Just curious what others think. In the past two seasons I have found 4 different cameras in the woods that were obviously left. One was on tree that had fallen and brush grown up around. One the camera was faded and strap brittle to touch, another the strap got so brittle it fell. Maybe it’s just my little game everytime I find a place in the woods, meadows, wallows, trails, bedding areas I start to look at spots I would put a camera and find others all the time. I’m all about respecting others cameras because I expect and appreciate it when I put cameras up which isn’t too often. At what point are these trash and not being used? At what point is it the right thing to do to remove? I don’t understand abandoning cameras but hey I’ll give benefit of doubt that life just happens. Thoughts?
Game cameras at what point trash hanging on tree
- Thread starter wa_archer
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bucdoego
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What is the law regarding removing someone else's camera? If it is my camera, that is what you are doing, no matter your evaluation of its condition. Are we sure we aren't stealing someone else's property by removing it?
What would the camera owner say if he came upon you in the act? What would LEO say if he came upon you in the act?
Maybe it is best to leave it, since it isn't yours. Maybe you could "drop a pin" for the warden to investigate, assuming it was really bothering you. I read and hear stories of cameras that are messed with or stolen all too often. I'm not touching your camera(s).
What would the camera owner say if he came upon you in the act? What would LEO say if he came upon you in the act?
Maybe it is best to leave it, since it isn't yours. Maybe you could "drop a pin" for the warden to investigate, assuming it was really bothering you. I read and hear stories of cameras that are messed with or stolen all too often. I'm not touching your camera(s).
npaden
Well-known member
At a minimum rules or regulations on how long you could keep a camera out would be good. Like the 14 day campsite rules. If it is there longer than 30 or 60 days it is considered abandoned. Just a thought. More and more states are just banning them though.
Knight.54
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#huntwiththeeyesGodgaveyou
Mallardsx2
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IMHO nothing should be left on public lands. If it is, it should be considered trash.
That includes:
"Uninhabited" Campers / Wall tents
Treestands
Ground Blinds
Trail Cameras
That includes:
"Uninhabited" Campers / Wall tents
Treestands
Ground Blinds
Trail Cameras
steveshuntn1
Well-known member
Maybe have a tag system with name, address, phone number and date left on it and once that has passed it can be taken out by anyone and turned into the warden, and or the warden could be alerted to it still being there and let them call the owner or go get it. A hefty fine for leaving one past the date on public land would inspire me to go get my camera! Of course around here if you put one out on public land you have a 50/50 shot of seeing it again….maybe even 70/30!
Big Sky Guy
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I’ve left trail cameras out for 2 years same tree, checked them 2 times a year and then they get snowed in. It was fun to hike back in spring and see what all came by during the deep snow. I personally know non-hunters that do the same. Leave camera hung and check it every few months or so. Funny to me they target fishers or other seemingly “odd” species (birds etc.) since as a hunter I’m always trying to get antlered critters. Whether you agree with it or not, it is a way people enjoy the outdoors (getting photos of bears, lions etc.). It’s a form of wildlife viewing.
Those two cameras seem like the hat or shirt you find half buried in leaves that wouldn’t even be suitable for toilet paper. Is that really going to be charged as theft? Cmon. If the straps are brittle then I’d say they’ve been there for at least 5 years although if in full sun that could be less but all my straps are still fine even ones that have over 700 days in the mountains on a tree. If it was my camera I would want you to take it, maybe the owner moved, fell ill or died. Or they could just be lazy but if my camera straps fail due to age then it’s on me for not checking the camera.
Big Sky Guy
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rogerthat
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I went back to get a camera I left since last year. It was gone. I chalked that up to “get my lazy arse” out there to get it sooner. Honestly I think if you put something out on public land anyones guess if you will get it back. A critter might take it or more likely a hunter but it’s a risk. As to when is it trash? It’s trash when the owner has no plan to go get it. There will never be a timeframe for that. Could be 1 day even
shannerdrake
Well-known member
And:
Shell casings
Mountain Dew Cans
Beer bottles/cans
Food wrappers
Flagging tape
Hand warmers
Trail Markers
Cigarette butts
To be honest, I’d trade 3-4 cameras hanging on trees over all the crap noted above that I see by the truckload every time I’m in the woods.
It sounds like they’ve been abandoned and are trash to me, and you should be able to pick them up and dispose of them.
I say this as somebody that despises thieves and thinks that we should be able to shoot them. Cut their hands off at a minimum.
I say this as somebody that despises thieves and thinks that we should be able to shoot them. Cut their hands off at a minimum.
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I mean I would at least check the card and see if the camera works before I threw them away
westbranch
Well-known member
Sounds like those ones are trash.
I do get why some are anti trail camera but I like to leave them out to see what comes by. Pictures of big bucks and bulls are cool, but mountain lions and bears or cow moose with twins or seeing what day the cow elk show up at a spot when the snow melts is more interesting to me. If there was a rule that I couldn't hunt within 2 miles of a camera I would still put some out and just not hunt that area.
I do get why some are anti trail camera but I like to leave them out to see what comes by. Pictures of big bucks and bulls are cool, but mountain lions and bears or cow moose with twins or seeing what day the cow elk show up at a spot when the snow melts is more interesting to me. If there was a rule that I couldn't hunt within 2 miles of a camera I would still put some out and just not hunt that area.
I wonder if you are apposed to binoculars and spotting scopes. I chuckle at people who hate other people using a trail cam to tell them where an animal WAS but will use a spotting scope all day to tell them where an animal IS.
Perhaps this is a coincidence but I have put out A lot of cameras, mostly unlocked. I have lost a handful of cameras, most of the ones I have lost has been locked. I assume people check the card on the unlocked ones and leave them alone. They smash into the locked ones since they can’t look at the pics.
Some say to apply this same logic when parking vehicles in sketchy places or in a state called New Mexico. Ymmv
Like I alluded to earlier, we should be able to tie thieves to saguaros, stripped naked in the July sun. If you’re going to mess with people’s (active and functioning and legally placed)cameras, be like the guy that messed with mine and take the card out and upload a photo of a dodo bird or whatever this is.
Atleast this is funny.
Atleast this is funny.
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Of all the elk and deer I’ve got pictures of with a camera I’ve seen a grand total of two of the bulls in person and the camera had nothing to do with me seeing them or choosing to hunt the area
