Louisiana Considers New Drone Legislation for Locating Injured Game

*Louisiana hunters may be allowed to use drones to track wounded animals if a new proposal becomes law. (Photo by Jasminko Ibrakovic) *

Louisiana is considering legislation that would allow legal hunters to use drones to help recover wounded deer and bears.

According to lailluminator.com, state regulations currently prohibit the use of drones to find wounded animals, but the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission is considering changing those regulations for the 2026-27 season.

Commission members recently discussed the proposal during their monthly meeting at Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters.

LDWF Commission chairman Kenneth “Andy” Brister said the suggested changes are in response to wider availability and more interest in using drones to locate animals.

“One thing that I’m glad of is that it restricts being able to mount a gun on a drone because technology is staying ahead of us as a commission in a big way, in every area of our dealings,” Brister said during the meeting.

The Federal Airborne Hunting Act of 1956 prohibits the use of drones or aircraft to hunt or harass deer. The Louisiana drone proposal spills over into some potential gray legal areas when it comes to tracking dead or wounded animals outside of hunting hours on private land.

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“If the deer is wounded and not dead, and you used a drone or an aircraft to identify it, and now you’re going to retrieve it and dispatch it, is that considered hunting?” Wildlife and Fisheries general counsel Cole Garrett asked commission members.

He said the proposed amendments will address these situations with specific language to ensure Louisiana doesn’t run afoul of federal law.

For instance, under the updated rules, drones could be used outside of official hunting hours and could be outfitted with lights and infrared cameras capable of determining whether animals are alive or dead. If the pilot determines an animal isn’t dead or near death, they’d need to remove the drone from the area immediately and not share the animal’s coordinates with any hunters.

Drone pilots would be required to have Federal Aviation Administration certification. The certification is open to people over age 16 and requires passing an unmanned aircraft general test, available at an approved testing center. The test costs $175, and the federal agency collects a $5 fee every three years for each certified drone aircraft.

Many other states already allow hunters to use drones to recover deer they shot, but most have specific wording in the regulations that prevents violating the Federal Airborne Hunting Act, similar to the regulations being proposed in Louisiana.

The Wildlife and Fisheries Commission and its legislative oversight committees must approve the rule changes, which would likely become official before the fall 2026 hunting season opens.