Training for game counting, farms, ranch etc.

Yank in SA · Postby **Yank in SA** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:18 am

Hello,
I am looking to my pilots license for trikes plus intensive training in game counting, and all that would be connected with it.
Suggestions?
Thanks fellas!!!!

John Young · Postby **John Young** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:46 am

Yank in SA wrote:....plus intensive training in game counting....

Hi YiSA,

Suggest you fit armour plating under the seat.

If I was chilling out on holiday ready to take that Ã¢â‚¬Å“once in a lifetime photoÃ¢â‚¬Â and a low flying trike disturbed the peace, the pilot would get a bullet up the aÃ¢â‚¬Â¦Ã¢â‚¬Â¦Ã¢â‚¬Â¦..

Regards
John ZU-CIB

Yank in SA · Postby **Yank in SA** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:58 am

Well i hope you are not planning on coming to my game ranch and getting in the pen with the lions to take photos. If they dont get you, then you will probably be getting a bullet from me....

If you dont have a useful suggestion dont bother with the post

John Young · Postby **John Young** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 10:10 am

Yank in SA wrote:Well i hope you are not planning on coming to my game ranch and getting in the pen with the lions to take photos. If they dont get you, then you will probably be getting a bullet from me....

If you dont have a useful suggestion dont bother with the post

Hey Yank,

Quite an unusual response to a leg-pull.

Have a good one.

Over and out

ZS-NEL · Postby **ZS-NEL** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 1:43 pm

Hey Yank,

I've recently come back from Tanzania doing this kind of work and sort off perfected the art in dodging bullets from poachers in a microlight. If you need help PM me and I can come and help you with my trike until you are set up

Slabfish · Postby **Slabfish** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 3:14 pm

J Y , I agree .That was a snotty remark from a newby who was welcomed onto the forum by all . Hope he takes time to look at the Emoticons at the end of your leg-pulling post ,and the meaning of it . Well if you are a Yank in SA with a Trike AND a game-ranch WITH a Lion pen ,I suppose you can do and say what you want

I think a apology would be in order

LarryMcG · Postby **LarryMcG** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 3:21 pm

Game counting cant be done succesfully from a trike, although it gives you a general idea. Depends on the terrain, and species to be counted. You cant normally fly right through a day, which means doing it in bits a pieces, by which time the game has moved.

Also a dangerous past time!

More succesful in a helicopter.

Postby **Dish** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 4:41 pm

or a gyro ....

ZS-NEL · Postby **ZS-NEL** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 5:40 pm

LarryMcG wrote: Depends on the terrain, ...

Agreed. Certain areas even a chopper will struggle. Maybe only Giraffes were easy to count in this photo. With the right cam equipment and if you can stick out for 6-7 hours during the day with mid-air refueling (depending the size of the area) you can be successful with a trike. One advantage youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ll have in a trike is the all round visibility.

Also a dangerous past time!

- That is no lie

Yank in SA · Postby **Yank in SA** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:22 am

Thanks for all the good info keep em coming.
Fortunately they area where i will operate is very open.
Please share your game counting stories no matter what type of craft used. And method.
Thanks again!!

Tjoek · Postby **Tjoek** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 7:34 pm

I did some game counting in the Kalahari from '94 to '96 with a trike. We mainly counted in early morning (i.e. first light) to about 10:00, and then in the later afternoon. We always tried to complete a camp at a time. Further, what worked well for me is to have a pax doing the actual counting, which radioed to someone on the ground to keep the tally per species on paper. We sweeped the camps at about 100ft AGL, from one side to the other. Game that tend to run when they hear the trike (e.g. Blouwildebeeste) are quite difficult to count.

Wargames · Postby **Wargames** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 7:48 pm

Hi counted some game in namibia.

A good idea which helped me a lot was for my pax to have good camera and take photo of groups of animals, whether they stand still or are running. We made sure to do a whole camp at a time with all gates to closed and take 1 photo of all groups.

Then you go home and download onto PC and count game on pictures. Was pretty accurate. But this will only work in namibia where there is not a lot of trees, otherwise you can only count "girafes".

Have any of you heard of people hunting out of a trike?? I would like to give a try one day, but I still have not figured out the theory behind it. Some advice would be nice.

Regards,

ZS-NEL · Postby **ZS-NEL** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 8:19 pm

Wargames wrote: Have any of you heard of people hunting out of a trike?? I would like to give a try one day,

not allowed!!!!

Antikza · Postby **Antikza** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 11:04 pm

dis net verkeerd as jy gevang word

lefssa · Postby **lefssa** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 10:16 am

I do a lot of game counting in the lowfeldt. It is not as accurate as a helicopter but you don't need an exact count, just a trend. It is absolutely safe to count from a trike but you must know what you are doing. I suggest you have a minimum of 100 hours. I do counts for some very exclusive reserves and the owners were vryimpressed with the outcome. One owner even said that it is less disruptive to the animals than a helicopter. Phone me if you want more info. 083 400 1405