I was going to post this in the previous thread but that one has gotten long. I don’t want to make this a violation hotline thread but...

Here is another drone YouTube violation. Drone starts at 17:30. There’s more throughout the video.I emailed the TIP Hotline (thanks for posting) but if more want to it probably wouldn’t hurt.

-Perhaps the real violation is the bellyaching after a 109 rod portage. So funny.
Although newbies, these guys aren’t jerks. I think the key here is education. Videos like these should help us, outfitters, and the FS learn how to gauge educational material to new visitors. We are the ones who failed.

Here’s the link: Youtube

I made it to just after they were dragging their kevlar rental canoes up that rock rapids. Made me cringe. They are having a great time so far, that's important.

They also broke this rule "Mussels (Clams): It is illegal to possess live mussels. All of Minnesota’s 50 species of mussels are protected by law, and 20 are endangered or threatened species"

They ate an entire pot of them

Yeah, more of an education thing. I've seen much worse :)

I enjoyed the use of the extremely loud air horn at 19:18. So much for respecting the peace of the wilderness.

Weird timing, I saw this video elsewhere a few days ago but just got around to reporting it today. They were in the Numbered Lakes/Insula area so just a few miles from the Delta Lake fire. There were flight restrictions 8 miles around the fire starting the morning of July 10th, their last day on the water, to protect firefighting aircraft. You can hear one of those aircraft in the video starting at 1:10:38. I don't think they were malicious, just ignorant, but it's not a good look when your ignorance might be putting firefighters at risk.

The Forest Service responded and said they're investigating so I don't think more people reporting will do anything but clog their inbox.

Ignorance may be an explanation, but it is not an excuse. It is utterly unacceptable that one would enter a wilderness area without taking the time to learn what is and isn't safe and acceptable in that wilderness, especially in this information age where anyone can learn anything in mere moments.

I think drone footage is driven by a desire for YouTube clicks. Clicks and "likes" mean ever so much to so many nowadays.

That was just sad to watch.
I wish we could go back in time to the '70s....

Ya...the 1570's

I'm not there. I watched it and didn't have an "utterly inexcusable" or "sad to watch" response...or feel the need to report it. To me this felt like about the level of someone doing 70 in a 55.

Because of the comments, I uncharacteristically watched most of it. (I very rarely watch canoe trip videos.) I have several reactions.

1. I became bored. The video was badly in need of editing if it was made for any viewing other than their own.

2. I did cringe when I saw them scrape those rented canoes up the rock slope. But let’s face it—rental canoes have a hard life. It happens. I was actually surprised to see them do almost all loading and unloading standing in the water.

3. At times I felt like I WAS back in the early 70’s, when I took my first trip. In the "olden days" we did wash in the lake (I am a bit surprised no one has mentioned the scene with them extolling the virtues of camp suds for cleaning up in the lake) and no one thought it was inappropriate back then. Also, as I watched these young men and witnessed their enthusiasm about the simple joy of just “being there” it did take me back to my early experiences in the canoe country when every single thing was fresh and new to me.

4. I find I have mixed feelings about the drone. Yes, I realize it is illegal. But I guess I don’t see why it is so terrible as long as you aren’t bothering wildlife or other campers with it. It does make the photography interesting.

5. I kept being amazed that these young men were taking a canoe trip from Lake One to Insula, Fishdance, etc. in July of 2021 and we didn’t see any other canoeists! No crowds on the portages, no groups of canoes offshore waiting to portage, no other paddlers or fishermen off in the distance in the drone shots, etc. So maybe there was more editing than I thought. It really did look like these guys had a five-day trip out of Lake One in July and had “solitude” the entire time. Wow!

I watched the video and was not terribly upset by what I saw. The drone was against the rules and keeping the little bass kinda bothered me but overall they seemed to respect the BWCA and behaved better than many campers I have seen.
I would like to see their reaction to the forums comments pro or con. I wonder if there is a way to contact them and ask?

And just like that the video is no longer available......

Drones are simply amazing technology and they can capture stunning perspectives on nature. I am so thankful that they are prohibited in wilderness areas however. I read this on Wilderness.net --

Why are drones prohibited in wilderness areas?

Howard Zahniser, author of the Wilderness Act, could never have forecast the invention of remote-controlled flying quad-copter robots. But he and other wilderness advocates wanted to ensure that wilderness areas remain free from increasing mechanization. Aircraft were specifically identified as prohibited by the Wilderness Act, which includes all forms that may eventually come about through human ingenuity. The Wilderness Act also prohibits motorized equipment and mechanical transport—broad categories of devices and gizmos that include drones. Prohibiting drones, and other forms of motorized recreation, in wilderness continues to ensure that we have sanctuaries on public lands to protect wildlife from drone disturbances and for us to seek solitude and refuge from today's mechanized world.

Spartan2: "Because of the comments, I uncharacteristically watched most of it. (I very rarely watch canoe trip videos.) I have several reactions.


1. I became bored. The video was badly in need of editing if it was made for any viewing other than their own.


2. I did cringe when I saw them scrape those rented canoes up the rock slope. But let’s face it—rental canoes have a hard life. It happens. I was actually surprised to see them do almost all loading and unloading standing in the water.


3. At times I felt like I WAS back in the early 70’s, when I took my first trip. In the "olden days" we did wash in the lake (I am a bit surprised no one has mentioned the scene with them extolling the virtues of camp suds for cleaning up in the lake) and no one thought it was inappropriate back then. Also, as I watched these young men and witnessed their enthusiasm about the simple joy of just “being there” it did take me back to my early experiences in the canoe country when every single thing was fresh and new to me.


4. I find I have mixed feelings about the drone. Yes, I realize it is illegal. But I guess I don’t see why it is so terrible as long as you aren’t bothering wildlife or other campers with it. It does make the photography interesting.


5. I kept being amazed that these young men were taking a canoe trip from Lake One to Insula, Fishdance, etc. in July of 2021 and we didn’t see any other canoeists! No crowds on the portages, no groups of canoes offshore waiting to portage, no other paddlers or fishermen off in the distance in the drone shots, etc. So maybe there was more editing than I thought. It really did look like these guys had a five-day trip out of Lake One in July and had “solitude” the entire time. Wow! "

Can you imagine if everyone on the lake you’re camped on had a drone and was flying it all day and evening? Drones are
Incredibly intrusive and actually quite noisy. No to drones!

I totally agree to the prohibition of drones, and since my post didn't say that, it should have. However, I think this particular video wasn't the best example of the intrusiveness of the drone. There was no incidence of the drone interacting with wildlife or birds, and they seemed to only use it to do aerial shots of their own campsite and of themselves when paddling with no one else around.

I realize I didn't make my point very well, but I just didn't think this particular video was one that seemed to shout out a lack of respect for the BWCA the way some others have.

I don't own a drone, a Go-Pro, don't make videos, and am not in favor of any rule breaking. And your point, egknuti, about how awful it would be if everyone had a drone is certainly well taken. Sorry if me saying I have "mixed feelings" could be interpreted to mean that I am in favor of them.

My only point was that this particular example was mild in the drone's disturbance of others. . .not like some videos that have been posted in the past.

A practical rebuttal to folks’ concerned about drones flying ‘day and night’—consumer drones typically get about 20-30 minutes of flight per battery and there’s no way to recharge them efficiently in the back country. They’d be much more likely to be a real problem in a National or state park than the BWCA.

That said, there’s plenty of reason to restrict their use there including their fire danger whatever actual nuisance they may be towards wildlife and visitors.