re: Drone Recovery for Deer

We’ve started using drones for recovery, and let me tell you—this technology changes everything. I know how to track with the best of them, but think about it: when a deer runs off the plot, maybe through a briar patch or into a deep bottom, why crawl through thickets on your hands and knees, leaving scent everywhere and disturbing the woods, just to find out the deer was lying dead right outside the patch?

Why risk blood-trailing a wounded deer and pushing it even farther? Everyone knows that once you jump a wounded deer, your chances of recovery drop dramatically.

Using a drone will open your eyes to how many deer over the years were never recovered—often because hunters walked right past them.

Now, I agree that this technology could be abused, and I support keeping it illegal on public lands. But let’s be honest: due to the cost, 90% of people using drones are private landowners with strict management programs who aren’t abusing them.

Drone recovery is a game-changer, and it’s time to accept new technology. There’s no real difference between using a thermal scope for hog hunting or a .35 Whelen as a “primitive” weapon today.

From live scopes to cell cams to drones, technology is brutally effective. And it bulldozes over skills that take years to master.
Why do people fly fish and bow hunt? Because there’s an art to it and advanced skill is required. As sportsmen, is that art worth protecting?

Exactly!

It wouldn’t surprise me if armed drones were used for depredation tags in the future.

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know a couple of folks who are using drones to look for bait offshore

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if you could hook up live scope to it…,

I have zero issues w using it however you choose, but can’t think of a single reason why it can’t be used to recover game. Hell use it to find wounded ducks, I don’t know if they give off much of a signal, but for those without dogs it would help conservation

A problem with drone scouting would be flying the drone midday and using that intel to set up your deer standers for the afternoon hunt.

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Cause it’s cheating just like live scope, cell cameras, mapping apps on phone, e-bikes, crossbows, “primitive guns” etc.

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You're removing the luck factor. That's all it is.

Cell cams show where a deer was. Mapping apps, e bikes, crossbows aren't an advantage. Go back to using a musket.

You can walk every inch of the woods on 100 acres and still not get any closer to killing a huge buck. Get the drone out and it'll tell you if he's even on that 100 acres.

So you can waste hours and days scouting for nothing or pull a drone out to tell you in a few minutes. To each their own.

I'd rather use a dog for deer recovery. Imo it would be more fun.

Fortunately, whitetails and crappie can withstand the onslaught of technology. Other species don’t do as well. Cell cams are bad for turkey hunting, though great for turkey killing.

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By that drone telling you where the deer is what does that do for you as a hunter? What did you learn besides seeing where he’s at?

I’ll answer…… NOTHING.

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Thats an absurd conclusion to draw. Knowing exactly where a deer is and the ability to get real time information on where it is and what its doing would make killing it a cinch. Effortless. Youd have to be a complete idiot to not kill it.