• Capturing ~25 adult, female mule deer (≥ 1.5 years of age) ~25 adult, female pronghorn (≥ 1.5 years of age), and ~5 adult, male mule deer (≥ 1.5 years of age) – (~55 animals total) • Aircraft: Helicopter - Robinson R44, McDonnell Douglas MD 500, or equivalent. • Crew to include pilot/navigator, and capture crew (i.e. gunner and mugger). • Pilot and capture crew must have documented experience capturing and handling pronghorn or mule deer using net guns fired from helicopters. • The pilot and capture crew must have the capabilities to locate, capture, collar, process, and safely release animals, including proper fitting of GPS collars and ear tags. Helicopter handling crew must also be able to correctly collect blood samples using syringes and needles along with blood collection tubes, and hair samples using forceps from captured individuals in a safe manner. • Capture method: shoulder mounted net gun. • Animals will either be processed at capture locations or an approved off-capture site if needed for animal care or safety where a ground crew of KDWP biologists and other personnel will be located near the capture area. • It is required that the pilot and capture crew must have GPS and/or GIS capabilities present in the helicopter (i.e. built in on-board systems or through the use of computers, hand-held GPS units, or tablets accompanying the crew) in order to navigate through parcels of private land so that captures occur only on private or public lands for which the department has permission for capturing activities. The crew needs to have the ability to use GPS equipment to have real-time data collection and detailed maps to know exactly where they are located at all times so as to only conduct captures in areas where KDWP has permissions for capture activities on private land. • Capture Locations: Extending a 75-mile radius from the following locations - southwest Kansas (Elkhart/Liberal, north of the Kansas/Oklahoma line and east of the Kansas/Colorado line) (mule deer/pronghorn), west-central Kansas (Goodland/Colby/Oakley, south of I-70 and east of the Kansas/Colorado line) (pronghorn), and a 30-mile radius in east-central Kansas (west, southwest of Emporia, south of US 50 and northwest of Interstate 35) (pronghorn). Exact locations will depend on where animals are located at time of capture activities combined with where permissions for capture activities are granted.
