Proposed Trail Cam Ban

[Losing_Sanity]

I only have a couple of cameras that I find very useful during bear baiting. They are not transmittable and only lets me know if a bait is being hit by bears or something else. And if there are cubs in the area. I don't think they are all bad. And giving the thread attitude, my cameras shouldn't offend anyone because they are only on my bait site, where an ethical hunter should not be messing around anyway.

Some real good point are being made on both, for and against, if we just consider the opinions of others. Also, how would we feel if the fish and game, or other law enforcement agencies employ the same tactics in response to not enough officers to patrol? Most would see it as a negative for the person being watched.

On a side note, mostly I just use my trail cameras to see what cat or critter is stealing my cats food and kicking his but.

 

[bisblue]

There is a trail cam ban here in Nevada, and the outfitters hated it. The ban is during prime hunting season Aug 10 - Januaryish.... There was a service operating in Nevada with so many cameras with data plans, that they were selling current GPS location of animals as they moved across the landscape.

I use them for work and it is really enjoyable to see stuff, bummer folks had to ruin it.

 

[rmyoung1]

I think game cameras cross the line that separates hunting from game surveillance. I support camera bans

 

[Gr8bawana]

There is a trail cam ban here in Nevada, and the outfitters hated it. The ban is during prime hunting season Aug 10 - Januaryish.... There was a service operating in Nevada with so many cameras with data plans, that they were selling current GPS location of animals as they moved across the landscape.
I use them for work and it is really enjoyable to see stuff, bummer folks had to ruin it.

No it's not a bummer.
Cameras were bad enough to begin with but now people don't even have to go to the cameras and check the pics anymore, they can just be sent to your phone.
There was one particular basin in Lincoln county that a warden told me had 70+ cameras in and around it. This is what come from our instant gratification society.
Some monster bucks have been taken there in the past by people that put in the time and work.

 

[rwc101]

I never understood how they'd be useful out west where an animal's range can be so large and seasonal. Before it broke I enjoyed leaving one in one spot year round just to see what/who walked by and how the seasons changed. Doubt I'll ever buy another though.

 

[ShortAction]

[ I think some people (especially on public land) end up thinking once they put up a cam that area is now considered "theirs"...
[/QUOTE]

Slightly off main topic but it's the same here in Virginia on public with tree stands. Guys leave them up all year thereby staking a claim. Some states require you to bring them out with you at the end of the day. I'm all for that.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Slightly off main topic but it's the same here in Virginia on public with tree stands. Guys leave them up all year thereby staking a claim. Some states require you to bring them out with you at the end of the day. I'm all for that.

Leave no trace

I'm not wild about anything left on public land. I would love to see a blanket game camera and stand ban in the west. Climbing or similar stands are fine as long as you pack it out, every day.

There are a number of permanent guide/sheep herder camps that I have issue with as well.

 

[thusby]

The amount of tree stands and cams that I find hunting on public land in the Midwest is mind-boggling. I'd like to drag them all out of the woods. I would be on too many unseen trailcams doing it though and wouldn't be able to go to the bar without fisticuffs anymore.

 

[westbranch]

I can definitely see banning/restricting trail cams with cell phone messaging of pictures. I have several cheap cameras with no messaging features that I put out in the national forest and checked every couple months. I left a couple out over the winter that I won't check until this spring/early summer. I see no immediate benefit/advantage to me getting the pics. Just some extra motivation to know that the same bull or buck showed up twice over a couple week period. So I guess I should plan on hunting within a few miles of that camera.

I used trail cams (none with messaging) in MN (public and private land) where there was a mix of ag land and big woods and deer were easier to pattern... at least in theory. I would get pics of some bucks showing up every 3-4 days in an 8 hour window. The only thing it really did was motivate me to sit longer in a stand during archery season. There was one buck that showed up the third week of Sept for 3 years in a row. Never saw it while hunting, and it would disappear during the rut, but then be back in Dec.

Things completely changed during the rut and it was fun to see the random bucks that would show up. We were hunting a large chunk of private land and it was cool to see a buck on one camera at 9am and then show up 30 mins later at a camera 1 mile away. Building a giant heated shooting house where a guy can sit for many days in a row would have gave us a far larger advantage than any trail cameras. I just used cheap uncomfortable hang-on stands and I was ready to jump out of the tree onto an arrow after a few all day sits in a row.

 

[bigsky2]

I put out more cameras than most people, but I don’t really use them as a hunting tool. They certainly haven’t helped me kill anything. It’s more of a hobby and a good reason to go hiking in the mountains throughout the summer. I do wish they were banned during hunting seasons. Even though I really enjoy running cameras, I wouldn’t be upset if they were banned. When it comes to hunting, I generally feel that less technology is better.

Here in Montana I have never ran into another camera while out in the mountains, so I think most people wouldn’t say they are a problem. I had a Kaibab archery tag in AZ a couple years ago and seeing all the cameras down there was a real eye opener. Literally every piece of water I checked had multiple cameras on it. All the water on the Kaibab is man made so there are no unknown springs. Unless it has been raining, literally every deer is getting its picture taken when it gets a drink. That definitely bothers me. Cameras might not seem like an issue but in certain parts of the country they are way out of hand in my opinion.

 

[westbranch]

I have seen some a picture of the waterholes in AZ with trail cams everywhere. If I saw that all the time I would likely be more anti trail camera.

I have actually only found one trail camera in the woods while scouting/hunting. I know some guys that say they see a lot of them, so I like to think its because I go where other hunters do not. But it is more likely I have been walking by quite a few without noticing.

 

[Red Fox]

I just put out the one I have at the trail head when I park to see who comes by and just in case they want to borrow something without asking.

 

[Muley_Stalker]

I'd like to see a ban everywhere. A lot of aids aren't fair chase and cameras are certainly on the list.