An Idea to Increase the Chances of Having a Successful Hunt

[Dave2]

My dad just sent me a video about a new consumer drone that comes with either its own built-in video camera or a mount for a GoPro. Seems to me that if you take the IR filter off the built-in camera (I don't actually know if that's possible), or find a wifi-capable GoPro that's setup for night vision, you could send one of these things up and have a look around for anything nearby that's warm. Of course it goes without saying (yet here I am saying it anyway) that you can't go blindly shooting towards blobs of heat without verifying that it's an actual valid target and not some kid lost out in the woods, but you'd at least be able to quickly see if anything's in the area.

The big potential problem is noise... They're clearly audible in the not-completely-overdubbed videos I've seen, but I have yet to come across one that features one of these flying more than a couple feet away and has some other sound for reference (like someone talking or a car driving by) and does not have music mixed in loud enough to drown out any noise from the Phantom. Also I don't know how sensitive game animals to droney buzzy noises.

And finally, having never been hunting, I don't even know if not being able to find a target is a problem that needs solving. I should probably find out before getting one, since they aren't exactly free and I can't think of any other use for them around here. Maybe to inspect a roof or something... hmm... I need to send someone an email...

[GlockDude26]

just another thing that'll make it easier for someone to hunt us with.....

[Dan20703]

Unless you are doing this for hogs I'm guessing that there is some sort of regulation against using it for regulated game animals. Would probably fall under the harassment of game animals when the game warden wrote you the ticket.

[Dave2]

Unless you are doing this for hogs I'm guessing that there is some sort of regulation against using it for regulated game animals. Would probably fall under the harassment of game animals when the game warden wrote you the ticket.

Oh! I hadn't even thought of that... I was thinking for hogs, yeah, but it never occurred to me that it might not be legal.

[jmra]

Unless you are doing this for hogs I'm guessing that there is some sort of regulation against using it for regulated game animals. Would probably fall under the harassment of game animals when the game warden wrote you the ticket.

Oh! I hadn't even thought of that... I was thinking for hogs, yeah, but it never occurred to me that it might not be legal.

Can't hunt most game animals at night anyway. Now if you didn't have your gun with you and were just scouting with it I don't see how that could be anymore illegal than using a game camera at a feeder.

[drjoker]

Seems like you're taking the challenge, fun, tracking, skill, game, hunt out of the hunting. While you're at, why don't you buy that new gun with bullets that will fly around corners? Just mark the target with a laser dot using your drone. Then, fire the self-steering bullet from your computerized gun linked to your iPad that can self compensate for wind, distance, and other environmental factors. One shot, one kill, from a MILE away.

Remington 2020 with Trackingpoint, computerized self-compensating rifle:
...

Auto-Steering Bullet:
http://theweek.com/article/index/223898 ... selvesnbsp

FLIR camera (thermal camera) is $6300 from Cabela's:
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting ... t104463180

Arduino Drone, DIY for around $1000:
http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/ardupilot-main-page

The rifle is $27,500 and the bullet costs $14.5 million. A drone that can fly high enough and quiet enough not to spook game and still give you a decent video image with infrared is gonna be very expensive and millitary grade hardware, NOT civiilian grade hardware. It is a free country so you can buy it, but it would be very expensive. An alternative would be to build your own Arduino drone from plans off the internet. This is not copter but a plane drone, so you could fly to max altitude, then glide around to scout, and finally glide to a landing. The gliding is silent. Just be sure to fly to max altitude in an area away from the expected game so you don't spook the game with the motor sounds.

My dad just sent me a video about a new consumer drone that comes with either its own built-in video camera or a mount for a GoPro. Seems to me that if you take the IR filter off the built-in camera (I don't actually know if that's possible), or find a wifi-capable GoPro that's setup for night vision, you could send one of these things up and have a look around for anything nearby that's warm. Of course it goes without saying (yet here I am saying it anyway) that you can't go blindly shooting towards blobs of heat without verifying that it's an actual valid target and not some kid lost out in the woods, but you'd at least be able to quickly see if anything's in the area.

The big potential problem is noise... They're clearly audible in the not-completely-overdubbed videos I've seen, but I have yet to come across one that features one of these flying more than a couple feet away and has some other sound for reference (like someone talking or a car driving by) and does not have music mixed in loud enough to drown out any noise from the Phantom. Also I don't know how sensitive game animals to droney buzzy noises.

And finally, having never been hunting, I don't even know if not being able to find a target is a problem that needs solving. I should probably find out before getting one, since they aren't exactly free and I can't think of any other use for them around here. Maybe to inspect a roof or something... hmm... I need to send someone an email...

[Dave2]

That all sounds/looks/is very very too expensive for me, but hey, to each his/her own.

(Except the arduino bit... That looks pretty awesome)

[TEA]

I could see some value to it if you are using it as part of a game management plan or if you are hog hunting a large tract of land with multiple locations where hogs hang out and you just want to narrow your focus before heading off into the woods to try and track and stalk your prey.

TPWD oversees some wild life management programs in which the land owner is supposed to report on the wildlife population that is the target of preservation and I would think that a drone with a camera would be pretty useful for this.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/land/private/lip/

http://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/game_management/

[Abraham]

You're kidding, right - Hunt with a drone?

Ted Nugent's rolling in his grave...

Get ye to the meat market and forget about hunting, while me and the rest of us Luddites do it right as in dropping out of a tree onto the hog/deer's back with a flint knife in our teeth and getting the job done...

[rotor]

Texas has some very restrictive drone laws..
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/83 ... 00912F.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I guess you could consider this an aerial game camera. I don't know if it is legal or not.

[TomV]

There is nothing in wildlife laws that would prevent it. Trail cameras are pretty effective at showing game patterns. I would see this as just another form of trail cameras.

You can hunt pigs at night. They are not classified as a game animal in Texas. You must have a hunting license, but they can be hunted 24/7/365. The variable is the property you are hunting on. Some properties have season and time limits.

I don't mind working for my game animals.

[rbwhatever1]

[cb1000rider]

Texas has some very restrictive drone laws..
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/83 ... 00912F.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yikes. Looks like I'll be pulling the cameras out of my RC planes... That's crazy restrictive.

[C-dub]

Let's say it is legal to use. My question would be what will you do with the drone after it has found something. Will you land the drone and if so, where? If not, someone will have to keep piloting it, while the other(s) move toward the targets to identify them before shooting. I'm thinking that it would be more of a hassle and complicate things to the point of taking the fun out of the hunt. It might be easier and cheaper to get a decent night vision monocular and stay downwind working your way upwind or just stay put and wait for them to come to you.

Full Disclosure: I am not a hunter. Yet. Maybe someday, but not yet.