Motorist kills 8 bighorns

A  motorist drove his pickup truck through a herd of bighorn sheep on
Highway 1,  about 7 miles west of Anaconda, late Monday morning, killing at
least eight  animals, according to the Montana Highway Patrol.

The driver, of  Anaconda, wasn't injured or identified, said trooper Tom
Gill.

Montana  wildlife personnel were looking for other sheep Monday afternoon
that left the  crash scene after being injured. More sheep deaths are
expected, Gill  said.

Two of the dead animals were trophy rams, according to state  wildlife
biologist Ray Vinkey.

The driver, an adult male, was cited  with a misdemeanor traffic ticket.
Alcohol wasn't a factor in the incident,  the patrol said.

Gill said the driver was westbound toward Georgetown  Lake when the
collision occurred.

"He was not paying attention to the  large signs saying 'watch out for
sheep on the road,' and didn't slow down,"  Gill said.

The driver claimed the sun was in his eyes and he didn't see  the sheep in
the roadway, according to Gill. The herd was hit about 11:45  a.m.

The driver was cited with failure to obey a traffic signal. Two,  large
electronic signs on the eastbound and westbound sides of the highway  warn
motorists to be award of bighorn sheep on the road.

The sheep  often gather on that stretch of roadway to lick salt, which is
put there by  road crews to melt ice.

Gill said the driver's truck incurred light  damage.

I don't about any of y'all but the story sounds a bit fishy to me. First off, I don't see how the sun could have been in his eyes when the time this was suppose to have occured, the sun would have been almost directly overhead. If he was west bound, even with a summer sun, it would have been to his left side and not in both eyes bad enough for him not to be able to see the roadway in front of him.

Attached Image(s)

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

One more pic. Look at where the shadows are in ref to the animals laying there and you will see how I came to the conclusion about his story of the sun.

Attached Image(s)

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

Gary,
I think you are right on with your assessment. Even where they are laying, it is all in shade from the mountains on the left. Looks to me like murder. With intent. Course, the pictures could have been taken much later than the event, but I doubt it was too long afterwards. Fella ought to be tied to the tracks for this one.

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson

NAHC-L, NRA

NEVER in my wildest imagination, while growing up in a small town in north central Wisconsin, did I ever ponder that the world would be filled with so many crazy people. 
 
Crazy is spreading at an epidemic rate these days.  I just do not get it!
 
Take care and Good Hunting!
 
Best Afield,
 
Steve

There is something fishy about this story. Your right the sun would have been nearly straight up so that means the pict. had to be taken later cuz the shadows would not be so long if even there at all. Unless that mountain is really close to the road in which case the road may not see the sun at all yet. It's still like that where I bear hunt. No sun, no sun in your eyes. Besides, I think that 1 goes north and south so I'm thinking the sun has passed over. Either way I think the guy either did it on purpose or just plan wasn't paying attention to the road. Probably partaking in some of that medical mary jane that has seem to become very popular here in Montana.

or too busy fumbling with his dam cell ph to see what was in the road ahead. Either way, the story just does not make any sense to me.

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

Them sheep are stupid when it comes to traffick though. At the mine they will stand in the road and let you bump right into them. You litteraly have to push them off the road sometimes. Gotta make sure noone is watching though. Big trouble for touching a sheep on mine property. Bighorns are like sacred gods here in Mt.. You can't even pick up a skull if you find one in the woods. This state is kinda wierd about some things. Like if you hit a deer with your car you have to leave it. Makes for a lot of dead deer on the road. And then you start hitting the other critters that come around to feed on them.

I have heard that about the sheep. If you find a dead one you either have to just be quiet or call whatever F&G dept it belongs to and let them know where it is so they can come and investigate. If you get caught with one that does not have the stamp in the skull or horn, it's a big, big fine.

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

I can smell that fishy odor all the way her to MI on this one and it's a damn shame!  It either had to be intentional or the guy shouldn't have a drivers license to begin with IMHO!!!

Mike Stephenson
aka Topgun----30-06

I would say the pic with all the daed sheep in it is faceing east because on the way to georgetown the mountain are on your right mostly.The sun can go from being in your eyes to behind a mountain in about five minute.I have fish gt few time you see alot of sheep up there

If you go back and read what Gary posted, the Trooper said the guy was driving West late in the morning, so how in the he** could the sun be in his eyes, LOL!!!  I also wonder how they can call that electronic sign a traffic signal and write the guy a ticket for violating that sign.  Here in MI that type of sign is considered a "help type" sign like a sign that says that a bridge might be icy and no ticket could be written for it! 

Mike Stephenson
aka Topgun----30-06

This happen over a year ago and the guy got a big fine out of it a friend of mine dad lives in Butte and thats what he said.If you read what I said that pic is faceing east I think