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Perhaps this is not practical, but could a company produce a set of medium range drones that use ML to identify cow vs. wolf vs. human vs. vehicle and thus repo

Perhaps this is not practical, but could a company produce a set of medium range drones that use ML to identify cow vs. wolf vs. human vs. vehicle and thus report which section of their range has a wolf or human poacher? A pair of drones patrols the perimeter while a pair charge up, then they swap places automatically and run 24/7. Perhaps these could even report if a rancher or hiker is laying on the ground (injury, medical issue) and send footage to the ranch owners phone with coordinates? Is this feasible?

bananabreakfast 7y ago
Why on earth would a farmer pay for an insanely complicated system like that? Besides, what exactly would the farmer do when the drones detects a wolf? It's illegal to shoot or bother them in any way.
- LinuxBender 7y ago
  They might not, that is why I am asking. Maybe prevention of poaching would pay for the system? Maybe they get a discount on insurance? A sheriff or other agency could tranquilize and tag the wolf, then relocate it. It would be great if some ranchers could chime in.
- paulie_a 7y ago
  > it's illegal to shoot them What would they do if they detected one. They'd shoot it. Just like they do now. It may be illegal but it's not stopping anyone. There is a reason why the bumper sticker "earn a buck, shoot a wolf" exists.
michaelbuckbee 7y ago
I think it's more likely that they'd just get a guard llama (not a joke). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guard_llama https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guard_llama
duhi88 7y ago
1. The study of wildlife migration patterns has been a thing for a long time. Methods exist, and are always being improved upon with better technology. A well-placed hunting camera could do the same thing without all the trendy Bay-Area BS. 2. I'm pretty sure that if (when?) a company develops drone-powered mass-surveillance technology, they will be doing it for someone other than ranchers. 3. This whole thing is really a non-issue. Individual wolf packs kill few cattle per year, and there are a lot of published papers with similar numbers. In fact, the removal costs of the wolves can exceed the potential lost profits.

bananabreakfast 7y ago

Why on earth would a farmer pay for an insanely complicated system like that? Besides, what exactly would the farmer do when the drones detects a wolf? It's illegal to shoot or bother them in any way.

LinuxBender 7y ago
They might not, that is why I am asking. Maybe prevention of poaching would pay for the system? Maybe they get a discount on insurance? A sheriff or other agency could tranquilize and tag the wolf, then relocate it. It would be great if some ranchers could chime in.
paulie_a 7y ago
> it's illegal to shoot them What would they do if they detected one. They'd shoot it. Just like they do now. It may be illegal but it's not stopping anyone. There is a reason why the bumper sticker "earn a buck, shoot a wolf" exists.

michaelbuckbee 7y ago

I think it's more likely that they'd just get a guard llama (not a joke). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guard_llama https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guard_llama

duhi88 7y ago

1. The study of wildlife migration patterns has been a thing for a long time. Methods exist, and are always being improved upon with better technology. A well-placed hunting camera could do the same thing without all the trendy Bay-Area BS. 2. I'm pretty sure that if (when?) a company develops drone-powered mass-surveillance technology, they will be doing it for someone other than ranchers. 3. This whole thing is really a non-issue. Individual wolf packs kill few cattle per year, and there are a lot of published papers with similar numbers. In fact, the removal costs of the wolves can exceed the potential lost profits.