Horrible South Texas helicopter accident

Three helicopters were doing some deer work on Waggnor Ranch - some type of crash happened - two killed and one severely injured - some survived - prayers up for all

HEBBRONVILLE, Texas — Authorities say two small helicopters collided over a ranch in South Texas and killed two men.

Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Nathan Brandley says the helicopters struck in midair Wednesday morning near Hebbronville, a community about 160 miles (260 kilometers) south of San Antonio.

Brandley says one helicopter was able to land and the other crashed after the collision, killing both people aboard. One was pronounced dead at the scene and the other was pronounced dead at a hospital.

He says one of the two people in the other helicopter was injured.

Brandley says he doesn’t know the cause of the crash or the identities of those involved.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety board are investigating. The FAA says the helicopters were Robinson R22 helicopters.d this:
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---> KRIS 6 local news Duval county

This will be a mess. It's illegal to use helicopters to herd deer for breeding unless Game Wardens are notified in advance and approve and/or are involved.

The people involved in this operation were all very experienced biologist and were doing nothing illegal - so starting a rumor like this is irresponsible on your part

I never suggested that they were doing something illegal, just that this is going to be a mess on account of the law around herding with helicopters. The broader point is that even if they did have GW signoff this will still be a mess for everyone involved, including the State, as something was clearly done improperly.

No rumor intended or implied.

First I have heard of this. Prayers to the victims.

Bad deal.

people fly aerial surveys and aerial captures weekly. Nothing out of the ordinary about this at all other than two helicopters collided.

I have not heard names released yet.

Yelp and not even including cattle, a lot of guys gathering right now also

Terrible. Prayers for all involved!!

Lot ranches do annual surveys, DMP catches or even TTT at this time now but with 3 helicopter flying it was probably not a survey. I have heard the name of the biologist(known him a for long time) who was not hurt in the collision who was in one helicopter and the know the name of the pilot in the other helicopter who died in the crash. The biologist I know who was not injured the collision will not fly without the proper paper work being done before hand and a LOA to fly a ranch. I they were doing a DMP or TTT catch then they had proper state paperwork in hand also. The 3rd helicopter was not involved in the collision.

Prayers to the family's of the crash victims. TrophySites you are butt.... and a clueless sh.. that does not know aviation or game management unless you have some sort of trophy ranch. Can you herd deer or cats. Ever done a game count? Ever spent time low to the ground in a rotor or fixed wing a/c?.........No rumor intended or implied.

Sure, I have a few thousand acres outside of Sonora that's been in nonstop operation since before Texas was a state, and do technical work for LOTS of operations beyond mine.

The difference between you and I is that we simply approach things from different angles. I'm a procedure/legal nut, so hear stories like this and my first thoughts are about what a logistics mess this is going to create for the operation, and for any State personnel involved, on account of someone very probably making a silly mistake. Maybe that comes from understanding what kind of messes things like this create from personal experience. You're probably more people-driven, so hear stories like this and think about it from a more human angle, which is fine because we're all different.

What is DMP and TTT?

Happened near my place.

Deer Management Program

Trap & Transfer Permit

My prayers for those involved and their families. I fly patrol in Refugio and Aransas Counties, October has been very busy with helicopters working cattle, deer, and hogs.

I just spoke with a friend, the crew of one helicopter was killed and the crew of the other helicopter injured in the midair. They were netting deer.

My guess is they were catching a buck or two for a DMP pen, hence the "herding" reference in one of the news reports. The biologist I know was in the one helicopter that was in the collision but was not hurt. My guess again is that they had found the buck and were helping to keep it in open cover for the other to maneuver in and net. I have never seen two helicopters netting deer in the same location for a TTT catch. Either way they had permits to do what they were doing.
This was from a couple of years ago doing a capture for DMP on a ranch down south.

Prayers up for for those who lost their lives and their loved ones

Looks like dangerous work, not much margin for error even if pilots are used to working with each other.
Sad deal!

Prayers for all the families involved.

Prayers for all involved.

Sad deal. Prayers up.

stx, we TTT'd 20 does off the ranch where you took those photos of the red helicopter. It was two years ago and the biologist in charge of that capture was the same one who was not injured and was in the third helicopter, yesterday. They used two helicopters in that operation and I don't know how many men on four wheelers and in trucks to secure the TTT does once they were netted.

As you stated, that well-known biologist does EVERYTHING by the book, so the insinuation of illegality, etc. is nothing more than incorrect supposition.

This was a terrible accident and details are still somewhat scarce, other than two helicopters collided. Two men on one helicopter were killed and one man on another helicopter was seriously injured by a piece of rotor. I know the names of the two deceased but will withhold them out of respect for their families. Praying for all involved.

What a horrible deal. Prayers for the deceased and the families.

I can't believe they can actually get a deer in that net from that distance, would seem like the speed of that net would be alot slower than the deer's reaction to it.

The shooter is usually only 20'-30' above the deer, and the helicopter is moving at the same speed as the deer. The net is being propelled by a .308 cartridge. They miss occasionally, but not that often!