Comment Period Open for proposed TPWD Regulation

[Dusty Britches]

TPWD is considering allowing night time use of UAV (aka drones) to hunt wild hogs and exotics.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/feedback/public_comment/proposals/202211_aerial.phtml

Personally, I think this is a Pandora's box for unauthorized take of game and non-game animals. As a landowner I have utter distain for wild hogs and love seeing new and innovative ways to control them.

But, also as a landowner I have had problems with drones flying over my house (I'm 1 - 2 miles from any public road and dern sure not in the line of sight). I've had issues with poachers spotlighting my pastures and house at night.

I can foresee poachers using UAV to harass whitetail off my property to make it easier to shoot them at night. Drones are very quiet and virtually undetectable, especially at night. By the time LEO is called, the drones are long gone without a trace.

Please comment on the TPWD proposed rule by November 2.

[kcmarullo]

I hope to not see any drones over my property !

[Drycreek3189]

Done, and thanks !

[mooch]

Done. Can’t stand drones.


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[bigchiefj]

I love the idea of being able to hunt hogs with a remote controlled aircraft.

[Ginja Ninja]

Smh.

[dclifton]

Not a fan from a landowners prespective. I see pigs getting shot with no real way to track the issue of whose shooting them. If a landowner could possibly pull a permit and use it for depredation only on his property it would be ok. But i agree this is opening pandoras box to people crossing property lines way to easy to shoot stuff. I think these would be way to hard to regulate. If we could trust people to stay within their property lines then it would be ok.

[jdg13]

Who needs to run a hog dog over someone else's property when you have a drone?

[SamSowell]

Not a fan from a landowners prespective. I see pigs getting shot with no real way to track the issue of whose shooting them. If a landowner could possibly pull a permit and use it for depredation only on his property it would be ok. But i agree this is opening pandoras box to people crossing property lines way to easy to shoot stuff. I think these would be way to hard to regulate. If we could trust people to stay within their property lines then it would be ok.

The proposal states you have to have a permit. And states you have to get approval for the tract of land you want to operate on/over.

[TxBowHntr]

Are we talking about ARMED DRONES? I am not sure how I feel about that.

Now, I do think we should be open to all logical methods of hog eradication. I also think this will allow the heli-hunters to go at em at night, which I am for, on their own property or with permission. Isn't there a law with how low you can fly a drone over someone else's property? I would assume that regulation won't change. Yes, there can be some times where someone will drone over another's property without permission, but that is not a new issue. I don't see how just by allowing their use for hog hunting will exacerbate the situation. There are 2 types of people in the world, those that break laws, and those that don't. If they would fly over your property illegally, because they can now legally use them for hog hunting, they are already doing it now when it is illegal to use for hog hunting.

[Gumbo Man]

The proposal states you have to have a permit. And states you have to get approval for the tract of land you want to operate on/over.

SamSowell with no disrespect aimed at you I call BS. When dealing with State or Federal permitting it will always be about the money. There will be no way to police this if it were to happen. I had to have a county issued builders permit to build my restaurant. No one from the county came to inspect upon completion. I have to have an annual State Health permit to operate. Around 1500 dollars yearly to pay for annual inspections. Fee is due every year and we have not seen the inspector for 2 years. All about the fees and that’s all.

[ctom87]

This isn't something I have given too much thought towards, but I believe I would be for this. I don't see this opening pandora's box. People are already poaching, trespassing, etc. People are either ethical hunters or they aren't. If an ethical hunter has a drone in the air, they're still an ethical hunter and are just as likely to not cross property lines. An unethical hunter will be tempted to poach regardless of the tools that assist him.

The state has also shown they want to deregulate hog hunting by the fact you don't even need a license anymore to hunt them. KAP. This is just another tool to help.

Editor's note, I'm not a land owner and can't comprehend the issues ya'll have, so keep my limited perspective in mind.

[gingib]

This isn't something I have given too much thought towards, but I believe I would be for this. I don't see this opening pandora's box. People are already poaching, trespassing, etc. People are either ethical hunters or they aren't. If an ethical hunter has a drone in the air, they're still an ethical hunter and are just as likely to not cross property lines. An unethical hunter will be tempted to poach regardless of the tools that assist him.

The state has also shown they want to deregulate hog hunting by the fact you don't even need a license anymore to hunt them. KAP. This is just another tool to help.

Editor's note, I'm not a land owner and can't comprehend the issues ya'll have, so keep my limited perspective in mind.

x2! I am a landowner And I kill 300-400 hogs a year and still more to go before Dec 31

Work a fine line here. Take away legal hunting means, what's next thermals? No guns just bc bad guys use them too?

I bring my thermal to the deer stand during season, but I obviously ain't shooting no deer with it

[jdg13]

I can't find anywhere on the permit site about a fee, but in the TPWD legal docs it says there's a fee. Wouldn't surprise me, it's always about the money.

[Drycreek3189]

I agree that folks are ethical or not, but if this goes into effect it gives an unethical person some cover to do unethical things. Just like killing an illegal deer during the season or taking too many doves, etc. It was legal to be hunting, just wasn’t legal hunting if you get my drift.