BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 10, 2026
The fast-paced march of technology is blurring the lines of ethical hunting as never before. The increasing use of highly sophisticated electronic devices such as wireless cell phone trail cameras and the recent advent of aerial drones fitted with thermal imaging devices present difficult new ethical questions. These technologies test both the limits of fair chase and the ability of law enforcement to keep pace. In Maine, it is not legal to hunt with drones or drones equipped with thermal imaging devices. It is, however, legal to use wireless cellular trail cameras to locate and pattern game behavior, even during the legal hunting season. What about using a drone with thermal imaging to locate and recover a wounded animal in Maine? There is already too much ambiguity when it comes to enforcing fish and game laws related to these technologies. When modern technology gives me an unfair advantage over my prey, the hunt simply stops being fun. ~ V. Paul Reynolds