Data from: Saving Bambi from the mower? Using a drone with thermal camera to evaluate a low-tech scaring technique to reduce roe deer fawn mortality during grass harvest

Roe deer is a species that hides their neonates as an anti-predator
strategy. This may prove efficient against mammalian predators, such as
the red fox; however, it might be an ecological trap as large numbers of
fawns are killed by tractors with harvesters each year during grass
harvest. Here, we evaluate a low-tech, low-cost method, using scaring
flags placed in the field the evening before grass harvest, intended to
stimulate the roe deer doe to remove any fawns from the field. We evaluate
the effects of the scaring flags by counting the number of fawns in the
fields using a multi-rotor drone equipped with a thermal camera. The drone
proved to be an efficient tool for detecting roe deer fawns. However,
contrary to other studies, we found limited or no effect of placing the
scaring flags in the field. This discrepancy highlights the fallacy of
generalizing based on single case studies. There is still a need to
develop low-cost, easily applicable tools to reduce roe deer fawn
mortality during grass harvest. However, with the increasing technological
development, drones with thermal cameras are a promising tool for wildlife
management and monitoring in the future.