Drones for hunting...it's only a matter of time

Jeff in TX

The boys and I were at Cabela’s and we listened to three 20's something guys talking about how they would all be using camera equipped drones for hunting this fall and finding deer, hogs and turkey. This was going to make it easy to maneuver or get in front of them making hunting "a piece of cake" as they called it. I hope our sport never comes to this but I can see it happening!

I hope they pass laws making this illegal and heaven forbids one flies over my ranch.

Thoughts???

Elk creek

If I see one while I'm hunting it going to get shot down!

NN

I wonder how noisy would they be?

Can present technology fly through the woods below tree top level?

What is the flying range?

Are control signals line of sight?

I expect present drones are too much trouble right now.

alphasigmookie

They're fairly quiet, but not completely (think prius running on the battery). Range depends, usually at least 500-1000 yds. Problem is battery life most last like 10-15 min. They are usually controlled either by WiFi or RF. Dense woods would maybe be a problem though, although they are quite maneuverable.

In terms or ethics or whatever seems like not all that much different than a game cam. Both are remote cameras used to find game. One just does it faster and can move.

shootbrownelk

Drones are for lazy hunters that don't want to walk to find game. Spot it with the drone and then go in for the kill.
It's not legal in most states to hunt the same day you're airborne. Those laws are there for a reason. It should be the same law for drones. I see this new technology being abused. You get an outfitter with a couple of guys with drones to scout for a trophy whatever for his Mr. Moneybags client. Easy Peasy, no shoe leather wasted. If I see one out on Public ground that I hunt, I'll have some wingshooting practice with my rifle or handgun.

toymachine

I could see them being used as trail cameras, program in a route and they'll have safety sensors to avoid moving obstacles. Before season it'd be pretty much the same as static cameras IMO. I wouldn't use them during the season, but you probably won't hear me advocating for more laws. I really don't think it will make it as easy as some people think.

Big Chief

I waiting for a Drone or Game Camera to get a good pic of a Bigfoot...........folks have seen and heard something out of the ordinary in too many places, sooner or later one has to get captured on digits.....

bullsi1911

Big Chief wrote: »

I waiting for a Drone or Game Camera to get a good pic of a Bigfoot...........folks have seen and heard something out of the ordinary in too many places, sooner or later one has to get captured on digits.....

Big Chief

Oh that is easy to dispute..........UFOs interfere with electronics that are close by and besides the Men In Black wipe the memories of folks who have been abducted or saw too much, ghost are seen only when they wanna be, Bigfoot is active just watch more Reality TV shows they have professional teams tracking them and Lake Monsters, well they have an eyewitness who described how he faked The Loch Ness Monster , but he was probably paid off by British Intelligence and a new show starts soon...........

JerryBobCo

Using drones for hunting strikes me as unethical and unsporting. However, imagine how some of the old timers would feel about using ATVs, good telescopic sights/binoculars/spotting scopes, laser range finders, trail cameras, modern hunting clothing and all of the items we now take for granted as part of the hunting experience.

I am in no way condoning or justifying the use of drones, as I think it's a bridge too far. But, since the very beginning, hunting has involved improvements in technology to make it easier and less dangerous to take one's quarry.

Just thought I post this as something for others to consider.

bullsi1911

Now, a drone with infrared cameras would be very useful in hog eradication

Teach

Man, just when I was beginning to get comfortable with the idea of using a breech loader with brass cartridges instead of hunting with a single shot front-stuffer- - - - -somebody's gotta get all high-tech on me again! Dag-nabbed technology!
:cuss:
Jerry

toymachine

Teach wrote: »

Man, just when I was beginning to get comfortable with the idea of using a breech loader with brass cartridges instead of hunting with a single shot front-stuffer- - - - -somebody's gotta get all high-tech on me again! Dag-nabbed technology!
:cuss:
Jerry

Anything beyond a sharpened stick is cheating. And a sharpened stick is pushing it.

NN

Big Chief wrote: »

Oh that is easy to dispute..........UFOs interfere with electronics that are close by and besides the Men In Black wipe the memories of folks who have been abducted or saw too much, ghost are seen only when they wanna be, Bigfoot is active just watch more Reality TV shows they have professional teams tracking them and Lake Monsters, well they have an eyewitness who described how he faked The Loch Ness Monster , but he was probably paid off by British Intelligence and a new show starts soon...........

Hey, they found a map etched on a cave roof by Bigfoot

DoctorWho

I don't see how drones will help with hunting, the game can still get spooked, run away etc, so do you need a crew to man / maintenance the drone(s) charge the batteries, guide them ?
I see no advantage to it, unless the game cooperates by not moving and waiting for the Hunter.

I like stalking, authentic .70 cal. BP flint front stuffers, that smash the crap out of me, and the thrill of a real walking hunt.

No drones for me.

orchidman

bullsi1911 wrote: »

Now, a drone with infrared cameras would be very useful in hog eradication

Actually, that's not a bad idea.................Imagine programming the Military's Predator drones to deal to the hog problem using smart bullets, IR scanners/camera's and all the technology available. 24hr surveillance and destroy missions would soon cut the numbers down..............

DoctorWho

I would prefer to hunt hogs the old way, above the trail in a vantage point,, and shoost them as they troop by, Remington 1100 shotgun !!!

woodsrunner

I know nothing of drones, but based on one experience recently, I'll tell you hands down that, in the hands of someone who has a very good to excellent understanding of wildlife habits and habitats, especially old big bucks during the rut etc, a drone will be a very useful and productive tool. My one experience, just a couple of months ago, was this:

A friend-dentist type with a pocket full of money-asked me to appraise damages to a 75 acre tract of timber that was improperly logged resulting in a lot of damage to residual timber and especially to rare and endangered plant species in a very rare and sensitive, protected ravine type landform. When I met my friend to go look at the damaged tract, it was a "Let me show you these drone photos first" before we went to the woods. He had both glossy 8X10 inch color photos, very sharp, as well as moving photos that he pulled up on a computer screen. In all honesty, I could almost have assessed all damages from these drone photos without even going to the woods. Had I had this technical ability with drones 20-30 years ago, I would have welcomed working with landowners and lawyers on assessing and proving damages with drone photography in a courtroom environment....and retired a multi-millionaire! It will be a very intelligent consulting forester who will get set up to do this today!

Incorporating placement of ground game cameras using drone photography by someone who has an above average knowledge of game habits and movements, etc, will without question produce more trophy racks and a higher kill ratio. Believe that!

woodsrunner

Shouldn't this Thread be in the "Hunting" section and not here in "Firearms"? :uhm:

Bigslug

Heck, those that want to rock it "Olde Schoole" can go back to driving the herds over cliffs.

I see drones as having the potential for being a great scouting tool, for the simple reason that proper scouting takes a lot of time, and a lot of it results only in learning where NOT to go. I have no problem climbing mountains, but having a clue what's on top of it in advance of wearing my legs to nubs would be nice. Google Earth only goes so far.

toymachine

woodsrunner wrote: »

Shouldn't this Thread be in the "Hunting" section and not here in "Firearms"? :uhm:

I had the same thought, but a misplaced thread here or there can be interesting. Get different members thinking about different topics, maybe.

DoctorWho

toymachine wrote: »

I had the same thought, but a misplaced thread here or there can be interesting. Get different members thinking about different topics, maybe.

I agree.

Jayhawker

Nope...just hadn't got around to moving it yet...

snake284

I have no desire to use a drone to shoot deer, but I could sure use one to find them. I'd still have to shoot them on the ground, but finding where they're concentrated would sure help. They get in these stands of brush which can be several hundred yards across and won't show their face in day light hours. Same with hogs. I love to shoot hogs the good ol' fashion way. However, the hogs can get in these same stands of brush. Both hogs and deer will lay out in the sun in small openings in this thick brush and you won't get them out in the day time. This is where the big trophy bucks hang out in the day. Knowing where they are would be nice and I think a drone with a live cam would be a God send.

DoctorWho

So it's a basic recon drone, I have a friend that makes some models that cost several thousand dollars, and can carry quite a bit of weight, I should call him and find out more.

twa

Or we could go in the direction of these guys, but with a mini gun of some sort....:tooth:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_MIA7jSBlA

Fat Billy

Is there a limit on number drones shot down? Ear tags? :yesno: Later,

woodsrunner

From what I'm seeing in the news, if you shoot down a drone even on your own property you're subject to about 30 days in the electric chair, and that's in at least 48 of the 50 states! It's hard for me to comprehend this invasion of privacy with its possible danger, and I'm not sure that I would not pull down on one hovering around my place. Passing over in excess of the accepted 200 feet that you control--at least in theory--I wouldn't attempt to drop it, but if its down hovering without my being forewarned or notified, I'll possibly bust hell out of it. The days of individual privacy and minding your own business in this country are gone and you might as well accept it.

JasonMPD

Jeff in TX wrote: »

The boys and I were at Cabela’s and we listened to three 20's something guys talking about how they would all be using camera equipped drones for hunting this fall and finding deer, hogs and turkey. This was going to make it easy to maneuver or get in front of them making hunting "a piece of cake" as they called it. I hope our sport never comes to this but I can see it happening!

I hope they pass laws making this illegal and heaven forbids one flies over my ranch.

Thoughts???

Pfft. Nah. Hunting with drones would be hipster bull**** and real men don't put up with hipster bull****.

Jeff in TX

woodsrunner wrote: »

From what I'm seeing in the news, if you shoot down a drone even on your own property you're subject to about 30 days in the electric chair, and that's in at least 48 of the 50 states! It's hard for me to comprehend this invasion of privacy with its possible danger, and I'm not sure that I would not pull down on one hovering around my place. Passing over in excess of the accepted 200 feet that you control--at least in theory--I wouldn't attempt to drop it, but if its down hovering without my being forewarned or notified, I'll possibly bust hell out of it. The days of individual privacy and minding your own business in this country are gone and you might as well accept it.

If it happened on my ranch I'd text the three ranchers around me that if it's there's get it off my property and they'd have a bout 30 seconds before it goes down, or the next time I saw I'd shoot it down! Two out of three of my neighbors wouldn't be so polite. I see it as a massive invasion of privacy and very unethical for hunting!

snake284

Jeff in TX wrote: »

If it happened on my ranch I'd text the three ranchers around me that if it's there's get it off my property and they'd have a bout 30 seconds before it goes down, or the next time I saw I'd shoot it down! Two out of three of my neighbors wouldn't be so polite. I see it as a massive invasion of privacy and very unethical for hunting!

Drones should be used with the same limitations of anything else in hunting, like no trespassing. I would say if you're flying your drone over my hunting land you are guilty of Criminal trespass. However, if it's kept above 500 feet and it's not hovering over my land I can't complain. But if he's hovering looking at my deer or even hogs, I will shoot it down.