Very Strange Heli Copter encounter while Bear Hunting

[buckcanyonlodge]

Friend was bear hunting on his own property---- About 600 acres--- right around the first week of the season a few weeks ago.
He spots a big bear and takes a fairly long shot---he has made 700 yd one shot kills on elk...seen it on video. The bear seemed like it may have been hit so he watched where it went into a timbered hillside a few hundred yards away and just watched. About 35 minutes later a helicopter comes over the mountain and goes to the lake and turns around and heads straight to the hunter...This is 7 o'clock at night..The helicopter hovers directly over the hunter long enough that the hunter finally waves his arms at the 'copter signally...What the F,,, You Doing. At that point the helicopter flies to the exact place the bear ran into the treed hillside and started a search flying pattern...THIS IS 7 O"CLOCK AT NIGHT. This is the copter that has been flying around this part of Stevens County this summer. the one with the long antennae coming out the front..Some say they heard were doing a survey other say they were looking for water??

What is going on folks.

[Taco280AI]

So did he find the bear?

[buckcanyonlodge]

No

[hunter399]

I have seen the chopper you speak of.
Was it blue and white .
I'm not sure what they are doing. At one point I thought that antenna thing,was some kind of sprayer.
But if it is the same chopper,not sure what they are doing .
If it is the same one. They was landing and taking off about three weeks by my house.

[Born2late]

Was it a military helicopter? My cousin works on them and I know they fly around at night quite often.maybe some guys checking out stuff with the thermal. Maybe possible

[buckcanyonlodge]

Not a military . I'll have to ask him the actual color....looked F&W to him ??

[nwwanderer]

N6122?  USGS if so

[hunter399]

Even though I'm on the other side of the mountain from ya.
Miles are just minutes,when it's a helicopter.
I haven't seen it since maybe the first week of August.

[highcountry_hunter]

When you say antenna, is it like a stinger than comes straight off the front of the cab, from kinda under where the pilot would sit?


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[jrebel]

https://www.usgs.gov/news/state-news-release/usgs-media-alert-low-level-flights-image-3d-geology-northeastern-washington

I have seen it twice now.  We were bear hunting and it flew over right at dusk a few times.   May have been the same day as I heard a gunshot that night just across the valley.   Saw it earlier this summer as well.  My question would be, if they are doing what the article says…..why are they flying the same area multiple times.  Would appear that is a waste of time and fuel.   

[jrebel]

August 9th was the day it was flying. 

[jrebel]

When you say antenna, is it like a stinger than comes straight off the front of the cab, from kinda under where the pilot would sit?


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Yes

[hunter399]

When you say antenna, is it like a stinger than comes straight off the front of the cab, from kinda under where the pilot would sit?


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Ya looks like a probe 😂.
Just sticks straight out from the middle under the cab.

[jrebel]

Looked exactly like this one.  Could not read the identifier….pic is from the web. 

[highcountry_hunter]

That thing was going back and forth over us on boulder creek on memorial weekend. All friggin weekend it was going like from Curlew to kettle


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