Heli-Hunter

[KahrMan]

Any of y'all watch this show?  They work with ranches to help control the hog population.  They kill a lot of hogs and donate the meat to local charities.  They hunt mainly with AR platforms shooting either 12g a slugs or 6.8.  

 

It is on the Sportsman Channel.  Check it out if you have not seen it.

 

 

http://www.helihunter.com

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89UliEiQQyU

 

 

[DaveTN]

Those aren’t hunters. A real hunter couldn’t do that.

[KahrMan]

Those aren’t hunters. A real hunter couldn’t do that.

 

I disagree.  Part of hunting is conservation and population control.  That is why here in middle TN you can take over 300 does a season.  They are over populated.  It is not good for the deer herd and they cause lots of problems.  It is the same with hogs in Texas.  They are over populated and do a tremendous amount of damage to the land.  I see nothing wrong with hunting like this to help control the population.  A lands carrying capacity for a healthy population of a species is real issue with some animals.  Most of the real hunters I know, like myself, could do that.

[bersaguy]

Back about 1990 they had to hire professional hunters to go into Chicago and thin out the deer population in the wooded areas around O'Hare Airport runways. They killed several thousand deer in a two month period and even when they were finished they still had a deer issue but instead of paying hunters to kill them they opened up a deer season which had been closed since 1948 and sold hunting licenses to hunt on O'Hare with shotgun slug only and had zones you could hunt which kept all hunters well away from the air port and landing runways. I have not heard anything about the deer being an issue up there any more but I do know they were totally out of control in the late 90's state wide................... :up: :up:

[ncomarc]

That was a good soundtrack and skill to hit a moving target on an unstable platform. Meats donated to be eaten, population control - that's my kind of party.

[10-Ring]

Those aren’t hunters. A real hunter couldn’t do that.

I wouldn't call this hunting by a long shot.  To me to hunt something means to get as close as you can to it's level, learn its habits, where it eats, sleeps, etc.  However, due to the out of control pig population and the effectiveness of this tactic I see no moral or ethical problem with it, I just wouldn't call it hunting.  

 

 

 

 

 

Back about 1990 they had to hire professional hunters to go into Chicago and thin out the deer population in the wooded areas around O'Hare Airport runways.

Exactley what makes one a professional hunter?  Seems I have choosen the same wrong career path.

[peejman]

I wouldn't call this hunting by a long shot.  To me to hunt something means to get as close as you can to it's level, learn its habits, where it eats, sleeps, etc.  However, due to the out of control pig population and the effectiveness of this tactic I see no moral or ethical problem with it, I just wouldn't call it hunting.  

 

 

Its population control not hunting, but that's perfectly fine with me.  I'll be honest and say a lot of what others call "hunting", I think is more akin to "harvesting", but that's neither here nor there. 

 

Seems like a great way for SWAT and/or SpecOps guys to practice shooting moving targets from a helicopter. 

[DaveS]

We do this same thing on Fort Campbell and Cross Creeks Wildlife refuge. Only difference is a buck shot is used and the pigs are left laying for the buzzards and coyotes. Last year, on a two day hunt, 72 pigs of all sizes were killed. No hunting involved. TWRA also shoots them on the WMA's and they are left to rot and/or thrown in pits for that purpose.

 

Dave

Edited June 24, 2014 by DaveS

[bersaguy]

Well I am sure that the meat is appreciated by the shelters that receive it for sure. It is not like the meat is being wasted and it is just a slaughter. The Neuhoff packing house in Chicago did all of the deer processing back in 1990 at no charge and had their trucks deliver all the meat to area orphanages to feed the children. Since the deer season was opened in 1990 over a million deer have been killed and tagged. You can hunt with any type bow, Shotgun slug and Muzzle Loader. No Hi powered rifles. They say because the land i so flat up there that the projectiles will travel to far. They also have meat processors in every county to process road kills as they are reported. Auto insurance companies insurance rates began falling by 1994 as less accidents involving deer were being recorded. Now if you hit a deer and call it into the county right away the county will pay your deductible on your insurance and they will have the deer picked up by the county processor. He will process it and take it to a storage facility to be dispensed to homeless shelters and other organizations.  

[bersaguy]

We do this same thing on Fort Campbell and Cross Creeks Wildlife refuge. Only difference is a buck shot is used and the pigs are left laying for the buzzards and coyotes. Last year, on a two day hunt, 72 pigs of all sizes were killed. No hunting involved. TWRA also shoots them on the WMA's and they are left to rot and/or thrown in pits for that purpose.

 

Dave

Well I have eaten wild hog quite a few times and sometimes it was good but a couple times not so good. I think it is a lot in the preparation of it more than anything. I liked it BBQued on pit best all sauced up but like I have heard many folks say it is a acquired taste. Still leaving it lay in the woods will provide food for other wild critters I guess too.

[Luke E.]

I didn't watch to much of this the other day when kahrman posted it but just sat down and watched more..... Did any of you guys watch long enough to see the guy start popping them with a crossbow? SKILLS!

[DaveS]

I didn't watch to much of this the other day when kahrman posted it but just sat down and watched more..... Did any of you guys watch long enough to see the guy start popping them with a crossbow? SKILLS!

I didn't watch it. Hitting them from a heli with a crossbow is in the "awesome" catagory!

 

Dave

[Luke E.]

I didn't watch it. Hitting them from a heli with a crossbow is in the "awesome" catagory!

 

Dave

 

 EXACTLY! I have watched so many helicopter hogs shoot videos and they always get me more an more excited to go try it out so I kinda quit looking at them. I watched them pop a couple real quick the other night but that was it.. Glad I revisited it and didn't miss out on the crossbow show.