In much of the North Eastern United States, overpopulation of deer has become an issue.  In New Jersey deer populations have lead to $8 million in loss for soybean farmers, added to a jump in Lyme disease cases, and caused a reported over 25,000 car accidents in one year.  It has gotten to the point that some municipalities have taken to hiring hunters to help control the deer populations.  In Princeton, NJ three hunters were contracted to help thin the deer population recently.  However, in Switzerland the exact opposite is happening.  Organizations are looking for ways to help save deer found in farm areas, and they are using modern technology like drones to get the job done.

Deer will mate through the fall and begin fawning in May and the early spring.  This coincides with spring prep time for many Farmers.  Over the last few years Switzerland has been looking to save as many of the new born fawns they can find hiding in the tall grasses of fields that have overwintered.  The fawns like to lay low and hide in the tall grass, and unfortunately are hard to see when workers come through with mowers to start tending the fields.  

Farmers have been using traditional means of keeping deer off of their property that include scent marking and putting up fences where possible.  But every year more and more baby deer can be found in the fields in the early spring.  A conservation, game-keeping, and hunting organization from Switzerland has stepped in to help these farmers safely remove deer from their properties. The group, known as BKPJV, aims to educate and assist people in their confrontations with wildlife, whether it be through proper hunting methods or animal conservation.

BKPJV began using drones to search for deer hiding in farm field in 2018.  They first tried this approach in Lower Engadine, Switzerland to much success.  Since then BKPJV has purchased 19 new drones and trained 150 pilots to operate them in their deer search and rescue missions.  The drones are equipped with thermal imaging cameras.  This way even a 10lb fawn hiding low in tall grass can be seen.  The drone’s camera is able to pick up on the deer’s thermal heat signature.  Then people can go in on foot and safely place the fawn in a crate to be transported to a safer area, allowing farmers to begin mowing their fields with less casualties.

For the 2019 spring harvest season BKPJV conducted around 1,100 drone flights in search of deer in Graubünden in Eastern Switzerland.  The majority of these drone flights proved to be only search missions.  But, overall they were extremely successful.  The thermal imaging drones were able to spot and aid in the rescue of 450 fawns.  These adorable babies, some no bigger than a puppy, were brought to safety.  It also allowed for farmers to more efficiently begin the mowing process for their fields.  Not only is it heartbreaking when a fawn gets trapped under a mower, but it can cause damage to expensive equipment and waste time on a very timely process.

While most farmers throughout the world still rely on traditional methods to keep deer at bay, Switzerland has proven that drones can do a lot more for farmers than help spread pesticides and take inventory of crop health.