Strange, MNR Twin Otter

[dave524]

Just heard a fairly loud plane go over low, checked to see if it was the rescue plane out of Trenton, nope, the MNR flying some kind of grid search pattern, any ideas what they are up to ?

[dave524]

Wasn't aware you could look at past history for an certain plane, seems they been doing the whole peninsula over the past few days, guessing they are spraying for gypsy moth or possibly dropping those rabies vaccine baits.

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/c-fopj

[kickingfrog]

3 hours ago, dave524 said:

Wasn't aware you could look at past history for an certain plane, seems they been doing the whole peninsula over the past few days, guessing they are spraying for gypsy moth or possibly dropping those rabies vaccine baits.

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/c-fopj

Rabbies' baits would also be my guess. I did that back in college with them in the Kingston area.

[dave524]

36 minutes ago, kickingfrog said:

Rabbies' baits would also be my guess. I did that back in college with them in the Kingston area.

Seems you are correct   https://globalnews.ca/news/5782966/rabies-vaccine-bait-drop-southern-ontario/

[chris.brock]

they can't use a Cessna 180, they took a Twin Otter, typical gov't wastefulness ?

[kickingfrog]

Flight crew, bait crew and a lot of baits, plus a conveyor system to drop the baits at the correct intervals. As well as several boxes of barf bags… the baits smell atrocious.

[Jon]

More info on the rabies baiting program here - https://www.ontario.ca/page/rabies-wildlife.

 I helped with ground distribution of baits (no way I was flying) and vaccinating skunks and raccoons years ago. As noted, baits are smelly and sitting in the back of a plane with the baits can upset the strongest of stomachs.

Jon

[dave524]

They are still at it, racking up a lot of flight time, working on Old Irons neck of the woods today.

[Woodsman]

Racoon rabies has been found in New York.

Looks like a blocking pattern.

Probably a part of a series of patterns. 

[dave524]

8 hours ago, Woodsman said:

Looks like a blocking pattern.

Probably a part of a series of patterns. 

Yes , you can see all the past flights on the link in my second post, looks like they started at the Niagara River and headed west , doing like sized segments probably because of fuel supply or run out of baits.

[pics]

I watched the plane as well..  they were using a helicopter the last couple of years.  We have signs posted on the outskirts of Hamilton warning against transporting captured animals to "the country".. if people in the city knew how often those raccoons and skunks were shot by farmers and rural residents they may think twice before moving them...

[dave524]

41 minutes ago, pics said:

I watched the plane as well..  they were using a helicopter the last couple of years.  We have signs posted on the outskirts of Hamilton warning against transporting captured animals to "the country".. if people in the city knew how often those raccoons and skunks were shot by farmers and rural residents they may think twice before moving them...

The three S's method of pest control. 

 

[Canuck]

This is pretty crazy:

https://files.ontario.ca/rabies_surveillance_and_control_08_28_2019_english-large.png

Looks like there is a lot of Raccoon strain rabies around the Hamilton area.  Or maybe this is normal?