In Northern Michigan, elk are more than just animals; they are a symbol of the state’s strong history. However, due to decreased numbers in the elk population, the animals and the state’s history are both being threatened.

Thanks to GPS tracking devices and net guns, however, that may not be the case.

In order to better protect the elk, researchers and environmentalists need to have a better understanding of these animals, including their migration patterns. Researchers from the State Department of Natural Resources and Michigan State University will now be able to learn the valuable information regarding these animals and their migration.

With the aid of a helicopter and snowmobiles, researchers were able to put GPS tracking devices on 40 elk as part of an MSU graduate student’s research project. The researchers flew over the elk and used a net gun to temporarily capture the elk. Once the elk were captured, they were fit with GPS collars, which will help the researchers keep track of and study the animals in the Lower Peninsula.

According to DNR wildlife field operations manager, Brian Mastenbrook, one of the primary goals of the project is to assess the effects that recreation has in the core elk range. The GPS tracking devices will allow the researchers to keep tabs on the movements of the elk for the next three years.

Pigeon River County State forest, which is an area that includes 100,000 acres of public land in parts of Cheboygan and Otsego counties, is the area that comprises the core elk range. This area is commonly traversed by mountain bike riders and horseback riders. The data that the GPS tracking devices provide will allow researchers to determine if the movement of the elk is impacted by the activities of humans.

The team of highly qualified researchers who fitted the elk with the GPS tracking collars were able to equip a total of 20 males and 20 females in a period of two days. They were pleased by how quickly they were able to complete their mission of collaring the elk, and they were even more pleased that the animals were not harmed in the process.

Your pets are more than just animals; they are members of your family. As such, you want to keep them as safe as possible. It’s not uncommon for pets to go astray; a dog can escape from under a fence if he is interested in something beyond its barrier and a cat can dart out of the front door when you are bringing in groceries.

Lost pets are immediately put in harm’s way. Cars, dangerous animals and being picked up by the pound are just a few ways that your pet can be endangered. If you’ve ever lost a pet, you know how traumatizing it can be for you and for them – and how difficult it can be to locate them. Fortunately, thanks to advances in technology, locating a lost pet has become a lot easier.

#1) Microchipping

As many as 8 million animals land in shelters every year. Sadly, only about 15 to 20 percent of dogs and fewer than 2 percent of cats find their way back to their owners. Thanks to microchipping, your dog or cat doesn’t have to be one of millions of animals that end up in a shelter.

The process of microchipping involves using a need to place a small chip under your pet’s skin, typically between the shoulder blades. The process is only slightly painful, similar to the pain that you feel when you have blood drawn.

The microchip has a unique registration number on it, as well as the phone number of the registry that the chip is registered to. When a special scanner is scanned over the chip, the number on imprinted on it can be read. The vet or the animal shelter can then call the registry that the pet’s microchip is registered to and acquire your name and phone number, enabling them to get in touch with you and let you know where your pet is located.

#2) GPS Tracking for Pets

GPS tracking is another form of technology that can be used to keep tabs on your pet. There two types of GPS pet tracking devices:

1. Devices that are linked to a cell-phone system that allow the location of your pet to be accessed via a smartphone or a computer.
2. Devices that communicate through radio waves on your own special handset.

These GPS tracking devices can be attached to your pet via a special collar or a device that attaches to a collar. With both types of GPS tracking devices, you are able to pinpoint the exact location of your pet, so should he get lost, you will be able to easily find him.

Keeping your pets safe is a top priority, and thanks to technology, you can locate your pet and make sure that he is safe, even if he goes astray.

Racing drones can be fun and exciting. It can also be educational. While you may not need to worry about locating lost drones, there are many ways GPS tracking for your drone can prove quite beneficial to anyone considering racing drones now or in the future. These are a few reasons GPS tracking for racing drones is a wise investment.

Recover Lost Drones

While you don’t have to worry about losing your drone on a drone racing course, you will need to practice well and practice often to develop the piloting skills necessary to race your drone effectively. Tracking your drone with GPS tracking allows you to find your drone if it goes off course, gets lost while out of sight, or encounters something that throws it off course, like a bird strike.

Additionally, you can establish safe zones and set up instant alerts if your drone strays outside of certain safe zones or if it is operational during designated “sleep” times. This means that is someone attempts to steal your drone, which are attractive targets these days, you will receive notifications so you can begin tracking your drone in real time to assist law enforcement in its recovery.

Monitor Speeds During the Race and While Training

There’s no better way to determine how far you’ve come as a pilot and how much your skills have grown than to use GPS tracking to map your routes, your speeds, and other pertinent information about your flight activities.

This lets you judge how quickly you can run certain courses and helps to determine how your piloting abilities will stack up against the competition when you know a few key details about the drone course and the pilots you’ll be going up against.

Track Progress of Your Drone When Out of Sight and Throughout the Race

Whether the entire course is within easy range of sight or there are some twists and turns that are just beyond your ability to see clearly, you can keep track of your progress with GPS tracking of your drone by watching on your tablet or mobile phone as your piloting your drone.

You will find that GPS tracking for drones can be a highly useful tool to assist you in perfecting your drone racing form, keeping your drone safe while you do so, and to help you make your next drone race the thrilling experience you’ve always imagined it would be.