Drone Stalking - A Modern Option?

[Foxyboy43]

Over here in Germany, I haven‘t come across public or forum discussions regarding using drones to hunt, but I suppose that the range of opinions would be as wide as discussed on here. That said, we are seeing the increasing use of drones, equipped with thermal cameras, by hunters (shooters/stalkers) during May and June every year on meadows. During normal rainfall years, farmers would be looking to mow the meadows for silage 3 times a year, with the first cut in May or early June. That‘s a critical period for countless newborn roe fawns, who lack a flight-response instinct during the first 4-6 weeks of their life and thus risk ending up under the tractor. Traditionally, we‘ve always kept close contact with the farmers to determine the date of the first cut, so that we can walk the meadows the day before, to either find fawns (to carefully relocate them) or disturb the does (who will then relocate their fawns). It’s both an arduous- and imprecise task, given that the first growth is up to a metre high at that stage. In recent years, however, thermal imaging drones have been a game-changer: large numbers of fawns are now being spotted from above, which helps to avoid injuries or loss of life during the next day‘s harvest. Interestingly, whilst some of the drone pilots are hunters themselves, many are not. What they have in common, however, is a “purpose” to fly and put their hobby to good use and it gives them access (on the day) to flying over varied properties and landscapes.

What a great and positive use of the latest technology!

 

[Leupsak]

A drone has its place but its not in deer stalking, deer stalking is a term for the stealthy pursuit of deer on foot with intention of killing the deer for meat, for sport, or to control the numbers. Sat on your arse watching a video is not stalking by definition.
Monitoring deer, yes I can see its use and in a past life I had staff with pilots licences who flew drones and did a great job relaying realtime information to a control unit but stalking it is not.

 

[User00025]

318 View attachment 194945

By God Tim, they're some funny looking deer, you've shot too many.

 

[Tim.243]

By God Tim, they're some funny looking deer, you've shot too many.

well taking a leaf out of your book then dear stag1933 should not have put these up
RIP HWH

A Hay Day on the Foxes

Second time I have been to this field, the first time was when I went around on a border walk with the owner. He had agreed to text me when they had cut the hay, lunch time a text popped up..." the hay is cut " I reversed in the gateway an slid along the edge of my truck so not to profile...

www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk

 

[Indlovu]

What a great and positive use of the latest technology!

Indeed!

 

[User00025]

well taking a leaf out of your book then dear stag1933 should not have put these up
RIP HWH

A Hay Day on the Foxes

Second time I have been to this field, the first time was when I went around on a border walk with the owner. He had agreed to text me when they had cut the hay, lunch time a text popped up..." the hay is cut " I reversed in the gateway an slid along the edge of my truck so not to profile...

www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk

Don't know what Hubert had to do with somebody shooting 8 out of 10 deer in one.hit.
However knowing him well he would have had far worse words than me to say about it, God bless him.

 

[Tim.243]

Don't know what Hubert had to do with somebody shooting 8 out of 10 deer in one.hit.
However knowing him well he would have had far worse words than me to say about it, God bless him.

The point is so Steven can see that William the Conqueror is on the forum but he might receive a few harsh lines but won't have his trigger finger cut off per se lol

​

 

[Apthorpe]

Ok, drones in general are not for me and I wouldn’t choose them to aid my stalking (I don’t feel the need) but.......

For all those that are saying it provides an unfair advantage, where do they feel it appropriate to freeze the clock of technical progression?

Do we outlaw telescopic sights, binoculars, thermal spotters, nitro cellulose powder, metallic cartridge ammunition?

we could soon be back to using flintlock muzzle loading rifles....

or we could go back further to spears arrows etc (no compound bows allowed lol)

Not sure if I’m getting my point across but I’m just asking, who has the right to freeze the March of technological progress if they are benefiting from relatively recent innovation themselves

On the other hand we could embrace technological change, embrace modern technology by dispensing with stalkers altogether and have the state use robots and drones to shoot, poison, gas or electrocute the deer instead.
An approach that has many advantages and one which I hope everyone would reject as an extremely bad idea.
Obviously a line has to be drawn with technology. I'd view a logical limit to be the limits of human perception and performance without the use of electricity to enhance them. We already mostly accept that stalking should be done on foot not from aircraft or moving vehicles, nor even horseback.
There are clear lessons available, to be taken or ignored, from the fuss over trophy hunting. In that campaign, one of the most potent factors is that the hunters in controversies are perceived not to have been engaged in a "fair chase", but in "canned hunting" where the odds are stacked in favour of the hunter.
Perhaps nobody has the right to decide, but we all have the responsibility.

 

[palmer_mike]

On the other hand we could embrace technological change, embrace modern technology by dispensing with stalkers altogether and have the state use robots and drones to shoot, poison, gas or electrocute the deer instead.
An approach that has many advantages and one which I hope everyone would reject as an extremely bad idea.
Obviously a line has to be drawn with technology. I'd view a logical limit to be the limits of human perception and performance without the use of electricity to enhance them. We already mostly accept that stalking should be done on foot not from aircraft or moving vehicles, nor even horseback.
There are clear lessons available, to be taken or ignored, from the fuss over trophy hunting. In that campaign, one of the most potent factors is that the hunters in controversies are perceived not to have been engaged in a "fair chase", but in "canned hunting" where the odds are stacked in favour of the hunter.
Perhaps nobody has the right to decide, but we all have the responsibility.

So your for banning illuminated reticules, laser rangefinders, thermal imagers?

pretty much accepted by the vast majority of the deer stalkers in the U.K. but you get to decide what’s right?

 

[Hayduke]

Well that may go some way to explaining your post.
Is it the case then that you are not interested in "managing" the deer but merely see them as a pest to be eradicated?

The question is not meant to be inflammatory, so please do not take it as such. I am just trying to understand your circumstances.

"a pest to be eradicated"
Is a slightly inflammatory question / assumption.

Some on here like to get out and stalk a deer or two, maybe take only the sick and the old, the odd one for the freezer.
Others on here, have to cull big numbers of deer. It is their job, or the landowner wants them culled, or there is little or no deer management on neighbouring land. Every circumstance is different.

The great thing about this forum is that I know lads on here who are culling many hundreds a year. Others who might just take a couple. And we all get along, and we all live and learn.

 

[T.eddie]

"a pest to be eradicated"
Is a slightly inflammatory question / assumption.

Some on here like to get out and stalk a deer or two, maybe take only the sick and the old, the odd one for the freezer.
Others on here, have to cull big numbers of deer. It is their job, or the landowner wants them culled, or there is little or no deer management on neighbouring land. Every circumstance is different.

The great thing about this forum is that I know lads on here who are culling many hundreds a year. Others who might just take a couple. And we all get along, and we all live and learn.

I don't think it was supposed to be a inflammatory question given what he had written
Sometimes it's better to just shoot straight instead of beat around the Bush
But agree circumstances dictate what needs to be done

 

[Apthorpe]

So your for banning illuminated reticules, laser rangefinders, thermal imagers?

pretty much accepted by the vast majority of the deer stalkers in the U.K. but you get to decide what’s right?

Evidently you didn't read my last sentence.
But to answer the question, I avoid using them. In exactly the same way we (mostly) avoid lamping deer. On the whole, I'm against banning anything because I hope (frequently in vain) that people collectively are responsible enough to know where to draw a line delineating good conduct.
I absolutely agree that they make life easier and more productive, but that is not necessarily the same as being in the interests of professional stalkers/cullers/eradicators.

 

[mchughcb]

Meanwhile on the continent, the hounds and beaters flush the deer to the waiting hunters and bomb what is required. How they do that without thermal vision or drones is beyond me.

 

[EddieArran505]

Please come back and update us when you’ve perfected the bullet discharge platform.

K

Here we go

 

[Klenchblaize]

Here we go

I hope it can fly upside down.

K

 

[EddieArran505]

Nah - once I`ve programmed it from my armchair it locates a medal head somewhere in the county, locks on with its laser then dips down for the shot before deploying the cargo net for retrieval before sending a signal to the oven to fire up. Still need to perfect the automatic gralloch, skin and butcher though.

 

[Ade8mm]

Drone stalking? No thanks.

 

[User00025]

Had to use a night licence in my time but hated it and would never be put in that position again. In fact at present I am contemplating buying another rifle and will remove the scope and use the iron sights if I get it. Back to basics, slightly better than a bow or spear but I am prepared to use that much technology.

 

[EddieArran505]

As a much younger man I shot full-bore competitions fairly regularly from 100 to 300 yards with the occasional joust on Stickledown out to 1000 yards with Parker Hale iron sights. Not easy but a good day was a special day. Can remember the guffawing when someone turned up with ‘telescopic sights’. Most un-gentlemanly.
Now I can’t even see 1000 yards without a scope!

 

[bfltd0]

Nah - once I`ve programmed it from my armchair it locates a medal head somewhere in the county, locks on with its laser then dips down for the shot before deploying the cargo net for retrieval before sending a signal to the oven to fire up. Still need to perfect the automatic gralloch, skin and butcher though.

With the .50 cal, the deer explodes into ready-butchered component parts.