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Drone Rules for Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge

Muleshoe, Texas (TX) • United States
1531 Co Rd 1248, Muleshoe, TX 79347, USA
Lat: 33.9638 • Lng: -102.751
Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 30, 2026
Summary
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USFWS prohibits drones on Muleshoe NWR. The Texas Panhandle refuge is the oldest NWR in Texas (1935) and hosts the largest wintering concentration of sandhill cranes in the world -- up to 500,000 cranes.

Drone Rules - Muleshoe NWR, Texas

Drones are prohibited under USFWS Director's Order 210.

Airspace / Site Context

  • Up to 500,000 sandhill cranes winter here November-February; this is the single largest wintering crane concentration on Earth
  • Drone launch during crane roost departure (dawn) or roost arrival (dusk) would cause mass panic flight in a flock of half a million birds
  • Lubbock Preston Smith International (LBB) Class C is ~65 NM south; Muleshoe Municipal (MUL) Class G is the nearest local airport

Key Rules

  • Dawn/dusk roost movements: USFWS has documented drone events causing crane collisions and deaths at other High Plains refuges; zero-tolerance enforcement
  • Playa lake habitat (shallow, GPS-reflective): drone controller signal can be degraded by playa surface water reflections at low altitude
  • USFWS Special Use Permit required; crane season permits require USFWS Mountain-Prairie Region approval

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