Texas Drone Operator Modernizes Land Surveys

Former military pilot Rocky Phillips uses drone technology to assist Texas landowners with wildlife management.

Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Agriculture

A professional drone hovering above an expansive Texas prairie landscape under a bright, clear blue sky.
Ag Attack Drones is utilizing advanced aerial surveillance and thermal imaging to assist Texas landowners with precise wildlife counts and property mapping. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Would you trust drone technology to manage your agricultural or hunting property effectively?

Ag Attack Drones founder Rocky Phillips is bringing military-grade aerial surveillance techniques to the agriculture industry. The company uses unmanned aircraft equipped with thermal imaging to provide precise wildlife counts and land mapping for Texas property owners.

Why it matters

Landowners are increasingly turning to advanced drone technology to make more informed decisions about wildlife conservation and land use. This shift allows for faster and more accurate assessments of large tracts of land compared to traditional ground-based survey methods.

The company utilizes thermal camera technology capable of identifying deer bucks from approximately half a mile away. Founder Rocky Phillips brings 20 years of military aviation and reconnaissance experience to his agricultural drone operations.

The players

Rocky Phillips

The founder of Ag Attack Drones is a former military pilot and experienced hunter who utilizes his technical background to assist with land management.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

This state agency is responsible for the management and conservation of natural resources in Texas.

FTW Ranch

This Texas property serves as the site for upcoming wildlife survey demonstrations conducted by Ag Attack Drones.

The details

Ag Attack Drones provides services including crop spraying and the creation of detailed two-dimensional and three-dimensional property maps. By combining hundreds of overlapping aerial photographs, the software generates comprehensive, current images of land tracts for management purposes.

Timeline

  1. Rocky Phillips served 10 years as an airborne Ranger.

  2. The founder logged 10 years of service as an Apache helicopter pilot.

  3. Phillips has 25 years of cumulative experience as a hunter.

Market Landscape

The transition to drone-based survey services reflects the broader trend of integrating precision agriculture technologies into private land management. This technology positions independent operators as essential providers of data-driven insights for commercial and private landowners.

Landowners can utilize these drone services to gain precise information for wildlife management and land-use planning. These high-tech surveys provide actionable mapping data that can potentially increase the efficiency of agricultural and property operations.

The takeaway

Using thermal imaging and aerial photography provides landowners with an unprecedented view of their property and animal populations. These tools turn traditional, time-consuming survey tasks into efficient digital processes for modern land managers.

Further reading

Learn more about the evolving sector of Agriculture and its impact on modern land management.

More information

For more information on available survey services, visit the Ag Attack Drones company website.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Grice Connect.

Live Poll

Would you trust drone technology to manage your agricultural or hunting property effectively?