How animals react to a drone, (up for review)

[FlyGuy8675309]

In my experience, the animals most startled/annoyed by drones are **** sapiens. (insert *** joke here, wiseguys).

I have a family of rabbits that graze my backyard. They pay no attention to my Mavic taking off or landing just 20-25 feet away. Same with the swans at a nearby pond.

No problem with birds ---- even aggressive ones. I think the key is not using the drone to approach them --- I steer away from them, they steer away from me.

 

[Montana John]

I'm a deer hunter, how does this square with this conversation?

How does this conversation intersect with hunting? Well, as far as I know, it is illegal to use a drone to assist in hunting or fishing in national forests. Further, I would expect that you do not want someone flying a drone over the area you hunt and driving the animals away and making them hyper-alert.
The ethics of hunting in general is a topic for another discussion on another forum.

 

[FlyGuy8675309]

How does this conversation intersect with hunting? Well, as far as I know, it is illegal to use a drone to assist in hunting or fishing in national forests.

Protect Wildlife & the Environment

• Do not fly over congressionally designated Wilderness Areas or Primitive Areas as many people seek these places for the opportunities for solitude and quiet that they provide.
• Do not fly over or near wildlife as this can create stress that may cause significant harm, and even death. Intentional disturbance of animals during breeding, nesting, rearing of young, or other critical life history functions is not allowed unless approved as research or management.
• Follow state wildlife and fish agency regulations on the use of UAS to search for or detect wildlife and fish.
• Launch the UAS more than 100 meters (328 feet) from wildlife. Do not approach animals or birds vertically with the UAS.

Tips for Responsible Hobby or Recreational Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or "Drones" on National Forest Systems Lands | US Forest Service

 

[grendeljaeger]

I just think if you get close enough to the animals to make them skittish or afraid then you ruin the shot as you are trying to capture the animals in their natural surroundings from an angle that we usually don't see. I love watching Robert Granata's videos because he catches animals acting natural and seemingly unaffected by his drone. I'm not sure about his successful technique, and I would defer to him, but I believe he approaches from high above them and then goes down and they seem to not notice him being directly over them. Anyway I make no judgements except what makes a good video that I'd like to watch and animals running from a drone don't interest me.
I respect you for looking for input in order to improve your craft and as a newbie I wish I could help more but I'm searching too.

 

[hingeman]

Naa, I agree totally that actually chasing deer, or any other animal with a drone for no reason is not something you should or may do, but what I did was slowly come closer, not any worse than if I had come closer myself, then after they withdrew I didn't pursue them or in any other way scare them more, I think if a person had come that close they would have been much more scared, (at least the ducks and the deer)... A predator flying above them, (much farther away), (and totally natural), would have given them much more fear than a little strange looking bird with four props...

So, In other words, what you're saying is that we can't film wildlife with a drone unless we're too far away to see much. If I was walking around in the forest and taking pictures of some sort of wildlife, why wouldn't that be harassment as well? I think this is getting blown way out of proportion. What's the definition of harassment?

 

[FlyGuy8675309]

So, In other words, what you're saying is that we can't film wildlife with a drone unless we're too far away to see much. If I was walking around in the forest and taking pictures of some sort of wildlife, why wouldn't that be harassment as well? I think this is getting blown way out of proportion. What's the definition of harassment?

Protect Wildlife & the Environment

• Do not fly over congressionally designated Wilderness Areas or Primitive Areas as many people seek these places for the opportunities for solitude and quiet that they provide.
• Do not fly over or near wildlife as this can create stress that may cause significant harm, and even death. Intentional disturbance of animals during breeding, nesting, rearing of young, or other critical life history functions is not allowed unless approved as research or management.
• Follow state wildlife and fish agency regulations on the use of UAS to search for or detect wildlife and fish.
• Launch the UAS more than 100 meters (328 feet) from wildlife. Do not approach animals or birds vertically with the UAS.

Tips for Responsible Hobby or Recreational Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or "Drones" on National Forest Systems Lands | US Forest Service

 

[maven4336]

Please comment and make constructive suggestions!

I fly around my land, cows just stare lol

 

[Rnl]

 

[Rnl]

If you do it right they don't spook, check several herds a day. Don't hunt with it but do film daily.

 

[Rnl]

The zoom would be much better than mav1, but with master airscrew props can get a lot closers.

 

[MKurr]

but do film daily

Exactly, the way to do it right is to get them used to it right?

 

[MKurr]

I do agree about the zoom though... Would help a lot..

 

[MKurr]

Do you think they are scared? Just a bit suspicious.... 1:49

 

[STUFF2C]

I fly around my dog... SOB still craps in my backyard while I dive bomb him. Doesn't faze him one bit!

 

[JakeRobinson]

My point is, some of you are concerned that a deer my get scared, I wonder if the deer gets scared right before I harvest him with a .243? I'm betting he would choose a Drone...

 

[Deleted member 94047]

My point is, some of you are concerned that a deer my get scared, I wonder if the deer gets scared right before I harvest him with a .243? I'm betting he would choose a Drone...

I don't know why you hunt, but I bet (or at least I hope) you don't go out of your way to make it more miserable to the deer when you do. Same principle in filming, minimize harm.

 

[JakeRobinson]

I don't know why you hunt, but I bet (or at least I hope) you don't go out of your way to make it more miserable to the deer when you do. Same principle in filming, minimize harm.

You're correct, I don't hunt for frivolous pleasure - I enjoy the experience, even if I don't bag a deer. I put meat in the freezer and I would hate to wound a deer and not take it cleanly. I do think it is a bit over reactive to think a drone is somehow going to send a deer to the psych's couch. Maybe it causes them to become more aware of drones in the future. Heck, deer are attracted and come and check out chainsaws when someone it cutting firewood. Not sure a drone really has a long-lasting impact.

It's not Bambi, it's a wild deer.

 

[JakeRobinson]

These bucks (and the one doe) are not bothered at all, when a white-tail deer is alarmed they raise their white-tail to send the alarm to other deer there might be a threat... these guys just kept eatin' dinner

 

[JakeRobinson]

Protect Wildlife & the Environment

• Do not fly over congressionally designated Wilderness Areas or Primitive Areas as many people seek these places for the opportunities for solitude and quiet that they provide.
• Do not fly over or near wildlife as this can create stress that may cause significant harm, and even death. Intentional disturbance of animals during breeding, nesting, rearing of young, or other critical life history functions is not allowed unless approved as research or management.
• Follow state wildlife and fish agency regulations on the use of UAS to search for or detect wildlife and fish.
• Launch the UAS more than 100 meters (328 feet) from wildlife. Do not approach animals or birds vertically with the UAS.

Tips for Responsible Hobby or Recreational Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or "Drones" on National Forest Systems Lands | US Forest Service

I thought ALL flight in any National Park/Forrest had been banned?

I was introducing a different take - people are getting reactive to a drone flying over a deer and in the meantime, deer get shot by high powered rifles... you don't see the irony?

 

[JakeRobinson]

For some reason when I tried to find the video (on my phone) it wasn't available, now that I have just figured out to watch it on youtube (not available on this site) I can say with DEFINITIVENESS that NONE of the deer in this video (the first group AND the second group) WERE NOT SCARED.

Whitetail deer will FLEE with their tails STRAIGHT UP like a white flag and continue to run until you can't see them,

The first group NEVER even raised their tails... They moved away but were in no way terrified, scared or traumatized.

In the second group - ONE of the deer raises its tail but the others did not. The one who raised his tail only flashed it and did not continue with tail raised - if it had taken off you might characterize it as scared. But, it stayed around and only moved away.

If you are not a deer hunter and have studied and experienced deer in the wild (face to face) it would be easy to extrapolate or project your own assumptions about the state of mind of a deer. This video does not show scared or terrified deer. I cannot comment about the different birds.