Helicopter Capture Compilation

[theat]

These are the videos I want to see and completely understand why you aren't doing that job anymore

As to not gunning and mugging anymore...despite how fun it looks on the screen it is a tough job. It was pretty much everyday for 4 months with no real scheduled days off. We did get some non capture days due to travel, maintenance and weather, but we still had work to do on those days.

It was very physically demanding. Wrestling and hobbling pissed off animals that think you are trying to eat them can be tricky. Lots of jumping off of helicopters and running in snow covered terrain causing ankle, knee, and back issues.

It could be pretty mentally challenging too. It was always cold in the helicopter with the doors off, but those mornings where it was zero or below were brutal. Inevitably, those were the days that started off with a animal not getting caught well and running off into tall brush or trees where the helicopter couldn't follow. That often meant me running my ass off in my heavy carhartt bibs and jacket building up a massive sweat. By the time I was done working up the animal and ready to hop back into the hurricane that was the backseat of the helicopter, I was usually already getting cold. Dealing with the hot/cold cycle all day was only slightly more frustrating that trying to untangle a stick and thorn filled net off of an animal that goes into a kicking fit every time I was making progress.

 

[tjones]

Very cool, thanks for sharing.

 

[theat]

I did helicopter surveys one time and called it good. Nothing weird or bad happened on that flight but shortly after it I moved to an area with vastly different habitat, terrain and with more history of bad helicopter experiences. People that fly a lot and for capture work are doing stuff I want nothing to do with

The first thing I ever did in the business was tow a crashed helicopter from MT down to CO. Not the most confidence boosting way to start off. If I was smart, I would have quit right then. In actuality, I am very glad that I had the opportunity to do what I did and be a small part of wildlife conservation.

 

[Bigjay73]

Does it make regular hunting less interesting? That is insanely awesome!

 

[MTTW]

@theat, you post the most interesting videos that I ever see. Good stuff.

 

[tormenter]

There is a reason they get hazard pay. We had a close family friend lose his son a few ago's in a helicopter crash doing this job. Kinda choking up thinking about it. It would have been my dream job also until this happened and a few weeks earlier I was trying to get my son a job with him.

Sorry if this is buzz kill, but I needed to get it off my chest after reading the comments.

 

[Mallardsx2]

I flew around in a 500D every day for about 4 months. Awesome machines.

Thank you so much for sharing your footage!

 

[mtmuley]

I don't usually watch video links. Glad I did this time. Spectacular. mtmuley

 

[HappyCamper]

Flight skills are unreal. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Dougfirtree]

Thanks for posting. Super impressive!

 

[JMG]

Cool stuff … right there. I suppose you find the ride on Space Mountain (at Disney) boring. Not too many people can say they did catch and release with a trophy bull elk, mtn. goat, buck mule deer, etc.

Thanks for posting.

 

[Bambistew]

There were many times where we had to push something out of the timber and into a small opening. The pilot then had to time it right so that for a split second the animal and the gunner were both lined up before pulling up and missing the trees on the other side of the clearing. Had a few times while I was onboard where tree tops scraped some paint off the skids and belly.

Is that a reportable event? I've been in a cub that scraped the tree tops with the tires, no one wanted to do that again. Helos scare me way more for some reason. I haven't' flown in one that much, maybe a dozen times, but I couldn't imagine flying like that. I've done recon out of one, flying really low up stream valleys looking for mineral seeps and the hovering and turning in a circle, and back tracking gets me every time. It worse than seasickness, and I learned after the first trip, to skip breakfast, and also drinking the night before on any flyout trip.

 

[MT_elk]

Wow. Thanks for sharing. Absolutely incredible.

 

[theat]

Is that a reportable event? I've been in a cub that scraped the tree tops with the tires, no one wanted to do that again. Helos scare me way more for some reason. I haven't' flown in one that much, maybe a dozen times, but I couldn't imagine flying like that. I've done recon out of one, flying really low up stream valleys looking for mineral seeps and the hovering and turning in a circle, and back tracking gets me every time. It worse than seasickness, and I learned after the first trip, to skip breakfast, and also drinking the night before on any flyout trip.

Ugh, don't remind me! I've only gotten seasick once and it was while below deck in some crazy irregular swells, but the first couple days every year in the helicopter was torture. Those days would be spend puking out the door or next to a deer I was working on until I was dry heaving. Best ab workout ever! Im sure some of those deer were very confused why an alien would swoop down out of the sky just to puke on them. I seriously considered quitting every year by the end of the first day, but thankfully my body would acclimate to the extreme gyrations and I would be fine for the rest of the winter.

 

[Hem]

Ugh, don't remind me! Iv'e only gotten seasick once and it was while below deck in some crazy irregular swells, but the first couple days every year in the helicopter was torture. Those days would be spend puking out the door or next to a deer I was working on until I was dry heaving. Best ab workout ever! Im sure some of those deer were very confused why an alien would swoop down out of the sky just to puke on them. I seriously considered quitting every year by the end of the first day, but thankfully my body would acclimate to the extreme gyrations and I would be fine for the rest of the winter.

Thanks for sharing @theat
Your pilots were amazing. I'm sure you were wearing a harness, but I kept thinking how easy it would be to get tossed out anyway, since you have to lean forward to shoot the net.
Pretty ballsy chit.

 

[Nicoli7153]

So pray tell what does one do for excitement after that????

Really spectacular!

 

[andrew11]

Thanks for sharing @theat. Always enjoy your gopro videos!! Was that you jumping onto the mountain goats back?
That had to be pretty intense!!

 

[EYJONAS!]

That stuff is incredible thanks for sharing @theat.

How'd you get into something like that? I'm sure you've covered it but it's not everyday you see a job opening like that on Indeed.

 

[Straight Arrow]

theat, when you applied for that job ... you must have rolled in with gonads in a wheelbarrow!

Thanks for sharing. It takes me back to Vietnam, low level down the rivers through the trees and skimming over the waves of South China Sea at two feet awl (above wave level).
Reminds me of crew chief and gunner standing on Huey skids as aircraft skimmed over rice paddy so they could catch ducks and trade them to Mommasan for noodles dish.

That was exciting flying, but nothing like netting wildlife from a twisting and veering aircraft! Your pilot was obviously a great "stickman"! You done good!

 

[JohnCushman]

Holy $hit, Travis!!!!