Can you use a drone to spot deer while hunting?

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  • phylodog

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    That would be a negative Ghost Rider

    [h=2]Use of Drones[/h] State law prohibits the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to search for, scout, locate, or detect a wild animal as an aid to take that animal during the hunting season and for 14 days prior to the hunting season for that animal. There are a few exceptions for purposes such as agricultural production, nuisance wild animal control, and scientific research.
    An “unmanned aerial vehicle” means an aircraft that (a) does not carry a human operator, and (b) is capable of flight under remote control or autonomous programming.
     

    ljk

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    I'm not a hunter, maybe saying "to spot" isn't a proper way, I meant recording a shot from the air would be pretty cool.

    I was thinking about spot as in "spotting scope", not to search or locate.

    But anyway the law is pretty clear cut, just leave it at home.
     

    Leadeye

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    I would imagine that it would be tough even if it was legal to spot them anywhere except in an open field.
     

    phylodog

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    I would imagine that it would be tough even if it was legal to spot them anywhere except in an open field.

    I filmed some deer running through a pasture on our old lease several years ago. I had to get pretty close to be able to tell what they were. I was able to get surprisingly close to a flock of turkey as well.

    Pardon the awful music :):

    [video=youtube;4w2aUi6eFmQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w2aUi6eFmQ[/video]
     

    VostocK

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    Dude that is an entire platoon of turkeys. I had no idea they traveled in packs that size. There were at least 15 !
     

    Alamo

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    Dude that is an entire platoon of turkeys. I had no idea they traveled in packs that size. There were at least 15 !

    I dunno about Hoosier turkeys, but Texas turkeys travel in single file. Near my house I had to stop on the farm-to-market road while a herd of them crossed, and there were more than 30 of them...all walking one behind the other across the road.
     

    DEC

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    I am a commercially licensed drone pilot and use them for both my job and for my video projects. I can tell you that I have never once, just flying over fields that I own or have permission to be on, been able to identify a deer on the screen of my drone. Drones are loud and spook most any animals. I have flown intentionally in the direction of Canada geese both flying and on the ground just to film them ... they get out of Dodge right away. I was able to fly over a winter flock of turkeys last winter. When I was probably 100 yards from them, they RAN ... I was only able to get decent footage of them because they were so far away from the woods line.

    People who do not understand drones seem to think that they would be an unfair tool for hunting. In reality, even if they were legal for hunting they would be essentially useless for finding game animals. Drones are extremely misunderstood by those who either do not have the desire or the funds necessary to fly them.
     

    mmpsteve

    Real CZ's have a long barrel!!
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    ..... formerly near the Wild Turkey
    DEC, I fly a phantom 4 Pro just for fun. I tried to film several buzzards 1 time as they were catching the morning updrafts. They look slow, but they're not. It was impossible to keep them in the camera. Fun to try though.

    .
     

    trimman83

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    Can you? depends on the capability of your drone under your control. May you? Not legally, it seems, from some of the previous posts. But, I was flying my Mavic Pro over one of my properties. I wanted to see how my newly cut and seeded food plots looked, since Google earth does not provide daily updates. It wasn't my fault the deer were feeding. I don't know how to control the deer movement, in their natural habitat. They really have no idea it is against the law. I go through all my videos in post production editing and pixelate any deer that illegally wander into view of my 4K camera.
     

    mom45

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    That was about as thorough of an answer as anyone could give. Why/how are you do familiar with the law?


    Google is the easiest way to look up laws and codes. I just search on the topic I want to learn about. DNR web site has tons of info on hunting regs as well.
     

    Thor

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    Could be anywhere
    If you want to play with your gizmos instead of using your senses in a hunt why not just stay home and play a video game then go to the store and buy some meat? :dunno:
     
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