https://www.ktvq.com/news/montana-n...k-antler-trespassing-case-via-helicopter

I feel like it's an honest mistake. They could have thought it was public. Plus they called to apologize and ask when they could bring back the antlers. I am curious on everyone else's thoughts here.

I don’t buy that it was an “honest mistake”. They should be charged like any one else.

Even if it's on public land what are they doing landing a picking antlers up? Seems sketchy to me.

Misuse of government property (helicopter), trespassing and theft. I've seen too many instances over the years of military and other government agency flyboys harassing wildlife and playing hotshot. Get yourself almost blown off a windmill while working on it and you won't find it funny. Also had "strafing" runs done on me while working even when in clearly marked federal vehicles. No excuse for misconduct on the job by any public employees, military or civilian. What makes the news is only the tip of the iceberg. Zero tolerance for any of this type of behavior.

The USCG will occasionally land boats on the south side of Adak Island, a Federally designated non-motorized Wilderness Area, unload four wheelers and blast away at caribou. I personally witnessed a four Guardsmen unload semiauto pistols into a herd of caribou, just flock ahooting from about 100 yards.
I doubt anything is ever done about it, just "boys being boys" you know.
They do have a sense of entitlement.

Book them hard they knew where they were and if not should not have been flying a multi million dollar craft on tax payers nickel and packing up antler

charge them, penalty should be worse than normal as they used Gov't property to do the crime.

Should not have been doing it on public or private land.

I suppose in their wildest dreams if some higher ups gave the ok for a scavenger hunt for some king of training mission might have been possible, but I doubt it and certainly not on private property. The liability alone would be a stopper, I would think.

Around here deputies using the county cars for personal use is frowned on.

Honest mistake? They knew what they were doing was wrong and should be charged to the full extent of the law.

Should be charged

Ruined career?
Should have thought about that before pulling this stunt

Only reason to land any kind of aircraft anywhere but where it is legal is a malfunction that requires it

What would be done to me if I landed a helicopter on private land and snatched up some elk antlers? Or anything for that matter?

Same should be done for them

Court martial and a loss of rank is probably appropriate

I will be honest I am surprised by all the responses. From the few farmers I talked to about this, they said they wouldn’t care at all about a few sheds and actually thought it would be neat to see a helicopter land on their property.

By the anger in some of these posts, it sounds like these guy must have flown down and stole your girlfriends at some point lol

Elk antlers are worth thousands. Can you explain why that should be treated different than stealing a car?

If I drove one of my employer's work trucks out into the woods to collect sheds, there would be consequences.

It's not if the farmers cared
It's dereliction of duty, screwing off with a multi million dollar piece of taxpayers/government equipment
IMO

Them boys were just practicing landing somewhere other than an airport.

Those antlers were just cool finds.

Dylan, I think any anger that may be expressed isn't really about the trespass or antlers, but about a sense of entitlement, and the notion that often, folks who are seen as privilaged, are treated more lightly by law enforcement.
Apparently not in this case.

If elk antlers were worthless....how would this be looked upon?

I'm with you, Wag. I had many dealings with Coasties in Juneau regarding wonton waste, trapline "jumping", use of illegal bait, crabbing violations, you name it.
Had several that told me they loved getting assigned to Juneau because they could check off so many critters off their bucket list.
That part would be fine, if done ethically, but next thing I would know, here's a trap 10', even 5' from my sets! Only the Coastie was using a whole mallard, (gutted), breast and all. Next set had a chunk of venison.
That guy got a couple citations. Others, none.
We had many other convictions of wanton waste involving Coasties in southeast Alaska while I was there, including deer with only hindquarters removed, head-only buck deer removal, more crab violations than I could count.
The attitude was always, "I don't care who else is using that trapline-fishing spot-shrimp pot string-crab pot, I'm going to trap-set-fish right there."
So I agree with wissmiss. No way they were first, authorized to take that Blackhawk antler hunting, and second, simply didn't care who's land they were on.

I’d have filmed that and sent it to the wildlife troopers. Or if they only had pistols, I might have crept into rifle range and poked a hole in their skiff. Then they can explain to their CO when he shows up to rescue them why their service pistols are empty and there’s a beach full of shot up caribou. Pretty sure they weren’t assigned to go blast a herd of caribou on a whim.

Book em'