Drones

[Mark W]

Drones are a lot of fun. I've tinkered with them a little, several friends have them but I have not jumped in. I don't have the bug yet, I'm thinking "wait til the batteries are better".

You mentioned taking the test. I don't know what percent of drone operators take it, but plenty don't play by the rules. Climbing out of airports in a small airplane at over 500' AGL, and cruising at close to 1,000', I've seen them. The little guys like yours might not cause a light aircraft to crash, but there are some heftier ones coming on the market. Kind of the difference between a dove or a turkey hitting your car windshield.

There are different kinds of tests to be a drone pilot. The FAA requires you take a very simple test, very simple. It is called the TRUST test. The FAA also requires you to register a drone over a certain weight. I: think it is 500 grams (or is it 250 Grams. The DJI Min 3,4 and whatver the latest models is meets this requirement. U:nder that weight, no registration required.

And be very cognizant of what is going on between the Feds and DJI. The Feds are trying to, or have already banned DJI because of spying software implanted in the dorne. Also note, the DJI follows the law and its software does not permit you to fly in restricted areas. This is good and bad.

 

[Mark W]

I just learned something. I looked up scouting with drones in Alabama and it is legal on private property. However, you cannot use drones to scout on WMAs without permission from AL DCNR.

For any unauthorized person to launch, land or possess or use any unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)/drone on any AREA without first obtaining written permission from the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division.

Because we hunt TVA so much I looked it up. A quick search found this on TVAs website.

Rules for Use of Undeveloped TVA Public Lands​

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs or Drones)​

• Unless otherwise posted, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) may be operated on or over undeveloped TVA public lands in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules and regulations. Public operation of drones is prohibited on developed TVA public lands as outlined in the Rules for Use of Developed TVA Public Lands section below.
• Operation of drones may not harass, harm or otherwise interfere with any person, personal or real property, natural resources, wildlife or TVA operations or activities on or over TVA public lands.
• Drones may not be abandoned. Unattended drones may not be left overnight. Any unattended drones are subject to immediate removal at TVA’s sole discretion.
• Violators will be subject to immediate removal from TVA property and all applicable civil or criminal remedies. Owners and/or operators of drones are liable for all damages caused by the possession, operation or use of a drone. TVA assumes no liability with regard to the operation or use of drones.

Rules for Use of Developed TVA Public Lands​

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs or Drones)​

• Public operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) is prohibited on and over all developed TVA public lands, facilities, or structures—including but not limited to TVA dam reservations and developed recreation areas (such as campgrounds and day-use areas) power plant reservations, power substations, and transmission lines.
• Violators will be subject to immediate removal from TVA property and all applicable civil or criminal remedies. Owners and/or operators of drones are liable for all damages caused by the possession, operation, or use of a drone. TVA assumes no liability with regard to the operation or use of drones.

I'd be interested to see if this is enforceable. The FAA controls all airspzce and for other entities to restrict flying is unlawful. There are many rules. It is very legal to stand on public ground and fly over ares that say you can't fly there. Launching and retrieving from publis spaces is allowable. It is all very confusing.

 

[Mark W]

Given those 2 (or 3) options? I'd rather they slip in (on foot preferably) and glass an area and leave.

You are thinking solely about waterfowl scouting. Consider deer or turkey for a moment... Dude rolls over with a drone, sees a buck bedded down, and "accidentally" bumps it out as he's flying the drone away, right toward his awaiting rifle barrel. FWIW, you can scout your waterfowl pond the evening before to see whats there, and hunt the next morning, legally. You can't roll your drone over the pond as you are walking out to it, to hunt.

I'm also not a big fan of the guys who have cellular cameras set up sending them updates of the buck walking toward them while they are out there hunting. That is happening all the time now.

I beieve this is incorrect. You can be hunting and flying a drone to scout. You cannot rally ducks with the drone however. At leat in MN, where absolutely nothing is allowed, you can do this.

 

[Mark W]

Checking out my boat to see how it looks from the ducks vantage point.

 

[Steven Alexander]

I beieve this is incorrect. You can be hunting and flying a drone to scout. You cannot rally ducks with the drone however. At leat in MN, where absolutely nothing is allowed, you can do this.

I can only speak for Alabama. See post #14. Those are out of the AL DCNR reg book. It is illegal here to be using a drone while hunting to spot, harass, or kill game.

 

[Mark W]

I can only speak for Alabama. See post #14. Those are out of the AL DCNR reg book. It is illegal here to be using a drone while hunting to spot, harass, or kill game.

Got it. Still legal to fly a drone while hunting if you don't do any of what you list. I hate rules/regs like this. To be breaking any of them they would have to prove intent. Like the pic I posted earlier, I just wanted to see how my boat fit in and what the ducks see flying overhead. That was my only intent. Nothing nefarious.

And Alabama cannot control the airspace I know for sure. This is the responsibility of the FAA.

 

[Eric Patterson]

Mark

I've reached out to a friend whose son flies drone's professionally for the Army. I've asked him to comment on the state controlling airspace over WMAs. The rule I posted only covers "launch, land or possess" so like SJ noted if you are flying from adjacent land over the WMA that in and of itself is not against the law. Reading over the posts and thinking about it I can see how they could be a good tool or an abused one. I bet at this juncture few tickets for hunters with drones have been written.

 

[Steven Alexander]

And Alabama cannot control the airspace I know for sure. This is the responsibility of the FAA.

No, but an AL game warden can ticket you for using one illegally.

 

[Mark W]

Mark

I've reached out to a friend whose son flies drone's professionally for the Army. I've asked him to comment on the state controlling airspace over WMAs. The rule I posted only covers "launch, land or possess" so like SJ noted if you are flying from adjacent land over the WMA that in and of itself is not against the law. Reading over the posts and thinking about it I can see how they could be a good tool or an abused one. I bet at this juncture few tickets for hunters with drones have been written.

Airspace is controlled by the FAA. State law cannot override this. I've owned drones for many years and this subject comes up all the time. Especially around National Parks where signs are posted everywhere about flying a drone inside the park. They word the signs very carefully to scare people. The National Park does not control the airspace over it. Perfectly legal to take off from public land outside the park and fly over it.

We have a self described anti drone person in our area. She purchases official looking No Drone Zone signs from Amazon and places them everywhere. I caught her putting a sign up at a place I fly frequently. I went over to talk to her and told her what she was doing was illegal. She didn't agree. I called the cops who came right away. They clearly explained to her that what she was doing was illegal and told her to take down her sign. Gave her a warning and said next time she would be arrested. She did it again, was caught amd arrested. Big ticket.

Just because one see's signs, and see's "laws" written does not mean they are real or legal. Witnessed it many many times.

Mark

 

[Mark W]

No, but an AL game warden can ticket you for using one illegally.

Never said they can't. All I said is that flying a drone over a WMA or other designated places is not illegal. Local government does not control the airspace. FAA controls it.

There are many apps available that show where it is legal to fly and where it isn't. The DJI drones have built in software that helps out with this. If you are in an illegal area, the drone will not take off. Used to be that way, this may have changed on the last couple of years. They also have their own app DJI Fly that helps with this.

As good as DJI is, I would suggest looking up how Congress is trying to ban DI drones in the US. It is close to passing if it hasn't already.

Mark

 

[RM Anderson]

I would not be against drones if they were only used for the purposes stated thus far. My thought is the more that you put into something the more you get out so if you are using a drone to scout game, it is your loss not mine. The issue that pisses most people off is using drones to invade personal privacy. The operators are very difficult to identify because the drones cannot be identified. The FAA has done a poor job of regulating drones IMHO and enforcement is nonexistent. RM

 

[Carl]

Unfortunately every technology ends up being used for morally questionable purposes. Which is why we end up with laws and regulations. And lots of disagreements on the laws and regulations.
As a buddy of mine says, society has a bad case of humans.

 

[Ed L.]

Airspace is controlled by the FAA. State law cannot override this. I've owned drones for many years and this subject comes up all the time. Especially around National Parks where signs are posted everywhere about flying a drone inside the park. They word the signs very carefully to scare people. The National Park does not control the airspace over it. Perfectly legal to take off from public land outside the park and fly over it.

We have a self described anti drone person in our area. She purchases official looking No Drone Zone signs from Amazon and places them everywhere. I caught her putting a sign up at a place I fly frequently. I went over to talk to her and told her what she was doing was illegal. She didn't agree. I called the cops who came right away. They clearly explained to her that what she was doing was illegal and told her to take down her sign. Gave her a warning and said next time she would be arrested. She did it again, was caught amd arrested. Big ticket.

Just because one see's signs, and see's "laws" written does not mean they are real or legal. Witnessed it many many times.

Mark

Living in a state with laws as confusing as Illinois, this is how they publish in Illinois. This just adds to the confusion. Now tell a DNR officer that only the FAA has jurisdiction on air space usage, I bet I'd still be ticketed and end up in court if fight it. I guess next year if I want to see what the back waters look like I'd better do it the week before the season starts. I should, maybe okay during deer archery season if questioned. I could tell them I'm looking for a wounded deer but no searching for cripples from early goose and Teal seasons?!

In Illinois during 2025 hunting season, using drones for any hunting-related purpose, including scouting or pursuing animals, remains illegal, with the Illinois DNR actively enforcing this ban to uphold fair chase, though some recent bills (like HB1462, HB2740) aimed to allow drone use for tracking already wounded animals, requiring landowner permission and strict rules, but the IDNR's official stance is a general prohibition for any hunting aid.
Key Rules & Enforcement:

• Prohibited Use: Drones are not allowed for spotting, scouting, harassing, or recovering any wild birds or mammals during hunting.
• IDNR Stance: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) explicitly cautions hunters against using drones, viewing it as contrary to ethical hunting.
• Enforcement: Conservation Police actively monitor for drone use during hunting seasons, with potential penalties including equipment seizure.

Recent Legislative Efforts (Context):

• HB1462/HB2740: Bills were introduced in 2025 to create a narrow exception, allowing drones only to track wounded game under specific conditions (landowner consent, no weapons on drone operator, no harassment).
• Status: While these bills aimed to permit limited recovery, the official IDNR guidance emphasizes the existing ban, so hunters should assume drones are prohibited.

In Summary: Don't use drones for hunting in Illinois in 2025; it's unlawful, undermines fair chase, and risks enforcement action. Always check the latest IDNR digest for definitive rules before hunting.

 

[RM Anderson]

Mark my words, it is only a matter of time before the DNR surveils hunters using drones.
RM

 

[SJ Fairbank]

Mark my words, it is only a matter of time before the DNR surveils hunters using drones.
RM

No doubt. The question in that situation is, if they can spy on you, can they prevent you from spying back?

 

[Steven Alexander]

As good as DJI is, I would suggest looking up how Congress is trying to ban DI drones in the US. It is close to passing if it hasn't already.

Yeah, sure seems like it. I use mine with a small cheap tablet that has no personal data on it, and only rarely gets internet connectivity, that is DMZ'd from the rest of my WiFi network. I'm sure the drone, app, and cheap tablet all contain Chinese spyware.

 

[Steven Alexander]

Mark my words, it is only a matter of time before the DNR surveils hunters using drones.
RM

Already happening, IIRC. And most all sheriff's offices here use them. Our county's has thermal imaging on it and they use it at night.

 

[Steven Alexander]

As good as DJI is, I would suggest looking up how Congress is trying to ban DI drones in the US. It is close to passing if it hasn't already.

This popped up on my news feed this AM (they must be spying on me LOL). Seems like a ban would not affect drones already here, but future sales of Chinese drones in the US. I haven't yet looked into "American-made" products, but I have no doubt that if there are companies, they would be able to conduct the same bad-guy stuff that the FCC is claiming the Chinese drones "could be" conducting. After all, they would be using control software that could phone-home to the manufacturer. Kinda like how the US gov't is OK with themselves spying on American citizens (with things like the Patriot Act), but not OK with another country doing it. "Do as I say, not as I do" is weird like that. I understand their concern, but their given reasoning from the article seems like BS.

FCC announces ban on new Chinese-made drones over national security concerns

The FCC is banning new foreign-made drones, including those made by Chinese companies DJI and Autel, citing risk to national security and the safety of Americans.

www.foxnews.com

 

[Mark W]

Living in a state with laws as confusing as Illinois, this is how they publish in Illinois. This just adds to the confusion. Now tell a DNR officer that only the FAA has jurisdiction on air space usage, I bet I'd still be ticketed and end up in court if fight it. I guess next year if I want to see what the back waters look like I'd better do it the week before the season starts. I should, maybe okay during deer archery season if questioned. I could tell them I'm looking for a wounded deer but no searching for cripples from early goose and Teal seasons?!

In Illinois during 2025 hunting season, using drones for any hunting-related purpose, including scouting or pursuing animals, remains illegal, with the Illinois DNR actively enforcing this ban to uphold fair chase, though some recent bills (like HB1462, HB2740) aimed to allow drone use for tracking already wounded animals, requiring landowner permission and strict rules, but the IDNR's official stance is a general prohibition for any hunting aid.
Key Rules & Enforcement:

• Prohibited Use: Drones are not allowed for spotting, scouting, harassing, or recovering any wild birds or mammals during hunting.
• IDNR Stance: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) explicitly cautions hunters against using drones, viewing it as contrary to ethical hunting.
• Enforcement: Conservation Police actively monitor for drone use during hunting seasons, with potential penalties including equipment seizure.

Recent Legislative Efforts (Context):

• HB1462/HB2740: Bills were introduced in 2025 to create a narrow exception, allowing drones only to track wounded game under specific conditions (landowner consent, no weapons on drone operator, no harassment).
• Status: While these bills aimed to permit limited recovery, the official IDNR guidance emphasizes the existing ban, so hunters should assume drones are prohibited.

In Summary: Don't use drones for hunting in Illinois in 2025; it's unlawful, undermines fair chase, and risks enforcement action. Always check the latest IDNR digest for definitive rules before hunting.

Once again, they have to prove intent. Per my prior post, I used my drone to see if my boat hid well and to see what the ducks see flying overhead. That was my intent, and this is what I did. So according to the IL laws, I would be OK.

I hate rules such as these where intent is involved. Easy to make up :intentions" that then become facts.

Mark

 

[Mark W]

Mark my words, it is only a matter of time before the DNR surveils hunters using drones.
RM

They already do.