Elk and Powder - A video

Friends, some great scenery from the Snoqualmie Valley......

vimeo.com/256523543

Really nice work.

...on course the chalk is winning!
world class groomers surrounded
by dry cold snow under sunshine!

Cool video but just in case others viewing this are not aware... it's illegal to use a drone to harass wildlife in Washington. It's also pretty cruel considering that now is the toughest time of year for those animals and being chased off a feeding ground by a drone isn't helping them survive the winter.

"On average, an elk must eat about three pounds of food per day for every 100 pounds it weighs. This can add up to more than 15 pounds of food!"

idahoptv.org/sciencetrek/topics/elk/facts.cfm

Yes I do know that. Once I saw them start to herd at the slightest I flew away and everyone returned to grazing. There was no way I was going to harass the Elk I have been living with for 23 years.

Not a big fan of drones in the hills. I go out there for the quiet and have been buzzed by those annoying things on several occasions - once in a designated wilderness.

Regarding the elk thing - it's complicated. As a wildlife biologist with 35 yrs experience there is a lot of information out there in the literature. Yea - there may have been people on the ground taking pictures - but this is a common occurrence in the valley and one in which the elk have become habituated.

Because elk don't stampede doesn't mean you are not causing behavioral changes, increases in stress hormones, and generally affecting them. The Washington Administrative Code that WDFW refers to addresses drones but the language is vague - you are not suppose to "harass" them.

I would say being only 35 ft above a herd is too close. 100 ft - depends on the circumstances. 200 ft - maybe that is ok. Don't make assumptions, be over cautious. The US Forest Service drone hobbiest guidelines specifically say this:

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Do not fly over or near wildlife as this can create stress that may cause significant harm, and even death. Intentional disturbance of animals during breeding, nesting, rearing of young, or other critical life history functions is not allowed unless approved as research or management.

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www.fs.fed.us/science-technology/fire/un...tems/responsible-use



wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/drone-operat...ng-elk-herd#stream/0

"Even though an animal might not appear to be disturbed, it could be quite stressed--for example, a bird may choose to remain near a UAV even when stressed because it is incubating an egg or protecting its hatchling," says Jarrod Hodgson of The University of Adelaide in Australia. "It is likely that animal responses vary depending on a variety of factors, including the species, environmental and historical context, and the type of UAV and its method of operation."