Rancher refuses rescuers...2 bulls die
10-01-2004, 11:05 AM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cedar Valley Utah
Posts: 977
Rancher refuses rescuers...2 bulls die
Chcek out this link wiht pictures
http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=5&sid=122610
Here's the story:
Lonney Broadus, Bear River City: “And I don’t like to see animals suffer and die that slow, painful death.”
The deaths of two bull elk tangled together while clashing antlers in a mating ritual are stirring strong feelings. Rescuers were forced to stand by for three days as the elk slowly died because a rancher wouldn't allow them on his property.
This is a case where private property rights prevailed. The rancher won the argument on legal grounds and two trophy elk paid a price, dying a slow death.
Two Utah hunters crossed the state line into Nevada last week to observe elk. On video they captured a rare event: two elk, antlers interlocked. When they got closer, they realized both were alive. Instead of bugling, the elk could be heard almost pleading.
The hunter who caught it on tape says he’s never seen anything like it before.
Lonney Broadus: “At first I thought, you know, this is a magnificent sight. This is once in a lifetime. Then you’re going, ‘Oh man, if they don’t get undone, they’re gonna die.’”
Steve Braegger: “So our main objective was to try to find some help and free them.”
They called Nevada wildlife officials who came to the scene the next morning; it's on a private ranch, a mile west of Utah, just south of Idaho. But the rescuers were forced to stand by for three days while the elk died. Rancher Bud Bedke wouldn't allow them to cross his property line.
Lonney Broadus: “It would be hard to watch. It would be hard to sit there and watch that for three days.”
Steve Braegger: “And it just makes you sick that those animals laid there for three or four days suffering.”
According to Nevada wildlife officials, the rancher has a long-standing grievance with the way all three states manage their elk herds. And he’s consistently complained about the elk tearing down his fences and letting his cattle run loose.”
Lonney Broadus: “They do cause him a hardship or a loss of income. But to let this happen is unacceptable.”
While the elk were still alive, Nevada officials worked late into the night trying to find a legal pretext for saving them. But property rights trumped the dying elk.
Lonney Broadus: “I’m sick. If I’d known it was going to turn out like this, I’d have done something completely different.”
We offered rancher Bud Bedke a chance to talk, but he didn't return our calls.
Wildlife officials were extremely upset over what happened. They were close enough on a public road to shoot the elk and put them out of their misery. But they concluded they couldn't legally do that either.
http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=5&sid=122610
Here's the story:
Lonney Broadus, Bear River City: “And I don’t like to see animals suffer and die that slow, painful death.”
The deaths of two bull elk tangled together while clashing antlers in a mating ritual are stirring strong feelings. Rescuers were forced to stand by for three days as the elk slowly died because a rancher wouldn't allow them on his property.
This is a case where private property rights prevailed. The rancher won the argument on legal grounds and two trophy elk paid a price, dying a slow death.
Two Utah hunters crossed the state line into Nevada last week to observe elk. On video they captured a rare event: two elk, antlers interlocked. When they got closer, they realized both were alive. Instead of bugling, the elk could be heard almost pleading.
The hunter who caught it on tape says he’s never seen anything like it before.
Lonney Broadus: “At first I thought, you know, this is a magnificent sight. This is once in a lifetime. Then you’re going, ‘Oh man, if they don’t get undone, they’re gonna die.’”
Steve Braegger: “So our main objective was to try to find some help and free them.”
They called Nevada wildlife officials who came to the scene the next morning; it's on a private ranch, a mile west of Utah, just south of Idaho. But the rescuers were forced to stand by for three days while the elk died. Rancher Bud Bedke wouldn't allow them to cross his property line.
Lonney Broadus: “It would be hard to watch. It would be hard to sit there and watch that for three days.”
Steve Braegger: “And it just makes you sick that those animals laid there for three or four days suffering.”
According to Nevada wildlife officials, the rancher has a long-standing grievance with the way all three states manage their elk herds. And he’s consistently complained about the elk tearing down his fences and letting his cattle run loose.”
Lonney Broadus: “They do cause him a hardship or a loss of income. But to let this happen is unacceptable.”
While the elk were still alive, Nevada officials worked late into the night trying to find a legal pretext for saving them. But property rights trumped the dying elk.
Lonney Broadus: “I’m sick. If I’d known it was going to turn out like this, I’d have done something completely different.”
We offered rancher Bud Bedke a chance to talk, but he didn't return our calls.
Wildlife officials were extremely upset over what happened. They were close enough on a public road to shoot the elk and put them out of their misery. But they concluded they couldn't legally do that either.
10-01-2004, 11:57 AM
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: OKC Ok. USA
Posts: 501
RE: Rancher refuses rescuers...2 bulls die
Personally I would have let the Wardens dart then and cut the antlers off .
But on the other side , if the rancher has had on ongoing problem with the elk and the state's offered no remedy,he's got every right to do what he did. That and it seems to me the two that originaly video taped this event were tresspassing, that also might had pushed the rancher over the edge.
But on the other side , if the rancher has had on ongoing problem with the elk and the state's offered no remedy,he's got every right to do what he did. That and it seems to me the two that originaly video taped this event were tresspassing, that also might had pushed the rancher over the edge.
10-01-2004, 12:35 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,395
RE: Rancher refuses rescuers...2 bulls die
About the only thing the hunters could have done would be to shoot the bulls in the antlers. IF they got lucky, the antlers would break & the bulls would have been free??? I would not have taken the chance.
Maybe this is just the kind of coverage the rancher wanted? Maybe the game & fish departments will try to work with him in the future?
Maybe this is just the kind of coverage the rancher wanted? Maybe the game & fish departments will try to work with him in the future?
10-01-2004, 01:58 PM
#4
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wall SD USA & Jamestown ND
Posts: 11,474
RE: Rancher refuses rescuers...2 bulls die
I quess it a matter of what you believe. I am a property owner with a ranch in SD. I believe in land owner rights all the way but I could never watch helpless animals die if there were people standing by that could have saved them. Land owners have rights but the animals were there before we land owners were and deserve better treatment than that. Just my feelings on the matter.
10-01-2004, 09:16 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,572
RE: Rancher refuses rescuers...2 bulls die
Hey you guys could learn from this rancher! The best way to help what you believe is a poorly managed elk herd is to let to prime breeding bulls die slow painful deaths. Good going ignorant stubborn rancher!
10-01-2004, 09:34 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Idaho
Posts: 2,072
RE: Rancher refuses rescuers...2 bulls die
The rancher does not own the airspace, don't you think that a guy in a basket armed with a chainsaw could have helped. They wouldn't have been stepping one foot on his property hanging from a helicopter. Stranger things have been done. Or if no-one was was up for hanging below a helicopter. They could have hovered above the elk and shot the horns where they were locked.
10-02-2004, 06:32 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Crescent Valley, NV
Posts: 2,271
RE: Rancher refuses rescuers...2 bulls die
This happened where I have deer hunted several times. There IS a program in Nevada to allow for depredation and damages that occur from big game. This rancher never applied for the help or he would have gotten it!! He has a large block of public land blocked in the far northeastern corner of the state, that no one can come through. There is no way to get to this land at all, and it is public. I was furious when I found out about this!!! He wouldn't let NDOW save the bulls while they were still alive, but allowed people in when they were dead!!! It shows how much this rancher really cares about anything!! All he wants is money, thats all he wants!! If someone has complaints about wild game, then they should allow hunters access, not block off access and then complain some more because nothing was being done!!!
10-02-2004, 09:16 PM
#9
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: saginaw, mi
Posts: 18
RE: Rancher refuses rescuers...2 bulls die
this is truely a sad story, but the thing i have not seen mentioned is that it is natures way. bulls fight, sometimes one is killed, sometimes they lock up and both perish. it is sad and unfortunate but it is the natural way. in this case it would have been nice for them to have been saved since they were found in time.
i wonder how many times this happens and no human ever knows that it occured?
i wonder how many times this happens and no human ever knows that it occured?
10-03-2004, 12:11 AM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,572
RE: Rancher refuses rescuers...2 bulls die
true, but now since we have altered elk habitat so much we must manage the herds to keep them at acceptable levels. Saving those bulls would not have been out of the question as far a management objectives. And regardless of whether or not it happens in nature has nothing to do with the ignorance of the rancher.