Relating to the retrieval of wounded deer by use of a registered unmanned aerial vehicle, and providing penalties

This bill allows a person with a valid hunting license and deer hunting license who wounds a deer while hunting to use a registered unmanned aerial vehicle to track and retrieve the wounded deer. The person may dispatch the deer using a legal method of take authorized by the person’s valid deer hunting license. The bill provides that a person may use a registered unmanned aerial vehicle to track a wounded deer on private property at any time with the consent of the property owner. Persons must register the unmanned aerial vehicle for wounded deer retrieval with the department of natural resources and the federal aviation administration. The natural resource commission (NRC) is directed to create a registration process that complies with the federal aviation administration’s regulations for unmanned aerial vehicles. The bill directs NRC to adopt rules to implement the bill’s provisions. A violation of the bill’s provisions is punishable by a scheduled fine of $250.