Save Our Durfee Hills Public Lands Petition

[bobbydean]

I signed the petition. No idea of the country, but is our land and not the politician's.
Decision should remain with the owners, the American citizen.

 

[BR-549]

Signed and shared on FB.

 

[katqanna]

Wilks just submitted a formal land exchange proposal to the BLM this morning, per Darryl James.

There are some changes in it, glancing through the pdf, and they are still misrepresenting their hand chosen sportsmens participation and endorsement of their round table discussion and subsequent draft.

 

[noharleyyet]

Trying to shoehorn one's view of the world and all it's issues into one ideology must be exhausting. Take off the tea colored glasses (at least for a minute) and you'll be surprised what you'll learn.

Suggesting that everything the tea party supports is evil is also shoehorning.

 

[RobG]

Wilks just submitted a formal land exchange proposal to the BLM this morning, per Darryl James.

There are some changes in it, glancing through the pdf, and they are still misrepresenting their hand chosen sportsmens participation and endorsement of their round table discussion and subsequent draft.

Do you know what the cost of the road to the Bullwacker would cost?

 

[katqanna]

Rob, when I asked Mike Kania that a few weeks ago when I went into the office, he said the rough estimate they got was about $500,000. I asked for a copy and that was one of the many things that Kania said he would have to see if he was allowed to give me and I havent seen anything to date. Benes told me on the phone about a million.

But if you factor in all the materials, equipment and labor offered, we would have a hell of a lot of this covered. And again, it is against BLM regulations to deal with a land exchange on trespassed land until it is resolved, which is more trespassed now with the moving of boundary markers on Federal Land.

 

[BuzzH]

I wouldn't even bother to sit down at the table to start negotiations with that pathetic offer...

That's all Daryl James and the Wilks think the Durfee's are worth???

Laffin'....

 

[Rat Fink]

No mention of a conservation easement or BMA enrollment for the N-bar. Just public hunting in managed hunts. Not a trustworthy offer by any means. Sportsmen should emphatically reject this garbage.

 

[BuzzH]

To even begin negotiations, the Wilks better start looking into some quality private land they can use to make the deal reasonable.

The Anchor ranch is appropriately named, its an Anchor, not a bargaining chip in this kind of high stakes game.

 

[RobG]

I wouldn't even bother to sit down at the table to start negotiations with that pathetic offer...

That's all Daryl James and the Wilks think the Durfee's are worth???

Laffin'....

Not laffin, I guess I'm disheartened after reading through it. God has given the Wilks so much. I think it's sad they feel the need to continue to take from others.

 

[Nameless Range]

No mention of a conservation easement or BMA enrollment for the N-bar. Just public hunting in managed hunts. Not a trustworthy offer by any means. Sportsmen should emphatically reject this garbage.

Part of me says to hell with them. We shouldn't negotiate with them at all on principle.

The other part says if we can get a great deal out of them that would benefit public land users years after the Wilkes are dead and gone we should always be open to offers. We're in no hurry, so the deal better be spectacular.

That said, any statements of intention the Wilkes make regarding allowing public hunting need to be backed up by more then just promises or temporary agreements. A BMA enrollment would be great, but I could see them doing that and then throwing all of their political money behind people who would like nothing more than to kill our Block Management Program. A Conservation Easement would be the way to go.

 

[BuzzH]

Nameless Range and RobG,

I agree...the people of Montana and taxpayers at large, should be in NO hurry to make any kind of deal.

Its realllllly obvious the Wilks have placed a high value on the BLM inholdings on the N-bar.

I say the US and Montana Citizens, if they feel like considering an exchange, should be mindful of that fact.

Flip this thing...say the BLM was interested in purchasing the N-bar from the Wilks, and offered them the Anchor for the N-bar...

There isn't a chance in hell that they would ever make the deal they're proposing...no way.

Yet, they feel like they're making a reasonable offer???

WOW! They really need to catch a clue.

 

[AH_14]

Quick Google search showed the Wilks brothers in 2011 as both being worth about 1.4 billion!

Cmon brothers---Figure it out ---Pay a local attorney or realtor to figure it out...
make a great offer worth considering---

Cmon with the Anchor Ranch talk or possible public access to the N-Bar or Bullwhacker Access....these are all a joke!

Get with it and make a real offer!

 

[smithrmk]

Ah 14, could you please put a value on my 3000 sq /ft house. Your valuation of the Durfees is outstanding. 40 million, that makes the N-Bar worth around $ 575,000,000. Wilks boys just made well over $500,000,000. Pretty good for 4 years. They are big jerks. Nobody deserves to prosper like that. The rich even get richer. Mind you that was your valuation. 60 hunters tops, trophy hunting on a 40 million dollar piece of blm. Best joke I heard all day. Thanks for the laugh. I'm so excited with this proposal. Open for more concessions if blm is serious on this offer. Eagerly waiting to see what those may be. Just the access from Red hill road west is worth it. Lots of hard to access canyons to explore. Those of you signing this petition who haven't hunted the big or little snowies in the proposal are short changing yourself. Incredible amount of game. Many photos on hunttalk to represent.No plane or helicopters needed. Tea party jab, good guess. No affiliation sorry. Baby killer party. Not a chance. For that reason alone. Guess I'm just one of those dreaded conservatives. Way conservative. So conservative that I support multi-use access rather than very limited trophy hunting aviation access. It has to be trophy, why on earth would you go to all the hassle to shoot a cow or a dinker. Thats why the blm is so eager to get this deal. Multi-use period!

 

[double_a85]

smithrmk---

Since you are such an advocate for the Wilkes... Why do the landowners I know that border them despise them? I have talked to one in particular, and he says that they just try and strong arm everyone with their money so they can buy everything up?
I have had multiple run ins with the Wilkes Ranch employees... telling me to "move on" while I was on the county road. This was either glassing antelope or elk. Of course, they get the same "F off" response. Nothing says I can't be parked on a county road glassing wildlife on "the Kings" property.


So tell me, why is your experience so unique from EVERYONE else i know?!?!?

 

[AH_14]

Yeah---maybe I'm a little ways off.....sorry bout that!

*Just get so tired of their terrible offers....
*My point is just make a great off.....Make the offer significantly better than the 3,000 acres in the Durfees....

 

[double_a85]

Just the access from Red hill road west is worth it. Lots of hard to access canyons to explore. Those of you signing this petition who haven't hunted the big or little snowies in the proposal are short changing yourself. Incredible amount of game. Many photos on hunttalk to represent.No plane or helicopters needed. Tea party jab, good guess. No affiliation sorry. Baby killer party. Not a chance. For that reason alone. Guess I'm just one of those dreaded conservatives. Way conservative. So conservative that I support multi-use access rather than very limited trophy hunting aviation access. It has to be trophy, why on earth would you go to all the hassle to shoot a cow or a dinker. Thats why the blm is so eager to get this deal. Multi-use period!

Unfortunately most of the elk herd in that district is on the EAST END of the Little Snowies... so Red Hill Road doesn't do much good. Why do you bring politics to this? On many views I would consider myself highly conservative--- on some issues even siding with the "tea party." I am not sure why you think this is a R VS. D debate. And you keep discussing people flying into the Durfees? What about my personal viewing of Wilkes Aircraft hazing wildlife off publicly accessible ground onto the N-Bar Ranch?

The BLM is only eager to get this deal done because of political money the Wilkes have thrown out there--- don't let the blinders get too much in the way of your sight!

And yes, I signed the petition!

 

[smithrmk]

Only brought up political affirmation because I was accused of being a tea partier. Also this trade isn't just about elk. Yes more elk on eastside. But there are also very strong herds in the Bigs. They consistently travel back and worth. Extremely good trophy muley's throughout big snowies. Sorry for your dealings with the ranch hands. Not uncommon on other large ranches, not right though. Maybe strike up a conversation instead of an f-u, goes a long way. Lots of neighboring landowners have different view of the Wilks than the portrait you paint. Everyone seemed to be having a great time at the summer BBQ. Guess free food and drink is too hard to pass up. As far as hazing. Why? There's hardly any public. If they were hazing it would be off private. Those landowners would freak, believe me. All landowners up there would come unglued. Especially those who outfit. Pretty obvious whose aircraft it is.

 

[wingman1]

Only brought up political affirmation because I was accused of being a tea partier. Also this trade isn't just about elk. Yes more elk on eastside. But there are also very strong herds in the Bigs. They consistently travel back and worth. Extremely good trophy muley's throughout big snowies. Sorry for your dealings with the ranch hands. Not uncommon on other large ranches, not right though. Maybe strike up a conversation instead of an f-u, goes a long way. Lots of neighboring landowners have different view of the Wilks than the portrait you paint. Everyone seemed to be having a great time at the summer BBQ. Guess free food and drink is too hard to pass up. As far as hazing. Why? There's hardly any public. If they were hazing it would be off private. Those landowners would freak, believe me. All landowners up there would come unglued. Especially those who outfit. Pretty obvious whose aircraft it is.

The barbecue.....it all makes sense now.

I didn't get the barbecue welcome. When I crashed my plane into a moo cow on top baldy I got the " you flew it in, you can fly it out".... that was just the beginning.

 

[smithrmk]

Wingman-didnt say I went to BBQ. But had family that did. Their report was very positive. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Friends, neighbors, employees and whoever else came. Just pointing out that many surrounding neighbors are really neighborly. They all watch out for each other. Seen them come help at a moments notice. Maybe they read your posts on here wingman ever think of that.