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Committee approves bill authorizing permitted drone use to manage wild hogs and coyotes, removes 'relocate' language
Summary
The committee voted to adopt an amendment removing the word 'relocate' and then passed a bill authorizing use of unmanned aircraft (drones) to count, photograph, capture, hunt or take feral hogs and coyotes on private property with landowner permission under a DNR permit and logging requirements.
The House Agriculture, Natural Resources & Environmental Affairs Committee voted to adopt an amendment striking the word “relocate” and passed a bill authorizing limited drone use to manage feral hogs and coyotes.
Sponsor remarks described the bill as authorizing unmanned aircraft (drones) to manage wild hogs and coyotes on property with the landowner’s permission. The bill’s enumerated activities for coyotes and feral hogs include counting, photographing, capturing, hunting or taking the animals.
Department of Natural Resources officials answered members’ questions during the hearing. Duncan Croitwell, director of government affairs for the Department of Natural Resources, told the committee: “I don't believe that we intended for that to be a cost associated with that permit.” He said the department intended to issue a permit that applicants would apply for, not to charge an added fee unless the statute specified one.
Charles Ruth, identified as a biologist and supervisor of the big game program at DNR, said the department would likely provide a website link for the permit, comparable to the night-hunting permit process. “I can envision if this becomes law that we will have a link on our website just like we do have for the night hunting permit,” Ruth said. Committee members discussed permit accessibility and whether permits are available online or by phone; DNR staff said some permits are online while others remain paper-based.
Sponsors proposed and the committee adopted an amendment to remove the word “relocate” from the bill because state law and policy already restrict relocating hogs and such language could be misread to permit moving animals between areas. The amendment passed, and the committee recorded final passage of the bill; the hearing transcript records committee tallies in both votes as 14–0 with four not present.
The DNR staff said they would advertise permit procedures through existing channels — in the annual hunting and fishing guide, in licensing offices, potentially through the Go Outdoors SC app and on social media — but the committee did not set specific implementation dates or fee amounts. The bill requires a daily flight log be maintained and available for inspection by DNR if requested, according to sponsor remarks.
