More rage bait: Grizzly claiming your elk and getting a ticket for waste?

[kwyeewyk]

My first impression is it doesn't look like a bear claimed carcass, no attempt to move or bury it, no gorging evidence, no napping bear with a bulging belly nearby. I've watched a captive boar devour a deer hind quarter in a matter of minutes. Why would a grizzly not actually claim it, just expose the guts and barely eat them, unless something spoked it away, which would be very unusual for a grizzly to give up a prize like this without a fight.

Of course hard to tell from here so who knows for sure, they could've at least published some pics of the nearby scat piles.

 

[Wyomufhunter]

Here's my personal experience... i killed my first bull in Montana when I was 21 or 21, broke it down and hung the meat overnight to pack out the next day. Wolves and coyotes got to the quarters over night. The warden was called in and came to the scene in investigate. Come to find out, I was about 100' on the wrong side of a property line ( this was early 2000's before OnX). Warden cited me for trespassing and waste of game. I took it to court and won, the case was dismissed. MT Game and Fish appealed the case, and it was sent back to the judge. I was found guilty by a different judge the second time and I lost my custom rifle and my hunting license for 4 years.
It was the biggest learning lesson of my life and I am forever greatful for the experience. I always played the rules loose before that and now I follow everything to a "T" and I am working on my degree to become a Game Warden. I did a lot of things wrong in this scenario legally and ethically. I feel like the guy from this article made some of the same mistakes and will not take home any lessons.

 

[madtom]

Assuming it’s the same bull in the hero shot, the order of operations is interesting

1. Roll elk over, push guts inside body cavity, take beautiful photos

2. Roll elk back over, cut off head, pull guts back out for photo.

3. Run for your life

Just strange. The meat itself wasn’t touched by scavengers in the photo, and they had adequate time to pose and photograph..

 

[INMT]

I’m sorry but that just does not look like a bear claimed carcass.

Slit open stomach and guts exposed but nothing consumed!?! I’m calling BS.

We just had a lady up here get half her face ripped off by a sow griz guarding a whitetail doe while walking her dog on a popular trail.

I know all situations are different, but there’s no way a griz did that and just left. And then didn’t charge out of the timber when they took the time to cut the head off.

Fishy AF.

 

[mtmuley]

We just had a lady up here get half her face ripped off by a sow griz guarding a whitetail doe while walking her dog on a popular trail.

C Falls? Not much info. Hope she is OK. mtmuley

 

[INMT]

C Falls? Not much info. Hope she is OK. mtmuley

Yep.

Not much has been released. I don’t know her, but I’ve heard from people that do.

Sounds like lost an eye.

 

[brushcreek]

Here's my personal experience... i killed my first bull in Montana when I was 21 or 21, broke it down and hung the meat overnight to pack out the next day. Wolves and coyotes got to the quarters over night. The warden was called in and came to the scene in investigate. Come to find out, I was about 100' on the wrong side of a property line ( this was early 2000's before OnX). Warden cited me for trespassing and waste of game. I took it to court and won, the case was dismissed. MT Game and Fish appealed the case, and it was sent back to the judge. I was found guilty by a different judge the second time and I lost my custom rifle and my hunting license for 4 years.
It was the biggest learning lesson of my life and I am forever greatful for the experience. I always played the rules loose before that and now I follow everything to a "T" and I am working on my degree to become a Game Warden. I did a lot of things wrong in this scenario legally and ethically. I feel like the guy from this article made some of the same mistakes and will not take home any lessons.

I get the trespassing ticket but how did he get you for waste of game??

 

[Wyomufhunter]

I get the trespassing ticket but how did he get you for waste of game??

Because the meat couldn't be salvaged and it was taken on pvt property. I disagreed with it as a kid, but completely agree with it now. The warden and the judge made the right decision in my opinion.

 

[brushcreek]

Because the meat couldn't be salvaged and it was taken on pvt property. I disagreed with it as a kid, but completely agree with it now. The warden and the judge made the right decision in my opinion.

but animals had already scavenged it? sounds ridiculous to me

 

[Buzzy]

From what I have read the hunter and 2 others were completely open and cooperative with the investigation. That is not how poachers operate or someone who knows they did something wrong and then tries to hide it when confronted.

It’s fair to question if they did the right thing with contacting a game warden at the time but everyone’s past experiences are different and how each one of us may respond different based on our past experiences.

 

[Wyomufhunter]

but animals had already scavenged it? sounds ridiculous to me

My thought: Had I not shot it (being that I was trespassing) the animal wouldn't have died. It was wasted because I was unable to utilize any meat from it. I understand both sides of the coin, but it was my mistake. I am truly happy that I experienced it though. Its the most pivotal point in my hunting life and was needed.

 

[quarterhorse]

A quote from the hunter said they they didn't want to skin and quarter a dead elk in the dark in grizzly country. Shouldn't have been hunting late in the day in grizzly country then. Several choices lead to this outcome. Got what they deserved. IMHO.

 

[SerialScience]

You can’t get trich from bear pee, if the bear shits on the hide, you skin it and clean the meat there is 0 risk.

Some RFK food science going on at outdoor life.

 

[Bighorner]

A quote from the hunter said they they didn't want to skin and quarter a dead elk in the dark in grizzly country. Shouldn't have been hunting late in the day in grizzly country then. Several choices lead to this outcome. Got what they deserved. IMHO.

They got off. I missed that too on my look at the article.

 

[KHNC]

Here's my personal experience... i killed my first bull in Montana when I was 21 or 21, broke it down and hung the meat overnight to pack out the next day. Wolves and coyotes got to the quarters over night. The warden was called in and came to the scene in investigate. Come to find out, I was about 100' on the wrong side of a property line ( this was early 2000's before OnX). Warden cited me for trespassing and waste of game. I took it to court and won, the case was dismissed. MT Game and Fish appealed the case, and it was sent back to the judge. I was found guilty by a different judge the second time and I lost my custom rifle and my hunting license for 4 years.
It was the biggest learning lesson of my life and I am forever greatful for the experience. I always played the rules loose before that and now I follow everything to a "T" and I am working on my degree to become a Game Warden. I did a lot of things wrong in this scenario legally and ethically. I feel like the guy from this article made some of the same mistakes and will not take home any lessons.

The guy from this article is a top level elk hunter that has hunted all over and killed MANY elk. IMO he has always been known as ethical and is a VERY well known person in the elk hunting world. People judging like they have been over this for not being ethical are completely wrong.

 

[KHNC]

A quote from the hunter said they they didn't want to skin and quarter a dead elk in the dark in grizzly country. Shouldn't have been hunting late in the day in grizzly country then. Several choices lead to this outcome. Got what they deserved. IMHO.

Read the story. They didnt hunt late. They shot fairly early and didnt make a great hit. Watched the elk for a long time before dark. Have you ever encountered Griz while in elk country? Have you killed an elk in Griz country? I have done both a few years ago in Wyoming. Did not encounter a bear while skinning but did encounter a huge sow with 3 very large cubs one morning. Then a boar was chasing the same 3 a couple miles away in the evening. 7 bear encounters in one day with no dead elk. Glad you are tough guy and can handle skinning and quartering an elk into the night in that country.

 

[TOGIE]

Learning new things all the time.

I recently learned that because one may "shoot a lot" they can blur the line on ethics.

Then I learn that being a "top level elk hunter" who has killed "MANY" elk also entitles you to blur the line on ethics.

Cool cool

 

[Elktrack]

Sounds familiar. A lot of these top level hunters seem to bump into the ethical line. Sounds like he oughta have his own influencer gig. He could be the Elk Freak or something catchy.
I’m kinda over all these top level guys. Wasn’t the dude from Washington that shot the monster town bull a top level hunter too? Apparently killing a bunch of critters on private ground and spending lots of money makes anyone a top level hunter.
I wasn’t there and don’t know the full circumstances.
A top level hunter oughta be top level ethically too. I’d expect this stuff from a new hunter or outta stater that doesn’t know anything, not a top level guru.

 

[Wyomufhunter]

The guy from this article is a top level elk hunter that has hunted all over and killed MANY elk. IMO he has always been known as ethical and is a VERY well known person in the elk hunting world. People judging like they have been over this for not being ethical are completely wrong.

That's definitely your opinion on the matter. Coming from someone who was in somewhat of a similar situation, I feel differently than you. People make mistakes. Mistakes are meant to learn from and accept. Mistakes were made regardless of how you feel towards this very well known elk hunter, who ive never heard of until now. Maybe your ethics align with his better than they do with mine.

 

[rogerthat]

Read the story. They didnt hunt late. They shot fairly early and didnt make a great hit. Watched the elk for a long time before dark. Have you ever encountered Griz while in elk country? Have you killed an elk in Griz country? I have done both a few years ago in Wyoming. Did not encounter a bear while skinning but did encounter a huge sow with 3 very large cubs one morning. Then a boar was chasing the same 3 a couple miles away in the evening. 7 bear encounters in one day with no dead elk. Glad you are tough guy and can handle skinning and quartering an elk into the night in that country.

Maybe I missed it. Did they actually see the bear? If so, than I agree with moving away and leaving it, however they got the head off, no easy task. Also some pretty top level elk hunters weighing in on this and yes been around grizzlies and carcasses.