Ep. 450: Whitetail Research: Unlocking Mature Buck Daylight Patterns with Thermal Drones

East Meets West Hunt

Beau Martonik

Wilderness, Sports

4.9 • 747 Ratings

🗓️ 16 September 2025

⏱️ 107 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Beau Martonik sits down with Derrick Dixon, the creator of the Whitetail Research YouTube channel, to dive into how thermal drones are changing the way we understand deer behavior. Derrick shares his bold decision to leave a secure job and dedicate an entire season to tracking whitetails with advanced technology. From morning movement patterns to the individuality of mature bucks, Derrick reveals fascinating discoveries about how deer respond to wind, weather, and human pressure. He also breaks down the myths surrounding technology in hunting—showing how traditional woodsmanship and modern tools can work hand in hand. Whether you’re a hunter looking to sharpen your skills or simply curious about the science of whitetails, this episode will inspire you to see the woods in a whole new way. Topics: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:04:37 – Derek's Journey into Deer Research 00:13:39 – The Passion To Observe 00:18:48 – Terrain and Deer Movement 00:28:51 – Morning Movement Patterns 00:48:17 – Individuality of Mature Bucks 00:55:40 – Thermal Switch Insights 01:12:59 – Scrapes and Signposts 01:18:34 – The Impact of Human Pressure 01:32:11 – Technology vs. Woodsmanship 01:40:48 – Applying Research to Hunting 01:49:40 – Future Plans and Resources Resources: Whitetail Research Links: IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/whitetailresearch/ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@WhitetailResearch Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@eastmeetswesthunt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@beau.martonik⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠East Meets West Outdoors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Shop Hunting Gear and Apparel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: Beau Martonik - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQJon93sYfu9HUMKpCMps3w⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Partner Discounts and Affiliate Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.eastmeetswesthunt.com/partners⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Amazon Influencer Page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I mean, he's really, really efficient in the way that he's traveling and extremely intentional in the way that he's doing it.
0:06.2	And in most cases, he's also hitting quite a few rubs and quite a few scrapes throughout daylight,
0:11.0	which is something I've heard some people theorize might be a nighttime activity type thing.
0:16.0	But it's, no, it's definitely happening quite a lot during daylight hours.
0:22.0	I was like, well, if I throw a mic on, then I can help others the way that these people, that will help me.
0:27.8	Born in the heart of the Pennsylvania deer camp, with the help of experts, friends, and local legends,
0:36.3	we bring you valuable knowledge
0:38.0	and powerful stories
0:39.7	for your hunting adventures.
0:42.6	Welcome to the East Meets West Hunt podcast
0:46.2	with your host, Bo Martonic. The day is finally here.
1:00.8	New saddles, new carbon fiber climbing sticks, a new hybrid saddle platform, and much more
1:06.4	are live on the Timber Ninja website and on the East Meets West Hunt gear shop. If you're serious about
1:12.7	innovation, safety, and going lighter in the woods, you need to check out Timber Ninja Outdoors.
1:18.3	They're leading the way with the most cutting edge, lightweight, and safest mobile hunting and saddle
1:23.8	gear out there. You can find the Timber Ninja products at Timber Ninja Outdoors.com and Eastmeatswesthunt.com.
1:31.1	As always, you can use a code East Meets West for free shipping on Timber Ninja products.
1:36.7	If you don't see the product you're looking for available right now,
1:40.2	sign up for the email newsletter to be notified when they will be available.
1:44.5	When it comes to optics, I get the same question over and over again.
1:48.7	What are the best all around binoculars?
1:51.3	Well, it's tough to find something that works in every condition.
	...

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