Wilks brothers true colors are shining through.....

'priviledged'.
Anybody that has an extra couple hundred bucks and a few days off work is now 'Priviledged'
The perpetual victims are here and they demand access be redefined as: 'a place I can 'hunt' from the cab of my 4x4"

There is currently access into the Bullwhacker.
The Durfee is still public land
The Durfee ( a relatively small area) has not had its hunting ruined by an easement that would be sure to drive the elk to Wilks.

How could the situation get better than it is right now?
 
MTHunter1321 said:
I am one that has not hunted the Durfees yet, however, it is a bucket list item for me. I am glad that this latest proposal has got shot down and I hope it stays that way. I believe it is a major victory for Montana sportsmen and women and for once, money does not prevail. I do have a question for people who have hunted the area or are more familiar with it than me. It looks like with the new hunting proposals that the FWP commission is considering, this area would go from a permit only to a general tag if it is passed as proposed. Do you think this will drive more people to spend the money to fly in and hunt? I could maybe see it becoming "too popular" and potentially driving the elk back onto the Wilkes land. Hopefully I am wrong though. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?
Click to expand...

I've been wondering too. It's been On my radar but haven't done it for several reasons. Too busy with sheep in the unlims, didnt want the land to be traded away between gettjng the tag and hunting season, and with all the times it's been in the news with headlines like ' elk hunting lands' or whatever the gazette says I'm afraid of going in and finding it swarmed with hunters.
 
Last edited:
billy banger said:
Montana hunters and sportsmen are the ones losing when the BLM denied this exchange. There are only a few, 40-60, hunters that are accessing the Durfee Hills by aircraft, whereas there are about 1,000 people accessing through the Anchor Ranch into the Bullwhacker area.

Doug Krings stated that he opposed the exchange in the Billings Gazette article; http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyl...cle_02f9886d-3391-5595-ac75-8fee5f80ba83.html I find it very ironic that the one's opposing the exchange the most are the same privileged few hunters that fly into the Durfee Hills to archery hunt elk. They are doing so for very selfish reasons, they simply want the hunting for themselves.

Ron Moody stated in the Great Falls Tribune that the exchange is not in the public interest, which can't be further from the truth. It appears to me, and other Montanans, that access for 1,000 individuals sure out weights access for the privileged 40-60 people who pay to fly into the Durfee Hills.

The Montana Wildlife Federation, Public Land & Water Access, Laurel Rod & Gun Club, Montana Sportsman Alliance and the newly formed Central Montana Sportsmen (made up of members of the above mentioned groups) are the groups that are opposing the exchange. These groups say they represent the Montana hunters, but they don't represent me. We Montana hunters are taking notice of the actions of these so called sportsmen groups.
Click to expand...

There is access into bullwacker already. You can use your two feet and walk right into all that "inaccessible Blm." I have done it myself. You can't cross the sliver of private that contains the road, and that adds a couple miles into your home but it is fairly easy walking. If you want to hunt it so bad then use your legs.....
 
I hunted the Durfee's this past archery season. Since I didn't know what the hunt would be like as far as pressure from other hunters, I went into the hunt expecting the worst and hoping for the best. Well, the worst I was preparing for wasn't nearly as bad as it actually turned out to be. It was the worst elk hunt I have ever been on. I took a week of vacation only to sit and watch a couple thousand head of elk across the fence on the Wilks property every day. I saw a total of 4 elk on the public in my entire week there, and no I did not spend the entire week in my tent. I hunted hard every day and hiked to all ends of the public. It was extremely frustrating being there a whole week and knowing I could have had way better elk hunting if I had went somewhere else. There were two other groups of hunters in there, and it wasn't exactly crowded. The one group had been going in there for several years and they said this past year was nothing like it used to be.

I think the newly constructed fence was the biggest factor in why the hunting was so bad. The elk have water, fields, and bedding areas on the N Bar, so they really have no need to cross the fence anymore.The way the fence is built, any calf would have a hell of a time getting over it onto the public. Since the calves can't cross, the cows don't cross, and as a result, the bulls don't cross. There are a few low spots that you can tell were major travel routes in the past, but the N Bar had parked vehicles next to the fence in these spots to deter the elk from wanting to cross there.

I will say the Durfee's are some of the best elk habitat I have ever seen, and I'm sure it was an elk hunters dream in the past. Maybe the bulls move back onto there after the rut during the rifle season, but even then I think the fence will keep a lot of elk out. Maybe someone that has rifle hunted it since the fence was constructed can chime in on what they observed.

I am totally opposed for a land exchange involving the already accessible Bullwhacker. After what I have seen of the Durfee's though, I wouldn't be totally opposed to an exchange of some kind if the land the N-Bar gave up was OF EQUAL OR GREATER value to the Durfee's. I also think if they want to make a trade it should be for other land in Fergus County and not something up in the Breaks. For example, a chunk of their land that is adjacent to the National Forest Service in the Big or Little Snowies that is good elk hunting and would allow access to the adjacent public lands. I'm sure a lot of people will hate me for saying that. The truth is, all the Wilks' brothers would have to do is start grazing cattle in the Durfee's and that would be the nail in the coffin on that place.
 
I haven't nor do I intend on ever hunting the dufrees, but if the the entire dufrees burned and left nothing but dust I would not support any trade with these guys. We don't need there land we need to keep our land.
 
Not grazing may be a strategy for keeping elk out of the Durfee's. Old grass is much less palatable for wildlife. Ungrazed grass produces less new growth and animals don't like trying to pick this new growth out of the old grass. If I was the Wilks' range manager I would suggest this as a way to keep elk off the BLM.
 
How disingenuous...

There has been turnover at that BLM office so what are the current emails of the people to contact to suggest building a road to the Bullwhacker?
 
Sad to see the games that are played, not surprised but it's sad. Wilks have built the n-bar into their empire (airports, roads, houses etc) and they want to continue to expand it. Can I blame them, no not really. If I had their money I wouldn't mind having my own mountain play ground. However I am glad the BLM did not take their exchange. The only exchange that I believe should even be considered is an acre for acre exchange in the Durfee's.

Knowing the amount of money these guys have put into the n-bar, and the amount of money they have at their disposal, I don't see this discussion ending anytime soon.
 
My first time posting but am a long-time local in the area of the N-bar and I've been following this thread for awhile.A buddy from Lewsitown called last night and said he flew into the Durfees to do some shed hunting yesterday. He didn't find any antlers but did see a mama elk with a broken-leg running around on the south end of the BLM ground. That stupid fence they built is doing a great job and I'm sure the brothers are proud of all the elk they are hurting.

I've been wondering about something else and maybe somebody here can set me straight on it. Its great the brothers are letting veterans and kids hunt elk on the n-bar but from what I hear the ranch manager Mike Sedgewick (and none of his crew) doesn't have guides licenses. Anyone know what the regs are on guiding if its a non-for-profit deal? If not I'll call FW&P and find out and let you all know what they say about it.

http://montanawoundedwarriors.org/n-bar-ranch-hunt-2015
http://montanawoundedwarriors.org/back-to-the-n-bar-2015
 
Any private land owner can legally guide, or hire a guide to run hunters on his/her private lands.

In this case, there is no money exchanged and therefore no laws broken, even if they ventured onto BLM or state....however were money being exchanged or other goods they could be in line for a felony if they ventured onto someone else's private State, or Federal lands for "illegal outfitting"....hope that answers your question.
 
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