Are drones legal to fly during deer season

Curious if you are able to fly a drone during deer season? Is it a form of harassing an animal or illegal or even unethical hunting? Sometimes when my son shares the blind or I have him across the property I was thinking of him staying awake and maybe fly a drone vs. playing videos games on his phone. What is your thoughts?

Have to get a permit from TPWD to do anything, at anytime.


https://tpwd.texas.gov/warden/law-enforcement-faq/drones-uavs

Thank you for your prompt and concise reply!

Am I reading this right? You can’t photograph game on your own property?

https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/apps/

and from there on the bottom left...

https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/permits/land/wildlife_management/aerial_wl_management/

I guess their belief is... it's your land but their deer/wildlife.

Ridiculous! Of course, I would never break the law by viewing wildlife. But, if they were to be in the way while I was flying a drone.... My guess is that they would have to prove intent.

I don’t own a drone, but I’ve considered getting one to monitor the rocks and mesquites on my place. I’ll make sure to let TPWD know if any of their deer get in the way of my mission....

I don't know why you would want your kid flying a drone around while your hunting, that makes me a skeptic of your intentions.

Reading that you have to have a permit to photograph deer on your own property with a drone sounds like a crock to me. I would never get a permit to do it, I would just take pictures of the grass trees and brush next to those deer. That is stupid!

Before they came out with that law, my neighbors would fly their drones down our fence line "checking fences" . They didn't have livestock. Never see them any more. My buddy brought a drone out to my place 3 or for years ago and recorded a tannerite explosion. It was way cool.

Don't think this keeps them from checking fences with one.

If you did do it, I wouldn't be going showing off your findings on social media.

Nope but the old hermit guy's shotgun did and it landed on his side of the fence.

Something doesn’t sound right. How is this any different than having game cameras set up that automatically upload pics/video to your smart phone?

I could understand if you were using them to “push” or “guide” deer on to or off of your neighbors place. I saw a video online onetime of a drone flying around deer and they acted like it was just a bird and weren’t freaked out by it at all.

I guess in their minds it takes away from "fair chase", fly around scouting to locate the deer, drive to that area and boom dead deer.

But we do that with pigs and cellular cameras already. Wait for the text on my phone and drive over to the feeder and shoot them. I suppose people could do that with deer also.

Pigs aren't game animals.

Great info

How lazy have we become. Good god

I depends on where you are located here in texas? I would think most places its ok to fly a drone unless your near federal land or its posted by signs.
I would check your local area before persuing your actions. Us here out near no towns, we do pretty much as we please within reason! a old hunting partner came over
last summer and brought his Thompson MG and it stired up some interests around, but just one afternoon!

Just remember, Texas hasn't turned into a Communist state yet, unlike the one on the west coast! at least I hope not in my lifetime! My thought are, just
mind your own dam business!....



hunt safe all....

Last time I checked, TPWD rules applied to all of Texas. We all know how far arguing with a Game Warden about "I didn't know..." gets you.

Thanks for pointing that out. Maybe thats why I put "I suppose people could do that with deer also."

I suppose people couldn't do that with deer because they're game animals.

I would assume the concern is specific to using a drone to locate deer while hunting. Cameras tell you where a deer was, a drone will tell you where they are.
I would imagine you'd have a hard time explaining to game warden that you didnt have ill intentions if a drone was flying around while you were hunting.
Now if it wasnt during a season, or you were clearly not hunting (no guns nearby or anything) I would think you'd be able to argue any other point - filming the land, rocks, etc.

I think it could be trespassing if you were to fly over a neighbors property. I also would think it would be illegal to herd deer in any fashion unless a biologist was involved. To fly over your area just to look around I would think it would be ok.
Just what I would think....don't have any facts to show or any known law. I hope we get an answer.

Well, let me weigh in here. I've been a drone operator for 5 years and their is very clear unmistakable language in the TPWD "Hunting Means and Methods" pertaining to drones.

It is unlawful to:
use aircraft (including drones, except by activity-specific permit) to hunt, locate (including wounded animals), manage, harass, drive, trap or photograph any wild animal.

In my opinion, it's not even worth it to fly a drone during deer season. I have one that I fly in the off-season for fun and to see how the land has changed. There are some areas on my property that are hard to access - easy way to check how the native vegetation is growing in those areas and to scope out the pond water levels in areas that are hard to access.

I've encountered deer with it, but they are always in full sprint heading for cover. The drone seems to scare any game that happens to be in the area even when flying at the maximum altitude allowed by the FAA. I try not to fly it too much in fear of scaring everything off my property.

I find it interesting there are links posted to specific TPWD rules & reg's and folks still have their opinion as to why they may or may not apply.

" The drone seems to scare any game that happens to be in the area" is the reason for... "unlawful to use aircraft (including drones, except by activity-specific permit) to hunt, locate (including wounded animals), manage, harass..."

It's pretty black and white, get the permit and cover yourself or we'll be reading about you in the "Game Warden Field Notes" that get posted on THF.

Like so many other rules, they are only valid for those who rules apply to.

TPWD was pretty on top of this, can't use them to assist during deer season.