Montana Unlimited Sheep Stolen

The ram was not immediately checked in as he called the hotline very late Saturday night after getting the ram out. The operator told him the computers were down and to drive back to Missoula and have it checked in on Monday. Cowboy, several stops meant gas, sleep, food, etc.. He was not stopping at every bar, thanks for the suggestion though.

Trying to get pictures.
 
MTbowhntr said:
The ram was not immediately checked in as he called the hotline very late Saturday night after getting the ram out. The operator told him the computers were down and to drive back to Missoula and have it checked in on Monday. Cowboy, several stops meant gas, sleep, food, etc.. He was not stopping at every bar, thanks for the suggestion though.

Trying to get pictures.
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I wish your friend a miracle and the safe return of his sheep.

FYI for all future sheep hunters with a Montana tag: the 48 hr. Check in requirement within the district the sheep was killed was instituted to try and prevent a sheep being killed in one area but tag good for another area. IT IS THE LAW. I have no reason to doubt that a hot line operator told your friend to take the sheep home but I can assure you that a hot line operator has no authority to over ride a law. Ignorance is not an excuse so know the rules.
How do I know : Because I spent a whole extra day to get my last sheep checked in legally before leaving the area it was killed. I even got in phone contact with another warden I knew personally outside the area, explained my situation and the only thing he could give me was - sorry.
The worse time to kill a sheep with this 48 law requirement is on the weekend - every G&F office is closed so before you go sheep hunting get every game warden and biologists cell phone numbers for that district before you head out on your hunt.
 
I think the law is at least somewhat meant to protect the integrity of the closings as well. If not, the antis could make claims like this on the opener every year and shut the season down without any rams being harvested.
 
cowboy said:
FYI for all future sheep hunters with a Montana tag: the 48 hr. Check in requirement within the district the sheep was killed was instituted to try and prevent a sheep being killed in one area but tag good for another area. IT IS THE LAW.
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Doesn't the regulation state that it must be checked in the administrative region? As in 100, 200, 300 etc?

Been a while since I hunted an UL unit, but I thought there was a hotline to call to report, then you had to check it in person with a game warden, or F&G office and get it plugged. I don't think all game wardens have the equipment and paperwork to plug the horns, hence the need to go in to see a bio.

Sorry to hear about the theft. Post some pictures and get the word out, the longer you wait the less chance of ever seeing it again.
 
I'd have never left the sheep alone...

Good luck in your search. Post some pics so that we can spread the word.
 
brymoore said:
I'd have never left the sheep alone...

Good luck in your search. Post some pics so that we can spread the word.
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Yep. If I needed a hotel it'd be in the tub on ice.

I knew a guy that killed a big, smokin' muley, one of the rare ones, on a general tag in central MT. He drove around for a few days hitting all the bars and showing the caped out skull off. After a bit some mutual friends of ours saw it in his truck downtown. They nabbed it and didn't say a word. The guy went nuts, called the cops etc. About a month later they gave it back to him and they all laughed...I learned my lesson watching that.
 
It's been a few days and I haven't seen photos of this ram. Seems a bit weird but hopefully it all gets worked out. If I had an unlimited ram in my rig it wouldn't leave my sight under any circumstances.
 
MontanaWild said:
It's been a few days and I haven't seen photos of this ram. Seems a bit weird but hopefully it all gets worked out. If I had an unlimited ram in my rig it wouldn't leave my sight under any circumstances.
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The guy isn't on any forums nor does he have FB. He has been working and dealing with FWP.
 
Was thinking about this today. Was there ever any update/conclusion? Any pictures of the ram ever surface?
 
BS Story

I heard some stories from some fairly reliable sources on this deal. They all seem to follow the same story line, and they all point to the same deal. This ram that was supposedly stolen, wasn't at all. For anyone that follows the unlimited sheep hunts they know that there was an illegal ram killed in 501 last year. This sheep is the one that was supposedly stolen, now I don't know all the details but from what I was told this ram was actually confiscated from the hunter that shot it. An outfitter had been watching this sheep for a couple days with another ram (both to small to shoot) while they couldn't make it grow anymore they determined that this sheep was not legal to harvest. So they continued to watch the two rams the spotted another hunter and watched him shoot the bigger one of the two rams. Knowing it wasn't legal they turned him in and law enforcement caught up with him somewhere outside of Missoula or some deal and confiscated the ram. Again these are just what I have heard but it all makes sense. Whoever the guy is that had his ram "stolen" wheres the pics and why wouldn't you check it in to the FWP and plug it in the same unit or area that you shot it in? BECAUSE IT WAS ILLEGAL AND HE KNEW IT! Just my thoughts, maybe someone else has a different story but the sources I heard this from are pretty reliable.
 
You can check in an animal at any fwp office. It doesn't have to be in the same unit or area as where you killed it. The unlimited sheep units don't have any offices in them.
 
Rat Fink said:
You can check in an animal at any fwp office. It doesn't have to be in the same unit or area as where you killed it. The unlimited sheep units don't have any offices in them.
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Thanks Randy, for correcting me
Correction to my post, "region" instead of district or unit. Within 48 hours, which is not a small task at all unless you shot the ram right off a road which doesn't happen much in a back country hunt! A person camped way in there would have to harvest a ram admire it and take some pictures of course and then get to taking care of the animal quick. Pack it out hopefully your not too far from camp or your vehicle unless you got horses! Pack up camp and head for your rig rather quick! Get all the way to the region office or warden that you could check the ram in with. All within 48 hours! If your on foot, which a lot of people are, that doesn't leave much time to just drive back to the western part of the state from lets say Billings or Bozeman to Missoula. Again this is just what I heard I thought I would share it because it did come from some reliable sources.
 
Lots of various stories on this. I've heard several that are from sources most would consider 'reliable' that are quite different.
I'm assuming this has all shaken out now, and if any wrong-doing was done, somebody has been charged? Anybody know?
 
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