Outdoor helicopter evasion

[supermanlives]

black bird netting for trees works well instead of fishing line.i never had but only one helicopter experience and i survived. most growers seem to plant in rows or a recognizable pattern to make irrigation easy. dont let plants grow naturally if their gonna look like a christmas tree. plant next to plants that blend . when i was back east it was berry bushes wild. i dont grow outside currently as i cant find a place in socal. everytime i find a spot i also find homeless people

 

[phrike]

I saw some strange aircraft activity early this morning after 1:30 AM. I visited the plants to try to shake off any moisture on the sativa I flushed and water sprayed due to a bit of nute burn. Moon was near full and I had no flashlight although it was quite dark in the forest.

I figured I shouldn't see any aircraft that hour of the morning. Wrong ! I heard him, I suspect a fixed wing craft, and saw a flashing light on him (white?). He did a very slow circle, over 360 degrees, perhaps at least 540 degrees or a turn and a half. He must have been at least 1000 feet up.

Perhaps there are legitimate un-suspicious reasons why an aircraft might do that ? I know one shouldn't but I couldn't help but look up to see what he was doing. I'd LIKE to think FLIR or whatever couldn't distinguish between human and bear, deer etc. My rational side says this is nothing, but paranoid side wonders.

I should note that here in Canada there is relatively little in the way of aircraft usage by LEO, compared with the US. 20-30 years ago I recall choppers with spotlights roaming around the poor area in Ft. Lauderdale my familys' winter mobile home was in. I've NEVER seen or heard of anything like that in Canada. Virtually no traffic or news choppers; very rare for choppers to be sent up for high speed chase. Some instances of aircraft being used for speed traps, but pretty uncommon AFAIK.

Been googling and reading and have found out the provincial cops here in Quebec DO have fixed wing aircraft for pot spotting. I'd tend to think though that they'd be high enough and fast enough that spotting just a few plants wouldn't be feasible.

---
Got a haircut Friday and collected the hair to spread around the site to ward off deer. Yeah, CSI could determine it's mine but for 3 plants I'm not concerned. My hairstylist has heard Irish Spring soap on sticks work well also. (No I'm not concerned at all about discussing a few plants with my long time hairstylist here in Canada.)

 

[wilburn]

IFR pilot training requires slow flight 360's.

 

[gaiusmarius]

or maybe they had to circle as they waited for a clear landing strip?

 

[wilburn]

or maybe they had to circle as they waited for a clear landing strip?

Very possible. At 1:30AM though?

@ 1000' AGL he would be above most small GA inbound.

 

[Rednick]

I think you are just being anxious.
Three plants ain't shit, especially in Canna-da.
When the Great White North does an outdoor field, I must say I get impressed.
You guys get feilds out there that resemble the Mafia grows in Cali.

It is the man made shit that stands out.
Spotters are looking for things that don't appear to be natural.
Paths, bags, patterns, water sources, ect.

 

[Lone Wolf]

hopefully the pigs don't read this thread! won't be too secret anymore!

 

[phrike]

Very possible. At 1:30AM though?

@ 1000' AGL he would be above most small GA inbound.

Yeah that's what I thought. No traffic jam for small planes in the wee hours.

Regardless I refuse to believe the drug war has gone that far here in Canada until I see evidence otherwise. IMO, much greater than 90% odds it was some innocent reason.

 

[phrike]

I think you are just being anxious.
Three plants ain't shit, especially in Canna-da.

Yes, I do suffer from medically diagnosed anxiety, BUT...

To me the worst case scenario is not the legal complications. It's the emotional mess that could result from a bust, especially some stupid SWAT style raid.

Imagine a battering ram at early morning. Imagine a middle-aged man (me) and wife and 2 young children dealing with that. Imagine child services taking our kids for even just a few hours. What a mess ! Neighbors will talk and be forever suspicious. Wife has depression and anxiety too.

Standard procedure means my pretty straight wife gets arrested and charged too. Her job (our only income at present) requires a yearly police check. Her job is associated with a straight religion.

----
I'm trying to clone my 3 plants. I have 3 I'm not sure will make it and 4 new ones today. That means 10 plants now unfortunately (although maybe not rooted). I've also read stories (in US at least) of cops ripping branches of large plants and counting them, to say nothing of weight manipulations. Heck, they might take my little willow cuttings and other legal plants too.

I also have an old 400 watt HID in a box, old grow bags and media and mylar and panda plastic and an ancient Grow yer own stone book around. I also have a few fungi I maybe shouldn't have. I'm an anglophone in Quebec and some cops would hate me. It all adds up.

I've been searching google news for Canadian pages with "marijuana" for a while now. Ontario and Quebec are not quite as liberal with pot growing as BC is. Here are two recent stories of small busts, one for 4 plants, one for maybe 5-6:

http://www.thesudburystar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2724855
Four, five-foot tall marijuana plants were found growing on the back deck of a Talon Street residence on Saturday, Greater Sudbury Police said.
...
A 52-year-old woman and a 54- year-old man were charged with production of marijuana and possession of marijuana. The value of the drugs seized was more than $5,000, police said.

http://www.soonews.ca/viewarticle.php?id=27462
...
It is alleged that police located a small grow operation involving several marijuana plants as well as trafficking items. A small quantity of cannabis marijuana was also located.

The accused was charged with production of a controlled drug and possession of a controlled drug for the purpose of trafficking. The street value of the seizure is estimated at $6, 200.00.

 

[phrike]

hopefully the pigs don't read this thread! won't be too secret anymore!

First thing I thought about when starting this thread.

Yes, it's absolutely technically possible that the powers that be could identify me and bust me. I do network security. I'm sure the bits I've sent on the Internet have been scanned somewhere. And I've given enough info that someone with access to many databases could likely narrow me down to a few hundred people. Satellite or aircraft photo maps and my posted pics with enough computer power might even find me.

I came to the conclusion that if the Canadian police state has advanced to the level that a professed personal only grower would be hunted through message board postings for a 3 plant grow, then go ahead, bust me, I don't care anymore.

I'll move to BC or Cali if I have to; my documented medical issues would surely get me a Cali MMJ card, and I was born in the US so no problems moving with a crim record or whatever..

---

Anyway, thanks all for the tips/advice/thoughts etc. I still haven't seen any clear sign of air action yet, and I'll breathe easier when end of Sept. comes.

BTW, I'm still a few weeks later combing through just about every bust or bust avoiding thread in the security section here. Curently on page 68 of 92 pages of threads, LOL. Quite a wealth of info; do you know how many bust stories there are here ? Still reason to worry, but man I feel MUCH more comfortable doing this here in Canada. God, I'd hate to have to take pee tests to keep my freedom and/or job !

 

[OMountainMix]

I know that in the U.S., currently, the leos don't have the money to fund the man hours for as many searches as they used to do. Really, I think they go looking for fugitives, and maybe if there is previous evidence, they might use the helicopter, but think about it. Pilots are expensive. Fuel is expensive. I believe that there is generally at least one other person on the helicopter that has to get paid. If this is done at night or on the weekend, the people on the flight might get overtime. Things are tight for leo, too.

I think you should do some research to find out what military and aviation installations are located near you for your own peace of mind. I imagine that there is a perfectly good reason so many flights are going on all the time. If it was about you, it would be one time, they'd come down REAL low, and you'd be done already. I really think this is NOT about you and you and your wife need some information so you can relax, for your own good. Please take some time to look this up and let us know. I hate for you two to be so miserable over a couple of plants . . . .

fwiw, I'm an anxious person myself, and often read bust threads so I can look for patterns. Also my high school buddy's uncle is a top dog in the DEA and I am ALWAYS asking him for information about what's going on. Buddy has his pilot's license and actually flew on plant spotting operations in late high school/early college years. It's a WAY different ball game for DEA now, but he says most pot stuff is being done by state police. Of course, we all know that the staties are under severe budget restraints in most states, so this is just not something they have the money for when they are dealing with MS 13, bikers, and meth.

 

[JOJO420]

First thought

First thought

I see a problem. In the pics the way you piled up sticks and branches looks unnatural. Notice their is no other piles of sticks naturally present. It looks man made to me. Looks out of place. That is what the choppers spot first. I suggest you make the piles blend in better so there is no problem.

 

[phrike]

I know that in the U.S., currently, the leos don't have the money to fund the man hours for as many searches as they used to do. Really, I think they go looking for fugitives, and maybe if there is previous evidence, they might use the helicopter, but think about it. Pilots are expensive. Fuel is expensive. I believe that there is generally at least one other person on the helicopter that has to get paid. If this is done at night or on the weekend, the people on the flight might get overtime. Things are tight for leo, too.

Yes I know choppers are expensive, but I've read threads here indicating the US federal gov't has (and has had) all sorts of special funding available for the war on drugs; helicopters, dogs, etc. But some of those threads are a few years old and things may have changed ? AFAIK, logic and money effectiveness are not necessarily issues in the war.

Here in Canada, things have become worse with the recent "law&order" federal gov't. The same one that wants to spend 10 billion on new prisons and send me to jail for 6 months for 6 plants (more perhaps if I have kids around).

The Canadian military is operating and paying for many (most?) of these flights, with an RCMP guy on board. So most cost is from the military budget and provides the dual purpose of training.

Oh, I KNOW the vast majority of flights are completely normal here and nothing to do with LEO. Just unlucky enough to have moved to a high traffic flight path for small craft. I know where some of the small airports are, but so far that knowledge doesn't help me much.

My wife is reasonably cool with the risks, although concerned like I am. We're not miserable. Yes, I do have anxieties, but I'm an "anal retentive" perfectionist who tries to always consider worst case scenarios in much of life. Whenever something goes wrong I usually say "I knew that might happen", LOL.

My caution has helped me smoke regularly for 30 years and daily for a quarter century without a single drug related LEO encounter. I suspect that put's me in the minority of members on this board.

(Hmmm, I just recalled the "nice" drug doggie sitting next to my wife and our bags at the airport 5 years ago. But we had (and thankfully had declared!) milk for our son and supposedly the dog detected certain food imports as well as drugs. But I still suspect the dog smelled the writing case I had used many times for pot.)

 

[phrike]

I see a problem. In the pics the way you piled up sticks and branches looks unnatural. Notice their is no other piles of sticks naturally present. It looks man made to me. Looks out of place. That is what the choppers spot first. I suggest you make the piles blend in better so there is no problem.

Yes, I was aware, thank you for noticing and mentioning. With trees at 50-60 ft tall I'm assuming the choppers wouldn't be closer than 100 ft.

At that distance I think it would be hard to notice the unnatural placement of sticks/small logs. Binoculars would likely see, but I think that would require suspicion that I hope wouldn't be raised in the first place. Binoculars at 100 feet or so might also notice the lighter green wire ties I use for LST tying.

There are already several areas in my forest with piles of sticks or logs, some by me (unrelated to grow area), some by original owner. So piles of random or stacked sticks and logs are not unusual on my lot, and some lots in the general area. Also there are many fallen trees, it's certainly not pristine perfect forest.

I use the logs for tying also. Perhaps I could cut some cedar or other green branches from elsewhere and put them over the logs.

I'm also "sad" to say that I moved the plants closer to each other again, and closer to, but not quite a line. One plant was getting too little sun IMO, and I decided to raise the risk factor a bit in exchange for some extra yield. There's around 6-8 feet between the centers now, and perhaps 3-4 feet between closest branches.

I'll reserve the right to re-arrange again should choppers raise my heart rate and blood pressure, LOL.

 

[armedoldhippy]

i'm going to try out a tipi made from camo netting next year. use a small strain to fit, and weave some natural materials (leaves etc) into the netting to break up ITS outline best i can. ought to be enough light pass thru a mesh...

 

[chilum]

IMVHO there`s nothing to worry.

Plants are not so big an so on.

Grow safely, anyway.

greetz

C

 

[rogerw]

I live in a redneck place and have camoed my plants forever . I like to put them in the red cedar. I place them right in the tree branches on the ground and you can not see them unless I told you they were there. try it it works. In my opinion it looks sort of strange the way you have the branches so neatly piled up . your better of mixing the green color in with the dead branches . like break so live green branches up along with the dead 1's.

 

[phrike]

Since I've said so much about location, etc, if any LEO is listening, it's only 3 plants, OK ? (Can't imagine so, but who knows...)

A chopper circled the general area of my plot today starting about 2:40 PM. He was going relatively slow and circled about 6 times. Each circle was about 5 minutes, he might have had a kilometre or 2 of circle diameter.

At the far end I didn't hear him anymore. He was around 300-400 feet up I'd guess. My plot was roughly at the outside edge of the circle. The whole area he circled was pretty much rural/semi-rural with various farms and clusters of houses here and there.

Some innocent possibilities could be pilot training or perhaps circling while waiting for something. No small airports or even heli-pads I'm aware of really close to me.

I would THINK that if they were pot patrol and if they saw my plants that they'd descend for a closer look more obviously close to my plants.

It's possible it was pot patrol and they saw them (or not) and were just searching for bigger plots in the area. For all I know one of the farmers in the area has a crop. They certainly have grape vines, fruit trees, etc.


Not anxious enough to pull my plants. IF they had descended and were more obviously seeing my plants I might just move the plants to some neighboring properties. I'm refusing to let paranoia ruin my crop this year unless absolutely necessary, LOL.


My house is on "lockdown" for now. Geez, just saw a Subaru pull around in my driveway, LOL. The other week the electric meter reader quickly pulled in and jumped out and I almost freaked, LOL.

I took a few chopper pics and a movie for later analysis, but I don't think I'll see any more than my eyes did. Currently the incriminating flash memory card is tucked away discreetly, LOL.


I did a bunch of fan leaf etc. defoliating on the plants the last few days. Much less green now to catch the eyes of pot patrol, I think. Stories always seem to indicate they look for the distinctive green. They never seem to mention noticing the flowers...


I'm amazed at how much I and my wife both are tuned into the distant burbling/rumbling of choppers. I noticed it last night even over the music playing. Feel like "Radar" in MASH, LOL.

 

[diggdugg]

LOL< I know the feeling phrike. I can hear air traffic like I have super human hearing. Stay safe.

 

[gaiusmarius]

try not to lose sleep or otherwise worry too much. i really can't see you getting more then a smack on the wrist for those 3 plants. that is if they even find them, which is unlikely as the patch is just too small to be seen well from above. also the way you trained them low to the ground should make it extra hard to recognize.

speaking of mash you could always put a army net over the plants, or make a frame for some milky plastic tarp over the top and half way down the sides. then they will not see them even if they hover 20 yards above, as long as you build it well enough that the tarp doesn't go flapping off in the down wind from the chopper roflmao.

i feel for ya though, all that air traffic is a pain in the ass.