Is Drone Deer Recovery Legal in Indiana? (2026 Rules)
Yes. Indiana lets you use a thermal drone to locate and recover a legally taken deer. What the law says, the scouting ban, and the permission you need.
2026-11-03
Yes. Indiana allows a drone with infrared (thermal) abilities to locate and recover a legally taken deer. Using a drone to find deer for the hunt is still illegal. Here’s what the law says.
What Indiana’s law says
The law is Indiana Code 14-22-6-16. It allows a person to operate a drone with infrared abilities to locate and recover a legally taken wild animal.
The Indiana DNR’s deer hunting equipment page sums it up:
“Drones: illegal for locating and taking deer. May be used to recover deer that have been legally harvested.”
The DNR says the same about thermal gear in general: “thermal technology can be used to search for deer that have been legally harvested.”
Drones can’t be used to scout
The same law bans using a drone to search for, scout, locate, or detect a deer to help take it. That ban runs from 14 days before the season opens until legal hunting hours end on the last day of the season. The DNR has prosecuted it: in 2026, the DNR brought its first case under this law against a hunter who used a drone to pattern a buck.
So in Indiana, a drone is for recovery only.
Which animals does this cover?
Indiana’s law covers any “legally taken wild animal,” not just deer. In Indiana, that includes deer and wild turkey.
Permission to go get your deer
Indiana’s law says the recovery exception doesn’t allow anyone to go onto another person’s property, or recover a deer from it, without the landowner’s permission.
The drone can search over neighboring land under FAA rules, so ask the landowner where you’re hunting if the pilot can launch from there. If the deer is found on a neighbor’s land, get their permission before you go in.
Other things to know
- Paid pilots need an FAA license. Pilots who charge for a search need an FAA Part 107 certificate.
Finding a pilot
Drone Deer Tracker is adding pilots in Indiana. Check the map for the closest pilot to your hunt, including pilots in nearby Ohio. For tips on what to tell the pilot, see how to find a drone deer recovery pilot fast.
Are you a thermal drone pilot in Indiana? Apply to be listed so hunters near you can find and call you.
Other states: see drone deer recovery laws by state.
Verify before you fly
Drone rules change, and how they apply can depend on your situation. Before any drone recovery, contact the Indiana DNR to confirm it’s allowed.
Last checked November 2026 against Indiana Code 14-22-6-16 and the Indiana DNR’s deer hunting equipment rules. Rules can change, so check with the Indiana DNR before you hunt. This article is general information, not legal advice.