Drone hunting season now open

A few months back I wrote about drones (or UAVs - unmanned aerial vehicles) and their growing non-military uses - among them crop dusting, policing/traffic, border patrol, rescue ops and firefighting. Potential private and commercial applications proliferate. One day a drone may deliver your pizza and cover the Super Bowl.

Some are more controversial. A Chicago area police department tried to employ UAVs as a cheaper alternative to more vehicles and officers, but public outcry was so strong they abandoned the plan. For now.

Those little flying objects can be a technological boost and cheap answer to many a challenge, but when a camera is mounted, folks get nervous. Increasingly, however, societies are willing to trade privacy for practicality or security. Which way will Idahoans fall?

We'll soon see, if we become a test state for the industry. Press writer Keith Cousins recently reported an effort by private and public entities to make Idaho one of six testing sites for drones, in part for the economic benefits. The FAA has yet to authorize broad commercial use of drones. First comes this safety and testing program, with states selected by year's end.

Colorado isn't likely to be one, not with all them specially issued huntin' permits. The city clerk in Deer Trail, Colo., has already seen about 1,000 applications (in a town of 561) for drone-hunting licenses, although the town council has yet to approve them. The special election originally scheduled for October was postponed until December. Maybe to sell more $25 licenses. Just in case.

Why a special election? The town council was evenly divided on the issue, so they're deferring to the voters. The heck with the feds and associated risks to low-flying pilots or those cool toy drones. Yes, I do mean hunting - as in official permission to fire upward. Yes, it's illegal under federal airspace laws anyway. No, they don't care.

With a rational and deliberative approach to the complexities of UAVs we'll eventually find balance between benefits and concerns. That is, if they survive hunting season.

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Email [email protected].