It may seem like a joke, or a hoax, or simply a really bad idea, but the small town of Deer Trail, Colorado (about 55 miles east of Denver), is considering passing an ordinance that would allow bounty hunters to essentially shoot down unmanned aircrafts that enter into the town’s “sovereign airspace.”
A resident recently wrote a petition which said that, among other things, unmanned drones that fly over the town’s airspace are a threat to the “traditional American ideas of liberty and freedom” for everyone from ranchers and farmers to cowboys and Indians. In essence, the letter said that drones should be seen as “acts of war” and treated as such.
Wanted: Annual Drone-Hunting Licenses
The proposed ordinance, which is to be considered by the town’s council, would give prospective bounty hunters the authority, through a drone-hunting license, to shoot down any drones that may fly into the town’s airspace. The cost of the annual drone-hunting license could be $25.
What makes this proposal even more interesting is that bounty hunters would then receive compensation if they are able to turn in parts of these unmanned aircrafts, or even the entire aircraft. The compensation would include $25 for the wings of the fuselage of the drone or $100 for the entire, intact drone. Further, in order to collect the “bounty,” the drones or drone parts must have markings that show they are the ones used by the federal government.
Details of the Sensational Proposal
The detailed proposal also states that all bounty hunters must use 12-gauge shotguns or smaller, and they must fire lead, steel or depleted uranium ammunition. Bounty hunters are not allowed to fire at any drone firing above 1,000 feet, and no weapons with rifled barrels or tracer rounds are allowed.
Oh, and one more thing: Bounty hunters are limited to three shots every two hours at an aircraft. Any more than that, the proposal states, demonstrates a “lack of proficiency.”
And just when you think you’ve heard it all, the proposal has language stating that if a bounty hunter accidentally shoots down a remote control toy airplane, the bounty hunter must reimburse the owner for the full cost of the toy.