Owyhee Air Research LLC

Bachelor herds, like the one seen in this video, are formed once males leave their family groups. Oftentimes, young male elk that have newly left their family group are still sexually immature and spend their time foraging and bulking up in bachelor herds in preparation for the mating season (rut). Typically, bulls are only found with cows during the rutting season and otherwise will be in large, male-dominated or exclusive groups.

Seeing the contrast between infrared and regular imaging gives excellent perspective of how difficult these animals would be to find during aerial surveys without thermal-sensing technology. Mule deer, or as our sensor operators affectionately call them, mulies, can be easily differentiated from white-tailed deer where their ranges overlap by their large ears and black-tipped tail.

Did you know that beavers are actually in the rodent family? Beavers are known as ecosystem engineers; creating dams, underwater lodges, influencing the flow patterns of rivers, and creating food cache sites.

Interspecies mingling between elk and deer does occur, as seen is this video. Our sensor operators are trained to analyze every group that they find in order to verify correct species ID and ensure whether or not there are multiple species present. Our sensor operators always enjoy finding different species intermingling like this, as it provides interesting insight into behavioral dynamics of different species co-habitating. Can you count how many we spotted? Leave your guesses below...

Moose are generally rather solitary animals and unlike elk, do not gather in large groups. Often our sensor operators find them on there own, such as this bedded bull moose. This bull's antlers can be clearly seen in this video and offers a great perspective to see why moose antlers are referred to as being palmate, with the ends being broad and flat like a paddle (which is also why moose antlers are sometimes also called paddles).

Check out these snapshots from last week’s early-morning Maule flight out of Nampa! Our team was on a snow marker mission, gathering crucial data to keep winter operations running smoothly.

Ongoing field operations in Washington and Oregon are keeping our aerial survey team busy! By providing real-time data on deer populations, Owyhee Air Research helps state agencies manage resources more effectively and uphold crucial conservation goals. We’re thrilled to collaborate with local partners to deliver actionable, high-resolution insights.

Bighorn sheep live in some pretty harsh habitats and are often found among cliffs and rocky outcrops in high altitudes, which can be seen in this video. Due to this, bighorn sheep are notoriously one of the most difficult species to survey for but with our innovative technology, our sensor operators are able to efficiently locate bighorn sheep, despite the challenging terrain. Visit our site to learn more! #OwyheeAirResearch #OAR #AerialInfrared #Wildlife #BighornSheep

Did you know that elk are gregarious animals? Meaning they spend most of their time in herds and are one of the most social species of North American ungulates (hoofed mammals). Finding large herds like this is exciting to our operators as they have the opportunity to witness interactions among the herd without them knowing they are being observed. #OwyheeAirResearch #OAR #AerialInfrared #Wildlife #Elk #DefensibleData #WildlifeSurvey

While the majority of our projects involve terrestrial species, we also regularly conduct marine mammal research! This past summer we traveled up to Southeast Alaska to assist wildlife managers with cetacean population surveys. We identified 9 different marine mammal including this humpback whale mother and calf. We are looking forward to even more marine mammal research this summer and are always interested in hearing your ideas for aerial survey projects! #OwyheeAirResearch #OAR #AerialInfrared #Wildlife #HumpbackWhale