Using Drones to scout an area

[cjack]

Drones really drones are you guys kidding me or what?
I have been watching this thread and I have been dieing laughing at some of these post.
I really can't believe that grown men and I am talking about real hunters in this group would actually consider using drones. Really?
We have high powered rifles,every kind of scope,bino and spotting scope to find trails,water,feed and now we need drones???
We have map programs,compasses,GPS and God only knows what other devices that I have forgotten about and now we need drones??
Maybe we should just add Napalm bombs and flame throwers, maybe call in air support.
Guys I am no lib and I take advantage of all of my options, but really drones??
Hum I wonder how those Indians survived, drones I think not!
Please keep it going this is better than any SitCom just hilarious.

Relax! It's all in fun, Did you bock at range finders when they first came out? How about that vehicle you drive or do you mount your wild pony and go after buffalo with your hand made bow and arrows? Do we need drones? NO....would it be fun? Maybe! Boys and their toys.

 

[spectr17]

Drones really drones are you guys kidding me or what?
I have been watching this thread and I have been dieing laughing at some of these post.
I really can't believe that grown men and I am talking about real hunters in this group would actually consider using drones. Really?
We have high powered rifles,every kind of scope,bino and spotting scope to find trails,water,feed and now we need drones???
We have map programs,compasses,GPS and God only knows what other devices that I have forgotten about and now we need drones??
Maybe we should just add Napalm bombs and flame throwers, maybe call in air support.
Guys I am no lib and I take advantage of all of my options, but really drones??
Hum I wonder how those Indians survived, drones I think not!
Please keep it going this is better than any SitCom just hilarious.

I always crack up at this kind of reply from the guy with all the latest gizmos/fad and new camo pattern. Pot calling the kettle black lol. I can remember this same whining over compound bows, GPS, portable blinds, flippy the duck, man did that one cause some fighting/ etc etc.

 

[hks95134]

I always crack up at this kind of reply from the guy with all the latest gizmos/fad and new camo pattern. Pot calling the kettle black lol. I can remember this same whining over compound bows, GPS, portable blinds, flippy the duck, man did that one cause some fighting/ etc etc.

Compound bows -- that would have been back in the early 1970's.

Compound bows have since evolved into an easy way to do archery without learning any of the archery fundamentals that a recurve bow requires you to learn.

I am surprised that most/all archery shops now sell beginner compounds before selling a beginner recurve.

Something about that is just NOT right.

 

[hks95134]

Relax! It's all in fun, Did you bock at range finders when they first came out? How about that vehicle you drive or do you mount your wild pony and go after buffalo with your hand made bow and arrows? Do we need drones? NO....would it be fun? Maybe! Boys and their toys.

Range finders are great on the archery field target range.

But with a deer or pig in your sights, there is not time for a range finder.

 

[hks95134]

Drones really drones are you guys kidding me or what?
I have been watching this thread and I have been dieing laughing at some of these post.
I really can't believe that grown men and I am talking about real hunters in this group would actually consider using drones. Really?
We have high powered rifles,every kind of scope,bino and spotting scope to find trails,water,feed and now we need drones???
We have map programs,compasses,GPS and God only knows what other devices that I have forgotten about and now we need drones??
Maybe we should just add Napalm bombs and flame throwers, maybe call in air support.
Guys I am no lib and I take advantage of all of my options, but really drones??
Hum I wonder how those Indians survived, drones I think not!
Please keep it going this is better than any SitCom just hilarious.

Agreed! Exactly!!!

 

[Hikingwithguns]

Personally I will not use them. I like the P&Y and B&C position statements on this:

http://www.boone-crockett.org/news/featured_story.asp?area=news&ID=202

https://pope-young.org/bowhunting/position_statement.asp

B&C makes a good comparison to aircraft hunting which I think is more relevant than comparisons to rangefinders etc.

I can't tell from what #1predator posted if scouting with a UAV would be illegal. Certainly moving deer towards you with one would be.

You know what they say about opinions...

 

[Big JJ]

Range finders ??
What's that??
Oh hell now I got go out get one those new gizmos.
I'm just messing with you guys and yes I know it is all in fun.
But it does make stop and think, ouch thinken hurts my head.
I'm goin back to just having fun.
BTW we have snow everywhere tonight, can drones fly in snow?
Sorry I couldn't resist.

 

[Common Sense]

Hum I wonder how those Indians survived

Most didn't. Native Americans did not have a long life expectancy before the arrival of our ancestors. There were really very few of them here, because they were unable to prosper and expand and grow in numbers.

When Europeans with "modern" tools arrived, the American Indian fared even worse.

 

[goldenarrow49]

Agreed! Exactly!!!

And that is how you know when your wrong. Lol

I don't think I will be getting a drone anytime soon but I can see how it would be fun.

 

[cjack]

Range finders are great on the archery field target range.

But with a deer or pig in your sights, there is not time for a range finder.

I disagree, Sitting in a blind archery hunting for turkey or deer I will range various objects and know the distance of any shot presented to me. While elk hunting I had a 1/2 hour wait for a herd of cows to work their way toward me up a draw and was able to pinpoint my likely shooting lanes and distances involved. While pig hunting (rifle) I spotted a pig at 600 yards feeding in an open field and was able to determine when he was within my comfort zone and dropped him in his tracks at 400yds after moving in 200yds, never would have been able to take tis shot with confidence without my range finder in hand.

 

[hks95134]

And that is how you know when your wrong. Lol

I don't think I will be getting a drone anytime soon but I can see how it would be fun.

Fun maybe but a big waste of time as well. Not to mention that you better not have any weapons with you or the wardens will cite you.

 

[Navy Diver]

If you shoot down someone's drone, you might want to be sure they didn't get you on their camera feed as you would then be liable for the damages to the equipment.

What's the law on shooting unidentified flying objects in the my huting areas.

 

[hks95134]

It would be even more irresponsible shooting up into the sky at anything with a bullet than it would be flying a drone in a hunting area.

But we are talking matters of degree here.

 

[Bankrunner]

Really? Drones? You've got to be kidding! Your kidding right?????
Although it would be cool in high tech, keep up with the jone's kinda way, it would diminish your personal tie to nature. If your considering using a drone, ask yourselves a couple of questions about what you get out of the pursuit and harvest of wild game.
Yes, i have game cams, handheld GPS unit and i use goggle earth.
I just gotta ask all the drone advocates......what's next........can i get one in a 270 WSM with a stabilizer, night vision and direct lick to my laptop?
b e e r u n

 

[spectr17]

common sense and hks, take your nonsense somewhere else. Getting tired of it here. Stop hijacking threads with your BS.

 

[solus]

Nothing in DFW law specifically prohibits the use of aircraft (drones) to scout an area but the Federal "Airborne Hunting Act" does prohibit certain activities involving aircraft. Sorry for the long post but I want to include all of the conditions of the law in this post. (FYI - Game wardens are cross-deputized as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Special Agents and are authorized to enforce any federal wildlife laws.)

16 USC 742j1 - Airborne Hunting Act

CHAPTER 9—FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Release date: 2004-04-30
• § 742j-1. Airborne hunting
§ 742j–1. Airborne hunting
(a) Prohibition; penalty
Any person who—
(1) while airborne in an aircraft shoots or attempts to shoot for the purpose of capturing or killing any
bird, fish, or other animal; or

(2) uses an aircraft to harass any bird, fish, or other animal; or (ed. - herding, driving, etc. are considered "harassment". This includes not only the drone operator but also all other participants)

(3) knowingly participates in using an aircraft for any purpose referred to in paragraph (1) or (2);
shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

(b) Exception; report of State to Secretary
(1) This section shall not apply to any person if such person is employed by, or is an authorized agent of
or is operating under a license or permit of, any State or the United States to administer or protect or aid
in the administration or protection of land, water, wildlife, livestock, domesticated animals, human life, or
crops, and each such person so operating under a license or permit shall report to the applicable issuing
authority each calendar quarter the number and type of animals so taken.
(2) In any case in which a State, or any agency thereof, issues a permit referred to in paragraph (1) of
this subsection, it shall file with the Secretary of the Interior an annual report containing such information
as the Secretary shall prescribe, including but not limited to—
(A) the name and address of each person to whom a permit was issued;
(B) a description of the animals authorized to be taken thereunder, the number of animals authorized
to be taken, and a description of the area from which the animals are authorized to be taken;
(C) the number and type of animals taken by such person to whom a permit was issued; and
(D) the reason for issuing the permit.
(c) “Aircraft” defined
As used in this section, the term “aircraft” means any contrivance used for flight in the air.
(d) Enforcement; regulations; arrest; search; issuance and execution of warrants and process; cooperative
agreements
The Secretary of the Interior shall enforce the provisions of this section and shall promulgate such regulations
as he deems necessary and appropriate to carry out such enforcement. Any employee of the Department of
the Interior authorized by the Secretary of the Interior to enforce the provisions of this section may, without
warrant, arrest any person committing in his presence or view a violation of this section or of any regulation
issued hereunder and take such person immediately for examination or trial before an officer or court of
competent jurisdiction; may execute any warrant or other process issued by an officer or court of competent
jurisdiction for the enforcement of the provisions of this section; and may, with or without a warrrant, asauthorized by law, search any place. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to enter into cooperative
agreements with State fish and wildlife agencies or other appropriate State authorities to facilitate
enforcement of this section, and by such agreements to delegate such enforcement authority to State law
enforcement personnel as he deems appropriate for effective enforcement of this section. Any judge of any
court established under the laws of the United States, and any United States magistrate judge may, within his
respective jurisdiction, upon proper oath or affirmation showing probable cause, issue warrants in all such
cases.
(e) Forfeiture
All birds, fish, or other animals shot or captured contrary to the provisions of this section, or of any regulation
issued hereunder, and all guns, aircraft, and other equipment used to aid in the shooting, attempting to shoot,
capturing, or harassing of any bird, fish, or other animal in violation of this section or of any regulation issued
hereunder shall be subject to forfeiture to the United States.

So basically it is legal to scout with a drone. Just dont harass the animals like specified.

 

[#1Predator]

So basically it is legal to scout with a drone. Just dont harass the animals like specified.

Pretty much but keep in mind that "harass" is a broad term that has no definition when applied to wildlife and would be highly subjective. The legal definition for "harass" or "harassment" generally applies to human-versus-human activity (sexual harassment, etc.), not to wildlife.

 

[spectr17]

Most NPs, monuments and NWRs are a no fly zone. Here is a warning letter a guy got from a NWR cop in OK. Turns out someone turned his video on YouTube in after it went viral and the NWR cop tracked the owner down. The letter cites the fed code for the warning. Some are reporting signs that say UAVs are banned at the entrances of some NWRs and NPs. Here is the post on a UAV Facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/uavLegalNews/permalink/632575126868546/

 

[Bubblehide]

If I recall correctly, Wilderness areas are also no fly zones.

 

[ChrisAMX]

Antis are using drones too