Illinois..snow..deer

[StanFoster]

I got to treat myself to a flight after a nice turkey meal. This is the first snow I have flown over in my RAF. I was looking for deer and after an hour I found a whole herd. The last picture has a deer in it by my shadow.

Stan

[StanFoster]

more snowy shots

[StanFoster]

deer....a whole herd.....there was one big buck in this group that had a huge rack on him.

[GyroRon]

Now all you need is a big shotgun on the nose of that bird Stan!

All those pics of snow has me excited and yet dreading the snow we will likey get here later this winter... All wet and cold and soggy... Yuck! But it does make for something interesting to see and play in - I like to drive when the roads are crappy, like to slip and slid, drifting the truck around! When it is really bad here and before they scrape the roads, all the guys with Dirt Bikes and Atvs pull out their machines and drive them down public roads and the police don't seem to mind. Now that is alot of fun!

[bones]

I got frost bite just looking at the photos

[Brian Jackson]

Ya know, A guy and a red flying machine... reindeer... Christmas around the corner... Stan, you wouldn't own a red suit by some chance. Na, couldn't be. Or could it?

[Jazzenjohn]

What do we call you now

"Birdy" Foster Deer musterer....?

[StanFoster]

Some time ago I mentioned seeing deer and commented that they hardly look up. Birdy said I wasnt low enough.


Well....Birdy was right.

Also...in post #3....the deer at the very lower right is the buck. If you zoom in on him....he looks just like the deer that posed for the JOHN DEERE emblem....at the least its his brother. :D


Brian.....I never believed in flying deer....but believe me....they were off the ground.... :D

Also Brian....I am SANTA. My name STAN is just a cover. Just move the T in SANTA between the S and the A .......and you get STAN A

SANTA :D


Stan

[barnstorm2]

STanta, I want a certified engine for x-mas. Needs to be about 120-120 hp.

Thanks!

[thallett]

Stan, it sure looks like fun! And thanks for the pictures. After reading your post, my next stop was Aero-news Propwash. I was startled to learn that some states are "touchy" about this subject:
"Low-Flying Hunting Guide Pays Huge Fine
Kansas Doesn't Approve Of Airborne Deer Hunting

It's the biggest fine Kansas
has ever levied in a wildlife case -- $104,000 assessed to a
hunting guide who used planes to spot and hunt down deer."
I'm really NOT mentioning this to throw cold water on your mustering, but was startled by it. Keep up the good works.

[Harry_S.]

Stan:

I think you caught more deer in that one shot than we have in all of Central Florida.

A couple of those shots reminded me of Alaska...Brrrrr!!


Cheers :)

[Colin Gibson]

Stan
Here in New Zealand we still have the hunting of deer by hellicopter. Perhaps a lot less than about 15 years ago when the number of hellicopters per head off population was very high. Now there are herds of deer being farmed. These herds were established by capturing live deer by hellicopter and breading them in captivity. I have a couple of VHS videos I bought on the topic. The first is called. The Venison Hunters and the second The Last Greatest Adventure. Both are made by 'South Coast Productions' Which I expect is a New Zealand company.
You are welcome to borrow them if you can gaurantee their return.
I are curious about your pictures though. The Deer you located were out on wide open farm land with no apparent natural cover. Is there not mountains or forest near which they live in ? If you were to catch deer in the open here it would more likely be on the snow tops of mountains and definitly not flat like in your pictures. Our Hunter Pilots would have a fielday catching deer there.
Cheers from Colin Gibson

[Alan Coats]

Also Brian....I am SANTA. My name STAN is just a cover. Just move the T in SANTA between the S and the A .......and you get STAN A

SANTA :D


Stan

Think about it- no one has ever seen Stan and Santa in the same room at the same time! Maybe he is Santa!

Alan

[StanFoster]

Tinkering Tom: Hunting deer from an aircraft is a big no no. I refused to make more than one pass over this herd.


Colin: There are wooded areas and ditches every few miles. These deer just love to roam....they have a very nice life....lots of cornstalks to forage...and they know where the woods are of course. Here in Ford county...only 2% of the acreage is in woods.

Stan

[Ruidoso Ron]

Low-Flying Hunting Guide Pays Huge Fine

Kansas Doesn’t Approve Of Airborne Deer Hunting

It’s the biggest fine Kansas has ever levied in a wildlife case -- $104,000 assessed to a hunting guide who used planes to spot and hunt down deer.

Dwight Krebs, 51, of Scott City, not only has to pay the fine, but he’s now on three years’ probation and is banned from hunting or shooting.

Krebs was indicted last March, charged with illegally using an aircraft to harass or kill deer or geese, according to the US Attorney’s office. He pleaded guilty on August 3rd.

The investigation started two years ago when local hunters complained to the Kansas Department of Wildlife Protection.

"They called KDWP [Kansas Department of Wildlife Protection] and complained about a yellow airplane they thought was chasing deer," said US Fish and Wildlife Special Agent Kenny Kessler in an interview with the Wichita Eagle. "They referred the information to us, and we started a joint investigation."

Undercover agents booked hunts on Krebs’ ranch, which sits astride the Logan-Grove County line. They paid $2,500 -- the fee Krebs advertised on the Internet -- for a chance to shoot deer from above.

In addition to the aircraft-related charges, Krebs and his hired guide, Jim Jenkins were accused of illegally using radios and vehicles to hunt deer. Jenkins was also charged with putting a buck shot by one of the undercover agents on his own permit. Both were accused of illegally transporting game across state lines.

Jenkins had to give up his hunting rifle to wildlife authorities and must serve one months’ house arrest.

Agents confiscated Krebs’ 1993 Piper Super Cub. He paid $89,000 in Septemer to get it back. Tuesday, he paid $15,000 restitution.

"I'm glad it's all over,” Krebs told the Eagle after paying the final installment. “It's been a very expensive lesson and a very stressful time. I'm glad to finally put it all behind me and move on."

FMI: www.kdwp.state.ks.us
_________________
Bury power lines, not pilots.

[StanFoster]

Ron: The guy should have lost his plane. Rounding up wildlife from the air and then shooting from an aircraft? WOW..... :eek:

I think its unethical to just spot deer and radio their position.

The deer around here are actually getting to be a nuisance. Thats why the conservation department issues more and more hunting tags each year. I dont know how many vehicles have slammed into them within a mile of my house.

I love to hunt them....but only from a treestand with a bow..or a muzzleloader.



Stan

[Friendly]

Great shots, ok Birdy lets see some flying cow shots...

[Colin Gibson]

Stan
Hope you fellas are not to discusted that deer are hunted from the air here. They are an introduced species and their breeding got out of hand to the detriment of everything else. New Zealand has vast areas of forest and mountains where deer breed very well.
Colin

[StanFoster]

Colin: Some areas are so rampant with various wildlife...they need to be thinned out from the air. Of course here in Illinois...we have an abundant supply of hunters that keep the poplulations in check.


Stan

[Colin Gibson]

Stan
It must be real easy for the hunters with the terain so flat and open. I can see why to spice it up by hunting with a muzzel loader and give the deer somewhat of a sporting chance. I also hunt and have a .58cal Hawkin muzzel loader.
Colin

[StanFoster]

Colin: I hunt with a .58 caliber Zuave civil war musket. It is very accurate.

My box I use is a compound bow with a little over 310 feet per second.

Stan

[Colin Gibson]

Stan
Are you shooting ball or conical ? I use ball because I haven't a conical mould, but it still works well. My workmates are very much into hunting wild pigs which abound in the pine plantations here and are onto me all the time about when my gyro will be ready so they can go spotting pigs.
Colin

[StanFoster]

Colin: I use a patched roundball. 80 grains of 3f blackpowder.

Stan

[birdy]

Frakenell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!....................104 ,000 bucks for shoot'n some critters. :eek:

I suppose the same @(*&% judge let out some dickhead yesterday on a good behavour bond and a slap on the wrist for bash'n the crap outa some poor granny. :mad:

Unblivable? :(


"flying cow shots..."........................??????


Anyone got a 50 cal gattling gun I could mount on me gyro ,bout 50 rounds a second,so I can deal to these $#*&^ camels round ere???? ;)

The more I can drill on one tank of fuel the better. :p :D

[Victor Duarte]

Hey birdy, i was shure you'd like the idea ! i want one for my car ! :D
ju'st screw that M195 on you nose !

[Colin Gibson]

Birdy
You have wild camels there? Thats an unusual noxious animal.
Colin

[Colin Gibson]

Birdy
Afriend reckon it wouldn't be hard to mount a rocket launcher on the side of his Dominator. This came up after another friend was hollidaying in an area of known maruajuana growing. After the first day of secenic flights around the area they got a visit at the strip from an unsavoury charactor wanting to know what they were up too. The feeling was that if they didn't do it somewhere else something was going to happen to them.
Colin

[birdy]

"You have wild camels there?"

Hundreds of the basterds Colin. :mad:

A rocket lancher would be better,it wouldn't hav the recoil of a gattling gun.Reckon that recoil could have some adverse affects on the machine if the trigger was pressed for too long. :rolleyes:
How big a bang will the rocket make??
If I rounded bout 4/500 into a tight mob I could get the lot in one big bang. :p :D

[Victor Duarte]

Barday! you're a character ! i wonder why no one made a movie about you!!
"camel blast'n rocket launcher!" wot a crackup !
you better have a fireproof pants ! or camels gonna laugh a lot !
cheers

[birdy]

Hmmm............Good point,might just stick to throw'n BIG rocks.

[bones]

Birdy,
You didnt tell me about them camels, i is defentatly comin over now

[Colin Gibson]

Birdy
Depends on the size of the rocket. Maybe if they were tipped with depleted uranium you get a bigger bang. [Unsure] Would require some testing and experimentation I expect, but thats what we are all about flying experimental class.
If there are that many camels maybe there is a market somewhere and you could sell the salvagable meat too.
Cheers from Colin

[Victor Duarte]

Birdy !
put those lazy camels at work ! just teach them how to muster you cows, so you can rest in a fresh place.. lazy camels..
cheers :D

[stuart]

I enjoyed your photos Stan--thanks. stuart

[automan1223]

Thanks for the phots stan !

looks cold just from the photos. been cold and blowing here too but NO snow. No flying either.......

My 2 cents. Killing is not a sport. I have no respect for hunters or the way they "hunt". Using dogs, planes, 4x4s or radio beacons, gps or atv's. Every year the stupidity gets better and better. They have shot and killed my pet dog, destroyed a windshield, put holes in my roof, and just yesterday almost killed a good friend of mine fishing in the creek on his boat. and then you have 6 "hunters" are dead in wisconsin cause of some trigger happy nutcase. Now he has to make all of us other gun lovers look bad. I like to shoot, but how can you reach people who have no respect for life just to make a trophy hang on the wall ? Feeding your family is an entirely different story. I got one better for you guys. check out

http://rense.com/general60/sickoshuntingfordeer.htm

Jonathan

[Colin Gibson]

I agree the photos are excellent and I comend you Stan for making only one pass over these animals. I accept that in your location the terain is so flat and open and a abundance of hunters per game animal available which warants a strong preservation angle by the hunting fraternaty.
I deplore the blatent missuse of firearms as we see in the news so often.[ Makes you wonder how those people get their arms licenses ]
I dissagre with Jonathan regarding hunting aids.
The 4x4 is almost an esential item for getting the accomadation to the base camp in ruggard and out of the way areas and provides safety in evacuation should the weather deteriate as do ATVs.
The hunting dog [where I live ] is used for locating wild pigs in dense under growth. These animals are prolific breeders and their feeding habits are bad for the environment, often cause erosion and they can rarley be located without a hunting dog.
Radio beacons or Tracking collars [ as they are called here ] are used by the more enthusiastic hunter with the benefits of retreiving a valuable hunting dog. These dogs often chase animals long distances and become injured and lost themselves. This you would agree would be the humane thing to do.
A G.P.S. can be no bigger than a cell phone and if you are hunting in Forest on flat terain I believe would be an essential safety item that would go in the day pack with the portable first aid kit. Finding your way home in those cercumstances without one could be a big unecessary worry.
Hunting from an aircraft should only be done by consevation or government approved operators to protect the environment and control certain species that cannot be controled in any other way.
When I was in my teens and twentys I used to hunt deer, pigs, goats and opposums for a living. There was no sport involved. That was a few years ago and now I only hunt ocasionaly for some meat for the table.
I hope this helps you understand why hunters use the equipment you mention Jonathan.
Colin

[StanFoster]

Colin: I made only one pass over that herd of deer because that does not constitute "harassment" . Harassment has the word continual in its defination. So....one pass is not continual. :D

I looked back on climb out and the deer only ran a couple hundred yards.
They are maginificent animals and I love to hunt them...but I never shoot anything I dont consume.

It is sad that there are the trophy hunters...and the one out hunting just so they can say they got one....then they try to give it away. That takes the sport out of it real quick.

Stan

[Colin Gibson]

Stan
You have to admit, the gyrocopter is an excelent aircraft for low level scenic flying and what better than to see animals in the wild and get close to them.
You keep posting those pictures as I enjoy seeing the place where you live and fly.
Colin

[birdy]

"Killing is not a sport."

I agree.
But sometimes its a nessesity,wether its for conservation,population management, food or self preservation.
I don't git ant joy from shoot'n anything that don't deserve it,but I do feel relief when I nail something thats been giv'n me the sh*ts for any of the reasons above.

And yes,the gyro is a good platform to do it from,but I won't go into the reasons why coz anybody that'd dissagree is obviosly insulated from the REAL world.

[StanFoster]

Colin: Believe me...I could post a lot more pictures than I do. I know others fly and I dont want to hog the forum...so...most stay in my camera.

Stan

[donshoebridge]

Colin: I made only one pass...

This reminds me of a story a frind of mine told.

Early '80's, southern Arizona. This friend of mine was in the USAF, stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB. DMAFB trains A-10 pilots, and this friend worked on the radio equipment. Most of his time was spent sitting in the AGS (Aircraft Generation Squadron) building listening to the pilots on the radio while they were on their training flights. A very large part of south-western Arizona is bomb range, specifically, the 250,000,000 acre Barry Goldwater Bomb Range. Mule deer are pretty thick in that area, as well as illegal immigrants that hop the border.

Well, one day, this friend of mine was listening to 2 pilots and the radio traffic went kind of like this...

#1: Do you see that?

#2: Roger! Sure do.

#1: I'm in hot.
(pause)
#1: 1's clear.

#2: 2's in hot.
(pause)
#2: 2's clear.

#1: How many did I get on the pass?

If you haven't figured it out, these guys were strafing a herd of Mule deer with their 30mm GAU-8 Avenger cannon. They were only shooting practice rounds, but still, the GAU-8 fires at 47 rounds per second (high mode), and even the practice round weighs in at over a pound, and has a muzzle velocity of about 3800 FPS. Even if they didn't score a direct hit, secondary missiles such as rocks and pieces of aluminum would have killed the deer in wholesale quantities.

Birdy, you mentioned the recoil of a gun being a problem, so rockets might be a better choice for the camels. The A-10 must be in 30-degree nose down attitude with at least 70% power before he fires his gun, or else the aircraft will stall. Rockets would be the safer choice.

[Colin Gibson]

Hey Birdy,
Looks like the gattling is out unless you want to end up doing about 50 knots backwards every time you hit the trigger.
Colin

[StanFoster]

Found some more pictures in my camera from that snow covered Thanksgiving day flight.

Stan

[Colin Gibson]

Stan
Great shots Stan and I liked the way you stopped the rotor for the shadow shot over the field without falling out of the sky. The lake looks almost man made or is that a natural feature ?
The countryside there looks a lot like our Canterbury plains which in the southern regions get snow during the winter months. There you might find deer on the wide braided rivers that flow off the mountains of the Southern Alps. One river you cross has a bridge several miles long.
Colin

[asmuzsr]

More, more I love the snow pics. How about some over the airport?

Tony

[birdy]

I don't like the snow pix Stan,they give me the shivers,especially when its git'n upto 120f here.

[StanFoster]

Tony:

The first picture is departing 18 at Paxton International Airport.

The second picture is in the pattern.

The third picture was taken over my right shoulder out the back window. You can see my Sportcopter blade doing its job...and you can see Paxton International Airport.

Paxton has four ultralights....Cherokee 140...Cessna 120...Piper Colt....Cessna 182...Cessna 172..Cessna 172... and my RAF2000.

Stan

[asmuzsr]

Ive only gotten to fly over snow covered ground twice and it was beautiful. I'm afraid I don't want to live in it anymore, been in Florida since 83, blood's to thin. I could visit though.

Tony