Helicopter Hunting for Varmints

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dennishoddy

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I was at Kaw lake today sand bass fishing, when a helicopter came over with a guy hanging out the door with what looked like a gun. I know the ODW does fly-overs for pigs on Kaw, and have been very successful keeping the population somewhat in check.
Later on the way home, the same chopper was 5 miles west of the Corps land, flying up a wooded ravine, and made a turn while swooping down on something. Couldn't see if they shot anything or even fired a gun, but I wondered if they had permission to hunt that land if they did, and have no idea what the laws are for people in helicopters to shoot pigs or coyotes from the air.
Do they require landowner permission even though they are not touching the actual property?
I remember years ago hunting an area just east of I35 for pheasant and we ran across several dead coyotes. Next section North, several more. Talked to the landowner and he said the USDA or somebody did a helicopter flyover in the area to kill coyotes and acted like its no big deal. I'm sure the landowner was glad to get rid of them, and I'm no way saying getting rid of hogs or coyotes would be a bad thing.
Just curious what the law is about that as a landowner.
 

CBarCRanch

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Can't speak for the Dept of Ag funded heli hunt operations.
Private heli hunts require written permission for all the lands hunted over, and notification of the landowner AND Department of Ag 24 hours in advance. Shotgun with buckshot is the only approved firearm.

The Department of Ag will do depredation hunting from helicopter on private lands if a landowner has a problem and requests assistance.
 

retrieverman

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Someone said that buying a helicopter is the fastest way to turn a billionare into a millionare...
:drunk2:

A local (Center, TX) billionaire turned him and his wife into corpses on a Valentine date in their helicopter. He had a Bell B425 and crashed it into a lake at (supposedly) 178 mph. Sad deal.

I wouldn't appreciate someone hunting my place from a helicopter without my prior knowledge and permission.
 

ElkStalkR

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You must obtain permission from the land owner to aerial hunt his property.

The dept of ag requires the landowner to sign a cooperator contract before a government employee can do ANY work on their property. This includes aerial gunning.

Most of the time aerial gunning isn't worth the hassle unless one landowner has a large parcel to hunt, or you get enough landowners rounded up in a contiguous piece to make it worth it. Which can often be hard to do.
 

Okie4Life

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Assuming they left the dead animals, it wouldnt be any different if I owned an adjoining property and starting shooting deer over the fence on someones else feeder, and leaving them. Thoughts?
 

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