Thermal Drones

[The Lucky Hunter]

What are your thoughts on drones with thermal imaging capabilities for deer stalking?

We had this discussion with some of you at The Stalking Show this year, with some mixed views, but with the majority agreeing that it is a useful piece of equipment!

In my opinion, it is an absolutely superb tool for a deer stalker to have access to. Professional deer stalkers and estates will almost certainly benefit from having a drone for a number of reasons, such as: counting the number of deer on the ground and identifying the sex, finding injured deer, creating three-dimensional maps of your hunting grounds, anti-poaching / increasing security on your land and premises etc. Although, that's not to say that recreational stalkers wouldn't benefit from having access to one.


What's your thoughts? Does it have a place in the deer stalking world?

 

[sikamalc]

In my opinion they are great for undertaking deer counts.

As for using one to go stalking............................you need to rethink about whether your a stalker or not. If you cant learn your ground and deer without one, I would suggest you take up stamp collecting.

 

[One on top of two]

In my opinion they are great for undertaking deer counts.

As for using one to go stalking............................you need to rethink about whether your a stalker or not. If you cant learn your ground and deer without one, I would suggest you take up stamp collecting.

You took the words right out of my mouth !

 

[The Lucky Hunter]

Completely agree! Or have it in the back of the vehicle, should you need to locate an animal that has run and you didn't have a dog. Plenty of uses, but like you say, if you're using it to actively pursue an animal... I would also strongly encourage a new pass time!

 

[Bavarianbrit]

£££££ ?????? Is it affordable yet?

 

[artschool]

I wonder when the first variation will go in for a 308 thermal drone?

 

[Gunner223]

Very handy for the Anti,s at night,

 

[The Lucky Hunter]

£££££ ?????? Is it affordable yet?

Well in comparison to some handheld thermal imagers, they are much the same price. An Autel Evo thermal drone starts at around the £4,700 mark. But, I suppose it comes down to how justifiable the purchase is. But, they aren't cheap thats for sure!

 

[The Lucky Hunter]

I wonder when the first variation will go in for a 308 thermal drone?

Hopefully never!!

 

[The Lucky Hunter]

Very handy for the Anti,s at night

Maybe not thermal, but they probably already have drones!

 

[Mungo]

As a survey tool on open ground, extremely useful. Only current constraint is the error associated with accurate species identification.

On more forested ground, somewhat useful but their ability to detect things under broadleaf canopy or dense forestry is wildly overestimated at the moment.

As a stalking (as opposed to survey) aid, probably less useful than a hand held unit, except in specific contexts - such as locating deer at night around corners/over ridge lines, to then plan stalks into.

As an aid for recovery of dead animals, very limited use except on very open ground with short vegetation.

 

[jall55]

In my opinion they are great for undertaking deer counts.

As for using one to go stalking............................you need to rethink about whether your a stalker or not. If you cant learn your ground and deer without one, I would suggest you take up stamp collecting.

Was the same not said of scopes - then binos - then thermal spotters though ?

 

[nun_hunter]

If you have the money but are short on time like most younger stalkers who are still working 40+hrs a week and family commitments at the weekends etc then why not.

Battery life isn't enough that you'd put one up and have it flying the whole stalk but pop it up from your start point to give you an idea of which direction to head then Id be all for it.

If you've got land to stalk that is large enough that you can only cover a part of it during a visit due to time constraints then it would be a great tool to help you maximise your time, get some meat and enjoy the actual stalk.

Time and technology move on and there is no reason why you can't incorporate new technology in a traditional activity like stalking.

I bet the majority of people here saying you need a new past time if you want to use a drone use telescopic sights, thermals probably are the same ones wanting heated jackets, insoles, gloves and a thermos flask to make their hobby more enjoyable and pleasant, especially as they get older and find life is more difficult

 

[jall55]

If you have the money but are short on time like most younger stalkers who are still working 40+hrs a week and family commitments at the weekends etc then why not.

Battery life isn't enough that you'd put one up and have it flying the whole stalk but pop it up from your start point to give you an idea of which direction to head then Id be all for it.

If you've got land to stalk that is large enough that you can only cover a part of it during a visit due to time constraints then it would be a great tool to help you maximise your time, get some meat and enjoy the actual stalk.

Time and technology move on and there is no reason why you can't incorporate new technology in a traditional activity like stalking.

I bet the majority of people here saying you need a new past time if you want to use a drone use telescopic sights, thermals probably are the same ones wanting heated jackets, insoles, gloves and a thermos flask to make their hobby more enjoyable and pleasant, especially as they get older and find life is more difficult

Indeed - and i wonder how we managed without quads and winches and trigger sticks ?

 

[243ack]

I've got a Mavic 3T and it's an incredible piece of technology. Unfortunately beyond my techno ability - hence for sale!.

 

[The Lucky Hunter]

If you have the money but are short on time like most younger stalkers who are still working 40+hrs a week and family commitments at the weekends etc then why not.

Battery life isn't enough that you'd put one up and have it flying the whole stalk but pop it up from your start point to give you an idea of which direction to head then Id be all for it.

If you've got land to stalk that is large enough that you can only cover a part of it during a visit due to time constraints then it would be a great tool to help you maximise your time, get some meat and enjoy the actual stalk.

Time and technology move on and there is no reason why you can't incorporate new technology in a traditional activity like stalking.

I bet the majority of people here saying you need a new past time if you want to use a drone use telescopic sights, thermals probably are the same ones wanting heated jackets, insoles, gloves and a thermos flask to make their hobby more enjoyable and pleasant, especially as they get older and find life is more difficult

Excellent points and I fully agree with you there! I'm going to sound like i'm going back on myself here (I should have made my above statement more specific) But absolutely, when your busy like many of us are, you have a larger area to cover and you want to get the maximum returns out of your time invested, then why not! In that example, it's no real different from a handheld thermal imager which of course allows you to cover more ground faster without having stop and glass areas that may or may not have animals in, ultimately a more efficient hunter!

 

[The Lucky Hunter]

Was the same not said of scopes - then binos - then thermal spotters though ?

That is very true!

 

[SussexSteve]

I’m just about to invest in one but as said for surveys and locating shot deer in arable fields

 

[sikamalc]

Sticks, we made our own before all the massive stick collections of today. Scopes we had, and they have improved, but then shooting open sights was still around. But then a scope is for making sure you hit the target in low light and good light. Quads, yes, although some places in the highlands still use pony's.

Stalking deer is exactly that, stalking them. Not hunting them from above.

If you cant learn your ground, and stalk deer, whether you have a job that takes 40+ hours a week or not, you are NOT a deer stalker in my book. You would be better playing a computer game.
Finding deer and knowing where and when they might be is all part of learning stalking, the wind, weather and your skill. I have only had one person ask to bring a drone when stalking with me. My reply was yes, bring it if you must, I will bring a 12 bore and blow it out of the sky. Needless to say he did not book with me, no loss there, I can assure you. I take people who want to learn the art of stalking, not flying a drone because they are too lazy to walk the ground and find the deer.

What next, a rifle fitted underneath so you can shoot them from 100yds up in the sky?

 

[jall55]

Sticks, we made our own before all the massive stick collections of today. Scopes we had, and they have improved, but then shooting open sights was still around. But then a scope is for making sure you hit the target in low light and good light. Quads, yes, although some places in the highlands still use pony's.

Stalking deer is exactly that, stalking them. Not hunting them from above.

If you cant learn your ground, and stalk deer, whether you have a job that takes 40+ hours a week or not, you are NOT a deer stalker in my book. You would be better playing a computer game.
Finding deer and knowing where and when they might be is all part of learning stalking, the wind, weather and your skill. I have only had one person ask to bring a drone when stalking with me. My reply was yes, bring it if you must, I will bring a 12 bore and blow it out of the sky. Needless to say he did not book with me, no loss there, I can assure you. I take people who want to learn the art of stalking, not flying a drone because they are too lazy to walk the ground and find the deer.

What next, a rifle fitted underneath so you can shoot them from 100yds up in the sky?

So easy to say Malc - and in that case so many of the people that you guys - guide - are simply not stalkers either - and never will be