# The future of scouting: Drones



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Sit in your truck and scout the entire mountain, easy peasy. You can do this for about half the cost of a swaro spotter... and probably a heck of alot more fun. It will be interesting if the DWR ever wants to step in and regulate it, expecially if this is the tech available now, what will be available in 5 years? nightvision, heat vision...? Everyone can have their own drone flying the mountains looking for that last big buck.

Beautiful video taken by Todd Sheridan, my former boss actually:






-DallanC


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## lobowatch (Apr 23, 2011)

Dunno about using it for scouting, who knows? But it is one kewl vid that's for sure! Really well done!


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

That was way cool. Thanks for sharing. I think I saw something on it last night on KSL tv...I could have been dreaming tho.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Bears Butt said:


> That was way cool. Thanks for sharing. I think I saw something on it last night on KSL tv...I could have been dreaming tho.


It was, its been on almost every network now. Last night's show had Mt Goats and other critters in it. Pretty cool you can remote fly one of these from the base to the top of timp. Much safer than using a chute plane and quicker too. Buzzing up and down a few drainages would save alot of hiking.

Its illegal to fly over an area within 3 days of hunting... wonder if they will extend the rule to RC planes like this? Imagine a dozen of these flying around opening morning LMAO!

-DallanC


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

Imagine the possibilities, a drone mounted camera able to hone in and follow a hounds GPS collar and visually track it's movements......I dunno, but this could be the next generation of hound tracking equipment.

Cool video.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

This is one of the coolest things ive seen in awhile. Do you have info where i can get a set up like that.


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## uthunter81 (Dec 4, 2011)

swbuckmaster said:


> This is one of the coolest things ive seen in awhile. Do you have info where i can get a set up like that.


Check this website out:

http://www.draganfly.com/uav-helicopter/draganflyer-x6/

The scary or cool thing, depending on how you feel is that these babies can be programmed to hover over GPS coordinates you input. Fortunately the range is only 150 yards for now. But I'm sure that distance will grow exponentially. I can't wait to send out a drone in the morning to the gps coordinates I have designated. I might as well go on welfare at that point  . No reason to leave the house until hunting season. Oh and BTW you just need 20k.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

I dont think he was using that. It looked like a flying wing. Those are about a 150 bucks


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

I think you guys would be in shock if you knew how much scouting from
the air is already being done,, And has been for many years....

We were leasing helicopter services out of Bryce canyon and Moab 20+ years
ago figuring out how to access, and get into remote areas in southern Utah..

I've got some cool videos that were shot on old VHS tapes if I ever learned how
to convert them onto digital format.....


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

goofy elk said:


> I think you guys would be in shock if you knew how much scouting from
> the air is already being done,, And has been for many years....


Sure, big $$$ has been doing it for years... but this new technology puts it squarely in the range most average but serious hunters could afford, $1000. Once you cross the threshold where its cheap enough, mass amounts of people jump on board. Look at trailcameras, they used to be super expensive and only made from a real camera and some expensive circuitry. Once they got cheap most people bought one.

These planes are cheap and the camera VR feedback system is now cheap. For those that didn't quite get it from the video. You fly the plane from your launch position with a VR helmet on your head. You literally see what the plane sees, you don't have to wait till the plane comes down to look at the footage, you see immediately what the plane sees. As a bonus you get to record what you see as well.

Faster, easier, cheaper, safer than a helicopter.

I've modified camera equipement and removed the IR filters... you get better nightvision on them and the ability to film above the normal visual spectrum. Give this new tech a few years and I believe it will be easy to record animals by their heat signatures as well.

-DallanC


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## Petersen (Sep 7, 2007)

swbuckmaster said:


> This is one of the coolest things ive seen in awhile. Do you have info where i can get a set up like that.


The note accompanying the video said that it was shot using this: http://crashtesthobby.com/products/deep-reaper-xl


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Shooting those down would be almost as fun as hunting deer. If they would allow anti-aircraft fire to keep it interesting, I would be for it. -------SS


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

I KNOW WHO NEEDs A FEW OF THESE :!: 

The DWR needs to buy every Bio and herd Tech guy one that are doing 
deer count estimates on winter range.......

Maybe they could get a more realistic count  

I'm still not believing 286K deer in Utah right now....NO FREAK'in WAY...


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

goofy elk said:


> I KNOW WHO NEEDs A FEW OF THESE :!:
> 
> The DWR needs to buy every Bio and herd Tech guy one that are doing
> deer count estimates on winter range.......
> ...


They are using the new math


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## a_bow_nut (Feb 25, 2009)

goofy elk said:


> The DWR needs to buy every Bio and herd Tech guy one that are doing
> deer count estimates on winter range.......


I sometimes wonder if they do their deer count estimates by the number of dead deer on the side of the road?

More dead deer on the road means that heard numbers are up right? :O•-:


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

a_bow_nut said:


> [More dead deer on the road means that heard numbers are up right? :O•-:


I think it means ALOT more traffic ,, combined with inexperienced ( or stupid :shock: )
drivers..........................................................Ya, I said that.

And critter, My kids bring that "new math" crap home,, Doesn't make seance to me.


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## martymcfly73 (Sep 17, 2007)

That was awesome!


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## coues52 (Nov 11, 2007)

..that was neat~Danny


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