# Scouting with drones



## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Whatever happened to the simple old days, now we've got so much crap to fidget with already and now this. I know, I have some basic weapons& gadgets but this is all just getting too crazy!


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

SwampGuy said:


> I will say this. While hunting over Thanksgiving week end on PRIVATE PROPERTY I kept hearing this strange noise. If deer were milling around they would look up and scoot. As darkness neared I again heard the noise and finally saw a red and green light yep it was a drone. If it comes back I am sure the owner will be up set that he lost his drone.
> Want to use it on your property go for it just stay off mine.
> Also have sent the DNR 2 emails asking about legal use and have yet to here from them. Last email 12/8/17.


Unfortunately what they are doing is legal. Unless you could prove they were intentionally harrassing you while hunting. 

It is a federal crime to do anything to a drone and also a federal offense to threaten a drone operator. Penalty is up to 5 yrs in prison. You own your land but you do not own the airspace above you. 

Drones are protected because they will eventually be used for commercial use. Also possibly emergency use. There was a report earlier this year that several fire departments in the US are studying the ability to deliver first aid by drone. Drones are 16 mins faster on avg than an ambulance and they can carry things like defribulators.


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

Makes me think of the movie "*batteries not included".


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## Wally Gator (Sep 21, 2007)

Might come in handy finding deer in a standing corn  field. Then plan your approach accordingly


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## AntiHuntersLoveMe (Apr 18, 2012)

SwampGuy said:


> I will say this. While hunting over Thanksgiving week end on PRIVATE PROPERTY I kept hearing this strange noise. If deer were milling around they would look up and scoot. As darkness neared I again heard the noise and finally saw a red and green light yep it was a drone. If it comes back I am sure the owner will be up set that he lost his drone.
> Want to use it on your property go for it just stay off mine.
> Also have sent the DNR 2 emails asking about legal use and have yet to here from them. Last email 12/8/17.


Think you're mad now? Wait till you're sitting in the county jail waiting on someone to post bond... You're just asking for trouble. As mentioned before, you own the land not the airspace above it. Absolutely nothing you can do.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Oops, I thought it was a pheasant, just hit it with a couple rounds of #6 shot!



DirtySteve said:


> Unfortunately what they are doing is legal. Unless you could prove they were intentionally harrassing you while hunting.
> 
> It is a federal crime to do anything to a drone and also a federal offense to threaten a drone operator. Penalty is up to 5 yrs in prison. You own your land but you do not own the airspace above you.
> 
> Drones are protected because they will eventually be used for commercial use. Also possibly emergency use. There was a report earlier this year that several fire departments in the US are studying the ability to deliver first aid by drone. Drones are 16 mins faster on avg than an ambulance and they can carry things like defribulators.


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Public or private land if one of those devices come swirling over my head it will be going down,then it will be strapped to an automobile or a semi headed out of town!

A petition needs to be started now and voted on soon making them illegal, what the Hades has this world come to!

I'll say it again you people are nuts!

I'm Sure it's the same bunch of people that think AR rifles should have been legalized, because the gun makers needed a new income stream to sell new products &gadgets to a bunch of idiots!



AntiHuntersLoveMe said:


> Think you're mad now? Wait till you're sitting in the county jail waiting on someone to post bond... You're just asking for trouble. As mentioned before, you own the land not the airspace above it. Absolutely nothing you can do.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## AntiHuntersLoveMe (Apr 18, 2012)

mattawanhunter said:


> Public or private land if one of those devices come swirling over my head it will be going down,then it will be strapped to an automobile or a semi headed out of town!


Hopefully you've got someone to put money on your commissary account and your stomach can handle state issued meals.









Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## nothbound (Dec 22, 2016)

mattawanhunter said:


> Public or private land if one of those devices come swirling over my head it will be going down,then it will be strapped to an automobile or a semi headed out of town!
> 
> A petition needs to be started now and voted on soon making them illegal, what the Hades has this world come to!
> 
> ...


With all due respect. Do you use Google Earth to find possible hunting areas? Done is really no different except that it's in real time. I don't like listening to airplanes fly over my house but I certainly can't shoot at them. I don't fly over private property and wouldn't without permission. Public land heck yes. If you do shoot at one keep in mind they run video to the controller so any evidence isn't destroyed if you knock tyne droe down. I keep the videos just incase someone thinks I was harassing or violating any ordinances. Just to cover my own a$$. I think they're here to stay, just like compounds then xbows.. if you hunt on public land wouldn't you rather guys scout without over pressuring an area? 
Earlier comment about officers using them, I sure hope so. They could do their jobs way more efficiently and handle more day to day issues without wasting as much time on foot. Besides they already use planes to check for bait piles, unless you're hiding something it shouldn't be a concern


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

I study all sorts of maps of my hunting areas all the time on line,once I actually go to the area, my hunting strategy always changes based on the sign and actually seeing the land first first-hand!



nothbound said:


> With all due respect. Do you use Google Earth to find possible hunting areas? Done is really no different except that it's in real time. I don't like listening to airplanes fly over my house but I certainly can't shoot at them. I don't fly over private property and wouldn't without permission. Public land heck yes. If you do shoot at one keep in mind they run video to the controller so any evidence isn't destroyed if you knock tyne droe down. I keep the videos just incase someone thinks I was harassing or violating any ordinances. Just to cover my own a$$. I think they're here to stay, just like compounds then xbows.. if you hunt on public land wouldn't you rather guys scout without over pressuring an area?
> Earlier comment about officers using them, I sure hope so. They could do their jobs way more efficiently and handle more day to day issues without wasting as much time on foot. Besides they already use planes to check for bait piles, unless you're hiding something it shouldn't be a concern





nothbound said:


> With all due respect. Do you use Google Earth to find possible hunting areas? Done is really no different except that it's in real time. I don't like listening to airplanes fly over my house but I certainly can't shoot at them. I don't fly over private property and wouldn't without permission. Public land heck yes. If you do shoot at one keep in mind they run video to the controller so any evidence isn't destroyed if you knock tyne droe down. I keep the videos just incase someone thinks I was harassing or violating any ordinances. Just to cover my own a$$. I think they're here to stay, just like compounds then xbows.. if you hunt on public land wouldn't you rather guys scout without over pressuring an area?
> Earlier comment about officers using them, I sure hope so. They could do their jobs way more efficiently and handle more day to day issues without wasting as much time on foot. Besides they already use planes to check for bait piles, unless you're hiding something it shouldn't be a concern


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

The United States government and many times state governments,have been too stupid to know when things should be legal or illegal! This is one case where they really missed the boat!

Here in Michigan they need to legalize marijuana, it doesn't alter a person's state of mind at all,go ahead and drive, no test for it it doesn't change their attitude, doesn't make them lazy and want to sit around playing video games and eating Doritos all day nothing wrong with it Legalize It hell yes! I could go on and on, a motorcycle doing 90 miles an hour, nope that guy doesn't need a helmet, instead of being in the ER he'll be dead, saving taxpayer and health providers lots of money!
But a Hunter riding a quad 10 miles an hour to his hunting spot has to wear a friggin helmet!


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## sniper (Sep 2, 2005)

mattawanhunter said:


> Oops, I thought it was a pheasant, just hit it with a couple rounds of #6 shot!


Lol...Yep I see one hovering over my place it'll be like skeet practice....And oh yeah, try to come get it...That'll be a real hoot!


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## R.J.M. (Jun 10, 2007)

No officer I was just looking for morels not turkeys 
No officer I was just looking for raspberry’s not deer 
No officer I was just looking for sea shells not cleavage


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

YES SORRY, I didn't mean to look at your wife sun bathing nude on your back deck, the minute I saw her, I turned my drone away and flew out of there as fast as I could, with out looking at those beautiful huge hooters of hers!!


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## casscityalum (Aug 27, 2007)

I love them. We’re able to scout thousands of acres of crop fields for plugged tiles, weed escapes down corn etc. has really helped the ag industry.


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## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

mattawanhunter said:


> It should have never gotten this far, the last thing we need is to be walking in the woods and hearing some damn little black circle buzzing over your head looking at you or Worse looking over your property, where your blinds are at, where your house is at this is absolutely crazy and should be illegal. Next thing you know you're going to be hunting on public land & the DNR or a forest ranger drone is going to detect where you're at, then an officer is going to show up on foot!
> 
> You people are nuts! The lawmakers are crazy for not Banning them, talk about an invasion of privacy!


I heard one two years ago opening morning of firearms. It moved on just as I figured out what the noise was and where it was coming from. That hemlock tree was thick. Really pissed me off wondering who and why. Felt like an major invasion of privacy from hell. Each sit after that I had 3" BBs loaded for 1750 fps. Never heard it again.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

mattawanhunter said:


> The United States government and many times state governments,have been too stupid to know when things should be legal or illegal! This is one case where they really missed the boat!
> 
> Here in Michigan they need to legalize marijuana, it doesn't alter a person's state of mind at all,go ahead and drive, no test for it it doesn't change their attitude, doesn't make them lazy and want to sit around playing video games and eating Doritos all day nothing wrong with it Legalize It hell yes! I could go on and on, a motorcycle doing 90 miles an hour, nope that guy doesn't need a helmet, instead of being in the ER he'll be dead, saving taxpayer and health providers lots of money!
> But a Hunter riding a quad 10 miles an hour to his hunting spot has to wear a friggin helmet!


I disagree. They need to keep drone use protected. The eventual use for these to benefit society is endless. I would have a pretty good lawsuit for you if you shot the drone delivering emergency medical aid to a family member. I can't wait for the day I can buy my human drone to deliver me to my duck hunting blind.


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Wrong,society has advanced just fine in my neck of the woods, we have all the technology we need thank you especially when it's an invasion of privacy.

Now if you want to talk about food and medicine to a third world country, where it otherwise couldn't get there and not a bunch of spoiled tech-heads that think they need another Gadget to scout deer with and spend $15,000 a year to go on hunts, and buy all the latest technology gizmos while people are starving!



DirtySteve said:


> I disagree. They need to keep drone use protected. The eventual use for these to benefit society is endless. I would have a pretty good lawsuit for you if you shot the drone delivering emergency medical aid to a family member. I can't wait for the day I can buy my human drone to deliver me to my duck hunting blind.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

mattawanhunter said:


> Wrong,society has advanced just fine in my neck of the woods, we have all the technology we need thank you especially when it's an invasion of privacy.
> 
> Now if you want to talk about food and medicine to a third world country, where it otherwise couldn't get there and not a bunch of spoiled tech-heads that think they need another Gadget to scout deer with and spend $15,000 a year to go on hunts, and buy all the latest technology gizmos while people are starving!


Sure we should never advance to safer and faster emergency response times....Great logic. I buddy of mine who is a sherriff spent months in the hospital a year ago because somebody turned in front of him on an emergency run. If we could create safer response methods it benefits everyone in society.


There's nothing spoiled about it and there is no invasion of privacy. 25 yrs ago when I bought my first house about 2 months later a neighbor from down my street stopped by to try sell me pictures of my home. He had a hobby business where he used a powered parachute take aerial photographs of properties and he went door to door to sell his work. They were really neat pictures at the time and most of the neighborhood purchased from him. It was a legal version of what anyone can do with a drone today. Google does the same thing everyday. You will never own your airspace as much as you would like to think you do. The state of michigan doesn't have jurisdiction to do anything about it either.

Your comment about feeding the world with money I might spend on a gadget is just ridiculous as a mom telling their kids to eat their peas cause kids are starving in Africa. We have the technology and money to feed the world.....kids starve for political reasons and my spending will never change that.


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## nothbound (Dec 22, 2016)

The drone helps me find productive hunting grounds so that I don't starve  .. I really don't care about a third world country, I'd care much more about a starving deer. And I've certainly never gone on a 15k hunting trip... someday that'd be nice thou


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## EZshot (May 25, 2010)

First off, I have no beef with drone usage and can see the potential benefits of their legal usage... heck I wouldn't mind owning one but can't justify the cost at this point in life. This argument about not owning the "airspace" is a joke. Ever hear about planes being shot down for entering another countries "airspace"? A property line not only extends down into the soil, it extends upward into the sky. All you have to do is break the plane, just like a touchdown in football.

Any drone flying over a private property line is fair game to any amount of bird shot. You say you'll sue. Sue who? The person in camo with a face mask who shot your drone down? Who is that person? I'm sorry officer, that trespasser should not have been out there and I would like to press charges against them as well, as soon as you can positively identify them. Oh, and that drone that is registered to you is now litter on private property so I hope the landowner will press littering charges against you.


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## bioactive (Oct 30, 2005)

TriggerDiscipline said:


> The law says it's illegal to "take" game or fish using a drone. "Take" is broadly defined to include chase, follow, and pursue, or attempt to do those things. That's how the semi-colons in the definition work. Logically, following a deer, or attempting to follow a deer, using a drone is covered by the statue. Here's the two relevant statutes:
> 
> http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(4x...aspx?page=GetObject&objectname=mcl-324-40111c
> 
> ...


FAA regulations require you to keep line of sight on the drone. If you can't see it, you are operating it illegally.


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## bioactive (Oct 30, 2005)

SwampGuy said:


> I will say this. While hunting over Thanksgiving week end on PRIVATE PROPERTY I kept hearing this strange noise. If deer were milling around they would look up and scoot. As darkness neared I again heard the noise and finally saw a red and green light yep it was a drone. If it comes back I am sure the owner will be up set that he lost his drone.
> Want to use it on your property go for it just stay off mine.
> Also have sent the DNR 2 emails asking about legal use and have yet to here from them. Last email 12/8/17.


Next time call the police. Whoever is running that drone is breaking the law.


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## Grizzly Adams (Oct 6, 2003)

I like the shoot em down plan...


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Yes no problem, yes if they could be legal and just be for your own Farm or a ag land that you lease. Problem is there's no boundaries with something that flies or the people that operate the flying apparatus!



casscityalum said:


> I love them. We’re able to scout thousands of acres of crop fields for plugged tiles, weed escapes down corn etc. has really helped the ag industry.


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Can you imagine if there were ever hovercraft, when we were kids we thought the future would be like The Jetsons everybody would be beaming around in their little hovercraft Jetson mobiles. No tires no road maintenance (or a lot less maybe semis only), can you imagine if we transition from the automobile to jet propelled flying single family vehicles and what it would take to regulate the traffic in the sky!


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

DirtySteve said:


> Drones are 16 mins faster on avg than an ambulance and they can carry things like defribulators.



That 16 minutes will seldom make any difference. Brain death takes place starting around 4 minutes and is done around 10. 

The only sure way for a defibulator to have a chance of working at home is to have one there and someone there to use it right away.


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

I don't think we have to worry though, my son-in-law is a physics major and works for an aviation company and says that the technology for nuclear fusion propelled Vehicles is not even close to being developed !? I have no clue?????


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## scooter65 (Sep 23, 2008)

mattawanhunter said:


> The United States government and many times state governments,have been too stupid to know when things should be legal or illegal! This is one case where they really missed the boat!
> 
> Here in Michigan they need to legalize marijuana, it doesn't alter a person's state of mind at all,go ahead and drive, no test for it it doesn't change their attitude, doesn't make them lazy and want to sit around playing video games and eating Doritos all day nothing wrong with it Legalize It hell yes! I could go on and on, a motorcycle doing 90 miles an hour, nope that guy doesn't need a helmet, instead of being in the ER he'll be dead, saving taxpayer and health providers lots of money!
> But a Hunter riding a quad 10 miles an hour to his hunting spot has to wear a friggin helmet!


You stole my very words.

I see two issues with this topic. There's the legal side vs the ethical side. Not to mention we are in the same trap - older generation doesn't like change and New technology , where the youth gobble it up.

There's a little bit right in just about everyones statements. Drones are here to stay. They have many beneficial uses. In the hands of an idiot they are a source of harrassment. Just like a car causing road rage in the hands of an idiot. But we dont shoot the car, we shoot the idiot driving it.

Being ethical and polite using the drone is a subjective definition in the hands of the operator. Welcome to the human race.

My two cents. Tally ho gents.


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## scooter65 (Sep 23, 2008)

mattawanhunter said:


> YES SORRY, I didn't mean to look at your wife sun bathing nude on your back deck, the minute I saw her, I turned my drone away and flew out of there as fast as I could, with out looking at those beautiful huge hooters of hers!!


Missed this one. 

Another legitimate use for scouting and hunting. I can now throw away my 900 zoom telescope.


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Haha, the only way anyone can see my back deck is from the sky!


scooter65 said:


> Missed this one.
> 
> Another legitimate use for scouting and hunting. I can now throw away my 900 zoom telescope.


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## Jacobf (Nov 16, 2016)

Honestly if they outlawed drones completely id be fine with that. Or at the very least let people shoot down the things over private property.


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

I'll stick to spotting scopes and burning boot leather.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

EZshot said:


> First off, I have no beef with drone usage and can see the potential benefits of their legal usage... heck I wouldn't mind owning one but can't justify the cost at this point in life. This argument about not owning the "airspace" is a joke. Ever hear about planes being shot down for entering another countries "airspace"? A property line not only extends down into the soil, it extends upward into the sky. All you have to do is break the plane, just like a touchdown in football.
> 
> Any drone flying over a private property line is fair game to any amount of bird shot. You say you'll sue. Sue who? The person in camo with a face mask who shot your drone down? Who is that person? I'm sorry officer, that trespasser should not have been out there and I would like to press charges against them as well, as soon as you can positively identify them. Oh, and that drone that is registered to you is now litter on private property so I hope the landowner will press littering charges against you.


Your thinking is flawed on all your points.

There is no argument about owning airspace and it isn't a joke. You simply don't own your airspace....The federal govt does. Sure the US govt can shoot anything down that enters our airspace. You cannot. The FAA has exclusive sovereignty over air space of the entire United states.

I am not saying I would sue you (although I might be able to for the loss of a drone) I am saying you could go to prison. There is a federal law that says you cannot shoot down a drone. The penalty has a maximum of 5 yrs in prison. News flash ....you can't shoot airplanes that fly over your land either. Maybe you should do some research before you start making some claims on a forum like this.


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## Buddwiser (Dec 14, 2003)

mattawanhunter said:


> A petition needs to be started now and voted on soon making them illegal, what the Hades has this world come to!


You want to ban something from law abiding people because you don't like it, maybe you can team up with the people who sign petitions to ban hunting, fishing and guns. There is absolutely no difference.


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## buck37 (Aug 8, 2002)

I could care for drones one way or another. I do think they may be closing in on violating fair chase. But as far as airspace. The property owner does own up to 80 ft and up to but not over 500 ft. If you didn't own any air rights everyone would live in the ground!


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## carnivor (Jan 5, 2009)

DirtySteve said:


> Your thinking is flawed on all your points.
> 
> There is no argument about owning airspace and it isn't a joke. You simply don't own your airspace....The federal govt does. Sure the US govt can shoot anything down that enters our airspace. You cannot. The FAA has exclusive sovereignty over air space of the entire United states.
> 
> I am not saying I would sue you (although I might be able to for the loss of a drone) I am saying you could go to prison. There is a federal law that says you cannot shoot down a drone. The penalty has a maximum of 5 yrs in prison. News flash ....you can't shoot airplanes that fly over your land either. Maybe you should do some research before you start making some claims on a forum like this.



Just because it's law doesn't mean there will be a conviction. There is little to no room for violent felons both State and Federal. Drones will be treated as property. It is an issue for civil court. I'm speaking of privately owned drones of coarse. So, chances are if it's over my place, the owner will never see it again. Just follow the three S rule. Happy Hunting Gents!


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

buck37 said:


> I could care for drones one way or another. I do think they may be closing in on violating fair chase. But as far as airspace. The property owner does own up to 80 ft and up to but not over 500 ft. If you didn't own any air rights everyone would live in the ground!


Owning and using are 2 different things. Landowners are allowed to build up and use airspace without regulation to a point. That point is different everywhere depending on area and circumstances. It is no different than extending a dock on a lake. You own bottom rights to the center of the lake. That doesn't always allow you to build a dock out to the center of a lake. You might think you own your airspace up until 80ft because the FAA doesn't regulate you a land owner for using that space.....but that doesn't stop the FAA from allowing others to use that same airspace you are calling yours. Does this seem like you own it still? You are the only one who could be allowed to say build a tower or structure there. But you are not the only one allowed to fly a drone or aircraft there. 

FAA regulations on drones say a recreational user out playing with his drone has to stay below 400ft in the air and 25ft away from people and buildings. If it is a person using a drone for commercial use they have to stay 400ft away from you. Commercial use would be photography pictures or footage used for business or sale.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

carnivor said:


> Just because it's law doesn't mean there will be a conviction.



This could be said about any law. If you want to test it go right ahead and challenge them. The FAA addressed this issue in 2016 when the rules were made specifically for drones. They are protecting them. 

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2015/08/04/man-arrested-for-shooting-down-drone-over-his-property/


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## Pinefarm2015 (Nov 29, 2015)

I suspect it’d be used more to harass other hunters on neighboring land, than actual scouting of neighboring land. And it’d be really tough to prove that it was harassment. The excuse can be that the drone pilot didn’t know the buzzing sound would spook deer when flown 45 minutes before dusk and that he couldn’t see any hunter because he was in camo.

We already have the local ******* types types that shoot off bulk ammo until dark in bow season to screw with other hunters and suburban anti hunters that purposely walk their dogs at prime time to bother hunting neighbors. I hope drones don’t add to it.


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## casscityalum (Aug 27, 2007)

Are drones really that big of problem or is it just the couple here? So far I’ve hunted 6 different parcels of land and no drones seen or heard. How big or how many landowners are around you guys that are dealing with drones overhead? Just trying to sense what the geography of This issue is.


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