Scouting with a Drone
Equipment
Anyone use a drone to scout for deer or other animals to hunt? I saw an ad for one today designed for that purpose. Seems like there are some ethical considerations here but it appears to be legal - at least in my jurisdiction. Just wondering . . .
Hmm. Another way to slowly erode what is left of woodsmanship and reduce hunters to lazy couch pillows.
It won't be long, all we will have to do is push a button and a 200" buck will appear on our wall.
I of course, am an old curmudgeon and that is just my opinion, based on watching nausea producing television shows in which scouting seems to amount to looking at pictures from a trail camera.
"Seems like there are some ethical considerations here ..."
Do you think!?
Can't see where they would be any different than using trail cams, that is unless you were flying it from your stand or when you were stalk hunting. For that matter, what's the difference between using trail cams, or setting in your truck in the evening a thousand yards from a field or CRP land
x2 what Pat said if used for the right reasons it might be the ticket but abuse would be an issue.Lewis
Many states already have outlawed scouting with drones. No clue how they would actually enforce it.
Do a search, this was beaten to death a year+ ago.
Also, IMO drone scouting is no different than aerial scouting. So long as the rules are enforced the same (no harassment, can't fly during season, or whatever, drones should be treated no differently).
In Az, falls under the same law as flying to scout during any hunting season so, it is illegal.
Geez.. has it come to this???
Maybe we should just have stealth andriod-robots do it all for us so we can get a really super-huge trophy rack.
I 100% agree about them being useful for game recovery and no ethical issue there. I live in front of a small county airport(once owned by my family) and I have maintained a good relationship with the owners over the years. Several years ago a buddy hit a nice buck and we felt he died in a large field surrounding the airport(yes we have permission to hunt it)We searched for hours and the next morning I went down and asked if someone would take me up to have a look. I immediately spotted the deer in the tall grass. A drone would be ideal for just such cases. As far as scouting with one, I feel that would be an unfair advantage, much as I feel the use of trail cams to pattern a particular deer is an unfair advantage and that is why I use them only during the off season to take inventory of deer on my properties. Shawn
If I ever see one in the woods while hunting, I'm going to shoot it down. Period. End of story. So, even if made legal, keep this in mind. I'll shoot yours, your daddy's, my dad's, my brothers, even my momma's out of the air and stomp it into 10,000 pieces if flown by me when I'm hunting.
I really have no ethical problems if they were used to recover animals, population levels after winter, etc.... However, I would never recognize the intent before blasting them down or skewering one with an arrow. There are places for certain things. My hunting woods is not one for drones I'm certain of. God Bless
First one to "scout" my property will be shot down lol. I look to the wardens to start using them if they have not already. It would be cheaper than flying a Cessna in some areas.
W' and Thorn', you two said how I feel. Thanks, I needed that lol!!!!
"IMO drone scouting is no different than aerial scouting."
Well, in general, an aircraft has to stay 500' from (above) buildings, vehicles, people, except for the purpose of takeoff and landing at an approved airfield, and drones have to stay below 400' (well within shooting distance ;-) ). Seems like a big difference to me.
"...any different than using trail cams..."
Agreed. So trail cameras should also be illegal starting at least 2 weeks before hunting season opens. This is a great example of an incremental increase in technology that has no end.
Hey - I'll hook up a dozen or so to a harness and use them to lift me over to the next ridge! Boy, will I be able to cover ground!
Game recovery on private property? No problem. Game recovery on public ground? Nope - too much chance of ruining things for other hunters. Scouting? Should be treated the same as any other aerial scouting as mentioned by others.
WV - fine over private property. Not good over public ground. Would be the same as seeing an ATV parked on public ground in a legal area and destroying it because you didn't like ATVs in "your" woods.
I feel your frustration but it would still be illegal to destroy it on public ground so I can't support you.
Of course, I would FULLY support making it illegal to fly these on/over public ground during any big game season (form of hunter harassment)!
How about scouting for poachers, trespassers and thieves?
Save your money and wait for "real time" Google Earth.
I am employed be a municipality in Maine. We looked into purchasing a drone to look for cutting violations, illegal buildings, etc. We discovered that we need to have an employee get an FAA license to operate it. It might be simple to obtain, or a license may not be required for a non-government user. Just something to consider or clarify before purchasing one.
Sure, I'll be the odd-guy out . . .
I'd love it. I'd use one to scout. I don't see a problem with it
Where I would use it is heavily wooded, so if you wanted to see deer, you'd have to use it with snow cover, which we have for less than one week per year, generally
To increase my knowledge of the whitetail and how he uses the lands I hunt, I would love it. I don't know if I'd learn anything useable (I only hunt about 25% of the hunt-able property on my main farm, as the other is either impossible to hunt because of swirling winds, or impossible to get to without spooking lots of deer), but I can imagine seeing 5 and 6 year old bucks, in their home ranges, and it would allow a peek into the world of the whitetail that I think I would find very enjoyable.
I would love a bird's eye view to watch an old buck in his bedding area, and where he beds, and when he gets up, and how far before he beds again, etc. etc. Lots of stuff that I can guess at based on foot-scouting, but that is unverifiable without seeing it actually done.
I'll never buy one, but I think it would be really cool
Bake
Illinois sent a law banning drones for scouting and hunting during the season, but the bill stalled and needs to address agricultural practices that use drones to check fields for crop damage, cattle fences, forestry, etc. during an open hunting season. Like others have said, abuse is a consideration. The non-hunting public probably won't get a sense of fair play with their use for hunting.
Hmm? Wonder how hard they would be to shoot down? Just thinking out loud.
I'm going to get someone to come down to my hunting property and fly one around. I'd like to see what we can see with it.
I feel bad for the prey. No peace any more. C
Colorado was the first to outlaw drones for scouting and hunting.
I agree 100%.
my best, Paul
If you follow P&Y fair chase you can't use them.
I have no words for this, except that I guess I'm too old for these times. I even leave my cell phone in the truck when I hunt because it's one of the few times I don't have to be concerned with the aggravating SOB. Not having it on me in the woods is pure JOY.
If the only way I could hunt was by using cameras, drones, etc., then I'd quit hunting.
tradmt, that tears it then, I ain't getting one ! :)
I like to think of myself as a curmudgeon. I would never use one for hunting purposes.
BUT I got to fly one last week. (Military version) And it was GREAT. If I had one and owned land, like Kevin Dill mentioned, I would use it to observe my land for trespassers and poachers. I would never use it for hunting.
Like Ziek mentioned, they must fly below 400' or FAA needs to be involved.
Just like using a crossgun or compound
Illegal here in NH. I would rather walk as I only groundhunt.
I believe I remember in one of the Wensel books he stated going after the season and getting a pilot to fly over land and take aerial photos. I think in this type of circumstance it would be ok to use for aerial pics - maybe even cheaper if you have a lot of sites. I don't think using during the season would be to ethical though.
Why not their great on terrorists heheheh
Their use during season is just not a good idea, IMO. Too much room for abuse.
Shooting them down might actually be as much fun as hunting...
I see their use by antis for harassment as potentially being a big problem. Buzz one over an animals head or get between the shooter and the target...
So you have a tag in AZ unit 9, you and all your buddies have a drone, there's a bunch of antis with drones... Before you know it.... Drone wars.
Forget the elk tag. It might be more fun to just take two semi-auto .45s with bird shot rounds.
I'm not sure who to blame, but can't this be traced back to the dude who chiseled out the first wheel?
I don't believe there is any room for them in an ethical hunt. Imagine you're drawing on your buck of a lifetime, and your neighbor flies his drone over you "scouting", or even looking for a dead deer? Somebody would soon be looking for a dead drone!
Idyllwild- Do you shoot much? .45 with birdshot has little knock down power at all and is meant for rats and snakes. There is a video I saw of a guy shooting a drone with a 12 gauge and it took several to knowck it down
Do you think a guy could use a drone to determine which tree to put is camera up in?
Nope, don't shoot much and I have zero experience shooting at flying electronics. But the post was meant tongue-in-cheek.
According to head of law enforcement, drones are illegal in Kansas.
Been a while since I've shot any aerial targets, but I would give these a try.
Shooting down a legal drone will get you a pretty serious charge in some venues...I always pass them up.
I think I ought to be able to spot a coyote and fly a drone down to bug him a little.
I'd love to video vultures circling a gutpile.
If I had a deer dead and couldn't locate it, a drone would be better than an airplane.
I could get rid of unwanted geese with a drone playing Ted Nugent music.
My wife could find my carcass with less effort with a drone.
I predict some day soon we'll see a drone-filmed hunting video. Guy arrows a booner while drone videos from above...and then the drone pursues the running deer to show the final death scene.
Get ready.
As a drone pilot, and one who uses them all the time, I can see some uses for them in the WT community as far as current aerials are concerned, but aside from that, I hope they stay out of the hunting arena.
Also, unless used for commercial purposes, you can fly them at will.
Oh, with all "will I find him" / my expandible failed me threads" I put little faith in people shooting them down.
I lean more towards the side of shoot em all down. I think they're great as a toy for a child or even for some of the more practical uses such as photos of property etc... They certainly have NO place in the hunting woods or hunting community. Personally I dont agree with the use of game cams for scouting either. I think the use of all this technology turns hunting into more of a shopping experience. Like seeing an ad on t.v. at Wal-Mart for a certain product. My mindset is get off your A$$, hit the woods on foot, find the sign your looking for and decide if thats where you want to hunt or not. Probably a great feeling to be surprised again by a big buck or bull elk you never even knew was in the woods. Seems like the era of instant gratification is growing larger everyday.
Might be fun to have one to scout deArs at the beach, but I don't think I'd bother for deer!
The Beaches of Fla have them. Usually when I walked at sunrise, is when I saw them. Told my daughter what I saw. Daughter went to college in N Miami for criminal justice and many localities are experimenting with them. Funny thing is that I never knew they were there just happened to look up. Only noise was the ocean. They came one about a half hour after another. The police have them.
Just got permission to hunt a family owned mountain valley. A caretaker and future owner wants to learn how to hunt. Hes interested on protecting the family property. A leased hunting venue boarders the hard to reach valley. He spent the first day of rifle looking for flo orange clad 2 hunters that happened to violate his property lines. Ill be recommending the use of a drone to protect what is his.
No Trespassing
Property Patrolled by Drones
Might work.
There are many different types. Both units I fly will set you back about 40K, and can fly 75 to 750 meters AGL @ 80km . You can map large areas in minutes which is there intent.
Great for engineering, and orthophotos, hunting world? I hope we can keep them out.
Regardless of whatever technology is developed, there are always those who will use it for illegal purposes. Whatever happened to the word, "Hunt?" Getting out with boots on the ground and learning the signs and places that the wildlife habit and compete with them in their home territory and be able to win the challenge? That is where the satisfaction should be.
You can abuse everything from trucks to guns to atvs to bows. Trailcams are an abuse in certain situations. So are corn feeders in my opinion. A drone is no different. A responsible guy will have no problems using them correctly, while an abuser will misbehave with them. That said, I am four-square against their use to scout game, locate game, pursue game or hunt/kill game. I wouldn't use one to find a dead deer either, but my reasoning is my own. I can see very little good coming from their use in hunting settings, but a lot of abuse potential.
It's not good for me to think about seeing little mechanical dragonflys and x-wing flybots zooming about the woods trying to thermal image a hidden buck.
Lareva, what tv commericial is it that has the "EASY" button? Thats what all these new "tools" are doing to hunting and unfortunately way to many are buying into it.
I have one policy regarding drones. If they are in range.... they are coming down.
I see no difference between a drone and a clay pigeon. The owner is operating the launcher. Its up to him.....
Not much difference in scouting from a drone vs. a plane imo. Lots of guys fly over elk country a few days before hunting. I prefer neither but how do you keep someone with access to a plane from flying. Heck USO got in trouble for flying and now when the have guys in the field they only fly for the next hunt.
Woods Walker-
I hear you man, but at least a cell phone has a do not disturb mode. I don't like the idea of carrying one myself, but I sure would feel stupid lying somewhere and realizing that I was going to die that day because I was too damn proud and stupid to carry my phone with me. Maybe if someday I get to the point where I'd rather die hunting and keep on living anyway, I'll change my mind. But for the first seeable future, I have two boys who probably need me to keep myself around for them...
I'm really pleased that several states have already gotten ahead of this one, though I would think that between fly over regulations and motorized vehicle restrictions, these would already be off the table. Of course, I'm of a mind to say that if you glass a herd of Elk 3 miles away and you hop into a truck or on to any TV to close the gap to a half a mile or a mile, then you have just violated the prohibition against using a motor vehicle to "pursue" wild game.
Drones are just another great way for lazy people to "scout" without getting any mud on their shoes. Really, why even bother hunting if you need to rely on drones and remote cameras to do all the work you are unwilling to do. As a bonus, you can now try to get pics of your neighbor's hot, underage daughter when she sun tans in the nude by their backyard pool. (Note: they put up a fence to keep you from watching and drooling, but had no idea you would go so far as fly aircraft over their backyard for a peek!)
Seems I may not be the only aged curmudgeon on here. But I can sure see how some outdoor writer can get a half-dozen articles out of it. "How to Effectively Drone Scout Your Land." I may write that one right now. I don't guess it matter that I have never used or even seen a drone close up.
Photo magazines already have columns devoted to drone photography, although I haven't seen one yet on drone wildlife photography. I know it's being done, especially with birds. Don't know how they're getting around wildlife harassment laws. One thing is for sure, they NEED to be controlled. I sure don't want one flying over my head controlled by some moron. As a former (retired) commercial pilot, I know all too well the close calls with airplanes already. It's just a matter of time before some yahoo crashes one through a moving car windshield, or train... Whatever dumb stunt can be dreamed up will be tried.
Seems to me that terrorists would love drones. Load one up with plastic explosives and fly it right to it's target before detonating. In this day of terrorism, I am really surprised they are being sold to the general public.
First one that fly's over me while hunting is getting shot down
"I see no difference between a drone and a clay pigeon"
good one
"I'm not sure who to blame, but can't this be traced back to the dude who chiseled out the first wheel?
another good one
What do you think the best type of rifle, caliber, load is to shoot them down? How fast do they fly, how can you quickly guess their range, how much should you lead them?
Do any States that have outlawed drones allow you to down them?
One problem I see is projectiles winging off to god knows where - of course non of us would ever miss.
Most drones are line of sight, so if you can see the drone there's a good chance you can find the flyer. License plate and some pix and maybe some government type would prosecute (not holding my breath on that one).
This is a serious question. Hunted in AZ where there was a highwing plane flying a grid pattern over the hunt area ever damn day. If people can cheat to increase their odds (or their clients' odds), they will.
Maybe a solution to corner jumping and accessing public land that is landlocked...... Just hook a bunch together
Who wants to go in on a case?
Seems to be two schools of thought on drone tolerance and shooting them down:
1. Over private property (mine) I've got the right to shoot them down on sight and you can pound salt.
2. You can't shoot down a drone because you don't like it. If you do, you'll likely be charged criminally.
Those are the prevailing mentalities I've been seeing for a couple years. Guys have shot drones and been arrested for it. On a practical level it's not much different than shooting an unoccupied atv parked on your property. Not saying what I would do, because I don't know. I'd rather not find out either.
Wouldn't a net-gun be about perfect for drone capture?
What's even more comical is the stereotypes we "as Americans have" are utterly true. Hard to argue stupid.
I see a drone hoving over my home just like I would a perv peeping in my window. Fly the damn thing over YOUR house, not mine. There won't be any trouble that way.
Personal airspace above private property is only 83 feet.
For all that will shoot a drone down it is against the law. Last summer a guy shot one down. He said "that someone was taking pictures of his daughter suntanning". Well he got charged for shooting it down. I guess it has something to do with the FAA. Come to find out a realtor was taking pictures of the neighboring property since it had just been listed for sale with him.
I just read SD's regulations last night and I thought I read its against the law to scout with a drone there. I will have to check tonight.
I think there is a big difference between a drone and a trail camera. A camera is hung in one location and requires the animals to walk by. To me its apples and oranges.
I don't use many cameras but if I do its in the summer to see what is around for bucks. Heck last year I never even put a camera out.
I don't think we need drones in the hunting world. But to each there own.
Are they that easy to control when not in sight? Seems like much adieu about nothing to me..... there will be a lot of drone crashes in my opinion.
As with anything the technology will improve with time. As more are sold, prices will drop making them more affordable.
"Are they that easy to control when not in sight?"
They can be programed to follow a GPS course and return and land. In fact, many will return to their launch point and land when the batteries get to a certain point.
In other words, get up in the morning, launch your drone to check out the hunting area with infrared photography, put your coffee on...
Yes the technology will improve. Keep in mind there is very little skill needed to fly one right now. If you can run a joystick on a console then you're ready to fly a simple drone. In probably 5 years (or less) they will be as common as corn feeders. I do not believe there is any way to prevent their use by individuals on private land, assuming permission exists. Scouting for hunting (using drones) is almost guaranteed to happen. The bigger issue will happen when drones are over/above neighboring or public lands where no permission exists. The FAA has been right to examine drone usage carefully and regulate the heck out of them. Without that we'd be looking at them...looking at us...nonstop.
"Do a search, this was beaten to death a year+ ago"
If that disqualifies a new thread what are we going to do with our time.
My friends son has a business flying drones. He does work for realty companies and other businesses, farms, golf courses, even some municipalities. He'll be doing some filming for my company in the Spring. It would be a mistake to shoot down one of his drones because you mistake it's purpose.
"It would be a mistake to shoot down one of his drones because you mistake it's purpose."
Maybe, maybe not. In Colorado it's up to the individual to know where he is and not trespass. If one hovers 50' above my deck, it's toast. Some of the prosecutions for shooting one down were related to illegal discharge of a firearm, not destroying the drone.
OK Ziek, read what I wrote again and this time pay attention.
Patent pending for combination corn feeder anti-drone gun. Protect your investment!
And for the record that fellow that shot that drone down had all charges dismissed against him.
It just goes to show that there's some sanity left in the justice system.
KJC. OK, I did. I didn't open the link. What am I missing? I don't care what his purpose is. Without my permission, or lacking a court order for surveillance, what I described is trespassing. If it is clearly marked with a registration number, I might reconsider and he may loose his privilege to fly it, or reimburse me for the transgression. Otherwise, it's toast. You should know that my house sits on 50 acres, well away from any boundary lines. His drone has no right to be there.
Just think how many will get shot down when Amazon trys delivering packages with them.......
By the way, I'm not against their use. I just want ALL operators and vehicles licensed and registered, and their use tightly controlled with severe penalties for misuse. Just the fact that they're flying hardware above our heads is reason enough to require that.
Here is a photo from a friend's quadcopter from 2012. He's a professional photographer who hoped to incorporate them into his business. I think he decided that the liability was not worth the advantages, at least not until the regulations are worked out.
I would like to borrow one for duck hunting. I recently planted millet in a field after putting a levy around it. as it floods, it would be helpful to know what areas are open at different water levels. Its a 5 acre field and you cant see the water in many spots due to the millet.
Who's going to be the first to come up with drone-killer drones? Oops Mr. Dronehead sorry about your drone getting chopped up into little bitty pieces by my drone, just an accident I assure you, and NO, you may NOT go onto my property to recover the pieces.
Don't know who Lungshot is but I do believe we would get along...until he found out I have shoot a crossbow. Well, I don't have to. I could stay home. Someone once, suggested I could pull a bow back with my teeth. But since I have no teeth, that is out.
I don't have any foodplots, no cameras, no drone and non tripwire bombs. I do use a grunt call sometimes and am bad to take a dump near my stands. And, of course, I pee on and off my stand and on my shoes regularly.
But if I had a drone, I would certainly fly it over the neighbor's pool now and then. I like to watch his lab swim.
Crap....looks like I will just use my $40K to hire Mossback.
"Who's going to be the first to come up with drone-killer drones? Oops Mr. Dronehead sorry about your drone getting chopped up into little bitty pieces by my drone, just an accident I assure you, and NO, you may NOT go onto my property to recover the pieces."
I think miniature ground to air missiles would be more spectacular...8^)
Doesn't the FAA have a regulation regarding "line of sight" operation?
Being a pilot and a land surveyor I've been trying to keep up with the latest developments and stay up to date as the FAA finalizes the regulations. Originally commercial operators were going to have to be licensed pilots but they changed that to requie that they pass a test and get a certificate. This eliminates the requirement of passing the medical exam that is required for pilots.
The FAA has records of thousands of incidents where drones have had near misses with commercial aircraft, have interferred with aircraft operations and have operated in restricted airspace and these incidents are on the rise. Commercial pilots have reported numerous near misses and even encounters as high as 10,000 feet agl.
It's a pain in the butt to have to comply with the FAA but this is serious business and I believe it's only a matter of time before a drone is responsible for a commercial airliner crash.
"Don't know who Lungshot is but I do believe we would get along...until he found out I have shoot a crossbow. Well, I don't have to. I could stay home. Someone once, suggested I could pull a bow back with my teeth. But since I have no teeth, that is out."
Bowriter- I have no issues with crossbows, rifles, muzzle guns, compounds etc... Hell, I still break out my inline muzzleloader throw a scope on it and hunt deer during the rifle season with it once in a while. No matter which weapon I choose, I've still never had my weapon tell me where the game is, how big it is, where the bedding area is or what time it comes to the corn pile! Just a personal preference to keep cameras out of the woods and out of the skies I guess. Not sure I would get much satisfaction out of a machine doing my legwork of the hunt for me, but... to each his own.
On a side note, I'd love to watch you shoot a bow with your teeth! ;) happy hunting.
Wait til Amazon starts delivering packages in a couple weeks to your door with a drone. Its about to happen, lets see how many of them are captured, shot down or just plain old beaten on. As I said I believe for game recovery they would be a very useful tool. Shawn
