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Oregon House votes to outlaw hunting with drones

A Parrot Bebop drone flies during a demonstration event May 8. A company in Star, Idaho, is among two businesses exempted by the FAA from the current ban on commercial drone flights. (Associated Press)
A Parrot Bebop drone flies during a demonstration event May 8. A company in Star, Idaho, is among two businesses exempted by the FAA from the current ban on commercial drone flights. (Associated Press)

HUNTING — It's not often that I would side with the Humane Society of the United States on a hunting issue, but here's an exception: Lawmakers in the state House voted unanimously Wednesday to outlaw the use of drones for hunting or fishing in Oregon.

While there’s no evidence that Oregon hunters or anglers have been using drones, the bill’s proponents said it’s happened elsewhere, the Associated Press reports.

“Drones have no place in sport hunting, fishing or trapping,” said Rep. Brad Witt, a Democrat from Clatskanie who sponsored the bill. “They are simply antithetical to the principle of fair chase and fair catch.”

The bill orders the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to adopt a rule banning the use of unmanned vehicles to track, harass or scout fish and wildlife. It passed in a 59-0 vote, sending it to the Senate.

The Humane Society of the United States says Oregon would join Colorado, Montana and Alaska in prohibiting drones for hunting. Similar prohibitions have also been proposed in Vermont, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York and Illinois, according to the organization.

  • Washington Fish and Wildlife officials say drones are prohibited under existing regulations that restrict the use of electronic devices for hunting.

Drones would give hunters an unfair advantage over the animals they target, said Scott Beckstead, the Humane Society’s Oregon director. The bill’s supporters say wildlife populations might dwindle if drones are widely used to scout or kill game.

“You’re using technology to locate game rather than engaging in sort of the fair chase and the traditional stalking methods that most responsible hunters adhere to,” Beckstead said of the prospect of hunting with drones.



Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

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