Aerial Antler Theft? Blackhawk Lands on Montana Ranch

I don’t know what’s crazier, this story, or that it really happened.

A Montana rancher discovered a National Guard Blackhawk helicopter sitting on his private property recently. Not broken down. Not in distress. Just like parked in the middle of his property. And true, the crew wasn’t out sightseeing. They were foraging for elk antlers.

Read More: Understanding Carfentanil: A Dangerous Drug Seized In Montana

Anyone who knows me knows that I am an avid elk hunter. I also love looking for sheds. It’s the one aspect of hunting that doesn’t require me getting up before dawn or smelling like cow estrus. But this was more than just a casual pickup. These were valuable antlers. Big ones. The type that drives antler buyers to spend good money. Sheds are bought by the pound, and the price can go from beer money to rent money in like 5 seconds.

They didn’t ask, didn’t call, just landed, loaded up a stack of antlers, and took off. Like some kind of jewel heist in the movies. For those of us who hike miles to find one half-busted 5-point buried in snowmelt, that’s infuriating.

I don’t care if it’s G.I.s, shed hunters, or Santa Claus: You plant a military helicopter on private property and start humping away antlers, folks are going to talk.

The National Guard has verified the incident and says it’s investigating. No arrests, no charges, only a lot of questions. But let’s get real, if the average Montana shed hunter pulled a stunt like this one, they’d be facing trespassing charges and the possibility of the rancher firing a couple of warning shots.

We know the rules out here. You don’t cross fences without permission, and sure as heck don’t take what is not yours. Not with taxpayer-financed rotors spinning over your noggin, you don’t.