Allowing hunters who are federally licensed drone operators to use drones to locate wounded or recently deceased deer.

HB 2423 allows hunters who hold a federal drone operator license (FAA Part 107) to use drones to locate wounded or recently deceased deer during legal hunting seasons. To qualify, hunters must have struck the deer with a legal hunting method, possess a valid hunting license, and obtain landowner permission before launching or landing drones on private property. The bill prohibits using drones to harass wildlife or pursue wildlife that was harassed by drones, and explicitly excludes drone-assisted recovery from the legal definition of "take" under Kansas wildlife law. This policy change directly affects licensed hunter-drone operators while maintaining landowner rights and wildlife protection standards.