their existence, but their access. I will try and get all this scanned and up shortly, but it is all the more reason to not pursue this land exchange. BTW, saw a bunch of deer, some wild turkey and beautiful elk bulls out there yesterday, which helped to balance the horror stories I was told of taking place out there that have been documented by the couple. I have 75 addresses to add to the EMWH newsletter list ( takes us up to 925 mostly Montanans) that I had sign up at the MSU Catapoolooza event on Friday, right before I left- a number of young student hunters and anglers interested in access and hunting/fishing opportunities. Then I will get a quick newsletter out with the petition link.

Thank you to all who signed. There is more to this than meets the eye.

 

[RobG]

Kat - did I hear you say that the W*lks put in a water tank and an alfalfa field close to the property border?

 

[RobG]

Sorry would never sign a petition that only allows a very small amount of hunters to access a very small area that can only be accessed by someone with aircraft. What I do support is making a trade with the blm for an area that allows thousands to access, thousands of acres. You can't tell me that the average American citizen would choose to not support a trade that allows a wider range of recreationalists to access a national monument.

Well, I'll grant you that the average American citizen is pretty easily duped... Yes it is more acreage, but the quality is nowhere close. Sorry to see you spreading this misinformation.

 

[teamhoyt]

I have never hunted and likely will never hunt the duffrees, but I damn sure won't support trading the duffrees for bull walker rd. that we already have access to

 

[Straight Arrow]

I am curious, smithrmk. You seem to be from the general SE Snowys area and have already established your own private "honeyholes". So why are you just now jumping on this forum to push so hard for the Wilks' land swap? You are seemingly over-selling. Why?

 

[Carnage2011]

Smithrmk, the bull wackier area is already accessible. They own a sliver of land that has a good road through it, but all the land around them is accessible. What are we really gaining by making this trade? A road? Just because they act like they are giving up a pristine chunk of their land to obtain the surfers doesn't mean it's true. Have you spent any time in the bullwacker area? If not then you are the one being a wolf in disguise.

 

[smithrmk]

Robg, quality of what? Just elk hunting? What about deer, cuz there are very few deer in the durfees. What about other activities that open up in the breaks ? More camping, more hunting species other than elk, more hiking, more biking, more sightseeing, more exploring, more photography, and on and on. Why are you all so hell bent on saving a small piece of public that is only being used by a few elk hunters? (Who have a tremendous advantage over the rest of us cuz they can fly over their hunting area and locate game, not a very pure and sporty way to hunt in my opinion) By the way for those who don't know who Kat is and why she is so interested in this trade, look at her bio. Since thats how many of you judge character. Look at her professional credentials and the agendas she supports. Might change your mind if you new her angle.

 

[teamhoyt]

who cares about the quality of elk, deer, photo ops or anything else, why would you support the trade of public land for a little peice of road? I have some used childrens clothing I'll trade you for your house! It's a good deal trust me!

 

[RobG]

Robg, quality of what? Just elk hunting? What about deer, cuz there are very few deer in the durfees. What about other activities that open up in the breaks ? More camping, more hunting species other than elk, more hiking, more biking, more sightseeing, more exploring, more photography, and on and on. Why are you all so hell bent on saving a small piece of public that is only being used by a few elk hunters? (Who have a tremendous advantage over the rest of us cuz they can fly over their hunting area and locate game, not a very pure and sporty way to hunt in my opinion) By the way for those who don't know who Kat is and why she is so interested in this trade, look at her bio. Since thats how many of you judge character. Look at her professional credentials and the agendas she supports. Might change your mind if you new her angle.

Yeah, great cactus viewing too. But you can get all that without the Wilks since we can build a road. So your whole Durfee trade is equivalent to the cost of a road parallel to the one they shut down.

There are so many good trades that the Wilks could have worked out - buy the Dome mountain donate it. Buy all the inholdings in the Crazies, donate it. Nope, they buy areas and close access and then send out shills to spread misinformation about trading for what we already had until they took it away.

I think we all know who Kat is. Congrats to her on being part of PLWA... she's going to do some ass kicking on a lot of people, which is why you have to attack her person instead of the data she has amassed against your buddies. But since you want to discredit her, how about telling us your real name?