Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
Yeah I think he may be downplaying the effectiveness of this technology.
Thermal Drone Deer Recovery
- Thread starter Natty Bumppo
- Start date
lol. Like I said in an earlier post, been around the thermal equipped drone usage, and tried to use a good quality drone w/o thermal for potential scouting. It wasn't all that, for sure, but I do 100% agree thermal drones/scopes could be effectively used for illegal hunting at night. Thermal drone worked great for hogs, and we saw some deer, but it didn't take long to understand those deer we saw weren't going to just stand there and let us get close. I'm not downplaying, but I just didn't see alot of advantage when it comes to using this to try to take a deer. I imagine I could speak for all of us on this site when saying: I go to the woods to tune into nature, and you can't do that staring at a tablet.
With the expense involved, and the dedication it takes to figure all this tech out and then put it to use, I'd venture to say that your typical poacher is not going to come from the hunting side of the equation. It's likely going to be a wealthy person who's way into technology, who later segways on to use these skills to poach.
Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
I don’t want to beat a dead horse but not sure what tech you used as I’m not up on all the brands or capabilities and whatnot but the ones I’ve seen you could spot the pecker on a raccoon from 400’ high. It’s not the ethical sportsman any of us have to worry about …why would it be. It’s the unethical lazy slob hunter who the ends always justifies the means. These guys hunt amongst us. They are sometimes our neighbors, acquaintances, they post on social media, they have YouTube channels, they run outfitting businesses. Granted we are pushing a rock uphill to change one’s ethics but dang I hate that this tech is accessible to the general public now. Obviously it has uses that are far greater than simply hunting but we are treading dangerous grounds in regards to privacy with these damn things hovering around.
Yeah, you can see the animals, but getting close enough didn't seem to be easily doable. I just didn't find everything as easy to get into and use as it's portrayed to be.
On a side note: Once I figured out the drone wasn't effective for any type of scouting application, I thought maybe I'd make a cool video going across the lake on my boat, with the drone circling around me, like they do on deadliest catch and whatnot.
Yeah, that was a mistake. Was informed by a game ranger that it's illegal to operate a drone from a moving vehicle. Sold it.
On a side note: Once I figured out the drone wasn't effective for any type of scouting application, I thought maybe I'd make a cool video going across the lake on my boat, with the drone circling around me, like they do on deadliest catch and whatnot.
Yeah, that was a mistake. Was informed by a game ranger that it's illegal to operate a drone from a moving vehicle. Sold it.
Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
Interesting I didn’t know that. When I lived on the lake I would see wake surfers videoing themselves with a drone following behind
Spike_Horn_Shooter
5 year old buck +
You are a better hunter than me. I just don’t think I could make that happen. My property is not set up that well and I’m not that good of a hunter.
But back to the drone. A drone is going to tell you where that deer is in that specific moment. Max hover time around 30 minutes. With a rifle - it’s doable.
But the drone just magnifies the effectiveness. Same reason Larry Benoit drove logging roads looking for a big track - it increases your effective range.
But instead of a drone - isn’t a cell camera network a way more cost effective, and overall effective way to intercept a big buck? There’s plenty of guys on here with elaborate cell camera networks.
Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
Heck no it’s not more effective. I have to wait till that deer crosses in front of the camera. With a drone I can just drive around checking deer until i find the one…even if he isn’t on my property at that given time.
Spike_Horn_Shooter
5 year old buck +
To add onto my last post:
I think If a guy/group can afford a 20k drone - and they are going to use it to unethically (???) shoot big bucks, they are probably already doing nefarious stuff. Maybe they are baiting in a non baiting state. That’s probably the most effective way to shoot big deer and not get caught. Maybe they are in a 1 buck state and then shoot two bucks? Maybe they stay out in the stand shoot deer 10 minutes after legal light with a bow.
I have to figure that unless you have a big ranch, consistently shooting big bucks and flying a drone during hunting season is looking for trouble and jealousy.
I think If a guy/group can afford a 20k drone - and they are going to use it to unethically (???) shoot big bucks, they are probably already doing nefarious stuff. Maybe they are baiting in a non baiting state. That’s probably the most effective way to shoot big deer and not get caught. Maybe they are in a 1 buck state and then shoot two bucks? Maybe they stay out in the stand shoot deer 10 minutes after legal light with a bow.
I have to figure that unless you have a big ranch, consistently shooting big bucks and flying a drone during hunting season is looking for trouble and jealousy.
Spike_Horn_Shooter
5 year old buck +
What are you going to do when you find him?
What are you going to do if he’s on your neighbors property? Or two miles back on public in a swamp? Go get him? I mean a literal pack of wolves can run the downwind side of swamp and they know a bucks in there. They don’t kill every buck. They are better hunters than most of us.
Spike_Horn_Shooter
5 year old buck +
Dawgs,
I feel your concerns, but I just think the toothpaste is out of the tube, regarding technology and deer hunting.
On a personal note. 10 years ago I started hearing about how drones are going to cut the amount of tower climbers in half. Drones are going to take our jobs.
They didn’t. The drones make us more effective, but we still have to get up their and do the work.
I feel your concerns, but I just think the toothpaste is out of the tube, regarding technology and deer hunting.
On a personal note. 10 years ago I started hearing about how drones are going to cut the amount of tower climbers in half. Drones are going to take our jobs.
They didn’t. The drones make us more effective, but we still have to get up their and do the work.
Attachments
Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
I get it. I don’t think we have gotten to the point of attaching weapons to them…yet.
There are million scenarios I can imagine where the drone would absolutely allow you to kill a deer that otherwise would be a longshot. But I guess we will cross that bridge when it starts happening
Mortenson
5 year old buck +
Our 200 acre farm is broken up into several different clumps of woods. If I know which clump the monster is laying in, I'll go set up there. Sounds pretty simple to me. Maybe that's only a quarter of the battle of getting him knocked down, but you're that much closer.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
With an IR equipped drone, you are likely to see less than 1% of the deer on my property during shooting hours. Here, and in many places where pines are dominate, you will see nothing under a pine canopy. The are effective in open country and in hardwoods, perhaps, when leaves are on the ground.
It is funny how our perceptions vary from reality. In are state, it is legal to hunt deer with dogs. If you ask non-dog hunters they will tell you it give hunters an unfair advantage in hunting deer. If you look at the statistics, dog hunters have a very slight statistical advantage of shooting a deer over non-dog hunters in my state.
Keep in mind that you can't legally operate a drone outside line of sight without a license (which is a big deal to get). Perhaps in flat open country that has more range, but around here, that is not a large area.
On the upside of this technology, law enforcement has less restrictions on drone operation. I can see this being a great tool to allow game wardens expand their range.
This, like all of the technology that has come before it, will eventually find an equilibrium in the hunting community. Folks will form a consensus regarding legitimate and illegitimate uses. Some will be codified into law and regulation. Others will be individual ethical choices.
Thanks,
Jack
It is funny how our perceptions vary from reality. In are state, it is legal to hunt deer with dogs. If you ask non-dog hunters they will tell you it give hunters an unfair advantage in hunting deer. If you look at the statistics, dog hunters have a very slight statistical advantage of shooting a deer over non-dog hunters in my state.
Keep in mind that you can't legally operate a drone outside line of sight without a license (which is a big deal to get). Perhaps in flat open country that has more range, but around here, that is not a large area.
On the upside of this technology, law enforcement has less restrictions on drone operation. I can see this being a great tool to allow game wardens expand their range.
This, like all of the technology that has come before it, will eventually find an equilibrium in the hunting community. Folks will form a consensus regarding legitimate and illegitimate uses. Some will be codified into law and regulation. Others will be individual ethical choices.
Thanks,
Jack
Natty Bumppo
5 year old buck +
The guy in these videos I have been watching could switch back and forth between IR and hi-res, even at low light. He'd place the cursor on the red splotch that was giving off a heat signature, then with the click of a button he'd switch to hi-res mode and begin counting points on the antlers.
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If thermal drones were legal, and I had to choose, I'd go with my cuddelink system 100%. For the average person, too expensive and too difficult to use to try and harvest a deer, especially at night. I don't feel concerned this is going to catch on and be a big deal in regards to poaching deer. Thermal scopes, on the other hand...
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
We have already had a couple drone incidents come up here in Ohio with people looking for a dead deer that they shot which is legal, say that they are looking for dead deer and use a drone to push deer out of crop fields and woods which is not legal.
I personally have even seen the road hunters do it in my county. And yes, deer will flush from a drone buzzing them.
Back when the late snow goose season became legal a few Einsteins used drones to drive flying flocks of snow geese to the ground in a couple southern states and got caught. So specific laws were written up.
Technology isn’t always a good thing.
I personally have even seen the road hunters do it in my county. And yes, deer will flush from a drone buzzing them.
Back when the late snow goose season became legal a few Einsteins used drones to drive flying flocks of snow geese to the ground in a couple southern states and got caught. So specific laws were written up.
Technology isn’t always a good thing.
Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
Tip of the iceberg too. The possibilities of shadiness are endless.
Already heard of guys flying public land holes out in Arkansas looking for birds to set up on
Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
Additionally, on the subject of deer recovery, how do you feel if your neighbor or neighbor 3 properties over hires a drone for a hit deer and they fly over your property searching? They now have access to all your information from landscape to habitat to a census of deer in real time on your place. The drone can’t distinguish between dead or wounded deer and living deer so mr drone operator is going to check every heat register he gets. (If you own a small property I could check the entire thing in a couple minutes). Now your neighbor and his buddy know everything you may be wanting to keep close to the vest. Next thing you know they mention it to a buddy “hey we saw a hammer in mr bills food plot on the powerline the other day with that drone”.
Not saying anything comes of it but there’s also no reason someone should have legal access to do that. I don’t care if you looking for a deer or not. You should have to get the landowners permission to snoop around their property.
Not saying anything comes of it but there’s also no reason someone should have legal access to do that. I don’t care if you looking for a deer or not. You should have to get the landowners permission to snoop around their property.
Telemark
5 year old buck +
No wonder it's so expensive.
