Fairbanks had an Aviation day last Sat. Bunch of Aviation stuff there, some businesses, some Govt people also.

One of the booths was BLM firefighters with none other than Marty meierotto at the booth. Talked to him a bit but the other guy there was an FAA licensed drone pilot. Had a small drone there and a video of it's use. They put an IR cam on them and fly the drone thru the thick smokey area to look for hot spots, etc. I have a bro in law who used to work for FLIR so I've seen what IR can do. Plus you see it all over the net. I asked the guy if the IR cam was sensitive enough to pick up small animal bodies. He said YES! I asked like squirrels, marten, lynx? He said yea. I looked at Marty and said, "there's how you find a trapline. Use the drone with IR! I started thinking a guy might make a little money with an IR drone checking out areas for furbearer sign and sell the info. Or a trapper could hire a drone pilot to check his line and see how the critter pops are doing. Maybe if prices come down a trapper could have his own drone and IR cam and check out his line each year. Even during the season. Imagine finding a hot spot for rabbits. Gotta be lynx there!
Hey, Marty could just mount an IR cam on his cub!!!

MT

Seems to me the state has already weighed in on using drones for things such as hunting and trapping....sort of like the restriction on helicopters.

What kind of range do they have?Might be good for locating live beaver houses on the line in late fall,and picking a route to get in,after freeze up.

Line of sight mostly

15 to 30 minutes flying time with a range of up to 4 miles with an antenna booster. You can fly off your phone or pad by viewing where you are through the camera. Thats a drone in the $1000.00 cost range.

Oh yah they wreck fairly easily get lost too. Cold temperatures suck the life out of the battery also. IME

Drones are illegal to use for fishing/hunting trapping in Alaska.

They are here as well, but are excellent firefighting tools for when smoke grounds aircraft.

I know that it’s illegal to use them for hunting, but can’t finf where it says they are illegal for trapping or fishing.. I’ve got one we use for promoting our fishing, and can think of several uses on the trapline .

I think it would be great to have to survey routes for cutting in traplines, looking for easier cutting.

A decent one will have about a 3 mile tether, that could help with trail scouting, etc. Supposedly only allowed to fly them within line of sight, but that little technicality gets stretched on occasion...

That would definitely be an asset !!

5 AAC 92.080. Unlawful methods of taking game; (7) with the aid of a pit, fire, artificial light, laser sight, electronically enhanced night vision, any forward looking infrared device, any device that has been airborne, controlled remotely, and used to spot or locate game with the use of a camera or video device, radio communication, cellular or satellite telephone, artificial salt lick, explosive, expanding gas arrow, bomb, smoke, chemical (excluding scent lures), or a conventional steel trap with an inside jaw spread over nine inches,

supersized you didn't ask the "keeper of the book".

But Al, furbearers are not "Game"! Plus, using a drone to survey routes, (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) populations, etc. would that qualify as "take"? Many of you guys are all about farming some of your furbearers, your line, etc. How could a tool to help a guy manage his line be illegal?
As well, if a guy uses a drone on a certain day, then comes back a week later and sets up a tent to start a line, could that be considered "take"? Keep in mind, any of this stuff you can do with a drone, you can legally do with an airplane. Maybe the IR would be questionable.

Malukchuk, can you provide a reference for fishing?

MT

But some are both furbearers and big game. I can see someone making that an issue. If you used the drone to make a trail and then "took" a wolf along that trail some would try to make a case of that.

First of all Martian game is defined in statue AS 16.05.990. Paraphrase, all mammals and birds are "game". The BOG can classify "game" AS 16.05.255 as big game, small game, fur bearer, fur animal ect. So fur bearers are "game" by statue. Secondly you may not use a drone to "take" AS 16.05.990 game. you can use a drone for anything else. P.S. the new regulation will be updated 1 july. which speaks to the part of using information from drones( which i don't think changed) and cell phones. States web site is down i apologies for not having exact statutory language for everyone, but you can look them up later.

Not completely agreeing with Al here. For example:

If you "take" a wolf during hunting season under the auspices of the hunting regulations, it is "big game." Thus it is illegal to use a .22 (rimfire rifle) to take it. Rimfire rifle is not legal for taking big game.

But if the trapping season is open and you have a trapping license, you may "take" the very same wolf with a .22 because you are taking a "furbearer."
This is something that a few grouse hunters have learned the hard way: Always buy a trapping license!

The statutory definition of "take" is a whole 'nother can of worms... Thanks to the convoluted thinking of the Dept of Law and Dept of Public Safety, even "pursuing" game is statutorily the same as the act of TAKING it. This is exploited by the State over and over.

Pete

I thought the use of drones going forward was handled the same as with planes. You can't hunt on the same day as you fly either in a plane, or a drone.

I think in this instance, using a drone to check out an area would be just like flying in a plane to check out an area. Next day, you are clear to go.

-TJ

I agree with with you Pete and you are correct. I did not mention that portion of method and means and season differences because the conversation was stated about trapping. Lynn could not find the use of drones under the unlawful take of fur bearers. That is because it is found under the lawful take of game. A drone can not be used to take any game. from mice to grizzles or anything that flies.I know you know when reading regulations like these, you have to first read the broad regulation unlawful take of game, then if you want to take a big game you have to understand the restriction or exemptions from under unlawful take of big game, and if you want to trap game you must know what is allowed under the unlawful take of fur bearers or fur animals and so on. So hear is one for you. The current regulation states a persons is not allowed to use his cell phone to "take" game. So this must mean, if I am walking down a trail. i spy a hare just feet away from me. I am not allowed to throw my cell phone at it.

Well, after reading thru definitions in the handy dandy reg. book.............it seems that drones are completely out for ANYTHING!
Game appears to be any wild land animal, reptile, bird, or mammal.
Take includes "attempting" to trap. A guy flying a drone over his line, or any place to look for furbearers would likely be attempting to trap.
So........if you fly a drone over an area are you forbidden to "take" game in that area FOREVER? Must be a time limit. Al?
MT
Al, marten is an animal, martian is an entity that drives a tesla car on Mars!

Mike,

Now THAT is funny!

pb

Sorry about that Marten,spellcheck is only as good as the pushing the keys. Drones may appear to have little use on a trap line, yet a trapper may use a super cub to locate areas to trap and locate game to trap. I also have seen on the Alaska reality trapping shows shots/film to what appears to have taken from a drone. Haven't heard of any citation being issued. This seems like a good enough reason to summit a proposal to the BOG to allow the use of drones for trapping. This proposal can be submitted 2019/2020 and section 5 AAC 92.095 is on the call for that meeting. Things like this happen at BOG meting fairly regular. Most board members also don't realize what the definition of game is,nor how game is classified or what the classifications are. i have had to explain this several times at BOG meetings.

Exactly what I was thinking.