Louisiana Hunters Build $10,000 Drone to Aid in Pig Hunt
OutdoorHub Reporters 05.07.13
Electrical engineers Cy Brown and James Palmer may have a day job working on top-secret U.S. Air Force projects, but at night they dress up in camo and hunt for pigs. Problem is, tracking feral pigs at night can be a tricky proposition. Where others may fail, these two engineers decide to use their experience and expertise to even the playing field between man and swine. Brown and Palmer constructed a custom-made aerial vehicle tricked out with a thermal imaging camera, costing an estimated total of $10,000.
According to The Advertiser, the two hunters named their invention the “Dehogaflier” and flew it against a group of feral pigs that have been causing problems for nearby farmers. Taking turns, Brown operates the camera while Palmer hits the field with a night-vision scope. Palmer is an expert marksman and takes down the invasive hogs easily with shots from his rifle. You can view the “Dehogaflier” in action below.
httpv://youtu.be/q9UKFTbJ470
“The camera can see heat,” explained Brown. “You can tell the pigs by their behavior, shape and the number of animals in a group. When we see them in the screen, we will send the hunter out, and the airplane has done its job.”
While Brown and Palmer hunt the feral pigs mostly to aid their neighbors and the local community, they are not averse to eating them either.
Feral pigs are one of the most critical and rapidly increasing problems for farmers around the country. While nearly half of the nation’s hog population is located in Texas, nearby states are feeling the strain caused by the animal’s destructive behavior. The pigs will not stay isolated either, and have moved north following water sources along the East Coast. You can read more about feral pigs and their estimated impact on the nation here.
