PROBABLE CAUSE STATEMENT: Tait Larson, Division of Wildlife
Resources, having probable cause to believe a crime was committed, submitted evidence in
support of the filing of this Information: In the late evening of 9/14/2014, the defendants were
together hunting during the elk hunt. Only defendant Troy Monty had a hunting license for the
taking of a bull elk. At this time Defendant T. Monty shot and wounded a 6X7 bull elk (a trophy
animal by statute). The group made a small effort to locate the animal. They located blood where
it had been hit, but did not, due to the hour and location, follow the blood trail till finding the
animal. The shooting of the bull elk and the defendants' effort to find the animal were witnessed
by other hunters in the area. The defendants determined that they would look for it first thing in
the morning of 9/15/2014.
In the morning of 9/15/2014 Defendants R. Monty and Christensen report to the area where the
bull elk was shot, and conversed with one of the witnesses who saw the event, who had also
responded to the area to see if the animal had been, or could be, located. At this time R. Monty
had a rifle but was not dressed in hunter orange as required. This witness suggested that
defendants R. Monty and Christensen go down the hill as the wounded animal would take the
path of least resistance to escape. During this conversation the witness mentioned that others of
his hunting party were watching a 7X7 bull elk. Upon mentioning this defendants R. Monty and
Christensen seemed to lose interest in finding the 6X7 that defendant T. Monty had shot and
wounded the night before and it was turned to information of where the 7X7 bull elk was being
observed. Defendants R. Monty and Christensen told the witness that the 7X7 was the bull elk
wounded the night before, and would not accept the witness's indication that it was not because it
was a 6X7 that was wounded the night before, and the 7X7 being watched was not wounded.
The witness left the defendants at this time to return to his own hunting party.
Late in the evening of 9/15/2014, and after shooting hours had ended, members of another
witness' hunting party heard various shots fired, and on 9/16/2015 a picture of defendants R.
Monty and Christensen with a dead 7X7 bull elk were found posted on the social media site
called "Instagram."
Very disturbed by this, in the morning of 9/17/2015 the first witness and a friend went back to
the area where the 6X7 bull elk had been wounded on the late evening of 9/14/2015 by
defendant T. Monty. They found the carcass of the 7X7 which had been harvested. They then
looked for the 6X7 and found it a small distance downhill from where the witness had left
defendants R. Monty and Christensen after suggesting they go down the hill to look for the
wounded animal. The 6X7 bull elk had not been harvested, nor were there any indications that
humans had ever been near it, and it was now decomposing.
The witnesses called the DNR officers. It was determined that the carcass of 6X7 bull elk was
only about 450 feet from where the 7X7 bull elk was harvested.
The investigation began with interviews of defendants T. Monty, and R. Monty. Each of these
defendants presented false information to the officers to cover up what really occurred in the
wasting of the 6X7 and the taking of the 7X7 bull elks. Among other falsehoods, the most
blatant one made by each of them was that defendant T. Monty killed the 7X7 bull elk.
Defendant Christensen was later interviewed and told a story that also presented the same
falsehoods as Defendants Monty. When confronted with the true facts, Defendant Christensen
indicated that what officers knew was what actually took place, and that Defendant R. Riley had
called him told him that officers were going to question him, and gave him a "story" to tell the
officers, which story contained all the falsehoods as expressed by the Defendants Monty.
The Defendants Monty quickly decided to reveal the truth on the matter. Particular information
revealed was that Defendant R. Monty was the one who shot the 7X7, using Defendant T.
Monty's rifle and tagging it with Defendant Monty's tag. Defendant Christensen was with
Defendant R. Monty at this time. Defendant T. Monty had used binoculars to watch Defendants
R. Monty and Christensen go to the area where the 6X7 had been wounded on 9/14/2014, but
made no effort on his own to search for the wounded animal. He left the mountain with another
person around 1:30 PM on 9/15/2014. The kill of the 7X7 took place in a location which would
make it hard to get the harvested animal out, so defendants R. Riley and Christensen obtained an
off-highway 4-wheeler, and drove it down to where the 7X7 bull elk was located, harvested the
meat and placed it on the 4-wheeler for transport back to their camp.
On the morning of 9/16/2014, Defendant T. Monty returned to the group's campsite and brought
ice with him in which to pack the meat harvested from the 7X7 kill. The meat, head and antlers
were brought off the mountain. The meat was taken to a local business for cutting and
packaging. The head and antlers were taken to a local taxidermist..
Based upon evidence received from Tait Larson, Division of Wildlife Resources, I have
reason to believe the defendant(s) committed the offense(s) as charged herein.
?If men were angels, no government would be
necessary.? John Adams
