Finally booked a date for the helicopter hog hunt my wife bought me awhile ago. Feb. 1st weekend I head down to Texas, take a one day training course and then head out to 'thin the herd' so to speak! Fun for the whole family and I can't wait. 
Jaydog goes culling: aPORKalypse from the air!
- Thread starter jaydog
- Start date
Lead them from back to front(you're going faster than them), watch your FOF when banking(don't shoot the rotor), and make sure the rounds go in the chopper or straight down and out(slicks fly poorly when empty hulls get into the tail rotor). Oh... and aim lower than you think.
I can't imagine having a 'bad time', that's for sure! 
I'm interested in the 'aim low' advice though. I've shot lots and I've worked in helicopters lots but never the two together- hence my choosing an operation that holds a training course first. Listen, practice, act.....
I'm interested in the 'aim low' advice though. I've shot lots and I've worked in helicopters lots but never the two together- hence my choosing an operation that holds a training course first. Listen, practice, act.....
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I watched a helicopter hog hunt that Greg Rodruguez put on in texas. Looked like as much fun as you could have with your pants on.
The process is actually dirt simple. In my case it was: marry the right woman, have her buy you a hunt with Vertex Aviation out of Houston, dance like a schoolgirl when you get your present, book a flight. I still have to buy a Texas hunting licence, do some paperwork and all that, but really they hold your hand through the whole process.
They supply all guns and ammunition. Part of it is knowing what is going on in their helicopters for safety reasons. Part of it is making money. My bolt action .270 will kill hogs no problem but would be a super bugger to operate while hanging out the door of a helicopter.
They run Battle Rifle Company BR-4 and BR-15 rifles if that means anything to you. I'm far from a Fudd but am black rifle clueless. Its actually part of the thrill of this hunt since I have wanted to take a NR black rifle out hunting the last few falls but couldn't justify buying one and don't know anyone to borrow from.
So despite getting a call the day before my hunt that the chopper 'had some issues' and having to cancell flights, hotels etc. Its all back on and I take off Friday for a weekend of fun! As a peace offering for the costs with cancelling they offered extra flight time or a night hunt. I'm thinking that a chance to get out with FLIR scope and bang away is something that I'm not likely to do anytime soon so I'm pushing for the night hunt.
The whole cull thing isn't everyone's cup of tea, but its a unique experience and right in line with my life goals: as many different species in as many different locations with as many different techniques as I can. That and the conservationist in me has a tiny hate on for ferals......
As a peace offering for the costs with cancelling they offered extra flight time or a night hunt. I'm thinking that a chance to get out with FLIR scope and bang away is something that I'm not likely to do anytime soon so I'm pushing for the night hunt. The whole cull thing isn't everyone's cup of tea, but its a unique experience and right in line with my life goals: as many different species in as many different locations with as many different techniques as I can. That and the conservationist in me has a tiny hate on for ferals......
Is that just a night hunt, or a night hunt from a chopper? Cause that has both Texas and awesome written all over it.
I've watched a couple of the night vision cull hunts, looks interesting, definitely not something you're going to get to try around my neck of the woods anyway.
I've watched a couple of the night vision cull hunts, looks interesting, definitely not something you're going to get to try around my neck of the woods anyway.
The night hunt is on foot. Night hunting from a helicopter would be a whole level of crazy I can't imagine! I've used night scopes for work but am quite excited at the thought of trying a FLIR for the first time.
I've got and used a GOPRO many times but after my last trip to Hawaii and losing the video of the such an excellent hunt due to a silly button push I'm a bit sour. This company makes each customer a video though so that should be fun and worth posting here for kicks.
I've got and used a GOPRO many times but after my last trip to Hawaii and losing the video of the such an excellent hunt due to a silly button push I'm a bit sour. This company makes each customer a video though so that should be fun and worth posting here for kicks.
BAD NEWS- got a call from the owner this morning and his new helicopter is arriving next Tuesday, not this Thursday and so he needed to rebook me.... for the second time.
He was super apologetic and has been great about offering compensation for my hassle (especially since both situations were beyond his control) but due to some personal circumstances its now looking like August/September will be my next free time. What a mess! Talk about all pumped up and no where to go.....
atr- As of today they want $2340 for a hunt package, my price is a bit different for a few reasons.
He was super apologetic and has been great about offering compensation for my hassle (especially since both situations were beyond his control) but due to some personal circumstances its now looking like August/September will be my next free time. What a mess! Talk about all pumped up and no where to go.....
atr- As of today they want $2340 for a hunt package, my price is a bit different for a few reasons.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Neat stuff look forward to hearing what you think. Overseas I've shot from the air and it is far harder than you'd think if you have any height and you're moving, lagging targets is a strange adjustment to make. Rapid volumes of fire were not helpful I found, well aimed, well timed shots like any hunting still the order of the day. If you're in thick bush, like the jungle I did this work over, you are in for an extreme challenge as most angles will be near vertical and that's an awkward position to fire from. Don't shoot the skid in your target fixation, I'm a fling wing pilot myself and even found myself having to push that into my mind!
Neat stuff look forward to hearing what you think. Overseas I've shot from the air and it is far harder than you'd think if you have any height and you're moving, lagging targets is a strange adjustment to make. Rapid volumes of fire were not helpful I found, well aimed, well timed shots like any hunting still the order of the day. If you're in thick bush, like the jungle I did this work over, you are in for an extreme challenge as most angles will be near vertical and that's an awkward position to fire from. Don't shoot the skid in your target fixation, I'm a fling wing pilot myself and even found myself having to push that into my mind!
This is the kind of advice I count on CGN for.
It will be all kinds of fun for sure, the scheduling (and rescheduling!!) is just sucking the joy out of it right now.
jaydog , thanks for answering with the price . Can you add a few more details ? Is there a limit ? How many can you shoot ? Do you get a couple of hours up in the helo ? Do you have to take any meat ? I saw a youtube vid on this and it reminded me of the door gunner in .... Full Meat Jacket ? Get some , get some , get some . I'm green with envy .
That sounds like all kinds of fun that I could never explain to most people that I know
Its the sort of thing that if they don't "get it" on their own then it can't be explained to them either.
