Scouting by drone

[wytex]

Dancerpro the biologists and GW in Wyoming will give you the same info you could get from a drone. Biologists have a handle on where and when the animals use their home ranges and winter range.
Seasonal movements are also pretty well known by them and other hunters.

The legalities of drones and their disdain by other hunters might lead to issue out in the field for you.
You may be surprised what info can be gleaned from this site and others buy just asking. I don't know anyone that would begrudge giving info to a handicapped hunter.

 

[thusby]

Why not start with trail cameras and whitetails? The whitetails generally live closer to accessible areas and as long as you can make your way to a ground blind in decent habitat you should see plenty of action.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Huh?^

Like Sytes...
Hate drones.

Me too; I like Sytes; I hate drones. IMO, using drones for any outdoor backwoods forest, river bottom, desert, or wilderness recreational activity is akin to blowing up the legacy of that outdoor activity with an air-to-ground rocket from an unmanned aircraft. It's disrespectful. For the hunting legacy (which includes scouting) it is a disrespectful abomination.

 

[Dancerpro]

Dancerpro the biologists and GW in Wyoming will give you the same info you could get from a drone. Biologists have a handle on where and when the animals use their home ranges and winter range.
Seasonal movements are also pretty well known by them and other hunters.

The legalities of drones and their disdain by other hunters might lead to issue out in the field for you.
You may be surprised what info can be gleaned from this site and others buy just asking. I don't know anyone that would begrudge giving info to a handicapped hunter.

Thank you, I have thought of talking to Game Wardens, but I never even considered Biologists.

 

[Hunting Wife]

Drone use for any reason is illegal on National Wildlife Refuges and other lands managed by USFWS because of the disturbance factor. Just something to keep in mind...legality will vary.

A couple of thoughts...

I don’t see what a drone gives you over the satellite imagery that is already available these days. It’s very good.

There’s a reason e-scouting is only a first step or substitute when you can’t make it to the place in person. You can see almost zero of the details that are really important. Old sign? Old rubs? Old beds? Trails? Ambush spots? Pinch points? Which way do animals move through the area? Forage condition? What’s the grass like? What forbs are around? Even out of season, these types of details clue you in to whether an area might be worth your time this fall, or not.

Even if you’ve e-scouted an area to death, it still takes at minimum a day or two on the ground to figure out all the things you couldn’t see that make one area a bust and another area great in a given year.

I think you could fly a drone over habitat every day and still have no understanding about how animals use the area because you’re missing the little things. Same as relying solely on e-scouting. A drone still isn’t giving you exposure to reading and understanding all the little clues that you need to be able to sort out when you are actually hunting. You’ll pick up much more of that information, and faster, by putting yourself on the ground observing in some way.

 

[OntarioHunter]

The devil's in the details.

I dig drones. I think you're on the wrong track for an alt to boots on the ground and "e-scouting".

I take hell for my thoughts of drone use and hunting... depending on your state, it may or may not be legal to use for scouting wildlife.

Montana... it's legal, just as an aeroplane scout. One may not use a drone for scouting and hunting said scouting area the same day. However, the last hour of the evening in an area I'm not hunting or done hunting for the day, it is legal to use a drone to scout for the next day.

View attachment 182387

Some may not like it... oh well. I like it though on one occasion I've used it mainly for filming my camp location, etc... however, not to film the actual hunt.

Keep in mind, legal areas to fly... i.e. no wilderness areas, etc. Airmap is a good app to view fly/no fly zones, etc.

Sytes you seem to have mixed up legal and illegal here. Confusing. Needs an edit. Very good to have chapter and verse statutes quoted. Thanks.

 

[Rzrbck918]

I don't see it as a huge problem to be used out of season. I think in conjunction with e scouting, it could eliminate a couple of places it might be difficult for you to get. If it crosses some potential areas off the list and allows you to focus on more productive areas, then do what you need to do to participate most efficiently in hunting. I think Nameless Range is correct when he said they may not be extraordinarily useful at this point but Im all for you giving it a shot.

 

[longbow51]

You know, if you can afford it, for the first time ever for me, I would recommend a guided hunt, unless you have experienced hunters accompanying you. Too many things can go wrong, and much more likely to do so in the differently abled.

And again, most likely brushing against legalities as HuntingWife pointed out. At the time we were putting in our backcountry camps in the Scapegoat Wilderness, we couldn't even use chain saws.

 

[npaden]

The newest drones are much quieter than angry buzzing swarm of bees noise that the first several generations of drones made. They are getting cheaper and easier to carry around as well.

Having had one, I would say that they really aren't well suited for scouting though. They are good at taking nice pictures or video from an angle otherwise impossible. They are really good at that.

A good set of binoculars or a spotting scope from a ridge or other good vantage point is going to give you much more information than flying a drone over the same piece of ground.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I don't need to vent my disdain for technocrap. Everyone else has made that point. I don't believe in trailcams either. But I'm a public land free range tracker, not limited to some high priced forty acre lease with bait plots.

I applaud you for asking for our thoughts on this. The response is a bit negative but don't run off. There's hundreds of years worth of experience to be tapped here and you're just getting started.

I will conclude with this: don't look for shortcuts. They're not worth it. This big bull elk was dropped with one shot going away in thick timber after a morning of tracking in new snow. I pulled him down the mountain by myself after tying him up to gut (I'm guessing 30% slope). Then there's this nice ram blesbuck (silver medal SCI) shot two years ago in Africa. Spotted from the pickup and taken with one shot at about 100 yrds standing broadside after a short stalk. PH drove the truck to the carcass. So which trophy do you think means the most? For me, overcoming adversity is what matters. Life is too short. Make it as adventurous as you can. Adversity = adventure.

 

[lastlight]

My main reason for asking is simply, I'm disabled and it is very difficult to get into the outdoors and I value all areas, however, I'd rather not spend scouting time in areas that have no hunting value. I do value the outdoors and the wildlife that live there and I am not trying to destroy the peace I find there, but I am trying to maximize my efforts. I am asked, being disabled, why try and hunt? The simple answer is that I believe I am working to obey a commandment from God, just as I have in concentrating my efforts, till now, in providing a future for my family. I have received a great deal of information and advice through asking these questions. As pointed out I am already in the area, which means I have taken the time to get outside and am simply looking for directions for scouting. I have never flown a drone and don't know what sounds they make. I have also never played a video game, but understand the comparison being made. Understanding that comparison, has helped me understand one thing. Live life as I always have, hands on and not through someone else's eyes.

The reason I respond to you is, you were angry about my question. I am not trying to convince you of anything, but rather inform you that I am asking experienced outdoor folks advice on how best to proceed, before I do something stupid.

If I came across as angry it’s because I’ve had first hand experiences with drones while on public lands. Nothing more invasive. I would save and hire a guide and/or hunt private land if I were you and your unable to scout off the beaten path. But I’m glad you asked before doing something stupid, good luck this year!

 

[nrpate05]

I've never flown a drone, but we just had the roofer to the house to fix a leak and he found a drone up there. Really rubbed me the wrong way for some reason. I'd say just go for a walk. You find a lot of neat things wandering around in the woods. Including a lot of balloons. I'd encourage you to pick them up!

 

[Bob-WY]

Legality aside, since that will vary state to state and even land piece to land piece. Brush off the gruff responses here, it's a technology and has it's limits, some are just against it.

That said, I don't think you will get much out of a drone over say Google Earth. You can really zoom in in Google earth and "cover more ground" than you can with a drone, you can ID trails, thick/thin areas, slopes etc. Given your physical limitations, I'd suggest google earth, MAYBE a drone could add small value over that as GE can be out of date, or taken at a poor time of year for viewing through tree cover.

There is one aspect the anti-tech folks are totally right on, nothing, and I mean nothing, beats walking the land, finding trails, sign, old sign etc. GE/drones etc just allow you to limit the miles needed and impassable terrain you could run into.

Once there, you do have to consider your limitations with the reality of hunting, depending on species, terrain etc., and then consider success and how to get the animal out of the field. All considerations that have physical aspects.

 

[88man]

I believe in a few years you will be able to buy live HQ live video and you will not need a drone.

 

[brownbear932008]

Like some others have said I'm not so sure a drone will get you much more than what Google earth could in the whole scheme of things. I'm not a drone fan. They are neat inventions that have their place and can definitely be useful in some circumstances.
I think it's awesome that you are a new hunter that is pushing beyond your limitations to enjoy our great outdoors. Your position is unique in the fact that your mobility is severely limited it seems. In your case I say if your interested in trying a drone for scouting go for it. You may find that it helps in some way.
I don't think you stated what game your interested in unless I missed it and maybe what States or State interest you? That could change what people may suggest to you or their opinions on what may or may not work.

 

[Sytes]

Sytes you seem to have mixed up legal and illegal here. Confusing. Needs an edit. Very good to have chapter and verse statutes quoted. Thanks.

That's directly from 2021 FWP Regulations. Feel free to quote another source if you feel I've not quoted a quality source.

 

[Bowmannate2000]

Dancerpro, what state are you in? Maybe a local hunt talker would be willing to take you on a mentored hunt to help you get started?

 

[OntarioHunter]

That's directly from 2021 FWP Regulations. Feel free to quote another source if you feel I've not quoted a quality source.

The source is correct but you're saying it's legal when your source says it's illegal. ??? I'm sure it's your spellchecker screwing up.

 

[Sytes]

I reviewed it with my region's captain and he said that exactly how it is so long as I am scouting the day before I am able to use a drone as long as it's not interfering harassing or otherwise adversely affecting the wildlife it's the same principle as airplanes

 

[npaden]

The source is correct but you're saying it's legal when your source says it's illegal. ??? I'm sure it's your spellchecker screwing up.

The source says it is illegal if you use the drone and hunt the same day. That matches up with Sytes saying that it is legal if you use the drone and hunt the next day. Pretty basic stuff.