Drones For Game Counting

[UKHunter]

Drones seem to me to be a more economical method of game counting than by helicopter.

I am curious as to whether this has been considered or is in operation?

Or even for anti-poaching.

 

[siml]

I am definitely investigating the use of drone for anti poaching and game counting.....rather expensive.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Less expensive than a plane but they are not cheap for sure.

 

[siml]

Problem is to find the right one with good battery life.

 

[wesheltonj]

Range is the problem, it's one thing to fly it out over water a mile and back, it's quite another to fly that type of distance over brush, trees, etc.

A drone with GoPro 4 Silver, is about a 2k USD expense.

 

[Pheroze]

I could not find the article just now. I thought I read that the Ontario ministry of natural resources was experimenting with their use.

 

[adgunner]

I have used them in the Congo (high end military stuff). Works great in areas you can see like the middle east. Heavy canopy is heavy canopy and you can't see through foliage was the main issue in central Africa. The stuff on the civilian market has made leaps and bounds recently, but I am not sure it is quite at the level were investment would equal the return in cost yet, as a game monitoring tool. It won't be long though before it will replace manned flights for sure in this regard IMO.

 

[spike.t]

there is one at the bottom of the kafue at ours if anyone wants to go diving for it................i wasnt there but someone wanted to do some filming on the river so was flying it in front of the boat when he cocked up and it dived into the water and sank.....he said can someone get it!! not sure what the reply was but can imagine

 

[BRICKBURN]

You could have given them a hand.

 

[spike.t]

i think when nobody rushed to volunteer they did want to try themselves, but due to possible bad publicity about feeding the crocs they were persuaded not to try......

 

[BRICKBURN]

Apparently you can save them from the water after they crash. These guys did not have to deal with Crocs though.

An excellent example of issues with battery life.

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

 

[Stefano Malinverni]

Glider drones with emergency engine and solar batteries? Does they exist?

Something like the one that is described here: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-...-dropped-from-a-remote-mothership-2012-1?IR=T

 

[dobber]

hmm, should be some kind of trade off if a client brought one over from the US, i know the cost of items are much higher in SA

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Drones seem to me to be a more economical method of game counting than by helicopter.

I am curious as to whether this has been considered or is in operation?

Or even for anti-poaching.

Very good idea.
Witold

 

[Black Lechwe]

When you read the press around rhino and elephant poaching, hardly an article goes by without some drone salesman making a pitch, claiming to have 'THE answer' and aiming at the conservation organisations' $$$s...

Drones certainly do have potential, but the technology isn't quite there yet to be really effective for anti-poaching, especially at night. However there are some good trials going for game counts, and these have a very real advantage over using big noisy planes.

I think Bill Gates foundation is putting a lot towards their development for wildlife.

 

[Red Leg]

Have only been involved with the military applications. Resolution of specific targets can be amazing. The problem tends to be it is like looking at the world thru a soda straw - a very much two demensional world at that. For photography of specific target areas they work extremely well. As a real time scout, they are less effective. For real time surveillance of a broad area nothing beats a scout helicopter with human observers. Suspect the same is true in game management.