This press release is adapted from a letter sent to the Department of Fish and Wildlife in response to the use of helicopters for deer surveys.
Special Deputy Air Wing Pilot D. Herlihy Air-One for the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office has the following credentials: Commander, USCG (Ret)/ Former NTSB Operations Group Chairman/Investigator-In Charge.
Special Deputy Herlihy and I have discussed in the past that we believe that shooting nets over running deer from a helicopter close to the ground is an extremely hazardous operation and I am STRONGLY OPPOSED to this practice in Klickitat County, Washington.
I believe this practice is an extreme safety hazard to our citizens of Klickitat County and to the helicopter crew members and the wildlife agents themselves.
I am requesting that you do not carry out the Deer Survey by helicopter in Klickitat County on 12/10/2022 to 12/18/2022 for the reasons I have stated.
Thank you for your consideration of my request.
A short time later, Captain Jeffery Wickersham from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife called to reassure the Sheriff’s Office that they will be counting deer from helicopters. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will not be shooting nets from the helicopter during their survey.
###