Medical Helicopter Pilot Cited for Harassing Wildlife in Colorado
By Rocky Thompson on November 13th, 2012
After dropping a patient at a hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado the pilot of a flight-for-life helicopter decided to make a recreational detour on the way home to Arizona. Elk hunters witnessed him diving into a canyon several times, harassing a herd of elk that would run for cover whenever he’d zoom in. The hunters were able to write down the copter’s tail number and call police who tracked it to a company in Utah. When they found the pilot, they issued him a $200 fine and docked him points against his hunting and fishing license in Colorado. Precisely why he chose to dive bomb elk is a mystery. Late in the year, these animals survive almost entirely on their reserves of fat, and unnecessary panic and fleeing predators can cause fatalities. A regional wildlife officer had words for him: “We understand that observing wildlife from aircraft can provide great views, but it is very harmful to wildlife and can lead to a citation, or in some cases, the confiscation of the aircraft.”
Tags: colorado