the 2010 helicopter season

[igrowone]

so i'm cruising down a country highway today, nice day for a drive, and i see what appears to be the usual MJ spotting copter
not really a big event since we do get a lot of that this time of year
but i was shocked to realize it was the first one i had noticed this year
last year they were all over the place
so has it been slow season for helicopter watching this year? or maybe it's just an upstate NY thing

 

[Zen Master]

comin in on the tail end of the season in most parts.... activity is a lot lower now than earlier this year, but yeah I noticed less birds this year, quite a bit less, but still gridding once n a while.

 

[igrowone]

yeah, near end of season, but i can't recall seeing practically anything the last month or so
and last year very heavy, had copters flying over my house practically very day
huge change in my neck of the woods this year

 

[phrike]

Here in Canada there was an abrupt end to the chopper season as of October 1st.

I'm about 60 miles from Watertown, NY, and AFAIC the season effectively ended about 1-2 weeks ago due to night frosts and low daytime temps resulting in no growth.

My area got invaded 3 days in a row at least an hour each day. And I'm near an airport navigation beacon so I saw lots of chopper traffic flying to/from elsewhere in August and September.

Chopper flew RIGHT over my 3 forest plants twice in 5 minutes and again 15 minutes later. I posted threads here in Security/Legal about my "panic", LOL.

 

[guest4098]

We had 3 days of helis this year here in rural norcal. It was not fun those three days this fall.

 

[igrowone]

seems like a pretty normal year from the other few posts
curious if it was a more wide spread reduction, NY did a budget lockup for a while

 

[VIKINGtrich]

Did not slow down at all around the middle of the East Coast, and they were even out really early this year too, way earlier than uaual, Im talking late May, early June....Crazy shit man. SUCKS! I do know that!

 

[igrowone]

last year was crazy in my locale, maybe they had something going last year out of the ordinary, didn't see much in the way of outdoor busts though
guess it was a bit of wishful thinking on my part that maybe with the huge deficits we're running that some common sense had arrived on wasting money

 

[VIKINGtrich]

last year was crazy in my locale, maybe they had something going last year out of the ordinary, didn't see much in the way of outdoor busts though
guess it was a bit of wishful thinking on my part that maybe with the huge deficits we're running that some common sense had arrived on wasting money

You knoiw better than to think that.....Common Sense and Government are in no way related, NEVER!

 

[LD420]

sketches me right the fek out... a big reason i dont grow outdoors

 

[LD420]

all in the camo i guess

 

[igrowone]

i'm pretty much an inside grower myself these days, just much less risk for me
i do like growing outside, love visiting a plant in the summer, something i really miss

 

[Aeroguerilla]

dude i have seen NO CHOPPERS THIS YEAR makes me think there using satelite. they also use airplanes to search

 

[igrowone]

dude i have seen NO CHOPPERS THIS YEAR makes me think there using satelite. they also use airplanes to search

now that's what i was fishing for, just makes me feel a bit better for some reason
i hear your tone clear, it was like that in my neck of the woods, just no activity
airplanes are possible i guess, be some fancy optics/camera? not sure how good that technology currently is

 

[PoisonedDart]

dude i have seen NO CHOPPERS THIS YEAR makes me think there using satelite. they also use airplanes to search

In fact, I have seen a drone hovering way up and was surprised to see it maneuver like a helo. I heard they are using them as part of homeland security, but have yet to confirm it.

 

[PoisonedDart]

Update: I guess it is confirmed.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/24/border-drones-homeland-se_n_623713.html

 

[phrike]

dude i have seen NO CHOPPERS THIS YEAR makes me think there using satelite. they also use airplanes to search

Here in Canada they did some studies years ago about using satellites.

More recently I read a study where they were taking many digital pictures from planes, and computer processing the data with different algorithms to see how well they can spot patches.

Basically they were dependent on the distinct colors and patches had to be at least a certain size.

They used well known and conventionally searched areas in BC to see how well the system could work.

Don't think it's operational here yet, but they'd LOVE to have computers do the hard work that normally requires human eyes.

 

[Aeroguerilla]

I know the dude who searches with airplane for pot in my area. he burns, great guy, but he doesnt respect the big growers. so i also know for a fact they use planes

 

[guest4098]

Not sure where I read it but heard the DoD is now making very current domestic satellite imagery available to local law enforcement. I also know for a fact that aerial mapping with aircraft is very common and very detailed. I would bet that nearly every inch of the US is gone over with fixed wing aircraft with cameras nearly every year. Lucky for us most of this is done in the winter when there are no leaves on the trees to block the camera images.

 

[redbudduckfoot]

im guessing that budget cutbacks are reponsible for the reduction in helicopters. i would see them at least twice a week july 20th till sept 20. i only saw one copter the entire season, and that wasnt even at my spot, it was at an apprentice's spot. i know my area, ADK's, is a super hot spot every year. Ny is in serious finacial trouble, like the rest of the country.
just my observations and personal opinions

RED