Revising laws related to the use of manned and unmanned aircraft while hunting

Minor formatting updates including page header alignment and a year update from 2025 to 2026.

Added explicit authority to use aircraft for herding or driving wild animals that are damaging private property or crops, provided a permit is obtained.

Clarified that permits for aircraft use can only be issued during legal hunting seasons for the specific species involved.

Standardized the 24-hour restriction, prohibiting the use of aircraft to spot game or communicate game locations to others within 24 hours after utilizing an aircraft.

Increased penalties for hunting large game (e.g., deer, elk) with an aircraft, raising the fine range to $500-$2,000 and extending license forfeiture to 30 months.

Increased penalties for hunting fur-bearing animals with an aircraft, raising the fine range to $100-$1,000 and extending license forfeiture to 24 months.

Permits for using aircraft to herd or haze wildlife can now be issued during regular hunting seasons, except for elk shoulder seasons.

A new restriction prohibits hunting within 24 hours after utilizing an aircraft to spot or locate game animals.

Penalties for unlawful aircraft use were updated to explicitly include a 30-month license forfeiture for hunting large game and a 24-month forfeiture for fur-bearing animals.

Minor formatting and text cleanup changes were made throughout the document.

Updated the definition of 'aircraft' in the permit section to explicitly include both manned and unmanned aircraft.

Removed a confusing clause that incorrectly stated permits could not be issued except during specific elk shoulder seasons, clarifying that permits are restricted only to general or regular hunting seasons.

Reorganized and clarified the list of unlawful aircraft uses, removing redundant language and ensuring consistent phrasing for prohibited actions like spotting game or landing on private property.

Added new exemptions to the unlawful use of aircraft statute, allowing aircraft use during emergency situations, search and rescue operations, predator control, and to support agricultural operations.

Adjusted penalty structures for violations, specifying fines and license forfeiture periods for different types of wildlife (large game, fur-bearing animals) and adding forfeiture of recreational privileges.

Clarified that permits for herding or hazing animals with aircraft are only allowed during specific shoulder seasons, not during general hunting seasons.

Extended the ban on using aircraft to spot or locate game to include a 24-hour window after the flight, rather than just the same calendar day.

Reorganized and clarified the list of exceptions where aircraft use is permitted, such as for emergency situations, search and rescue, and predator control.

Updated penalty language to ensure consistency in fines and license forfeiture periods for different types of wildlife violations.

The bill identifier was updated from LC 309 to SB 106 to reflect its Senate sponsorship.

A typo in the list of prohibited hunting aids was corrected, changing the section label from '(e)' to '(c)(e)'.