ScoobySnacks Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 I was mulling over possibilities for the future, as you tend to over the new years first dram, and was wondering what experience people had of wild animals reacting to paramotors? I'm mainly thinking of deer really. Do you ever spot them? Do they ever react to you in the air, move away from you, or do they just carry on grazing? The reason I ask is, one of my other hobbies is deer stalking. When I approach someone with a view to helping them control the deer on their land, the first thing they, and I, need to know is the actual deer population. Now in the lowlands, it's relatively easy to get to a spot to overlook the ground and make a decent estimate, or to get out on foot or quad and make a reasonable count, but in inaccessible regions (like the highlands of Scotland) this is much more difficult, often entailing long hikes in and out to assess land. A lot of the big estates use helicopters to count, but these definitely disturb the livestock and wild animals, and is seriously expensive to boot. I was thinking the paramotor would be the perfect vehicle to allow largeish areas to be surveyed relatively quickly. What would peoples thoughts be on such a use? What are the legal requirements? I know that any other form of flying, you require a commercial pilots licence to undertake any form of paid flying. Is there any restriction on receiving payments for work carried out whilst flying a paramotor? This is obviously all pie in the sky at the moment, as I've yet to start my training, but like I said, it's amazing the ideas that come into your head after the fourth "wee" dram! On that note, I'd like to wish all you wonderful people a very happy, fruitful and prosperous 2014. May it bring us all plenty of flyable weather! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 As far as the Deer, They are very very easy to spot. The tend to ignore you until you start to show some interest in them and then they run off in all directions. I used to give regular information to our local farmers when asked to FOC. Ref the legal side of things... nothing changes from GA in that respect. SW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatPux Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 I had my first experience of deer spotting when I went up last Sunday, there was a group of 5 or 6 in a field corner just South of Baydon Wood , I was just over 500ft AGL and they just calmly moved back into the wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob999 Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 I love watching deer from the air. I can get to within a few hundred feet and can easily count how many in the herd, if you knew what you were doing you'd be able to tell a lot more I dare say. The ground around here is wooded and good hedgerow, so thy can easily duck in for cover. I would imaging on a moor they may be a bit more skittish. I should imagine if you wanted to get closer then approach on tick over. As for the legals, I don't know. But, I would imagine its an issue of being paid. Just don't get paid, officially. How many people don't get paid according to the tax man, why should the CAA be any different OOOPS, did I just say that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.