Three Montana Army National Guard members have been charged with criminal trespassing after the guardsmen allegedly landed a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter on private property in Sweet Grass County, Montana, and took elk antlers from the property.
The Big Timber Pioneer reported that charges of “Criminal Trespass to Property” were filed against the three Montana Army National Guard members on Tuesday in the Sweet Grass County Justice Court. The outlet identified the National Guard members as 30-year-old Michael Vincent Bray, 30-year-old Perry Wray Woodland, and 36-year-old Deni Lynn Draper.
The citations against the National Guard members accuse them of “entering posted private property for the purpose of elk antler retrieval,” according to The Big Timber Pioneer. The outlet added that Bray’s citation also says that he “landed [a] military helicopter on private property.”
According to The Big Timber Pioneer, Linda McMullen, a 71-year-old rancher who owns the property the helicopter crew allegedly trespassed on, explained that she was notified of the incident by her neighbors, who warned her that an Army helicopter was “picking up elk antlers” on her land.
In a statement released Wednesday on Facebook, Major General J. Peter Hronek, adjutant general of the Montana National Guard, said, “I am aware of an alleged incident involving a Montana Army National Guard helicopter landing on private property without authorization.”
Hronek added, “An internal investigation is underway, and appropriate adverse and/or administrative action will take place if the allegations are determined to be true.”
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In a Tuesday statement obtained by The Big Timber Pioneer, Major Ryan Finnegan, a state public affairs officer for the Montana National Guard, said, “The aircrew allegedly landed on private property and collected antlers. The Montana National Guard is investigating the incident, which was witnessed by a local landowner and reported to a Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks game warden.”
“I had a chance to talk to our senior pilot who was in contact with the landowner,” Finnegan added. “Sounds like they have spoken twice. He reached out to ask to be able to give an in-person apology and to coordinate returning the items.”
According to The Big Timber Pioneer, McMullen confirmed that she had spoken with a National Guard official who confirmed that they would meet the landowner “in person and bring back the antlers.”
McMullen noted that National Guard leaders and a former law enforcement official asked her not to press charges against the three National Guard members.
“They used the excuse [that] these are good guys, that I don’t want to ruin their careers,” McMullen said. “They should have thought about that before doing this. I think people need to know this is happening.”
