Shoot a Montana Bighorn for only 5K..

[weekender7]

What does it cost to kill one legal? It only cost this guy 5K to kill one illegal, on private land, with no license and let the meat waste.

Hunter hit with fines, suspensions for poaching bighorn sheep

 

[GSPHUNTER]

He thought it was an Elk, right, HA HA HA HA

 

[Mt Al]

Only way I can see a fine that low and only two years of hunting privileges revoked is if he calls FWP immediately after the mistake and fesses up.

Shooting and leaving it? Stupidly low fine and only two years??? Infuriating.

 

[WCB]

Restitution For Illegal Killing, Possession, Or Waste Of Trophy Wildlife​

87-6-907. Restitution for illegal killing, possession, or waste of trophy wildlife. In addition to other penalties provided by law, a person convicted or forfeiting bond or bail on a charge of purposely or knowingly illegally killing, taking, possessing, or wasting a trophy animal listed in this section shall reimburse the state for each trophy animal according to the following schedule:
(1) mountain sheep with at least one horn equal to or greater than a three-fourths curl as defined by commission regulation, $30,000;

Must have not been a big one? Also, Why is the fine only for "trophy" animals. Make the fine for ANY mountain sheep. Same with elk why does it have to be a 6pt? Cows are more vital to the herd than bulls same with sheep Ewes maybe should be fined even higher.

 

[ODB]

Quick, check his social media and see how many pic of sheep he “liked.”

 

[Muledeerhunter406]

Anyone remember when the guy from New York I think it was shot a Llama in montana thinking it was an elk! sometimes ya just can't fix stupid, but with that low of a fine I'm guessing he turned himself in and cooperated otherwise the fine would have been different just a guess

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

I have joked about that driving through CO and seeing them walking around from the highway.

“I’d be out of jail before I would draw a tag”

 

[Broomd]

He thought it was an Elk, right, HA HA HA HA

Not justifying this buttwipe, but viewed from the rear a sheep's rump looks very much like an elk's.
Given the stupidity we're reading about and the conditions around this fool, he may have likely shot it up the ass.
The fine should be equal to governors tag type money, at least 50K.

 

[AZ8]

Montana is part of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. He won’t be able to hunt in most States. I believe it’s up to 48 or 49 now.

 

[lastcast33]

So glad they caught him. What a shame!!!

 

[S.Clancy]

Not justifying this buttwipe, but viewed from the rear a sheep's rump looks very much like an elk's.
Given the stupidity we're reading about and the conditions around this fool, he may have likely shot it up the ass.
The fine should be equal to governors tag type money, at least 50K.

Bro, MT Governor's tag 2021 sold for $440K...

 

[brian wagar]

What the hell is wrong with our game department and judges if he can't tell the difference I for one don't give a crap still should have been a higher fine and loss of privileges for life!

 

[dtrkyman]

Imagine if he took the meat, maybe only fine him 1k and keeps his hunting "rights"?

 

[Sykes]

This shit pisses me off. A guy won a raffle for a sheep tag and came here to hunt and ended up killing 2, the second was killed from a bullet pass through, I know shit happens but these sheep here have zero pressure so they don't spook and they were on their winter grounds herded up next to the road ( I know this because my dad got out of his truck and walked up to the same group with 7 dogs and took a few pictures with his cell phone) so not like it was a rare opportunity 20 miles in the back country. He self reported so only got a slap on the wrist and got to keep his sheep. CPW took the other one to my buddy to have it mounted. The picture of this douche with his sheep smiling just pisses me off to no end. He gave zero F@$#s

 

[LongWayAround]

This shit pisses me off. A guy won a raffle for a sheep tag and came here to hunt and ended up killing 2, the second was killed from a bullet pass through, I know shit happens but these sheep here have zero pressure so they don't spook and they were on their winter grounds herded up next to the road ( I know this because my dad got out of his truck and walked up to the same group with 7 dogs and took a few pictures with his cell phone) so not like it was a rare opportunity 20 miles in the back country. He self reported so only got a slap on the wrist and got to keep his sheep. CPW took the other one to my buddy to have it mounted. The picture of this douche with his sheep smiling just pisses me off to no end. He gave zero F@$#s

Do you have a link to any of that?

 

[Sykes]

Do you have a link to any of that?

No it was here locally, word of mouth from game warden to taxidermist. No clue who the dude was or where he's from

Edit to add:
Talked to the Taxi today, said the dude was fined $300

 

[WeiserBucks]

That's the problem with these poaching cases. Guys can kill trophy critters, sometimes for years and once they get caught it's cheaper than 1 guided hunt. It's simple math and it all adds up for the poacher. Unless something takes a major turn it's cheaper to poach.

Just talking dollars, not ethics. In our current situation poachers get a small fine and don't go to jail. There's no deterant for the unethical people who want to hunt outside the law.

 

[mtwarden]

they could have charged him under our felony statute, not knowing all the circumstances don't want to second guess why he wasn't charged under that statute

lots of reasons for not committing a felony

 

[Deadfall]

Indians do it fairly often. Can shoot anything they want, wherever they want, on any land they want. They can go on a closed game range and shoot elk in dead of winter. Without consequence.

Lots of stuff in this world just ain't right.

 

[Deadfall]

This goof ball didn't have license to begin with. Doubt he will care about licenses in the future either. Just be more covert from now on