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From the Great Falls Tribune
Hunters kill 120 of elk herd caught on prairie
By MICHAEL BABCOCK
Hunters have killed about 120 elk, including at least a dozen trophy bulls, in a herd of about 300 that got caught on the open prairie between the Snowy and Little Belt mountains over the past eight days.
As word spread, more and more hunters showed up. Some even took their children out of school to take advantage of the elk.
"In general, most of the people behaved, but we have written at least six citations on this deal so far," Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 4 Manager Mike Aderhold said. "People are not thinking things through, and it isn't the safest situation."
In addition to issuing citations for trespassing, shooting from the road and harassing wildlife with a vehicle, game wardens confiscated nine elk and took them to the Lewistown field office, Warden Capt. Terry Hill said. Some have been donated to the Great Falls Community Food Bank.
"It is hunting season, and we like to hear about hunters taking elk," he said. But "it is not the best quality hunting when you have this chasing and running and gunning type of situation."
The elk are part of the Snowy Mountains herd; they have moved to the Little Belts in January or February for the last couple of years. This year, they moved early, beginning Nov. 12, Aderhold said. They have been there every morning until Thursday, when game warden Bob Hammer of Stanford reported there were no elk visible.
The elk usually moved as a group, although a batch of older bulls tended to separate. They moved back and forth between the Little Belts and the Snowies several times.
Some were killed near Highway 191, between 10 and 15 miles south of Eddies Corner, Hill said. They crossed 191 in the vicinity of Straw and got caught between hunters in both ranges.
In the Snowies, hunters must have a permit to take either bulls or cows; in the Little Belts, a general hunting tag allows a hunter to take an elk. Kids 12 to 14 can take an antlerless elk in either district.
As word spread, a number of parents took their children out of school to shoot an elk. As the situation intensified, more game wardens were called in, until five eventually were working the area, Hill said.
About a third of the herd was taken. "Out of 300, we estimate 100 to 120 elk were killed," Aderhold said. "In that herd, there were at least a dozen six-point bulls taken."
The harvest won't hurt the Snowies herd, but it will cause FWP biologists to review their proposals for next year's quotas, he said.
There are more elk in the Snowies than FWP biologists want, and they had planned to increase bull permits for the area next year. "But we may take another look at that in light of the trophy bulls that were taken," he said. "There were a lot of spikes (immature bulls) taken as well."
The situation was all the talk in Stanford and at Eddies Corner.
"Those that are getting elk feel pretty good about that," Aderhold said. "Those who are victims of trespass and fence-cutting are not so happy."
Similar incidents have happened.
In 2000, almost 300 head of elk were caught in the open on a ranch near White Sulphur Springs. As the herd raced past 11 hunters, the men opened fire and each got an elk.
Five or six years ago, west of the Sweet Grass Hills, "a bunch of elk made a run to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation," Aderhold said. "The word spread and people came running, and then the elk came running back to the Sweet Grass Hills."
Game wardens are about to experience their busiest time -- the last week of hunting season -- and Hill asked hunters to help out by obeying the rules and turning in unlawful activities to a game warden, the local sheriff's office or by calling 1-800-TIP-MONT.
Hunters kill 120 of elk herd caught on prairie
By MICHAEL BABCOCK
Hunters have killed about 120 elk, including at least a dozen trophy bulls, in a herd of about 300 that got caught on the open prairie between the Snowy and Little Belt mountains over the past eight days.
As word spread, more and more hunters showed up. Some even took their children out of school to take advantage of the elk.
"In general, most of the people behaved, but we have written at least six citations on this deal so far," Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 4 Manager Mike Aderhold said. "People are not thinking things through, and it isn't the safest situation."
In addition to issuing citations for trespassing, shooting from the road and harassing wildlife with a vehicle, game wardens confiscated nine elk and took them to the Lewistown field office, Warden Capt. Terry Hill said. Some have been donated to the Great Falls Community Food Bank.
"It is hunting season, and we like to hear about hunters taking elk," he said. But "it is not the best quality hunting when you have this chasing and running and gunning type of situation."
The elk are part of the Snowy Mountains herd; they have moved to the Little Belts in January or February for the last couple of years. This year, they moved early, beginning Nov. 12, Aderhold said. They have been there every morning until Thursday, when game warden Bob Hammer of Stanford reported there were no elk visible.
The elk usually moved as a group, although a batch of older bulls tended to separate. They moved back and forth between the Little Belts and the Snowies several times.
Some were killed near Highway 191, between 10 and 15 miles south of Eddies Corner, Hill said. They crossed 191 in the vicinity of Straw and got caught between hunters in both ranges.
In the Snowies, hunters must have a permit to take either bulls or cows; in the Little Belts, a general hunting tag allows a hunter to take an elk. Kids 12 to 14 can take an antlerless elk in either district.
As word spread, a number of parents took their children out of school to shoot an elk. As the situation intensified, more game wardens were called in, until five eventually were working the area, Hill said.
About a third of the herd was taken. "Out of 300, we estimate 100 to 120 elk were killed," Aderhold said. "In that herd, there were at least a dozen six-point bulls taken."
The harvest won't hurt the Snowies herd, but it will cause FWP biologists to review their proposals for next year's quotas, he said.
There are more elk in the Snowies than FWP biologists want, and they had planned to increase bull permits for the area next year. "But we may take another look at that in light of the trophy bulls that were taken," he said. "There were a lot of spikes (immature bulls) taken as well."
The situation was all the talk in Stanford and at Eddies Corner.
"Those that are getting elk feel pretty good about that," Aderhold said. "Those who are victims of trespass and fence-cutting are not so happy."
Similar incidents have happened.
In 2000, almost 300 head of elk were caught in the open on a ranch near White Sulphur Springs. As the herd raced past 11 hunters, the men opened fire and each got an elk.
Five or six years ago, west of the Sweet Grass Hills, "a bunch of elk made a run to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation," Aderhold said. "The word spread and people came running, and then the elk came running back to the Sweet Grass Hills."
Game wardens are about to experience their busiest time -- the last week of hunting season -- and Hill asked hunters to help out by obeying the rules and turning in unlawful activities to a game warden, the local sheriff's office or by calling 1-800-TIP-MONT.
