MThuntr
Well-known member
As far as I know the official details have not been released.
Wilks Bros Proposed Exchange
- Thread starter MThuntr
- Start date
Smile, you're on Candid Camera...
wingman1
Active member
I was intentionally buzzed at less than 100 feet by the wilks chopper last year while I was attempting to hunt an elk. The chopper banked and circled low three times. They patrolled the BLM low and loud on a regular basis.
jryoung
Well-known member
What a crock, they should be cited for hazing wildlife. I wonder how many more will try and fly in with the archery only tag good in 530.
BullMooseGazette
New member
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2014
- Messages
- 17
News-Argus story - Hunters take stand against Wilks land exchange
Great story on the Central Montana Hunters' stand against the Wilks-Durfee/Bullwhacker exchange.
Lewistown News Argus, Saturday, March 15
http://www.etypeservices.com/Lewistown NewsID421/default.aspx
“This Land Is Our Land”
Central Montana Sportsmen create petition to kibosh Wilks land exchange
By CHARLIE DENISON
News-Argus Staff Writer
Enough is enough.
That is how many Central Montana sportsmen feel about a pair of land
exchanges in Central Montana.
Texas billionaire David Killam’s proposed land exchange with the
Department of Natural Resources and Conservation that surfaced last month
may have been withdrawn, but another land exchange possibility looms that
has some hunting enthusiasts concerned.
A group of sportsmen called the Central Montana Hunters for Public Access
have come out of the woodwork to try and prevent another land swap.
Central Montana Resource Advisory Council member Jason Birdwell along
with Fish, Wildlife and Parks Citizens Advisory Council member Doug Krings
and former Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Ron Moody are three of the
founding members of the group. Together, they have created a petition that asks
the Montana office of the Bureau of Land Management to “cease any effort or
involvement in any land exchange proposal that would result in the loss of
public ownership and man agement control of what is known as the
Durfee Hills BLM Land Parcel located in southern Fergus County.”
The Durfee Hills is a 3,000 acre in holding of BLM land in the Litle Snowies
that is completely surrounded by property owned by the Texas billionaire
brothers Dan and Farris Wilks. The brothers are in talks with the BLM to
exchange parcels of land in Blaine County and Fergus County so they will
have complete ownership of the Durfee Hills area. An effort to reach the Wilks
brothers to comment on this issue was unsuccessful.
According to Birdwell, Durfee Hills and the surrounding area, hosts the
second-largest elk herd in the state.
“Durfee Hills has the best public land elk hunting I’ve seen,” Birdwell said,
“It’s a spectacular place.” Although the only way to get to the property is to
fly there, recreational use of the area is increasing, as sportsmen are making
their way there either by flying themselves or by hiring a commercial operator.
“This is becoming a premier hunting spot,” Birdwell said. “There are people
from all over who hunt at Durfee Hills.”
Birdwell, who owns a plane, says that getting to hunting land by using a plane
is not uncommon and ultimately not as expensive as people think. “Using
aviation to access hunting grounds isn’t just for rich people,” Birdwell said.
“In Alaska, for example, it’s commonplace. In order to access the backcountry,
you have to use a plane.”
Creating a stir
Originally the petition started with a clipboard and handwritten signatures.
Krings passed it around and quickly got more than 80 signatures.
But once the petition was set up online, signatures started pouring in.”
“There are people from all corners of the state signing the petition,” Krings
said. “The word has spread fast. There are all kinds of people wanting to get
their hands on this.”
As of Friday morning, 643 people had signed the petition.
“Signatures are from non-residents and residents alike,” Birdwell said.
“People know how valuable this land is: They care about it.”
Moody said the petition has already exceeded expectations, and there is still
time for signatures before Monday’s deadline. “The petition is still growing,”
Moody said. “We believe there is a chance we will break 1,000 signatures.”
No comparison?
In order for a land exchange to be successful, both parties must agree that the
land being exchanged is of equal or greater value. In this case, Birdwell said
the land the Wilks brothers want to exchange for the Durfee Hills area does not
compare.
“The land in Blaine County that the Wilks brothers are proposing to trade isn’t
anywhere near the quality of land and quality of elk hunting that the Durfee
provides,” Birdwell said.
The earlier withdrawn DNRC land proposal ran into a similar hurdle. The
Dana Ranch in the Devil’s Kitchen area of Cascade County was said to be a
much greater elk hunting area than the X Hanging Diamond ranch area outside
of Winifred.
From a hunting perspective, exchanging Durfee Hills for the Blaine County
land would be a mistake, Krings said. “I am not opposed to land trades when
they truly benefit the public, but I do not see the Wilks’ ever coming up with an
available parcel that is as valuable as Durfee Hills,”Krings said.
BLM Central Montana District Manager Stan Benes, however, said the
exchange is fair, and the public would benefit from having access to the land in
Blaine County.
Benes said this is particularly the case for the parcel of land containing
Bullwhacker Road.
Formerly known as part of the Anchor Ranch, the Bullwhacker Road parcel is
2,243 acres of private land north of the Missouri River, surrounded by the
Missouri Breaks National Monument.
“The Bullwhacker Road parcel has some of the best sheep hunting and there is
quite often an elk herd in that area, too,” Benes said. The exchange would also
open up land to the public that is available by foot or by car, and it has
reportedly garnered support from some members of the Friends of the
Missouri Break National Monument.
Benes said BLM would like to get back this historic access and provide more
easily accessible land to the public.
“Our priority as the BLM is to improve or increase public access to public
land,” Benes said. “This land exchange would get access back to land that
used to be public and it would also allow new access to some places that have
never been available to the public before.”
The land exchange would also provide the public with more access from Red
Hill Road, Benes said, which runs from Lavina to Lewistown and connects to
the Big Snowy mountains.
A difference in opinions
The petition is not just about keeping the Durfee Hills parcel of BLM land
available to those wanting to fly out to the area.
In addition, the petition requests that BLM “move forward with the opening of
an alternative road access to the Bullwhacker area of the Upper Missouri
Breaks National Monument with appropriate speed to re-establish public
road access as soon as possible.”
According to BLM Chief of Communications Melody Lloyd, however, this
process is already in the works. “We are already reviewing several
alternatives,” Lloyd said.
More information on these alternatives will be made available to the public in
the near future, Lloyd said, and no decisions will be made without consulting
with the public. “The information that will help BLM land managers will be
gathered and developed in an open and transparent public process,” Lloyd
said.
Moody believes communication with the public could already be more transparent.
On Tuesday, conservation groups reportedly met in Bozeman to further discuss
this proposed land exchange. The meeting, which was led by Public
Land/Public Wildlife Council Chair Joe Perry, invited representatives from
the BLM and FWP, but there were no representatives for the Central Montana
Hunters for Public Access.
Moody said he refused to go to the meeting, as it should have been held in
Lewistown. “The Lewistown community is most directly affected by both
sides of this land swap,” Moody said.
“I will not travel to Bozeman to conduct Lewistown public business.
Interested parties should come here so Lewistown people can participate.”
Moody added that he is tired of people talking about this issue “behind the
public’s back.”
The principle of it
The Wilks brothers reportedlyown 276,000 acres in seven Montana counties.
Representatives of the Central Montana Hunters for Public Access are
concerned about them essentially controlling the entire elk herd in the
Little Snowies.
Even people such as Krings – who has not hunted in Durfee Hills – is worried
about the exchange creating an elk monopoly.
“Not allowing this exchange could set a precedent,” Krings said, “even more
than the with drawal of the DNRC land exchange.”
According to Moody, current state law says “a private landowner with a very
large consolidated property can be effectively beyond the reach of the law
when it comes to enforcement of state game laws.”
This is not, Moody believes, the direction Montana should be heading.
“We don’t want Montana to become North Texas,” Moody
said.
To sign the petition, go to
https://www.change.org/petitions/ms...er-area-of-the-upper-missouri-breaks-monument
Great story on the Central Montana Hunters' stand against the Wilks-Durfee/Bullwhacker exchange.
Lewistown News Argus, Saturday, March 15
http://www.etypeservices.com/Lewistown NewsID421/default.aspx
“This Land Is Our Land”
Central Montana Sportsmen create petition to kibosh Wilks land exchange
By CHARLIE DENISON
News-Argus Staff Writer
Enough is enough.
That is how many Central Montana sportsmen feel about a pair of land
exchanges in Central Montana.
Texas billionaire David Killam’s proposed land exchange with the
Department of Natural Resources and Conservation that surfaced last month
may have been withdrawn, but another land exchange possibility looms that
has some hunting enthusiasts concerned.
A group of sportsmen called the Central Montana Hunters for Public Access
have come out of the woodwork to try and prevent another land swap.
Central Montana Resource Advisory Council member Jason Birdwell along
with Fish, Wildlife and Parks Citizens Advisory Council member Doug Krings
and former Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Ron Moody are three of the
founding members of the group. Together, they have created a petition that asks
the Montana office of the Bureau of Land Management to “cease any effort or
involvement in any land exchange proposal that would result in the loss of
public ownership and man agement control of what is known as the
Durfee Hills BLM Land Parcel located in southern Fergus County.”
The Durfee Hills is a 3,000 acre in holding of BLM land in the Litle Snowies
that is completely surrounded by property owned by the Texas billionaire
brothers Dan and Farris Wilks. The brothers are in talks with the BLM to
exchange parcels of land in Blaine County and Fergus County so they will
have complete ownership of the Durfee Hills area. An effort to reach the Wilks
brothers to comment on this issue was unsuccessful.
According to Birdwell, Durfee Hills and the surrounding area, hosts the
second-largest elk herd in the state.
“Durfee Hills has the best public land elk hunting I’ve seen,” Birdwell said,
“It’s a spectacular place.” Although the only way to get to the property is to
fly there, recreational use of the area is increasing, as sportsmen are making
their way there either by flying themselves or by hiring a commercial operator.
“This is becoming a premier hunting spot,” Birdwell said. “There are people
from all over who hunt at Durfee Hills.”
Birdwell, who owns a plane, says that getting to hunting land by using a plane
is not uncommon and ultimately not as expensive as people think. “Using
aviation to access hunting grounds isn’t just for rich people,” Birdwell said.
“In Alaska, for example, it’s commonplace. In order to access the backcountry,
you have to use a plane.”
Creating a stir
Originally the petition started with a clipboard and handwritten signatures.
Krings passed it around and quickly got more than 80 signatures.
But once the petition was set up online, signatures started pouring in.”
“There are people from all corners of the state signing the petition,” Krings
said. “The word has spread fast. There are all kinds of people wanting to get
their hands on this.”
As of Friday morning, 643 people had signed the petition.
“Signatures are from non-residents and residents alike,” Birdwell said.
“People know how valuable this land is: They care about it.”
Moody said the petition has already exceeded expectations, and there is still
time for signatures before Monday’s deadline. “The petition is still growing,”
Moody said. “We believe there is a chance we will break 1,000 signatures.”
No comparison?
In order for a land exchange to be successful, both parties must agree that the
land being exchanged is of equal or greater value. In this case, Birdwell said
the land the Wilks brothers want to exchange for the Durfee Hills area does not
compare.
“The land in Blaine County that the Wilks brothers are proposing to trade isn’t
anywhere near the quality of land and quality of elk hunting that the Durfee
provides,” Birdwell said.
The earlier withdrawn DNRC land proposal ran into a similar hurdle. The
Dana Ranch in the Devil’s Kitchen area of Cascade County was said to be a
much greater elk hunting area than the X Hanging Diamond ranch area outside
of Winifred.
From a hunting perspective, exchanging Durfee Hills for the Blaine County
land would be a mistake, Krings said. “I am not opposed to land trades when
they truly benefit the public, but I do not see the Wilks’ ever coming up with an
available parcel that is as valuable as Durfee Hills,”Krings said.
BLM Central Montana District Manager Stan Benes, however, said the
exchange is fair, and the public would benefit from having access to the land in
Blaine County.
Benes said this is particularly the case for the parcel of land containing
Bullwhacker Road.
Formerly known as part of the Anchor Ranch, the Bullwhacker Road parcel is
2,243 acres of private land north of the Missouri River, surrounded by the
Missouri Breaks National Monument.
“The Bullwhacker Road parcel has some of the best sheep hunting and there is
quite often an elk herd in that area, too,” Benes said. The exchange would also
open up land to the public that is available by foot or by car, and it has
reportedly garnered support from some members of the Friends of the
Missouri Break National Monument.
Benes said BLM would like to get back this historic access and provide more
easily accessible land to the public.
“Our priority as the BLM is to improve or increase public access to public
land,” Benes said. “This land exchange would get access back to land that
used to be public and it would also allow new access to some places that have
never been available to the public before.”
The land exchange would also provide the public with more access from Red
Hill Road, Benes said, which runs from Lavina to Lewistown and connects to
the Big Snowy mountains.
A difference in opinions
The petition is not just about keeping the Durfee Hills parcel of BLM land
available to those wanting to fly out to the area.
In addition, the petition requests that BLM “move forward with the opening of
an alternative road access to the Bullwhacker area of the Upper Missouri
Breaks National Monument with appropriate speed to re-establish public
road access as soon as possible.”
According to BLM Chief of Communications Melody Lloyd, however, this
process is already in the works. “We are already reviewing several
alternatives,” Lloyd said.
More information on these alternatives will be made available to the public in
the near future, Lloyd said, and no decisions will be made without consulting
with the public. “The information that will help BLM land managers will be
gathered and developed in an open and transparent public process,” Lloyd
said.
Moody believes communication with the public could already be more transparent.
On Tuesday, conservation groups reportedly met in Bozeman to further discuss
this proposed land exchange. The meeting, which was led by Public
Land/Public Wildlife Council Chair Joe Perry, invited representatives from
the BLM and FWP, but there were no representatives for the Central Montana
Hunters for Public Access.
Moody said he refused to go to the meeting, as it should have been held in
Lewistown. “The Lewistown community is most directly affected by both
sides of this land swap,” Moody said.
“I will not travel to Bozeman to conduct Lewistown public business.
Interested parties should come here so Lewistown people can participate.”
Moody added that he is tired of people talking about this issue “behind the
public’s back.”
The principle of it
The Wilks brothers reportedlyown 276,000 acres in seven Montana counties.
Representatives of the Central Montana Hunters for Public Access are
concerned about them essentially controlling the entire elk herd in the
Little Snowies.
Even people such as Krings – who has not hunted in Durfee Hills – is worried
about the exchange creating an elk monopoly.
“Not allowing this exchange could set a precedent,” Krings said, “even more
than the with drawal of the DNRC land exchange.”
According to Moody, current state law says “a private landowner with a very
large consolidated property can be effectively beyond the reach of the law
when it comes to enforcement of state game laws.”
This is not, Moody believes, the direction Montana should be heading.
“We don’t want Montana to become North Texas,” Moody
said.
To sign the petition, go to
https://www.change.org/petitions/ms...er-area-of-the-upper-missouri-breaks-monument
bigskyblueman
Member
This proposal, is essentially trading something we already own, for easier access to something we already own. The resourceful have found ways to access our lands. If this trade is consumated, the Durfee Hills will never, ever be hunted by the public again.
That's pretty much how I see it too. We'd be trading long term potential for short term laziness.
The way they've handled the bullwhacker piece is disgusting to me, they need to be stuck with it and eventually we'll get a road built right on their property line.
Topgun 30-06
Active member
Just signed the petition as a NR!
MTELKHUNTER
New member
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2012
- Messages
- 58
There are two roads that go into Bullwacker You have to use and atv to get it. But the BLM is trying to close them off. This land trade is worthless.
That is incorrect.
Could you let me know where those currently open roads are located?
http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/media...town/um_rmp/rod.Par.2219.File.dat/Map4SdB.pdf
Could you let me know where those currently open roads are located?
http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/media...town/um_rmp/rod.Par.2219.File.dat/Map4SdB.pdf
Last edited:
joelweb
Well-known member
Air access or not, trading some of the best public land elk hunting in Montana for a relatively unproductive piece of land isn't a good idea
I am not picking sides, but calling that area unproductive is very naive.
Carnage2011
Well-known member
There are no roads that go into Bullwacker. Not a single one...there are several roads that drop down into the breaks but almost every one of them is private.
So as it sits today, how does one access the Forest Service cabin just North of the river that sits on BLM?
Boat and walk in????
sweetnectar
New member
Any objections on the 9 other land locked BLM parcles that are not accessable by air being traded? Does anyone know what parcles along Red Hill Rd between the Big and Little Snowies are being proposed in addition to the Bullwacker parcles and easment?
Bivy
Member
As I suspected, the proposed parcels off Red Hill Rd. comprise the northernmost Janet Lewis property from Red Hill Rd. to the west. Let me reiterate, the forest service lands are already accessible with a SHORT walk. This would not benefit the hardworking DIY hunter, but instead favor the lazy, illegal motorized user style of hunter!
Notice that Wilks Ranch owns the prime elk habitat east of Red Hill Rd., but haven't included any of this property in the exchange.
Notice that Wilks Ranch owns the prime elk habitat east of Red Hill Rd., but haven't included any of this property in the exchange.
After reading the BLM press release, it sounds like they really want to make this trade happen. It almost sounds like they are claiming those against it need to calm down and just accept it.
I am not sure if I should call it an outright lie or what, but I am pretty sure that the parcel that has aircraft access is maybe a little bigger than 40 acres
In fact I think they are off by about 2000 acres.MThuntr
Well-known member
Remember if you plan to comment...a pile of negative comments really doesn't help. Be specific, concise, and polite.
I'm not sure exactly how they approach comments in the early stages but I do know later in the process comments are lumped into 2 piles: 1 is concerns & opinion while the second is substantive comments (pointing out mistakes, errors, data).
I'm not sure exactly how they approach comments in the early stages but I do know later in the process comments are lumped into 2 piles: 1 is concerns & opinion while the second is substantive comments (pointing out mistakes, errors, data).
300stw
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
- Messages
- 965
Realty Specialist Jim Ledger at (406) 329-3733, Stan Benes wonder if these guys have gotten a new truck or vacation lately, why would they push so hard when an easy route to build a new road to bull wacker area could easily be constructed, and people that want to push the challenge of flight can still acces the surrounded parcel,
i bet the equipment operators from cmr refuge could have a road built in short order,,,,
i bet the equipment operators from cmr refuge could have a road built in short order,,,,
