Drone Heard survey

[Ski]

However you collect your data, just be consistent over time. It isn't the exact numbers that are important, it is the trends over time. I honestly don't know what my exact sex ratio is (and it probably changes day to day), but I know that when the number is "X," hunting and social dynamics are best. When the number gets above or below "X", things go downhill. Doesn't matter if "X" is the actual sex ratio or not. "X" is just a benchmark number to evaluate against.

Agree 110% on all points. And for sure I think sex ratio is almost certainly in a perpetual state of flux.

It's funny you mention sex ratio and social dynamics. I had written some thoughts on it in my last post but deleted before posting because I didn't want to go too deep in the weeds. And it's not just sex ratio but age structure as well. When there are too many does/fawns I notice it tends to mean fewer bucks to hunt except for a few hot days during rut. Likewise when there are too many bucks they have to leave the property to find girls. If there aren't enough older class bucks the rut seems lackluster. Worse yet if there are too many older does they rule the area like old nuns at a Catholic school library, which makes for a frustrating hunt because I can't get by with anything without getting yelled at. Trying to keep a Goldilocks balance sometimes feels like playing that old board game, "Operation".

Back on point to the drone survey, it takes one single snapshot of one single moment. The corn survey to me seems about as accurate as using an ice-cream truck to count kids in a neighborhood. IMO, the very best way to monitor a property and extract sex ratios, age structure, social activity levels, etc. is by using trail cams. I hunted deer probably 20-25yrs before owning my first camera, and they completely upended the way I hunt because I learned so much more and in greater detail than I ever knew from just being in the woods hunting them. They are fascinating creatures.

 

[BSK]

It's funny you mention sex ratio and social dynamics. I had written some thoughts on it in my last post but deleted before posting because I didn't want to go too deep in the weeds. And it's not just sex ratio but age structure as well. When there are too many does/fawns I notice it tends to mean fewer bucks to hunt except for a few hot days during rut. Likewise when there are too many bucks they have to leave the property to find girls. If there aren't enough older class bucks the rut seems lackluster. Worse yet if there are too many older does they rule the area like old nuns at a Catholic school library, which makes for a frustrating hunt because I can't get by with anything without getting yelled at. Trying to keep a Goldilocks balance sometimes feels like playing that old board game, "Operation".

It wasn't until about 20 years ago that biologists began to realize that the social structure - the adult sex ratio and buck age structure, also called "social dynamics" - played a key role in the well-being of a deer herd. Imagine the social breakdown our society would experience if the entire U.S. population was limited to a high population of older women and just a few teenage boys. NOTHING in our society would work properly. The same is true of deer herds. The tricky part is figuring out what balance of sex ratio and buck age structure work to hunters and the deer herds' benefit in each location (and it can be different).

Back on point to the drone survey, it takes one single snapshot of one single moment. The corn survey to me seems about as accurate as using an ice-cream truck to count kids in a neighborhood. IMO, the very best way to monitor a property and extract sex ratios, age structure, social activity levels, etc. is by using trail cams. I hunted deer probably 20-25yrs before owning my first camera, and they completely upended the way I hunt because I learned so much more and in greater detail than I ever knew from just being in the woods hunting them. They are fascinating creatures.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the trail-camera, and all it's technology advancements since first invention, is the single greatest management tool ever invented. Not before or since has anything been developed that will tell a manager more about what is going on with his/her local deer herd.

 

[DeerCamp]

This one gets very high too but hard to see deer at that altitude. View attachment 162811View attachment 162810View attachment 162813View attachment 162812

Not sure how much you watched, but he uses a wide pan FLIR to locate deer, and then zooms in with a normal optical lens to 50X+.

 

[Ski]

Imagine the social breakdown our society would experience if the entire U.S. population was limited to a high population of older women and just a few teenage boys. NOTHING in our society would work properly.

I never thought of it that way but it paints a picture for sure! I'd sure liked to be one of those teenage boys!!!

 

[BSK]

Not sure how much you watched, but he uses a wide pan FLIR to locate deer, and then zooms in with a normal optical lens to 50X+.

I remember when FLIR surveys were all the rage. I remember seeing a test on a fenced, known population deer herd. FLIR only imaged about 1/3 of the population.

 

[DeerCamp]

I remember when FLIR surveys were all the rage. I remember seeing a test on a fenced, known population deer herd. FLIR only imaged about 1/3 of the population.

Perhaps they have improved. The Air Force is now detecting aliens. Who knows. LOL

 

[Bushape]

Fiscally their plan makes sense trying to convince people to spend some quick money. They should market and offer so much more to convince hunters to sign up for a monthly or quarterly analysis. No reason why adjoining properties couldn't be spied on as well.

 

[knightrider]

About as useless as twra's thermal studies who had their ratios and numbers pre determined before they ever left an office, i sat in on a couple and what a joke

 

[BSK]

About as useless as twra's thermal studies who had their ratios and numbers pre determined before they ever left an office, i sat in on a couple and what a joke

Wow, that was not my experience with the thermal studies at all (at least in Middle TN). Best data the Agency ever collected. Wish they still did them.

 

[knightrider]

Wow, that was not my experience with the thermal studies at all (at least in Middle TN). Best data the Agency ever collected. Wish they still did them.

At chuck swan they rolled in saying gonna be 1 to 3 boys and of course every deer that was not distinguishable was deemed a buck and by golly by daylight it was amazingly 1 to 3 lol

 

[BSK]

At chuck swan they rolled in saying gonna be 1 to 3 boys and of course every deer that was not distinguishable was deemed a buck and by golly by daylight it was amazingly 1 to 3 lol

That's really too bad. I helped conduct some of the thermal imaging data runs in Middle TN (Williamson, Davidson and Humphreys counties in particular), and we were VERY careful about how the data was collected.

 

[redblood]

My son in law has a drone, and while i think it is awesome, the deer have a much lower tolerance for it than i would expect. I have a hard time believing they could be effective used the way the video suggests.
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awesome video. deer didnt see too crazy about it