Baiting or normal ranching practice?

[MtPockets]

Been bowhunting a place near Winnett in the 410 District for a few years now. Always had a great time, saw and heard lots of elk. The elk trails resembled cow trails, beat into the ground and clean down to the dirt.

Got there this year and found the trails grown over with grass and hardly any sign of elk.
We still hunted but in ten days we only saw one small bull. We heard lots of them on the neighbors, wondered what was up.

The last day we hunted, we talked to a local rancher. He told us the neighboring place had planted a large amount of sorgum.
That explains it.
Keep in mind that this is sagebrush and cactus country.

They do have a small herd of cows grazing in the sorgum, but to me it's pretty obvious what their intentions were.

Oh, and they also have an outfitter leasing their ground.

I'd like to hear from the farmers and ranchers among us- is this a normal practice? I get it that sorgum is grown as a feed for cattle but I've never heard of it being left in the field for grazing?

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Been bowhunting a place near Winnett in the 410 District for a few years now. Always had a great time, saw and heard lots of elk. The elk trails resembled cow trails, beat into the ground and clean down to the dirt.

Got there this year and found the trails grown over with grass and hardly any sign of elk.
We still hunted but in ten days we only saw one small bull. We heard lots of them on the neighbors, wondered what was up.

The last day we hunted, we talked to a local rancher. He told us the neighboring place had planted a large amount of sorgum.
That explains it.
Keep in mind that this is sagebrush and cactus country.

They do have a small herd of cows grazing in the sorgum, but to me it's pretty obvious what their intentions were.

Oh, and they also have an outfitter leasing their ground.

I'd like to hear from the farmers and ranchers among us- is this a normal practice? I get it that sorgum is grown as a feed for cattle but I've never heard of it being left in the field for grazing?

I think I know the place. Criminal in my opinion.

 

[MtPockets]

Whether it was intentional or not, it's pretty sad that they are ruining hunting in the area for everyone else.
It's near a very popular area with lots of public land and BMAs called Tin Can Alley.

 

[MtPockets]

To me, if I was the Outfitter, I'd drop the lease on that property.
Doesn't look good for an outfitter to be associated with it, whether it's legal or not.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I might be thinking of a diff spot West of the hwy. Last year a few cows and massive amounts of hay fed to them. Not baiting since you can't tell him how much to feed his cows. Thousand elk helping his few cows.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Oops. West not East.

 

[Rick Richard]

Since I am not familiar with the area and local hunting culture, I don't see this any different than someone planting a food plot on any other property. It is done as a standard practice for whitetail deer, which benefits the deer and the hunter. Not sure what I am missing here though.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

In MT the wildlife is public property. It is not legal to intentionally try to attract them to your property.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

It is even more offensive when it is done to keep people from hunting them or to profit from it by selling access to the land.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Many of these ranches that intentionally harbor elk allow little or no hunting and then go to the State for monitory aid because of game damage.

 

[MtPockets]

Since I am not familiar with the area and local hunting culture, I don't see this any different than someone planting a food plot on any other property. It is done as a standard practice for whitetail deer, which benefits the deer and the hunter.

Correct me if Im wrong, but arent game plots typically very small and attract just a few animals?
This "game plot" is huge- I was told hundreds of acres.

 

[Rick Richard]

Correct me if Im wrong, but arent game plots typically very small and attract just a few animals?
This "game plot" is huge- I was told hundreds of acres.

Yeah, that would be bigger than any food plot I am accustomed with. Like I said, I am not familiar with the current situation in that locale so I can't appreciate the frustration entirely.

 

[MtPockets]

The area is a mix of public land, private, and Block Management. In the time we were there, we walked probably 3 or 4 Sections- so around 2000 to 2500 acres- and found very little sign.
This is in an area that typically is hunted pretty hard yet has still always held lots of elk.

Rifle season opens next weekend. Going to be a lot of disappointed hunters, except for those who use that Outfitter.

 

[26Reload]

Happens a lot....
Even so far as 'guides hands & ranch hands' hazing elk back onto the leased properties.....it's bs....the landowner/guides should be hammered for this......