Dos Perros
WKR
I've been wanting to post this for a couple weeks but just now getting the chance.
I hunted the first week of elk season in Montana. I had been in the unit before to hunt birds but not in the spot where my tale takes place. Essentially, a friend and I bedded a bull in some timber and backed out after we couldn't figure out where he was, stopped bugling, etc. We heard a UTV up above him and suspected someone else may be on him too. We went back that evening, this time from above, with a plan to walk down this finger ridge and try to locate him in his bed. Knowing there could be some guys already on him I looked across the road where there was a bunch more public and thought to myself we could just hunt there if there are other hunters.
Fast forward, he ended up still being in his bed, right where we left him, and he took us on a long sort of curling run as he bugled and moved that evening. The pace picked up and we were literally running after a bit. Ran across the road that ran the ridgeline in hot pursuit. Finally after a mile or two we got close and I ended up arrowing a nice 330/340ish satellite that was raking a tree. Thought I hit him good, but it got dark and we backed out expecting to find him there dead at first light.
As I go to mark the location on my phone/OnX, my heart sank and I was sick: we had crossed onto private land. I couldn't quite figure out how that was possible, when we left the truck it just didn't even 'feel' like we were anywhere close to private. Like it felt like you could go for miles without a care. And never in the course of the chase did I feel like I ought to check the GPS. I just got so focused that I ****ed up big time.
It was a long gut wrenching walk out of there that night. Once at my truck I called my best friend back home who also happens to be an attorney (not criminal tho), to get some advice. He did some midnight Googling of news stories and statutes and such and we basically concluded that the range of penalties I could subject to were very wide. Could be small, monetary kind of penalty, or could be worst-case lose vehicle, lose hunting gear, lose hunting privileges, $8000 fine, and a felony charge (for trophy class animal). And, the nature of what I do for a living if I get convicted of a felony I'll lose my job, simple as that. But, I knew what the right thing to do was and I called the TIPS folks late that night and turned myself in.
I spoke with the warden first thing in the morning and he instructed me where to meet him. FWP actually sent out 4 officers, two younger guys and two more supervisor kind of folks. I let them know I intended to fully cooperate, that I was hoping to avoid a felony charge and keep my job, and that I was fully to blame and my friend was just along for the ride. But first things first they wanted to take care of the elk/meat. So I took them to the spot and there was blood for sure but not a lot. Four of us covered that whole damn place all day, while the older two wardens drive around and glassed. No sign of him. But I did find a cow that someone had shot and lost. After spending a full day with those guys they were impressed with our cooperation and honesty and work ethic. They said on the drive up they were leaning towards the heavy handed approach but changed their minds, that we were good dudes and that they had a great day hiking around with us and just gave me a written warning. (They also gave instructions for how to look the rest of the week and what to do if we found him--but we never did.)
I understand I occupied 4 of their guys' time for a full day and I intend to make a donation to FWP to recoup some of that. I definitely feel turning myself in was the right thing to do, and I would advise anyone that being 100% honest and upfront is the best thing you can do if you truly have made an honest mistake. I'm pretty embarrassed to have been in this situation. I'm not technologically challenged, I know the rules and laws and how to comply with them, I just wasn't paying attention for a bit there and it got me in trouble. I'm proud that I made the right decision to turn myself in, and I feel that my penance is to subject myself to further embarrassment here in the hopes that I can convince one of you to do the right thing when your ethical dilemma may come.
Anyway, Montana is awesome. Good hunting, folks. Flame away.
I hunted the first week of elk season in Montana. I had been in the unit before to hunt birds but not in the spot where my tale takes place. Essentially, a friend and I bedded a bull in some timber and backed out after we couldn't figure out where he was, stopped bugling, etc. We heard a UTV up above him and suspected someone else may be on him too. We went back that evening, this time from above, with a plan to walk down this finger ridge and try to locate him in his bed. Knowing there could be some guys already on him I looked across the road where there was a bunch more public and thought to myself we could just hunt there if there are other hunters.
Fast forward, he ended up still being in his bed, right where we left him, and he took us on a long sort of curling run as he bugled and moved that evening. The pace picked up and we were literally running after a bit. Ran across the road that ran the ridgeline in hot pursuit. Finally after a mile or two we got close and I ended up arrowing a nice 330/340ish satellite that was raking a tree. Thought I hit him good, but it got dark and we backed out expecting to find him there dead at first light.
As I go to mark the location on my phone/OnX, my heart sank and I was sick: we had crossed onto private land. I couldn't quite figure out how that was possible, when we left the truck it just didn't even 'feel' like we were anywhere close to private. Like it felt like you could go for miles without a care. And never in the course of the chase did I feel like I ought to check the GPS. I just got so focused that I ****ed up big time.
It was a long gut wrenching walk out of there that night. Once at my truck I called my best friend back home who also happens to be an attorney (not criminal tho), to get some advice. He did some midnight Googling of news stories and statutes and such and we basically concluded that the range of penalties I could subject to were very wide. Could be small, monetary kind of penalty, or could be worst-case lose vehicle, lose hunting gear, lose hunting privileges, $8000 fine, and a felony charge (for trophy class animal). And, the nature of what I do for a living if I get convicted of a felony I'll lose my job, simple as that. But, I knew what the right thing to do was and I called the TIPS folks late that night and turned myself in.
I spoke with the warden first thing in the morning and he instructed me where to meet him. FWP actually sent out 4 officers, two younger guys and two more supervisor kind of folks. I let them know I intended to fully cooperate, that I was hoping to avoid a felony charge and keep my job, and that I was fully to blame and my friend was just along for the ride. But first things first they wanted to take care of the elk/meat. So I took them to the spot and there was blood for sure but not a lot. Four of us covered that whole damn place all day, while the older two wardens drive around and glassed. No sign of him. But I did find a cow that someone had shot and lost. After spending a full day with those guys they were impressed with our cooperation and honesty and work ethic. They said on the drive up they were leaning towards the heavy handed approach but changed their minds, that we were good dudes and that they had a great day hiking around with us and just gave me a written warning. (They also gave instructions for how to look the rest of the week and what to do if we found him--but we never did.)
I understand I occupied 4 of their guys' time for a full day and I intend to make a donation to FWP to recoup some of that. I definitely feel turning myself in was the right thing to do, and I would advise anyone that being 100% honest and upfront is the best thing you can do if you truly have made an honest mistake. I'm pretty embarrassed to have been in this situation. I'm not technologically challenged, I know the rules and laws and how to comply with them, I just wasn't paying attention for a bit there and it got me in trouble. I'm proud that I made the right decision to turn myself in, and I feel that my penance is to subject myself to further embarrassment here in the hopes that I can convince one of you to do the right thing when your ethical dilemma may come.
Anyway, Montana is awesome. Good hunting, folks. Flame away.
