The angry hum of a thousand mosquitoes buzzed nearby just as I was launching today. A new kind of powerboat engine? A radio-controlled toy boat?
No, a drone. I barely fought back the vehement urge to display a middle digit.
JETSAM
There once was a drone buzzing o’er
A peacefully gliding rower.
From his shell he did pull out a shell
And aimed it oh so well,
Now that drone is aloft no more.
This Calls For a Specially Talon"ed One
(Wedgie Tails Without Bob the Tomato)
Just flew in my new friend from down under,
quadracopter’s all the buzz so can there be any wonder,
when it’s invading airspace birds of feather get on edge,
and dear crikey an air strike be 'bout to drive in drone the “Wedge”!
I had a similar experience earlier this season. My reaction was also similar.
This is the result when technology is put in the hands of idiots.
@canoeswithduckheads said:
This Calls For a Specially Talon"ed One
(Wedgie Tails Without Bob the Tomato)Just flew in my new friend from down under,
quadracopter’s all the buzz so can there be any wonder,
when it’s invading airspace birds of feather get on edge,
and dear crikey an air strike be 'bout to drive in drone the “Wedge”!
How poetic. You and that Australian eagle.
While standing with my wife at the top of a beautiful waterfall in a high valley in the mountains of Norway, a Volvo drove past on the insanely scary single-track road, with a very noisy drone dutifully following 50 feet above, filming the drive. It was unbelievably intrusive and annoying, and hopefully the camera caught all four of our raised middle digits - don’t hold back people, let the droning idiots know how you feel…
They are banned in US National Parks.
@Overstreet said:
They are banned in US National Parks.
Thank goodness!
I was buzzed at a public boat ramp while packing my kayak. Stood off about 30 feet with the camera watching me .
I knew there was a reason I haven’t sold my shotgun.
@string said:
I knew there was a reason I haven’t sold my shotgun.
Drone went to recon over Bayou Le Cuss.
Ole Cajun hunter tweren’t in mood to discuss.
Cop’ter seldom proffer locals mood to discuss.
In mud sinkin’ red light blinkin.
LaBatt reloads blunderbuss.
Illegal to shoot them, but what about a blinding flash or few? Signaling mirror to screw up the video. The drone is bad enough just watching, but what makes me want to destroy it is the high possibility that the owner is recording without permission of the subject.
I have a military signaling mirror that I never take with me. Maybe someday things will reach the point that I start bringing it. It has a handy aiming device that lets you easily put the beam of sunlight “right on target” and hold it there.
Otherwise, it’s occurred to me that if one hung around me while I was fishing it would be easy to bring it down with an errant cast (I didn’t mean it. Honest. Yeah, it’s gone. I guess it just sort of sank when I cut my line loose). These new small-diameter braided fishing lines give you pinpoint casting accuracy at much longer distances than was ever possible with old-style lines.
I discovered at Qajaq Training Camp last weekend that I have a here-to-for unrealized natural talent with the Greenland harpoon. And now I know what I can use for a target.
I was reading some advice in another forum. Take six feet of fishing line with two heavy hex nuts tied to both ends. Throw the bola and the drone will do the work.
Funny thing I was wondering how hard it would be to aim and hit with a bola. I bet it takes practice.
@pikabike said:
Illegal to shoot them, but what about a blinding flash or few? Signaling mirror to screw up the video. The drone is bad enough just watching, but what makes me want to destroy it is the high possibility that the owner is recording without permission of the subject.
Is it? Is that a federal law? I would bet that different states have different laws on the matter. Just asking, 'cause I don’t know.
In Idaho, it is usually illegal to fly one over another’s private property or to use one to photograph others without permission. It is also illegal to interfere with legal hunting (and fishing?). I haven’t heard of any cases yet, but I suspect that harassment and assault laws could also come into play. I have my ideas about how that might play out in the event that someone takes “defensive” action.
More…
https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/title21/t21ch2/sect21-213/
We have a big problem with them out here, interfering with firefighting aircraft over wildfires. I expect that it is only a matter of time before the powers that be come up with a predatory drone to deal with this problem. Imagine the amusing videos that might provide. 
There have been several cases of drones harassing people at the beach, especially women getting unwanted drone attention. One guy through a towel at a drone buzzing a woman, and brought it down. The drone pilot had the towel thrower arrested. He was ultimately not brought to trial. The drone pilot has been punched a few times since then, the police did not intervene, I have not heard anything about him recently.
@Steve_in_Idaho said:
@pikabike said:
Illegal to shoot them, but what about a blinding flash or few? Signaling mirror to screw up the video. The drone is bad enough just watching, but what makes me want to destroy it is the high possibility that the owner is recording without permission of the subject.
…CUT…
We have a big problem with them out here, interfering with firefighting aircraft over wildfires. I expect that it is only a matter of time before the powers that be come up with a predatory drone to deal with this problem. Imagine the amusing videos that might provide.
Drones interfered recently with firefighting efforts at Twin Buttes in Durango.
Before that, this winter a drone spooked a horse at a skijoring event. The horse went wild, causing the rider to be injured. Can’t remember if it was in Durango, Telluride, or Steamboat Springs, but it was in CO. Too bad the horse didn’t stomp all over the drone operator instead!
Before that (last year), a helicopter’s prop wash screwed with some participants starting the Race To Alaska.
Media addicts and their providers are not only irritating people, they are endangering them. They have shown an incredible lack of common sense, ability to make good judgments, and lack of DECENCY.
@SeaDart said:
There have been several cases of drones harassing people at the beach, especially women getting unwanted drone attention. One guy through a towel at a drone buzzing a woman, and brought it down. The drone pilot had the towel thrower arrested. He was ultimately not brought to trial. The drone pilot has been punched a few times since then, the police did not intervene, I have not heard anything about him recently.
Punched around, eh? I like that…frontier justice.
Someone in a southeastern state shot a drone after it repeatedly flew above and HOVERED OVER his teenage daughter, who was sunbathing in their own backyard. I don’t know how that turned out in court.
Best shot at a drone would be a heavy blast of diarrhea! Get a few gallons of runny cow manure, add brown dye so that it looks like human crap, mix in with some extra fluid that smells really, really bad, and load it into not one but two or three PVC waterfight “guns” so that several gunners can douse the drone.
AND have a fourth person video the action and post it allllllll over the world wide web, thus inspiring others to do the same.
But punching the operator, yes, that’s a good one, too.
Runny cow manure gun…remember " What goes up must come down. "
How about a DIY “Anti-Drone, Drone”? To keep things civil, it would have to be non-lethal…
It also seems like a PITA. If I wanted to cart something like this around with all the associated gear, I’d have done so a long time ago.
A slingshot seems like less hassle.