Parachute hunting?

[Rich M]

Helicopters give you an insane advantage when hunting. Up here it's about traditional use and fair chase.

I thought you guys cant hunt the day you fly?

 

[BRTreedogs]

Id think the legally of jumping into wilderness would depend on the Agl height.
Its not like helos have to flight plan around entire wilderness areas. They just have to maintain probably 500ft agl.

And the real question is not how much a chute weights, but cost.

Burn it after landing and you only need to pack out the metal hardware.

 

[z987k]

Id think the legally of jumping into wilderness would depend on the Agl height.
Its not like helos have to flight plan around entire wilderness areas. They just have to maintain probably 500ft agl.

And the real question is not how much a chute weights, but cost.

Burn it after landing and you only need to pack out the metal hardware.

If an area is closed to motorized transportation, getting to an area via airplane or any other motorized means and then jumping from it still counts as motorized transportation.

There are no minimum altitudes for any flying vehicle over unpopulated and unstructured areas.
There's a "request" to maintain 2000agl over some parks and forests and such, but it's simply a request and not a regulation.

I thought you guys cant hunt the day you fly?

You do. Helicopters can land places airplanes can't. It's their whole reason for existing. You can then get to places no one would ever be able to get to via flying and hiking. Or it would reduce 95% of the effort to do so.
It would let a bunch of fatass tourists with no business in the wilderness let alone off their couch take a helo into a spot, spend the night and shoot some really difficult to get to sheep and goats.
With a helicopter there is nowhere game can hide.

 

[BRTreedogs]

If an area is closed to motorized transportation, getting to an area via airplane or any other motorized means and then jumping from it still counts as motorized transportation.

There are no minimum altitudes for any flying vehicle over unpopulated and unstructured areas.
There's a "request" to maintain 2000agl over some parks and forests and such, but it's simply a request and not a regulation.


You do. Helicopters can land places airplanes can't. It's their whole reason for existing. You can then get to places no one would ever be able to get to via flying and hiking. Or it would reduce 95% of the effort to do so.
It would let a bunch of fatass tourists with no business in the wilderness let alone off their couch take a helo into a spot, spend the night and shoot some really difficult to get to sheep and goats.
With a helicopter there is nowhere game can hide.

What about smoke jumpers?

 

[z987k]

What about smoke jumpers?

I mean in relation to hunting. If you're not hunting a lot of times entirely different rules apply.

 

[Rich M]

If an area is closed to motorized transportation, getting to an area via airplane or any other motorized means and then jumping from it still counts as motorized transportation.

There are no minimum altitudes for any flying vehicle over unpopulated and unstructured areas.
There's a "request" to maintain 2000agl over some parks and forests and such, but it's simply a request and not a regulation.


You do. Helicopters can land places airplanes can't. It's their whole reason for existing. You can then get to places no one would ever be able to get to via flying and hiking. Or it would reduce 95% of the effort to do so.
It would let a bunch of fatass tourists with no business in the wilderness let alone off their couch take a helo into a spot, spend the night and shoot some really difficult to get to sheep and goats.
With a helicopter there is nowhere game can hide.

I use helicopters to do some land surveys when necessary. We dont land but fly at 500 ft or less. Rately see any critters that aren’t cattle tho.

Go Hunt and Randy Newberg made helicopter transport famous.

I still believe some places have a moratorium on hunting the same day you fly. AK i think is one.

To tell a guy the parachute hunting is illegal cause he used a plane to get there is funny. Most folks use some kind of 4 wheeled, motor propelled conveyance to get to the trailhead. The diff w parachuting and walking? Both can hurt your knees.

I highly doubt this will be the next Ebike. Sounds like a nice adventure for the guy.

All the poo-pooing everything from the national wilderness guys is tiring.

 

[TreeWalking]

When I was a decade younger, I worked with a special ops guy who had lots of jumps and liked doing insane things. He was game to jump in for one of my hunts with a couple of barrels of gear but I never found a remote zone where there was enough game to make it worthwhile. Basically, hard to find something miles and miles from a trailhead that has good game to hunt. If horses can get to me to pack me out then they can pack me in. I thought of doing a jump just to say did the hunt though there was risk would screw up the landing. Horses are the answer unless plan to raft miles and miles down to where can unload the meat onto horses or a vehicle.

 

[Scoot]

And the real question is not how much a chute weights, but cost.

Burn it after landing and you only need to pack out the metal hardware.

Good point! I'd suggest buying a REALLY CHEAP one, then burning it. Good luck!!!

 

[BRTreedogs]

I mean in relation to hunting. If you're not hunting a lot of times entirely different rules apply.

Non motorized use is not exclusive to hunting.

I'm almost certain getting dropped into the wilderness is perfectly legal if you stay above a certain agl

 

[BRTreedogs]

I use helicopters to do some land surveys when necessary. We dont land but fly at 500 ft or less. Rately see any critters that aren’t cattle tho.

Go Hunt and Randy Newberg made helicopter transport famous.

I still believe some places have a moratorium on hunting the same day you fly. AK i think is one.

To tell a guy the parachute hunting is illegal cause he used a plane to get there is funny. Most folks use some kind of 4 wheeled, motor propelled conveyance to get to the trailhead. The diff w parachuting and walking? Both can hurt your knees.

I highly doubt this will be the next Ebike. Sounds like a nice adventure for the guy.

All the poo-pooing everything from the national wilderness guys is tiring.

I don't remember seeing alot when we did low level ops ether. Even at night with dual tube nvgs. Beef was about it. But I can't say we were in a game rich area ether.
Or that I sat up front alot. I mostly wanted to sleep

 

[BRTreedogs]

Good point! I'd suggest buying a REALLY CHEAP one, then burning it. Good luck!!!

Harbor Freight?

 

[InkedElkSlayer]

OP asked if anyone had done it?
I’m sure DB Cooper isn’t the only one ever. BUT… outside of the logistics, skill sets, qualifications, gear, etc. that would be needed to pull it off. Another reason that it’s not widespread is because in most locations, especially in the lower 48, it’s simply not legal to do in the backcountry.
None of us wrote the CFRs concerning wilderness, but below is a snippet. Specifically, (e). And (a) is why outfitting, etc. requires a special use permit. It’s also the statute they use to confiscate and ticket for caching. Kinda like the speed limit. We don’t set em and you rarely win the argument about why they should be higher.


What is prohibited in wilderness?
Except as specifically provided in the Wilderness Act, the individual statutes designating the particular wilderness area, or the regulations of this part, and subject to valid existing rights, in wilderness areas you must not:

(a) Operate a commercial enterprise;

(b) Build temporary or permanent roads;

(c) Build aircraft landing strips, heliports, or helispots;

(d) Use motorized equipment; or motor vehicles, motorboats, or other forms of mechanical transport;

(e) Land aircraft, or drop or pick up any material, supplies or person by means of aircraft, including a helicopter, hang-glider, hot air balloon, parasail, or parachute;

(f) Build, install, or erect structures or installations, including transmission lines, motels, vacation homes, sheds, stores, resorts, organization camps, hunting and fishing lodges, electronic installations, and similar structures, other than tents, tarpaulins, temporary corrals, and similar devices for overnight camping;

(g) Cut trees;

 

[JMasson]

How much does a parachute weigh? Seems like the only way it would work is if you landed next to a river and had a raft.

A T-11B weighs 64 pounds, including the reserve. The Improved Aviator Kit Bag adds an extra ~5 pounds.

In 2013 I was presented an opportunity to volunteer to go through “rough terrain training” with the 57th Sapper Company, 27th Engineer Battalion. It was a week of pretty technical training that involved a lot of rappelling and specialty gear rigging. Then I did a rough terrain jump….it sucked. I will never do it again and I’m not even sure the Army does it anymore. It was the antithesis of fun and convinced me that being a smokejumper was a career I would never pursue.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Ok ok
What if I'm trying to chute rite next to the wilderness boundaries.
But accidentally pick a day where there are strong winds and get accidentally pushed into the boundary.

 

[JMasson]

Id think the legally of jumping into wilderness would depend on the Agl height.
Its not like helos have to flight plan around entire wilderness areas. They just have to maintain probably 500ft agl.

And the real question is not how much a chute weights, but cost.

Burn it after landing and you only need to pack out the metal hardware.

You can buy an unused T-10D (old generation of military static line parachute) for about $800. It is not packed or rigged though.

 

[JMasson]

Ok ok
What if I'm trying to chute rite next to the wilderness boundaries.
But accidentally pick a day where there are strong winds and get accidentally pushed into the boundary.

I can tell you from experience that you DO NOT want to exit in winds exceeding 13 knots. It makes for a very, very uncomfortable experience when you make impact….and for days afterward.

 

[Silveroddo]

Not knocking it at all, its what keeps this place interesting

 

[BRTreedogs]

Ok maybe we can get a special use permit, by contacting discovery channel. We can make it a DB Cooper mini series.
We can recreate how he possibly survived off the land, killing 350 bulls and 180 bucks to stay alive.
And they needed big antlers so he could make various crafts.

 

[KurtR]

So your telling me I cant jump in at 20000 feet wearing a wing suit and fly into a wilderness area and then hunt. It would be like driving to a trail head and getting out and walking in just alot cooler.

 

[Calcoyote]

I wish DB Cooper was a member of this forum. He could give some really meaningful input on this thread.