Sierra Nevada Range/Deer being shot using Helicopter as aerial platform

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gvranchosbill

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Today:
Monday 02/06/2012 @ 09:00 Hrs Pacific

Rx Location:
East of Sierra Nevada Range near Lake Tahoe.

Hearing (1 Helicopter) and (1 Ground Radio) killing Multiple Deer from Helicopter using Rifle w/scope,
and airlifting them out, collecting the antlers.

Helicopter giving Lat & Long for each kill.

Frequency:
151.6250 mhz/csq. Air to Ground

No callsigns used.
Nicknames are being used.

Location of Operations:
Eastern Alpine County,CA? or Carson City,Douglas,Washoe Countys,NV.
Most likely Alpine County,CA

I can not find any information online about either Calif Dept of Fish & Game,Nevada Div of Wildlife,U.S.Fish & Wildlife,Forest Service or BLM.
doing any projects of this nature.

At 10:00 hrs:
Helicopter,Ground Units and Fuel truck moving to new area and made reference to "Collars"
This now maybe be Thinning (Killing) and Capture and Release (Radio Collars)?

Anybody know who or what?

Posting on Nevada Forum also.

gvranchosbill
 
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WX4JCW

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you might want to call and inquire just to be sure, but sounds like it
 

joen7xxx

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I would imagine this is an NDOW dart and collar operation. The company I work for funded a collaring program several years ago in NDOW Area 6 near Dunphy, Nevada. NDOW used helicopters with "muggers" Aussies who subdued the deer and installed radio collars for herd tracking. I am currently hearing helicopter operations with Aussie accents in the Ruby and Humboldt Mtns. I believe they are relocating Big Horned Sheep and Mtn. Goats. Listening on NDOW Main frequency.
 

SCPD

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I would imagine this is an NDOW dart and collar operation. The company I work for funded a collaring program several years ago in NDOW Area 6 near Dunphy, Nevada. NDOW used helicopters with "muggers" Aussies who subdued the deer and installed radio collars for herd tracking. I am currently hearing helicopter operations with Aussie accents in the Ruby and Humboldt Mtns. I believe they are relocating Big Horned Sheep and Mtn. Goats. Listening on NDOW Main frequency.

Since 151.625 is the most common nationwide itinerant business frequency in use, this is not likely a government operation. Federal governments are prohibited from using the business-industrial frequencies unless they have a written agreement from the licensee. I would guess this is a contractor working for ???? If a wildlife agency has a "surplus" of a game animal then a special hunt open to the public is set up. There have been "doe only" hunts at times that attempt to reduce the population by giving each buck less of an opportunity to impregnate does. It has been a long time since I've heard about such a hunt. Large mammal populations are in many areas, including the one you are in to some degree, are getting smaller. The largest factors in this are fragmented habitat, lack of migration corridors and the development of winter range for subdivisions. Loose dogs from those subdivisions and uncontrolled off highway vehicle use can be harassing or cause anxiety often resulting in miscarriages and/or failure to conceive.

The capturing and relocation of deer is something I've not heard about either. This method is more commonly used with elk and mountain bighorn sheep. This is usually done to reestablish populations to their historic range. Most deer habitat is already full or has been so effected that it can't support the population it has already.

Could this activity be to the east of you? This could be a BLM operation capturing wild horses, although last time I checked they don't have antlers. Periodically some of those mangy, range locust, feral animals have to be removed as their effects to ecosystems they are not native in can be severe. The removal and adoption program attempts to control their population. The wild horse is not native to North America since the Pleistocene Epoch ended about the same time the last ice age ended. All the ensuring ecosystems that evolved after the ice receded did so without wild horses. These horses are now disrupting native wildlife and putting pressure on sensitive species such as big horn sheep and some native songbirds who have a double whammy as a result of the incredible explosion and expanding range of the raven. Anyway, I would think what you are hearing is a "wild" horse roundup. They don't kill the animals and drugs are not used.

I would call the BLM first, then NDOW and if they don't know, then Cal Fish and Game.

I would like to hear more about this.
 
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gvranchosbill

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It did sound like they were selecting Does mostly as far as i could tell, but comms at times were either very strong or very weak.

They mentioned:
Fawns,Does, No bucks?, Antlers, Relocate,Collars, Helicopter spooking ? Sex deer into or over canyon face, "Karl" the ground radio.

Not being an expert in Helicopter identification, the noise in background sounded like the Hughes 369 or 500? Magnum P.I. lol

Today 151.625mhz was silent, as also NDOW, CDFG Primarys or Talk-Around/Tac Channels.

USFW uses NDOW Freqs in No.Nevada, im 95% sure on that statement.

Radio Traffic Example: "Reno U.S.491" (USF&W Unit) or "U.S.491 Reno" (NDOW Disp)

When operations are new to myself around this area i dedicate time to active searching of most obvious bands which is VHF Highband here in No.Nevada and Calif, searching UHF and Lowband though not expecting a result, and if nothing really found, then i will try 800 mhz Simplex Channels or search the EDACS System using AFS mode and searching fo unknown talk-groups, and last of all but not out the realm of possibles, searching i-den Direct Talk Using Rx All Codes (15) and switching channels (10) one at a time, to this date no other users found on Direct Talk, but i have used it around here and suprising from some locations 25 Miles from base of McClellan Pk to South Gardnerville and on flat terrain 15 miles in the open, about 3 miles between houses!

Well im sure that we agree that thinning,relocating with collars etc was what was going on even though i could not finfd any info online that wasnt from 3 years ago, with articles about these operations.

Thanks guys they have moved on somewhere else, but tomorrow something new will surely pop up.
 
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SCPD

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The two national wildlife refuges in the vicinity of Reno/Carson City area are not very close. Those refuges are the Stillwater and Fallon National Wildlife Refuges and both have their own radio systems. The Sheldon-Hart National Wildlife Refuge in far north Nevada has its own radio system as does the Ruby Lake NWR. I have confirmed frequencies for all of these. All use the federal government's 162 - 174 MHz band. In southern Nevada the Desert National Wildlife Refuge complex uses the same band, but I haven't been able to confirm the frequency.

The USFWS radio systems only cover the refuges. There might some simplex frequency use at ports (sea and air) where wildlife inspectors have a number of duties.

I still think you should call the NDOW or DFG and find out what the situation is.
 

SCPD

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Well im sure that we agree that thinning,relocating with collars etc was what was going on even though i could not finfd any info online that wasnt from 3 years ago, with articles about these operations.

I would agree with all except the "thinning." Intensive studies of deer herds involve the use of radio collars.

The "US" unit designator might be a USFWS employee or not. I've never come across good unit designator information for the USFWS with the exception of the Desert NWR Complex near Las Vegas. Refuge Officers there use the 6200 and 6300 series.
 

joen7xxx

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Use of the itinerant business frequencies just means that contract helicopters are being used. remember, the agencies seldom perform these tasks themselves without contract asistance be it horse / burro round up or large game tagging.
 

gvranchosbill

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Ive over the years several Logging Helicopters using the Intinerant 151.6250 mhz Freq csq and ctcss.

This was the first time ive heard rounding up animals on 151.6250 mhz.

Ive heard NDOW Helicopter on Repeater 151.4750 mhz/110.9 ctcss, but never heard them local doing any animal roundups.

Sounded like they were doing some locating of horses and counting them, however there were no comms other that telling dispatch their projected location (Re:pinenut Range) ,Lat/Long,Fuel stats Eta's etc).

I should try and find Radio Collar Freqs to see if i can hear anything where im at, since i could hear the ground Portable Radio during the ops a week ago or so.

Ive got a freq listed for NDOW as Wireless Microphone 171.xxxx mhz and several misc freqs in the 160.xxxx mhz band.

So what the heck, im going to try and find some transmissions.

There has been a lot of Data bursts on the MURS freqs and im aware of GPS info forwarded on MURS to handheld units (Dog Trackers) but this data only occurs at certain times of day mostly on MURS 3 & 4,
then sometimes all MURS 1/2/3/4/5 are sending data bursts and they are definently moving,

So if anybody is interested i will share info if i do find any new telm Freqs on the move.

Im not betting on it but you never know, if its not analog i may not hear anything.

gvranchosbill
 

gvranchosbill

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Did i record any comms?
That is Negative on all.

MURS is the only active current that i could record if i needed too.
The others ,such as the Helicopter, has left this area.
U.S.#4xx Units i dont hear much or at all this time of year.

This time of year i dont hear much on NDOW freqs/the U.S.#4xx Units seem to be on in the summer time.
Noticed a lot of traffic from them during Burning Man/Black Rock Desert.
Unknown if they were at Burning Man.

BLM Ranger Units i have heard not using their BLM Freqs and using other agencies channels still start their Transmissions with example to Douglas "Robert xxx" unknown what BLM Rangers are using for callsign lately, i have seen them around here from tome to time Driving White 4x4 Pick-Ups with "Ranger " on Fender in green letters over front wheel, BLM Logo on door and 1/4 wave VHF highband antenna.
I have read that they cover a lot of territory and it might be rare to see one.
 
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