Thermal Drone Service

[buckpasser]

Good news and bad here. There are a high number of turkeys using the farm I live on again! Sadly, they are nesting in the oat fields (as always) which are the be cut for silage around 10 days from now. One year multiple hens were killed by the cutter, and on the “good” years we only lose a hen or so and the unattended eggs.

I’ve considered grid searching the field just ahead of the cutter with my Boykins to possibly find any sitting hens, at which point I could either mark the nest areas for exclusion or just destroy the sight to save the life of the hen.

I’m now considering hiring a thermal drone operator to just come the evening before the cut and locate them for me. This may be highly expensive or impractical, but I’d love to speak to a drone service provider and see what they can tell me.

Can anyone recommend a thermal drone operator in South GA? Thanks!

 

[kmckinnie]

Only one registered so far.

Drone thermal Deer recovery ! list of Operators

First on the list of many to join I’m Positive ! Josh Warren. Local to the woodstock north ga area but will travel. YOu can also reach me at techdrivenrecovery@gmail.com or my cell at 470-680-9709. I can help on most any private land but public land is out of the question due to laws and Regs...

forum.gon.com

 

[buckpasser]

Looks like a resolution is close at hand. @Blackston found me a guy close by that is learning his equipment. I plan to call him this week and hopefully we can get it done. It’s hard to put a price tag on wild turkeys, but just saving 1 hen would be worth a lot to me.

 

[WOODIE13]

Looks like a resolution is close at hand. @Blackston found me a guy close by that is learning his equipment. I plan to call him this week and hopefully we can get it done. It’s hard to put a price tag on wild turkeys, but just saving 1 hen would be worth a lot to me.

You could always get you a thermal monocular, $500 to $2K and do it yourself

 

[buckpasser]

I need the elevation of a drone. These oats are around 4’ tall.

You could always get you a thermal monocular, $500 to $2K and do it yourself

 

[WOODIE13]

I applaud your effort brother

 

[buckpasser]

I applaud your effort brother

I love turkeys man! I lived on this farm for 14 years without so much as a track. They need all the help they can get. I’d never hunt them here, but hearing them from the yard ups my real estate value exponentially (if only to me).

 

[Gut_Pile]

Keep us updated on your results. Interested to hear how many hens you find and how many nests

 

[antharper]

I love turkeys man! I lived on this farm for 14 years without so much as a track. They need all the help they can get. I’d never hunt them here, but hearing them from the yard ups my real estate value exponentially (if only to me).

What’s your plan if you do find a hen on her nest ? The reason I ask is because a few years ago my dad’s neighbor was cutting hay and we knew where one was nesting in the field . He avoided the area she was in , maybe left a half acre . She didn’t make it more than a couple days . Coyotes flock to fresh cut fields and I’m sure one got her

 

[kmckinnie]

What’s your plan if you do find a hen on her nest ? The reason I ask is because a few years ago my dad’s neighbor was cutting hay and we knew where one was nesting in the field . He avoided the area she was in , maybe left a half acre . She didn’t make it more than a couple days . Coyotes flock to fresh cut fields and I’m sure one got her

Guess they plenty of food there for them then.
The rabbits will nest in my grown up wheat and oat patches. I just leave them up now til mid summer.

 

[bfriendly]

I applaud your effort brother

This!!^^^^
Let us know how it goes.

What’s your plan if you do find a hen on her nest ? The reason I ask is because a few years ago my dad’s neighbor was cutting hay and we knew where one was nesting in the field . He avoided the area she was in , maybe left a half acre . She didn’t make it more than a couple days . Coyotes flock to fresh cut fields and I’m sure one got her

I think that makes sense that the nest would be a sitting duck.

 

[buckpasser]

I’d just go ahead and bump her off ahead of the cutter. I don’t like the thought of leaving a small island and we can’t afford to leave much ground out for the much needed corn silage.

 

[turkeykirk]

What’s your plan if you do find a hen on her nest ? The reason I ask is because a few years ago my dad’s neighbor was cutting hay and we knew where one was nesting in the field . He avoided the area she was in , maybe left a half acre . She didn’t make it more than a couple days . Coyotes flock to fresh cut fields and I’m sure one got her

My father in law wanted to cut his field. Told him to wait till the turkeys hatched. He did it anyway. Flushed a hen off her nest. Cut another row past her. She didn’t make it through the night. Nest and hen killed.

 

[antharper]

I’d just go ahead and bump her off ahead of the cutter. I don’t like the thought of leaving a small island and we can’t afford to leave much ground out for the much needed corn silage.

Did u try the drone ?

 

[Dupree]

Since a nest will be destroyed anyways, I believe id get those eggs and make sure they found an incubator.

 

[buckpasser]

Since a nest will be destroyed anyways, I believe id get those eggs and make sure they found an incubator.

It’s illegal I think, but that’s not the worst of it. I’ve raised two clutches and it’s horrible! If you hatched them under a chicken and let her “teach” them it might not be too bad, but I had to feed mine thousands of crickets before they’d take any starter or grain. They’re never tame either. They still freak out and are wide open wild turkey.

 

[buckpasser]

Did u try the drone ?

Well…I was hoping nobody would ask, lol. I told my BIL to give me as much notice as possible to plan the drone guy in for the evening before (obviously the closer to harvest the better to catch any newly setting hens). He called me up on Friday afternoon at dark and said the cutter man was coming in the morning! Of course the drone man was busy and couldn’t make it. Luckily there were no casualties or even eggs lost this year. Not sure where they are nesting, but I like it!

 

[kmckinnie]

It’s illegal I think, but that’s not the worst of it. I’ve raised two clutches and it’s horrible! If you hatched them under a chicken and let her “teach” them it might not be too bad, but I had to feed mine thousands of crickets before they’d take any starter or grain. They’re never tame either. They still freak out and are wide open wild turkey.

U put starter where they walk in pen. Box. Wet their feet. Feed sticks to feet. They peck it off. Don’t ask how I know. Lols. Yes they are always wild.

 

[antharper]

Well…I was hoping nobody would ask, lol. I told my BIL to give me as much notice as possible to plan the drone guy in for the evening before (obviously the closer to harvest the better to catch any newly setting hens). He called me up on Friday afternoon at dark and said the cutter man was coming in the morning! Of course the drone man was busy and couldn’t make it. Luckily there were no casualties or even eggs lost this year. Not sure where they are nesting, but I like it!

That’s good news ! A friend told me to go to the feed store as soon as they hatch and get a few little chicks and they’d teach them how to eat