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Drone For Scouting

ricky racer

Well-Known Member
Aug 8, 2016
2,442
4,913
113
Niles/Buchanan, MI
This is all I can find in the Michigan Regulations:

It is unlawful to:
Hunt or pursue wild animals or birds from a car, snowmobile, aircraft, drone, motorboat, personal water craft, ORV, or other motorized vehicle, or by a sailboat.

By that definition, what I originally proposed should be completely legal. I am not planning on purchasing a drone. If I was though, before I laid down my cold hard cash, I'd email the CO in my area and get his take on it. If he didn't see any issues with it, I'd save the email (just in case) and go for it.

Maybe the FAA has some regulations that might apply and that would have to be check out first as well.
 

Dewey

Well-Known Member
Apr 22, 2017
715
972
93
55
WI
I have no desire whatsoever to use them for scouting purposes even if they are legal. I like reading aerial and topo maps then doing good ole’ fashioned boots on the ground. You will never beat that for gaining the best intel.
 
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JBDaddy

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2018
766
1,105
93
50
Lenawee, MI
This is all I can find in the Michigan Regulations:

It is unlawful to:
Hunt or pursue wild animals or birds from a car, snowmobile, aircraft, drone, motorboat, personal water craft, ORV, or other motorized vehicle, or by a sailboat.

By that definition, what I originally proposed should be completely legal. I am not planning on purchasing a drone. If I was though, before I laid down my cold hard cash, I'd email the CO in my area and get his take on it. If he didn't see any issues with it, I'd save the email (just in case) and go for it.

Maybe the FAA has some regulations that might apply and that would have to be check out first as well.

I have an FAA registration for drone piloting (the easy $5, "you can now fly a drone that weighs more than half a pound" kind), and some of the stuff they're proposing is just nuts (from a freedom point of view). Something like "you'll only be able to fly a drone that broadcasts its registration info identifying you as it goes, only within designated drone flight areas supervised by the FAA", etc. It's garbage (from that freedom perspective).

From a "Hey, don't strap a bomb on that thing and fly it near a football stadium" point of view, I get where they're coming from... but if you think you might get involved in this down the road, pay attention asap to what they're looking at for restrictions - you might change your mind about wanting a drone at all, or may just get involved in the opposition to it.
 
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ssramage

Active Member
Apr 26, 2020
191
192
43
35
Saint Simons Island, GA
I've thought about this. A lot of the property I hunt is THICK cutover. Without trampling all over the place, a drone might be a good tool to find some honey holes to find access to. I just haven't been able to convince myself to spend the $$$ for something that would only be used once or twice.
 
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Jajtner01

Member
Apr 2, 2014
91
34
18
San Diego, CA
LOCATION
San Diego, CA
I have been thinking about the same thing. When I go to Wisconsin to hunt every year, I only get there the Wednesday before the opener for gun season and that's all I have. I really can't get out earlier to scout because I live halfway across the country. I was thinking a drone might be a good way to scout the edges of some of the marshes real fast without actually walking through two days before I sit in a tree.

As far as legal is concerned in Wisconsin, all I was able to find was you cannot interfere with someone hunting with the use of a drone. It says nothing about actually using a drone for hunting or scouting just don't fly it over someone's tree stand while they're hunting. Kind of weird the differences between the states takes.

Does anyone know if the drones bother the deer or do they just sort of think of them as something flying overhead, no big deal?
 

Rjschatts

Member
Aug 19, 2020
59
69
18
Central Minnesota
I just ordered one a couple days ago, will arrive tomorrow, thought it might be useful for flying over swampy areas. Not the reason I bought it, but might try it if it’s legal. Bought it from photography and “education” for my youngest son I homeschool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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