03/17/2026
LOCAL BUSINESS | TECHNOLOGY
Drones Bring Missing Livestock Home — Day or Night
An Idaho aerial services company is using thermal drone imaging to find cattle, horses, and sheep that have strayed beyond property lines — sometimes within minutes.
Staff Report · Treasure Valley, Idaho
When a rancher wakes up to find a fence line breached and half a dozen head of cattle missing, every hour matters. Searching rugged Idaho terrain on foot or horseback can take days — and sometimes the animals are never found at all.
Fly With Me Aerial Photography LLC, a Treasure Valley-based drone services company, says it can change that. The company deploys drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras that detect the heat signatures of livestock across hundreds of acres in a matter of minutes, even in total darkness.
"Animals that wander off property can be nearly impossible to track on foot — especially across dense brush or at night. One call can save your herd."
The technology works by picking up infrared radiation emitted by warm-bodied animals against a cooler landscape background. Cattle, horses, and sheep all have distinctive thermal profiles that the drone camera can identify from altitude, allowing the operator to pinpoint exact locations and relay coordinates to the property owner in real time.
Fly With Me Aerial Photography offers livestock search services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "Leave a message and I return your call within minutes," reflecting the urgency that lost livestock situations demand.
Beyond livestock recovery, the company also serves big game hunters. Under Idaho state law, using a drone to locate a downed animal after the shot is legal, and Fly With Me holds written documentation from Idaho Fish & Game confirming compliance.
The company can be reached at (208) 964-1195 by call or text.
Service Area: Fly With Me Aerial Photography LLC operates throughout Idaho. Thermal Imaging · Wildlife Recovery · Livestock Search.
