Yukon mulls banning drones for hunting
'It confers an advantage that is directly in contravention of fair chase'
The Yukon is considering banning aerial drones for hunting. It's one of the regulations being proposed under a review of the Yukon Wildlife Act.
Wildlife officials say drones could be used for spotting wildlife such as sheep, moose and other wildlife, giving hunters an unfair advantage.
"A drone would give you, sort of, real time information," says Robert Florkiewicz with the Department of Environment. "You could fly very quietly and they have high resolution cameras. You could look over a much larger area than where you're hunting, for example, to spot an animal then go hunt it.
"It confers an advantage that is directly in contravention of fair chase."
Currently there are no regulations on the use of drones for hunting in Yukon.
Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, have already been banned for hunters in Alaska and Manitoba. Saskatchewan clarified its ban on hunting with drones last year.
The proposed changes to the Wildlife Act are currently under review, in a process that could take up to a year. Find the proposal regulation changes here.