Thermal Drone Deer Recovery

[Natty Bumppo]

Never heard of this before a random Youtube recommendation video this morning, though I'm sure it's probably old news for some of you guys. Amazing technology. Game changer I would think in terms of deer recovery.

Though I do find it ironic that a bunch of Amish guys are using high end thermal drones to assist with their deer hunting!

What do you think?

 

[Mortenson]

Yeah it's pretty impressive. Being discussed on the iowa forum. Guess it takes $20k+ to get the right kind of setup. Not sure if I'm convinced yet the pros outweigh the cons.

 

[yoderjac]

Never heard of this before a random Youtube recommendation video this morning, though I'm sure it's probably old news for some of you guys. Amazing technology. Game changer I would think in terms of deer recovery.

Though I do find it ironic that a bunch of Amish guys are using high end thermal drones to assist with their deer hunting!

What do you think?

It was discussed on my FLIR thread. In places where you don't have much canopy, it may have some value. The question becomes, what is the differential value compared to alternative methods of recover. In the right environment, the investment may make sense for an outfitter recovering deer for paying customers. The FLIR scout series is 10% or less of the cost of a drone setup. If you are using it for out of season surveys, that may help justify the cost to some degree. We have to keep in mind that unlicensed "hobby" use requires "Line-of-sight". It would have advantages over a hand held FLIR in places with warm season grasses where grasses would block heat from a horizontal approach but from overhead detection would be much easier. Winter-time recovery in hardwoods after leaves are down would show some value, but in canopied pines, a hand-held unit would work better. Folks have also commented on the value of a tracking dog for recovery.

Interesting from a technology standpoint, but from a practical perspective, I doubt I could justify it.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

Its very cool but its not a game changer.....There are still a lot of limitations for one.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

If you had a tracking dog and a thermal drone it would be the bees knees......I just cant justify the cost though. The vast majority of deer we track here in Alabama are just average basket racks and there are a lot of dog handlers out there now who will go track them for "tips"......There just isnt enough demand for a higher end drone service

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

My buddy has one. It’s scary. There will be a lot of laws broken or ethics compromised with this technology…
If used for aerial survey and deer recovery it will be amazing. Going to fly it now actually

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Yeah it's pretty impressive. Being discussed on the iowa forum. Guess it takes $20k+ to get the right kind of setup. Not sure if I'm convinced yet the pros outweigh the cons.

Wow. Had no idea they cost that much.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

If you had a tracking dog and a thermal drone it would be the bees knees......I just cant justify the cost though. The vast majority of deer we track here in Alabama are just average basket racks and there are a lot of dog handlers out there now who will go track them for "tips"......There just isnt enough demand for a higher end drone service

Those videos got me wondering about the demand for a service like this. I figured they were too expensive for individuals to fly on their own. But as a service provider, is there enough demand to justify the initial expense. In a place like western Mass....probably not. There are just not enough deer hunters anymore. I do know though, if I personally lost a buck that I knew was probably dead, I would absolutely pay for a service like this.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Those videos got me wondering about the demand for a service like this. I figured they were too expensive for individuals to fly on their own. But as a service provider, is there enough demand to justify the initial expense. In a place like western Mass....probably not. There are just not enough deer hunters anymore. I do know though, if I personally lost a buck that I knew was probably dead, I would absolutely pay for a service like this.

Well I can only speak for the guy in the above video. He can’t hardly keep up with the demand.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Well I can only speak for the guy in the above video. He can’t hardly keep up with the demand.

Yes, I agree. Definitely seems to be an economically viable business in his part of PA.

 

[Mtyhunter]

Have used a drone w/ a thermal camera to locate hogs, (a rich buddy) and it worked really good. But, it's pretty easy to pick up a sounder of 10-40 hogs with thermal. It really helped seeing the chase dogs (gps collars) and hogs, so you could get a good sense of what was going on. Oh yeah, then you'll also need the badboy scope too, because you're hunting at night. Add all of that together, and it was less than 20g's, but not by much. Tried a drone ($800), without the thermal, for possible scouting for deer, and gave up after 2 tries. Way too much to pack out to the woods, way too much to keep up with, weather dependant, etc.. I did much better recon with my feet on the ground and didn't have to mess with all that.
Called my buddy just now, to see if he ever used his stuff to find a downed deer. He told me that it has been 50/50. He's found a few, but admits that the ones he found were in a field, has not found one that was in a wooded area yet. Have some limited experience with deer tracking dogs, and to me, its a wayyy better experience watching a dog work than messing with the drone. I'll take the dog anyday.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Just got back. 2nd time ive seen it. If game departments don’t get their hands around this it will spell the end of hunting as we know it. Nothing will be sacred. The technology is too amazing. We could literally zoom and count kickers off of tines. Nothing can hide from it. The camera zoom is 200x. We could spot armadillos from hundreds of yards away. The invasion of privacy with someone flying over your land (which is legal) is astounding. Not to mention imagine all the unethical avenues this will open. Take an outfitter in say Kansas or the Dakotas. All he has to do is fly some draws, find a buck a client wants and direct them there. Or out west with elk. Load that thing up in a side by side and drive forest roads and make a move on one bedded down.
My buddy is totally ethical with his, keeping it on his land which is big so practical and would never hunt an animal he spotted. But not everyone will be the same.

 

[yoderjac]

Just got back. 2nd time ive seen it. If game departments don’t get their hands around this it will spell the end of hunting as we know it. Nothing will be sacred. The technology is too amazing. We could literally zoom and count kickers off of tines. Nothing can hide from it. The camera zoom is 200x. We could spot armadillos from hundreds of yards away. The invasion of privacy with someone flying over your land (which is legal) is astounding. Not to mention imagine all the unethical avenues this will open. Take an outfitter in say Kansas or the Dakotas. All he has to do is fly some draws, find a buck a client wants and direct them there. Or out west with elk. Load that thing up in a side by side and drive forest roads and make a move on one bedded down.
My buddy is totally ethical with his, keeping it on his land which is big so practical and would never hunt an animal he spotted. But not everyone will be the same.

That is a big overstatement of the technology capabilities. Yes, it is a different technological tool. Yes, like all technology, it requires folks to think about their ethical boundaries. I remember when folks argued just how unethical compound bows were because they made hunting so easy. These arguments were forgotten by the time crossbows were legalized in many areas and restricted once again for crossbows.

Compared to a stick bow, is a high powered rifle with a scope fair chase?

When it comes to technology it is all about how we choose to use it. Overhead IR can be used to recover mortally wounded deer. One could view this a showing respect for the animal, a pretty ubiquitous ethical position. It could also be used outside the season to establish population numbers to set harvest goals. Again, a tool for better management. On the other hand, it could be used to let a hunter kill animas at night combined with and IR scope. Probably not considered ethical by most for deer...but many of the same folks would have no issue doing it with coyote or hogs. Of course some folks will flout the law and have few ethical bounds, but how is that different from a guy with a spotlight and a rifle with a silencer. it is a lot cheaper way to to flout the law and have your own way.

From a human philosophical perspective...."There is nothing new under the sun."

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

That is a big overstatement of the technology capabilities. Yes, it is a different technological tool. Yes, like all technology, it requires folks to think about their ethical boundaries. I remember when folks argued just how unethical compound bows were because they made hunting so easy. These arguments were forgotten by the time crossbows were legalized in many areas and restricted once again for crossbows.

Compared to a stick bow, is a high powered rifle with a scope fair chase?

When it comes to technology it is all about how we choose to use it. Overhead IR can be used to recover mortally wounded deer. One could view this a showing respect for the animal, a pretty ubiquitous ethical position. It could also be used outside the season to establish population numbers to set harvest goals. Again, a tool for better management. On the other hand, it could be used to let a hunter kill animas at night combined with and IR scope. Probably not considered ethical by most for deer...but many of the same folks would have no issue doing it with coyote or hogs. Of course some folks will flout the law and have few ethical bounds, but how is that different from a guy with a spotlight and a rifle with a silencer. it is a lot cheaper way to to flout the law and have your own way.

From a human philosophical perspective...."There is nothing new under the sun."

Thanks,

Jack

Just curious have you used one like the one in the video above?

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Interesting from a technology standpoint, but from a practical perspective, I doubt I could justify it.

Thanks,

Jack

Yes, I agree. I think totally cost prohibitive for the individual. I was watching more of this guy's videos just now and he is clearly very busy...working 24 days with no sleep helping clients find their deer. I think maybe he's in the PA and OH area? Clearly a demand.

Very interesting technology indeed.

 

[yoderjac]

Just curious have you used one like the one in the video above?

I'm familiar with higher end technology than that used in the video. In a benign environment it seem truly amazing. There are many factors that limit the effectiveness of the technology. I'm not trying to downplay it. I'm just making the point that when we look at it in the context of historical technology advancements, there is really nothing new from a ethical dilemma perspective.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Yes, I agree. I think totally cost prohibitive for the individual. I was watching more of this guy's videos just now and he is clearly very busy...working 24 days with no sleep helping clients find their deer. I think maybe he's in the PA and OH area? Clearly a demand.

Very interesting technology indeed.

It’s not THAT cost prohibitive. Yes it’s expensive but for guys who own 7 figure farms or $6000 rifles or $15,000 sxs it’s just another toy. Also, as with all tech, it will only get cheaper. Wayyy cheaper

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I'm familiar with higher end technology than that used in the video. In a benign environment it seem truly amazing. There are many factors that limit the effectiveness of the technology. I'm not trying to downplay it. I'm just making the point that when we look at it in the context of historical technology advancements, there is really nothing new from a ethical dilemma perspective.

These are distorted cause they are taken off a screen with a phone. From a historical context this will be Pandora’s box…

 

[Natty Bumppo]

It’s not THAT cost prohibitive. Yes it’s expensive but for guys who own 7 figure farms or $6000 rifles or $15,000 sxs it’s just another toy. Also, as with all tech, it will only get cheaper. Wayyy cheaper

I guess my point was that it is cost prohibitive for 99% of the hunters out there.

 

[Mortenson]

These are distorted cause they are taken off a screen with a phone. From a historical context this will be Pandora’s box…

I agree with you. In my state they're probably salivating over the ways to make it possible to hunt those animals with a rifle mounted to that robot. And all at the same time they're banning our guns, literally as we speak here in IL. Wrap your mind on that.

This reminds me of the conversation we've had about slug guns vs rifles vs straight wall rifles. Some told me that the new straight wall rifle law won't make things any different than our current slug status. Wrong! I took the budget 350 intended for my kids' use out and did a quick sight in. After 1 shot from the eye-ball bore sight, the following 6 shots were a 2" group at 100 yards. This with cheap bullets. I've never seen such a group from a slug gun. My point is everything is getting easier.

I dislike the thought of losing a deer as much as the next guy, but I think giving up a few to nature vs this pandora's box is my moral stance.