BC Bans Hunting Drones
Prince George, B.C. – The provincial government has grounded hunting drones.
“The Province amended the Wildlife Act hunting regulations, making it illegal for people to operate or possess a drone, or use data obtained by a drone, while on a hunting or trapping expedition,” reads a statement from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
“It is also now illegal for a third party to use a drone to help a hunter or trapper.”
Prior to today’s change, Section 27 of the Wildlife Act made it illegal to use a helicopter to hunt in BC. The minimum fine for hunting with a helicopter or drone is $2,500 – although a first offence could cost a hunter $250,000 and up to two years in prison.
The B.C. Wildlife Federation applauded the change.
“Using drones to track your prey just isn’t part of the hunting culture in British Columbia,” said president Jim Glaicar. “Hunters are respectful of wildlife and their habitat and very supportive of the steps government is taking to prevent hunters from using drones.”
Comments
Good. If you need a drone to hunt you may as well stay at home, clearly wandering around in the bush with a fire arm is not a good idea for you….
Might be fun target practice , with a shotgun.
Or for the skillful, with a .22.
Good, I think humans already have a lot of advantages already over the animal. It should be hunting, not harvesting.
Maybe in the next century, we would be able to teach a moose fire a gun at humans…. that would only make it fair. LOL
That sounds like a good idea. You can be first to act as a target to test your moose buddies shooting skills.
The one legitimate use of drones in the bush that I have thought of is that they could help firefighters on the ground to see what is over the next ridge.
Or helping to find lost people seems a legitimate use as well. I wonder what kinds of regulation they are going to come out with when things like Google Earth is in real time and anywhere in the world when you open up a laptop you are instantly connected to the internet via satellite, I am sure that day is coming and sooner that you might expect.
yes it could be done but would it be economic as there would be scores of satellites needed so all the ground is covered at once. Then there are the resolution issues around privacy.
“BC Bans Hunting Drones”
Hmmm, never shot me wun of them thar drone critters! Wut du thay taste like, chicken?
Beat me to it lol..
Well don’t do what I dun. Barbecue is still sticky with all that there plastic!
Guides use airplanes all the time to locate game for clients…tell me whats the diff??
Drones are a lot cheaper and constantly available. There’s also the risk of them being used to harass animals and drive them toward the hunters, which is harder to do with a plane.
you have a sound theory on that. as far as harassment goes I think that snowmobiles would be far more bothersome than a drone.
That’s not what the issue is with aircraft of any type being used for hunting. The fact is they are used to find game then the info is used to direct hunters to that game.
Drones were banned for hunting long before this announcement was made.
So are they going to ban fish finders on commercial and personal boats too?
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