The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is prosecuting its first drone poaching case, the first since the recovery of game with drones was legalized in March of 2024. However, it is illegal to use drones to search for, scout, or detect deer during the hunting season or for 14 days prior.
The DNR alleges that back in December, several hunters used a drone to scout for, pattern the movements of, and harvest a white-tailed buck. The agency received several complaints that a drone was following one especially well-antlered deer for several days in a row. Investigators began following this drone, soon discovering the operator’s identity and identifying the targeted buck.
Sure enough, after the deer was killed, investigators seized the drone and recovered hundreds of photos of this deer, as well as location data tracing the deer’s daily travel.
The suspects also allegedly shot the deer over bait and trespassed to recover the animal. Apparently, pinpointing the exact location of the buck didn’t provide enough of an advantage.
Some may say that Indiana allowing deer recovery with drones is to blame for this case of poaching, but it’s likely that unethical hunters would be doing so without that law in place.
These guys were caught because other people called in complaints about a drone relentlessly following one deer. But there are likely other bad actors who are a little more subtle about their tactics, and because there are other lawful drones up in the air during hunting season, it’s less likely for folks on the ground to call those ones in.
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