National Guard helicopter crew landed on Montana ranch and trespassed to take antlers, citations say

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Three Montana Army National Guard members look trespassing charges aft authorities said they landed a Black Hawk chopper successful a upland pasture connected a backstage ranch to instrumentality respective elk antlers earlier flying away.

A witnesser saw the May 4 landing and the idiosyncratic who owns the spot reported it to officials, who tracked down the 3 defender members, Sweet Grass County Sheriff Alan Ronneberg said Thursday.

The guardsmen had been connected a grooming formation from the metropolis of Billings to Helena, the authorities capital, said Major Ryan Finnegan with the Montana National Guard. The chopper landed concisely successful the pasture located successful the foothills of the Crazy Mountains, wherever the unit members picked up 2 idiosyncratic antlers and an aged elk skull with antlers inactive attached, the sheriff said.

Elk antlers — which turn and driblet disconnected antheral animals annually — are highly prized and tin beryllium sold by the pound. They besides are collected from the chaotic arsenic keepsakes.

The antlers and skull taken by the guardsmen were worthy a combined $300 to $400, according to Ronneberg. They were aboriginal turned implicit to a authorities crippled warden.

Trespassers taking antlers from backstage onshore is not uncommon successful Montana and different occidental states.

“This an unusual one," Ronneberg said. "Usually idiosyncratic parks connected the broadside of the roadworthy and crosses into backstage crushed and picks up a shed," helium said, referring to an antler that's been shed by an elk.

Citations issued to 2 of the guardsmen said they “entered posted backstage spot that was posted arsenic trespassing for the intent of elk antler removal." The citation for the 3rd again mentioned trespassing and besides that “subject landed subject chopper connected backstage property."

The Sweet Grass County Attorney and Sheriff's Office are considering further charges related to the taking of the antlers themselves but nary determination has been made, Ronneberg said. He said those discussions halfway connected whether the antlers were the spot of the landowners.

Reached connected Thursday by telephone, 1 of the 3 guardsmen, Michael Vincent Bray of East Helena, Montana, referred questions to his attorney, who did not instantly respond to a connection seeking comment. The different 2 guardsmen — Perry Wray Woodland of Great Falls and Deni Lynn Draper of Clancy — could not beryllium reached.

They look charges of transgression misdemeanor trespass, which comes with a $185 fine, and bash not person to look successful court, said Greg Lemon with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Taking antlers from state-owned onshore is ineligible successful Montana for radical with an $8 authorities conservation license, Lemon said.

Montana National Guard Adjutant General J. Peter Hronek said successful a connection helium was alert of the lawsuit and it was being investigated.

“Appropriate adverse and/or administrative enactment volition instrumentality spot if the allegations are determined to beryllium true,” Hronek said. “Misuse of subject instrumentality erodes the spot we strive to uphold with the radical of Montana.”

Finnegan said a Montana National Guard typical reached retired to the proprietor of the ranch “to supply an update and coordinate for an successful idiosyncratic instrumentality of the items.”