drones and fair chase

[gwl79902]

I am a member of Back country hunters and anglers and just got a email about this issue. I feel that the use of drones or unmanned aircraft to assist in a hunt violates all the fair chase ethics. Sure it would be cool to see your hunting area from the air but to use it for scouting or to aide in the hunt its self seems just wrong.

I have no problem with someone flying over their hunt area in a plane or helo.

My question is am I wrong? I am in my late 40's so I am not MR tech so am a just too old school. I do not think so.

 

[TEmbry]

For scouting? Go for it. I don't see it much different than aerial photos, paid scouting services, trail cameras, and manned fly overs already employed.

I probably would never partake in it but won't bother me if others use it as a scouting technique. Seems it would be a cost inefficient way of scouting anyway.

Now to aid in the act of hunting I'd say no, and most state laws would agree with that stance as well.

 

[Muledeernv]

I personally wouldn't use them but that is just me. To me it takes a little sport out of it. Seems to me it is a little lazy if you are already that close to your area that you can fly a drone then just go for a walk and see it yourself.

 

[realunlucky]

Wonder how mossy back feels about this

 

[Colo4x4XJ]

If you can't locate animals on your own then you don't deserve to hunt them, regardless of time of year

 

[Ryan Avery]

Get off your lazy ass and go look. Drone's are a very bad idea on many levels!

 

[jherald]

There was a guy who hunted sheep all over the world a long long time ago who wrote that it was unsporting to use an airplane to spot game of any type. That was over 50 years ago.

I can see it now, instead of supercubs we will have drones swarming like hornets all over the mountains here in Alaska.

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

Get off your lazy ass and go look. Drone's are a very bad idea on many levels!

Agree!!

 

[Rizzy]

Get off your lazy ass and go look. Drone's are a very bad idea on many levels!

Well said. Using drones would get taken advantage of real fast. What would stop a guide from watching a big buck 24/7 365 for the right price.

 

[Brad W]

what kind of crime do i commit shooting at the drones? ALL I Really need to know?

 

[JustOneMoreShot]

what kind of crime do i commit shooting at the drones? ALL I Really need to know?

Damage or destruction of personal property?
I believe that it would be warranted or defensible in court if you feel that you were in personal danger ie it was close enough to you to harm you. If it was well above you I do not think that you could defend shooting one down.

 

[littlebuf]

Drones, huh. Wonder how long it will take team mossback to start using those for there governor tags. Gotta get those fat cats the next world record by any means possible after all

 

[5MilesBack]

The Colorado Wildlife Commission just banned them this year for hunting and scouting. That's OK with me.

 

[jm1607]

The Colorado Wildlife Commission just banned them this year for hunting and scouting. That's OK with me.

Aren't you allowed to shoot/hunt drones in CO too lol? Need a drone season, like right after Spring bear or something..

http://www.businessinsider.com/deer-trail-colorado-drone-hunting-reward-2013-7

 

[ethan]

The drone thing is frikkin retarted in my opinion. If your to lazy to do you own scouting by.....walking (GASP!!) then stay at home and play video games!

Seriously, where will this crap ever end? And will it?!!!

 

[TEmbry]

All you self proclaimed libertarians are sure quick to jump on the bandwagon of government squashing out a person's right.

Again, I'm not saying they should be legal during hunting season, but what's the harm in learning the lay of the land in June/July with a drone, if you have stupid amounts of money/free time in order to pull this off in the first place? What right is it of the game and fish to tell us NOT to fly our personal model planes around?


Just playing devil's advocate... it just seems all to frequent we are all anti-government and pro-rights until it's something that goes against what we would personally do, then it's okay for government intervention inhibiting our rights. I'd never partake in the activity, but would stand up for my fellow brethren for their right to fly RC airplanes with cameras strapped to them for fun during the summer if they so please. With 3-D mapping, topos, and aerials already readily available online and trail cams legal in most states to run during the off season to track game movement/inventory the herd.... I don't see much of the advantage to drones especially given their extremely high cost.

 

[Ryan Avery]

They are expensive now but give that a few years and they will be 99.95. So every swinging Richard will have one. Hunting/scouting will be the least of my worries.....What will the Feds be doing with the high dollar drones. Because we can always trust the government to do the right thing!

 

[TJ]

The Colorado Wildlife Commission just banned them this year for hunting and scouting. That's OK with me.

Oregon has done the same.

 

[7mag.]

Drones are a great tool for our military, and that is where they should stay.

What has happened to people? It's called hunting, not killing. I always thought that the biggest part of hunting, was hunting for the animal. Not spotting it from an unmanned aircraft, then going to that spot to kill it.

How lazy will our society become?

 

[WonkyWapiti]

I'm opposed to drones too for hunting and scouting. Much of our game gets stressed enough in the off season, they don't need some knucklehead chasing them around the mountain side with a toy helicopter.