My Son recently got a drone and has been sending me pictures from the family farm where he lives. He's been playing with it as a novelty but recently has been using it for surveillance.
We have a private lake near the back of the farm that isn't visible from the house. Occasionally he sends the drone up to see if anyone is fishing on the lake. We let people fish if the come to the house and ask but sometimes locals from town will sneak in from the backside to hunt and fish. We want to keep track of who's on our property and with the drone he can do that.
With this new technology there's the potential to use it for scouting/spotting deer. In the 60 years that I have been bow hunting things have changed drastically. When I started bow hunting there were no tree stands, no baiting and no trail cams. Now we have drones that are sure to be used by some to improve hunting success.
What are your thoughts on this new gadget?
(http://***********.bowsite.com/tf/pics/00small60940340.JPG)
I have seen some very neat videos of nature and wildlife on the internet from drone cams that I most likely would not have seen had the drone cams not been invented. On one hand I love viewing wildlife whether that be in person or on TV or video etc...but on the other hand I just think those things are going to be commercialized by "the hunting industry" and become an acceptable way to monitor game and may boarder on harassment if the drone gets put in the wrong hands. I personally wouldnt buy one.
I can definitely understand how flying it to the back of the property would be helpful so I'm not completely knocking them. Just not my cup o' tea.
I also love the romanticism of the stick and string and going out in the woods "blind" so to speak...with no monitoring of game, picking a trail setting up, and seeing a real nice deer. That feeling of the unknown and the possibility of seeing a big deer unbeknownst to me is awesome and very satisfying. While I do use cameras (partially to make sure no one is trespassing), I quite enjoy seeing deer I had no idea existed.
We were handed a slippery slope and the slope is getting exponentially more slick and more steep.
Our technology is growing beyond what we could have imagined ( or rather..... if we could imagine it, it is here) as a child. Point is, It is here and we need to deal with it.
I for one won't use a drone to scout, chase / herd / harass game, but maybe they might be fun to play around with, I don't know. I can see myself spending some bucks and outfitting mine with a catch net and go drone hunting on my own. Maybe I can't touch off a firearm in town, but I can net one...
I myself won't use a crossbow or one of those new fangled air "bow"s, ever... but I am only me.
On the other hand (and a friend giggles and points this out to me often) I love playing with my sonar in the boat ( even more than catching fish) and absolutely love playing Pac Man thru the ice using a flasher unit ( ice fishers know what I am talking about). I have walked off the ice without lowering a jig once before when the battery went dead on me.
The world is changing faster and faster. I no longer want to substantially change with it because I see a lot of laziness, cheating, and ill placed thoughts out there, but I am only me.
We all make our choices to jump in or not and how deeply we want to jump. Although we all get concerned, it is not my place to tell you not to do something ( unless it is unethical...MY ethics).
ChuckC
I don't know... I can see the novelty of them, see some legitimate uses (as you described) but I can also see where they could be abused. Anytime that someone can find a shortcut they will take it. I have always wondered about the legality of a drone flying over my property. Do they have the right to do so? Airplanes are can fly are to maintain minimum elevations above ground level. If a drone is flying, hovering 50' above the ground in my back yard, can I legally do anything about it? Flu flu's or #7 1/2 size shot?
As long as it is used for good instead of evil!!!
I think they are especially going to be a problem out west where game lives in open country. Guys are going to use them to locate Elk, mule deer etc. I understand and hope that most states will take a stand against them but that won't stop opportunists from using them. I'm 37 years old and am worried what hunting will turn into by the time I'm 50.
I would never use it for a scouting or hunting purpose, just doesn't seem right to me. I believe some states have already passed a law banning them from scouting game.
QuoteAs long as it is used for good instead of evil!!!
My thoughts exactly. We can't stop the drones because they are here already, but we can choose how we use them. People of dubious character are going to abuse them regardless if they are banned or not.
I think they will be a lot more bother/nuisance than they will ever be good.
Alaska(and other states?) don't allow one to huunt on the day they fly, because of the obvious advantage given by aerial scouting.
There will be a push by "The Industry to have them legalized, just like X-guns and air-bows. A guy named Todd Moen creates fantastic videos with dronesfootage complimenting his traditional camera work. But not for hunting.
I'm pretty sure they're illegal for hunting in Colorado. If they aren't, I hope they will be soon, but that's just me talking. Good luck finding someone my age that is such a neoluddite I can say that #8 shot would do a number on one if it was hovering around my house.
I guess I like to hunt.......not find the game and then go after it. My Dad and Uncle, and then the old timers at camp taught me scouting and woodsman ship skills that helped me become a good hunter. Finding and reading the scat, tracks, and other sign left by game is an art. More of that is needed instead of trail cams and drones. I do like seeing photos of game from others on the trail cams but I personally would not use them where I hunt. Just my opinion........ :notworthy:
QuoteOriginally posted by achigan:
Alaska(and other states?) don't allow one to huunt on the day they fly, because of the obvious advantage given by aerial scouting.
There will be a push by "The Industry to have them legalized, just like X-guns and air-bows. A guy named Todd Moen creates fantastic videos with dronesfootage complimenting his traditional camera work. But not for hunting.
All states will have to address it for hunting purposes, soon. Just like the flying plane scouting, so is a camera on a drone. Hunters use trail cameras already. The drone just makes'em mobile and in real time. Where will the line be drawn?
As for use on/over your own land, I see no problem with it at all.
With the technology here, there will be those that use it in all manner of ways. So heck yes I am concerned. My only hope is that many people will tire of it and elect to return to more traditional ways, much like those abandoning wheelie bows or the resurgence of board games and cards over Xbox. Scott
I just had a discussion on FB yesterday on this subject. Here are my thoughts.
While the technology is amazing and they offer unique perspectives, I am not a fan of drones being used for hunting/scouting. Today's society is so driven by making things easier, and it just think we are missing something by replacing the need to get out and use our legs and lungs, relying instead on a flying video camera to do it for us.
I know, many will say this is just another tool, but kids today are already missing all of the outdoor activities that we grew up with. Even in the outdoors or in groups of people they are glued to their cell phones. Drones are another step down the road to not needing to do the work that used to be required to be successful in the outdoors.
The scary part to me is that they are just in their infancy. Will hunters in the future simply sit in their trucks flying a drone around until they find an animal they want to pursue? I don't think we have even begun to imagine some of the unscrupulous users people will come up with for these things. Their capabilities in range, speed and capabilities will continue to advance exponentially as they become more mainstream.
Scouting is a big factor in successful hunting, and my opinion is that hard work and effort should be part of the challenge we accept and embrace as hunters. Making everything easier does not increase the satisfaction of a successful hunt, it diminishes it.
Unfortunately, we see this over and over in hunting. The easier the better, the faster a guy can fill his tag with the least amount of effort required, the more people embrace it. It is a slippery slope, and the wide spread use of drones in hunting has the potential to explode and degrade our sport even further.
QuoteI guess I like to hunt.......not find the game and then go after it. My Dad and Uncle, and then the old timers at camp taught me scouting and woodsman ship skills that helped me become a good hunter. Finding and reading the scat, tracks, and other sign left by game is an art. More of that is needed instead of trail cams and drones. I do like seeing photos of game from others on the trail cams but I personally would not use them where I hunt. Just my opinion.
Ron, me too. :thumbsup:
I have mixed feelings like a lot of people do. It all depends on how people choose to use them. Unfortunately, I fear that it does not make any real difference how guys like us feel, or even if we get legislation to regulate its usage. People who are going to abuse it will do so no matter what. I understand the concern that some of you younger fellows have regarding the future of archery and hunting in general. Things have really changed since I began hunting in 1964. I sure do miss the America I grew up in!
I see this the same way as I see the crossbow and all the other technology. There will be many that choose to use it along with every other technological advance and that's there way of 'hunting'. For many on this site, the laundry list of things Ron mentioned available are not what constitutes a hunting experience and therefore are not used. What will probably happen is the eventual watering down of woodsmanship to a newer technological experience.
I for one am glad I still carry a compass in my pocket and use wool clothing and wood arrows. It's MY way that I want to experience things.
I would say the two big home runs in technology changes are the compound bow and the commercial tree stand. Those two things really changed the success rates of bow hunters. We may find that crossbows and gamecamera/drone technology are the next game changers. Before long, that may lead to reductions in archery deer seasons.
While on a recent hog hunt, I heard some of the ranch hands talking about their adventures with night vision scopes and assault-type rifles. By adventures, I mean shooting animals. They pointed out an ad for a military thermal imaging scope(or some such name)that they said could pick out a deer behind a screen of brush at 800 yards(or some such number!) It cost around $12000. Other than I want our military to have those, I can't think of any acceptable use for them.
Drones, on the other hand, seem to actually have worthwhile uses in the civilian world. But, they are unregulated and "unregulate-able". Yes, Ron, your son has a valid use for one....but how about the neighbor who uses his to gaze through windows at little girls getting dressed? Far-fetched? I don't think so. I think even someone who's all thumbs like I am could figure out a way to hang a hand grenade from a drone and fly it over the Su per Bowl.....pretty big challenge for a Blackhawk helicopter to shoot down a tiny drone over a jillion people!
Not to be like Chicken Little, but this one development could change the way terrorism is conducted, just as much as it may help some legitimate users.
People on this forum likely all feel the same way about their hunting. But, the world is full of tech-crazed fools! (And if one decides to fly his drone low over my house, I will not hesitate to practice my wingshooting!)
They are a great tool for military/police applications. All is fair in combat, and I hope that our military and law enforcement use them to full advantage. For sport hunting, they provide an unethical and unfair advantage. I hope that they are universally outlawed for scouting/hunting, but just because they may be illegal doesn't mean that otherwise unethical people won't use them. There is already more than enough high tech stuff out there that makes pursuing animals easier than it should be.
As with any new technology, it has its pros and cons. However, as for its use in the hunting realm, I have to give it a thumbs down. I don't even use my trail cams anymore. Want to succeed using my own scouting skills, as limited as they might be.
Trailcams, binoculars, spotting scopes. This is not really much different.
Unless they mount bows or firearms to the drone.
They have no place in hunting/scouting, and I hope state DNRs get out ahead on this issue. Well, it's probably already too late. Any drone I see hovering around me while I'm in the woods hunting is going to get my best effort to shoot it down.
Will you destroy trailcams to Orion?
IMHO drones are much different than trailcams, spotters, etc because they can fly up the drainage, over the ridge, and around the far side of the timber and then you have the ethics choice at that point. Trailcams are illegal in Mt. during hunting season BTW. It's all about fair chase and when you overcome a game animals eyes, ears, and nose maybe you need a look in the mirror.
I am on board with most here on this issue. It is another unethical method of hunting and has no place in our fair chase beliefs.
I thinks someone mentioned that they would sometines rent a small plane to fly over tracks of land to scout for funnels etc.
Whip, far worse than that.... will the drones include a gun ? Why leave home in the cold and dark, shoot it from home. First skwerls and such, then pigs and deer. Next, shoot people from home...... You can see where this is going, and you can bet it will.
ChuckC
Wow, AZ. We all draw the line somewhere, but binoculars and spotting scopes? It's a very unusual hunt where I don't have a good pair of binos around my neck. And, I can't picture sheep or goat hunting w/o a good scope. Trailcams don't offend me either, but I can accept that the fact they are "electronic" and unmanned might change that judgement for some. What about Google Earth? I use that for scouting a new area too. Not pointing to you or anyone else in particular-just sayin' I wonder what others think of such things.
"Slippery Slope" is a buzz phrase. Stepping on one is an individual choice...USUALLY!
In a recent newsletter from Az. Game and Fish drones were addressed. Basically what goes for using any aircraft for scouting applies. Same rules. No taking of game using a drone either. They are pretty adamant about it. Using a drone to harass wildlife will also bring you a heavy fine. The word "harrassment " can mean just being in the area of the wildlife.
Every time a new piece of technology comes on the scene there are those who like it and those who hate it. My grandfather hated binoculars, you used your eyes. And if you couldn't see far enough you got closer. My dad hated carbon arrows. I use binoculars a spotting scope and carbon arrows. I have never used a trail cam, and won't use a drone to scout with. All those maps and satellite images we use for hunting. We accept some tech, and later we accept other tech. I think a drone recording my adventures so I can rewatch it would be great. I don't care of some one uses it to fly up a ridge line to look at what's up there. Any more than a guy with a fishfinder looking for bass. I will hunt how I always have. Successfully or not.
We have clearly outlawed them in Colorado. I don't know of a single hunting organisation that spoke in favor of allowing drones to aid in hunting. Nor am I aware of any industry activists who promoted the use of them.
One reason It was easy, IMO, is that we jumped on it right up front. There was no organized resistance. I do think we would have prevailed even in the face of opposition, but nevertheless it's still another potential issue if it's allowed to grow.
Wildlife regulation is done by various methods in different states. If this becomes an issue in states where all regulations are set by your legislature, you will have to fight this in the playground of experienced lobbyists. It behooves all of us to take action immediately before commercial interests latch onto a drone marketing plan for sportsmen and turn it into an uphill battle.
In my state the two biggest equipment issues that just won't die are the desire to use crossbows in the archery season and the liberalization of muzzle loader limitations. The pressure is almost exclusively from industry. Makers and sellers.
Just saying, don't let it come to that!
This has nothing to do with the drone/privacy issues. Those need to be dealt with separately.
I'm not against "things". Just think the when and how of their use sometimes needs to be regulated.
Some police and search and rescue outfits are using them in Colorado to good effect. Might not be a good idea to shoot them on sight
To me the use of a drone in scouting/hunting is the same as being in a helocopter or airplane to do the same....or using a cell phone to scout and tell others where the animals are located in near real time.
I use scouting cameras to get an idea of what is on the property but typically only check them once a month....definitely not timely when it comes to actual hunting.
Drones...the crossman air-speargun...etc...all just watering down what it means to be a bowhunter as money and marketing make what is NOT a bow a bow...and then the states follow...and before you know it we no longer are seen as doing it the hard way. Kind of like how modern muzzleloaders (Jim Shockey) have ruined the early blackpowder seasons for those of us that use iron sights and stuff them with conicals or balls with patches and loose powder. When a "muzzleloader" can shoot accurately out to 250 yards every time with little regard to weather or distance when using modern propellants, sabots, rifle scopes, shotgun primers, etc....then it is little more than a single shot rifle.
I hope there are always those that put the challenge in both equipment and personal limitations above a kill count or social media glory.
A few years ago, I locked horns with a local state congressman over the crossbow issue. You have to wonder how someone that has never so much as fired a bb gun would be so pro-crossbow and satellite linked game cameras. Drones are already in use around here, the guys who have them, think that they are big stuff and have threatened to run deer away from me if they can with their drones. It has been done before with four wheelers. It is illegal to call someone with a cell phone and tell someone else that you see deer. All of these digital conveyances are breaking the same rule. If there is enough money behind it, state legislators will look the other way and let it happen. Hunters are becoming a lazy bunch, that laziness and inability to accept a challenge will end hunting. Think of it this way, if all you like to do is sit on your butt and play with gadgets, why not just stay home and play video games.
As a side note, all trad hunters should have a couple of wood shoot away blunts with them. If they do ever start buzzing me or deer near me with a drone, I will do my best to shoot it down.
I wanted to say a few things about these drones. Something nobody has mentioned so far is that most hunting shows these days are filmed with drones and this has been going on for some time!
Also, I am against these drones being used for hunting. Like a lot of hunters are recognizing here; manufacturers are making it easier and easier every year. Somewhere along the line you have to make a stand and say enough is enough! Just my two cents!
Kenny
I dont know, maybe its just me. I dont see how a drone could give any real details that I need for scouting. Its easy enough to miss key details while standing very near with my own 2 eyes. They could be used to find an area such as bottleneck funnels, but honestly for free I can just as easily use google maps satellite images for that. Personally, the use of them drones for scouting any real amount of quality spots in my area would be extremely slim. I might not be against using them, if they were truly a tool I could use to better what i already have and use....but i just dont see them as better, and just the opposite actually. Nothing, and I mean nothing can replace me being in an area in person picking a spot out. At least 50% of my decision for a particular stand placement that i choose, is made from the rush of adrenaline I get when im in a hot area. The other 50% that leads me to make that decision is my eyes and brain. Drones just cant replace that.
I've been followed by a drone on Forest Service property - public land. It is a strangely creepy feeling. It is a Voyeur without an identity.
To harass man or beast on public property with no identity is a creepy thing to do. It may just be my opinion, but put yourself on the receiving end.
Terry K.
Drone battery dies in about 22 minutes.
I studied them for about 6 months. Then the feds stepped in to make a buck on registering them. Not me.
About that destroying the trail camera question...if its on my property it will be destroyed. I will also dig one out of one of my drawers and post it to catch the trespasser who put it out.
Ron,
Make sure your son registers with the FAA (costs $5). If you haven' and they or local LEOs catch you it's up to $250,000 fine. Anything over 0.55 pounds you need to be registered.
I fly good sized r/c fixed wing (up to 85" wingspan, 20# with 43cc gasoline engines) and I have a couple small "drones", but the ones I have are tiny. I'm neutral on their use for spotting as long as they are not used in season. It has been demonstrated that they stress game - even brown bears.
They have made illegal here in Saskatchewan. great call on UAV's for anything related to hunting by gov't.
I can see them for the checking on trespassers on your land. I have the same problem here, but won't be buying a drone.
Too much of a tight wad and Luddite. Probably should buy a cell phone first...
It's not just scouting. Imagine, X-gun hunter watches a deer bed in a briar thicket 200 yards away. Up goes the drone. Buzzing, herding the deer toward the "hunter". Jay Campbell, or maybe it was Don Thomas wrote about a bush pilot buzzing their hunting party, scaring bear/moose/caribou toward his own(the pilots) hunting party. Lotsa not so nice hunters out there.
The issues with the FAA have been hit on. Make sure you're registered and be prepared to defend the favt that you are notnusing it for commercial/profit use. (The big hangup right now, as I understand it, it using them for anything other than personal use.)
I live in the cornbelt, were big-ag rules. They're getting bery popular here for crop scouting and GIS purposes but so far it's legal for a farmer to buy one and use it but hiring a "consultant" to use on on your propertt is illegal. (I'm sure this is ignored by some or many.)
There was even a stink while I lived in Ga about the FAA not allowing the use of drones for a Search & Rescue attempt.
I think the issue will eventually self-regulate itself. Long range shooting (rifles) is something I enjoy. There are folks who enjoy hunting that way as well. I do not know where I draw the line, but "hunting" a doe or buck at 600-1000yrds away isn't really hunting to me. Using spotting scopes to glass a ridgeline and then plan a stalk is something I'd do.
I think using drones to hunt will be the same way. Some will use them like farmers to scout the land in off-season. Some will use them like a spotting scope to plan a stalk. Some will use them like a twisted form of Search & Rescue to pinpoint game's location.
In the end, I seldom favor regulating things. SIMPLY because I've watched my government try to regulate EVERYTHING and they do a pretty bang-up job of being silly and ineffective. (No anarchist here, I just think the solution must stem from the hearts of men, not a "regulation" that becomes another layer in dance of cat-and-mouse.)
P.S. There is a 250cc 2-cylinder "drone" that Japan has had for years. They use it crop-dusting the small rice patties. It's has an empressive payload and something like a 9' wingspan. It use to run about $100,00 base.......if you got permission from the Japanese government. (Since it can obviously be weaponized) Georgia Tech has/had one I believe.)
In the end, I think it will be much like the long-range hunting. Some wilk be drawn to it and some will have no desire to go "that way" with things.
Hunting in todays world for the most part is a wildlife management tool, how do we want to accomplish it?. I don't use any electronics ,the most tech advancement I use are binoculars, no tree stand anymore just a leafy type gillie a bow and arrow I made myself and my own physical and mental abilities.I have had success,enough to keep my passion alive, but that's just me,others have different views some I respect others I don't. Why do you hunt?, If its just to kill than yes there are optimal ways of doing it but remember this is a regulated activity and for good reason. What will happen to what we hunt if its as easy as going to the grocery store. I'm more concerned for the wildlife and habitat being preserved.
Soilarch, I see your point on regulation and agree to a great extent. However, regulations are also a statement. Not only to the hunting community, but to the non hunting community.
It's a statement of what we as a group consider ethical. Enshrining ethics in law is a touchy thing but we have done it over and over, mostly to good effect.
QuoteOriginally posted by monterey:
Soilarch, I see your point on regulation and agree to a great extent. However, regulations are also a statement. Not only to the hunting community, but to the non hunting community.
It's a statement of what we as a group consider ethical. Enshrining ethics in law is a touchy thing but we have done it over and over, mostly to good effect.
Agreed. We as a society have made many, and should make, statements. I'm on board with most of them. Our Constitution is a document I consider rivaled by very few in history.
When I used the term "regulation" (and when I speak of it in a negative tone) I'm more specifically recalling things like the FDA saying it's illegal for me to sell milk to my neighbors. Telling me my name must go on a registry to by ANY firearm, the manipulation of commodity prices, how I can install a septic tank when I live in a 40 acre pasture, etc.
The FFA's "statement" at my last checking, is that I can't buy a 5oz drone and use it to provide a service to my neighbor.
They open the door to a lot of options for abuse. I love hiking in the woods. Dislike hearing or seeing any man made sounds.
I get you 100%, Soilarch. You and I are very much in agreement.
Wish I lived in the middle of 40 acres.
Let's not forget about the push by big business to use drones. Amazon for instance is pushing hard for immediate delivery of their products. IF that were to ever happen, which they are certainly throwing a BUNCH of money at, what would that mean for private property, public land, national parks, etc.?They are talking about flying 200-400 feet in a new "delivery zone"! Does the low airspace over our private property now become public domain? Will there be thousands of little drones buzzing around delivering batteries and diapers? If this were to happen wouldn't the things discussed here become pretty minimal in comparison? Who would take the time to monitor those using them for ill hunting gain when there are so many others in the air?? This is truly a slippery slope that "big money" is already deep into making happen on a scary scale!! https://www.yahoo.com/tech/exclusive-amazon-reveals-details-about-1343951725436982.html
What are we becoming? This guy talks about a kids toy needing batteries and how easy it would be to just have some dropped off by a drone delivery. Really??? Have we become that lazy and sedintary? Back in my day that was called getting off your butt, WALKING out the door and "running to the store". Do we really need it to be quicker than that???
Hmmmmmm.
Some of the area I hunt. Is that a trespasser down there? :mad:
(http://***********.bowsite.com/tf/pics/00small24982044.JPG)
Sure looks like a human figure!
as technology is made available via new inventions for public use, the onus of safety responsibility falls on the public initially, and sooner or later the gubmint will step in to, er, "regulate" how the technology is designed and used by whom, and where, and when, and how - for our "protection" of course.
i have been flying sport "drones" (or UAV's) for over 3 decades. r/c craft is nothing new, and has been under the public radar for many decades for the most part. after the advent of its use in warfare, and with lotsa media coverage, r/c UAV craft are ever more in the forefront and news. for less than $40 anyone can be a "drone pilot". woo hoo.
like gun control and too many other "critical matters", the feds are licking their chops at other ways to both fuel the white house and keep tabs on us all.
as already mentioned, all flying craft (no matter how they fly or how they are powered) over 8ozs are right now required by the FAA to be registered. this is clearly about making a buck for the feds as AMA members already are nationally registered and the feds already know who we are and where we live (i have been AMA #51668 since the 60's).
so how do UAV's fit in with trad bowhunting - and should they?
for scouting sans weapons - sure, IF you know what yer doing and are a qualified pilot.
but when on the hunt, definitely NO.
but that's just my opinion, and getting an FAA registration doesn't mean the registrant knows squat about properly piloting an UAV, particularly those craft with FPV capabilities. but y'all just wait, because waiting in the wings will be mandatory FLIGHT licensing for all UAV pilots, no matter how large or small.
Don't care for drones. I'm sure they have some good, legitimate uses but I think the "bad" uses will ultimately overshadow their benefits and leave regret of their existence. Don't see myself ever using them or being all that keen on them. Just my opinion. I won't begrudge anyone who thinks differently.
Tom
QuoteOriginally posted by mt-tom:
Don't care for drones. I'm sure they have some good, legitimate uses but I think the "bad" uses will ultimately overshadow their benefits and leave regret of their existence. Don't see myself ever using them or being all that keen on them. Just my opinion. I won't begrudge anyone who thinks differently.
Tom
i kinda agree. it's all about "intent". there's difference in building and flying model aircraft for fun and craftsmanship as opposed to buying such craft ready made with a specific task in mind that's beyond the fascination of flight. one is for joy, the other is for a work task. two very different intents, and goals.
My only concerns about them is their use by hunters who are actively pursuing game. Other than that, I'm indifferent. Not expecting to be stalked or spied upon. Have only seen one actually being used and that was in a local park. Seemed pretty innocuous.
Certainly agree on the government over reach on regulation and licensing. My grandson has one that he fly's around inside the house. Probably doesn't hit the eight ounce threshold but probably comes close.
Registering drones is certainly not going to prevent misuse. I. Think it's hilarious that the FAA needs several years to come up with comprehensive regulations but they were able to leap to a $5 registration fee overnight!
looking forward to my first "traditional" drone kill...12 gauge with a turkey choke tube might even work...I'll definitely shoot one down if it gets in range...sorry I'm a bit too backwoods to tolerate drones in hunting areas...
Just one more nail in the coffin of the outdoor experience.
In a word, NO!
I see 2 major faults with them.
1. They are very annoying to those who don't share
enthusiasm for them.
2. It allows others, both government and
private individuals, to spy on us.
as a "scouting" vehicle, there is promise of what it can do with minimum human effort. a good UAV with FPV can navigate and capture bird's eye view HD video of terrain for miles. there may be instances, but not many, where this will be of very good value. what will be most important are pilot skills and good weather.
pilot skills are EXTREMELY important. the only difference between flying any UAV and a real aircraft is actually being in the cockpit with yer hands on the controls. both can crash and burn, and both of those scenarios can have dire consequences. this is something to take very seriously.
for a grand or so anyone can buy a ready-to-fly quad copter UAV-FPV with HD video capability. there are no piloting skills required for the purchase. this is a total disaster ready to happen, and i've seen that play out too many times already ...
as a "recovery" vehicle for spotting downed game or tracking wounded game, it would take extremely special circumstances for that to be viable. there are far too many factors involved.
On a few occasions I've climbed trees to get a better view when looking for a critter when the blood trail failed me. I can't recall a time when that worked though...usually a desperation move.
I know that some states don't allow electronics to be used to aid in a hunt. Some innocently break this rule when they call a buddy on the cell phone, "One's headed your way." My son called me about 6-years ago to tell me that very thing. However, I wasn't hunting. My tags were filled and I was sitting in a blind, just enjoying firearms opening day with my grandson while his dad hunted. The deer passed me at 40 yards -- yep a VERY big one. He passed my son's stand about 5 minutes before legal shooting time.
I'm not too concerned about this, again, because the battery life is so brief they aren't very practical.
I see no difference, if used for scouting, than putting out cameras to scout deer or time lapse food plots. As long as one keeps to the air space on their own property, or at least property they have permission to use them.
I don't think they should be used, by the public, on public land.
I like the idea of a CO using them to find poachers in areas they aren't supposed to be, such as refuges.
I think they are pretty cool contractions, and might be a lot of fun to play with....
But... if these things start get used during hunting season for finding game animals, or there is an invasion of privacy issue... We should have an open season on them......
I will immediately build some Drone Floos. I wonder which head to use?
Oh that's another thread.
god bless, Steve
Steve,
I think Magnus Bullheads or Zwickey Kondors would do the trick!!!!
In most states I have hunted (not sure about all) we could not use 2-way radios to assist in locating and hunting game animals.
I have often wondered about the use of trail cams. . . and now drones.
I actually wish they would regulate most electro- techno stuff illegal for pursuit of game. And if I actually had a say/vote- I would vote against trail cams- at least minimally during open hunting seasons. With new tech, a guy can literally sit in his stand and get live feeds on his phone from his cameras.
Its never going to happen. . . just my 2C opinion.
Dan in KS
I feel it should be illegal to use them to spot game on the same day you hunt them. Like the rule in other areas that you cant hunt within 24 hours of your fly-in. Same way with drones.
I didn't read all of the replies. In Alberta it's illegal to use electronic devices to communicate the location of game to other hunters. It's illegal to use aircraft for spotting purpose. I think that leaves it pretty cut and dried....not legal for hunting. I'm sure legions of younger hunters will use them for hunting purposes though, there's always cheaters in the crowd.
I don't believe it much matters what we think about gadgets, its what we do in the field that counts. Depending on gadgets for hunting with traditional gear while at the same time professing to be in it for the challenge and simplicity is a hollow claim. Archery and hunting in general will be what we, as hunters and ethical sportsmen, make it. And just because it's legal doesn't mean doing it is in the best interests of the sport, now or in the future.
I respect those who at least try to make hunting a fair-chase affair but unfortunately I don't believe that battle is being won in the general sense. The very fact that we're discussing whether mechanical drones qualify as an acceptable hunting tool underlines the point.
My opinion is that if your a farmer or land owner and want to check crops, livestock, or in your case check for trespassers it's all good. As far as checking for scouting for game, people will always find the easiest way out of doing work. We {unfortunately} live in a world of instant gratification and reward. I own a trail camera and have never set it out, heck I don't even scout for deer, I enjoy picking a spot and if nothing I go find them. Don't agree with using cameras and drones but then again it's not me using them. I just enjoy being in the woods!
"REALITY CHECK in drone aisle 101, please!"
intent - getting real with regards to hunting, at the very best a UAV/FPV drone might be used for off-season scouting in good weather, and perhaps some extreme emergency task (in good weather/daylight). that's about it.
cost - a UAV/FPV aircraft with an HD camera that's capable of long distance travel is not cheap and will easily cost $1k and typically LOTS more. cheap UAV/FPV's are junk and not worthy of what's required for scouting tasks.
qualification - the bottom line with using any manner of UAV/FPV drone for any manner of task will ALWAYS come down to learning and exhibiting good piloting skills. this will take time - a LOT of time - and maybe more money spent on crash repairs. the FPV skills alone that are associated with a UAV go way beyond flying most r/c model aircraft (which alone, is not easy). this UAV/FPV drone thing is simply a job that's not for everyone - just ask the military.
dedication - most folks will not have the time required to proficiently learn how to fly r/c aircraft for the kind of long distance tasks associated with scouting, nor the time to practice that skill on a very regular basis. that's why there are professional UAV/FPV drone pilots who fly for a living, either with the military or for hire for special photographic events or movies.
In the pre-compound era we all shot archery. We had to dig up a word to distinguish ourselves from the compound shooter so the word "traditional" came about. Hence "trad-gang". If all the changes and so called advancements in archery had not been made we would be on "archery gang" but changes and inventions were made so "trad gang" it is.
This is just another form of those changes. What archers really need to be concerned about is this new "airgun" that has been re-introduced.
As far as the drone goes, I would have one if I could figure out how to turn the thing on!!!!
QuoteOriginally posted by Jon Stewart:
In the pre-compound era we all shot archery. We had to dig up a word to distinguish ourselves from the compound shooter so the word "traditional" came about. Hence "trad-gang". If all the changes and so called advancements in archery had not been made we would be on "archery gang" but changes and inventions were made so "trad gang" it is.
you can take that back a step or two 'cause back about 60 or 70 years or so ago there was the composite wood/glass bow that came on the scene to radically change the face of self-bow archery. there will always be changes. it's how we face them and deal with them that matters most.
This is just another form of those changes. What archers really need to be concerned about is this new "airgun" that has been re-introduced.
that is not a "bow" of any kind because no levers or bowstrings are involved - it's a projectile GUN, pure and simple. if the law and rule makers can't understand that, we need to vote those idiots out of public office for they serve no useful purpose and actually are a detriment to society and the hunters in our country.
As far as the drone goes, I would have one if I could figure out how to turn the thing on!!!!
clearly then, you are not a candidate for r/c pilot ground school, leave them durn things alone! :D
Rob, At my age I wouldn't even attempt to learn how to run one of them things although I think they are pretty neat gadgets. Our friends out west have one to learn metal detecting sites on the desert and it works good for that.
My dad closed up the archery shop in 1968. That is where my thoughts on trad archery is coming from. I remember dad saying one time when he noticed all the changes coming about, "we are our own worst enemy". Dad wasn't too far off.
r/c aircraft are fun gadgets/toys for sure. making them do real "work" is a whole 'nother story and typically outside the realm of just havin' casual "fun".
my dad made me my first lemmonwood longbow back in the early 50's. that's all everybody had out at the range or in the field. there was NO archery media other than the movies or yer local archery or sports store, if ya had one. we were amazed to see those york thunderbolt composite recurves at the l.e. stemmler store out on long island ... just blew us away! there ya go, "progress". we just hadda have one of those zip gun bows, which lead to other bad bow choices down the years. in the last 3 decades i've come around almost full circle with my composite longbows. life's still good. it's all about choices. chose well. ;)
Archery gadgeteers are always pitching their 'Lazy Arse' hybrid apples and tempting us to take a big bite. The catch is you need to sell your hunting soul to buy one.
Go ahead and fill your face if that's what appeals to you, just don't complain if in you end up with a belly ache in the gadget crapper. These things tend to run their course, and it ain't pretty.
I myself go out of my way to find areas to hunt where there are no cars, ATVs, or motorcycles . I don't need little flying cameras spoiling my time in the woods. I may not be able to put that cork back in the bottle, but I don't have to pour from it. just my thoughts
So, I can mount an arrow airgun on my drone, have my cellphone trailcam tell me when that 180 is in the area, launch my drone remotely, trail it with my HD cam, and know where he died about the time I roll up in my truck with heated seats. Any way to get the drone to field dress and load the deer too? Dang I love hunting.
I am absolutely positive someone is working on just such a thing.
As for the money thing, I've seen guys drive 1000 miles in their 12 MPG 4x4's and spend thousands on rifles to turn a prairie dog colony into a crimson mist from 100s of yards.
QuoteOriginally posted by John Scifres:
So, I can mount an arrow airgun on my drone, have my cellphone trailcam tell me when that 180 is in the area, launch my drone remotely, trail it with my HD cam, and know where he died about the time I roll up in my truck with heated seats. ...
that is correct, sir - yer own personal military predator drone. and though it will be illegal, you can legally buy all the parts to build that personal predator. and it will work quite effectively - as long as you have the required piloting skills. it's a crazy world that's just getting crazier as some technologies just want to put us all underground for that long dirt nap.
QuoteOriginally posted by John Scifres:
I am absolutely positive someone is working on just such a thing.
Shoot...they already tried it in Texas a while back! With drones it would be a lot easier. Would not be surprised to see it come up again!!
http://www.outdoorlife.com/articles/mike-schoby/2007/09/remote-control-hunting
http://www.fieldandstream.com/node/1005010612
Years ago I was listening to a professional deer hunter give a program at a bowhunting club that was mostly compound shooters. The fellow started by saying that the first thing you should do is fly over the area to determine the bedding areas, feeding areas and choke points. My first thought was "Is he kidding?" During the question and answer period I ask him if he ever listened to the birds and squirrels to determine the movement of deer? He sort of shrugged and said that he didn't pay much attention to them. I believe that he is missing something.
Not only will drones be used for scounting, I believe Ron that they will be used for driving deer to the hunter. I can envision several drones with intimidating lights and noise driving deer toward a line of shooters..., probably with crossbows or shotguns. Hopefully laws will help to prevent that.