Ban on drone hunting gains traction

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico is in line to become the next state to take aim at the use of drones for hunting big game animals.

Alaska, Colorado and Montana already have outlawed the use of drones in hunting, but some sportsmen groups and animal advocates are pushing to see that regulations are passed in every state to protect the concept of fair chase.

They argue the art of hunting should be based on skills and traditions that have been honed and passed down over generations, not technological advancements such as drones.

There’s only anecdotal evidence of drones being used for hunting, but the national group Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and the Humane Society of the United States both say they want to get ahead of the issue before it becomes a problem.

In New Mexico, the state Game Commission is set to vote this month on a proposal that would make it illegal to use drones to signal an animal’s location, to harass a game animal or to hunt a protected species observed from a drone within 48 hours.