Collecting fallen elk antlers is a popular pastime in places where elk are common, such as Montana, but it is usually a fairly low-tech, on-the-spot affair. That's why last year's story about an American Black Hawk helicopter descending from the sky to harvest elk antlers on a ranch was so strange.
Was it really possible that US military personnel used multimillion-dollar government planes to land on private property in the Crazy Mountains – yes, that's their real name – just to grab antlers worth a few hundred dollars?
Antler hunting
In May 2025, Montana rancher Linda McMullen received a call from a neighbor. “He said, 'Linda, a green Army helicopter has landed near you, picking up moose antlers,'” McMullen told The New York Times last year. “I said, 'Are you kidding me?' He said, “I watch them with binoculars.”
The local sheriff, who said he was “still figuring this all out” at the time, added that this was “the first helicopter I've heard of” regarding antler collecting.
The Adjutant General of the Montana National Guard, J. Peter Hronek, quickly issued a statement on Facebook “regarding unauthorized use of military aircraft.”
In it, Hronek said he was “aware of an alleged incident involving a Montana Army National Guard helicopter landing on private property without authorization” and that “an internal investigation is ongoing and appropriate adverse and/or administrative action will be taken if the allegations are determined to be true.” The Black Hawk was apparently on a training flight at the time.
