Here’s Why Montana Landowners Don’t Let Hunters on their Property

It's hunting season in Montana.

Archery season began two weeks ago in Big Sky Country and a disturbing incident involving livestock has already occurred. The Powell County Sheriff's Office shared a post on September 21st with an image of a young cow that had been shot by an arrow.

Don't shoot the cows.

Each year, over 200,000 locals and out-of-state hunters hit the outdoors in the Treasure State, hoping to fill their deer, elk, antelope, or bear tags. The vast majority of these hunters are ethical and take care to always properly identify their targets before pulling the trigger or letting an arrow fly.

Remember the hunter who shot a dog last year?

Accidental (or intentional) hunting incidents seem to occur every year, where livestock are shot or killed by outdoorsmen. In 2020, two red Angus cattle were shot by bowhunters in Meagher County. A Montana hunter made national headlines last year when she mistook a domestic dog for a wolf; shared pictures of her misidentified kill on social media quickly went viral.

This recent example occurred near Elliston, MT

The rancher reported the incident to the Powell County Sheriff's Office on September 21, with Undersheriff Micu responding. Elliston is a small census-designated community (pop. 200 +/-) located about 25 miles west of Helena on Highway 12.

The Sheriff's Office requests that anyone with information about the shooting call 1-800-TIPMONT or contact Undersheriff Micu at 406-846-2711.

Montana's are not happy.

Social media comments were sharing our disgust regarding the incident.

Brandi - If it was an accident and they couldn't tell the difference between a cow and something that you should be shooting then you should not be out hunting, period. If you did this on purpose, you are a disgusting individual.

 

William - And you wonder why ranchers close their places to hunting.

 

Krist - If you don't know what you're shooting at.. don't hunt..

We hope the individual is caught and charged.

Landowners already deal with trash, cut fences, open gates, and other headaches from irresponsible hunters. Add the chance of someone shooting their livestock, and it's easy to see why many of them choose to not let people hunt.