Shoot out in Sula Basin

[Ben Lamb]

Stuff like this is why so many folks fought against the apprentice hunter program. Imagine if the bill went through, and we roped 5 year olds into a shooting spree like this. Hunter Education matters.

http://ravallirepublic.com/news/local/article_e3215830-6208-11e3-8e15-0019bb2963f4.html

SULA – In a five-minute span on the day before Thanksgiving, the French Basin near Sula sounded like a war zone.

Some elk had wandered out onto an open hillside and a group of young hunters opened fire.

“Nine elk that we could account for were shot in about five minutes,” said Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks warden Lou Royce. “There were a few wounded ones that we never recovered.”

Royce wrote citations to the parents of the five young hunters who broke the law in one way or another.

“There was a lot of unethical behavior that happened that day,” he said.

 

[spook12]

Do the Adult mentors not have to pass Hunters Education?

 

[noharleyyet]

Ugly article. What a cluster.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Do the Adult mentors not have to pass Hunters Education?

If you were born prior to 1985 (I think), you do not have to pass Hunter Ed in MT.

The way the bill (SB 197) was written, these jackwagons could have taken 2 year olds out into the field and gotten away with it.

 

[BuzzH]

Sad....as per usual, hunting, just like in any other youth sports, the adults often ruin it for everybody.

I think it was breaksrunner that said, "theres 2 things that will make people do things they normally wouldnt...money and elk".

So true...

 

[Lawnboy]

"Unfortunately, this kind of stuff has been going on for years in the Sula Basin,” she said. “Now, instead of it being adults, it’s kids.”

Idiots breeding and then teaching their offspring to be idiots. This is one of the more redneck areas of the state and it can continue south on Highway 93 into Idaho.
How can behavior change when we still don't slap hard enough fines on hunting violations?

 

[tjones]

[B This is one of the more redneck areas of the state and it can continue south on Highway 93 into Idaho.
:

Ouch!

 

[smarandr]

This is one of the more redneck areas of the state and it can continue south on Highway 93 into Idaho.

Rednecks? In Idaho?

 

[MKotur325]

Great Article. They are right on one thing for sure. Ethical parents, and ethical role models will foster ethics in the next generation. Why is it that So many people feel that a hunt must end in a kill to be a good hunt? That ethic of striving for 100% success no matter the law, no matter the consequence is simply insidious. If we teach our kids that the first few years hunting, HOW CAN WE EXPECT THEM TO HUNT ETHICALLY??? Kids shape their morals and ethics off their parents, role models and leaders in their lives. So, not only Hunters Safety, but it is up to US, the leaders and elders of the next generation to prepare ourselves and examine ourselves so that we can foster proper ethics in the next generation.

I have to ask, If you were a Kid, first year hunting, right out of Hunter's Safety... your Dad pulls the truck to the side of the road, sets your rifle on the hood of the truck and says "Shoot" What would you do? Decision making under stress and adrenaline is a tough thing to predict; but the more you make one decision, the easier it is to make.

 

[RUT JUNKEY]

I hate to see stuff like this. Thats not hunting anyway. . .thats "shooting" and there is a huge difference! I also agree that its a mind set for those kids. . .probably rode around with their dad and watched him do the same thing over the years. . .sad. This is how private land gets closed off all across the nation to hunters. . a few doing stupid chit. . ruins it for the ethical guys for sure.

 

[Lawnboy]

Ouch!

Hey I grew up in Salmon so I'm throwing myself into the mix as well

 

[MKotur325]

I think Foxworthy sums up unethical hunters in this one pretty well... All meant if good fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_IBsebOfVE

 

[wingman1]

"Unfortunately, this kind of stuff has been going on for years in the Sula Basin,” she said. “Now, instead of it being adults, it’s kids.”

Idiots breeding and then teaching their offspring to be idiots. This is one of the more redneck areas of the state and it can continue south on Highway 93 into Idaho.
How can behavior change when we still don't slap hard enough fines on hunting violations?

Easy on the Bitterooters. Lol. They are probably from Butte.
Just outlaw road hunting. Make a 200 meter no shooting zone on any road. Problem solved.

 

[MKotur325]

Make a 200 meter no shooting zone on any road. Problem solved.

Um... There is already a 200 foot no shooting zone around any improved/govt maintained road... making it 3 times larger solves nothing...

 

[TheJason]

Um... There is already a 200 foot no shooting zone around any improved/govt maintained road... making it 3 times larger solves nothing...

It's not 200 feet, it's only outside of the road right of way. For many county roads this may only be 30 or 40 feet from the center of the roadway.

 

[Mule Deer]

The way people act during elk season sickens me. I just can't do it. Everyone turns asshole during elk season. No respect is given to who found the animals. It's just a cluster #*^@#*, with a bunch of ****s.

 

[spook12]

Sad indeed!

I'm sure that there is more to the story than what is in the news report and what has been posted here but the idiot parents don't appear to me to be the only adults to have failed these kids.

Who was it that decided it was a good idea to introduce Youth as young as 12 into a hunt that has had these problems before?
Why would anyone allow a youth hunt and allow more than one youth per adult mentor? One youth tag holder 1 qualified mentor.
Why would a system be put in place that allowed a mentor who hasn't been through Hunter Education? I don't care if you are old enough to have heard the Sermon on the Mount in person,If you haven't passed a Hunters Ed course you shouldn't be mentoring a youth during a youth hunt.

 

[jryoung]

Someone needs to set their elk blasters to stun.

 

[Big Fin]

Sad indeed!

Who was it that decided it was a good idea to introduce Youth as young as 12 into a hunt that has had these problems before?

Why would anyone allow a youth hunt and allow more than one youth per adult mentor? One youth tag holder 1 qualified mentor.

Why would a system be put in place that allowed a mentor who hasn't been through Hunter Education?

I don't care if you are old enough to have heard the Sermon on the Mount in person,If you haven't passed a Hunters Ed course you shouldn't be mentoring a youth during a youth hunt.

Good questions. I suspect some intelligence-impaired legislator would have to provide those answers.

 

[MKotur325]

It's not 200 feet, it's only outside of the road right of way. For many county roads this may only be 30 or 40 feet from the center of the roadway.

...Hmmm. I thought there was something like this... Especially with Forest Service... There is a area that I used to shoot down by Bozeman that some folks were cited by the Forest Service for shooting less than (thought it was) 200 feet from a road, least that's what I remember being told... My bad.

Anyhow... I stand by the comment. There is some regulation in place, making the zone larger isn't going to solve the problem. Increasing the fine, Maybe... Adding a "loss of hunting privileges" clause, Might help the problem...

These people are like Crackheads, it doesn't matter how illegal what they are doing is; if they think they can get away with it they'll do it.