[GSLHonker]

I always thought that scouting for big game from the air was illeagal. While elk hunting on Friday I came across a big bull elk in a meadow with 5 or 6 cows. This black helicopter that was flying all over the place just above the tree tops comes by while this bull is in the meadow the helicopter circles the meadow until the elk go into the trees. I tried to see if I could see some ID numbers but I couldnt. On my way out I saw two guys hiking in. When I got back to my atv there was a guy sitting in his truck and asked me if I had seen the 380-400 class bull that was running around in the area. This was after he ask me what I was doing in the area, and how long I planned on being there. He was a total A$$ I plan on calling the DWR on monday to report what I saw. The whole deal pi$$ed me off !

 

[RTMC]

I was gonna asks if it was in the Uintas, but then you said 380-400 class bull so I knew better.

 

[wileywapati]

Did any of these people have MULLETTS???

 

[ridgetops]

There's a timeline on when you can fly over big game. Something like a week before and after the hunting season in that area.

 

[Bears Butt]

48 hours before and 48 hours after a hunt begins/ends is the timeline via the proclamation. It also states you can not hover, circle etc. and they are in clear violation of that. That helicopter and it's crew and passengers needs to be grounded and fines imposed. Too bad you didn't get some I.D. on the aircraft!

As the the A** in the truck. To HE** with him! If you are hunting public ground and have a tag...go in and get the big bull! It sure doesn't belong to the truck hunter and his mullet head!

 

[GSLHonker]

It was a day before the LE elk hunt started I was in the area trying to fill my archery elk tag, just looking for a cow. Probably a honest mistake that they didnt have ID #s on the aircraft :roll:

 

[archery]

They were in violation of the law. if they were indeed scouting, they had to do it prior to 48 hours prior, and wait till 48 hours after it closes. as stated in earlier post. they are not allowed to hover or circle or in any way harrass the animals and this seems as if they did. depending on the area they were likely in. they were probly in airspace that is 500' minimum from the ground, sounds like they were well below that. The n-numbers, can be down to 3" tall and can be hard to see sometimes. too bad you weren't able to read them. the penalties would be stiff for them. As a pilot i understand how fun it is to fly an area and view wildlife, however it is not hard to stay legal if desired. at least you got to watch the elk for a bit before they screwed it up.

 

[Oneshotonekill]

For what its worth, I have been hearing reports about the division relocating animals via helicopter for the last few weeks.

My dad lives in Beaver and for the last couple of days 3 or 4 helicopters have been removing animals (appears to be Mountain Goats and maybe Elk) from the ranges east of Beaver.

Apparently people are major mad in Beaver because this is being doen during some hunts and just before the general hunts and the animals are being scattered. :shock:

 

[Red-Grouse]

I would bet the DWR is hoisting the animals out of there and selling them on the black market to Colorado!!! :roll:

 

[Oneshotonekill]

My dad lives in Beaver and for the last couple of days 3 or 4 helicopters have been removing animals (appears to be Mountain Goats and maybe Elk) from the ranges east of Beaver.

A couple of weeks ago, the DWR used helicopters to capture about 40 mountain goats near Mount Holly in the Tushars east of Beaver. The herd size there was over management objectives, so they moved about half of them to Loafer Mtn. near Spanish Fork and shipped the rest to the Haines Creek drainage near Salmon, Idaho. No elk were touched, and the whole operation was completed in two or three days.

That answers it. Thanks for clearing that up Petersen!