Episode Player
Value and Limitations of Thermal Drone Deer Surveys
Wildlife Investments
Chapters
0:00
Wild Turkey Management Academy Announcement
0:43
Welcome to the Wildlife Investments Podcast
1:04
Why Drone Deer Surveys Are Everywhere
2:52
Deer Census vs Survey vs Population Index Explained
5:26
The False Confidence Problem in Drone Counts
9:33
Snapshot vs Long-Term Deer Population Data
10:58
Can You Age or Size Bucks from Drone Imagery?
14:13
Benefits and Insights from Drone Usage
22:16
Observability Research and What Drones Miss
26:42
Using Drone Surveys as a Population Index
29:41
Identifying Habitat Voids and Deer Use Patterns
35:57
Old Fields vs Switchgrass for Deer Habitat
39:52
Visibility, Predator Avoidance, and Bedding Strategy
45:53
Are Drone Surveys Necessary for Good Deer Management?
48:46
Conditions, Operators, and Survey Error
52:25
Final Takeaways: Technology vs Expertise
53:34
Closing Remarks and Where to Learn More
Wildlife Investments
Value and Limitations of Thermal Drone Deer Surveys
Feb 11, 2026
Moriah Boggess
Thermal drones are all the rage, but they are not a silver bullet and have serious limitations when used to develop deer population estimates. Bronson, Bonner, and Moriah discuss the strengths and weaknesses of thermal drone surveys and how Wildlife Investments uses this new technology alongside long-term datasets to fine tune deer population management.
