Alaska Will Ban Use of Drones to Hunt Animals

Alaska's Board of Game voted to ban using drone technology for hunting, saying the high-tech equipment that lets hunters use remote-controlled aircraft for killing game, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

The proposal, which is available online, asks that "any device that has been airborne, controlled remotely and used to spot or locate game with the use of a camera or video device" be prohibited.

"The Alaska Wildlife Troopers are aware of remote-controlled airplanes, helicopters and quad-copters that are being used to spot and assist in taking big game," a statement by the Board of Game said. "Some of these remote controlled aircraft can operate up to several hundred feet above ground, giving the hunter an unfair advantage and potentially causing a direct conservation concern to the resource."

Troopers reported hearing about a moose that was killed by a drone back in 2012. They didn't investigate this at the time because the kill was legal.

The proposal now goes to the state's Department of Law to review. It will likely go into effect starting July 1, according to the Anchorage Daily News.