Attack of the Drones!

[fishday]

I heard a story--saw the video--of a guy who was fishing by himself at a popular fishing spot. Along comes a drone and sits within 10 feet of him for a couple of minutes.
Is that legal? Facts? Opinions?
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[PerchPile]

A few weeks ago, I had to add a little to the water table on Echo. We had walked clear across and was just under the trucker's point. No one around......Right in the middle of said activity, I could hear a strange whurring sound. I look up and just in front of me and probably 40 yards up, was a drone, hovering as still as the moon. It waited until I started walking back to my ice hole, and then took off. Should have brought my shotgun!
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[jaklakmak]

I wouldn't doubt that a lot of the various Fish and Game Departments around the country are tapping into the new technology to check up on outdoorsmen.
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[PACKFAN]

What's the fine for shooting one of the damn things down, or is there any? []
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[Smelt_Fishy]

[] Yes, there is a fine I'm sure.... If its hovering a foot off the ground in your fenced back yard and you damage it in any way you are liable for the damages. I only say this having seen similar reports and what not... Now having said that I feel like it would be worth it to blast one out of the sky and probably quite satisfying. It would upset me enough if one would be hovering overhead watching me fish, but to be blatantly obvious while I was relieving pressure would warrant it in my book.... as to your original question I can not say with 100 percent certainty on the fine, but I would bet money on it....

Cheers,
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[Deepwateroff]

A few thoughts... I can't see much difference between a drone and someone looking at you with binoculars, at least with a drone your aware your being looked at. This of course only applies in public. It's something all together different if they are peeping in your windows or over the fence. I'm not saying it's not creepy but it's public domain so it's not illegal. Who knows why they are looking at you, maybe they want to see what you using or it could be the DWR. By the way most drones have a range of about 100 to 150 yards. So look around you can probably see the operator and it eventually has to return to the operator
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[bassrods]

I have land in central Utah and this past fall I had one of them flying over and did shout it down and hoped the owner would come looking..I turned it over to the cops but have never heard any thing..
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[fishday]

Was te Jaklakmak comment edited? Shooting the thing out of the sky was my first thought also. I guess setting up a tent is the only thing you can do for someone disturbing your peace and quiet and privacy. I think I'll call the DWR and see if they use the things and what their position is on them. I thought that harassing a hunter, and I assume fishermen, was illegal. I consider a buzzing fly harassment, so a loud buzzing drone only a few feet away is surely harassment.
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[fishday]

I think you are correct about the public purview aspect. If you are exposed to the public view it's all good and you are fair game. However, there is the harassment aspect that just may be illegal. I'll find out and let you know.
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[fishday]

Sorry I don't know how I missed Jaklakmak's post right above yours.
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[RockyRaab]

About their range: I was fishing East Canyon this summer when I heard a drone. It came from the east side of the reservoir, passed near me and then went across the dam and down the canyon, all in a straight line and decent speed. Have no idea who was controlling it or how far it had come before I first saw it. But it flew for at least a half mile in my sight.
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[wiperhunter2]

The more expensive drones, in the $5k range, have a range of 1/2 mile, maybe farther.
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[Kent]

[quote bassrods]

I have land in central Utah and this past fall I had one of them flying over and did shout it down...

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That must have been one heck of a loud yell.[]
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[Quicky]

I used to work in the drone industry. Right now the FAA regulations for hobbyist use are 400' AGL and line of sight. If they are above 400' above ground level or out of line of sight then they are in non-compliance. If it is commercial use there has to be a COA (certificate of authorization) from the FAA with a flight plan filed 24 hours before scheduled flight.
The way I look at it is if they are operating the drones in an unsafe manner then shoot it down!!
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[Troutman_2]

I would think twice about shooting down a drone. Unless you could convince a reasonable jury that it presented an immediate threat, I would recommend simply calling the police if you feel harassed.
The Supreme Court has ruled that there is no expectation of privacy in public areas. I'm sure the coming years will bring more legal clarity on drone usage but for now, drone pilots have quite a bit of protection if they are following state and FAA rules. Drones weighing over 1/2 pound are required to display an FAA registration number. If you find one with a number on it, they can locate the owner pretty quickly.
Drone tech has advanced a lot in the last few years. Some of the more popular models fly up to 40-50mph, have a +2 mile range (but must be kept within line of sight), and can stay airborne for close to 30 minutes. They also relay real-time HD video back to the pilot and the video can be recorded both on the drone and at the control station.
I have been flying drones for about 5 years. There are a lot of stupid drone owners that give the rest of us a bad name.
I won't fly over people, don't film anyone without permission, and respect the airspace above private property. Most importantly, I don't let flying drones interfere with my fishing addiction.

[Quicky]

I agree. A drone operated in an unsafe manner is subjective and if shot down the burden of proof rests on you to prove it was operated unsafely. For me, unsafe means that if the drone is too close where it may injure me, someone near me, or my property, then I would shoot it down (in a safe manner). Obviously calling the police would be the best idea if they could respond before that drone does any damage or injury. Most likely that would not be the case. Just because it could be filming me in public does not constitute unsafe operation. If it was filming me through the windows of my house, then things would be different and I would not care if I get a discharging a weapon in city limits charge. It would be justified to me.
Out of curiosity, what kind of drone do you operate? Insitu developed the scan eagle to assist in spotting tuna before the military became more lucrative. I have always wondered if a DJI quadrotor would be effective for some of the bigger fish in the ocean.
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[Madplumber]

I have watched the show tuna fishing and they use planes to find the tuna why don't they just use drones wouldn't it be cheaper
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[Jedidiah]

I think if someone was taking pictures of my dingus with a drone, I'd blow it out of the sky in a second and the pervert can explain why he has pictures of peoples' privates on his SD card if he wants to pursue damages.
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[Quicky]

I typed into youtube tuna drone fishing and some pretty neat videos came up. One I liked in particular was a drone from Australia called a splash drone. Floats on the water with the props above water and can takeoff like that. If only I lived near the coast!!
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[Koko21]

Agreed Troutman. I also fly drones, but do so very respectfully and don't bother other people. Really, I pretty much just avoid people as much as possible. I can see how it would be annoying hovering right by you.

It is supposed to be illegal to fly them now in any designated state or national park - now whether anyone is around to enforce this, who knows. A lot of our fishing waters are in state parks. There is some debate as to whether the pilot can stand outside park grounds and fly the drone in - I've talked to several park staff members and they have differing opinions. Some say they will even confiscate the drone if in state or national parks.

Like I said, I don't bother people, never film them without permission, I follow all FAA flight rules, and am a very respectful drone pilot. If someone shot my drone down, they better be ready to fork out some serious cash to replace it. Then again, I don't see myself ever flying in a position where someone would feel the need to shoot it down.

I haven't heard of any state agencies using drones, but they may be. I know that Belize has been using them to control illegal fishing activities.

As someone else said, there are some pretty cool youtube videos out there of people fishing with drones, and new products coming up.
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