From Four Wheelers to Drones: 25+ Years Spraying Rangeland in Oregon | The DroneOn Show Ep 46

In this DroneOn Show episode from the Spray Drone End User Conference, Mike sits down with Dave and Jared from Bear UAV / Branch Enterprise in Eastern Oregon. They share how they started in custom application back in 1999 after a tough year in potatoes and onions, evolving from four-wheelers and pickups with hand wands to drones in 2017. The conversation covers the realities of rangeland and noxious weed spraying, post-fire habitat restoration, government contracts, and why they prefer XAG (Zagg) platforms for their spraying quality despite occasional software/connectivity quirks. They discuss the massive difference between Eastern and Western Oregon, the challenges of heavy-lift regulations, supporting older drones, and why relationships and doing the job right matter more than hype in the drone industry. Honest talk from experienced custom applicators on regulations, farmer perceptions, and the future of drones in tough Western terrain. Chapters (00:00:00) - Eastern Oregon Cattle Industry(00:03:30) - How to properly spray mosquito repellent with a drone(00:07:23) - Small-scale drone use(00:11:47) - Federal Firefighting Drone Programs(00:16:13) - DJI P100 Pro vs. P100(00:18:09) - DJI Drone Sales(00:21:43) - Drones for onions(00:27:16) - Reasons to be honest with applic(00:28:17) - Farm Bureaus on Drone Industry(00:30:00) - Do drones need FAA regulation?(00:34:54) - Agriculture Drone Regulations(00:39:18) - Do drones cause wildfires?(00:41:28) - Do You Need a Drone Pilot License in Oregon?(00:46:14) - Farmers on the Drone Industry(00:49:58) - New Drone Applicators Coming into the Industry(00:50:35) - John Deere vs Drone(00:56:20) - Farmers on John Deere and Drone(00:58:24) - Do You Need a Double Deck Drone Trailer?(01:01:17) - Drone On The Drone