Parkgoer photographs tourist violating crucial rule that could result in $5,000 fine: 'Kick them out'

A Yellowstone National Park visitor was cited by a ranger after flying a drone near nesting ospreys, and photos of the encounter are now circulating online.

Vince Botkin shared the images to the Facebook group "Yellowstone National Park: Invasion of The Idiots™!" with a caption explaining that the man "thought it was ok to fly his drone and scare the Osprey's off their nest till the Ranger caught up with him and gave him a citation."

The photos show a man in a yellow-green vest standing beside a white SUV in what appears to be a Yellowstone parking area, holding what looks like a drone controller. A woman stands next to him with one hand extended, and children peer out from the backseat of the vehicle. Behind them, rocky, pine-covered terrain stretches uphill.

Drones have been banned across the national park system since 2014, when the National Park Service told all park superintendents to stop allowing them on federal land. Anyone caught flying one faces a misdemeanor charge, with penalties of up to $5,000 and as long as six months behind bars. If a drone is found to have disturbed wildlife, the operator can face a separate citation for harassment under federal regulation 36 C.F.R. § 2.2.

That wildlife angle is what makes this incident especially concerning. Rare ospreys are protective of their nests, and a drone buzzing overhead during nesting season can cause the birds to flee, leaving eggs or young chicks exposed to predators and harsh weather.

Repeated disturbances like this can push nesting pairs to abandon a site for good, which has severe consequences for local bird populations that depend on returning to the same nests year after year.

The group's comment section made it clear how other park visitors feel about this kind of behavior.

"Part of operating a drone is knowing the No-Fly zones and respecting them," one commenter wrote. "He should lose his drone. They probably walked off the boardwalk and fed the deer too."

Another kept it simple, writing, "Kick them out."

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