Drone Usage?

[IkemanTx]

Most states have already outlawed using drones for hunting. Typically a "no fly" on any day you hunt

[Bigb]

They are trying to make it Illegal in Illinois. Funny thing is a senator in my home town, which is about as a non-hunting town as you can get, is trying to pass it. I know the Senator trying to do it and I doubt she has ever held a bow or seen a gun in person.

I wouldnt use it for hunting, seems like cheating to me. I would use it to scout though in the off season.

[Bigb]

Most states have already outlawed using drones for hunting. Typically a "no fly" on any day you hunt

Currently there are only a handful that have put laws on the books. I don't know how many off and but its less than 15. Texas is one of them though.

[Perfectionitz]

We've had a couple of threads on this topic. I have a drone, but haven't really used it for scouting yet. I would never use it during season. First of all, I think it goes against the idea off fair chase, but also it could ruin other guys hunts as well, let alone spooking the game out of an area.

I do, however see it as a really good offseason tool for scouting/mapping. There's some cool programs where you can set he drone to automatically fly a pattern over an area and take the footage it records and create a 3D map. I like the idea of doing this instead of relying on aerials to come out. Again though, I think if someone is using it to actively find deer to hunt during season, that is definitely cheating and irresponsible.

[Killemquietly]

I found a YouTube video of drone footage of one of the areas I hunt online already. He mostly flew over the no hunting part though.

[SidewayZ]

I am against drone for hunting during season.

But during the offseason, it could be a useful tool. My only issue is that it may take away from people learning proper woodsmanship.

I dont see the harm for gaining intel, just not during an open season.

[tgreeno]

OK...to start off, I'm an admitted "old school" hunter.

Drones...NO! If you "young guys" are too soft to bust your but back into the thick stuff yourself. Then you don't deserve to know what's back there! Everyone's looking for a shortcut. Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right. As said earlier...cheaters are always gonna cheat. What happened to enjoy the journey? And putting in the work?

End of my old school opinion

[flinginairos]

I have a drone myself and can't really see any practical use for it in a hunting or scouting scenario. It would be good for some up to date aerial pics of your area but as far as finding deer sign it's not going to help much. The battery life sucks and they are loud

[oldrank]

I'm not a fan of drones or cams.. I like the element of surprise....

[woodswalker]

In my state using a drone to locate animals and then hunt for those animals is illegal and it should be. I can't imaging anyone believing using a drone is fair chase. How lazy are hunters becoming? Why not just set up a firearm in an area where there are deer and have it hooked up to your computer where you can sit in your easy chair drinking coffee at your computer and use your mouse to shoot an animal when you can put the crosshairs on it? If I am hunting and a drone comes by it will be flamed.

[Dewey]

How lazy are hunters becoming? Why not just set up a firearm in an area where there are deer and have it hooked up to your computer where you can sit in your easy chair drinking coffee at your computer and use your mouse to shoot an animal when you can put the crosshairs on it?

Didn't they try to do this in Texas but then it was outlawed?

[woodswalker]

I am not sure where it was tried but it was already illegal in PA and other states started to pass laws to not allow it. Using drones and wireless trail cams to send video to a computer is not hunting, it is simply a video game with real live victims. I use the term victim on purpose because this nonsense has not a thing to do with "sport hunting"!

[IkemanTx]

OK...to start off, I'm an admitted "old school" hunter.

Drones...NO! If you "young guys" are too soft to bust your but back into the thick stuff yourself. Then you don't deserve to know what's back there! Everyone's looking for a shortcut. Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right. As said earlier...cheaters are always gonna cheat. What happened to enjoy the journey? And putting in the work?

End of my old school opinion

Using a drone for mapping in the offseason isn't any less ethical than using google earth... just more recent imagery. The same could be said about any aerial imagery, or topo maps for that matter.

How many guys ONLY learn a place with boots on the ground nowadays?

[Whitetailaddict]

I don't mind people using drones on their property for aerial views. I just get a little leery when people start crossing over property lines. It's too close to spying for me. I think it all comes down to the character of the person using them. A person with good character isn't going to use them or cell cams to cheat to kill a deer but there will always be those people. Cell cams can be great for keeping scent to a minimum or for reducing travel expenses if you have one in a different state. I don't like the idea of getting a buck on camera and then having someone go in the same day trying to harvest it but by staying out of an area until a buck starts showing up in daylight may be considered more efficient but might be better discussed on the other thread.

[Dewey]

OK...to start off, I'm an admitted "old school" hunter.

Drones...NO! If you "young guys" are too soft to bust your but back into the thick stuff yourself. Then you don't deserve to know what's back there! Everyone's looking for a shortcut. Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right. As said earlier...cheaters are always gonna cheat. What happened to enjoy the journey? And putting in the work?

End of my old school opinion

Using a drone for mapping in the offseason isn't any less ethical than using google earth... just more recent imagery. The same could be said about any aerial imagery, or topo maps for that matter.

How many guys ONLY learn a place with boots on the ground nowadays?

I think referring to the original poster who asked about using a drone to see if a buck is in his bed and then go hunt it.