It seems that for every good use that exists for drones there is an equally bad use.  Consider the usefulness of drones with regards to wildlife management in the form of collecting new data on antelope or mule deer migrations.  The agricultural industry can better monitor crops and use water more efficiently with the help of drones.  Obviously all great things, and this is just scratching the surface on the positives.  But there’s the dark side of drones too because it’s humans that use them.  The dark side definitely presents itself when it comes to hunting.  In my opinion, drones have no place in the world of hunting.  Fortunately many states feel the same way, with bans on using drones already in place in Colorado, Idaho, Montana and recently Wyoming as well as several other states.  There will undoubtedly be “hunters” that break the law and use them for scouting during the season.  Enforcement will be challenging but I’m glad the line has been drawn and hunting ethics and fair chase have not been sacrificed.

The increasingly sophisticated technology specific to hunting is entering muddier and muddier ground.  Buying into our “advances” without consideration of ethics and fair chase is a bad deal…for our wildlife and our hunting future.  The importance of educating hunters on ethics and fair chase from the get-go and then maintaining that integrity in all your hunting experiences is key I believe.  I’ll be the first to admit I carry some “unethical hunting behavior” baggage, which truly sucks, but those moments of poor judgment have helped me establish a clearer perspective on why adhering to hunting ethics is so important.   Ben Long, via the MeatEater’s web page, has written a very good summary on why drones are being outlawed so quickly by states.  Please check it out: