Sparks fly over predator chopper’s invasion

RIVERTON — Helicopter blades pulsed, the aircraft dipping and diving close to the ground. Sparks flew as ammunition peppered the landscape.

The mission? Apparently, that chopper was part of a predator control effort underway by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, out to target coyotes near calving grounds around Pavillion.

But the armed aircraft was miles from that mission; instead, the helicopter was shooting on Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative land, with sacred buffalo grazing in the foreground.

A WRTBI worker captured video and quickly forwarded it on to Executive Director Jason Baldes.

That March incident sparked concern and anger among some, and last week, the Eastern Shoshone Tribe weighed in, rebuking the federal agency for both actively shooting near the buffalo herd and for its disrespect for the tribe’s sovereign authority.

“USDA Wildlife Services’ decision to operate a predator control helicopter over reservation land and fire live rounds near buffalo without any notice to, or consultation with, the tribe is extremely inappropriate and disappointing,” the Eastern Shoshone Tribe said in a statement. “Such behavior displays a lack of respect for the tribe and its inherent sovereign authority to engage in self-determination efforts to restore buffalo to the reservation.”

What happened

It was early morning on March 13, and Baldes was on his way to the WRTBI headquarters when a co-worker sent some video clips his way. The video showed an area just south of the organization’s headquarters where they were in the process of putting up fencing for use by the buffalo herd, where a low-flying helicopter was firing live rounds down to the ground.

In an interview later that month, Baldes said the agency would have had no legitimate purpose for flying above the Buffalo Initiative’s land nor shooting from the aircraft. He’d tracked down the helicopter’s flight path, and he said it appeared to have been turned off as it approached the WRTBI land.

“It seemed quite deliberate,” he commented.

The few bulls nearby luckily didn’t appear to have been disturbed by the bullets zinging nearby; Baldes explained that none appeared to have been injured.

The tribes, the WRTBI, nor Tribal Game and Fish were consulted or notified about the predator control activity. And on Wednesday, the Eastern Shoshone Tribe’s statement on the incident said that’s not the way collaboration should be done.

Pointing to the tribe’s good relationship with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services as an example of how to work together, the Eastern Shoshone statement suggested the USDA had some learning to do.

“The tribe is not opposed to working collaboratively with its neighbors and federal agencies on land stewardship and wildlife conservation efforts. However, the tribe expects that this work will be based on mutual respect, especially for the tribe and its inherent sovereignty,” noted the statement. “For example, the tribe appreciates its decades-long relationship with USFWS and its open communication with, and respect for, the tribe. USDA Wildlife Services would do well to follow USFWS’ example. Should USDA Wildlife Services need to be educated on how to engage in collaborative and respectful interactions with the tribe, they are more than welcome to contact the tribe.”

This story was published on April 26, 2025.