Section 12.
Use of Aircraft to Spot or Locate Wildlife.
No person shall use or operate any aircraft with the intent to spot, locate and aid in the taking of game animal, from August 1 through January 31 of the following calendar year.
Nothing in this Section shall apply to the operation of an aircraft in a usual manner where there is no attempt or intent to locate any game animal, such as aircraft used for the sole purpose of passenger transport.
I'd like to see it passed. I'm sure they'll still fly to scout, they'll just get it all done in July. But, it helps. Sure isn't very sporting IMO to fly around to find game.
Not sure how they'd enforce the law. I suppose if one could video a plane flying ridgelines, maybe a guy sitting in the backseat with big bino's, it could be enough evidence. I don't know???
Brian Latturner
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Seems most, if not all of the sportsman's groups in Wyoming are behind this with their support. Many G&F regulations are hard to enforce, but this is a step in the right direction, for sure.
LAST EDITED ON Feb-22-16 AT 01:55PM (MST)[p]Agreed Jeff! I know it will be hard, but having been in LE my whole career, nothing is very easy to enforce any more and if it's not there on the books it darn sure can't be enforced. The one out that I can see a person having is that it's not illegal to spot game, but rather to do it to help someone take that game. Now if anyone is flying in that time frame that is associated with an outfitter is just that fact enough to say that anyone that kills an animal with that operation makes the operation guilty of violating the law? I have a feeling that there needs to be one outfit caught, taken to court, and found guilty and then the rest of the bunch will probably fall in line. I guess only time will tell, but the law should at least be there and make people think about the ramifications of a violation.
I think it will take sportsman in the field taking time out of their hunt to help bust the ones violating the law. I will definitely be prepared to picture/video anything I see. It's pretty impressive the detail you can get with a spotting scope and your iPhone.... Im hopeful that this will help even the playing fields a little and give our animals more of a sporting chance.
When I've seen them flying, it's quite obvious what they're doing. They fly low and close to the ridges and you can see a dude sitting in the backseat with big glass.
But I agree, it'll take sportsmen turning the dudes in, game and fish issuing citations, then it'll be something pilots won't want to have anything to do with.
I think that method of scouting is more effective and more cost effective than backpacking or horse packing in to scout, but it just isn't right. Not sporting at all.
Brian Latturner
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Founder, trust me I even have a disdain for people using ORVs for scouting. Heck, I want to throw up when I see an adult and a young nimrod road hunting. That being said, do you think you can effectively glass with the "big glass" while flying in a airplane? I seriously doubt while flying at a moderate fast speed that a pair "big glass" is helpful. That is unless your aircraft can hover. I could be wrong.
>Founder, trust me I even have
>a disdain for people using
>ORVs for scouting. Heck, I
>want to throw up when
>I see an adult and
>a young nimrod road hunting.
>That being said, do you
>think you can effectively glass
>with the "big glass" while
>flying in a airplane?
>I seriously doubt while flying
>at a moderate fast speed
>that a pair "big glass"
>is helpful. That is unless
>your aircraft can hover.
>I could be wrong.
I'd have to say you're wrong in that the pilot isn't the one doing the glassing. Cripes, Wynn Condict, a Board Member of WYOGA, has a picture right in his ad in the WYOGA booklet that they send out each year showing his plane with the caption "preseason aerial scouting" under it.
"Effectively" glass? NO
But well enough to see a giant buck laying on an open ridge soaking up some sun? ABSOLUTELY!
They do it and find big bucks doing it.
No, they can't see detail, but what they can see is a buck that is much bigger than others, then they ride in and look the buck over. That's how I've been told it works by dudes who do it in Wyoming.
"Special" bucks standout in comparison to the bucks around them.
When they fly over me, I can see the guy sitting in the backseat looking through his bino's. I know they miss seeing some bucks, but they can fly many, many miles of ridgeline in a single morning. Then do it again and again all summer long, and see new bucks each time.
I had a mule deer hunting stud from southern Utah tell me once that one morning in his chute plane was the equivalent of a week on the ground. He had the proof too.
Brian Latturner
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At one time, I thought the same thing as you YBO. I didn't think they could see bucks in the shade, or bucks in the timber, etc. And they often can't but they can see the ones out in the open in the sun, and big bucks lay out like that all the time. I doubted it as effective scouting, but as one guy explained it, the big ones standout.
This top photo. The plane flew over me about the time I took this pic. He and the other big buck ran to the trees after the plane passed. I didn't see the plane swing back around for another look, but I do believe this buck was found from the air and hunted as a result.
A few more pics of visible from a plane big bucks. They typically lift their heads when the planes buzz over too.
Brian Latturner
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One of my buddies is a warden. He felt in much of Wyoming most of the flying is done by landowners/ranchers. He noted all a rancher has to say is they're checking gates, looking for cattle, watching for trespassers, blah, blah and they'll never get a charge to stick. In the Greys, maybe a different story. Although he mentioned all a pilot and outfitter have to do is get an aerial gunners license from the State to shoot predators. Then they could fly just about anywhere except Nat parks and wilderness and be legal. Gonna bet that convictions if this becomes law will be far and few between.
Hopefully, once the law is enacted, those folks that are doing it now will stop. Someone will undoubtedly test the new law, but it is my hope that guys will just stop.
Really...who wants to challenge the law and have to deal with all that legal wrangling?? I got better things to do than mess with lawyers, DA's, game wardens, etc, etc, etc.
Further...if we can't police ourselves from an ethical standpoint, how does that relate to the future of hunting from the nonhunter's point of view?
Well said non typ. I would hope those that are doing it would stop once the law is there as well. The policing will be in the hands of the ethical hunters looking at our hunting in the long run. It's something that must stop now and be instilled in our younger generations. I am afraid to see what hunting will be like for my children in 20 years.
>Well said non typ. I would
>hope those that are doing
>it would stop once the
>law is there as well.
>The policing will be in
>the hands of the ethical
>hunters looking at our hunting
>in the long run. It's
>something that must stop now
>and be instilled in our
>younger generations. I am afraid
>to see what hunting will
>be like for my children
>in 20 years.
We had a plane buzzing us during our one and only scouting trip last year. I think its silly to fly and find animal to hunt. They should get off their butts and do some hiking. I think most of the challenge is finding the right buck and the harder someone works for the trophy the bigger the reward.
A couple season ago in Region G, my dad and I just started into the final 50 yards of a 1.5 mile stalk. Just 50 more yards and we would have a 150 yard shot at a 35 inch buck. Then over the ridge came a helicopter and it swooped right over the buck and past us. Deer were running in every direction. We never seen that buck again. It sure looked like they were scouting for bucks during the season. No other reasons to be flying in that slot canyon with heavy cross winds.
We ended up empty that hunting season, but was left with a sour taste for any flying in the mountains during the hunting season. That copter was 200 feet above the ground pushing deer.
I'm glad to see all the positives here for this new regulation. It will be a good thing for wildlife and a good thing for fair chase, ethical hunters. I'm not sure why Triple is so negative about the aerial scouting ban, but he's one of the few I know of around Casper that talks like that.
There is no doubt many will immediately stop doing it once the reg is in place. I don't think the G&F will target ranchers at all with this regulation. I know a few ranchers who will fly off their boundaries looking for herds of cow elk, but none that are even the least bit concerned with trophy type animals.
If you have spent enough time in the field in Wyoming, you have had an aircraft mess with your hunting plans; I have.
I have been told that WYOGA are the Ambassadors for the hunting in Wyoming. I challenge them to come out and support this regulation and be ambassadors for fair chase hunting.
Founder, I agree with you. It's the definition of "big glass". To me "big glass" means something like a Euro Optics or Zeiss 20x80s that you need a tripod to use. And yes TopGun I do know that the pilot isn't using the binos...or at least I hope he/she isn't using them. LOL
Oh, yes, I can't say exactly what optics they were using. I think they may have been mounted on something though and looked big. I'm sure they weren't little 42mm objectives.
It would sure take some guts for a pilot to be flying around looking through bino's. That's an accident waiting to happen!!
Brian Latturner
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I agree I would like to see this pass I just hope it doesn't restrict Legal Flying into landlocked state and BLM lands. The restriction on Drone flying is good for wildlife as that is solely used for scouting. The thing I fear is some wardens try to restrict Legal flying used solely for transport. There is a clause in that legal definition stating any aid whatsoever is illegal. This is a very vague definition and the Prosecuting attorneys use it to their benefit to restrict any flying whatsoever even just trying to fly in and hunt or fly in to drop off some hunting gear as providing aid. There are many landlocked or checkerboard lands in Wyoming which can only be legally accessed by the air. If this restricts flying for access of these lands then we can kiss goodbye all public lands without legal road access.
LAST EDITED ON Feb-24-16 AT 09:38PM (MST)[p]highfastflyer---The last sentence of the proposed regulation specifically states that it does not apply to aircraft solely used for transport. IMHO this regulation is not an attempt to do anything such as you're talking about and I believe the LE section top dog in Cheyenne has already stated that some time ago.
>I agree I would like to
>see this pass I just
>hope it doesn't restrict Legal
>Flying into landlocked state and
>BLM lands. The restriction
>on Drone flying is good
>for wildlife as that is
>solely used for scouting.
>The thing I fear is
>some wardens try to restrict
>Legal flying used solely for
>transport. There is a
>clause in that legal definition
>stating any aid whatsoever is
>illegal. This is
>a very vague definition and
>the Prosecuting attorneys use it
>to their benefit to restrict
>any flying whatsoever even just
>trying to fly in and
>hunt or fly in to
>drop off some hunting gear
>as providing aid. There
>are many landlocked or checkerboard
>lands in Wyoming which can
>only be legally accessed by
>the air. If this
>restricts flying for access of
>these lands then we can
>kiss goodbye all public lands
>without legal road access.
Your best bet would be to read it again. The mere fact that one would use a plane for transport is addressed well. Very clear what this regulation is targeting. Maybe your past violations have made you "gun shy"?