One less bull in the Tieton Dr. herd...

[fishunt247]

...courtesy of two Yakama Indians driving a green Toyota Tacoma, license plate (I think, I threw the paper I wrote it on away out of frustration) A85234U. My dad and I watched the whole deal through the spotting scope, and it was a really sporting hunt. They baja'd around the herd from about 8am to 9:15am, pushing them around until they got them where they could shoot the biggest bull from the road. He was about a 320" 6pt: really long mains and big tops. The guy missed him once, so they had to chase him again. Once they got close enough the second time, the passenger got out, laid the gun across the hood, and shot it. They backed the truck right up to it and loaded it up without gutting it.

Dad called the sherriff a little after 8, and again just after 9. The dispatcher said, "Well, the guys don't always have cell phones on them." Good thing nobody around there was getting murdered, because the cops couldn't have stopped it or even caught the murderer if he got out of there with an hour and a half of killing someone.

We called three Game Department employees before we finally got ahold of someone. We tried every explanation: they just shot a giant bull, they are trespassing, they are chasing game with a vehicle and shooting from roads. Basically, the game wardens (who finally decided to come that way) said they couldn't do anything because they are tribal.

Whatever for tribal rights and that trash, but something is very very wrong if they can kill a bull on the winter range in a unit where we have to get drawn to hunt AND in an area of the unit where we cannot hunt cows or spikes with archery in the late season to protect the herd. I hate fueling the fire, but *censored*. I flipped them off to their faces to feel better...like it did anything.

Whatever

[Tony 270]

Video of them herding the elk with trucks like that could be powerful evidence to the general public about what really goes on. Hunters disliking it hasn't done much for things to change, but if everyone were to see it, things may get changed if there was enough uproar over the issue.

[ser300wsm]

its amazing how they have more rights than us... Nobody in the state or federal government will listen.....  

[bobcat]

When you called the sheriff, how did they know the poachers were tribal   Did you tell them that? If so, how did you know? I can see how you might make that assumption, but how would you know 100%?

[grundy53]

 

[Tony 270]

Wish they would make themselves useful and go wolf and sea lion hunting.

[ribka]

They took a really nice 6x7 out of Cascade Park up in the Wenas a week ago. Shot it from their truck

[boneaddict]

Dang, I thought they closed that off.  CRAP!

[bobcat]

Wish they would make themselves useful and go wolf and sea lion hunting.

  And cougar.

[boneaddict]

No racial attacks please.   This topic is old and yet very prevalent.  LOTS of anger.  I understand that.  Lets turn our anger to the problem and not the people.   I understand its easy.  Just be mindful of what you are saying and that racial attacks will not be tolerated on here.  

Honestly Bigtine, its probably what its going to take to get it to stop.

[Coastal_native]

Thanks Bone,

Way to step up as an admin... 

Harassing wildlife with a vehicle on winter range is pretty classless...everything else you mentioned just seems like typical behavior in the westside modern firearm season to me.  It's not very sporting that's for sure, but true sportsman are few and far between anymore, especially in this state...but that's just me being pessimistic.

[fishunt247]

My dad told the sheriff dispatch that they might be tribal. And the first question the game warden asked, before they asked if the bull was dead or what the hunters were doing now, was "Are they tribal?"

How did I know they were tribal??? I waited where the road they were on met pavement, saw they were tribal when they drove ten feet from me, and took down their license plate number. I called the gamies right away, told them the number at what way they were driving. They said, "Nothing we can do?"

And I am in no way making a racial attack. Just stating the facts of what I saw.

I agree that the topic is old. But 90% of the time on here it is "I heard from a friend of a friend that the Indians shot 6 bulls in the Colockum." I watched this entire "hunt." Just thought I'd share my frustration with the hunters as well as the sheriff/WDFW/Treaty of 1855/whatever else is to blame.

Would I condone the chasing of elk with vehicles and shooting from the road if it were white people? Hell no. I would have called the game wardens in that situation too.

[boneaddict]

I agree.  Its solid first hand testimony.   and it sure leaves a bitter taste in your mouth too doesn't it.

[Lowedog]

They backed the truck right up to it and loaded it up without gutting it.

Holy crap!  Did they have a fork lift with them or something?

[fishunt247]

And Bone, I thought the same thing about the feeding station by our house being a closed area as agreed upon by the WDFW and Tribe after they shot a bull in the feeding station in 2006ish. Maybe they can't hunt right in the feeding station. This bull was maybe 600 yards above it. No giant, but given two years it very well could have ended up like the extremely long daggered older bulls we get out here.