DENVER — Recreational drones are getting in the hands of more and more people in Colorado, and now more than ever, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials are urging people to keep them away from wildlife.
One of the reasons is because many animals are hunted from the air, so a drone can be distressing.
Wild animals are always hyperaware of their surroundings because of their survival instincts.
If there is a mother with young, there will likely be even more heightened reaction to the presence of drones.
There also can be consequences, according to Travis Duncan with CPW.
"If you're causing behavior change in the animal, by definition, you're harassing the animal, and you could be charged with harassing wildlife," Duncan said.
CPW also reminds drone owners that using drones to hunt is not only a violation of CPW Commission regulations, but also a violation of the federal Airborne Hunting Act.
Data from the FAA shows 869,336 drones in the U.S. are registered, and 517,091 of them are recreational drones.
