“That’s your opinion, I guess,” Main said.

Making a point

Paulsen is later heard telling Peck, “This tribal resolution, in my opinion, is a knee-jerk reaction by a fellow I wrote a ticket to. He went to the council and they passed this resolution.” He goes on to tell Peck that he has seen “a dozen illegal elk taken in an area smaller than a township over the last three years” in the region.

Paulsen’s skepticism concerning the tribe’s authority is echoed by Deputy Peck.

“I really can’t believe you guys are doing this,” he tells the tribal officials.

He goes on to warn that they could face charges for the incident. But the tribal members say they are only enforcing the tribes’ resolution.

The resolution seems aimed specifically at Paulsen when the tribal members let another vehicle pass. The occupants of the pickup stop and tell Deputy Peck that they are Missoula hunters. The hunters tell Peck that when they asked the tribal officials for permission to continue down the road the tribal officials said OK.

“Did they ask you to fill out any trespass paperwork,” Peck asked the hunters. They tell him “no.”