LutzFly Drone Services

12/14/2025

Christmas Spirit at the Fairgrounds! 🎄
Nelson understood the assignment! 🎅🏻

Mercer County Fairgrounds-Celina, Ohio
Bear Hollow

12/12/2025

🦌DARKE COUNTY CALLOUT - RECOVERED 🏹

This hunter felt great about his shot, but after tracking blood deep into the woods, the trail vanished and so did his confidence. When things weren't adding up, he made the call—and we headed out!

We hit the timber first, then pushed toward a nearby waterway… and that’s where we found his buck! The shot was low and a tick back, and the heavy breathing and cavitation told us exactly what we were dealing with. It’s a shot we’ve become all too familiar with, and we assured the hunter it was 100% fatal — just a matter of time!

By the next morning, the buck had traveled about 160 yards back into the woods and bedded again. Nearly 14 hours after the shot, we were still seeing that same body movement at the wound and fresh blood pumping out. After three total re-checks throughout the day, our evening pass finally revealed what we were waiting for… an expired buck!

The hunter was absolutely fired up and sincerely grateful. He told us straight up—without this find, he never would’ve put his hands on this deer!

He took the buck to Buckmasters MainBeam Studio in Ludlow Falls where he taped out at 139 6/8"

Big congratulations to this hunter and thank you for trusting LutzFly!!!

12/09/2025

🦌 From a Creek Bed to the Truck Bed 🏹

Call came in on a buck shot a little back, and the blood trail wasn’t promising. Not wanting to risk bumping the deer, the hunter asked us to come locate him!

A couple hours after the shot, we found the buck bedded in a creek—alive but hurting. We planned a morning re-check, but at sunrise he was no longer in the same spot. We followed the creek and searched far and wide, but the sun quickly washed out our visibility. Our plan was to come back right at dark to continue the search.

After reviewing the footage and talking it over, one thing was clear: we had eyes on that deer the night before, and there was no reason to believe he went far unless coyotes pushed him. With the sun ruining thermal visibility, our last message to the hunter was:

"He could be submerged further down in the creek or tucked under a bank. I’d walk that water during daylight and check.”

An hour later, he called: “I found him!”

Just 300 yards downriver, tucked under an embankment and half-submerged. The deer’s position and the bright sun made it tough to see, but he followed the plan and recovered the buck!

Congrats on an awesome deer and a well-earned recovery!!!

12/07/2025

⚓ Where are all our boaters at?

With snow on the ground this week, we’re over here thinking warm thoughts — so here’s a September throwback to Brutus, one of the dredges that helps keep Grand Lake usable and our channels safe.

Our local ODNR crew puts in a ton of work each season to enhance the lake's condition, and machines like Brutus are the backbone of that effort:

• Commissioned in 2012
• Pumps 250–300 cubic yards of sediment per hour (that’s 20–24 dump trucks!)
• Capable of cutting a 120-ft-wide path
• Can dredge up to 30 ft deep
• Powered by a 540 HP engine with a 1000-gal fuel tank
• Weighs in at 123,811 lbs.
• Has pumped material distances up to 14,000 ft
• Best production year: 2017, with just shy of 200,000 cubic yards removed — equal to 15,385 dump truck loads!

Dredging not only keeps our channels navigable but also plays a vital role in improving water quality, restoring habitats for aquatic life, and enhancing safety for everyone who enjoys the lake.

Big thanks to the folks dedicated to managing Grand Lake and ensuring it remains accessible for all!

Stay warm out there — summer will be back before we know it. ☀️🛥️

12/06/2025

🦌One recovery wrapped up… and straight into another!!!🏹

We had just finished a doe recovery when the hunter mentioned his buddy down the road was still searching for his buck! We told him we could swing over, and he said, “Let’s do it!”

We pulled in, launched the drone, and ten minutes later we had eyes on his buck!!! The excitement was sky-high… until the closer view showed he was still alive, even a few hours after the shot. He wasn’t doing well, so we pinned his location and the hunter planned to slip back in at first light.

We were on our way to do the morning re-check when the hunter called and said, “HE’S DEAD!!” By the time we arrived, his buddies were already there to help drag and load the buck — showing some real camaraderie!

A long night, a smart plan, and a team effort that ended in success!
BIG congrats to this hunter — he earned every bit of this one!!!

12/03/2025

🚨 RECOVERED 🚨 3+ Years in the Making! 🏹

This hunter called in after sending an arrow from his saddle with a compound bow! He knew the shot was low, found blood and the arrow, but the way that buck acted afterward didn’t sit right. And with a deer of THIS caliber, he wasn’t about to take any chances — he backed straight out and waited for us!

A couple hours later we arrived on site and got the drone in the air. We located the buck bedded and bleeding from what looked to be a liver shot! Knowing those take time, we marked his location and came back the next morning.

We arrived before sunrise and launched the drone. He was gone from the last marked spot … game on! We started sweeping every pocket we could. Finally, in a nearby block of tall CRP, we picked him up — head up, hurting, but still alive. Everything pointed to a fatal hit; he just needed more time. A smaller buck even walked right up to him and didn’t react! That’s when we knew we were close.

We came back six hours later … and he was gone again!

Now we searched in full sun, eyes glued to every shadow while the hunter anxiously waited behind us. After several tense minutes … we caught a shape that didn’t belong. Hit zoom … and BOOM — there he was!

Expired. Recovered. Mission accomplished!

Nearly 20 hours after the shot, this warrior finally gave up. We pinned the location, grabbed the bike and sled, and hauled his trophy out of the woods!

Massive congratulations to the hunter on a truly hard-earned buck — a deer he has 3+ years of history with! We can’t wait to see what he scores!

11/30/2025

A perfect re-share for gun week eve. Wishing all our hunters a safe and successful opener! 🦌🔫

📣 LutzFly will be ready to hit the skies this week! - don’t hesitate to call if you need help locating your deer!

If you think your friends could benefit from our services, please:

⁃ Go to our Page

⁃ Go to the 3 little dots on the right side of page & hit “invite friends”

⁃ Select all or a select a few & click “send invites”

The 10 seconds it will take you means so much to a small business! THANK YOU for your support!!!

11/29/2025

🦌 Patience Pays Off BIG on This Buck! 🔥

The call came in about a buck that was shot low and back. The hunter had some blood and watched the deer slowly walk into the woods about 150 yards from the shot. He made a smart move and backed out, giving the deer time to bed instead of being pushed too far!

When we arrived, we successfully located the buck not far from the field edge. We were able to verify the shot location and monitor the deer’s heavy breathing and cavitation at the wound, confirming a fatal hit — just uncertain how long it would take for the buck to expire.

We performed multiple re-checks to monitor his condition and keep an eye out for predators. By the next afternoon, the buck had moved a decent way and gave us a run for the money, forcing us to carefully scan in full sun. Focusing on the shapes of heat signatures, we were able to pinpoint him once again. One last re check that evening — around 26 hours after the shot — confirmed for this hunter an expired buck!

We gave him aerial light support to get the buck loaded into the truck, and the look on his face said it all. That handshake and excitement upon a successful recovery is a moment we’ll never forget and reminds us why we do what we do: helping hunters bring their game home.

Congrats to this hunter — hard work and patience paid off!!! 🦌🔥

11/26/2025

🚤 Swamp Buck Recovery! 🦌

This call came in from a hunter who thought his shot might have hit a tick back — and to make things even more interesting, the deer ran into a backcountry pocket so far off the beaten path that the only access was by boat. He had some blood to follow, but with this terrain, tracking was nearly impossible!

He reached out to see if I could help, and we made our way in to begin the search. After a careful scan, we located the buck 175 yards from the shot, lodged in some thick brush. We dropped him the pin…. and that’s when the REAL work began!

He later told me it took over two hours — plus help from a few buddies — to get that swamp monster out and back to dry ground!

Huge congrats to this hunter on a VERY hard-earned trophy! 💪🦌🔥

11/24/2025

🦌 A Recovery That Hit Different

This one was special. It wasn’t just another Saturday night call — it was from a good friend and coworker. The same guy who hears all my late-night recovery stories, pokes fun at half of them, and always says, “That’ll never happen to me… I’m a good shot.”

Well… it happened.

I knew he was out hunting, so when the phone rang, I already suspected he had big news. But the tremble in his voice told a different story. He wasn’t calling for a victory drag. He was calling because the shot wasn’t where he intended, he couldn’t find his arrow, there was some blood, and he was unsure what to do next.

I’m proud he took the advice he’s heard me preach a hundred times — hit pause, back out, and give the deer time. He waited while I wrapped up a call 45 minutes away, and when I got there, we went to work.

Over 250 yards from the shot, tucked into some thick cover, we found a very much alive buck with the arrow still in him. Hurt bad — but not finished. All we could do was pin his location and come back at first light.

Eight hours later, he had only moved about 20 yards… and he was down.

The joy on my buddy’s face was priceless — like watching my 3-year-old on Christmas morning. A big congratulations, a bear hug, and a whole lot of relief. We hopped on the ranger and brought his trophy home!

A beautiful buck, scoring 137 1/8 — and a memory we’ll both be talking about for a long time!

11/23/2025

🦌 A Wild Chase to the Water’s Edge! 🔥

This hunter knew he put a solid shot on a buck but saw the arrow sticking out as the deer ran off! They backed out, gave the deer some time, and then started tracking. The blood was great — but the woods turned so thick they were literally crawling on their hands and knees!

Then they heard the ruckus… they had bumped the buck! So, they did the right thing, backed out, and gave us a call!

We got on scene, took flight, and searched the direction they believed he traveled. After spotting a few does and smaller deer with no luck, we shifted to the nearby water sources — and sure enough, there he was at a pond, merely 400 yards from the shot location!

As excited as we were… he was still alive.
We had another recovery to run, so we cleared that call and came back two hours later to recheck — and there he was, now right at the water’s edge, expired!

The hunter was absolutely pumped to finally retrieve his trophy! This buck taped out at 156 5/8!

Huge congrats to the hunter and thank you for trusting LutzFly!

11/21/2025

🎉 Exciting news—we won! 🎉

How awesome is that? I’m thrilled to share that we won the photo contest with Mercer Landmark, Inc.! A huge thank you to my friends, family, and followers for your amazing support—you made this happen! ❤️

We also submitted our entire album of harvest photos, and hope some make it into next year’s calendar!

Thank you all so much!

Thank you to everyone who voted, and congratulations to Garrett Lutz of LutzFly Drone Services, winner of the Photo Contest! 🎉

Please send us a message to claim your prize.

We’d also like to thank everyone who shared their photos! 🌾 Your hard work and dedication are what make each harvest season possible.