Thermal Recovery Questions
What is thermal game recovery?
We fly a drone equipped with a high-end thermal imaging camera to locate your downed big game from the air. Instead of spending hours grid-searching through dense timber, steep terrain, or thick brush in the dark, our drone detects the animal's heat signature so we can guide you straight to your harvest before the meat spoils.
How long after the shot can you still see the animal's heat signature?
It depends entirely on the outside temperature and canopy cover, but time is your biggest enemy. During early archery season when ground temperatures are high, a downed animal's heat signature blends into the surrounding environment much faster than during a late-season hunt in the snow. For the best chance of recovery, contact us immediately after confirming a less-than-lethal hit or losing the blood trail.
Is using a drone to recover game legal?
Yes, utilizing a drone for recovery of a harvested animal is legal, but we operate under strict compliance with state wildlife regulations. We are there solely to locate a downed animal. We cannot and will not use the drone to scout, push, or locate live game for you to hunt. To maintain strict legal boundaries, hunters cannot carry weapons while actively assisting or following the drone recovery operation.
What happens if the animal crosses private property lines?
Federal aviation laws dictate where we can fly, but state laws dictate where you can retrieve. If our thermal scans show the animal has crossed onto private property, we cannot guide you in for the retrieval without explicit, verifiable permission from the landowner. We do not facilitate trespassing under any circumstances.
Do I still have to pay if you don't find my animal?
Yes. Our pricing structure consists of a non-refundable deployment fee to cover travel, equipment wear, and pilot time, plus a success fee if we locate the animal. A thermal drone is an incredibly powerful tool, but it is not a guarantee of recovery. If the animal was minimally wounded and kept moving, or if the heat signature has already dissipated, we may not find it. You are paying for our time and the capability of the technology to clear the area.
What information do you need from me when I call?
Do not guess. We need the exact GPS pin (OnX Works great for this) of where you shot from, the exact GPS pin of where the animal was standing, the direction it ran, and the last location of confirmed blood. We also need an honest assessment of your shot placement and the time the shot occurred so we can accurately build our search grid.