Using a Thermal Camera Drone for Cattle Roundup
ISSN 2158-9429
Volume 18, Issue 2 - December 2025
Editor: Bindu Poudel-Ward
Abstract
In the Intermountain West, livestock are summered in mountain ranges and collected in the autumn and moved to lower ground for ease of closer monitoring during calving with less snow. Mountain grazing comes with challenges gathering cattle. Drone teams with thermal camera drones joined producers to collect cattle during the fall collection. Drones enabled producers to identify areas where horseback riders could be effectively utilized to gather cattle, thereby saving time and reducing the risk of injury to both the horse and rider in rough terrain, and locate animals that would otherwise be a loss of income. Search and rescue methods were used to search 600 acres in 1 hour, and technology limitations were identified.
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