Whitetail Deer

[WNYBill]

Flew my Mini 3pro to check the local deer herd last evening. Went in at about 75 foot altitude and they all had me and ran before I could get pictures, should have been taking video. I was surprised, usually deer don't look up for enemies, but ours sure did and it is the first time I've flown near them. They didn't just run and stop in 100 yards they ran to the cover. Next time I will go in real high and try to come down on them.

What have others experienced?

 

[Cafguy]

Flew my Mini 3pro to check the local deer herd last evening.

I 'm not sure I heard you correctly....What was the intent of your flight again?...............Think about it cautiously you are on a public forum.
While you are thinking about a NEW Intent you may want to head on over to the New York Fish and Game website.
You will find a wealth of very helpful information. for instance: New York Fish and Wildlife Commission Law prohibits the use of drones for fishing, hunting, or trapping, Including the use of drones to locate Wildlife.
How about as an INTENT- I took the drone up to check around the property-Nothing wrong with that and as a bonus the deer just happen to be there.
I am not trying to "troll"
Just giving you a little clarification on Drone laws and INTENT. Take it for what its worth. thanx
And if you have been flying your Drone around these deer then they have learned to look up You should stay much farther away than you are now. Deer do not know what a Drone is. Do not expect them too. If an Animal notices your Drone you MUST leave.

 

[WNYBill]

We are rural with 200 acres and we manage it for whitetail deer that we hunt and eat legally. Don't expect "urbanites" to understand. I am just seeing how the fawns are growing and trying to count the number of twins. That gives us some idea of how our management program is working. Use the drone like all farmers to inventory crops and check on livestock...... and trespassers! I am not harassing the deer, cars and highways do that. First time I had used the drone to check on them and was surprised they reacted like they did. Usually deer are not concerned about predators from the air, that's why they sell tree stands. Just wonder what others have observed.

 

[BigAl07]

The deer are seeing/hearing the drone as an UNKNOWN potential predator. A circling hawk may not raise alarm to a Whitetail but a noisy UNKNOWN is going to raise tails (pun intended) every-single-time.

Go in at 400 and use your ZOOM as best you can. Be sure to come back and SHARE your video/photos with us.

 

[Cafguy]

We are rural with 200 acres and we manage it for whitetail deer that we hunt and eat legally. Don't expect "urbanites" to understand. I am just seeing how the fawns are growing and trying to count the number of twins. That gives us some idea of how our management program is working. Use the drone like all farmers to inventory crops and check on livestock...... and trespassers! I am not harassing the deer, cars and highways do that. First time I had used the drone to check on them and was surprised they reacted like they did. Usually deer are not concerned about predators from the air, that's why they sell tree stands. Just wonder what others have observed.

If that is the case you can apply for a permit that allows you to do this legally. (As long as you start giving the animals more space! and use your zoom) The state will give you one. BUT for now as long as When asked You state your intent is to check the property and NOT check the deer you are OK. Remember the laws are funny about this sort of thing and INTENT will get you every time.
"Use the drone like all farmers to inventory crops and check on livestock" ....They need a permit from the state to survey their livestock with Drones or any Aircraft. If not they are breaking the law let me assure you that the fines for such actions are VERY stiff. Just sayin. If you want to check your livestock I am all for that BUT Do it legally and Do it Humanely. That is all I am sayin.

 

[UPDRAFTDW]

One of my buddies does drone deer recovery and heard management. He flies at 200' to locate and do herd checks. Flying M3T

 

[rjwmorrell]

...I am not harassing the deer, cars and highways do that. First time I had used the drone to check on them and was surprised they reacted like they did....

Intentionally or not, I'd say you did in fact "harass" the deer, in that it disrupted their normal pattern of behaviour. You say this is the first time you've used a drone for this, well, now you can consider it a lesson learned I guess.

 

[moldorf]

circumstances will vary of course, and there may be exceptions...

but generally, I'd say don't get any closer than 500 feet of any wildlife, and if you get that close, you're too close, so turn around or veer away. I don't respect anybody that approaches wildlife with a drone. I think it's irresponsible

 

[sportsphotos]

Flew my Mini 3pro to check the local deer herd last evening. Went in at about 75 foot altitude and they all had me and ran before I could get pictures, should have been taking video. I was surprised, usually deer don't look up for enemies, but ours sure did and it is the first time I've flown near them. They didn't just run and stop in 100 yards they ran to the cover. Next time I will go in real high and try to come down on them.

What have others experienced?

In most states that will get you a heavy fine. Get your checkbook ready!

 

[johnnyb57]

I 'm not sure I heard you correctly....What was the intent of your flight again?...............Think about it cautiously you are on a public forum.
While you are thinking about a NEW Intent you may want to head on over to the New York Fish and Game website.
You will find a wealth of very helpful information. for instance: New York Fish and Wildlife Commission Law prohibits the use of drones for fishing, hunting, or trapping, Including the use of drones to locate Wildlife.
How about as an INTENT- I took the drone up to check around the property-Nothing wrong with that and as a bonus the deer just happen to be there.
I am not trying to "troll"
Just giving you a little clarification on Drone laws and INTENT. Take it for what its worth. thanx
And if you have been flying your Drone around these deer then they have learned to look up You should stay much farther away than you are now. Deer do not know what a Drone is. Do not expect them too. If an Animal notices your Drone you MUST leave.

Are you alright

 

[Cafguy]

I am a RC Hobbyist and FPV Drone addict and Animal lover ( not the crazy run around yelling PETA type ) and I am GREAT!!
The effects of our beloved hobby on wildlife has been extensively studied. As it turns out Animals and RC aircraft Do NOT mix. SOME of those who use their Drones to Help with tasks involving animals or to take photos of wildlife have no idea that there are laws in place to protect the wildlife around them and for the most part almost anything that involves animals requires a permit. SOME do not take the time to study the best ways to utilize their Drones around animals. Most have no ideas you need a permit to even observe these animals for long periods of time. ( You can stress an animal by sticking around once it notices your Drone ).
If you want to go flying your Drone around and take some pics or videos of the wildlife that is fine I myself love a good wildlife photo. Just do it Humanely.
If you want to take your Drone out and say count the number of sparrows or DEER in a given area You need a permit because you are "Spotting" (legal term) for a specific species of animal
I have seen some wonderful videos of wildlife on this forum MOST done legally and humanely. SOME not so much. I will comment on this subject always to try an Educate myself and others That all the wildlife around where we fly should be treated with respect. Thats all and Thats My 2 Cents on the subject.
Oh and last thing I promise... If you need a Drone to observe your livestock I kinda get the feeling that most likely you are busting the VLOS rule. Otherwise whats the Drone actually for?

 

[orionshooter]

I am a RC Hobbyist and FPV Drone addict and Animal lover ( not the crazy run around yelling PETA type ) and I am GREAT!!
The effects of our beloved hobby on wildlife has been extensively studied. As it turns out Animals and RC aircraft Do NOT mix. SOME of those who use their Drones to Help with tasks involving animals or to take photos of wildlife have no idea that there are laws in place to protect the wildlife around them and for the most part almost anything that involves animals requires a permit. SOME do not take the time to study the best ways to utilize their Drones around animals. Most have no ideas you need a permit to even observe these animals for long periods of time. ( You can stress an animal by sticking around once it notices your Drone ).
If you want to go flying your Drone around and take some pics or videos of the wildlife that is fine I myself love a good wildlife photo. Just do it Humanely.
If you want to take your Drone out and say count the number of sparrows or DEER in a given area You need a permit because you are "Spotting" (legal term) for a specific species of animal
I have seen some wonderful videos of wildlife on this forum MOST done legally and humanely. SOME not so much. I will comment on this subject always to try an Educate myself and others That all the wildlife around where we fly should be treated with respect. Thats all and Thats My 2 Cents on the subject.

He looks fine to me……

 

[Mt-Ed]

I live out west and came upon an elk herd one day. I flew over them at a very high altitude, keeping my eye on their body language. I ever so slowly started to drop down, and when I saw them look at my drone, or stop doing what they were doing (eating, sleeping, grooming, etc.) I retreated. I then moved off very far and slowly approached them from about 20' altitude, being equally observant. I found that the high pitched buzz of a drone is NOTHING like anything they would normally hear, so they were very sensitive to it. I got lots of videos of this herd, and they never "ran" away. None of my videos are very close, but with my zoom feature, I was able to differentiate between the bulls, cows, and calves! I know of folks that use their drones to actually herd (harass) deer and elk, which is not only unethical, but illegal here as well! Each state has their own laws regarding this activity so I suggest you contact you fish and game commission to start with so you can avoid prosecution?

 

[Dustydoug]

I live out west and came upon an elk herd one day. I flew over them at a very high altitude, keeping my eye on their body language. I ever so slowly started to drop down, and when I saw them look at my drone, or stop doing what they were doing (eating, sleeping, grooming, etc.) I retreated. I then moved off very far and slowly approached them from about 20' altitude, being equally observant. I found that the high pitched buzz of a drone is NOTHING like anything they would normally hear, so they were very sensitive to it. I got lots of videos of this herd, and they never "ran" away. None of my videos are very close, but with my zoom feature, I was able to differentiate between the bulls, cows, and calves! I know of folks that use their drones to actually herd (harass) deer and elk, which is not only unethical, but illegal here as well! Each state has their own laws regarding this activity so I suggest you contact you fish and game commission to start with so you can avoid prosecution?

Can you share a video of them?

 

[Mt-Ed]

Can you share a video of them?

Not at this time. I was storing my drone and thousands of trail cam videos on an external HD and a couple weeks ago, when attempting to add additional files, I got the error msg. that my HD had malfunctioned and my computer could no longer recognize it! So, it is at a data recovery establishment, and I'm hoping for the best, but expecting the worse.....if I get lucky, I'll post here.

 

[sawman]

I happened across this guy while searching for a downed weather balloon. 100 feet above him and he knew something was above him, but didn't break and run. Probably because he was already in scrub brush. Air 2S

 

[halifax]

OP, it matters not if your deer are on your land. State F&G laws apply to your land.

Do you have a Captive Bred White-Tail Deer License? If so, you can check on your herd. If not, no joy.

As an aside:
I'm a forest ecologist with 30+ years experience in NY and New England and I manage 10,000 acres and 28 hunters for a regional land trust. Let me tell you, my friends, the use of drones by hunters is out of control, especially in Maine. The laws really haven't caught up with this problem yet. What's needed vs. perps are a 5-year ban on hunting licensing and confiscation of drones and firearms.

 

[bigben123]

Flew my Mini 3pro to check the local deer herd last evening. Went in at about 75 foot altitude and they all had me and ran before I could get pictures, should have been taking video. I was surprised, usually deer don't look up for enemies, but ours sure did and it is the first time I've flown near them. They didn't just run and stop in 100 yards they ran to the cover. Next time I will go in real high and try to come down on them.

What have others experienced?

They dont look up much, but at 75 ft...they heard you for sure.

 

[WanderLost]

Flew my Mini 3pro to check the local deer herd last evening. Went in at about 75 foot altitude and they all had me and ran before I could get pictures, should have been taking video. I was surprised, usually deer don't look up for enemies, but ours sure did and it is the first time I've flown near them. They didn't just run and stop in 100 yards they ran to the cover. Next time I will go in real high and try to come down on them.

What have others experienced?

While mapping a local conservation area for the owners, my M30T flew back and forth over 300 or so geese in the ponds on the acreage. I was flying slowly around 18 mph at 300 feet up and they weren't bothered in the least.
For your property, it would be great to have a Mavic 3 with the 7x telephoto. You can stay nice and high or further away and still get a great view of your herd without disturbing them.

 

[WNYBill]

Halifax, that's a strange attitude for a wildlife manager of 10K acres and 28 hunters. Really " a 5-year ban on hunting licensing and confiscation of drones and firearms". How about game cameras? For the sake of civility, I am not going there!

In respect to NYS deer herd which I nurture on my land and at my expense for the State of NY, and my family, friends and neighbors' amusement. (if you think drones are expensive, try farm machinery)

75 to 100 feet altitude they show no interest in drone, but at 50 they get nervous. I am wondering if they may be responding to the high frequency? They can hear your "safe" click off at 100 yards. And it is something different, out of the ordinary, wasn't there yesterday. They're there 24/7 and don't miss much.