Flew a thermal drone at my place today.

[Howboutthemdawgs]

technology is not my cup of tea in the outdoors but a good buddy had been wanting to take the drone to my place so I was on board. I would definitely not use it anywhere close to season but I figured post season educational purposes was fine with me. That out of the way here’s what I saw-
The tale of three farms. I have three separate parcels that showed some interesting things. The two I just bought with zero management and zero food had very few deer. Granted there was some operator issues and the sun peaked out a bit which made it tough. But both of these of roughly the same size had about 15 deer total on them. My main place which is about 120 acres bigger than those and has had food plots and two full protein feeders and some timber work had every bit of 75 deer. It was problematic!
Deer have zero issue being in the hardwoods. I would say the bulk of them were in that habitat type. Granted some of the hardwoods had been cut some years back it was a thinning and still relatively open. Also deer stacked up in cedar thickets. I know those can get a bad name by the like of grant woods, and maybe rightfully so, but deer will absolutely bed in them.
Sorry to say there’s not some secret herd of bucks hiding on your property! I’ve said this before as my assumption about trail cams and their effectiveness. If you run cams for a season in halfway decent spots, you will see everything you have. There wasn’t a racked buck I didn’t know.
Large swaths had zero deer within hundred of yards. Little discouraging. Granted it’s Feb but there was some areas I was certain would have deer and they were devoid of life.
Lastly, deer avoided high stem count, unmanaged cut ground like the plague. I have about 40 acres in two different blocks like that and there wasn’t a thing in those.

That’s all I have. Pretty cool and definitely think they should be illegal during the season. Way too effective.

 

[SwampCat]

Lastly, deer avoided high stem count, unmanaged cut ground like the plaque. I have about 40 acres in two different blocks like that and there wasn’t a thing in those.

That’s all I have. Pretty cool and definitely think they should be illegal during the season. Way too effective.

Great write up. Please describe the unmanaged cut high stem count area a little more. Were the stems mostly woody or non woody. How old was the cut. Clearcut or no?

Thanks

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Great write up. Please describe the unmanaged cut high stem count area a little more. Were the stems mostly woody or non woody. How old was the cut. Clearcut or no?

Thanks

I dang meant to take pics. I will do it next time I’m there but picture a 10-15 year old, upland hardwood, south facing slope that was cut really hard, on a hillside. The regen of poplar and sycamore and beech and briars are intense. The idea that deer pile into the thickest stuff doesn’t hold true in my experience. I’ve had my doubts but my buddy flying his large place consistently and my experience today confirms my bias to not have that stuff on my property. I’d rather have an open hardwood area with topography and features, especially points, than thick, unmanaged regen.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Also one of the properties has a roughly 50 acre pancake flat bottom. Braided creek but not really flooded unless it rains good bit. Some cane break and blowdowns and thicker areas combined with some open, treed areas. Not a single deer in there.

 

[SwampCat]

I dang meant to take pics. I will do it next time I’m there but picture a 10-15 year old, upland hardwood, south facing slope that was cut really hard, on a hillside. The regen of poplar and sycamore and beech and briars are intense. The idea that deer pile into the thickest stuff doesn’t hold true in my experience. I’ve had my doubts but my buddy flying his large place consistently and my experience today confirms my bias to not have that stuff on my property. I’d rather have an open hardwood area with topography and features, especially points, than thick, unmanaged regen.

I wonder if there would have been any difference in the thick cover had it been the second week of gun season?

 

[omicron1792]

Funny @Howboutthemdawgs I flew a thermal drone this week too! We were looking for a wounded deer. I’ll tell you, the deer were not where I thought they would be either! It’s like they just appear at times out of thin air!

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I wonder if there would have been any difference in the thick cover had it been the second week of gun season?

It’s a valid question but I think you can definitely get into the some thick is too thick. I mean sure if there was a bunch of dogs chasing it maybe. Pressure from a neighboring property, I don’t think they would use it. Too many other safe options.
I can’t get in the mind of a deer, but thinking like something that is trying to survive, taking away my sense of sight and my ability to move fluidly, removes that habitat from my quiver of safety.

 

[hillrunner]

technology is not my cup of tea in the outdoors but a good buddy had been wanting to take the drone to my place so I was on board. I would definitely not use it anywhere close to season but I figured post season educational purposes was fine with me. That out of the way here’s what I saw-
The tale of three farms. I have three separate parcels that showed some interesting things. The two I just bought with zero management and zero food had very few deer. Granted there was some operator issues since I personally flew these and the sun peaked out a bit which made it tough. But both of these of roughly the same size had about 15 feet total on them. My main place which is about 120 acres bigger than those and has had food plots and two full protein feeders and some timber work had every bit of 75 deer. It was problematic!
Deer have zero issue being in the hardwoods. I would say the bulk of them were in that habitat type. Granted some of the hardwoods had been cut some years back it was a thinning and still relatively open. Also deer stacked up in cedar thickets. I know those can get a bad name by the like of grant woods, and maybe rightfully so, but deer will absolutely bed in them.
Sorry to say there’s not some secret herd of bucks hiding on your property! I’ve said this before as my assumption about trail cams and their effectiveness. If you run cams for a season in halfway decent spots, you will see everything you have. There wasn’t a racked buck I didn’t know.
Large swaths had zero deer within hundred of yards. Little discouraging. Granted it’s Feb but there was some areas I was certain would have deer and they were devoid of life.
Lastly, deer avoided high stem count, unmanaged cut ground like the plaque. I have about 40 acres in two different blocks like that and there wasn’t a thing in those.

That’s all I have. Pretty cool and definitely think they should be illegal during the season. Way too effective.

Was this during daylight hours?

 

[Bill]

I wonder if there would have been any difference in the thick cover had it been the second week of gun season?

I wonder if it was the week before and the first week of rutting activity it would be different. Personally I think the thick cover is used more by does hiding during the rut then old bucks. I've seen some girls crawl into some nasty thick patches just to hide.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Was this during daylight hours?

It was. Between 9:30 and 12:30

 

[Bill]

I'd actually love to run one over my place to see what I don't know...

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

The white blobs are deer

 

[Brian662]

That's interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Have you ever done a browse survey in those high stem count areas to see if they ever spend time in there? I would think some work with a DR mower, or rotary drum on a skid loader would create trails and you'd see some increased usage.

I agree with others about does mainly using the super thick stuff to avoid bucks, I've seen them dive into my switchgrass to evade a persistent two year old and then come back out 10 minutes later to keep feeding once he's moved on.

 

[Bill]

Interesting. Did you see any doe groups closer together than that?

 

[Brian662]

Also, I think Grant Woods and others who wage war on ERC in states like Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, and Kansas do it due to their invasive features. A monoculture of ERC is about worthless, they shed their needles and its all rigid branches inside the thicket.

A group or bunch of 6-10 ERC at the right elevation will be a perfect wintering spot for deer.

 

[Brian662]

View attachment 62388
The white blobs are deer

How many are in that pic in your estimation? Want to make sure the white blobs I see are all deer.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

That's interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Have you ever done a browse survey in those high stem count areas to see if they ever spend time in there? I would think some work with a DR mower, or rotary drum on a skid loader would create trails and you'd see some increased usage.

I agree with others about does mainly using the super thick stuff to avoid bucks, I've seen them dive into my switchgrass to evade a persistent two year old and then come back out 10 minutes later to keep feeding once he's moved on.

I haven’t. I can’t hardly get in them. I think switch is different, they can move through it. May not be able to see well but at least they can move.

I’d like to drone spray it and then take the excavator and try to rip up as much as can and place in piles to burn.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

How many are in that pic in your estimation? Want to make sure the white blobs I see are all deer.

Maybe 10? Wasn’t a great pic. Should have done a better job taking pics but I was busy studying!

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Interesting. Did you see any doe groups closer together than that?

Oh yeah. Single file lines, bedded next to each other, groups of 4-6 and then 50 yards away another group.
At one point the drone apparently spooked a group of about 12 and 100 yards away another group of equal size never moved. Probably over a hill.
Later the drone spooked a group of 3 and a random one a couple hundred yards away took off too. When they can see each other I think spooked deer can create an avalanche of spooking!

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Also, I think Grant Woods and others who wage war on ERC in states like Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, and Kansas do it due to their invasive features. A monoculture of ERC is about worthless, they shed their needles and its all rigid branches inside the thicket.

A group or bunch of 6-10 ERC at the right elevation will be a perfect wintering spot for deer.

I’d agree but I was seeing them stack in larger areas of cedars. This one for example is 11 acres, and held several deer