In what may go down as one of the strangest trespassing and robbery cases we’ve ever covered, a group of national guardsmen are being investigated for allegedly stealing elk antlers from a Montana rancher.
According to the Livingston Enterprise, Linda McMullen’s neighbors alerted her that a helicopter had landed on her property in the Crazy Mountain foothills on May 4. The aircraft’s presence on McMullen’s property was not scheduled or announced. The chopper was a grey/black UH-60L Blackhawk Montana Army National Guard helicopter.
McMullen’s neighbors told her that they saw folks from the helicopter picking up and taking shed antlers from her property. McMullen called the Sweet Grass County Game Warden and reported the incident. Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks (FWP) has not yet filed any charges in the case.
“FWP has no comment as it is an active investigation," said FWP’s Randy Hutzenbiler. "We will share information as it becomes public to protect the sanctity of the investigation. We are working with evidence and have not consulted the county attorney's office."
Meanwhile, National Guard officials said the incident is also under internal review. “The aircrew allegedly landed on private property and collected antlers," said Major Ryan Finnegan, state public affairs officer with the Montana National Guard. "The Montana National Guard is investigating the incident, which was witnessed by a local landowner and reported to a Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks game warden. MTNG Leadership takes this matter seriously and is working to complete a thorough and rigorous review of the incident with FWP's law enforcement division."
McMullen told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle that a national guardsman had also reached out to her directly to apologize. "A lieutenant colonel said [they'd] meet in person and bring back the antlers," she said, adding that she’d been asked by multiple officials not to press charges.
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"They used the excuse these are good guys,” she said. “They should have thought about that before doing this. I think people need to know this is happening."
