Federal law says you’re good as long as you’re not harassing them.
Rules vary by state. In FL, drones aren’t allowed on state game lands. And honestly, scouting with a drone feels like cheating.
In my state, scouting with any aircraft is illegal.
Even if you don’t mean to disturb them, the drone could still scare the deer.
Make sure you keep line of sight with your drone.
You’d have to get really close for good pics. Drones are loud, so the deer will probably bolt before you get close enough.
In farm country, deer are a huge problem because fewer people hunt. Lots of deer get hit by cars here. Blanket rules against drones feel outdated in those situations.
Even if it’s legal, drones are pretty loud and might scare the deer away.
As long as you’re not selling the footage, you should be okay. Check your local airspace rules, though.
Just make sure you’re not flying in a FAA-designated wilderness area. Check your maps first.