Ok. I hope that this does not get to long but here is my take on current drone laws in general and in hunting. A little on the background. Last year I took the FAA part 107 test and passed. This test is not required to fly a drone but it is if you are going to fly where you will be paid. Drones to me are nothing more than a hobby, but one that almost pays for itself. There were several questions on the pilot test on the law. Here is the “Nut Shell” version of the most misunderstood. But, Follow the FAA rules and you should be ok 99.99% of the time, type of thing.
- The FAA has total and complete jurisdiction over all air space in the usa. It does NOT regulate any of this authority to anyone else, ever. Not the military, not the airlines, not anybody or anything else.
- The FAA has a web site that shows up to the minute regulations on the area that you wish to fly. If a state/city/??? Wants a no fly zone then they must be approved by the FAA and displayed on the website. So, some blanket state law is meaningless unless approved by the FAA. Trust me there are more places you can not fly then you would believe. Additionally, any wildfire locations do get listed as temp no fly zones in real time.
- Basically, where you take off from is more important then where you fly.
There are several more rules of course, but I am doing the nut shell version.
NOW on hunting/drones. I hate to say this but from what I see, the war could already be lost. Unless states adopt a law similar to Alaska has about if you fly you can not hunt for 24/48 hours. Drone Technology is changing to fast to stay ahead of it by dealing with anything less. Something like having lead shot shell in a steel only area rules.
The drone are getting smaller, better, easier to fly and cheaper every day. 2 Years ago, my drone setup costed about $6,000 total. Today, I could get the same but with added thermal vision for the same price. Now that is an advantage.
AS for how I use the drones are more of a scouting nature. In the Drainage that I checkout has extraordinarily little tree cover. So, I can fly at 225 feet, point the camera down and film. With the zoom on the drone and post editing zoom it is like looking thru a 12 power scope. I can identify anything the size of a rabbit up. But that is when it is on my computer. When flying, even a bull elk looks like an ant on the flying screen and you do not know what you have until you get it in post.
Other cool features and observations of drones.
- When flying the reaction of the big game animals are very sex related. The does/cows will look in the air and find the drone almost every time. The bucks/bulls almost never look up. I think that is has more to do with what they feel threated by. Not many air attacks worry bucks or bulls?
- Drones are much louder than you think. There is no sneaking up on most things.
- IF you fly in the city or around people, expect the cops to come by and talk with you. Most of them know the rules by now and that state/city cops can not enforce federal laws keeps them at bay. Mostly, you show them your license and it is over. But expect the interaction.
- The good drones have collision avoidance, and they are really hard to crash. They are far easier to fly and have several hundred presets or ways points settings where you can hit a few buttons and they do the rest.
- Birds will attack the drone.
Lastly, in answering a few more questions. Yes landowner permits are not sold but transferred. Also, just because you get one does not give you trespass/hunting rights to the landowners property, That is what you pay for. Landowner permits are for the area, not the property, at least in Idaho, as far as I know.
Second, the video I showed was as far from game harassment as you can get. I do not know what scared the buck, as I was physically standing 2 times closer to him then the drone was. At 6’4” and 3 bills plus I am kind of hard to miss especially when I am silhouetted on the horizon. Also, the farmer had just started his tractor. So who knows for sure?
Anyway, in closing. I wish that I had better news on the hunting front. As I am 100% in agreement that drones and hunting do not mix. But. I am not a hunter anymore, however I like to count deer, elk antelope and any other things that come into view,,, In most cases, Photography is not a crime!