Helicopters on the Vernon Range

[hilltophunter]

My parents were camping on the Vernon Range this past week so my wife and I drove out to spend the day with them. There were two seperate helicopters during that day flying very low buzzing the canyons. One looked like a green Vietnam era helicopter with a medic symbol on the side. The second helicopter looked a little newer and was black. Neither of these helicopters had numbering on them which I believe is required for all aircraft.

My father had a Vernon rifle tag in 2011 and as soon as the black helicopter flew over us at 150 feet he said that the same one had buzzed the canyon he was hunting in opening morning.

Does anyone on here have an idea who these people are? I'm assuming either guides trying to locate bucks or animal activists that are trying to scare deer on opening day hunting areas.

Either way its pretty messed up to buzz canyons at first light on opening day hunting. Also it doesn't appear they are properly marked with numbers.

 

[Foreman4x4]

Military trains on that range all the time and there's also cell towers that get serviced by helicopter.

 

[Downrange]

I was out there Thursday and Friday and seen the same thing. helicopter buzzing low up the cherry creek road. Watched it with my binocs I was in harker canyon.
I couldn't figure out what the hell they were doing..

 

[HayZeus]

They could be looking for grow sites for weed. More wasted money from the "War on Drugs".

 

[elkassassin]

JUDAS PRIEST!

PUNK has a High Dollar Client/Hunter coming up very soon on the Vernon!

And Remember:

For some Reason,His Identification Numbers are on Top of His Copter!

 

[elkassassin]

That Sshhitt Cracks Me up every time I see the Pic!

 

[littlebighorn]

The military has been using that range for decades to conduct training. The federal government has no interest in whether or not there is a hunt going on below. They just want their pilots ready for combat.
I had a tag several years ago and got buzzed by F16s a couple of times. Part of the price of freedom.

 

[GLEDEASY]

Last year opening morning of the elk hunt we were coming in to a big heard. Then at first light a plane comes flying right over top of them at 1-200 feet above which pushed them away. I was a little frustrated trying to figure out what he was doing. Come to find out he was re-seeding the area. Why they had to do it opening morning I don't know, but guess they had to do it sometime.

As someone suggested perhaps it's a military drill. Hope you figure it out for your curiosity.

 

[hornhunter247]

Sounds like Obama's back at it again


I just call em as I see em!

 

[DeerMadness]

I drove that road from Nephi to the Chemical Depot for 5 years. A few times I had to save time and took Chimney Rock Pass which saved 20 mins on my drive.
Well, those are military choppers ! I have seen them chasing Antelope herds and it really chapped my arse. The poor antelope were running for miles.

 

[BLooDTRaCKeR]

BACK WHEN I USED TO HUNT THE BOARDER OF DESERET......

 

[Birdman]

7th, Was that pilot flying a helicopter or a fixed wing?

 

[Utah400Elk]

It could be a Texas Taxidermist looking for lost deer hides? Maybe one helicopter is for him and gear and the other is for the lost deer hides?

 

[Birdman]

7th, are you sure someone wasn't pulling your leg? The DWR does not own any choppers. They do have fixed wing that they use for counts and for planting fish in odd places. The feds may have choppers but the DWR does not. What region are you referring to when you say region 4. Would that be the central region?

 

[NeMont]

Birdman,

Region 4 in Montana.

Nemont

 

[Tristate]

You don't think your deer hide is worth that much do you? Don't kid yourself Utah400. Your hide never gets lost. We take your deposit and sell your cape to the Asian drug market. Yeah that stuff is real valuable. By the time you figure out you're never getting a mount we are gone to the next town. Its a double dip profit with almost no overhead. Its a genius scam. How else do you think I can afford this lifestyle, with helicopters, you wish you had. Me and Randy don't think about people like you when we fly around over you to get to the best hunting spots.

 

[slamdunk]

>BTW I did NOT know this
>was a F&G chopper when
>I called it in,I thought
>it was the outfitters that
>lease the private next to
>the public,they are well known
>for herding game with a
>small plane to keep it
>on their lease.When the head
>of the region 4 office
>called me back to tell
>me it was a F&G
>chopper and he was going
>to take care of it
>personally it about blew me
>away!

Oh brother, here we go again......

 

[heartshot]

Military aircraft still have to have tail numbers. Did you get any pictures?

 

[Birdman]

Sorry 7th, I thought that this article was about the Vernon in Utah. I was talking about the Utah DWR.

 

[Kevin D]

>7th, are you sure
>someone wasn't pulling your leg?
> The DWR does not
>own any choppers.

True, but the DWR leases helicopters on a regular basis. A good friend is a biologist in the Central Region and often draws the assignment of doing the aerial surveys because he doesn't get air sick. The UHP helicopter is the one they primarily use, but they also lease from private companies when the UHP helicopter is unavailable to them. Fixed wing aircraft don't do as well as helicopters doing aerial surveys in steep, mountainous terrain.

 

[hilltophunter]

These helicopters were definately "NOT" military. The one with a medic symbol on it was probably from the Vietnam era. The black one is newer but not military either. Also, Dugway proving ground has more area to fly than they even need so I doubt they are flying Southeast to find areas to practice. There are plenty of mountain ranges to the West and Southwest for them to use for that purpose that are away from people. I've seen the fighter jets out near the Deep Creeks before but nothing near Vernon.
I've been on the top of the Oquirrh range and had military helicopters buz over me a few times while I've been on a low saddle and believe me these two out on the Vernon range aren't even close to being owned by the military. The military ones just fly over and keep going. These two at vernon are buzzing around the canyons searching for something.

If they were looking for pot I would think the middle of the day would be the best time to look. Not the last hour of light.

Hopefully someone knows what these things are doing out there. Its pretty lame if you ask me.

 

[Utah400Elk]

I have worked on numerous marijuana eradications when I was a cop in Utah. It is best to fly in the morning. Unfortunately there are a lot more of them than most people think.

 

[utarchery]

thay are spraying for square rose nap weed

 

[hilltophunter]

so these helicopters are spraying nap weeds at first light on the opening morning of the rifle deer hunt?? Highly doubt it. And they would most likely use a plane for that. Also, these helicopters didn't look set up to spray anything other than bullets from a customers rifle. (in my opinion).

How do you know they are spraying for nap weeds? if so why don't they have identifying numbers on their aircraft? also it is usually best to spray weeds in the late morning hours to be most effective so why are they flying the canyons at night fall?

 

[HayZeus]

Most labels on chemicals used to spray weeds dont allow any spraying when temps. are above 80 or so degrees. Temps are usually getting up that high towards the late morning hours.

 

[elkassassin]

So?

You Guys think PUNK is Sprayin Weeds Huh?

LMMFAO!


Founder just Banned My Signature!
Hang in there!
I'm working on another one!

 

[rotorhead]

Tail numbers come in all sizes. They don't have to be a certain size. Also the military goes and flies where ever they want. I have personally seen f-16's a 100 feet off the water cruising the main channel of lake Powell.

 

[utarchery]

I talked to a few guys a week ago or so working for tooele county shortly after a chopper took off in the late morning hours and that's what I was told. They said they've been spraying for a couple years

 

[wstrntines]

Had a tag in 09 on this very day saw the same exact thing you're talking about chopper flew right up behind me.