It should be illegal to fly into airspace over private property, 100' ceiling or so, without an FAA pilot license. And then drone pilots should be required to submit a manifest prior to take off. Completely unregulated is bad.

RM1993 said:

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Capt. Augustus McCrae said:

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Nosh said:

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SSS

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How about just shoot it?


It's on private property. You don't need to cover it up. You're perfectly able to shoot it down.

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The drone is not on private property unless it lands. And it would be illegal to shoot one down even if it is over your property.

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It sounds like the drone operator hadn't spotted him so it would be pretty hard to prove he shot it down unless the operator immediately trespassed in order to try to retrieve it.

It's illegal to shoot drones down fyi. If they're harassing you, call the warden, but..... well, if the FAA HAD to take authority over them as a form of aircraft, everyone gets to suffer the consequences, just like those of us who fly without being ******s.

Also, per the FAA, the airspace above your house is not private property, period. You can thank google and dumb politicians, but you dont control airspace above treetop.

RM1993 said:

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carl spacklers hat said:

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Texas 1836 said:

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RM1993 said:

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Capt. Augustus McCrae said:

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Nosh said:

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SSS

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How about just shoot it?


It's on private property. You don't need to cover it up. You're perfectly able to shoot it down.

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The drone is not on private property unless it lands. And it would be illegal to shoot one down even if it is over your property.

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This. Until changes in the law are made, this is true.

I'm not a fan of more laws, but a certain amount of privacy on private property should be expected.

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Some laws are so stupid they should be ignored. I'd shoot the f-er down and if whoever/whatever authority is sent to find the culprit, I'd deal with it then.

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Shooting down a drone is a federal crime and could expose you to 20 yrs in prison.....likely more if you decide to "deal" with the federal authorities who come knocking on your door.

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I call bacon sandwich. This is not a registered, manned aircraft. And if it's flying lower than 500 feet, the operator is breaking the law.

If it's hovering over my backyard pool while I'm out there, I'm knocking it down.

Cassius said:

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RM1993 said:

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carl spacklers hat said:

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Texas 1836 said:

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RM1993 said:

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Capt. Augustus McCrae said:

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Nosh said:

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SSS

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How about just shoot it?


It's on private property. You don't need to cover it up. You're perfectly able to shoot it down.

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The drone is not on private property unless it lands. And it would be illegal to shoot one down even if it is over your property.

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This. Until changes in the law are made, this is true.

I'm not a fan of more laws, but a certain amount of privacy on private property should be expected.

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Some laws are so stupid they should be ignored. I'd shoot the f-er down and if whoever/whatever authority is sent to find the culprit, I'd deal with it then.

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Shooting down a drone is a federal crime and could expose you to 20 yrs in prison.....likely more if you decide to "deal" with the federal authorities who come knocking on your door.

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I call bacon sandwich. This is not a registered, manned aircraft. And if it's flying lower than 500 feet, the operator is breaking the law.

If it's hovering over my backyard pool while I'm out there, I'm knocking it down.

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The FAA has claimed jurisdiction over airspace below 500 ft, it is in fact only operable under FAA authority, is 9nly allowed to be under 500', and it is a federal crime to shoot one down. The law changed this year, thanks to the media and corporate promoted panic, in an effort to grab airspace. Depending on how its operating ( which statute), it may in fact be individually registered as a sUAS, or flying under the pilots registration as a blanket.

I love seeing people's reactions when they realize the freakout they had enabled politicians to regulate us into oblivion, but have rendered them functionally impotent to do what they want, and surrendered rights they previously held. Tough luck....

I would be inclined to do some watering of my vegetation if I had a drone hovering over my yard. Good luck proving to a jury of my peers beyond a reasonable doubt that I intended to down the drone that happened to fly into the stream of water that I was spraying. I think that new law is going to spawn all kinds of other "defenses" that are not "shooting down" the drone, but otherwise disabling it. I kind of wonder what it would take to create a jammer that would prevent the drone from receiving input from the controller...

txags92 said:

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I would be inclined to do some watering of my vegetation if I had a drone hovering over my yard. Good luck proving to a jury of my peers beyond a reasonable doubt that I intended to down the drone that happened to fly into the stream of water that I was spraying. I think that new law is going to spawn all kinds of other "defenses" that are not "shooting down" the drone, but otherwise disabling it. I kind of wonder what it would take to create a jammer that would prevent the drone from receiving input from the controller...

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You realize the jammer shootdown is TWO federal crimes, right? Jamming transmissions has been illegal for decades.

You also wouldn't "shoot it down", it would fail safe and return to home for the vast majority of drones. Even the little aerobatic and racing rigs I fly have gps and RTH functions.

Ag_of_08 said:

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It's illegal to shoot drones down fyi. If they're harassing you, call the warden, but..... well, if the FAA HAD to take authority over them as a form of aircraft, everyone gets to suffer the consequences, just like those of us who fly without being ******s.

Also, per the FAA, the airspace above your house is not private property, period. You can thank google and dumb politicians, but you dont control airspace above treetop.

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Easy enough to spray the lawn and a few trees first to establish the defense that I was watering my yard. Good luck finding a jury in Texas that is going to convict somebody for downing a drone that is hovering over their property. More likely to have the jury offering to buy you a beer after the trial...

It's the FAA you'd answer to, not a local jury. Y'all are funny.... I'm sure a great many of you where all om board with the feds "taking control" of the drone"situation" during the great panic last year.

Now that they have domes so, people are pissed at the consequences

txags92 said:

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Easy enough to spray the lawn and a few trees first to establish the defense that I was watering my yard. Good luck finding a jury in Texas that is going to convict somebody for downing a drone that is hovering over their property. More likely to have the jury offering to buy you a beer after the trial...

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Good God...you sound like some hillbilly trying to scheme his way out of trouble because he thinks he's so clever.

Get a good ole' fashioned Super Soaker: https://www.ebay.com/c/28014555628

It's got a range of 25-50 feet. If it can hit the drone, it'll take it out. If it hits it, there's no question he was close enough that it's just self defense.

I don't think that this is as cut and dried as you guys are making this out to be.

I am not a lawyer.

In Texas, you have a presumed right of privacy.

A drone operator is not allowed to take pictures of people without their permission. (also Texas).

It is also not allowed to operate around critical infrastructure without permission. Critical infrastructure can include almost any oil and gas equipment.

You also have to maintain line of site with your drone.

If this guy is operating a drone in the middle of a 900 acre ranch, he better have a good reason to be there. He will be in trouble for breaking laws as well.

I still would not likely shoot on sight the first time I saw it, but you can bet I would put up a sign that said no drones without permission from the land owner. If the problem persisted, sss.

I think y'all aren't considering the main factor in this little debate. What's the most probable source of the drone? Poachers? Highly doubt poachers will be calling the federal police to report a drone shot down while poaching.

If I had a shotgun handy I think I'd say "sorry I was shooting at dove".

Here is an easy solution...if drone owners want to be able to fly anywhere, then make it a rule that they have to have their unique ownership ID clearly displayed on the drone and registered with the FAA just like the tail number on a plane. Then just change the rules so that if somebody wants to fly a drone without displaying that info clearly where it can be seen from the ground, then they are not covered by FAA rules prohibiting taking down drones over private property.

What does your landowners approval have to do with it?

Old Sarge said:

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Our lease is a very small sliver, surrounded by larger parcels of land. We have been on our place for many years, and have been VERY conscious of the animals taken, as we are surrounded by MLD land. We have only taken mature bucks, most are considered sub standard to what the surrounding parcels of land take.

That being said, if I saw a drone hovering over or near our blinds/feeders, I'd take it out in a heartbeat with any gun at my disposal. My relationship with our landowner is strong enough that he'd back that action in a heartbeat. He'd be disappointed if I missed and told him about it. If I was handy enough to shoot it down, I'd be afraid to claim it at the local landowners meeting.

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You guys still don't get it no matter how many of us keep telling you.

It is a federal offense to shoot down any aircraft, including a drone. The FAA regulates/owns all airspace over all property whether public or private. Shooting down a drone can get you a federal charge that carries a maximum of up to 20 yrs in prison

Talk big all you want about how you would shoot it down, but it would be a stupid decision. Are you gonna get 20yrs for it? Not likely, but as soon as the drone owner contacts the FAA you aren't likely to skate on the deal either. Most likely fines and probation........and all because why???? You felt like you were in the right even though you weren't??

mt3950 said:

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Is it really a crime to shoot down a drone that's flying on your property?

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Yes, it is. Per the FAA reauthorization act, you dont own the airspace above your home, even below 500 ft.

It is not illegal for a drone operator to take pictures of someone in public without their permission, it is illegal for them to do so for the purposes of surveillance.

There IS a requirement in place that unique Id numbers be displayed visibly on all drones.

Your relationship with a landowner and whether they will back you is irrelevant. He may back you poaching as well, doesn't make it legal... including by putting a sign up. The law refers to that as "premeditation"

**edit** there are also no guarantees that a drone is operating illegally BVLOS, as waivers are available to government entities and part 107 licensees. While it would be funny to see one of you shoot a TPWD or federal drone down... it's still illegal, even if you think he's one of those nerds the above user went off about.

I do this as a hobby and for a living, and was involved in trying to stop the FAA power grab that got us here.