Anybody headed to Cedar City Utah for airial gunning certification next week?

Very cool. Fixed wing, helicopter or both? At work we refer to it as ACETA (aerial capture, erradication tagging of animals). I only got to do it once and that was with moose but it was WAY cool.

Fixed wing only. Coyote Work. I wanted helicopter too but that isn't for a couple months or something and they need to get me in the air I guess.

I didn't even know they did that up there, thats just up the road from me.

EO,

Is that a Wildlife Services aerial training program ?

YES they are under WS, ATOC training paid with federal tax dollars as well.

As someone who has done some aerial gunning I can not imagine what you would be certified in. Proper use of a seat belt? You stick the gun out of the plane, draw a bead on the target, and pull the trigger. You don't lead them.

Paul far more to saftey than pullin the gun out the window and shooting for sure. It is alot more saftey minded than shooting practice. WS has protocol to follow and I can tell you soem of their tandem pilots/gunners are the best in the Business bar none period...........

Yeah just got back. Its a fairly intense training. Very Saftey oriented. Paul if you don't think you have to lead a coyote when you are going sixty MPH and they are going twentyfive then you havn't done much airial work. Or much shooting at all. I have a idea if you just got in the plane with the pilot I flew with he'd jerk the gun out of your hand, land in the desert and leave you there.

It was the pilot that told me how to shoot and it worked pretty good. Of course a Super Cub in Alaska might be a little different than what you flew in. Is leaving you stranded in the desert part of the intense safety training? So if the coyote is doing twenty five and you're doing sixty you have to aim behind them, right? Doesn't sound like you've done much shooting at all.

I was in a top cub. I killed eight on thursday and that was the first time I've shot a live target. I don't remember ever beading up directly on the coyote. Every pass is different. Yes there is some negative lead shots. There ar regular lead shots. I shot one that was sitting on its butt and I put the bead right between his front feet and I cut him in half.
As far as getting left in the desert, if you go into that training with a cocky attitude and blow off the instruction then what happens is you get in the plane and don't know how to handle you weapon properly you will be asked to leave.

When I was in Alaska I was anything but cocky, believe me. It was almost like every hour of every day was a new experience. I went for a two week hunting trip and stayed for a three month education. In retrospect some of the experiences did seem crazy but they were always done under the supervision of some of the top Alaskan guides. Glad you had successful training session. You'll remember it forever.

It was darn sure not what I expected. Alaska is no joke and neither are the pilots. They have to be top notch. Nothing can really prepare you for what it is like. You just have to do it. Sorry I got a bit sideways with ya but I just busted my butt for a week training and didn't like someone saying it was all to easy. No hard feelings Paul.

Well after rereading my first post I was kind of asking for it. Now you know why Mrs. W reads everything before it goes in to WCT.

No problem EO, I had it coming.