The Great trophy hunt
Auctioneer Joe Warner presents an elk rack with a 300-350 Boone and Crockett score at the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Trophy Auction at the agency’s office Saturday in Kalispell. The agency auctioned off more than 100 pieces, including bobcat, mountain lion, and bear hides. This rack sold for $150. Garrett Cheen/Daily Inter Lake
More than 100 animal heads, hides and horns were auctioned Saturday in Kalispell
Joyce Frost was dialed in for mountain lions and ready for some strategic bidding.
The rat-a-tat-tat patter from auctioneer Joe Warner boomed over the public address system, offering a lion head and cape. "No mistakes, she's in at $425," Warner said, pointing to Frost.
Another bidder matched her, but Frost came out on top with a $450 bid at the first wildlife trophy auction held by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in more than 10 years.
"I love that lion," Frost said. "I'm building a log home and I'll put it over the bannister."
Frost wasn't done. A frozen, full body female mountain lion was plunked down, legs up, on the auction trailer. Frost held back initially but then pounced, buying the carcass for $300.
"I'll get her stuffed and put in the cabin," Frost said. "She's beautiful."
More than 150 items were sold, with Warner keeping the bidding at a brisk pace to finish the auction within three hours. Elk and deer antlers dominated the show, but there was an impressive string of bighorn sheep racks that went on the block. There were bear hides and moose paddles and antelope horns, even a pine marten fur.
Most of the items came into the department's possession through confiscations in hunting violations. Some items came from road kills and wildlife control. The sale came about simply because Warden Capt. Lee Anderson was running out of room to store the stuff.
More than 250 people turned out for the auction, 128 of them registering as bidders, said John Fraley, spokesman for Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
"It seems like a wide range of people. We have some from Havre and Missoula," he said. "A lot of people came just out of curiosity, just to see what's here."
Fraley and Anderson were surprised to see fairly unremarkable whitetail and mule deer antlers selling for more than $300.
"The deer went for a lot more than I thought they would," said Anderson, who was not surprised to see bighorn sheep racks fetching high prices. "Some of those are dandies. Some of them are scuffed up because they're road kills. They got some road rash."
Renowned whitetail hunting guru and artist Dick Idol was on hand to make the single highest bid of the day, claiming a huge bighorn sheep rack for $3,000 and paying less for two other racks.
"I just wanted to get a couple for my studio," Idol said. "This is pretty unusual. This is the first time Fish and Game has put up bighorns in a long time. It's a great experience for everybody and it brings in some money to Fish and Game."
Kay Lynn Lee showed up for the auction largely out of curiosity, with a particular interest in moose antlers.
"They had moose and I like moose," Lee said. "Our whole house is decorated in moose - bed spreads, dishes, everything."
Lee will add to her home motif, as the top bidder on a single moose antler for $230.
"I've never been to one of these before, so it's been pretty interesting," she said.
Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com