Helo hog hunting on the Texas costal plains

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Helo hog hunting on the Texas costal plains

Posted: 3/3/2012 8:52:06 PM EDT

I've posted these an a few other places. Figured they belonged here too.

Posted: 3/4/2012 3:31:08 AM EDT

[#1]

WIN! Man that looks like fun.

Posted: 3/4/2012 3:52:30 AM EDT

[#2]

is that a buddy with a helo or is that a helo born safari?

were you killing to kill or did someone round up the meat afterwards?

Jason

Posted: 3/4/2012 4:47:45 AM EDT

[#3]

save's wear & tear on the boot's...

Posted: 3/4/2012 6:43:15 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
is that a buddy with a helo or is that a helo born safari?

were you killing to kill or did someone round up the meat afterwards?

Jason

Went through an outfitter that has access to 70,000+ acres of farm and pasture land. This was mostly for population control as they cause millions of dollars of damage to crops and the environment every year. Most were impossible to recover because they were in swamp land. We did fly one out though.

Posted: 3/4/2012 8:27:29 AM EDT

[#5]

what's the price on one of them thar: Fly-Bye's?

Posted: 3/4/2012 4:46:06 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
what's the price on one of them thar: Fly-Bye's?

I think his standard rate is $550/hr. It's less if you have a group.

Posted: 3/4/2012 8:26:53 PM EDT

[#7]

Just wondering....didn't the pilot ask you to use brass catcher? If you were on the port side, that hot brass had to be hitting the pilot occasionally. I also saw the rear shooter in the first video point the muzzle at the rotor blades about 10 times

Posted: 3/4/2012 8:38:25 PM EDT

[#8]

He never said anything about the brass.

Posted: 3/5/2012 5:38:05 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:

Quoted:
what's the price on one of them thar: Fly-Bye's?

I think his standard rate is $550/hr. It's less if you have a group.

that's not a bad price... cost of renting chopper, fuel, an how many people get a chance ta do something like that? few years back we was at a fair, an they had chopper rides, they just cycled the fair grounds, price was like $20.00- $30.00 a person, kinda high... me daughter & i got in line anywas, something we could do tagether.. unfortunatly wind started getting rough & they shut it down early... that twas our chance...

Posted: 3/5/2012 5:43:07 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
He never said anything about the brass.

Hope that didn't come across the wrong way. Please don't take this as bashing in your post.

I'm glad you posted it, very cool. I just want people to know that I hear some complaints from chopper pilots about some guide services being a little too lax on safety procedures. Its his chopper and his rules, but it might be wise the next time you go up in a chopper, to bring a brass catcher.

Anwway, thanks for sharing the vids

Posted: 3/5/2012 7:10:22 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

Quoted:
He never said anything about the brass.

Hope that didn't come across the wrong way. Please don't take this as bashing in your post.

I'm glad you posted it, very cool. I just want people to know that I hear some complaints from chopper pilots about some guide services being a little too lax on safety procedures. Its his chopper and his rules, but it might be wise the next time you go up in a chopper, to bring a brass catcher.

Anwway, thanks for sharing the vids

No worries. I did ask prior to lift off but he said it didn't bother him and that was the last that was said about it. This outfitter and pilot were squared away and operated safely in my experience. I'll probably attach a deflector next time, but catchers are bulky and tend to cause stoppages. Not good in a little helo where your mobility is pretty limited.

Posted: 3/5/2012 8:23:43 PM EDT

[#12]

I worked for a helo company for three years and asked him about the rotors being shot and he said it was a 1 in 77,000 chance of hitting it. Brand new 20,000$ blades and he said go ahead and try to hit one.

Posted: 3/8/2012 10:57:33 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
I worked for a helo company for three years and asked him about the rotors being shot and he said it was a 1 in 77,000 chance of hitting it. Brand new 20,000$ blades and he said go ahead and try to hit one.

hope they got good insurance..

Posted: 3/11/2012 5:16:48 AM EDT

[#14]

I have been on two hog eradication efforts from a helicopter. We flew about 10 hours a day and killed about 550 hogs each day. We had 3-4 two man crews that switched out at each refueling. This was on the same 36,000 acre ranch about a year apart. It was a blast. I will go every time that I get the chance. The second time, I took a small video camera and got a little footage when the shooting was on the other side. We also had a spotter helicopter that I flew in once and got some footage. I made a short video.

Edit: The pilot did require the shooter up front to use a deflector. And, it was made very clear to us that the muzzle was to always be pointed away from the helicopter, including the blades.

Posted: 3/11/2012 7:07:59 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
I have been on two hog eradication efforts from a helicopter. We flew about 10 hours a day and killed about 550 hogs each day. We had 3-4 two man crews that switched out at each refueling. This was on the same 36,000 acre ranch about a year apart. It was a blast. I will go every time that I get the chance. The second time, I took a small video camera and got a little footage when the shooting was on the other side. We also had a spotter helicopter that I flew in once and got some footage. I made a short video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONhoLJqmuFM

Edit: The pilot did require the shooter up front to use a deflector. And, it was made very clear to us that the muzzle was to always be pointed away from the helicopter, including the blades.

shootin at blades: can be hassardess to your health & the so called second hand smoke effect, not good for the pilot's health eather..

Posted: 3/11/2012 7:47:22 AM EDT

[#16]

Bad ass!

Posted: 3/11/2012 8:29:50 AM EDT

[#17]

What are yall shooting and what is this guy shooting?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiHmYsyVniE

Posted: 3/11/2012 8:09:29 PM EDT

[#18]

I was shooting a 6.5 grendel, the other guy a 223 SBR.

not sure what the guys in the other video were shooting

Posted: 3/12/2012 2:05:56 AM EDT

[#19]

We were shooting 5.56, Federal Lake City 55.gr FMJ. On little pigs and coyotes, we used 12 ga 00 buck most of the time.

Posted: 3/18/2012 3:17:23 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
We were shooting 5.56, Federal Lake City 55.gr FMJ. On little pigs and coyotes, we used 12 ga 00 buck most of the time.

got any more video footage?

Posted: 3/18/2012 10:37:07 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
I worked for a helo company for three years and asked him about the rotors being shot and he said it was a 1 in 77,000 chance of hitting it. Brand new 20,000$ blades and he said go ahead and try to hit one.

People win the lottery when "chances" are 1 in 26 MILLION!

But each pilot gets to make his own rules.

Personally, as a passenger (with NO ability to fly a chopper), I want my pilot to be as un-distracted as possible. I.E. no brass flying around in the cockpit, no muzzle pointed at the blades EVER (this happens sometimes in a hard bank toward the shooters side, something to watch for).

Going down in a chopper at low altitude (at normal speeds) would be pretty much un-survivable, I can't imagine an R22 or R44 holding together too well.

Posted: 3/19/2012 3:09:59 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:

Quoted:
We were shooting 5.56, Federal Lake City 55.gr FMJ. On little pigs and coyotes, we used 12 ga 00 buck most of the time.

got any more video footage?

Very little. I had very little time to video when I was on board the R44. Obviously, the land owner wanted hogs killed and was not paying to fly a camera guy around. One we got into hogs, it was fast and furious. When one shooter emptied a mag, the pilot would switch sides for the other shooter. I carried a little camera so that I could grab a little footage here and there. The first trip, I took our big pro camera. But, there was never time to use it.

Posted: 3/19/2012 3:36:19 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I worked for a helo company for three years and asked him about the rotors being shot and he said it was a 1 in 77,000 chance of hitting it. Brand new 20,000$ blades and he said go ahead and try to hit one.

People win the lottery when "chances" are 1 in 26 MILLION!

But each pilot gets to make his own rules.

Personally, as a passenger (with NO ability to fly a chopper), I want my pilot to be as un-distracted as possible. I.E. no brass flying around in the cockpit, no muzzle pointed at the blades EVER (this happens sometimes in a hard bank toward the shooters side, something to watch for).

Going down in a chopper at low altitude (at normal speeds) would be pretty much un-survivable, I can't imagine an R22 or R44 holding together too well.

R22 and R44's or any piston driven helo's for that matter should be banned from the air.

OP, your idea of the pilot operating "safely in your experience" is a bold statement.
You obviously know nothing about the differences in a R22/R44 and a real helicopter.
Be safe.

Posted: 3/19/2012 8:50:58 AM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

Quoted:
We were shooting 5.56, Federal Lake City 55.gr FMJ. On little pigs and coyotes, we used 12 ga 00 buck most of the time.

got any more video footage?

Very little. I had very little time to video when I was on board the R44. Obviously, the land owner wanted hogs killed and was not paying to fly a camera guy around. One we got into hogs, it was fast and furious. When one shooter emptied a mag, the pilot would switch sides for the other shooter. I carried a little camera so that I could grab a little footage here and there. The first trip, I took our big pro camera. But, there was never time to use it.

when is your next outing?

we're going up again soon, this time in an MD-500C rather than the UH-1D so we can fly longer

Posted: 3/19/2012 2:28:43 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:

Quoted:
We were shooting 5.56, Federal Lake City 55.gr FMJ. On little pigs and coyotes, we used 12 ga 00 buck most of the time.

got any more video footage?

Very little. I had very little time to video when I was on board the R44. Obviously, the land owner wanted hogs killed and was not paying to fly a camera guy around. One we got into hogs, it was fast and furious. When one shooter emptied a mag, the pilot would switch sides for the other shooter. I carried a little camera so that I could grab a little footage here and there. The first trip, I took our big pro camera. But, there was never time to use it.

when is your next outing?

we're going up again soon, this time in an MD-500C rather than the UH-1D so we can fly longer

Not sure. The last two years we went in April.

Posted: 3/21/2012 12:44:18 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I worked for a helo company for three years and asked him about the rotors being shot and he said it was a 1 in 77,000 chance of hitting it. Brand new 20,000$ blades and he said go ahead and try to hit one.

People win the lottery when "chances" are 1 in 26 MILLION!

But each pilot gets to make his own rules.

Personally, as a passenger (with NO ability to fly a chopper), I want my pilot to be as un-distracted as possible. I.E. no brass flying around in the cockpit, no muzzle pointed at the blades EVER (this happens sometimes in a hard bank toward the shooters side, something to watch for).

Going down in a chopper at low altitude (at normal speeds) would be pretty much un-survivable, I can't imagine an R22 or R44 holding together too well.

R22 and R44's or any piston driven helo's for that matter should be banned from the air.

OP, your idea of the pilot operating "safely in your experience" is a bold statement.
You obviously know nothing about the differences in a R22/R44 and a real helicopter.
Be safe.

I did not say anything about the helicopters at all, and you are correct, I don't know anything about one from the other. My statement referred to my observations of the pilot's behavior. I could have just caught him on a good day though.

Next time I will be doing a few things differently. Deflector is one. The intent of the rope was to prevent the muzzle from being pointed upwards but it didn't work so well for an SBR.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Helo hog hunting on the Texas costal plains

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