Montana District 300 Mule deer

[GKNUDSON]

Well, I guess you have a point, I suppose I would come home with a 24" in that case. Don't get me wrong I don't think I have everything figured out by no means. However, I have seen them there & yes I am on a width trip lately, I just figure if I did get lucky enough to get that tag I feel I would be able to get the buck of my dreams from there. Are you a bow hunter?

[waynedevore]

If I had area 300 I to would go after a 30 incher, but I wouldn't pass up a heavy, high 25. Mass is important.
Heck, go after a big guy.

[northern]

well how did it work out........I HEARD the white ranch had a slaghter on 200 elk...by the time that it was over the elk where too tired to even jump a fence...The land owner asked the fish and game to haze the elk out of his alfalpha fields, they said that it is illegal to haze the elk. So he took 2 people out and they flock shot into the elk, then he went and got 2 more and so on. I don't condone this type of hunting but this went on for over 7 hours. some elk where shot 5 times. I just think that this is wrong and want to here all your point of views.

[NONYA]

I found a calf hung up in a fence yesterday(gutshot) after a outfitter set up 3 different partys on a herd,they tagged a decent bull and when I came back later the calf was gone,bet it ended up in a hole somewhere.

[AGCHAWK]

wtc?! northern, is that true?!

Not only is that wrong, it's illegal to boot. Has anyone tried to find out if this is true? Was the Game Department called? I find it pretty hard to believe that you'd be able to hide something like that and all it would take is for someone to investigate it to find out if it is indeed true.

[MuleyMadness]

It's wrong in just about EVERY single way IMO. But the saddest part is it may not be illegal. We had a rancher near Enterprise Utah a few years ago that went out and slaughtered a bunch of deer also. According to the law he warned the DWR and nothing was done so he could legally shoot them. I think they may have changed the law since then.

[northern]

wtc?! northern, is that true?!

Not only is that wrong, it's illegal to boot. Has anyone tried to find out if this is true? Was the Game Department called? I find it pretty hard to believe that you'd be able to hide something like that and all it would take is for someone to investigate it to find out if it is indeed true.

When I heard about this, the friend (more like a brother to me) was standing there talking to the owner of the ranch, The fish and game were standing there checking each elk that came out of the gates. The word got around Lima and there was a line of hunters that were on national forest that bordered the private property. And a line at the gate to the ranch, of people that were waiting to go in with the owner. The hired hands were using horse trailers to remove the elk from the pastures for the hunters. The hunters may have been after a different animal but what ever fell they had to tag. He said that some people did'nt even shoot, just went out and tagged a elk that was already dead and just laying there. He also said that the pastures that they were in were covered red with gut piles and blood. I need to find out from someone in Lima of what actually happened. But this buddy of mine is a straight arrow And I have never known him to pull my leg. The biggest thing that started all of this is that during the first week of rifle it is legal to shoot a cow, or calf, or bull with a over the counter BULL tag in that hunting disterct.

[AGCHAWK]

What a mess!

Brett brought up a good point. I'll have to do a little reading up on the Montana regs about the legality of it. I know that here in WA it is illegal...as it is in a number of other states. However, I am not SURE whether or not it's legal in Montana.

Either way I think it's rather disgusting. Just my opinion.

[phutch30]

Not my bag of tea for sure. I enjoyed packing out the cow and 5x5 we shot on the opener. I would have enjoyed packing out the 330+ bull my buddy missed more but oh well. What did the rancher do that was illegal. Nothing. There is nothing in the regs that says a private landowner can not take someone onto thier property to shoot an elk. I would never be a part of something like this, but some "hunters" dont care they just want to brag about the elk the got.

[AGCHAWK]

phutch, I agree....but multiple elk? As far as I know, party hunting in illegal in Montana, is it not?

Sounds to me like a lot more elk were shot than were hunters present.