Commission approves drone deer‑recovery rule, bans drone herd surveys during open deer seasons

The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission on a roll‑call vote approved a new rule allowing the use of unmanned aircraft to locate and recover wounded deer and, in specified cases, elk, while adding a restriction that prohibits drones from being used for deer herd analysis or census during open deer seasons.

Colonel Dale Grandstaff, who presented the draft rule, said the changes implement a 2025 General Assembly law authorizing drones “solely for the purpose of locating and recovering a wounded deer,” with an effective date shown in agency materials of Aug. 1, 2026. He described operational requirements for pilots, including a current FAA remote pilot certificate, use of thermal imaging and a light source to verify the animal’s status, and a prohibition on using drones to hunt, harass, pursue or otherwise drive wildlife.

“Pilots must have a remote, current remote pilot certificate issued by FAA,” Grandstaff said during the presentation. He also described a one‑time, no‑fee registration and a commercial pre‑ and post‑recovery reporting form the agency will make available online.

The rule sets allowable recovery hours from 30 minutes after sunset until 3 a.m., requires landowner permission for operations over private land, and allows drone recovery of elk on public land with permission from the wildlife manager for quota hunts. Grandstaff said private landowners and noncommercial hunters using their own drones are not required to complete the commercial reporting form but must follow other recovery guidelines.

Commissioner Greg Davenport proposed — and the commission approved by voice vote — an amendment to prohibit drone use for deer herd analysis or census during open deer seasons. Davenport said states that have considered similar rules provide models for preserving fairness and preventing misuse during the season. Haines Torbett seconded the amendment.

Mike Stevens, a drone operator from Dyer County who spoke during public comment, had urged the commission to reconsider the rule’s nighttime window and to require reporting parity for dog recoveries; Grandstaff and other commissioners acknowledged the practical constraints of thermal imaging and noted other states’ approaches to herd‑survey timing.

Following the amendment, the commission took a roll‑call vote approving the rule as amended. The clerk recorded unanimous affirmative votes during the roll call. The chair announced: “Motion approved, rule is approved as amended.”

What happens next: the approved rule, as amended, will be published with the effective date noted by the agency and the agency staff will implement the registration and reporting processes for commercial operators. The March meeting was identified earlier in the agenda as the next milestone for rule‑making discussion and public notice procedures.