After spending several years as a hunting guide in the Midwest, and later working as a professional cameraman in the outdoor industry, the author relocated to Virginia to start not only a family, but a business called Captured Media. A large part of his work now includes operating a thermal drone for deer recovery and herd analysis. The thermal drone is highly equipped to locate wounded deer, making the recovery process much more effective and ethical. (Photo by Justin Updyke)
February 18, 2025
By Justin Updyke
I became obsessed with the thought of hunting the Midwest when I was a child. Primarily, I dreamed of someday visiting Kansas. When I was a senior in high school, I made my mind up. I was going to try and find a job as a hunting guide and move to Kansas. After several failed attempts, someone gave me a shot! And it was better than anything I could have ever expected.
The outfitter I worked for had right around 40,000 acres, and my full-time job was figuring out where to put my hunters each week of the season. The experience that I got and lessons I learned truly came daily. I realized even then (in 2006) how lucky I was to do something I loved and be exposed to this way of life.
After a few years of guiding hunters, something incredible happened. I was not only fortunate to meet two of my idols, Jesse and Ginger Morehead, but I became friends with them. I still remember walking into their new house that they had purchased in Stafford, Kansas. I was calling out some of the deer by name or location where they were harvested, having seen the hunting videos when they were taken. It was an unbelievable opportunity, and I was blown away. Not long after our quick friendship, I received a call asking if I could be available to film Jesse, as he was headed home from Illinois to hunt a big deer in Kansas. Eager and nervous is how I would summarize my feelings, but of course I agreed to give it a shot! This was someone I think a lot of and had literally studied as a child, and they were giving me a shot to film an outdoor television show. Well, that evening would change the course of my life forever! Jesse shot a 171-inch giant Kansas buck on my first day ever filming…
The Morehead’s saw my excitement and offered me a full-time position as their cameraman, and on the road we went. State by state we traveled hunting, and we even made a few trips into Canada. I couldn’t get enough. The experience I was receiving from some of the best whitetail hunters on the planet was invaluable. The number of camps that we traveled to, and the different levels of hunters that we met along the way, was teaching me a lifetime of information in a matter of a few short years. Note, this all comes in handy later in this article.
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The author’s first year in business was much busier than he could’ve imagined it would be, thanks to good friends and sponsors sharing the word of his services. Remarkably, on the opening evening of Virginia’s muzzleloader season, he took 10 calls from hunters in just a half-hour's time. (Photo by Justin Updyke) Once the Moreheads retired, I decided to start my own media company (Raghorner Media Group). I never really had the desire to have my own show, but I really wanted to build films, particularly on advanced whitetail strategy. I have worked with various outdoor brands showcasing how their products are intended to be used and how I applied them for my own personal success. I also didn’t hold myself specifically to the outdoor world. I have built films from every end of the spectrum; I’ve done weddings, CNC machines, racing, even grill companies and accessories.
This line of work landed me back east in Virginia, where I settled down with my wife, Madison. We have four children, and our life is busy to say the least! With my wife being self-employed as well, I decided to take a break from “the dream” and focus on all of the things that come with having small children.
I couldn’t travel as much as I once did, and to be honest, I was getting a little burned out. Gosh I missed it though. Each fall seemed like I wasn't living up to my potential. I even felt sometimes like I had lost my purpose.
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Well, fast-forward to the summer of 2022. I couldn’t stand it any longer. I had to figure out a way to get back into production and spending my time helping others in the woods. I decided to go all-in and opened a company called Captured Media. This time I was going to go a different route. I wanted to do all local work with a few adventurous accounts.
Surprisingly enough, the business took off! In fact, it was like I never stopped. And the best part was, I was home every night (for the most part). This is when I learned about thermal drones and their use in deer recovery.
Thermal Drones & Whitetails When I first learned about thermal drones being used for deer recovery, I immediately knew I could get into that line of work — especially having as much experience as I do behind a camera and having chased whitetails in as many states and habitats in my previous jobs. My goal, once I invested in a thermal drone of my own, was to use my whitetail experience to help hunters locate their wounded or dead deer, as well as to help them conduct herd analysis surveys during the offseason.
This aerial photo was taken from the author’s drone after hunting season ended, during a herd analysis survey on a 1,200-acre hunting property. Using the drone, the author located 174 deer, including 34 bucks. Drones are perhaps the most accurate tool available for determining the total number of whitetails inhabiting an area. This information of course can be used to determine how much food, water and cover a property needs to sustain or grow the herd. (Photo by Justin Updyke) Fall of 2023 was my first season using the drone for deer recovery. Now, one thing I want to point out is how awesome the state of Virginia and its people truly are. The VA DWR, unlike most state agencies, actually posted laws in black and white explaining how drones can and can’t legally be used.
Every time I have ever had a question, I get a thorough answer protecting not only me but also the client. I really built the hype up throughout the spring and summer, explaining what my intentions were and how I intended to operate my newfound hustle for Captured Media. Quickly, my friends, and even big outdoor stores like Green Top, brought me in and said: “Awesome, how can we help?”
This past fall blew me away. As I mentioned before, through supportive sponsors, friends and past clients, word was getting out fast! From opening day to the close of the season, there was a solid chance that I was going to be gone into the early morning hours locating deer. And what I’m most excited to write about in this article is, along the way, I learned A LOT about whitetails. More specifically, wounded whitetails and how to recover them.
The results involve so many variables! I don’t really know any other way to word this than to say, everything that we thought we knew about a shot deer and the estimated time of expiration is purely speculation! After spending so many nights this past deer season looking for deer that were shot with crossbows, compounds, shot at varying distances, shot with different broadheads, etc., I started to draw some interesting correlations.
I found out very fast that any information a hunter can give me about any of the above criteria will play a vital role in how I search with the drone — and ultimately what the outcome will probably be.
What the Drone Found I am doing my best to record stats and share examples to help hunters understand how shot deer behave. So, here’s a few statistics that might shed some light on the topic at hand. Most fatally shot deer will make their first bed within the first 150 yards from the shot site. Something else that was new for me, 95 percent of fatally shot deer were bedded watching their back trail! This stat is staggering, and 70 percent of the deer I have located with the drone are still alive.
The author's drone's thermal capabilities allow him to locate deer in both daylight and dark. However, because of the sun heating up the landscape, the author prefers searching for deer in the evening, allowing his thermal drone to pick up heat signatures better. (Photo by Justin Updyke) I think the biggest obstacle we as drone recovery companies face is the education factor. Infrared technology isn’t new by any means, but I want to take a minute to explain how this works from a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). Jarvis, my particular drone (check out Iron Man), is equipped with an infrared camera, a wide-angle camera, a 200x zoom lens and a super bright spotlight.
This drone is designed for search and rescue missions, but it works perfect for deer recovery. Using all the technology involved, we fly day or night at a high altitude detecting anything emitting a heat signal. Imagine a sunny day; the sun heats every rock, stump and anything else porous up. So, I tend to lean towards evening recoveries. The cool night air helps cool the search area down and increases our odds that much more to locate the target animal.
One other excellent feature of Jarvis’ is that he can can fly in high wind and rain. Flying in the rain is probably my favorite when it comes to deer recovery. Literally every squirrel, rabbit, bird and of course deer stick out like a sore thumb!
Back to the action. In Virginia, the first two weeks of November are the muzzleloader season. I had my doubts about this being a busy time, to be honest. I expected the firearms portion of the season to be far more lethal, and with less calls about deer people were struggling to locate. I felt like archery season was going to be my busiest season by far, but I was wrong.
On opening evening of muzzleloader season, I took 10 calls in 24 minutes. Luckily, I have made friends with some other drone operators in different parts of the state, so I was able to send a few of the calls their way. Even into firearms season, the calls continued. I attribute most of the awareness and popularity to the sponsors and clients that gave me and this technology a chance and reaped the rewards. I made several videos of successful recoveries and literally never said no to jumping on a podcast. This pace maintained through the last day of the season.
Now that we have ended our first season using the drone for recovery, we are transitioning into post season services. Herd Analysis is quite honestly the best tool I could ever offer to a landowner, hunting club, property manager or quite frankly, any hunter!
With the author learning that 70 percent of the deer he searches for are still alive, it's important for hunters to practice precaution when unsure of their shot on bucks. (Photo by Justin Updyke) What questions do I help landowners answer? For starters: How many deer are on the property, actually? Where do they bed? This is where my past guiding experience comes in handy! Do I have enough cover? Is there enough food to achieve the goals I have for this particular property? All these questions are much easier to answer using a drone, which can accurately count the number of deer within a broad area of square mileage.
Let’s face it, other than using aerial maps, we’ve never had the opportunity to fly in real time above our property (out of season only) and really get a good idea of what is truly going on.
I am very excited about this technology! I truly feel like everything I have been working on for the past 25 years is closed loop now, including my work guiding, filming, drone work and love for helping others. I am continuing to work at being more efficient and furthering my education for my current clients and future clients.
About the Author Justin Updyke is the Owner of Captured Media and a Professional Thermal Drone Operator for Deer Recovery and Herd Analysis, based in Virginia. To contact him, call (757) 705-2699.
