In addition to aerial means, The Ranch relies heavily upon snares & mechanical traps for diversity in its Predator Control Program. Active patrolling operations commensurate with trapping and snaring, gives one an advantage in seeing what is specifically moving around on the ground. It is near impossible to see animal tracks or scat from the air. These would likely be oversights from the aircraft.
Despite using an R44 capable of carrying 3 passengers, I never carry more than one gunner for serious aerial management. Multiple gunners in an aircraft is largely recreational, and typically only effective in open areas such as large fields.
“The Clock is Ticking” is an accurate summary for areas in which vision can be highly obscured by annual vegetation growth.
It is impossible to know precisely when the first freeze will occur and how long it will take for the leaves to fall from the trees & the summer grasses to brown and die. Conversely, it is also impossible to tell when the mesquite and other trees will begin to bloom in the spring. I have seen the freezes as late as the second week in December, and The Mesquites begin to bloom as early as the first week of March.
This presents a very narrow window of opportunity for aggressive predator control. Further, practical constraints during this time frame become winter weather in January and February and simply the limited number of daylight hours during these months.
Typically, Coyotes begin to seek their mates ( “pairing up”) in March and April. Once the coyotes are paired up and preparing for the birth of their young, they are very difficult to hunt and locate. It is fair to say, if they are on your property at this point, it is near impossible to stop them, and whatever damage they may do to fawns & calves may become inevitable.
