I had an amazing opportunity with a rancher friend of mine who invited me to help him with some predator control and go shoot coyotes from a helicopter.....i of course jumped at the chance! I'm not sure I've ever done anything more fun! Took a few rounds on the first one to establish the right lead but after that it was game on. Was using a benneli semi auto 12 gauge with #4 buck shot. We ended up getting 18 in a little over 2hours of flight time. It was amazing to me after seeing some of the areas we busted coyotes out of to realize how little cover they need to hide and how close they were hanging to some of the ranch houses. It was seriously more fun than should be allowed! I think I could get used to being a door gunner..... :twisted:
Helicopter coyote hunt
- Thread starter shoots_5
- Start date
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,502
- 6,506
That would be outrageous! Where do I sign up? 
6mm Remington
Ammo Smith
- Feb 27, 2006
- 5,271
- 693
One word, jealous! :grin:
- Thread starter
- #5
If I ever get to go again (which I sincerely hope I will) I need to find a goPro camera or 2 to mount up on the gun or helicopter or both! That pilot does some fun stuff with the helicopter when the dogs start zig zagging around trying to escape the strange death creature flying above them!
I split the flight time with another shooter and while they were flying they found a very big 4x4 mule deer buck bedded down with 2 coyotes sitting not far from him watching him. After taking care of the 2 coyotes they looked back at the buck trotting away and got to see him lose one of his antlers....pretty cool deal.
There are some pretty good videos of others doing the same thing if you search coyote helicopter hunt on youtube. It's a pretty good deal for the ranchers in the area. County pays half of the flight time and the rancher pays the other half. Part of a subsidized predator depredation deal.
I split the flight time with another shooter and while they were flying they found a very big 4x4 mule deer buck bedded down with 2 coyotes sitting not far from him watching him. After taking care of the 2 coyotes they looked back at the buck trotting away and got to see him lose one of his antlers....pretty cool deal.
There are some pretty good videos of others doing the same thing if you search coyote helicopter hunt on youtube. It's a pretty good deal for the ranchers in the area. County pays half of the flight time and the rancher pays the other half. Part of a subsidized predator depredation deal.
- Nov 4, 2004
- 25,459
- 9,292
Oh man, that would be a blast.
Thanks for sharing the pictures and story.
JD338
Thanks for sharing the pictures and story.
JD338
Micky80
Beginner
- Jun 14, 2014
- 42
- 0
I have flown several times as a gunner for hogs and coyotes. It is the most fun that I have ever had with a gun. I have a couple of videos that were hastily put together.
http://youtu.be/ONhoLJqmuFM
14 year old boy blasting hogs and coyotes
http://youtu.be/_yXa2_ZsdYQ
http://youtu.be/ONhoLJqmuFM
14 year old boy blasting hogs and coyotes
http://youtu.be/_yXa2_ZsdYQ
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,502
- 6,506
Those hogs and dogs sure do turn on the afterburners. Great sport. The size of a couple of those sounders is pretty impressive.
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,836
- 6,312
Not my thing, but it sure is effective, and I'm glad you had fun!
Have recently acquired permission from a landowner in Ok to hunt his 3k acre ranch.
Turns out he makes the majority of his living flying a helicopter doing controlled burns and aerial spraying.
He also has numerous landowners paying him to fly their property and eliminate the hogs.
Here in the next few weeks we're going on a hunt with him.
His advice, a 12 ga shotgun and OO buck.
In two days last week he and a couple of his hands killed 340 hogs in the area around Clarksville, Tx.
Turns out he makes the majority of his living flying a helicopter doing controlled burns and aerial spraying.
He also has numerous landowners paying him to fly their property and eliminate the hogs.
Here in the next few weeks we're going on a hunt with him.
His advice, a 12 ga shotgun and OO buck.
In two days last week he and a couple of his hands killed 340 hogs in the area around Clarksville, Tx.
- Thread starter
- #12
Holy smokes! That's a lot of trigger time! Ya I would think OO buck would work well for hogs. I used the #4 buck shot for coyotes. A few more projectiles to throw at them. Seemed to work real well on the dogs out here. You'll have to let us know how it went if you get to go! You won't regret it.....
It's looks exciting, I have seen several videos and it looks like great fun. However after having spent hundreds of hours of flight time in helicopters, with a couple of close calls, while directing fire suppression efforts, I had to promise my wife that I would fly "only when necessary". I don't believe this sport would meet that criteria. I still think it looks like great fun.!!!!!
shoots_5":2lsy5byr said:
Roger that. We're planning on taking a Go Pro camera and videoing the whole thing.
After patterning some buckshot out of my Benelli last weekend I may take an AR 15 instead, not sure
Elkman":2lsy5byr said:
My wife isn't real thrilled either.
I was a Huey helo crew chief in the Army in my younger days and have spent several hundred hours in the air myself. Looking forward to the smell of burnt JP5 as we'll be in a Bell LongRanger
Micky80
Beginner
- Jun 14, 2014
- 42
- 0
I have shot 100s of hogs from a helicopter with an AR. That is my firearm of choice for the application. A red dot or holographic sight makes a BIG difference over open sights. I would not use magnified optics. Quick target acquisition with a moving target and moving shooting platform makes it near impossible with magnification.HTDUCK":38i91s1n said:
Now, it is a different story with coyotes and piglets. Shotguns seem to be the way to go for these critters. Coyotes dart around like crazy. When we are after coyotes, we usually try to approach from behind them to, hopefully, minimize the zig and zag. A .223 bullet will often blow right through piglets, making you think you missed. Shotguns work best for them, as well.
Be prepared to get on a roll, and then hit a slump where you can't seem to hit anything. It is easy to get over confident and rush your shot, especially when you know you have several rounds left in a magazine. Which brings up another point. Change mags often. Otherwise, you may run out of ammo when you have hogs lined up in a straight line for the perfect shot. :mrgreen: I learned this the hard way.
