fatboy
Well-Known Member
We now have ammunition for them. Make sure you keep your rounds next to your Zombie killer shells. http://www.luckygunner.com/12ga-3-uranium-drone-load-tacnition-5-rounds
Did you read this in the regs somewhere? If so, where?
We had a pretty 'spirited' conversation about this in the store yesterday & no one could find anything anywhere in the regs where it addressed use of drones. Obviously there is an ethical issue to using them, but we were discussing the legality of it.
I put a call in to the local CO, but haven't heard back yet.
Gus
Member
Drones are not illegal to use. If someone wishes to use a drone for commercial purposes (making money through the use of drones flights) they must petition for an exemption. I have been hearing from attorneys this is not terribly difficult to obtain one. These are known as a section 333 waiver. If you Google section 333 drone use waiver there will be plenty of information to fill in the blanks.
DGorman
Active Member
I would say legality hinges on the definition or interpretation of the words aircraft and hunt. If they consider drones aircraft and decide you are hunting, then I'd say they would be illegal. Technically, even if they aren't aircraft, you would still be using a mechanical device to hunt deer, so still illegal.
From page 22 of the regs
From page 22 of the regs
^^^^ Ya, that's where the lively discussion came from! Haha!
Are you really 'hunting' if there's not a gun attached to it? I assume that law was written for people shooting out of an airplane and I know a CO who said he's written that ticket before.
Are you 'hunting' if you're out with no weapon flying the drone around to see where deer/turkeys, etc are at?
Are you 'hunting' if you're trying to find a dead deer in a crp field with no weapon?
These are the questions that came up during the discussion and I really don't know what the answer is.
As already stated earlier in the thread, I assume the DNR is going to have to eventually address the issue as it specifically pertains to drones. But in the meantime I hope the CO gets back to me so I can get his take on it.
Are you really 'hunting' if there's not a gun attached to it? I assume that law was written for people shooting out of an airplane and I know a CO who said he's written that ticket before.
Are you 'hunting' if you're out with no weapon flying the drone around to see where deer/turkeys, etc are at?
Are you 'hunting' if you're trying to find a dead deer in a crp field with no weapon?
These are the questions that came up during the discussion and I really don't know what the answer is.
As already stated earlier in the thread, I assume the DNR is going to have to eventually address the issue as it specifically pertains to drones. But in the meantime I hope the CO gets back to me so I can get his take on it.
DannyBoy
Well-Known Member
Just another tool that will be abused just as much as it will be used for good purpose. I can see how they'd be very valuable to enforcement, the ag community, etc., but honestly hope they're outlawed to the general public. We've got enough toys at our disposal already.
AZHunter
Iowa Boy At Heart
Sadly, at least two wildfires out west (one in CA and one in WA) blew up HUGE because someone (civilian onlooker) was flying a drone in the area to "get great footage". They are considered a risk/hazard to aerial operations and all aircraft on both fires, including water and retardant delivery aircraft, were grounded until the airspace was finally cleared. Fires grew exponentially in size in a matter of a few hours and both fires ended up having wildland firefighter fatalities, in addition to severe injuries to other firefighters.
Totally off the "hunting use" topic, but dead on with DannyBoy's point...
Daver
PMA Member
Careful there...suppose you are a law abiding hunter that someone wants to mess with and they call you in on a bum rap. Meanwhile, you are enjoying your hunt peacefully and legally when a drone appears and spooks the deer/turkey/etc that you are waiting on.
Granted, that is a hypothetical situation, but I would not be so quick to allow law enforcement to use drones, or other surveillance measures, without probable cause...and to me, an anonymous "TIP" isn't it.
I always read about drone use in the Farm news letter that shows up in the mail. I don't understand how the farming community is using them. Can someone fill me in? Are they looking for weed control?
Yep, they fly the fields to check for areas that might need sprayed or fertilizer. Much quicker than walking. Pretty cool, think they can overlay GIS maps to. I think the door is just opening for Ag on these, they will be used everywhere in a few years.
Gus
Member
Whoops! I missed the main question about drones being used in hunting applications.
From my reading I would say the FFA considers these drones aircraft so using them to directly to help you take an animal would be illegal. On the other hand there is nothing illegal about surveying your land with camera carrying drone. No different than flying over your property in a manned aircraft.
On the ag use side of the discussion they are being used along with some pretty sophisticated technology. While still useful to average farmer for visual surveillance of fields they are going well beyond this. With drone flights and the use of different technologies they are able to accurately predict what yields will be throughout a given point in the growing season. I am not terribly informed on all this technology, but it was being discussed at a seminar put on by the Realtor Land Institute Mon. that I attended. It was mainly a law update and drones have been a hot topic as of late. If anyone is interested in reading further I believe IA State U is doing some pretty extensive work with drones in conjunction with ag technology and would think they would publish info about this.
From my reading I would say the FFA considers these drones aircraft so using them to directly to help you take an animal would be illegal. On the other hand there is nothing illegal about surveying your land with camera carrying drone. No different than flying over your property in a manned aircraft.
On the ag use side of the discussion they are being used along with some pretty sophisticated technology. While still useful to average farmer for visual surveillance of fields they are going well beyond this. With drone flights and the use of different technologies they are able to accurately predict what yields will be throughout a given point in the growing season. I am not terribly informed on all this technology, but it was being discussed at a seminar put on by the Realtor Land Institute Mon. that I attended. It was mainly a law update and drones have been a hot topic as of late. If anyone is interested in reading further I believe IA State U is doing some pretty extensive work with drones in conjunction with ag technology and would think they would publish info about this.
loneranger
Well-Known Member
BIG BROTHER< will be watching us....