Brickbat: Rack Them Up

The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks charged three members of the state National Guard with criminal trespassing. The guardsmen landed a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter in a pasture on private ranch land in Sweet Grass County's Crazy Mountain foothills without permission and reportedly stole elk antlers, including two sheds and a skeletonized head with antlers, valued at $300 to $400. J. Peter Hronek, the Montana National Guard's adjutant general, acknowledged the unauthorized landing and promised accountability.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Charge them with violating the 3rd Amendment! That way they get zero punishment.

[Don't look at me! (I’ll post my list if you post yours)]

Stealing the kings deer!

[Isaac Bartram]

It's not a question of "the king's deer", it's a question of trespassing on private property. While states claim jurisdiction over wildlife, Livestock and objects found on private property are the property of the landowner, including body parts shed by wild animals. You're perfectly free to pick up shed antlers or animal bones on public land but this was a case of trespass on private land and theft of the owner's property.

[diver64]

Small correction. States do not "claim jurisdiction over wildlife". States hold wildlife in trust for their citizens, wildlife is actually public property belonging to all. This is an intentional departure form Europe and in particular England where the wildlife is specifically the property of the State, in England's case, The King.

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

Always Ready [to poach], Always There [on your property]!

[Quo Usque Tandem]

When I was in AK back in the 60s it was not uncommon for AF pilots to cruise their jets at low altitude to spot game. The game wardens were constantly on the lookout for this.

[Stupid Government Tricks]

Stole two sheds with a helicopter? I know UH-60s are on the large side of the helicopter spectrum, but those must have been some small sheds.

So I checked the two articles. No mention of sheds. Just the two antlers and a skull with antlers.

[Incunabulum]

The 'sheds' are shed antlers, not buildings.

[Stupid Government Tricks]

Ah, yes, I had just never heard "shed" used as a noun in that context. Found some around here, and everybody called them "antlers", since it was pretty obvious they had been shed.

[MatthewSlyfield]

Yes, but considering that one pair of antlers was still attached to an intact skull, the difference between trophy and shed antlers matters in context.

[AT]

This is really missing some important context. (Which is why, Reason - looking at you Chaz and Emma - you shouldn't just "report" allegations and complaints.)

1) They're in a helicopter.
2) Unless they're doing low-level training, they're usually flying at 1000' above the ground.
3) They... spotted valuable antlers laying around in the brush at that altitude?

or

1) They're in a helicopter.
2) They actually DID spot valuable antlers in the brush and decided to randomly land to grab some loot.
3) How did they know it "was posted as trespassing for the purpose of elk antler removal."

or

1) They recc'd the area beforehand.
2) They used the training exercise as an excuse to grab some valuable booty.
3) They decided a very identifiable helicopter was the best way to do this.

None of this makes any sense at all. There are huge gaps in this puzzle that Chazzy doesn't want to acknowledge.