Another Gianforte mystery hunt...

[mmw194287]

Per the Washington Post:

Some Montanans have raised questions about the tactics employed during the hunt. One person familiar with the incident told The Post that the mountain lion was kept in the tree by the hunting dogs for a couple of hours while Gianforte traveled to the site in the Rock Creek drainage area. In neighboring Wyoming, detaining a mountain lion in a tree until another hunter arrives is illegal.

Stroyke denied that account. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesman Greg Lemon also said “the idea that the governor just showed up to harvest the animal is not consistent” with what he’s been told.


Seems like the rumors surrounding this one are pretty similar to what many assume happened during the wolf-trapping incident...

 

[Oak]

Good publicity for hound hunting.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/03/01/gianforte-yellowstone-mountain-lion-hunt/

 

[Schaaf]

One person familiar with the incident told The Post that the mountain lion was kept in the tree by the hunting dogs for a couple of hours while Gianforte traveled to the site in the Rock Creek drainage area.

Extremely on brand.

 

[Beignet]

From WaPo:
“That ranch is owned by Robert E. Smith, who is a co-director of the Sinclair Broadcast Group, a Maryland-based company that owns or operates nearly 200 local television stations across the country.”

Wonder if ole’ Maryland Matt Rosendale feels left out with the gubner getting all this primo access to a ranch owned by his home-state brethren?

 

[rogerthat]

Seems like a wapo hit piece. I think gg is an otc sleaze but good for him for taking a little time for predator hunting…as a big timer he should consider the optics of where he is hunting but otherwise legal. My thoughts on a nutshell

 

[Gerald Martin]

I’m not seeing anything to be upset about with this hunt unless it’s true that he wasn’t there until after the lion had been treed for a while.

That accusation seems to be not completely credible to me.

There’s a lot of scenarios where that could be almost true and spun to cast shade but it was an ethical hunt.

Story said the dogs kept it in the tree until Gianforte made his way to the area. Gianforte’s spokesman said he was with the hunt from the beginning.

I have been on hunts where it took several hours to hike to where the dogs were treed after we turned them out. That’s largely a factor of how far they tree from a drivable road or snowmobile trail.

There’s a big difference between a scenario like that and a scenario where the lion had been treed, the hound handlers got to the tree and then called him to come shoot his cat and then he drove down to join the hunt after they had treed a cat for him.

Legally, a hunter must be present when the dogs are released on the track.

With what info I know, I will save my criticism for his direction in wildlife management policies, not this hunt.