Chopper Cattle Chasing Is Still A Good Business

Chopper Cattle Chasing Is Still A Good Business Aubrey Lange has chased cattle, captured wildlife, hunted predators and wild hogs, and much more, all from the seat of a helicopter. None of it was as dangerous or challenging as being a medevac “Dustoff” pilot in Vietnam. After two tours in Vietnam, he returned home to Texas. A suggestion from a friend got him back in the pilot’s seat. “They suggested using a helicopter to round up cattle,” says Lange. Lange’s cattle punching was described in multiple articles in his early years, including in FARM SHOW (Vol. 3, No. 5). From the start, the business was good for him and his customers. He maintains that helicopter cattle punching is easier on the cattle than with cowboys on horseback and more effective. While the noise and downdraft are often enough to get the cattle moving, Lange equipped his helicopter with a siren and loudspeaker. He points out that it’s almost impossible for cattle to hide from a helicopter. As a result, he could guarantee rounding up 95% of any livestock in a fraction of the time the cowboys would take. Starting out, he charged $145 per hour for a roundup. In one job, he covered 12,000 acres and brought in 900 head in 5 1/2 hrs. Compare that with the number of cowboys and days they would have needed for the job. It’s easy to see why Lange stayed busy. In a 1980 article, he described it this way: “Let’s say you put out 500 cows, and the cowboys bring in 475. A lot of people with good cowboys would charge those other 25 head off to death loss and be satisfied. I can go in and bring out 495 in two or three hours, and most likely spot the remains of those who did die.” When Lange wasn’t chasing cattle, he was rounding up sheep and goats, making wildlife counts, and spotting forest and grassland fires. Lange and his wife and partner, J. Ann, also added pipeline services to the wildlife and livestock work. In 1994, he was trained to use a netgun for exotic animal retrieval. More than 40 years later, Lange Helicopters is still chasing cattle, as well as sheep, goats, horses and buffalo. They work with ranches from Texas to Arizona. Robinson R22 helicopters have been a mainstay of the business. He purchased his first one in 1981 and accumulated 21,000 hours operating it and newer R22s over the next 40-plus years. The Langes recently turned over the business to their son Kyle, a helicopter pilot himself since 2001. “Now it’s up to him to see where he takes the business,” says Lange. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Lange Helicopters, P.O. Box 325, Mertzon, Texas 76941 (ph 325-835-6891; KyleLangeISR@yahoo.com; www.langehelicopters.com).

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