# Is Drone Deer Recovery Legal in Illinois? Full Court Case Breakdown | The DroneOn Show Ep 49

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-droneon-show-7309385/is-drone-deer-recovery-legal-in-illinois-full-court-case-breakdown-the-droneon-show-ep-49
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-droneon-show-7309385/is-drone-deer-recovery-legal-in-illinois-full-court-case-breakdown-the-droneon-show-ep-49.md
Podcast: [The DroneOn Show](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-droneon-show-7309385)
Published: 2026-05-22T08:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://the-droneon-show.castos.com/episodes/illinois-court-win
Audio file: https://episodes.castos.com/6537f5d7c678e0-03541919/2467855/c1e-x54m0a13641c4w9pm1-xxkjd138f9xm-a9tsmu.mp3
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Duration seconds: 4565

## Resource

In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike and Kevin sits down with Jeremy Shelton, an Illinois drone deer recovery pilot, and his attorney Ed Fanning to break down a landmark court case. Jeremy received a citation for using a thermal drone to search for a wounded deer. The case went to trial and he was found not guilty — not on a technicality, but because the judge ruled that simply searching for a lost deer with a drone does not violate Illinois statute. The conversation dives deep into the actual law versus the conservation department’s interpretation, what “hunting,” “pursue,” and “take” really mean, why conservation has stated they will ignore the ruling and continue seizing drones, and practical advice for pilots who want to offer this service legally. A must-listen for anyone running or considering thermal drone deer recovery in Illinois. Edward J. FanningFanning Law Office - Hardin, IL(618) 576-2284 Jeremy Shelton - https://www.dronedeerrecovery.com/pages/pilots/midwest-thermal-drones

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## Transcript

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