MONTANA CITY, Mont. (AP) - When Tyler Maxwell fired off the shot that brought down an elk near here earlier this week, nearby homeowner Tim Plaska was on the phone almost immediately with game wardens to complain about the proximity to his home.

Plaska, however, quickly learned Maxwell had broken no laws and had, in fact, been quite meticulous about making sure his shot was safe. It still didn't sit well with Plaska, who thought the law prevented someone from firing a high-powered rifle within a quarter-mile of a home.

"There is no restriction," said Plaska, whose home is only about 50 yards from where Maxwell shot the elk. "And it was a legal kill."

State game wardens say such complaints are growing as more people move into rural areas abutting public lands.

When the homeowners hear that rifle shot and see an animal get killed - sometimes out their picture window - conflicts can ensue.

"It's not just a problem in Montana City; it's kind of across the board where we're seeing an increase in these types of conflicts," said Marilyn Krause, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. "I would just anticipate that with the increase of subdivisions and people living closer to the wildland-urban interface, that those problems will keep arising."

Mike Korn, a resource manager with the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, agreed that the BLM land around Montana City poses a conundrum.

"Folks in Montana City like having BLM next door, so they can hop the fence, go hike and see elk and deer," Korn said. "It's kind of sad, though, because that BLM land is the last vestige of what was the winter range" sweeping south from Helena.

In the Helena Valley, the state has instituted - at the neighborhoods' request - four weapon-restricted zones in which high-powered rifles aren't allowed. However, bow hunters and those using muzzleloaders, shotguns or handguns are allowed in areas where public and private lands are interspersed.

The Fish and Wildlife Commission also has the option of creating no-shooting or buffer zones on public land that borders private property. However, Korn said the commission typically doesn't like to do that because it restricts hunting opportunities, and the public is sensitive to more restrictions. In addition, hunting is one of the main ways the state can keep big game populations under control

"The way we generally handle that is through firearm restrictions rather than no-take areas," Korn said.

Plaska - an elk hunter himself - said he would prefer if game wardens hazed the animals away from the subdivision, or trap them and take them elsewhere.

"But either way, this really wasn't a fair chase or what I would call hunting," he said. "It's not like these are wild elk that you would typically encounter in the mountains. They're not afraid of people."

Maxwell disagrees and said people who build so close to public lands should expect to see hunters.

"I like to think that hunters are respectful and good people who will not break the laws," he said. "But if you build your house next to national forest land, you have to expect there will be people there using that land to hike, camp, hunt and fish."