Drones for hunting?

[GED6531]

First off, I have never used a drone or plan to and furthermore do not own one. However, my buddy and I were talking the other day about how turkey hunting has changed even over the past few years and the thought of drones got brought up. I know a lot of people that film and edit hunts are starting to use them for pre and post hunt footage. My question is do you or anyone else you know use drones while hunting or scouting? E.G. ( flying it to check a pasture or greenfield a few hundred yards away instead of walking.) I myself enjoy the old school tactics but I was just curious if it has made it into the turkey hunting scene yet. P.S...... I can not afford a drone. Haha

[Greg Massey]

No, i don't want to run the crows off...crows help locate gobblers...unless we can get a drone to look and sound like a crow....

[dejake]

A lot of states, it's illegal to use while hunting.  As it should be.

[Dr Juice]

No, i don't want to run the crows off...crows help locate gobblers...unless we can get a drone to look and sound like a crow....

^^^^ this. LOL.

[Happy]

Nope.

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[SteelerFan]

No.

That said, drone "assisted" hunting or scouting has become an issue for wildlife agencies across the country. Scouting fields, checking duck & goose decoy spreads from a "bird's eye" point of view, etc. are just some of the issues. I have no problem with drone use to add cinematography to the before or after scenes of a hunting video - but I obviously disagree with their use to gain real time information.

[Happy]

No.

That said, drone "assisted" hunting or scouting has become an issue for wildlife agencies across the country. Scouting fields, checking duck & goose decoy spreads from a "bird's eye" point of view, etc. are just some of the issues. I have no problem with drone use to add cinematography to the before or after scenes of a hunting video - but I obviously disagree with their use to gain real time information.

I agree but it's really not that different from the game cameras that send pics directly to your phone. Personally I am not a big fan of any game cameras other than the one in my backyard taking pictures of animals I don't hunt. Just my opinion of course.

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[catman529]

I would never use one to hunt. But I have an airplane I built from foam and I use it often to get aerial videos and pics of different areas. I plan to try to incorporate it into some hunting related video this spring.




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[trkehunr93]

A lot of western states are getting ahead of the drone craze and have already made them illegal as a scouting tool.  Unfair advantage!  Plus who the H wants to be set up on a bird and have a drone buzz by from someone who's checking out a spot.  There cool but limits need to be set before bigger issues arise.

[turkeyfoot]

If anyone is gonna use one let me know where sounds like great wing shooting practice

[TauntoHawk]

they are turkeys, we already over complicate hunting them. Drones, robot decoys... might was well set of net traps over corn feeders..

I don't want to over simplify things but we are already hunting a bird that literally announces his physical presence and location as many as 100+ times a day.

[Twowithone]

Hunters always trying to get an edge. This isn't hunting but unfortunately this is the way hunting is going these days pretty soon youll be able to shoot that Boss Gobbler or big buck while at work.

[turkeyfoot]

Hunters always trying to get an edge. This isn't hunting but unfortunately this is the way hunting is going these days pretty soon youll be able to shoot that Boss Gobbler or big buck while at work.

and that would be the day I'd have to just give up first. Just way too much technology in world today, of course, this is coming from guy that doesn't own a cell phone

[GobbleNut]

They should be outlawed (and have been in many places) for any kind of use in a hunting situation (as should "real time" game cams).  As for use as a scouting tool, I personally think that is something that would very difficult to enforce.  How would an enforcement agency be able to prove that someone flying a drone was using it to scout for game rather than just for entertainment or videography? 

Anybody could say they were just flying their drone "for fun", even if they were using it to scout for hunting,...and no one could prove otherwise.  Frankly, I think eventually drone use will become highly regulated by the FAA because of the many other nefarious uses in our society and the problem will take care of itself.  Time will tell.

[Dukejb]

I wholeheartedly agree that drones should be banned for use in hunting situations. I would like to point out a big difference between them and trail cameras though. Drones spook game and non- game wildlife, where trail cams are fairly unonbtrusive. Drones also can be, and have been, used by unethical hunters to "herd" game over property boundaries or toward set ups. Thankfully many states and conservation organizations are getting ahead of the curve.  Even the National Park system has banned them.

ETA: Like a previous poster my only trail cam is in the back yard to see what kind of critters wander through. I don't really have a dog in the fight on trail cams, I just wanted to point out what is in my opinion a significant difference between the two.