They're called "Muggers"

It was my dream job. Fresh out of the University of Utah, I landed a full-time videographer role at the Division of Wildlife. This gave me unfettered access to track the hard work of wildlife biologists and the cowboys of the sky.   

I schlepped through blizzards on horseback and climbed trees to tranquilize mountain lions; crawled into bear dens to survey cubs; tracked Gila monsters in the Southwest and mountain goats in the Tushars; captured pronghorn, moose, and bison on helicopter relocation projects. My footage was used on Animal Planet and National Geographic. 

But no one has told the story of the Muggers. 

I have been waiting to tell the stories of these brave men and women who risk their lives to help animals in the most remote parts of the world. They are called Muggers because they tie up wild animals— moose, bison, wolves, mountain goats, deer — with their bare hands.

Why do they do this? 

Two reasons: 1) either to check the health of animals or 2) to transport animals in order to establish new populations. They are hired by the government agencies responsible for local wildlife. These are competitive contracts and there tends to be drama in the selection process. 

How do they do this?

They fly in helicopters looking for the target species. Once spotted, the pilot brings the chopper down near the fleeing animal and the gunner uses a net gun to trap them. The Mugger then jumps down on the angry animal and attempts to hobble it. They prefer this crazy contraption of a gun to a tranquilizer because it is surprisingly less dangerous. 

The pilots, gunners and Muggers are wild occupations few people have heard of let alone know how to train for. They are biologists turned cowboys or maybe the other way around. One thing is for sure, they risk their lives because they have an incredible love for nature.