How it'll go with sky senderos

When you’re ready to get your survey scheduled, simply respond to your quote email or give us a call and we’ll be happy to get you on our calendar. We typically recommend booking your survey 2-3 months in advance to ensure you lock in your preferred date. There is no deposit required to schedule your survey. Once we find a date that works for everyone, you will receive a confirmation email.
‍

One week before your survey, you will receive an email from us asking for a few pieces of information about the landowner as well as the property. From there, we will be able to create a pre-programmed flight path that ensures 100% coverage of your property as well as submit all necessary paperwork to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). Once this paperwork is submitted, you will receive an automated email from TPWD asking you to approve the Landowner Authorization (LOA) form.
‍

On the morning of your survey, you will be connected to the pilot(s) who will be flying your property that night. We try to arrive shortly after sunset and they will provide an ETA once they are on the road. Upon arrival at your property, the pilot(s) will ensure all of the species and property/pasture outline information is correct. They will also discuss your goals for the survey as well as go over the flight path with you to plan any necessary travel around the property. 
‍

With the flight path preloaded on the drone, our pilot(s) will be able to immediately start flying your property once they arrive. You and any family / friends / lease members are welcome to take part in as much of the survey as you want . While we record the entire survey for anyone to watch back at their convenience, we also bring a portable monitor that allows you to watch what our drones see in real time. In fact, we’ve even hooked up this video feed to living room TVs for some clients. As our pilot(s) fly, they will make an initial count broken up by species, gender, age, or any other category you request.
‍

Once the entire flight route is completed, our pilot(s) will land the drone safely and pack up all of the gear. If you are not present, they will notify you of the job being done via text. Our pilots have years of experience on ranches, and know to close all gates behind them. For added peace of mind, they will also provide you with a photo of the locked front gate when they leave.
‍

Following the conclusion of your survey, you will receive an email with the initial count made by the pilot(s) during the survey. Our team also reviews all the footage from the survey with the help of our proprietary artificial intelligence computer vision software. This secondary review works to reduce any human error that may have affected the initial count. 
‍

While the time taken to review the footage depends on the size of the property, we aim to get all reviews turned around in a week or less following the survey. Once the review is completed, you will receive a final report to your email which includes the following:
‍
- Flight details
- The flight path followed during the survey
- The initial and reviewed counts in table and chart form
- 3-5 photos of notable animals
- A link to your game map (if add-on chosen)
- An invoice with your total cost and payment options

Click here to view an example final report
‍

In addition to the final report document, we will also mail an SD card that contains the video footage from your entire survey. You can view this footage yourself, review with fellow lease members, or share it with any wildlife biologists you may work with.
‍

One of the biggest advantages to a drone survey is that it allows you to repeat the exact same flight path for future surveys. The precise replicability of our pre-planned flight routes makes it easier to detect population trends across surveys. Landowners should conduct annual surveys to gauge the effectiveness of their wildlife management practices, as well as the impact of any adverse weather events that occurred in the past year. In addition, reporting yearly census counts is a requirement for continued participation in TPWD’s Managed Lands Deer Program (MLDP) as well as maintaining a 1-D-1 Open Space Agricultural Valuation (wildlife exemption).
‍