Morse family to plead not guilty to Montana poaching charges, Billings paper says

[tony]

Folks,

I am very sorry. There was a thread here with this title and I discarded it accidentally.

Please repost your thoughts.

Again. I sincerely apologize.

[chuckinca]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-mark-morse-the-villages-charged-20101104,0,2191208.story


.

[LuvItHere]

http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/recreation/article_d692615e-e844-11df-b57a-001cc4c002e0.html

[Tweety Bird]

http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/recreation/article_d692615e-e844-11df-b57a-001cc4c002e0.html

Holy geepers toledo!!!!!!!

[K9-Lovers]

Uh Oh. :ohdear:

[bike42]

I note that the Montana paper's headline is "Man denies charges in illegal hunting case" while the Orlando Sentinel's headline is "Mark Morse of The Villages charged with felony wildlife violations in Montana; Morse could face up to 21 years in prison and hefty fines for killing prized elk and deer without a license."

I believe we still have "innocent until proven guilty."

[iaudit]

I note that the Montana paper's headline is "Man denies charges in illegal hunting case" while the Orlando Sentinel's headline is "Mark Morse of The Villages charged with felony wildlife violations in Montana; Morse could face up to 21 years in prison and hefty fines for killing prized elk and deer without a license."

I believe we still have "innocent until proven guilty."

Where did the Sentinel say that he was guilty?? They only indicated that he had been CHARGED, not that he was guilty of anything.

[Mudder]

Wow.

[Larryandlinda]

Where did the Sentinel say that he was guilty?? They only indicated that he had been CHARGED, not that he was guilty of anything.
Well, if he gets 21 years house arrest
"you are not allowed to leave your
Property"
Not too bad a confine on his case

Let's not lynch anyone yet though

L and L

[jflynn1]

I thought he was a protector of wild life and the conservation. Maybe I drank to much of the Villages kool
aid. If he is guilty they should treet him the same way they treated Michael Vick. :ohdear:

[nitehawk]

Dont worry i am sure we will read the real store tomorrow in the Daily Sun

[Taj44]

As others said, before the posts were deleted, if true, the charges are indicative of a person's character.

Multiple felony counts after a four year investigation involving muliple agencies. The Fish and Wildlife official said the animals had been killed for their trophy heads and the animal carcasses left to rot.

[kwachowski]

Lets not judge the man before he gets his fair share in court. Anyway the fine will be just change in his pocket

[TVdyin]

Wow!!. Don't they go all over the place hunting, places like Texas, Mexico, Saskatchewan, Michigan?? I wonder how much illegal stuff has been goin on? The story says the Wildlife Agents have been watching for years - since 2006. Further reading reveals that they were cutting off only the heads and leaving (wasting) the remainder of the animals - shameful!!! This could be viewed as very low class by all the law abiding hunters everywhere, as well as, law enforcement. I have heard the developer is close friends with "W" and contributes much each year to the GOP. I hope the higher up Republicans aren't involved - could be bad for the party.

[sands]

@jflynn1, I wasn't going to jump in on this thread, but I feel that I have to comment. I'm no hunter and I couldn't do what they do, but the comparison to Michael Vick is way off base; hunters shoot to kill and are going after wild game. Michael Vick tortured dogs.

[TVdyin]

Millions of animals are tortured, abused, and killed every year. I think animal cruelty is a major problem in this world. Violators should be made to pay millions to the ASPCA and to hunter education schools. God created animals for our enjoyment and consumption.....not to abuse!

[Bosoxfan]

Dont worry i am sure we will read the real store tomorrow in the Daily Sun

:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl::1 rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl

[K9-Lovers]

Millions of animals are tortured, abused, and killed every year. I think animal cruelty is a major problem in this world. Violators should be made to pay millions to the ASPCA and to hunter education schools. God created animals for our enjoyment and consumption.....not to abuse!

:a040::coolsmiley::clap2::clap2::mademyday:

What started out as a movie review of "Food, Inc." turned into a discussion about abuse of animals raised for food. You might want to read that thread.

[BobKat1]

Shouldn't the title of this thread have a question mark at the end of it?

"Morse to prison" sounds like a done deal.

"Morse to prison?" indicates just a possibility.

[Hancle704]

I recall something similar to this several years ago involving charges against actor Steven Seagal for hunting elk in Colorado without a license. Don't know what the outcome was.

[Barefoot]

Millions of animals are tortured, abused, and killed every year. I think animal cruelty is a major problem in this world. Violators should be made to pay millions to the ASPCA and to hunter education schools. God created animals for our enjoyment and consumption.....not to abuse!

I agree.

[chuckinca]

Shouldn't the title of this thread have a question mark at the end of it?

"Morse to prison" sounds like a done deal.

"Morse to prison?" indicates just a possibility.


Maybe the original poster and maybe Tony think it's a done deal.



.

[Lucko]

Is this where all the fabulous wild life trophy heads came from that are in the Morse's private rooms above the Redsauce restaurant in Sumter Landing ??? Also, this makes me wonder what really happened to all the buffalo that disappeared last year from the display pens ???

[Taj44]

What is really sad is that most states have some sort of program for hunters to donate their wild game to feed the hungry. It gets processed and packaged and sent to soup kitchens, etc. One average deer will provide something like 160 servings of meat that is low in fat, and low in pesticides.

[JUREK]

I note that the Montana paper's headline is "Man denies charges in illegal hunting case" while the Orlando Sentinel's headline is "Mark Morse of The Villages charged with felony wildlife violations in Montana; Morse could face up to 21 years in prison and hefty fines for killing prized elk and deer without a license."

I believe we still have "innocent until proven guilty."


I agree It's too early to make a judgement.
I hope it's not true.

[Taj44]

I note that the Montana paper's headline is "Man denies charges in illegal hunting case" ....

And one of the other Montana paper headlines was "Woman denies fleeing police at 100 mph". Were the police lying? I doubt it. Every criminal is likely to plead not guilty in hopes of negotiating some sort of lighter sentence or getting off entirely in some way.

The Montana Fish and Wildlife officials are not going to publicly comment the way they did unless they have the facts to support those comments regarding Morse.

I do think the Orlando Sentinel made the sitution sound like he's in danger of going to jail. I find that hard to believe - most likely he'll get a large fine, which he can well afford.

[tony]

Maybe the original poster and maybe Tony think it's a done deal.


Maybe chuckinca should read a little closer.

[elevatorman]

I don't think any of the Morse family will be hit with much more than a fine and loss of hunting privileges. The largest fine ever for poaching in MT was $50,000, more likely they will pay less. Read more about Montana's poaching convictions at
http://fwpiis.mt.gov/hunting/poaching/price.html

[l2ridehd]

There are always two sides to every story. The Orlando paper is known for their bias so I guess we have to wait for the outcome. I know nothing of Montana law as to hunting, but in NH I have a large tract of land that I used to hunt without a license all the time. The law allowed that until about 5 years ago. Maybe Montana had the same law as they are both part of that 20 state hunting consortium.

If guilty as stated he should pay the price that comes with breaking the laws.

However I have become a cynic of everything I read in the papers and see on television. No one reports factual news any more, it is all taken out of context and heavy with opinion and slanted to make someone they disagree with look bad. I see the exact same story on two different media outlets and you would think it had to be two different stories. So one more vote for innocent until proven guilty.

[DeafDeaf]

Is the Villages Daily Sun newspaper biased? None in today's issue ever mentioned of this incident!!!

[Taj44]

There are always two sides to every story. The Orlando paper is known for their bias so I guess we have to wait for the outcome. I know nothing of Montana law as to hunting, but in NH I have a large tract of land that I used to hunt without a license all the time. The law allowed that until about 5 years ago. Maybe Montana had the same law as they are both part of that 20 state hunting consortium.

I wondered the same thing, but the Fish and Wildlife person said Morse had been hunting in Montana for years, and knew the rules. At least one of the violations was for hunting out of season, which has nothing to do with a license. The trophy hunting part, leaving the meat behind to rot, was what really bothered me. I've been pretty much disregarding the newspapers and going by the Fish and Wildlife spokeperson reports. They had a tape of him on television news.

[TVdyin]

If you read the Billings Gazette it tells about the same story. I researched some of the past cases of poaching in Montana and this would be one of the largest if true. It is based on years of multiple agency investigation. I am surely disappointed in this kind of behavior and we have considered not buying another home here (toward the new town centers) as this could be signs of serious character (and maybe even business) flaws for this developer. I mean, if someone overlooks something as simple as hunting laws (printed on a state pamphlet), wouldn't they also overlook quality control of houses? Maybe this explains some of our quality issues we've been having, or the IRS bond fiasco. Too busy hunting??.......illegally.

[Midge538]

http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/Montana-Poaching-Case-106743783.html?video=pop&t=a (http://kulr8.com/news/local/Montana-Poaching-Case-106743783.html?video=pop&t=a)

[TVdyin]

I mean....it's so easy in this case to have done the right thing. Every major hunter's state has game meat donation programs to feed the hungry. This state has one too!
Then, if they were caught without licenses - at least it wouldn't have looked flat out cruel and wasteful by just cutting off the heads. Maybe they'd went easy on them if they were feeding the hungry (it's free).

http://www.fhfh.org/Online_Magazine.asp

[chuckster]

What happened to the montana newpaper, not tv, article posted by bk last night. Not quite as biased and indicated others involved in trophy hunting. Tony I believe said he "accidentally" deleted references to this article.:oops:

[The Shadow]

Is the Villages Daily Sun newspaper biased? None in today's issue ever mentioned of this incident!!!
I found the story in the Villages Daily Sun, it was in the classified section, one word, “Wanted”.
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQUgG0PDeYWvM2lLAX7y0WprpeZX3h8b kMjLVA4Be4eoc1vu00&t=1&usg=__zcuw9lU_h_SBL2OJ7Lw0osOC7sU=

[Taltarzac]

http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/recreation/article_d692615e-e844-11df-b57a-001cc4c002e0.html

[villages07]

I, too, am disappointed to read about these serious charges and will await the justice system outcome.

What surprises me is .... if this has been going on for several years with a lengthy investigation.... were there any earlier attempts by the Fish and Wildlife folks to meet with Morse and his local people to make sure they understood the laws and the consequences of breaking those laws?

Was there no overt attempt to gain compliance? If there was and Morse et al ignored it, then shame on them and they should be prepared to face the consequences.

For a family that eschews the public limelight, I'm sure Daddy Gary is not happy about this.

In my mind, this does not diminish what a wonderful place the Villages is nor my enjoyment of the lifestyle. Separate the man from the mission.

[bike42]

Where did the Sentinel say that he was guilty?? They only indicated that he had been CHARGED, not that he was guilty of anything.

The Orlando Sentinel headline is "Morse could face up to 21 years in prison and hefty fines for killing prized elk and deer without a license."

Would the editor have OK'd this headline?
"OJ could face up to 21 years in prison and hefty fines for killing Nicole Simpson"

[salpal]

If you are rich and/or famous, there is a different justice system. If he is truly guilty, then he'll just pay a fine. End of story IMHO

[BlueHeronFan]

If True, and for now it sounds like there is a case, I hope there is a fine large enough to hurt, and hurt BAD, and loss of any hunting/fishing for life for any involved.

Personally, I dispise trophy hunting. I have no problem with hunting if the meat is used, but for trophy's only.......dispicable.

[Bambi]

The Morse family certainly would not buy a vast quanity of hunting land and be featured in hunting magazines claiming trophy kills if they did not know the hunting regulations. IF they are guilty, it is the it is the story of "wallet entitlement"- that they are exempt from the rules. It was senesless slaughter of animals. Originating from a "hunting state", I understand the justification of controlled hunting. I also believe that the wildlife in the United States is a natural attribute that belongs to each of us and regulated by the federal govenment and individual states. I appreciate the special place that the Morse family created for us however, poaching is poaching. It makes no difference if it affects the white rhinos in Africa, the tigers in Asia or the elk in Montana. It is wrong.

[SALYBOW]

I hope that this is decided on the merits of the actions and not because of who he is. IMO, the newspaper story villified him for being rich and politically active. These things are not crimes. The issue here is the hunting and killing. I just hope this is all decided fairly and he is not made to be a scapegoat. Myself, I could not kill another living thing, but the killing is not the issue here, it seems the timing ang the lack of a license is the issue. I will pray that wisdom prevails in this situation. :ohdear:

[The Shadow]

Yesterday it upset me to think of beautiful, graceful animals being killed for trophies.

Then last night as I was sleeping I dreamed over and over of groups of headless wild animals laying dead in what would have been a beautiful woods or hillside. I woke three or four times having that dream. It must take a special kind of person to get pleasure from acts like this. I have no problem with hunting. It does not bother me if a person kills a deer and puts it in his freezer for two years. This Morse family is one twisted crew.
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR7ViJh47uWctEt9kLeQ3uUzt-3zive_GrdUncwIwL_onJX2qg&t=1&usg=__iSyoGo3gghHxoSjxXbPHKs88lEI=

[Larry Wilson]

Only a jerk with money would try this much poaching. Trophy hunting is NOT hunting. Most in Montana use one elk for all their food all winter. Licenses are for the protection of the species. Elk is a magnificent animal. Real hunters would never leave meat to rot.

[actor]

did and poachers in Africa slaughtering elephants for their ivory tusks, and leaving the bodies to rot.

[redwitch]

If you read the Billings article, it is a lot more than no hunting license. It is a deliberate and arrogant attempt to skirt the law. Hunting out of season is against the law for good reason. Leaving meat to rot for the trophy head is just obscene. Claiming that another did the kill so you can use their license is a heck of a lie. While not in the category of murdering another, when added together they make for some pretty serious felonies.

I found it interesting that Mark Morse's potential penalty is almost twice that of the outfitter who is involved in this mess.

Will he do jail time? Probably not. Will we hear about the final outcome? Not unless someone makes the effort to keep up with the story or he actually gets some jail time. Will we read about it in The Daily Sun? I doubt it.

However, all of that being said, I don't think it should detract from TV. This is still a wonderful place to live. The houses are well built. Yes, there have been some issues with sidings, roofs, etc. Things like this are pretty common in large developments. They are being repaired.

The IRS issues and the lawsuit for the rec centers north of 466 do say something about the basic character of the Morses. Of course, they said it before this incident. Who knows? Maybe this will get people to look a little harder at the developer's "gifts" and maybe ask a few more questions before they jump on the bandwagon.

[BaylorBear]

I will wait and give them the benefit of the doubt until final judgment has been made. I think it only polite to do so.

What I do not understand is the almost total villification of the Morse family on this site. I find it entirely tasteless in light of the fact that we all VERY MUCH ENJOY LIVING HERE!! But, I guess there's no accounting for bad manners anywhere.

Let's all just back off, and let the courts decide his guilt or innocense. We would all want the same consideration were the tables turned. Okay, go ahead, let me have it in the kisser for speaking out.:wave:

[billethkid]

We are not likely to ever see anything about this until it has been settled. And then it will likely be a very small snippet....IF it does not have catastrophic overtones.

We all know the allegation will go the way of the rich and famous route to judicial solution. Some of them really do believe they are above the law and the law does at times accommodate them.

Remember lawyers will use, abuse or hide behind the letter of the law to get the ruling they seek. So we are unlikely to ever find out what really happened.

btk

[SunnyDaze]

Oh, to be so freakin' entitled. If only we lesser souls had the money of these total jacka$$es, we'd be able to buy our way out, too.

Yeah, Republicans!


http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-11-04/news/os-mark-morse-the-villages-charged-20101104_1_hunting-violations-wildlife-violations-mark-morse

[Jhooman]

What flavor of Kool-Aid did you drink? The Kool-Aid that killed 913 people in Guyana? Your analogy shows your intellectual dishonesty.

[bimmertl]

Here's a link to a detailed article outlining the individual charges.

http://www.kpax.com/news/charges-filed-in-montana-poaching-case/

We have a Morse Blvd and Rainey Road (both named parties in the poaching incident)in TV. Perhaps we could have a Poacher Avenue when the newest section gets developed?

[Indydealmaker]

Did notorious liberal Montana Land Hog Ted Turner set Morse up?

[graciegirl]

,,

[dillywho]

I will wait and give them the benefit of the doubt until final judgment has been made. I think it only polite to do so.

What I do not understand is the almost total villification of the Morse family on this site. I find it entirely tasteless in light of the fact that we all VERY MUCH ENJOY LIVING HERE!! But, I guess there's no accounting for bad manners anywhere.

Let's all just back off, and let the courts decide his guilt or innocense. We would all want the same consideration were the tables turned. Okay, go ahead, let me have it in the kisser for speaking out.:wave:

:agree:I totally agree with you.

This kinda seems to have a hidden agenda from Montana as well. If the authorities have "been aware of this and following it for the last several years (dating back to 2006)", what have they been waiting for in pressing charges? Seems like something else is smelly here and it's not the four-legged kind of animals, either.

[BobKat1]

I guess it's just a matter of time before this thread about possible hunting violations has to be moved to the Political forum? Gimme a break!

[Taj44]

:agree:I totally agree with you.

This kinda seems to have a hidden agenda from Montana as well. If the authorities have "been aware of this and following it for the last several years (dating back to 2006)", what have they been waiting for in pressing charges? Seems like something else is smelly here and it's not the four-legged kind of animals, either.


You seem to imply there is some kind of "conspiracy" against him. I disagree. He purportedly did some dishonorable things, felonies to be more exact, and he got caught, pure and simple. As I said previously, I doubt the Montana Fish and Wildlife people would be so free with the details of this case, unless they felt they were on pretty secure footing, facts wise. As they say, where there's smoke, there's fire.

I also agree with a previous poster, who mentioned the food banks that the meat could have been given to. To leave that meat to rot, in my opinion, is totally unconscionable, given the needy and hungry people we have in the country.

[tony]

What happened to the montana newpaper, not tv, article posted by bk last night. Not quite as biased and indicated others involved in trophy hunting. Tony I believe said he "accidentally" deleted references to this article.:oops:

Why would you put the word accidentally in quotes? What are you trying to say?

[Barefoot]

We have a Morse Blvd and Rainey Road (both named parties in the poaching incident)in TV. Perhaps we could have a Poacher Avenue when the newest section gets developed?

And perhaps we could have an Elkhead Circle, a Trophy Drive, and a Headless Terrace.

[Barefoot]

Yesterday it upset me to think of beautiful, graceful animals being killed for trophies.

Then last night as I was sleeping I dreamed over and over of groups of headless wild animals laying dead in what would have been a beautiful woods or hillside. I woke three or four times having that dream. It must take a special kind of person to get pleasure from acts like this. I have no problem with hunting. It does not bother me if a person kills a deer and puts it in his freezer for two years. This Morse family is one twisted crew.

:agree:

[graciegirl]

..

[duffysmom]

My family is thankful to the Morse family, especially H. Gary Morse for TV. As I have mentioned in the past we're also active members of the POA. Everyone in power needs a watchdog. Sometimes, a deadly sense of entitlement develops and wrecks havoc in the very wealthy. Killing animals and taking their heads as trophies and leaving their bodies to rot is unconcionable. Lawful or not, what kind of man teaches his daughter to slaughter innocent animals and not donate the meat. I'm so sad to read that this is the way the Morse family gives back to the country that gave them so much wealth. Very sad indeed if true.

[Taltarzac]

http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/poaching/price.html

I will be surprised if any of the Morses face jail time. Looks like much worse offenders only got fines and loss of hunting licenses. Some did get prison time though. See above link about results in MT poaching cases.

These are also the cases this agency uses as a deterrent for other poachers. So, the cases in which there were other outcomes would not be highlighted like if their lawyers got them off on some technicality or other legal matter.

[red tail]

before i moved to tv i lived in the country and whenever there was a dead animal it never layed and went to rot. mother nature sees to that. always the next morning the carcass was gone. there are many of gods creatures that depend on dead animals. now i absolutly do not condone what morse did but this rhetoric about animals laying in the field rotting is silly.

[bkcunningham1]

Could someone please show where they read that anyone in the Morse family left a carcass out to rot after they cut off the animal's head?

I'm glad the question mark was added to the title of your thread Tony.

[rhsgypsylady]

Here's a link to a detailed article outlining the individual charges.

http://www.kpax.com/news/charges-filed-in-montana-poaching-case/

We have a Morse Blvd and Rainey Road (both named parties in the poaching incident)in TV. Perhaps we could have a Poacher Avenue when the newest section gets developed?

And perhaps we could have an Elkhead Circle, a Trophy Drive, and a Headless Terrace.

I've never hijacked a post before; but since there is a play on street names I thought I'd add my humor.

At one time I lived on Marks Place. Then I lived on Tony Court. Next it was Johns Way. I now live in the country but always said I needed to find me a place on Dicks Trail to complete my men cycle.

[chuckinca]

Could someone please show where they read that anyone in the Morse family left a carcus out to rot after they cut off the animal's head?

I'm glad the question mark was added to the title of your thread Tony.


According to the KPAX list of charges None of the Morse's is charged with leaving animal carcasses. The charge of wasting game, killing two elk and leaving the carcasses is only against Rainey:

Two misdemeanor charges of waste of game in Big Horn County in September 2009. Rainey is accused of killing two elk, then removing only the head from one elk and allowing the meat from both carcasses to rot.

.http://www.kpax.com/news/charges-fil...poaching-case/

(Isn't KPAX the planet Kevin Spacey is from?)


.

[chuckinca]

Maybe chuckinca should read a little closer.


I did read a little closer - title was changed.

bkcunningham1 in her post #65 read a little closer too.



.

[sandybill2]

http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/Montana-Poaching-Case-106743783.html?video=pop&t=a (http://kulr8.com/news/local/Montana-Poaching-Case-106743783.html?video=pop&t=a)

Thought it was interesting that they were tipped off by their Florida "sister" agency.

[bkcunningham1]

According to the KPAX list of charges None of the Morse's is charged with leaving animal carcasses. The charge of wasting game, killing two elk and leaving the carcasses is only against Rainey:

Two misdemeanor charges of waste of game in Big Horn County in September 2009. Rainey is accused of killing two elk, then removing only the head from one elk and allowing the meat from both carcasses to rot.

.http://www.kpax.com/news/charges-fil...poaching-case/

(Isn't KPAX the planet Kevin Spacey is from?)


.

Thank you chuckinca for clearing that up for me. I couldn't find anything that said the Morses were charged with leaving a carcass to rot after cutting off a head. BTW, I am a she; not a he, but I still appreciated the info.

[tony]

The topic was changed because I was informed reasonably that I omitted the question mark, not in a snide tone that I had some kind of agenda.

[TVdyin]

I wonder when they will announce who the other 10 people are that have "charges pending"? I have heard that most of the "builders" that work out here for the developer as well as the business owners that build our houses go on these "hunting trips" frequently. Maybe that's why there's many quality issues in our homes. Stay here and watch your work and quit killing God's creatures!! I wonder if George "W" knows about this stink as he is coming here soon to the square? Hope he doesn't cancel on us.

[The Shadow]

Thought it was interesting that they were tipped off by their Florida "sister" agency.

Sounds like we have a leak. Sounds like Morse did not meet an obligation and someone took a leak on him. That would explain how “Big Sister” got involved the leak was in the bubble.

By the way I always gave Bill Clinton the benefit of the doubt right to the end, I knew no one could be that stupid or disrespectful of the office.

As it turned out Monica’s blue dress got grazed by a stray shot and the writing was on the wall.

[JimJoe]

Yesterday it upset me to think of beautiful, graceful animals being killed for trophies.

Then last night as I was sleeping I dreamed over and over of groups of headless wild animals laying dead in what would have been a beautiful woods or hillside. I woke three or four times having that dream. It must take a special kind of person to get pleasure from acts like this. I have no problem with hunting. It does not bother me if a person kills a deer and puts it in his freezer for two years. This Morse family is one twisted crew.
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR7ViJh47uWctEt9kLeQ3uUzt-3zive_GrdUncwIwL_onJX2qg&t=1&usg=__iSyoGo3gghHxoSjxXbPHKs88lEI=

I have a trophy walleye hanging in my man cave. I love it! Every time I look at it I remember the event and my now deceased friend who encouraged me that day to go fishing: ".., the big one are hitting tonight!: He was right.. Thanks Jack.
Am I a rat fink?
JJ

[BobKat1]

The topic was changed because I was informed reasonably that I omitted the question mark, not in a snide tone that I had some kind of agenda.

Tony, thanks for modifying the title.

[The Shadow]

I have a trophy walleye hanging in my man cave. I love it! Every time I look at it I remember the event and my now deceased friend who encouraged me that day to go fishing: ".., the big one are hitting tonight!: He was right.. Thanks Jack.
Am I a rat fink?
JJ

I am sorry that does not qualify you for a rat fink award, not from me. Fish are a different breed of cat. I love to fish problem is if all I ate were the fish I caught I would have starved to death years ago. I am fond of salt water fish. I find it more economical money wise and time wise to do my fishing at Publix.

I’m sorry you lost your fishing buddy that is not something that can be replaced easily I know.

OK I am off topic no more fish stories.

[lefty]

As a hunter in my previous life I find any kind of poaching or misuse of nature appalling and should be punished severely. Having said that, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, after all this is America.

[Talk Host]

Gee, there are tons of great comments about this situation in this thread. Very thoughtful and articulate. Most of them are not pejorative and probably the kind of comments that the TV station was looking for.

[actor]

Sounds like we have a leak. Sounds like Morse did not meet an obligation and someone took a leak on him. That would explain how “Big Sister” got involved the leak was in the bubble.

By the way I always gave Bill Clinton the benefit of the doubt right to the end, I knew no one could be that stupid or disrespectful of the office.

As it turned out Monica’s blue dress got grazed by a stray shot and the writing was on the wall.

since I cannot figure out how Clinton and Monica have anything at all to do with this issue. Some people will twist every single post to include a political slant.

[chuckinca]

Thank you chuckinca for clearing that up for me. I couldn't find anything that said the Morses were charged with leaving a carcass to rot after cutting off a head. BTW, I am a she; not a he, but I still appreciated the info.


Sorry, fixed it.

.

[bkcunningham1]

Gee, there are tons of great comments about this situation in this thread. Very thoughtful and articulate. Most of them are not pejorative and probably the kind of comments that the TV station was looking for.


:rolleyes:

[bike42]

Gee, there are tons of great comments about this situation in this thread. Very thoughtful and articulate. Most of them are not pejorative and probably the kind of comments that the TV station was looking for.

I hope you don't plan to tell KTVQ that the comments in this thread were made in response to their request for TOTV members' comments. The other thread "KTVQ in Billings, MT,..." shows nearly unanimous "no comment" and disdain that they would make such a request. I know this is an open forum and they can use it any way they please, but I am shocked that you (TalkHost) would encourage them.

[The Shadow]

since I cannot figure out how Clinton and Monica have anything at all to do with this issue. Some people will twist every single post to include a political slant.
Do you think I lied about something or are you having a problem with my freedom of speech?

[actor]

Do you think I lied about something or are you having a problem with my freedom of speech?

accusing you of lying, I'm amused that you somehow brought Clinton into the discussion. I think it's funny that some people can't discuss any issue without using twisted logic to attack a politician they obviously don't like. As for your freedom of speech, the constitution guarantees your right to post as much nonsense as you desire.

[Ajack]

I will wait and give them the benefit of the doubt until final judgment has been made. I think it only polite to do so.

What I do not understand is the almost total villification of the Morse family on this site. I find it entirely tasteless in light of the fact that we all VERY MUCH ENJOY LIVING HERE!! But, I guess there's no accounting for bad manners anywhere.

Let's all just back off, and let the courts decide his guilt or innocense. We would all want the same consideration were the tables turned. Okay, go ahead, let me have it in the kisser for speaking out.:wave:

I agree. I find it rather ironic that people are feeding on Mr. Morse like buzzards on a dead carcass. People on politics forum have more class them many on this thread!!!

[Larryandlinda]

I agree. I find it rather ironic that people are feeding on Mr. Morse like buzzards on a dead carcass. People on politics forum have more class them many on this thread!!!


That was one poignant analogy!:icon_wink:
Some of the more sensitive types might resemble that remark, just like when the consumption of a certain bargain beverage is mentioned.

Like someone mentioned a couple pages ago, in a few days this will go to our back page below the fold.

Bike42 is correct, 'the media' (like way too many of our Fellow TVrs) loves scooping on sensationalism - and a high profile figure makes news when found in compromise,
It was the 'sister act' (in Florida) of the Montana station that got the can opened wider.

We too hope this thing fades fast, but it's keeping the screens warm and the fingers moving.

L and L

[Taj44]

I agree. I find it rather ironic that people are feeding on Mr. Morse like buzzards on a dead carcass. People on politics forum have more class them many on this thread!!!

From what I've seen in the political forum, this thread isn't even close. I know people who completely left TOTV because of the attacks and discourtesy in political. I haven't been there lately, so perhaps it has changed?, but I remember it as a completely adversarial, lack of respect type of forum.

[graciegirl]

I have read through the comments made and find that those of us who post on here are all pretty much the same day after day in our attitudes.

Some of us look at things in a negative way and rarely post unless some bad thing happens. Those people seem to enjoy talking about any suggestion of doom befalling us and see imminent bad all around us and in us or at least post only when they have something negative to say. Makes you wonder how their spouse can stand them.

Some of us are always prattling about this place being perfect, peopled with perfect people who never do anything wrong and how perfect the flowers are and how perfect the developers are and how this is the best time of our lives and any suggestion of anything ever going wrong is put down immediately by them. They question anyone with anything to post which is the slightest bit negative. Makes you wonder what their life experiences have been or if they are hopelessly naive.

And some of us see things as they are, with a great deal of good and beauty and some things to worry about as always and although very nice, knowing that this place and its' people and the developer are not perfect.

I am striving to be less of the second and more of the third. I know that there is a little bit of bad in the best of us and a little bit of good in the worst of us.

I am still feeling very sad this morning.

OFF THE RECORD. (That is what my friend bkcunningham says.)

[villages07]

For those living out of town, there was an article in the Local section of today's Daily Sun. Headline is "Six Floridians charged with hunting violations"

It mentions Mark Morse by name in the first paragraph, summarizes all the charges, doesn't mention any of the other alleged violators by name, and quotes Morse's reaction to, as he calls it, the sensationalized reporting in the media. He eagerly awaits his day in court.

With all the local coverage, viral emails, and boards like TOTV, the Sun really could not ignore this story. All in all, even with the expected favorable spin, they did a decent job of summarizing the issue, IMO.

[redwitch]

Strangely, I see a lot of positive in this mess. Not for the Morses, but for TVers. We quite easily fall for the spell of TV and sometimes forget that it is humans who run it. And humans are not perfect. We do foolish things, use bad judgment and some are just downright evil. I think the Morses have their good and bad points. These charges do reflect on the character of Mark Morse and his family. I've called them greedy in the past and I doubt my opinion will change. I've also admired their business acumen and the willingness to take a vision (Mr. Schwartz's) and turn it into a dream for so many of us.

All of that being said, this does show the humanity of the Morses. It may make many of us question motives a little bit more rather than just jumping on the bandwagon when they do something (for example, Moffitt Center and the donation of Church on the Square). At least some of us may be a little less quick to think the donations are truly being done out of the goodness of their hearts and try to look for some of the underlying reasons. We may look harder when claims are made about IRS issues, about building flaws, etc. These would be good things for all Villagers in the long run. Blindly jumping on any bandwagon (good or bad) is not something anyone should do.

[Taj44]

I have read through the comments made and find that those of us who post on here are all pretty much the same day after day in our attitudes.

Some of us look at things in a negative way and rarely post unless some bad thing happens. Those people seem to enjoy talking about any suggestion of doom befalling us and see imminent bad all around us and in us or at least post only when they have something negative to say. Makes you wonder how their spouse can stand them.

Some of us are always prattling about this place being perfect, peopled with perfect people who never do anything wrong and how perfect the flowers are and how perfect the developers are and how this is the best time of our lives and any suggestion of anything ever going wrong is put down immediately by them. They question anyone with anything to post which is the slightest bit negative. Makes you wonder what their life experiences have been or if they are hopelessly naive.

And some of us see things as they are, with a great deal of good and beauty and some things to worry about as always and although very nice, knowing that this place and its' people and the developer are not perfect.

I am striving to be less of the second and more of the third. I know that there is a little bit of bad in the best of us and a little bit of good in the worst of us.

I am still feeling very sad this morning.

OFF THE RECORD. (That is what my friend bkcunningham says.)

I think we all need to be careful of how we view the posters who participate in any open public forum. It is very easy for people to appear online as someone who they really are not if you met them in person. They can add little smiley faces or wink at you on the computer, post lovely little pictures and stories, but when you meet them in person, they are bullies or idiots or know-it-alls who completely turn you off.

Vice versa, you have people who react to some of the endless "prattling" as you call it, and make it a mission to voice "truth and reason" in their every post. It may appear to be a negative personality online, because that's all they take the time to post, but if you were to meet them in person, you'd see it as a very small part of their real life actions; in actuality their grasp of truth and reason and desire to promote fair play would be considered a plus.

There are going to be people who say things for "shock" value, just because they can get away with it. And you have to wonder about people who post a lot - it indicates they spend an awful lot of time on the computer, instead of participating out in the real world.

It's like those online dating forums - everyone knows you have to be careful and take things with a grain of salt. Some of the people who post will end up being wonderful, intelligent, nice people that you'll be happy to have as friends when you finally get to meet them. And others will not end up being all sweetness and light that they portray online.

[graciegirl]

For those living out of town, there was an article in the Local section of today's Daily Sun. Headline is "Six Floridians charged with hunting violations"

It mentions Mark Morse by name in the first paragraph, summarizes all the charges, doesn't mention any of the other alleged violators by name, and quotes Morse's reaction to, as he calls it, the sensationalized reporting in the media. He eagerly awaits his day in court.

With all the local coverage, viral emails, and boards like TOTV, the Sun really could not ignore this story. All in all, even with the expected favorable spin, they did a decent job of summarizing the issue, IMO.

Bump.

And Taj...one of the reasons I spend a lot of time on the computer is that even with the best instruments, my hearing loss makes me miss a lot in oral conversation.

[Taj44]

No need to take anything personally Gracie. My comments were only meant to act as a gentle reminder to some people who tend to be quite naive about the workings of online chat rooms. I was involved in the computer world for many years, and have seen that although chat rooms can be a wonderful form of communication, one needs to be careful when chatting with strangers, as its easy to hide behind text. You don't always know whom you're chatting with.

[graciegirl]

For those living out of town, there was an article in the Local section of today's Daily Sun. Headline is "Six Floridians charged with hunting violations"

It mentions Mark Morse by name in the first paragraph, summarizes all the charges, doesn't mention any of the other alleged violators by name, and quotes Morse's reaction to, as he calls it, the sensationalized reporting in the media. He eagerly awaits his day in court.

With all the local coverage, viral emails, and boards like TOTV, the Sun really could not ignore this story. All in all, even with the expected favorable spin, they did a decent job of summarizing the issue, IMO.

bump

[dillywho]

Bump.

And Taj...one of the reasons I spend a lot of time on the computer is that even with the best instruments, my hearing loss makes me miss a lot in oral conversation.

I have to agree with you, Gracie, about spending time on the computer. As a most-of-the-time caregiver for my husband, I can't always be doing other things that I would like; he comes first and always will. I prefer face-to-face conversation, but often have to settle for this or the phone.

Taj does have a valid point about addresses, etc. Advertising when you're away from home, even by simply putting your trash out way early, is just inviting trouble. Screen names are a way of being anonymous until you can personally interact and a good idea.

[LuvItHere]

This line in the Daily Sun article stood out:

"in come cases," said Morse, "these other media outlets have even attributed to me allegations that were actually made against other residents of Florida and even residents of other states."

Time will tell.

[DeafDeaf]

Another news - http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/recreation/article_d692615e-e844-11df-b57a-001cc4c002e0.html

Like Madoff, Morse must face the consequences!

[tony]

The topic of this thread was changed to reflect the changing complexion of the events.

[Taltarzac]

It would seem to be that it would be hard to tell which animal was shot by whom unless the authorities have inside information. And then that would be hard to proof in a court of law unless it were recorded and videotaped.

Hunters do exchange weapons when shooting in a party especially if they are friends and/or family members.

If this were with bows that might be a different matter as there is more of a technique involved and the distances are smaller.

We have so little of the facts involved in these accusations like on whose land these occurred, distances involved, dates and times, what the lay of the land looks like, etc.

I would expect too that the hunter culture in many of the Western States as opposed to the conservationists would play a big role.

[Larry Wilson]

Reading the media on this story from Montana, I came across comments that explained how wildlife management went undercover for years and was there when the Morse family made these kills. It explained how there were probably many more kills but these were the ones witnessed and documented by this undercover agent. So sorry I can't give you the link. Just check under comments on the articles from Montana.

[jjdees]

If you read the Orlando Sentinel article, it failed to mention the years in which the illegalities occured. If I hadn't read the earlier threads about this, I would have believed it all happened in the recent past, not some of the incidents occuring as long as 4 years ago. I for one don't beleive this was a simple slip by the Sentinal. Also, why the mention of Morse being a Republican? What the h**l does that have to do with the story?

In my post regarding this story in an earlier thread, I failed to comment on the 21+ years in prison that Morse could face. The system locks up murderers of humans for less.

[BogeyBoy]

Reading the media on this story from Montana, I came across comments that explained how wildlife management went undercover for years and was there when the Morse family made these kills. It explained how there were probably many more kills but these were the ones witnessed and documented by this undercover agent. So sorry I can't give you the link. Just check under comments on the articles from Montana.

So they were undercover and witnesses a kill or kills. Why didn't they do something right there and then? Why allow more killing? To build the case?

The only way I can accept this making some kind of sense is if they witnesses a kill, and had xx number of unsolved cases that they now can link to Morse's gun or some other evidence.

[kentucky blue]

Strangely, I see a lot of positive in this mess. Not for the Morses, but for TVers. We quite easily fall for the spell of TV and sometimes forget that it is humans who run it. And humans are not perfect. We do foolish things, use bad judgment and some are just downright evil. I think the Morses have their good and bad points. These charges do reflect on the character of Mark Morse and his family. I've called them greedy in the past and I doubt my opinion will change. I've also admired their business acumen and the willingness to take a vision (Mr. Schwartz's) and turn it into a dream for so many of us.

All of that being said, this does show the humanity of the Morses. It may make many of us question motives a little bit more rather than just jumping on the bandwagon when they do something (for example, Moffitt Center and the donation of Church on the Square). At least some of us may be a little less quick to think the donations are truly being done out of the goodness of their hearts and try to look for some of the underlying reasons. We may look harder when claims are made about IRS issues, about building flaws, etc. These would be good things for all Villagers in the long run. Blindly jumping on any bandwagon (good or bad) is not something anyone should do.

I wish the Morses well when they get their day in court, but Karma can be a real................. b*t*h.