Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Property Rights, State Officials and Wildlife Disease

I'll preface this post with a comment about the group posting it. The group posting the video pissed me off when they made my life difficult during a bison hunt in 2013, so I'm not a fan of them.

At the risk of being called a buffalo hippie, I'm interested in what the Campfire crowd thinks of a state employee trespassing on to private property to haze/move wildlife, even when the property owner asks them to leave.

This has been an issue in the topic of bison and disease in Montana. Recently, the Governor signed an order stating that state officials must leave, if asked. Not that they need permission to enter, rather they must leave when asked.

Here is the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i1qcpyXaQI&feature=youtu.be

BigFin,

To me private property is private property! Unless a specific law was being broken in plain sight then a warrant should be needed or the owners permission prior to anything being done by the government be it county, state or federal.

I do realize that things are different out west with regards to the politic of livestock and ranching.

That is not something I ever dealt with growing up in Big Falls and living in FL now either. I would cede to your expertise in the matter out there anyway.

Mack

IMO, if the landowner is taking Ag subsidies from the government then the government can trespass to keep the landowner's livestock "safe" from disease infected wildlife. Don't like it? Don't take the subsidies.

The guy is not an ag producer, so he doesn't receive "ag subsidies" and he doesn't have personal property (livestock) that needs to be protected by the State.

That change your thoughts?

Where's the militia? Where's the Bundy supporters? If these guys where rounding up cattle instead of Bison, (especially on private lands) Fox news would be all over this thing. I guess little Brother is OK, but Big brother, is a no go. Hypocrisy at it's finest.

The government is 99% too large!

There are no Rights left in America.

At 3:35 the lady yells "there's no afterbirth, the cows have already given birth" so that's why I assumed they were ag producers. Also, on the "Buffalo Field Campaign Website" I read "6/25/14 DOL Trespass
Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) agents trespass on a local landowner's property. Landowner Ed Ryberg shows the MDOL agent a letter from Governor Bullock stating that it is illegal for the agency to come onto his property against his wishes. The agent ignores his request and trespasses, trying to move the buffalo. The buffalo have other ideas and will not move. The landowners again tell the agent to leave the property and, finally, he does without the buffalo. The MDOL agent never shows any proof of his supposed right to trespass"

I think ag production is bigger than property rights and the people of the state have a vested interest in disease control and food safety. I think the same could be said of wildlife.

But to answer your question, I can see both sides. The state has a right to manage the wildlife on private land and the private landowners also have rights. It seems like both sides should be adults and reason with each other in a civilized manner and do what's best for wildlife and agriculture but I realize that's asking a lot.

That...

Where is Rockinbar and all the Bundy groupies?

I thought property rights were all powerful. Nobody has a right to trespass without a court order.

The government owns your property. You just rent it. Try not paying the rent (property taxes) and see what happens.

So, if you take a tax break on your income tax, the government can come in your house and do what they want, any time they want to do it?

How about your employer? He gives you a check. Can he come shoot deer in your back 5 acres?

Simple. Every agency or person should seek permission before trespassing on deeded property.

I can only imagine the anger of the landowner at the arrogant disregard of the law by the gov't "agent". I wonder what response the Governor made to justify the actions of his employee. I am a strong believer in the rule of law but I am appalled at the attitude of the bureaucrats and their elected bosses. I can only wonder when the shooting will start, by both sides.

mike r

anybody less than a full blown swat team trespasses on my land and don't leave when asked will be face down and handcuffed waiting for the sheriff to fulfill my citizens arrest.

I'm simple minded. If someone trespasses, the should be charged with the crime they commit. If a government employee is breaking the law as part of their job, they should be fired.

Whenever government agents and agencies are allowed to disregard the rule of law for the sake of expedience, that government has become a tyranny.

hear hear! you got that right.

Fixt it for you.

Property rights are important but the rights of the community are also important. If they are deliberately ignoring the Department of Livestock and allowing a disease outbreak that wipes their neighbors' livestock and ruins the land for Ag then they should be held liable. IMO, if they don't have the assets to compensate for this situation then they do not have the right to deny the DOL to trespass.

I see your point. If you have Ebola, MERS, monkey pox, or some other highly communicable killer disease then yes the government can come to your house any time they want and do what they think is necessary. Tax breaks or no tax breaks.