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The Independent
15-05-2025
- The Independent
National Guard helicopter crew landed on Montana ranch and trespassed to take antlers, citations say
Three Montana Army National Guard members face trespassing charges after authorities said they landed a Black Hawk helicopter in a mountain pasture on a private ranch to take several elk antlers before flying away. A witness saw the May 4 landing and the person who owns the property reported it to officials, who tracked down the three guard members, Sweet Grass County Sheriff Alan Ronneberg said Thursday. The guardsmen were flying out of a base in Helena. They landed only briefly in the pasture located in the foothills of the Crazy Mountains to pick up two individual antlers and an old elk skull with antlers still attached, the sheriff said. Elk antlers — which grow and drop off male animals annually — are highly prized and can be sold by the pound. They also are collected from the wild as keepsakes. The antlers and skull taken by the guardsmen were worth a combined $300 to $400, according to Ronneberg. They were later turned over to a state game warden. The guardsmen face fines of up $500 each, up to six months in jail or both. They are due to appear in justice court on May 28. Trespassers taking antlers from private land is not uncommon in Montana and other western states. 'This an odd one," Ronneberg said. "Usually somebody parks on the side of the road and crosses into private ground and picks up a shed," he said, referring to an antler that's been shed by an elk. Citations issued to two of the guardsmen said they 'entered posted private property that was posted as trespassing for the purpose of elk antler removal." The citation for the third again mentioned trespassing and also that 'subject landed military helicopter on private property." The Sweet Grass County Attorney and Sheriff's Office are considering additional charges related to the taking of the antlers themselves but no decision has been made, Ronneberg said. He said those discussions center on whether the antlers were the property of the landowners. Taking antlers from state-owned land is legal in Montana for people with an $8 state conservation license, said Greg Lemon with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Montana National Guard Adjutant General J. Peter Hronek said in a statement he was aware of the case and it was being investigated. 'Appropriate adverse and/or administrative action will take place if the allegations are determined to be true,' Hronek said. 'Misuse of military equipment erodes the trust we strive to uphold with the people of Montana.'
New York Times
15-05-2025
- New York Times
Military Helicopter Crew Took Elk Antlers From Montana Ranch, Officials Say
Linda McMullen was traveling in Nevada last week when a neighbor called to report some unusual activity on her cattle ranch in Montana. 'He said, 'Linda, there's a green Army helicopter landed on your place, picking up elk antlers,'' Ms. McMullen recalled. 'I said, 'Are you joking?' He said, 'I'm looking at them with binoculars.'' Hunting for elk antlers is a popular pastime in Montana, and freshly shed brown antlers can sell for hundreds of dollars. But hunters need permission to take them from private property. Ms. McMullen had not given anyone permission to enter her ranch, which is about 25 miles north of Big Timber, Mont., at the base of the Crazy Mountains. This week, the authorities charged three Montana National Guard members with criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor, accusing them of landing a military helicopter on her property to collect elk antlers on May 4. The penalty is a $185 fine. Sheriff Alan Ronneberg of Sweet Grass County said the Guard members had taken two antlers and a skeletonized head with antlers, worth a total of $300 to $400. He said an investigation was continuing to determine whether additional charges were warranted. 'We're still trying to figure all this out,' Sheriff Ronneberg said in an interview on Thursday. Hunting shed antlers is 'almost a sport' in Montana, he said. 'But never by helicopter,' he said. 'This is the first helicopter I've heard of.' The incident was previously reported by The Big Timber Pioneer, a Montana newspaper. The Montana National Guard said the troops had been on a training flight from Billings, Mont., to Helena, the state capital. Four antlers were turned over to the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks on Monday, the National Guard said. 'I am aware of an alleged incident involving a Montana Army National Guard helicopter landing on private property without authorization,' Maj. Gen. J. Peter Hronek, the adjutant general of the Montana National Guard, said in a statement. An internal investigation was underway, he said. 'If true, this behavior does not align with the values of the Montana National Guard,' General Hronek said. 'Misuse of military equipment erodes the trust we strive to uphold with the people of Montana.' Ms. McMullen, who is 71 and has been ranching for 50 years, said she was upset that Guard members had landed on her property, where she often collects elk antlers. She said she has a pile in storage and sells them or uses them for decoration. 'I thought it was an egregious violation of trust in our government and boldness and maybe lawlessness on the part of the people doing it,' she said, adding that 'ranching is a tough business. It's a low-margin business.' Court records identified the Guard members as Michael Vincent Bray, Deni Lynn Draper and Perry Wray Woodland. A man who answered a phone number listed under Mr. Bray's name declined to comment. Mr. Draper also declined to comment. Mr. Woodland did not immediately respond to a phone message on Thursday. Elk shed their antlers every year from January to May, leading to a brisk trade among brokers and collectors. A freshly shed brown antler can sell for up to $14 a pound and weigh as much as 12 pounds, while older, weathered antlers can sell for about $8 a pound, according Jackie Steigleman, an owner of Antlers Unlimited, a business that buys and sells antlers in Bozeman, Mont. The antlers can be used to make furniture, chandeliers and even chew toys for dogs. 'There's an antler war out there, and they're very valuable,' Ms. Steigleman said. 'We joke about it all the time because it's such a popular activity and you can make some decent money.' Ms. McMullen said that after her neighbor called to report that a National Guard helicopter was being used to take antlers from her property, she told him he had permission to go on to her land and write down the registration number. She also spoke to a game warden and the sheriff and, later, to an official at the Montana National Guard who told her he was going to return the antlers and 'and apologize in person.'
