A Johnson County rancher who clashed with hunters who helicoptered into public land adjacent to his property last year said he’s remorseful about trying to steal the head and antlers from an elk one of the hunters shot.
Brett DeLapp told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday the controversy that blew up around the incident brought him unwanted notoriety, harassment, and even some death threats.
“It got to the point where I didn’t answer the phone if it wasn’t the number of somebody I know,” he said.
The hunting party consisted of Andrew McKean, David Fabion, Ben Rodgers, Ryan Chuckel, and a videographer.
They chartered a helicopter to fly them into a section of mixed Bureau of Land Management and Wyoming state land surrounded by private property, including DeLapp’s land.
Fabion, of Sheridan, is an editor for Guns and Ammo. McKean lives in Glasgow, Montana, and is a writer for Outdoor Life.
A video of the November 2025 hunts was posted on the Outdoor Life YouTube channel.
One segment shows a confrontation between DeLapp and Rogers and Fabion — after DeLapp allegedly tried to steal and hide the head and antlers from one of their bull elk.
DeLapp said at the time he didn’t know that some of the hunters were connected with outdoor media and didn’t expect the massive publicity.
Charges Filed On Both Sides
DeLapp was later charged with theft.
He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor theft charge and on April 29 was fined $220, according to Johnson County Circuit Court records.
Later, he watched the Outdoor Life video and noticed a segment clearly showed McKean shooting a bull elk standing on DeLapp’s property.
It was McKean’s turn to be in legal hot water.
McKean on Aug. 24 pleaded no contest to one count of Title 23 trespass and one count of use of a silencer to take a big-game animal while trespassing, according to Johnson County Circuit Court documents.
He was fined $1,270.
McKean told Cowboy State Daily he didn’t think the bull was on private property at the time he shot it, but he’s accepted full responsibility for trespassing.
In Wyoming, hunters are solely responsible for knowing where they are at all times. And they must bear the consequences of straying onto private property, regardless of whether property is posted.
An Emotional Decision
DeLapp said he tried snatching the elk head purely out of emotion, which he regrets.
“I saw where they had killed a bull elk the day before on the BLM land within one-half to three-quarters of a mile from our buildings,” he stated in an email to Cowboy State Daily. “I got upset and let my emotions get the best of me and took the elk head and packed it downhill and put it in a deep draw.”
In a telephone interview with Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday, DeLapp said, “I was in the wrong doing it.”
He said it was a “fine example” of what can happen “when you let your emotions control your actions.”
He added that after the initial confrontation, he tried to reconcile his mistake.
“I eventually apologized, we shook hands, and they got the horns back,” DeLapp said.
The Subsequent Ordeal
DeLapp said the hunters used their media pull to broadcast their side of the story, resulting in an “ordeal” for him and his family.
He followed coverage of the story, but only to a certain extent, he said.
“I didn’t keep track of everything that was said or watch everything that was put out, because it was so upsetting,” he said.
He credits his wife’s loving support and his faith for getting him through the worst of it.
“When Christ died on the cross so long ago, He paid the price for the wrong things that people like me have done,” DeLapp wrote in an email.
Questioning The Trespass Story
DeLapp said he wonders whether McKean and the other hunters didn’t realize they’d trespassed at the time the bull was shot.
The bull died on a hillside and was apparently dragged about 25 yards onto a flat section of public land before it was quartered up, he said.
Given the sheer size of a bull elk carcass, DeLapp said it seems like a lot of work to drag it, even for multiple people.
So, he wonders if it wasn’t dragged to quickly get it off private property.
If McKean wants to “do the right thing” in response to trespassing, that should include naming who, if anyone, helped him drag the carcass, DeLapp said.
McKean could not be reached for further comment Wednesday.
McKean told Cowboy State Daily last month that he’d reached out to DeLapp in hopes of mending fences.
He’d also like to revisit the site where the bull was shot to better determine how he misjudged the animal’s location before he pulled the trigger.
DeLapp confirmed he’d received a written letter and a telephone voicemail from McKean but decided not to respond.
“He put me through so much misery last fall and last winter, I don’t have any desire to get together with him,” DeLapp said.
What Comes Next?
The ranch and adjoining land are peaceful, secluded places, and DeLapp said his family deeply appreciates that.
That might change, he said.
To his knowledge, at least one group of hunters has booked a helicopter to fly them into the BLM/state land section for an elk hunt this fall. And it wouldn’t surprise him there are more.
Because of the publicity over last year’s incidents, many hunters might have the impression that “this is a place where a lot of big bull elk hang out,” he said.
However, it doesn’t take much pressure to “bump them out,” he added.
With the advent of electric bicycles that could also be flown in, DeLapp said he’s also worried about how much wheeled traffic will show up in addition to hunters on foot.
As for using helicopters to fly into the public land, “naturally, I don’t like it,” DeLapp said.
“I guess if it’s totally legal, there’s not any way you can stop it.”
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
