Some serious hunter harassment

H

highfastflyer

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Be careful if you hunt near Elk Mountain ranch, Wyoming. Some serious pervs and obvious thieves working there.

“Ranch employees spied on them to the point they couldn’t relieve themselves in private, stalked the group, harassed them in their tent, swore, yelled and intimidated them and caused one deer they were pursuing to run off, according to the allegations.

The bowhunters killed two elk and one deer but said one bag of game meat – the “highest tied” in a hanging cache — went missing. At one point ranch manager Steve Grende followed them slowly for about a half mile as they walked, they wrote. He was in a pickup within about 30 yards while they were on public land, their statements say. https://wyofile.com/hunters-allege-illegal-harassment-in-corner-crossing-case/
 
Is this area around Elk Mountain. If it is the outfitters tied the public land up with all hunting rights on the private property ranches that surround the mountain that is public land.
This is where some hunters used a helicopter to fly into the public land to hunt by passing the private land. Ticked off the outfitters and they got State officials to enact a law that forbids you from hunting for several days if you fly into the hunt location.
We got free trespass on one ranch to deer hunt and two years later could not hunt the same ranch since the owner sold all rights to hunting to the Governor of Neb. and the Union Pacific Railroad to pay for his property taxes.
RELH
 
RELH said:
Is this area around Elk Mountain. If it is the outfitters tied the public land up with all hunting rights on the private property ranches that surround the mountain that is public land.
This is where some hunters used a helicopter to fly into the public land to hunt by passing the private land. Ticked off the outfitters and they got State officials to enact a law that forbids you from hunting for several days if you fly into the hunt location.
We got free trespass on one ranch to deer hunt and two years later could not hunt the same ranch since the owner sold all rights to hunting to the Governor of Neb. and the Union Pacific Railroad to pay for his property taxes.
RELH
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That law has changed almost a decade ago now. You can fly and hunt same day. These lands were public BLM they were hunting on Elk Mountain and they walked in.
 
Homer, we lucked out and found another ranch to hunt for 250 bucks trespass fee for the entire season and fill all tags. We filled 5 tags each, deer and antelope. After getting our bucks, we paid 25 dollars for each doe tags. Filled our freezer for the year.
We returned to that ranch several more times the following years. We loved those mild winter years when the game population would explode and the game dept. would sell doe tags cheap to thin the herds down.
RELH
 
RELH said:
Homer, we lucked out and found another ranch to hunt for 250 bucks trespass fee for the entire season and fill all tags. We filled 5 tags each, deer and antelope. After getting our bucks, we paid 25 dollars for each doe tags. Filled our freezer for the year.
We returned to that ranch several more times the following years. We loved those mild winter years when the game population would explode and the game dept. would sell doe tags cheap to thin the herds down.
RELH
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Nowadays that is about the Daily rate for a prairie dog hunt…….
 
Had a similar but less invasive experience in Montana. Think the ranch was Triple DJ or Castle Reef. We spent three days watching an elk heard of 200+ move south towards a mile sliver of public land. Camped out there on the 3rd day and at day break watched 2 side x sides drive the elk back north onto private.

We were also confronted by 2 ranch hands at dark on our way out who accused us of shooting a bull in the belly on their land. Made us wait there for the game warden and all. Turns out we were in the wrong place at the wrong time and some guy from Texas with a similar vehicle was the culprit. When they realized we had Ohio plates they let us go. I'm thinking they had drones in the air or something.
 
Lhedrick1 said:
We were also confronted by 2 ranch hands at dark on our way out who accused us of shooting a bull in the belly on their land. Made us wait there for the game warden and all.
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You actually did what they wanted you to do? Sounds like they needed a trip to the train station. Right state for it...
 
Seems a nice and easy act of civil disobedience in a way is to embarrass the legislature.

Since air space is private in Wyoming, a bunch of dudes should continually call the cops and have every school kid walking home cited for trespassing if their arm extends past the air space of a sidewalk.

Have a couple reporters show up, and explain to them, on camera, what the law is and who backs it.

Let some legislator explain why in order to curry favor with ranchers locking up private land, he's ok with school kids D's getting cited.
 
I can understand why the outfitters and ranchers around Elk Mountain get into a tizzy about controlling elk hunting in that area. There is a large elk population there. The rancher that gave us free trespass for deer hunting told me that every spring he has to repair about 1/4 mile of fence after the elk bust though it coming off the mountain during winter time.
Lets face it, the outfitters control Wyoming's politicians. Look at the laws they got passed to control hunting in any wilderness area of the state. You can fish it, hike it and camp in it, but hunting you have to hire a guide or be taken in by a resident of the state. That along forces many non residents to hire a outfitter to hunt a wilderness area of the state.
As for those ranch hands forcing the hunters to remain there until the game warden arrived. I would have told them to stick it I am leaving unless you place me under citizen's arrest and I will submit to the arrest. Then later I will be suing you and your ranch owner for a false arrest.
RELH
 
Elk_Nuts said:
Well, after reading the article at least I have the OnX map. I know where I'm hunting next.
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I agree Elk area 125 will have big point creep if these charges are dismissed. I would caution to watch Where your corner hopping from as this case depends upon Federal law and the UIA. Going from BLM to BLM will be ok but going from State to State or BLM to State would not have the same defense.
 
I think the county Attorney ordered citations after being pressured by the land owner and they are going to get it stuck in their butt when this goes to a higher court. Federal law preempts state trespass laws. That ranch owner may find himself poorer after the dust settles on this incident.
RELH
 
Thanks to these ranchers being idiots the everyone will have access to this place now. We should thank them for shining the light on this issue and letting the public hunt their land. if they would have just been real men and talked about the situation they would still have this land locked up from 90% of the people who are unwilling to carry around a ladder when hunting.
 
Pody said:
Thanks to these ranchers being idiots the everyone will have access to this place now. We should thank them for shining the light on this issue and letting the public hunt their land. if they would have just been real men and talked about the situation they would still have this land locked up from 90% of the people who are unwilling to carry around a ladder when hunting.
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Or, they could've been adult about it understanding the world doesn't owe them anything and nobody cares that their precious 4.5 sqft of private dirt really wasn't being infringed on...

It all has to do with being a landowner/outfitter crybaby that other people are actually hunting public land they pretend they get to control...
 
Those hunters did their homework and they used their ladder appropriately. They were smart to track everything on their OnX and not get into any altercations with the ranch staff (I'm not sure how though). They have documented the harassment well. In my non - legal opinion if there was ever a solid corner crossing case this is it. The harassment is well documented and substantial. It sounds as though law enforcement witnessed at least some of it. I'd say the ranch manager bit off more than he can chew and I hope he gets what he deserves. I was there in early September muzzle loader Antelope hunting. I watched Elk on the mountain on several occasions. I can tell you for certain that there are A LOT of people who will be willing to carry a ladder to corner cross to access that public ground - including me :)
 
chipc said:
Those hunters did their homework and they used their ladder appropriately. They were smart to track everything on their OnX and not get into any altercations with the ranch staff (I'm not sure how though). They have documented the harassment well. In my non - legal opinion if there was ever a solid corner crossing case this is it. The harassment is well documented and substantial. It sounds as though law enforcement witnessed at least some of it. I'd say the ranch manager bit off more than he can chew and I hope he gets what he deserves. I was there in early September muzzle loader Antelope hunting. I watched Elk on the mountain on several occasions. I can tell you for certain that there are A LOT of people who will be willing to carry a ladder to corner cross to access that public ground - including me :)
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In the past those area 125 elk licenses were always left over and way undersubscribed. I’m sure that will change if this gets dismissed. It will be interesting to see if the Missouri boys do a Civil lawsuit as they obsviously had both damages and punitive damages due them. I think the reason there was not an altercation as the ranch manager knew 4 opponents was too big of a number. This was also smart on the hunters part. The harassment may have been even more severe if a single hunter was up there, strength in numbers.
 
We don't really want this dismissed, correct?

The hunters, if we want change want the trespass charges struck down on appeal?

Not a lawyer, but my understanding is we need it in Wyoming Appeals court or higher?
 
If they go to court in Wyoming and found not guilty or the judge throws the case out, It will have an effect on future cases as being "case law" for other courts to go by and refer too.
If that happens, you can bet the outfitters and land owner will put pressure on the D.A. in Carbon County to appeal the decision in the hopes that a higher court will reverse the local judge's decision. My personal opinion a higher court will rule in favor of the hunters based on Federal trespass laws.
If found guilty, they also have the right to appeal to a higher court for reversal of the local Judge's decision. No judge likes to have his decision reversed as it shows he did not know the law.

RELH
 
hossblur said:
We don't really want this dismissed, correct?

The hunters, if we want change want the trespass charges struck down on appeal?

Not a lawyer, but my understanding is we need it in Wyoming Appeals court or higher?
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Either way would be a win but actually going to trial then having it appealed to the higher courts would make it legally precedent setting. If you have a die hard county prosecuting attorney who wanted to try it again in Court if these charges are dismissed could certainly try but I doubt any of them will as this will have been the 2nd time this issue, not the same facts or exact charges but Corner hopping as a General issue looked at by the Courts.
 

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