The farming and ranching town of Deer Trail, Colorado, which boasts that it held the world’s first rodeo in 1869, is now considering starting a 21st century tradition – paying bounties to anyone who shoots down an unmanned drone.
Next month, trustees of the town of 600 that lies on the high plains 55 miles east of Denver will debate an ordinance that would allow residents to purchase a $25 hunting license to shoot down “unmanned aerial vehicles.”
Similar to the bounties governments once paid to hunters who killed animals that preyed on livestock, but only after they produced the ears, the town would pay $100 to anyone who can produce the fuselage and tail of a downed drone.
“Either the nose or tail may be damaged, but not both,” the proposal notes.
The measure was crafted by resident Phillip Steel, a 48-year-old Army veteran with a master’s degree in business administration, who acknowledges the whimsical nature of his proposal…
“We don’t want to become a surveillance society,” he told Reuters in a telephone interview.
He said he has not seen any drones, but that “some local ranchers” outside the town limits have seen them.
Under the proposal, hunters could legally shoot down a drone flying under 1,000 feet with a 12-gauge or smaller shotgun.
The town also would be required to establish a drone “recognition program” for shooters to properly identify the targeted aircraft…
I imagine this is an NRA-approved piece of legislation.
aaawwwe…I wanted to hunt deer and bear and ducks and squirrels and stuff with a drone….darn it!
If you are forced to use a shotgun it will have to be way under a 1,000 feet.
I like the idea though.
Agreed. Something more like a .30-06 or a .308 would seem more appropriate.
I’m not sure a that bird shot would do much to a drone.
A .50 cal shell would have the range, and the accuracy. It would be just like skeet shooting, from half a kilometer away.
That would take some serious skills.
But, on first reading, I thought that they would sell licenses to blow Bambi‘s white-tailed ass to hell and gone from the comfort of my armchair, bringing new meaning to arm-a-geddon. (There’s got to be an app for that. ;-)).
Now that would get me a lot more excited.
How do you mount a drone?
Vewee vewee carefuwee.
sheet metal screws
Is that a Linux/drone interface question?
If not, I’m gonna go with what BigBoyBC said.
RC models with an explosive charge aboard. And some nice shrapnel.
I’m surprised this didn’t start in Texas by some crackpot ex-MTV VJ… 🙂
I’m surprised this didn’t start in Texas by some crackpot ex-MTV VJ… 🙂
Few things to note, for those that dont get it..
1. WHOSE drones..there are many types of drones.
2. the medium to large drones fly around 5000 feet.. shot gun at 1 mile up?? you arnt going to hit much.
2a..Got a shot gun to shoot that high? I HOPE you dont have it on your shoulder. FLAK SHOTS??(explosive altitude shots?)($10 per shot?)
3. Drones are TOUGH..you have to be able to hit something that will FALL off, or bring down the drone? I suggest a 30mm Anti-aircraft cannon.
Good points, those. The measure is certainly only symbolic but it does note “below 1000 ft” which is going to exclude the ones like in the picture above.
High-powered rifles are a big “please don’t do that” as well — while their fall will be limited to some terminal velocity below 120 mph their forward momentum will still be hundereds of miles an hour and can penetrate masonery and wood for more than a couple miles off. — The measure specifies 12 ga. or smaller.
What this would target are the smaller quad-coptor type little spyers that, I believe, are limited to below 400 ft and within the line of site of the operator. Anything above and it’s an aviation hazard to be removed in any case. The bad thing is most of those drones are going to belong to individuals for all kinds of purposes that provide a legitimate service to society — like monitoring the grow for deer damage or interlopers. Antelope. Thats a tinny kind of word…
A sort of entangling ‘flak’ is exactly what I envision — perhaps a volley of bottle rockets launched from a potato cannon with all of them trailing those little rolls of waxy dental floss.
One can’t get too fancy with it, the bounty is only one benjamin and that’s if you can bring’em the parts.
Typical journalists. Didn’t get ALL the facts – AGAIN! Couldn’t even repeat the LOCAL reporters story correctly.
FYI: The ordinates states, “The Town of Deer Trail shall issue a reward of $100 to any shooter who presents a valid hunting license and the following identifiable parts of an unmanned aerial vehicle whose markings and configuration are consistent with those used on any similar craft known to be owned or operated by the United States federal government.”
Want to know more? Here’s the link that probably has everyone’s tongue wagging:
http://thedenverchannel.com/news/eastern-plains/town-of-deer-trail-considering-hunting-licenses-for-unmanned-aerial-vehicles-bounties-for-drones
BTW, yes! Most of the residents in Deer Trail are very “Republican” and very pro gun. And for damn good reason too! Not that the dishonorable Governor “Dick-in-pooper” (Hickenlooper) would know anything about it.
“Dick-In-Pooper” is too busy being lead by the nose with pardons for mass murderers like Nathan Dunlap, killing western slope economies at every opportunity, and limiting ammo clips which can be purchased in any other surrounding state. He’s probably going to make a run for President too! He even LOOKS like the perfect ass puppet — Howdie Doodie!
“…whose markings and configuration are consistent with those used on any similar craft known to be owned or operated by the United States federal government.”
Yes. I missed that part. Well then, the measure is total rhetoric as the local police ones aren’t going to say federal government nor those of most private citizens. Still, if someone was being pestered with one, it never hurts to shoot it down first and just not collect the bounty if it doesn’t say ‘ we be feds’ .
federal law will trump state law in this … just watch
Looks like another hairball idea sponsored by the NRA. What’s odd is it’s originating from Colorado instead of the armpit states of Mississippi or Alabama.
Everyone knows, only a state drone can kill a federal drone, and joe six pack can take out a state drone.
You know, I support hunters and the NRA, but I draw the line here. I just can’t support hunting deer with drones.
Why would you support the NRA?
They have serious blood on their hands.
Thus, after taking each individual by turns in its powerful hands and kneading him as it likes, the sovereign extends it arms over society as a whole; it covers its surface with a network of small, complicated, painstaking, uniform rules through which the most original minds and the most vigorous souls cannot clear a way to surpass the crowd; it does not break wills, but it softens them, bends them, and directs them; it rarely forces one to act, but it constantly opposes itself to one’s acting; it does not destroy, it prevents things from being born; it does not tyrannize, it hinders, compromises, enervates, extinguishes, dazes, and finally reduces each nation to being nothing more than a herd of timid and industrious animals of which the government is the shepherd.
Soft despotism.
Better keep your Cessnas and such away from Deer Trail, Colorado for a while, and don’t even think about hang gliding anywhere near there!
I’m no expert on firearms, but were I to take a shot at a drone, I’d use a .22 rifle and aim to hit a sensor, or a thruster, or a control surface in such a way as to take it down, not blow it up as in a video game.
BTW I’ve found the state to move to when I finally tell Ohio to f&#$ off. Did you know they are going to R&D drones right near where I live?
I would LOVE to build a drone.
I’m a ham radio operator but it’s not much fun, anymore, now that all the gear comes pre-built from Asia.
But a drone would be cool to build and fly.