Updated May 16, 2025: Three Montana National Guard service members have been charged with trespassing after authorities determined they landed a military helicopter on a private ranch to collect shed antlers. Officials say the service members took two elk antlers and a deadhead during the incident, which took place in Sweet Grass County on May 4. That investigation is ongoing and additional charges could be warranted, according to the New York Times.
May 14, 2025 7:47PM EDT: The chief administrative officer for the Montana National Guard has acknowledged some starting allegations involving multiple servicemen, stolen shed antlers, and an unauthorized helicopter landing on a private ranch. In a statement shared to Facebook Wednesday, Major General J. Peter Hronek said he was aware of the alleged incident and supported the investigation that is underway.
“Appropriate adverse and/or administrative actions will take place if the allegations are determined to be true,” Hronek wrote on Facebook around 3 p.m. on May 14. “If true, this behavior does not align with the values of the Montana National Guard.”
The incident reportedly took place on a private ranch in Sweet Grass County near the foothills of the Crazy Mountains, according to the Big Timber Pioneer, which first broke the story Tuesday. The news outlet says the incident was initially reported by ranchers David and Sandy Holman, who called a neighboring rancher after seeing a Blackhawk helicopter landing conspicuously on their parcel.
“Do you know there is an Army helicopter on your land picking up elk antlers?” the Holmans told the neighboring rancher, Linda McMullen, according to the Pioneer.
McMullen, who said she knows how valuable elk antlers are, called a game warden with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and the agency has confirmed that it is actively investigating the situation. No citations or charges have been filed yet in Sweet Grass County Court, but the county sheriff speculated that trespassing and theft could theoretically be on the table.
“It’s not the usual trespass call,” he told the Pioneer. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
In his statement Wednesday, Hronek noted the ongoing investigation by MFWP. This had previously been confirmed by another National Guard official, state public affairs officer Major Ryan Finnegan, who gave some additional insight into the allegations and seemed to imply that the airmen had landed on the private ranch to pick up sheds.
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“I had a chance to talk to our senior pilot who was in contact with the landowner,” Finnegan told reporters. “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.”
McMullen also confirmed with reporters that she had spoken with a National Guard official after the alleged incident took place. She said the official told her they would meet in person to bring back the antlers, and then asked her not to press charges. McMullen said “they should have thought about” what it might mean for their military career before they decided to go through with it.
“Misuse of military equipment erodes the trust we strive to uphold with the people of Montana,” General Hronek said of the allegations. “Every member of the Montana National Guard is expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, responsibility, and respect for the law.”