Recreation

IDFG TAKES TO THE SKY

Posted on: January 19, 2007

IDAHO FALLS – In order to get a bird’s eye view when it comes to monitoring big game populations of deer and elk, IDFG relies on the use of rented airships, mainly helicopters. According to Idaho Falls IDFG spokesman Gregg Losinski, “Many people do not realize that IDFG doesn’t own a single helicopter or plane. All our flying is done using aircraft contracted through OAS, the Office of Aeronautical Services in Boise. “IDFG uses various types of airships to perform tasks such as big game aerial surveys and animal trapping for research purposes. While IDFG flies year-round, a majority of projects take place during the winter when animals move out into the open on winter range.

Because wildlife management related activities require low-level flights (flying at altitudes under 500 feet) that often draw the attention of the public, it is Department policy that the public be informed when such activities are scheduled to take place. “Scheduled” is the operative word, because a variety of factors must come together for a flight to occur. Weather conditions and availability of airships can cause plans to be changed at a moments notice. Because many operations such as mule deer trapping which are part of the ongoing Mule Deer Initiative (MDI) require extensive ground preparation and volunteer support, the fickle nature of flight related logistics can become quite a challenge for wildlife managers.

The hiring of qualified pilots and airships does not come cheap, but it is part of what is necessary to properly accomplish the type of monitoring and trapping that IDFG must do for the benefit of both wildlife and sportsmen. According to Losinski, “Thanks to higher fuel cost and rigid maintenance requirements, the average cost right now to rent a helicopter $675 per hour!”

Because wildlife related flights involve working at low altitudes and in less than perfect weather conditions, the work is not without risks. Six years ago, a crash in the Clearwater Region claimed the life of IDFG Wildlife Research Biologist Michael Gratson and his hired pilot. Since that time, IDFG has worked to restructure policies and procedures to hopefully lessen the chance of incidents and insure a more positive outcome should they occur.

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