Drones

k9healthclub

New member
Ok, so I was really thinking about this. A buddy of mine in the PF chapter is a beet farmer and had played around with his new drone during harvest. Posted it on FB, etc.

It got me thinking about hunting - to film my hunts from an aerial view.

I posted an article on my site about it (likely can't share link here eh?) and inquired to the regional warden supervisor and Doug Leier.

Doesn't sound like ND allows any use of Drone for hunting. I can understand that it's not a fair chase thing but I did find a couple SD outfitters (assumed they are guide services) that used drones to film their hunts.

Watching the one closely, I can see a a great value added service to their clients. Also, to be used beforehand to show clients how to set up with flankers, etc when walking certain fields, etc for optimal safety measures. Then everyone knows how to position, etc.

So is this just a blanket law to prevent all use so there is no "gray" areas that could arise? I get using them to locate game and see that side of it. However, from the truly ethical hunters, it sucks to have something taken away from us for just trying to capture our hunts/memories. When it comes to pheasant hunting, I don't really see how one could "locate" pheasants in cover or chase them, etc.

Anyone else feel this is a blanket law to prevent us from doing this? (filming hunts). I would love to film and show the videos on my hunting site and share with others.
 
Banning the use of drones was an excellent idea and it was great that they had it done before it became common place.
 
I believe Michigan has a smiliar law banning the used of drones during any hunting activity. I don't remeber which group it was but either PETA or spca were marking a drone on their website.
 
Banning the use of drones was an excellent idea and it was great that they had it done before it became common place.

I agree 100%! In Deer Trail, Colorado you can actually buy a drone hunting permit for around $30 a year which gives you the right to shoot any drone in the city limits! Now that is forward thinking.
 
To the original poster's question:

I do not believe that any agency or lawmaker had given "filming of hunts" any consideration ...

out of scope.
 
The question becomes more of is it for commercial (profit) use? Regulations are set up currently to ban commercial use until FAA has come up with a regulatory framework which is currently being designed with the help of 6 test sites, one of them in in Grand Forks, ND. Arguments could be made that filming hunts for recreation is okay.

That being said, the other side of the equation is scaring and corralling game with the drone...so i'm guessing that drones for any type of hunting activity other than surveying/aerial video may be banned eventually. Until then it's likely "open" season to use them but at the risk of having hunting privileges taken away and lengthy court case trying to argue a case in which legislation is a grey area.

However, drone video of bird hunts could be beautiful and could elevate training to a new level.
 
When ever there is something neat, or good for some. There is always whiners to p on the camp fire.:rolleyes: Good lord like you would be able to flush and chase game right to you LOL. What, all 3 pheasants you can shoot?:D. Birds I would say its completely ludicrous, maybe waterfowl. Deer and big game, I can understand to ban the use during deer season. People have been flying RC planes, jets, copters etc around for eons!... Why now when someone decided to lable one a drone its a big deal? Come on. Oh my gosh, theres a kid with a remote control helicopter:eek:. This is what is wrong with this nation these days. Too many type A personality's that believe the whole world should bow down to their view. Me, I say its a huge joke. And a waste of tax payer dollars to bother with such issues. Because yet again, there is no issue.
 
And this was never possible till now right LOL. when I was like 7, I had a remote control helicopter. I was just not smart enough to use it for that purpose I guess.:D The term RC has been renamed Drone. People watch too much army junk on the news.
 
And this was never possible till now right LOL. when I was like 7, I had a remote control helicopter. I was just not smart enough to use it for that purpose I guess.:D The term RC has been renamed Drone. People watch too much army junk on the news.

Ya sure that remote control helicpoter had how much range ... vs today's drones ? :rolleyes: Your helicopter would likely not left the ground with your camera mounted to it ... :rolleyes: vs today's camera technology or even WIFI on-line streaming video. ]

Google drones / waterfowl and you can see their capabilities.

Texas banned remote hunting ... there was actually people that set up bait stations "manned" with a camera. Remote controlled rifle station nearby. Kill a deer from your home or office computer or maybe your Iphone. Never had to go outside - probably pay someone to go get the deer and process it for you. Blood sport - guess not for some.

Drones and pheasants - well I suppose chances of abuse are minimal FCS, but then you start to partition laws based on deer, waterfowl, upland and you get the defense that I was just looking for this .... not that ...
 
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I do get all the "unethical" concerns surrounding this topic.

However, the use of drones to simply video a few guys walking down the field. I'm sure i can't post the two youtube videos I found but two SD outfitters have a video each showing the drone following the group walking down the field and filming their hunt.

I can see two great purposes here:

1) Create a great value added service for their clients to video and capture their guests hunts. If they sell the footage to the client afterwards or built into their rates is one thing. I guess it would be for profit no matter which way you slice it. I'd love to hunt with at guide if that was an offered service. It's capturing memories.

2) For guides, using this video footage can teach new clients how to be safe and show each member how to walk a field. Show how the flankers should stay ahead of the people within the cover to get any birds that flush out ahead, etc.

If I can post them here, let me know. I will otherwise, just search drone pheasant hunts and there are two that should appear right at the top.

I don't see in anyway how this can be unethical or create an unfair chase. If some boneheads want to video themselves doing something illegal, game warden seizes their footage of illegal activity, they are just putting the nail in their own coffin to help convict themselves. Best to just eliminate them from the fields we share with them and not have some law dictate that is banned for everyone...even the ones who would use them ethically.

Just because one person used an AR to shoot up a school...let's ban everyone from owning an AR? really???? People are the problem...not the devise(s) they use.
 
I can see banning the use of "hunting" with a drone. I was not aware there was guns strapped to drones flying around out there blasting critters. But using them to film a hunt, or just to fly around on your own land or with permission from a land owner seems pretty harmless. I guess I can see the side of drone haters. It would seem easy to scout spots to see if anything is in an area, ducks, deer etc. Certainly can be abused and used to chase game off private land. I spose I would just shoot the thing down if it were over my place filming LOL. My RC stuf could go a mile easy. With todays cameras you can do the same thing. It is just refined is all. I think it is fine if not used during or say a week before deer season. But it also can be used as a tool for say TX and areas with hog problems etc. I guess if its not hovering over me I could care less. If I had one I would fly it around home and film some training etc. I think that sort of activity is harmless. This all started with the RC being fitted with the camera. Without the film, we would not be talking about this.
 
I guess if I had video of every great hunt - there would not be enough memory space on a computer ... my memory (albeit getting old sucks) still replays more than any computer file could.

I guess I am to busy creating the new - rather than watching the past.

Not into all the video stuff - but whatever floats your boat. If that is what clients want ... you will need to figure out another way.


Drones are no different than trucks, cars, ATVs, and apparently pontoon boats ... all can heard and harass wildlife.

Pontoon boat (allegedly) harassed and killed a buck deer in NW MN. The lion killer (allegedly) used or (allegedly) had people use a pick up truck to keep deer on his acres. Illegal.
 
I see drones would be effective on pheasants ...

Winter time with snow on the ground. Pheasants feeding in a posted field. Fly drone over them in hopes of driving them into cover that you can hunt (public) or have permission to hunt.

Fly drowns low over private cover to flush birds onto adjacent huntable cover.

Where there is a will there is a way.
 
Yes that should be the abuse. You should not be allowed to fly them over public or private land with o permission. Just as trespass. But on your own land or with permission, I think its fine. And also maybe not during big game season.
Heck in TX no need for a drone to hog hunt LOL. You can shoot them with choppers or any way you find fit. The drone would be handy to find hogs to go after. It will find a place here and there just like the robo duck. When the feds get a cut, they work something out.;)

They always have a hand out when it comes to big business. Sales tx on hunting gear is big dollars to them.
I have never filmed a hunt, but I do film training. It helps me be better. Just like any sports team uses film. I seen some video where they film drives bird hunting. harmless. Then I see some where they harass and chase deer. Not so good. Yotes and hogs, hey game on. But during deer season it should be no fly zone. And not with out permission on private land. Or over.

Land owners should be allowed the right to shoot them down in that case and or have you fined. A good 1,000$ fine and loss of drone and truck should do.;)

But if its your spot, your land, or you have permission? Scout away. Films where guys kept them way high, it did not bother the animals. So if your scouting your spot, why would you drop in and chase that 30 pointer to the other guy?:D I would want to keep my hunting spot quiet. Buzzing the deer with a ufo is just plain stupid. Unless you enjoy seeing no deer on stand.
 
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