Hunter facing charges after death of beloved elk named Bullwinkle

[JLS]

From the very beginning this was never going to end well.  Stevie Wonder could see that. 

Probably the most concise assessment of this entire mess, right there.

Regardless of what Mr. Reichert spends annually on rich man/auction tags, he has cost us all with this episode.  The fact that he would WANT to kill this bull makes me question everything about his conservation ethic.

[Kazekurt]

He is one of the most generous good people alive. And has done more for the elk than 95% of the hunters in this state combined.

 What more has he done than the bidder $1000 behind his bid wouldn't have done?

I couldn't agree more with hunt fool.  While I'm not disputing that the money is put to good use; the stigma painting auction tags as an altruistic act of conservation is false IMHO.  To be altruistic, the doner would simply donate $50k for the good of the species with  no expected return.  With auction tags, the winner simply pays market price( or something close)for a sweet tag. 

[Elkaholic daWg]

 On a side note he just may have accidently  improved Washingtons supreme Court next year. Prosecuting what  the progressive wetsiders see as  a  trophy hunter  might get  him votes and Madsen replaced. Sure hope it does!

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/politics/article/Chief-Justice-Madsen-draws-a-challenger-7692651.php?roi=echo3-34770541482-35460313-2959ce9dabff170bd91e0e35367ce109&

[JDHasty]

From the very beginning this was never going to end well.  Stevie Wonder could see that. 

Probably the most concise assessment of this entire mess, right there.

Regardless of what Mr. Reichert spends annually on rich man/auction tags, he has cost us all with this episode.  The fact that he would WANT to kill this bull makes me question everything about his conservation ethic.

Yes he has, and more than anything I resent the stigma he has cast over the hunting community with this reckless and irresponsible act.  We as hunters have not done a thing to bring this mess on, but those who oppose hunting will attempt to use this incident as a broad brush to tar us with. 

But for Mr Reichert et all's actions there would be no controversy.  And just to clear something up, I sent an email, made one phone call and paid one visit to the Prosecutor's Office.  The call and visit were to ask a question or two and the email was to encourage prosecution if that is where the evidence leads.  And that is a stone cold natural fact. 

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Not involved in this, but much like a vehicle accident, I cannot help but look...

What sticks out to me is the REMOVAL of the animal from the place it was harvested in 334 and relocated to 338 prior to being processed, that demonstrates an action that clearly indicates the knowledge that it was in a closed unit, and an attempt to misrepresent the location of the kill.
They just got caught. 

[HntnFsh]

Not involved in this, but much like a vehicle accident, I cannot help but look...

What sticks out to me is the REMOVAL of the animal from the place it was harvested in 334 and relocated to 338 prior to being processed, that demonstrates an action that clearly indicates the knowledge that it was in a closed unit, and an attempt to misrepresent the location of the kill.
They just got caught. 

Or it could mean that the property owner didn't want a gut pile in his field so they took it somewhere else to do that.

[jackelope]

Not involved in this, but much like a vehicle accident, I cannot help but look...

What sticks out to me is the REMOVAL of the animal from the place it was harvested in 334 and relocated to 338 prior to being processed, that demonstrates an action that clearly indicates the knowledge that it was in a closed unit, and an attempt to misrepresent the location of the kill.
They just got caught. 

A lot of folks see issue with the fact that this happened. I don't. We hunt farmer's fields all the time. I don't like to leave gut piles in the middle of a wheat stubble field and those fields are out in the middle of nowhere.  If this hunt went down as close to the houses and such as it presumably did, I wouldn't want to leave the gutpile there either. I can see their reasoning in removing it. That's all. Not standing up for this hunt or anything. Just saying...There may very well be good reason for this.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Removal from the field, I understand.
I have done that also, however taking it into a different unit?
I also understand that the boundary might be as close as across the road, in the article it states it was relocated to a different field.
just smells fishy...
But then, I am jealous. 

[jmscon]

I'm all for innocent until proven guilty! I am guilty of passing judgement on this guy because of the emotions that I have against situations like this. After reading most of the other threads about this issue, most people on here are just as guilty as I am and have similar emotions as I do concerning this incident.

With the limited info that we have of the incident and the knowledge of what is listed in the regs and game laws we assume that there was no way that TR was acting legally. I hope as a resident of this state and a citizen of this country that he is given a fair trial. Then and only if all the truth comes out will we know the whole story.

We know that unit 334 is closed to branch antler bull hunting. I think that changes this year and will be up to WDFW discretion, as far as the raffle and auctions tags go. And the way it appears, this guy either made the exception himself or was able to get an ok from the state to be an exception from the rules. The way this appears is maddening! I don't think the rest of us would be able to get this ok. If he did in fact get permission from a WDFW officer that's where my jealousy comes in, how does he get special privileges? Money that I will never get close to in my lifetime?

I doubt that I will ever have the means to win an auction tag but if I did I would make every effort to abide by the laws and I suspect that everyone else in the state would expect the same from me.

Some of the questions I have, and maybe kiticaas can clear this up, are:

-Who was with TR?

-Was it a guide?

-Did TR make the call or was it another person in the party?

You'd think a guide wouldn't even take him into the unit!

I hope that WDFW didn't give permission. Not that I want to see the book thrown at him if he is found guilty but for the sake of WDFW. I would hope that they wouldn't make exceptions to the game laws for individuals!!! If someone in WDFW gave him the ok I hope that they get severely reprimanded!!!

 

[mfswallace]

IF Sgt. Grant did get or give the ok, I'm sure this will lead to others "making a call" and doing what they want.

PopeSHawn
If TR gets off because of this "call" will case law precedent be set or will it just be a first instance and it needs more actual cases to be hard and fast??

if so you can bet it will be happening more often!!

[jackelope]

Removal from the field, I understand.
I have done that also, however taking it into a different unit?
I also understand that the boundary might be as close as across the road, in the article it states it was relocated to a different field.
just smells fishy...
But then, I am jealous. 

One of the guys who was involved in the caping and gutting of the bull has a shop in the other unit. My guesstimate is they took it there to use his shop. I bet that's their reasoning.

[bradslam]

I would like to issue a challenge to MR. Reichert.  Since your supporters on this site have clearly tried to  emphasize the numerous positive contributions you have made to conservation and hunting  over the handful of alleged indiscretions  you have been linked too; I'm assuming a champion of conservation like yourself would not want an animal in  his trophy room that had any stigma of indescretion associated with it.  If you are found innocent of all charges and allowed to keep the bull I challenge you to pay to have the bull taxidermied and then to donate it to the city of Ellensburg to be put on display in a public building and thereby enjoyed  in perpetuity by the local residents who have come to love that bull. I believe such an act would go a long way towards showing that you are in fact the man that your supporters  characterize you to be and would somewhat mitigate the negative stigma associated with your hunt; especially in the area in which the bull was taken.

 

[Dan-o]

I guess I'm just not clear on how some of you feel about this.

Could you all restate your positions one more time?

[jmscon]

 

[kiticaashunter]

From the very beginning this was never going to end well.  Stevie Wonder could see that. 

Probably the most concise assessment of this entire mess, right there.

Regardless of what Mr. Reichert spends annually on rich man/auction tags, he has cost us all with this episode.  The fact that he would WANT to kill this bull makes me question everything about his conservation ethic.

Yes he has, and more than anything I resent the stigma he has cast over the hunting community with this reckless and irresponsible act.  We as hunters have not done a thing to bring this mess on, but those who oppose hunting will attempt to use this incident as a broad brush to tar us with. 

But for Mr Reichert et all's actions there would be no controversy.  And just to clear something up, I sent an email, made one phone call and paid one visit to the Prosecutor's Office.  The call and visit were to ask a question or two and the email was to encourage prosecution if that is where the evidence leads.  And that is a stone cold natural fact.

That stigma was very well promoted by you trying to further your which hunt on forums all the way to the east coast.