Overview
- Texas Parks and Wildlife cited the Federal Airborne Hunting Act and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service guidance that treat drones as aircraft and fish as wildlife, barring drone-deployed bait.
- The agency updated the Texas Outdoor Annual after a surge of questions about recreational drone use for surf and bank fishing.
- Officials emphasized no new state regulation was enacted and said any cases would be federal matters rather than TPWD enforcement.
- TPWD stated it will not issue permits for drone-assisted bait deployment, and its notice did not specify potential penalties.
- Anglers and businesses, including disabled veteran Williams Yearsin of Clute, say the restriction harms accessibility and local commerce, while some fishermen argue the decades-old rule has not kept pace with technology.