WY Will Restrict Use of Scouting Planes/Drones

[WapitiTalk1]

Saw this on another forum. Wonder if the concept will bleed through to other states? I wonder how they will prove that a plane is not merely site-seeing or locating range cattle?

http://www.wyofile.com/column/game-fish ... -scouting/

[Ilikefire]

Oregon has a similar rule, but it's worded that if you are in an aircraft or using a drone for scouting reasons you cannot hunt for at least 24 hours (I believe that's the time could be 48 hours now). My friend works on a medical helicopter and I know he said he can't hunt after they fly for fear of getting in trouble.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Indian Summer]

I saw that a few weeks ago. I agree Rory that it could be tough to enforce. But it takes money to fly just to find game. The people who are making the money from it also have lots to lose. I believe that in a small way the law was passed with some specific people in mind. There are some really good outfits down there that are well known for putting in tons of hours flying and guys pay big bucks to hunt with them. It would be really risky for one those people to fly to scout during the no fly dates in my opinion.

If a guy had a plane and the money to maintain it for ranching and he saw and elk and went and shot it or someone in his family did they could probably get away with it but those folks are few and far between and not much of an impact on game like the others.

I would also say that Wyoming Fish and Game knows the value of a quality mule deer herd and also how fragile the mulies can be due to predation, hunting, and bad winters and I think the new law was made with them in mind as much or more than other game. Same goes for their really good goat populations.

All I know is that it can only serve to even the playing field for other hunters and the game so I'm all for it.

[rowdycwby1]

New Mexico has banned drones for hunting use and you can't hunt for 48 hrs after flying unless it was a Comercial flight.

[Indian Summer]

In this case I'd say drones just happen to fall into the aircraft category but the law was put n place because of people locating game from airplanes. Think about it... the hardest part of killing big bucks and bulls is finding them. Look at the way the Mossback guides go about finding and keeping tabs on an animal for months.

There are outfitters who hand guides pictures of the buck they are going after and a map of where he is spending his time, three horses, a client, a small tent and a bunch of Mountain House meals. It's a whole other ballgame when you know for sure they are there. I know that much because I know the guides. If all of the outfitters in a state put together kill a half dozen bucks over 200 inches and then one outfitter kills that many himself and does it every year something is just "amuck".

[Swede]

As stated above, Oregon has had a similar law for years, but I still see private airplanes flying over the areas I hunt. I could never prove anything. I don't know if they are looking for game, or if they wait or if they are in direct contact (cell phone) with someone that they talk briefly in code to. I never see and law enforcement officers either, not that they could prove anything without a huge investigation. All I know is I don't have a plane. Maybe I can get my brother to hang around in the season, and do some on the ground glassing in some strategic areas, and report back to me when we are in camp together.

[Ilikefire]

hey swede I've seen planes flying around my hunting areas in southern Oregon several times during hunting seasons, I've typically seen an all white one or a white with a pale blue color. One day after seeing them flying I was met by an OSP fish and game trooper whom I know well and we got to talking and he said that OSP flys a lot during hunting seasons to see activity levels in areas to see if a trooper should go out and check it out, he also told me that for some reason fish and game likes to do animal counts from the air right before or the first week of Oregon archery. Kind of interesting information I thought. Now I see OSP's aircraft a lot during the year since I know what I'm looking for now

[Swede]

Ilikefire: Thanks. I did not know ODF&W was doing that. It is interesting. Maybe that is what I am seeing too. Because they are flying low around the forest, I assume they are looking for something. Maybe someone lost their dog and are searching.

[Ilikefire]

Yeah if you see a low flying plane and get contacted by a trooper shortly after that ask about it and they may tell you about it if they know of any animal counts taking place or if it was one of them flying.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk