What altitude can a Mavic 3 be seen?

[Frylikebird]

Or any other drone. The Mavic 3 does look like a bird from a distance especially with the grayish color vs the Autel orange. We're planning to go out and fly in area where there's alot of bird hunters around. What's a good altitude to keep the M3 from being seen or shot at?

 

[old man mavic]

when hunters try to shoot down a bird they dont just aim directly at the bird but usually depending on the wind direction,ahead of the bird ,the chances of you getting your drone shot down are very slim, at 300ft or up to the maximum 400ft AGL they might if very lucky get a few bits of shot to hit it if you were hovering ,but filming video and constantly moving around would be the best bet
or better still only fly if you know that there are not going to be shooters about ,or when the shooting season is closed

 

[Dbez1]

I usually fly at 250-300’ for that very reason. Keep moving and a rifle would take a very very lucky shot to hit your drone. It’s sad that we have to consider such things but some people get aggressive re drones.

 

[Dale D]

when hunters try to shoot down a bird they dont just aim directly at the bird but usually depending on the wind direction,ahead of the bird ,the chances of you getting your drone shot down are very slim, at 300ft or up to the maximum 400ft AGL they might if very lucky get a few bits of shot to hit it if you were hovering ,but filming video and constantly moving around would be the best bet
or better still only fly if you know that there are not going to be shooters about ,or when the shooting season is closed

I am a long time upland game hunter. I have not hunted for at least 40 years though but still have the shotgun. I use a 20 gauge Remington shotgun. The more powerful pellets are 12 gauge. Shotguns are typically considered close-range firearms, especially when loaded with buckshot. Beyond about 30 to 50 yards, the spread from most shotguns becomes too unpredictable to reliably guarantee that any of the pellets will hit the intended target. Shooting with a single cartridge, e.g.: rife or hand gun, you would have to be extremely good and extremely lucky to hit a moving target at 200 or 300 feet.

Dale
Miami

 

[Frylikebird]

Thankyou Dbez1 and Dale D very good knowledge.

 

[akdrone]

I usually fly at 250-300’ for that very reason. Keep moving and a rifle would take a very very lucky shot to hit your drone. It’s sad that we have to consider such things but some people get aggressive re drones.

This is fascinating. I am wondering where you fellows fly that people shooting drones out of the sky is a concern. I know it's impossible but it's hard for me to conceive of it being a meaningful concern. Nearly all my flying is in wilderness areas so it's nothing I have ever considered and in fact I have never encountered another pilot flying. Ever. I think I have been approached by a total of 2 or maybe 3 people - ever - and both were curious, positive encounters. You actually fly around 250ft because of a concern that somebody might shoot your drone out of the sky??

 

[AnzacJack]

I guess if you are flying in the wilderness where there are active hunters it could be a concern. Not something we really worry about down under

 

[tgryphon]

I’ve tested this pretty extensively. Really depends on if someone is looking for it or not. Start far away and high, and slowly bring it down to 200’ at about 100’ feet laterally away from them and no one will be the wiser. Obviously, the more it moves around the noisier it will be.

I use it for surveillance as an officer

 

[umanbean]

The Mavic 3 does look like a bird from a distance

You won't have any worries about a legitimate Bird Hunter mistaking your Mavic for a bird.

It may look like a bird at a distance, but bird hunting is not effectively accomplished at a distance. The effective range of a shotgun, even a 10-gauge 30-inch blunderbuss shooting three and a half inch Magnum shells, is not much more than 60 yards.

A covey of quail is flushed from grass or a thicket and taken on the rise.

Ducks are also taken at low altitude, as they glide in to land in a pond or swamp.

Turkeys are taken on the ground at close range.

And doves have very distinctive flight characteristics that makes them look different than any other bird... plus, they don't hover and/or zip around back and forth or move and stop.

I can't speak for pheasant hunting, never been.

Don't Worry, Be Happy.... go fly your drone.