February 16, 2016

Endangered Sonoran Pronghorn

Here's a video from some of my earlier trail camera work:

Taken in the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, not far from where Ed Abbey is buried...

Shows a few of the fawns born that year during the successful endangered Sonoran Pronghorn reintroduction efforts that continue to this day. They are small enough that you could pick them up and hold them in your arms. Tiny little creatures ...

February 12, 2016

Sanders

First, I have to say, as a new comer to DU, where is the right forum to post this too? Campaigns, Democrats, Government and Elections? Geez DU ...

Anyway, all I have to say is Sanders is the most authentic and passionate D candidate. Clinton 'has all the right answers' but seems much like a Rubio Robot when it comes to passion for change - she's a master as saying the right things to garner support. Sanders has fewer chains than does Clinton. His honesty and passion are what matters to me ...

Either way, I will vote for who-ever is the Democratic candidate come November, but still, I have to say Bernie is the most authentic ...

January 22, 2016

Please help stop a 'predator hunt'!

Please help stop a local predator hunt by signing a petition and emailing the organizer!

The hunt claims that killing bobcats, coyotes, foxes, coati mundi's and badgers for points (for as many as you can kill) supports "conservation, hunting, education and community."

Here's a link to the petition (please share for the sake of the animals!):

https://www.change.org/p/john-millican-stop-the-2016-annual-huachuca-gould-s-chapter-predator-hunt-fundraiser

The fundraiser states:

HUACHUCA GOULD’S CHAPTER 8th ANNUAL PREDATOR HUNT FUNDRAISER
THE HUACHUCA GOULD’S CHAPTER IS HOSTING A FUNDRAISING PREDATOR POPULATION CONTROL HUNT ON JANUARY 30-31, 2015. HUNTING AREAS OPEN STATEWIDE!
PROCEEDS FROM THIS EVENT WILL AID IN FAMILY/YOUTH ACTIVITIES, CONSERVATION EDUCATION, AND SCHOLARSHIPS.
PARTICIPANTS ARE INVITED TO CAMP AT ROSE TREE RANCH EVENT SITE. TAKE I-10 TO SONOITA EXIT, OR HIGHWAY 90 EXIT TO HIGHWAY 82 (TURN SOUTH OFF HIGHWAY 82 AT MILEPOST 40.9 ONTO UPPER ELGIN ROAD. DRIVE SOUTH 3.4 MILES TO ROCK HOUSE ON EAST SIDE. CAMP SETUP BEGINNING AT 2:00PM ON JANUARY 29TH .
REGISTRATION DEADLINE AT 5:00PM, ON JANUARY 28th . CONTEST BEGINS JANUARY 30TH.
COST OF EVENT: (REGISTRATION DEADLINE, JANUARY 28th)
TEAM DIVISION (1-2 PERSONS/TEAM): $25.00 PER PERSON
FAMILY DIVISION (Adult(s) w/ Children 17 years old & younger): $30.00 per family
AWARDS given for highest total, largest and smallest predator. In case of tie, total weight will be tie breaker:
Each Predator checked in awarded points: Coyote – 5 Bobcat – 4 Fox – 3 Coati Mundi – 2 Badger - 1
DIVISIONS: TEAM: AWARDS TO EACH PERSON
FAMILY: FAMILY AWARD (1 TROPHY/FAMILY/ PLACE)
AWARDS given out for First, Second and Third place in each division
FINAL PREDATOR CHECK-IN SUNDAY, JANUARY 31st AT 12:30P.M. SHARP
AWARDS PRESENTATION TO FOLLOW AT 1:30 P.M.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION and FOR REGISTRATION FORMS, CONTACT:
JOHN MILLICAN: 520-508-4272, j2dbmill@msn.com, or WAYNE KAISER: 520-678-9827 OR on the website at www.nwtfhuagoulds.org
REGISTRATION and FEES WILL BE ACCEPTED EITHER BY CONTACT WITH JOHN, OR WAYNE, BY REGISTERING ON OUR WEBSITE, OR BY MAILING REGISTRATION FORM AND ENTRY FEES TO:
HUACHUCA GOULD’S CHAPTER
P.O. BOX 1257
HEREFORD, AZ 85615

January 22, 2016

Help Stop a Predator Hunt!

Please help stop a local predator hunt by signing a petition and emailing the organizer!

The hunt claims that killing bobcats, coyotes, foxes, coati mundi's and badgers for points (for as many as you can kill) supports "conservation, hunting, education and community."

Here's a link to the petition (please share for the sake of the animals!):

https://www.change.org/p/john-millican-stop-the-2016-annual-huachuca-gould-s-chapter-predator-hunt-fundraiser

The fundraiser states:

HUACHUCA GOULD’S CHAPTER 8th ANNUAL PREDATOR HUNT FUNDRAISER
THE HUACHUCA GOULD’S CHAPTER IS HOSTING A FUNDRAISING PREDATOR POPULATION CONTROL HUNT ON JANUARY 30-31, 2015. HUNTING AREAS OPEN STATEWIDE!
PROCEEDS FROM THIS EVENT WILL AID IN FAMILY/YOUTH ACTIVITIES, CONSERVATION EDUCATION, AND SCHOLARSHIPS.
PARTICIPANTS ARE INVITED TO CAMP AT ROSE TREE RANCH EVENT SITE. TAKE I-10 TO SONOITA EXIT, OR HIGHWAY 90 EXIT TO HIGHWAY 82 (TURN SOUTH OFF HIGHWAY 82 AT MILEPOST 40.9 ONTO UPPER ELGIN ROAD. DRIVE SOUTH 3.4 MILES TO ROCK HOUSE ON EAST SIDE. CAMP SETUP BEGINNING AT 2:00PM ON JANUARY 29TH .
REGISTRATION DEADLINE AT 5:00PM, ON JANUARY 28th . CONTEST BEGINS JANUARY 30TH.
COST OF EVENT: (REGISTRATION DEADLINE, JANUARY 28th)
TEAM DIVISION (1-2 PERSONS/TEAM): $25.00 PER PERSON
FAMILY DIVISION (Adult(s) w/ Children 17 years old & younger): $30.00 per family
AWARDS given for highest total, largest and smallest predator. In case of tie, total weight will be tie breaker:
Each Predator checked in awarded points: Coyote – 5 Bobcat – 4 Fox – 3 Coati Mundi – 2 Badger - 1
DIVISIONS: TEAM: AWARDS TO EACH PERSON
FAMILY: FAMILY AWARD (1 TROPHY/FAMILY/ PLACE)
AWARDS given out for First, Second and Third place in each division
FINAL PREDATOR CHECK-IN SUNDAY, JANUARY 31st AT 12:30P.M. SHARP
AWARDS PRESENTATION TO FOLLOW AT 1:30 P.M.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION and FOR REGISTRATION FORMS, CONTACT:
JOHN MILLICAN: 520-508-4272, j2dbmill@msn.com, or WAYNE KAISER: 520-678-9827 OR on the website at www.nwtfhuagoulds.org
REGISTRATION and FEES WILL BE ACCEPTED EITHER BY CONTACT WITH JOHN, OR WAYNE, BY REGISTERING ON OUR WEBSITE, OR BY MAILING REGISTRATION FORM AND ENTRY FEES TO:
HUACHUCA GOULD’S CHAPTER
P.O. BOX 1257
HEREFORD, AZ 85615

January 11, 2016

Petition to have the Bundy Terrorist Removed?

I searched online and found only two petitions, one regarding Cliven Bundy and his cows and the other related to returning the Malheur Wildlife Refuge to the northern Paiute people. Both worthy petitions.

However, I am enraged that the state and federal law enforcement agencies are letting the Bundy Terrorists get away with such criminal acts at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Oregon in the first place.

I was thinking that a petition that specifically asks for the immediate arrest of the Bundy Terrorists, putting and end to the 'standoff' would be a good thing. Especially if it could get 100K signatures or more.

Any thoughts?

January 8, 2016

Not all drones are bad - Aerial Photography

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I wanted to share one of the new capabilities I've been working towards with the aerial photography: Creating composite images of a larger area in order to document changes over time, be it vegetation, construction, erosion or landscape. For this test I manually flew the UAV and took photos. The next step will be to pre-load a waypoint mission and have the UAV autonomously fly transects while I control the camera and take the photos that will be used to create the larger composite image.

In the following example each composite image was created from between 15 and 20 images taken from approximately 40 meters in the air with the camera pointed strait down. In the following images you can see the multi-photo, pre-cropped composite and the cropped composite for comparison.

Precrop of development/desert destruction:


Postcrop:


Precrop of creek-bed and social trails:


Postcrop:

December 25, 2015

UAV (Drone) Rules - Know before you fly

Many people may have received a drone for Christmas or know someone who has. Most will be new to the world of radio controlled aircraft, so I thought I'd post a bit of important information for those that are not yet in the loop.

First, if your new toy quadcopter weighs between .55 and 55 lbs you must register with the FAA. This includes the popular DJI Phantom series and fixed wing aircraft.

Here's a link to the FAA registration page: http://www.faa.gov/uas/registration/

Also, remember to fly safe - everything from reading the instruction manual, getting the latest software updates to calibrating the IMU and compass.

• Fly below 400 feet altitude.
• Keep your unmanned aircraft in sight at all times.
• Never fly near manned aircraft, especially near airports.
• Never fly over groups of people, stadiums or sporting events.
• Never fly near emergency response efforts.

**Please share this with new recreational drone owners you may know

December 10, 2015

Mountain Lions

One of my motion-activated wildlife cameras caught some mountain lions in the Mountains around Tucson, AZ:

Love the feline predators!

November 27, 2015

Audubon Research Ranch

Here are two new aerial video surveys I captured for the Audubon Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch near Elgin, AZ:

These locations currently have or hopefully will provide habitat for extirpated or threatened/endangered native species ... Aerial surveys can be compared to past and future surveys to denote changes to vegetation and landscape over time ...

'Drones' are not all bad ...

November 24, 2015

Marine Debris/Plastics

Another video I made while working on Midway Atoll last winter: