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Drones
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Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
For cheap basic pic/video the DJI Mini seemed to be the common choice when I bought one a handful of years ago. I never use the thing but it works fine when I have.
Edit: I’m pretty sure mine was $400 at most with extra batteries, charger bank, and other tidbits. Mini 2 model maybe?
Edit: I’m pretty sure mine was $400 at most with extra batteries, charger bank, and other tidbits. Mini 2 model maybe?
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Turkey Creek
5 year old buck +
One of my brothers uses one for his photography business, I am pretty sure that the ones he has were less than $1,000. He just bought his new one a few months ago and he was commenting how much the technology has improved since he bought the first one just a couple of years ago. I will probably buy one in the coming years. Just a lot of cool advertising stuff you can do with a drone and its photography/videoing capabilities. I can get the information on the model he has if you really want it.
Hoytvectrix
5 year old buck +
I bought one and used it a bunch initially. I get it out about 4 times per year now to do habitat updates and also get some scenic shots of the properties. If that is all you are going to do, I wouldn't spend more than a couple hundred. However much you think you'll use it, cut that in half.
Bill
Administrator
Hey can you bring it over? Feel like it would be really cool to se my place from one. But not cool enough to actually buy one.
Hoytvectrix
5 year old buck +
Absolutely! I have it with me every time I head down. I'll check in with you each time I'll be heading down. It's not a bad idea to get footage with leaves on and off.
Natty Bumppo
5 year old buck +
Are these things easy to fly for total beginners? Thinking about one for some sports filming I do as a hobby. I would worry about seeing my $1000 drone fly off over the treeline and never see it again.
Hoytvectrix
5 year old buck +
Yes, they are exceptionally easy to fly these days with POV live streamed to your smart phone. You can even map out a route ahead of time if you really wanted to. With my cheaper one, I can still get about 6-800 yards range as long as it is line of sight. The part that is a little more tricky is getting usable footage. That was the steeper learning curve for me.
Here is a practical example where a drone is helpful. It might be tough to see in this screenshot, but there is a deer trail cutting through this pollinator plot. From the ground this is pretty much impossible to see.
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Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
Second this. They auto take off and land and have multiple speed settings to keep you from losing control. I could fly it inside my house without any wrecks the first day I got mine.
Think I’ve only flown it twice in the last 2 years and those 2 times were just because my kids wanted to see it fly.
Telemark
5 year old buck +
A thermal drone would be awesome right now. It's overcast, and there is thick snow on the ground.
I went out yesterday and walked about 2 miles in the snow. It was exhausting, and I found very little deer sign. I wanted to go across the river, but I fell through the ice once when I was younger, so I didn't dare. A drone would have been great form checking out that area and the big field I walked past.
I just want to know where to look for sheds. I have today and tomorrow to keep looking before the snow melts. I'll have to drive over the river and possibly hop a fence to get into the areas I want to check. A drone would save me a lot of time I could otherwise use for building and shooting my new rifle.
I went out yesterday and walked about 2 miles in the snow. It was exhausting, and I found very little deer sign. I wanted to go across the river, but I fell through the ice once when I was younger, so I didn't dare. A drone would have been great form checking out that area and the big field I walked past.
I just want to know where to look for sheds. I have today and tomorrow to keep looking before the snow melts. I'll have to drive over the river and possibly hop a fence to get into the areas I want to check. A drone would save me a lot of time I could otherwise use for building and shooting my new rifle.
Feelslikefar.
5 year old buck +
I was and am too worried about my $500 drone. This spring I said to myself "what's the point of having it if you're afraid to use it!" Then proceeded to get it stuck up in a tree in the stupidest and unspectacular way. Then spent an hour getting it out of the tree, a combination of shooting limbs with my turkey gun and throwing stick. And when it finally came out, THAT's how I broke it! 
I bought an original Mavic Mini... unfortunately like a week before they introduced the updated version. Getting parts and props for it now is a PITA.
I've had mine 5 1/2 years now. I think like most people, I've used it very little. Seems like every time I go to use it there's a reason I can't. Selling point of the Mini is it's light and doesn't need to be registered. But because of that it doesn't like the wind. I tried to use it a couple weeks ago to look at an issue with my roof.... batteries were all dead (despite not using it since charging it last). I go to use it and I can't fly over a certain low altitude or very far away because I haven't logged in lately. But I can't log in because I'm in the middle of nowhere. I can't fly due to prop overspeed warnings. Almost fell out of the sky last time I used it because of that. (DJI sold the "fly more kit", a little carrying case and extra batteries. Turned out if you stored you drone in that case, it ruined the props. They got ever so slightly bent, which reduced lift and causes your motor to work too hard to stay in the air. If you used the case, you were constantly changing props. And now you can't buy the props. (at least quality, factory replacements. They're available sporadically and at scalpers prices. So DJI sold a product, sold another product that ruined the first product, now doesn't sell the parts to remedy that situation. So yeah, I'm bitter)
I bought an original Mavic Mini... unfortunately like a week before they introduced the updated version. Getting parts and props for it now is a PITA.
I've had mine 5 1/2 years now. I think like most people, I've used it very little. Seems like every time I go to use it there's a reason I can't. Selling point of the Mini is it's light and doesn't need to be registered. But because of that it doesn't like the wind. I tried to use it a couple weeks ago to look at an issue with my roof.... batteries were all dead (despite not using it since charging it last). I go to use it and I can't fly over a certain low altitude or very far away because I haven't logged in lately. But I can't log in because I'm in the middle of nowhere. I can't fly due to prop overspeed warnings. Almost fell out of the sky last time I used it because of that. (DJI sold the "fly more kit", a little carrying case and extra batteries. Turned out if you stored you drone in that case, it ruined the props. They got ever so slightly bent, which reduced lift and causes your motor to work too hard to stay in the air. If you used the case, you were constantly changing props. And now you can't buy the props. (at least quality, factory replacements. They're available sporadically and at scalpers prices. So DJI sold a product, sold another product that ruined the first product, now doesn't sell the parts to remedy that situation. So yeah, I'm bitter)
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bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
cant go wrong with a DJI. I use a mavic 3 for taking fishing baits out to the ocean. Does pictures ok.
Pick something the drone needs to do. I really only use mine for fishing. Mapping apps have gotten pretty good the past few years if you need to to figure stuff out on your property.
Like most toys. This thing is cool slowing goes towards this thing collects dust..... $1000 bucks free money, I'd buy a minn kota trolling motor with spot lock for my boat or canoe. Or a stainless steel 44 mag lever gun.
Pick something the drone needs to do. I really only use mine for fishing. Mapping apps have gotten pretty good the past few years if you need to to figure stuff out on your property.
Like most toys. This thing is cool slowing goes towards this thing collects dust..... $1000 bucks free money, I'd buy a minn kota trolling motor with spot lock for my boat or canoe. Or a stainless steel 44 mag lever gun.
How does your drone drop the bait?
I just got one and am having a blast with it. Doesn't fit the budget mentioned because I wanted thermal, mapping a a few other features. My son hooked a 43" tv to the back of our sxs, he flies it and I watch tv. We took a picture of a button buck from 400' and you see him with perfect clarity. Didn't do an official survey yet but I believe I'll be able to get a 100% count with pics of every buck next yr after more practice. I'm looking forward to video of food plots, overview of habitat and enhancing YouTube video's with it. Very cool asset.
What do you mean by mapping? A lidar sensor? I’ve been getting quotes for some lidar mapping on a portion of my farm but quotes have been too high for the juice to be with the squeeze.
well, what you get
