Patent ID: 7685970

Claim:
A method of aerial capture-and-carry of livestock in open terrain by land vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: providing an aerial pen with sidewalls defining an open bottom, a movable platform for a targeted animal to stand or otherwise be carried upon which is movable between a retracted position substantially non-interfering with the open bottom and a carry position, a livestock head gate movable between an open and closed, and a movable crowding panel movable between a retracted position substantially non-interfering with the open bottom and a crowding position; wherein the head gate, platform and crowding gate are cooperatively arranged such when the platform and crowding gate are in the carry and crowding positions respectively, the targeted animal can be secured for aerial carrying; providing a driven land vehicle with a mechanism to raise up high and lower back down the aerial pen rigid pen; attaching the aerial pen to the driven land vehicle's mechanism; driving the vehicle in pursuit of the targeted animal with the aerial pen raised off of the ground with both the platform and crowding gate retracted and the head gate closed; lowering the pen onto the ground to confine the targeted animal at least within the sidewalls; moving the platform into the carry position; opening the head gate to entice the targeted animal to escape and then closing the head gate on the targeted animal's neck for capture, with the targeted animal standing or otherwise supported on the platform; and moving the crowding gate to flank one side of the targeted animal, the other side being flanked by a portion of the aerial pen's sidewalls.