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FWP tickets supervisor for hunting error
By SHERRY DEVLIN of the Missoulian
November 25, 2003
Mack Long, regional supervisor for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in Missoula, was cited by his own employees over the weekend for hunting big game on private property without permission.
Long opted not to contest the citation, paid the $135 bond and surrendered the five-point bull elk he shot on land adjoining the ranch where he had permission to hunt.
"As soon as Mack discovered that he had committed a violation, he did the right thing," said Jim Kropp, administrator of FWP's law enforcement division in Helena. "He contacted the landowner and let him know what had happened.
"I cannot stress enough how important that is for our relationships as sportsmen and as a management agency - for hunters to take that responsibility when mistakes occur," Kropp said.
Long unintentionally violated the law, but owned up to his mistake, he said.
"Honest people make honest mistakes," Kropp said. "As game wardens, we'd much rather deal with a situation where people come to us and say this is what happened and why."
Long, who was named FWP's Region 2 supervisor in May 1998, was previously the region's warden captain. He began his career with Fish, Wildlife and Parks as a field warden in Billings in 1988, then was a warden in Libby and a warden sergeant in Kalispell.
In interviews with FWP officials, Long and the landowners provided this account of the events leading up to his citation:
On Friday, Long received permission to hunt elk on the Two Creek Ranch near Ovando, in the Blackfoot Valley northeast of Missoula.
Believing he was still on the ranch, he shot and killed a five-point bull elk and tagged the animal.
Earlier in the day, ranch manager Ken Kovach had offered to help Long retrieve an elk if he was successful. So Long went back to the ranch house and asked Kovach if the offer still stood.
It did.
When Kovach went with Long to get the animal, though, he realized it had been shot on the neighbor's property.
That's when Long went to landowner Geoffrey Foote, explained what had happened and apologized for his mistake.
Long was told he could retrieve the elk, and he did.
Later on Friday, however, Foote attempted to contact a game warden. On Saturday, a warden was able to meet with him; at that time, Foote said he wanted Long to be given a citation.
The warden then related the request to Warden Capt. Jeff Darrah, who contacted Long, cited him for hunting big game on private property without permission and confiscated the elk.
On Monday, Long issued a written statement via his office in Missoula, saying: "This is very regrettable, and I am embarrassed."
Long had a long-established family commitment out of state and had to leave Missoula on Sunday, so was not available for an interview.
And neither Foote nor Kovach returned telephone calls from the Missoulian on Monday.
At the Region 2 headquarters in Missoula, spokesman Bill Thomas said Long is not contesting the citation - so forfeited the $135 bond and the animal.
The elk will be donated to a food bank or other charity, as are all confiscated game animals.
In Helena, Kropp said he could not speculate on whether the citation would affect Long's standing in the department.
"He did the right thing here, legally and ethically," Kropp said. "As soon as he discovered his mistake, he went and talked to the landowner."
"A lot of our employees statewide are sportsmen, and certainly things happen where people make inadvertent mistakes," he said. "Clearly, that is what happened here."
In other, similar cases involving FWP employees, there have been no repercussions on the job "as long as everything is out in the open as to how the incident took place," Kropp said.
Kropp also emphasized that Long could still change his mind and contest the citation. Normally, sportsmen have seven working days to appear in court - in this case, Powell County - to formally enter a plea.
The lesson in the tale, of course, is a cautionary one, Kropp said.
"I would simply say that it's important for all hunters to know at all times where they are, so these types of situations can be avoided," he said. "That puts a huge burden on hunters because so much property in Montana is checkerboarded, either private-to-private or private-to-public.
"It is easy for people to make mistakes if they are not extremely careful."
By law, hunters are responsible for securing permission from landowners and to know their location at all times during the ensuing hunt.
Reporter Sherry Devlin can be reached at 523-5268 or at sdevlin@missoulian.com
By SHERRY DEVLIN of the Missoulian
November 25, 2003
Mack Long, regional supervisor for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in Missoula, was cited by his own employees over the weekend for hunting big game on private property without permission.
Long opted not to contest the citation, paid the $135 bond and surrendered the five-point bull elk he shot on land adjoining the ranch where he had permission to hunt.
"As soon as Mack discovered that he had committed a violation, he did the right thing," said Jim Kropp, administrator of FWP's law enforcement division in Helena. "He contacted the landowner and let him know what had happened.
"I cannot stress enough how important that is for our relationships as sportsmen and as a management agency - for hunters to take that responsibility when mistakes occur," Kropp said.
Long unintentionally violated the law, but owned up to his mistake, he said.
"Honest people make honest mistakes," Kropp said. "As game wardens, we'd much rather deal with a situation where people come to us and say this is what happened and why."
Long, who was named FWP's Region 2 supervisor in May 1998, was previously the region's warden captain. He began his career with Fish, Wildlife and Parks as a field warden in Billings in 1988, then was a warden in Libby and a warden sergeant in Kalispell.
In interviews with FWP officials, Long and the landowners provided this account of the events leading up to his citation:
On Friday, Long received permission to hunt elk on the Two Creek Ranch near Ovando, in the Blackfoot Valley northeast of Missoula.
Believing he was still on the ranch, he shot and killed a five-point bull elk and tagged the animal.
Earlier in the day, ranch manager Ken Kovach had offered to help Long retrieve an elk if he was successful. So Long went back to the ranch house and asked Kovach if the offer still stood.
It did.
When Kovach went with Long to get the animal, though, he realized it had been shot on the neighbor's property.
That's when Long went to landowner Geoffrey Foote, explained what had happened and apologized for his mistake.
Long was told he could retrieve the elk, and he did.
Later on Friday, however, Foote attempted to contact a game warden. On Saturday, a warden was able to meet with him; at that time, Foote said he wanted Long to be given a citation.
The warden then related the request to Warden Capt. Jeff Darrah, who contacted Long, cited him for hunting big game on private property without permission and confiscated the elk.
On Monday, Long issued a written statement via his office in Missoula, saying: "This is very regrettable, and I am embarrassed."
Long had a long-established family commitment out of state and had to leave Missoula on Sunday, so was not available for an interview.
And neither Foote nor Kovach returned telephone calls from the Missoulian on Monday.
At the Region 2 headquarters in Missoula, spokesman Bill Thomas said Long is not contesting the citation - so forfeited the $135 bond and the animal.
The elk will be donated to a food bank or other charity, as are all confiscated game animals.
In Helena, Kropp said he could not speculate on whether the citation would affect Long's standing in the department.
"He did the right thing here, legally and ethically," Kropp said. "As soon as he discovered his mistake, he went and talked to the landowner."
"A lot of our employees statewide are sportsmen, and certainly things happen where people make inadvertent mistakes," he said. "Clearly, that is what happened here."
In other, similar cases involving FWP employees, there have been no repercussions on the job "as long as everything is out in the open as to how the incident took place," Kropp said.
Kropp also emphasized that Long could still change his mind and contest the citation. Normally, sportsmen have seven working days to appear in court - in this case, Powell County - to formally enter a plea.
The lesson in the tale, of course, is a cautionary one, Kropp said.
"I would simply say that it's important for all hunters to know at all times where they are, so these types of situations can be avoided," he said. "That puts a huge burden on hunters because so much property in Montana is checkerboarded, either private-to-private or private-to-public.
"It is easy for people to make mistakes if they are not extremely careful."
By law, hunters are responsible for securing permission from landowners and to know their location at all times during the ensuing hunt.
Reporter Sherry Devlin can be reached at 523-5268 or at sdevlin@missoulian.com
