Hunter Harassment - Antelope Unit 19 State Trust Land

Hey everyone,
Just a post to highlight a recent experience I had with a ranching family in Wyoming while hunting State Trust Land in Antelope Unit 19 North East corner of the unit just west of RT 68/Texas Trail.D-Rd. On Oct 1st, opening day, I was able to harvest a nice Buck. I am careful to use OnXmaps to help determine the boundaries between public and private land. I was well within State Trust Land borders. My friends and I were processing my Antelope when Trish Williams stopped by my vehicle (parked on the designated road) and began to demand to see our licenses. I was the only one with a tag for this unit and the only one hunting that day. Being a guest in Wyoming I answered her questions and even showed her my license. She tried to take a photo of my license but I declined because it has my personal info. She wanted my name and I showed it to her on my tag. I asked her for her name and she told me I would find out. Long story short she was aggressive and intrusive. I informed her hunter harassment was a crime in Wyoming and I would call the authorities if she would not leave. She kept harassing us and only left when I started filming her with my phone. She returned multiple times to harass us. I was able to get the Gillette Game Warden on the phone while she was harassing us and she refused to speak with him (on speaker phone). After that she left. A short time later her son and husband arrived and began to interrogate us but I had answers for all of their demands. Things started to get out of control when the driver, her son, threatened my friend (63 years old) to "kick your ass". The two men got out of their truck and tried to initiate a fight. I was able to deescalate the situation and they returned to their vehicle only to get out again and try to start a physical confrontation again. I started filming again and only then did they leave us alone.
We met two other hunting parties on the State Trust Land property. Everyone had a story about Trish or her family trying to bully them off the State Land. That is where I was able to get Trish's name. I was able to meet with the Game Warden for Moorcroft and filed a complaint. He confirmed he knew the woman I spoke of. I posted on Wyoming BHA facebook page. They gave me some tips on people to contact. I sent an email to the State Management office for State Trust Land and Cole Lambert from the state called me the following morning. He told me I had a good case but he wasn't able to do anything other than check in with the Game Warden to follow the complaint. He was supportive and listened to my complaint and I appreciate that.
I am a supporter of Public Lands and try to follow all the rules for hunting in the various states I apply. So if you are in the Wyoming area and have had issues with this family please voice your concern so they don't get away with bullying people off State Land.
Quotes:
Trish - I take care of these animals. -I pick up after you when you leave. -You will know who I am soon enough
Husband - We lease this land. -You shoot our animals
Son - They (Antelope) eat our food. -Let's settle this. -I'm going to kick your ass (to the eldest person in our group)

Oof. This is nearing my worst nightmare. I hate confrontation and even raised voices. All of it makes me sick.

Good to hear you were able to obtain support via your phone whilst in the midst of the event and were able to deescalate. All good talents and calm thinking!

Sounds like the 63 year old would of had a great self defense argument. Idiots

It’s crazy how much of this we hear about, good for you guys standing up to them!

I wouldn’t have let them see my license. They are not LEOs and don’t get that privilege.

brymoore said:

I wouldn’t have let them see my license. They are not LEOs and don’t get that privilege.

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Absolutely. I would tell them GFY. Call the game warden if you wish, but I’m not showing you anything. Press this hard. If folks are candy asses and don’t follow through on this it just enables poor behavior.

Show you my license? Haha.

This sounded like a perfect opportunity to purge an old can of pepper spray.

Makes me want to pick that tag up next year and shoot their animals and let them pick up after me.

The standard answer for me would be "call the police and I will call the warden and we will get both out here to settle this"

I would have to them to F off while recording it, you showed way more restraint than I would have. They need to get a ticket, maybe that will stop them from harassing people.

Bummer experience. Glad you were able to de-escalate the situation.

Grats on your speed goat.

IMO, as soon as they threatened you, the situation became a matter for the authorities and the police should have been called. Kudos to you for remaining calm and getting out of there with only some heated words. I'm not sure I would have been smart enough to do the same.

Family sounds like they are a full bubble off plumb. You handled the situation well. Hope the proper authorities handle this and put an end to this outrageous behavior. Nice antelope!

I've been trying to figure out what unit to pick up some doe tags next year. May just grab a couple in unit 19 and head to that block of state trust land. These stories are way too common

We should organize a hunt in 19.... Lol good on you for standing your ground but as soon as threats start being issued its time for the local Leo to handle it. I would never show my license to anybody who wasn't a Leo but congrats on the harvest.

You handled that way better than I would have. A few things send me into the danger zone and that kind of crap is one of those type of events. Glad you did what you did and you got a good animal to show for your work. Too bad there are slugs like that family to ruin a great hunt like yours.

Idahoarcheryhunter said:

We should organize a hunt in 19.... Lol good on you for standing your ground but as soon as threats start being issued its time for the local Leo to handle it. I would never show my license to anybody who wasn't a Leo but congrats on the harvest.

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I'm game!

Idahoarcheryhunter said:

We should organize a hunt in 19.... Lol good on you for standing your ground but as soon as threats start being issued its time for the local Leo to handle it. I would never show my license to anybody who wasn't a Leo but congrats on the harvest.

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That would be too much fun. Too bad you can't camp on Wyoming state land. I bet they would enjoy rolling up on a couple wall tents, cook tent and a bunch of guys relaxing on 'their' land!

I wouldn't have shown her or them anything. You did the right thing by calling the authorities and recording it also. Kudos also for keeping your head in a heated situation. Enjoy your buck and go back next time and kill another. Screw them.

You're a better man than I am. If someone who is not a game warden, or a law enforcement person asks to see my license I'm politely declining and then calling the cops if they threaten me. What a joke, you do everything according to the law and have to deal with crap like this. It's complete BS. Congrats on keeping the situation under control and congrats on your animal.