Is It Illegal In South Dakota To Use A Drone For Wildlife Pics?

So you want to capture majestic bison roaming the Badlands of South Dakota with your fancy drone camera? Not so fast, tech-savvy nature enthusiast!

In South Dakota, the relationship between drones and wildlife is more complicated than explaining cryptocurrency to your grandma.

The law states your drone must "not be used to hunt, kill, take, concentrate, drive, rally, stir up, spot, or locate game birds, or animals."

That's a lot of verbs to avoid while piloting your funky flying camera!

Basically, if your drone causes any wildlife to think, "What the heck is that thing?" you might be breaking the law.

Taking innocent photos seems fine, but if your drone sends a herd of antelope into a panic, you could find yourself explaining your "artistic vision" to a conservation officer.

Remember: in the hierarchy of South Dakota land and skies, wildlife was there first, and they don't appreciate paparazzi.