UPDATE: I started the $500 job this afternoon. Used up all 4 batteries, lol. Got paid half. The other half tomorrow. So this may be an "old" idea, but where I am in Texas, it MIGHT make some fun $$$.
In Texas, we have a problem with feral hogs. Almost every farmer, rancher, or rural property owner of any size close to tall grass or wooded areas has to (5+ acres) has to deal with them. I was raised in Texas farmlands, and know a lot about this issue. A sow hog with young has no problem attacking a human in "defense" of her offspring. They are dangerous, and seriously destructive! They run in packs usually and can cause literally several thousand dollars in property damage in a very short time.
The law in Texas right now allows rural property owners to harvest (no bag limit) these animals in order to control population and to minimize property destruction. Hog hunting is literally a sport hunt in most areas of Texas. Guys use 4-wheelers, and automatic rifles to harvest the hogs. Many people process and eat the meat. There's only one problem with hog hunting. The hogs like to take cover in deep thickets and under tree canopies when they are hunted. They are both hard to find and dangerous to track into the brush....
Enter the FLIR capable drone...
I found those hogs time and again today without the farmer having to go into the brush to look for them. Knowing where the hogs are allows one of the hunters to get on one side and make a lot of noise, driving the game to the waiting hunters. There are several other ways to flush them out, but finding them reduces the possibility of an all day "hunt" with nothing to show for it at the end of the day. The farmer was really happy, and invited a couple of his farmer friends over to see how it all works. Who knows, maybe I can make enough to recoup my FLIR Vue Pro, lol.
I know that this also takes a knowledge of feral hog habits, but hey, it seems to work. Anyway, that's my "out of the box" idea for making a little $$$. I wanted to share it with those who might be interested.
Fly on! K
PS: We used my Kubota UTV to station close to the known areas the hogs were in. I launched/landed out of the dump bed of the UAV. Worked fine for me. Cheers! K