Why it Matters: The use of unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly referred to as drones, is growing rapidly, including in wildlife and game management. In some states hunters are now utilizing drones for the recovery of wounded game that cannot be found easily using traditional tracking methods.
Highlights:
- Currently, only a few states have enacted laws or regulations that allow for the use of drones to assist in recovering wounded game.
- Iowa and South Dakota introduced legislation, though those bills did not pass during the 2026 legislative session.
- The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) has been active in supporting efforts to expand drone use for recovering wounded game.
The use of drones in game recovery helps hunters fulfill their ethical obligation to successfully recover and fully utilize their harvest.
Currently, only a few states have adopted laws or regulations that allow for the use of drones to assist in the recovery of wounded game. Iowa, through House File 2112, and South Dakota, through Senate Bill 201, have introduced legislation that would have allowed hunters to use drones to track and locate the wounded deer, or elk, that could not have been located through commonly used methods; however, these bills failed to move during the legislative session.
While drones can be a helpful tool for the recovery of wounded game, it is critical that the principle of fair chase – the ethical, sportsmanlike, and lawful pursuit and taking of any free-ranging wild game animal in a manner that does not give the hunter an improper or unfair advantage over the game animal – is upheld. Upholding the principle of fair chase helps ensure hunting remains ethical, responsible, and rooted in the traditions that have long guided wildlife conservation. CSF draws a firm line between legislation and regulations that allow the use of drones for recovering wounded game, versus those that allow the use of drones for locating, scouting and/or tracking game for harvest, and will continue advocating strongly for the former in the 2027 legislative sessions and beyond.