State and federal game wardens thought they'd grounded Ron Hayes back in 1980 when they took away his license to guide big game hunters in Alaska.

No longer, an Alaska court ruled, should Hayes be allowed to use his Super Cub airplane like some sort of mechanical bird of prey available to trophy hunters with a pocketful of money.

But according to sworn affidavits filed in Federal District Court here on Wednesday, it wasn't long after Hayes' conviction that he was once again using his airplane to herd, harass and help gun down bears and caribou on the Alaska Peninsula.

Hayes' name pops up now in the middle of a four year, nationwide investigation into illegal hunting in Alaska. The latest offenses of which he is accused in federal court affidavits are almost carbon copies of the offense of which the state accused him in 1980.

In the state case, Hayes pleaded no contest to a charge of using an airplane to herd a bear to an assistant guide and a Louisiana hunter. Hayes has not been charged by the federal government, but sworn affidavits filed in the U.S. District Court charge he used airplanes to hunt and herd bears or caribou on numerous occasions since 1986.

The affidavits were filed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents seeking federal search warrants. Agents who served the warrants seized three airplanes and a van belonging to Hayes or his sport fishing business, Alaska Rainbow Lodge. The agents say their investigation into Hayes' activities is continuing.

Both state and federal laws prohibit the kind of aerial hunting in which Hayes allegedly was engaged, but it appears the practice is fairly common in Alaska, according to Dave Purinton, special agent in charge for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"I don't understand it," he said. "Some of these people sit in the front row at church, but you give them a a Super Cub and a rifle and everything turns to s."

Undercover agents working for the wildlife service say they spent four years watching Alaska big game guides and Outside hunters use airplanes and radios to track, chase and kill brown bears and caribou.

Seventeen hunters have been arrested so far in the Lower 48 on charges of illegal, airborne hunting, and the arrests of seven more are expected. The wildlife service reported 12 of the arrests were made in Virginia, and the others came or are expected in California, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.

The service's undercover operation was run through the bogus Abrams Creek guide service in Purcellville, Va. Abrams Creek advertised in national magazines and at sport shows.

Purinton said agents were surprised by the number of hunters specifically looking for guides willing to bend the laws to ensure kills. He said investigations into illegal hunts in Alaska are continuing.

The U.S. Attorney in Anchorage has announced plans to take 15 cases before a grand jury here. Agents have seized five airplanes, including the three belonging to Hayes, and a variety of hunting records from Alaska guides.

The sworn affidavits of the wildlife service agents indicate that after Hayes lost his guide license for airplane hunting, he eased back into the business by teaming up with 30-year-old registered guide Des Englund of Anchorage.

Englund had been working for Hayes as an assistant guide when Hayes was charged in 1980. Englund, a member of the Alaska Professional Hunters Association, obtained his own registered guide's license in 1986.

Together, Hayes, Englund, and assistant guides Rob Speer and Randy Hoppe used airplanes to spot animals for hunters, herd animals to hunters, and direct hunting operations, according to the affidavits.

Agent Wally Soroka, in one affidavit, explained a typical hunt this way:

"While Englund circled the bear with his aircraft, Hayes landed, telling (undercover agent Adam O'Hara) to wait for Englund and Hoppe. Hayes then took off and resumed circling the bear while Englund landed with Hoppe. Englund unloaded camping gear to make it appear the hunters had been camped at the location.

"After unloading the gear, Englund took off and Hoppe directed O'Hara in stalking the bear. As they walked toward the bear, Hayes would direct their movement over a portable radio carried by Hoppe. When Hoppe told Hayes they were in position, Hayes began to dive his aircraft directly at the bear to chase it to the hunters. During these dives, O'Hara heard loud reports which he believed were gun shots, fire crackers, or intentional backfires of the airplane. The bear was driven to the hunters on the ground where both O'Hara and Hoppe shot and killed the bear."

Hayes could not be reached for comment at his lodge on the Kvichak River. Englund, Speer and Hoppe who gave their addresses as Anchorage post office boxes on their guide licenses have no telephones listed in the city.

Hayes and his coworkers are not the only guides or former guides implicated in the affidavits in court here.

Agent Roderick Thornton, in another sworn affidavit, reported registered guide Dana Patterson of Iliamna collected $8,500 each from nonresident hunters Bobby Ballantine and Robert Covey to take them airplane hunting for brown bears. Patterson also helped Ballantine illegally kill a caribou, according to the affidavit.

The men were looking for brown bear, the affidavit said, but "when Patterson located a large caribou, he inquired if Ballantine wished to kill it, knowing that Ballantine did not have a nonresident caribou tag. Ballantine stated he would take a caribou."

Patterson landed the plane. Soroka reported:

"Agent Thornton observed Ballantine fire three shots at the animal, observing one round hit the caribou in the left hip, but not stopping the fleeing animal. After continued unsuccessful attempts to catch up with and kill the caribou, Patterson told Ballantine and agent Thornton that he would slow the animal down with his airplane. . . . (Patterson) was observed by agent Thornton to make repeated low passes approximately 50 feet over the caribou's head. Patterson then landed the aircraft ahead of the fleeing animal and killed it."

The affidavit also charges that Patterson used his airplane to help Covey kill a brown bear, and actually shot a brown bear for Ballantine.

"He (Ballantine) said that earlier in the day he shot a female brown bear, describing in detail how before he shot it, the bear would stand on its hand legs and swat at Patterson's airplane when it dove over the animal's head," the affidavit said. "Ballantine also indicated that a second bear was shot that day by Patterson. He (Ballantine) admitted to agent Thornton that the bear he was claiming was actually the one shot by Patterson."

Update 6/11/88:  An Anchorage game guide and Bush pilot died when his single engine De Havilland Beaver crashed at the Birchwood airport Friday afternoon.

Dana Patterson , 45, owner of Alaska Peninsula Safaris, had just taken off when his plane dipped sharply to the right and down. The plane's wings were perpendicular to the ground when the right wingtip hit and the plane cartwheeled, said witness Jerry Bloomfield.

"He appeared to have no control over the aircraft at all," Bloomfield said. "I wondered why he was turning so fast. It just didn't seem right."

The crash occurred about 2 p.m. Patterson was going to fly the plane to Lake Hood, near Anchorage International Airport, where it was to be fitted with floats, Bloomfield said. Bloomfield was behind Patterson on the runway in another single engine plane and was to follow him to the lake.

Bloomfield said the Beaver lifted off the runway perfectly, but the flight went awry as the plane reached an altitude of about 100 feet. The engine seemed to be running properly.

"As soon as he lifted off, the plane turned right," Bloomfield said. "The wings came vertical to the ground."

Bloomfield brought his own plane to a halt as the Beaver cartwheeled across the runway and into another parked aircraft. Two other bystanders reached the crash before he did, though.

"I expected him to still be alive," Bloomfield said. "I've seen people walk away from cartwheels before. But the two people who got there first stopped me before I got to the plane. They said he was dead."

Bloomfield said the two had flown the aircraft to Alaska from California. The aircraft had also just undergone an annual inspection after arriving here.

Patterson had been indicted by a federal grand jury last month on charges of unlawful airborne hunting, conspiracy and violations of the Lacey Act, which forbids interstate transportation of illegally taken game. He was one of dozens of hunters and guides charged as the result of a four year investigation by federal officers.

He had pleaded innocent to the charges.

Reference:

Anchorage Daily News