Three members of the Montana National Guard have been charged with trespassing after authorities say they landed a "Black Hawk" helicopter on a mountain pasture on a private ranch to grab a few elk antlers before flying away, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
A witness saw the landing on May 4 and the property owner reported it to officers who tracked down the three Guardsmen, Sweet Grass County Sheriff Alan Ronneberg said.
The Guardsmen took off from a base in Helena. They landed briefly to pick up two separate antlers and an old elk skull with the antlers still attached, the sheriff said.
Elk antlers - which grow and fall off male animals every year - are highly prized and can sell for a pound. They are also collected from the wild as souvenirs.
The antlers and skull taken by the guards were worth a combined $300 to $400, according to Ronneberg. They were later turned over to authorities.
The guards face fines of up to $500 each, up to six months in prison, or both. They are due in court on May 28.