Our Team
Our team is made up of experienced, energetic professionals who are passionate about wildlife.
Capture Pilot
Hells Canyon Helicopters wildlife capture pilot is Captain Blake Ridgway Malo. Blake has been flying rotorcraft for over 23 years and has thousands of safe flying hours. For the last decade now, Blake has become almost universally considered the lead flyer in the wildlife capture arena. He is wildly demanded among many biologists, veterinarians, state and government agencies. Blake has captured in excess of 6,000 documented animals for government entities. Blake has vast experience with nearly every North American and Canadian big game species. From animals such as Musk Oxen and Wolves, to Moose, Deer, Bighorn Sheep, and Mountain Goats, he has successfully captured them all. The welfare of the wildlife and safety of the crews are Blake’s highest concern. His never-ending work ethic and expert flying techniques make Captain Malo unparalleled in the industry. Not only is Blake in his prime years as a capture pilot, but also he has a true passion for wildlife. Captain Malo's capture experience spans the continent as well as other countries over the world. Blake has captured from high altitude Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Utah, to the frigid cold, temperatures in Minnesota and the entirely remote wilderness of Alaska. While not only carrying an impeccable safety record in his 23+ year tenure of flying, he has a long proven track record of successful capture projects completed. As an all round aviator, Captain Malo is also a certified aircraft mechanic and will ensure your aircraft is in airworthy condition. Blake is well known for the highest production rates in the industry, lowest mortality rates and his easygoing disposition to work with. As Hells Canyon Helicopters’s Chief Pilot, you can be assured Captain Blake Ridgway Malo has everything it takes to make your project a success.
Capture Crew
Hells Canyon Helicopters’s gunners/muggers and animal handlers are the most experienced in the capture industry. Our gunners are highly proficient in net gunning and darting (chemical immobilization) with schedule 2 drugs. All Hells Canyon Helicopters personnel, including the pilot, are biologist trained in aging, weighing, monitoring temperature, blood sampling, body score conditions, obtaining biological samples, measurements, phlebotomy, and fitting of collars and transmitters. Our crew is educated in administering drugs intramuscularly, subcutaneously or intravenously. The calm manner and patience with each and every animal is what sets our crew aside from any other capture crews. With our crew having knowledge as being hunters and pilots themselves, they know how to keep the big picture running smooth but most importantly, safe. With loads of experience under our belts as a team, we know what it takes to make a project successful. We provide resume’s for all our crews proving their thousands of animals caught, handled and sampled.
Wildlife Our Team Has Extensive Experience with:
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Deer (Mule, Whitetail, Axis)
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Wolves
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Caribou
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Big Horn Sheep (Rocky Mountain and Desert)
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Moose
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Coyotes
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Bison
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Mountain Goats
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Pronghorn Antelope
Bears (Grizzly and Black) -
Elk
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Musk Oxen
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Ostrich
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Giraffe
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Hippos
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Kangaroo
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Gemsbok, Kudu, and many exotic ungulates
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Raptors