Should trail cams be legal?

[The_Yuki_Yama]

Listening to an old podcast from when Kansas banned trail cameras on public land. Curious what the general feeling from people here is regarding trail cam legality. I use them for white tail in SD and in CA for bear to help identify food sources/elevation bears are it. I have both cellular and non-cellular where there isn't service. I don't use the cellular to hunt specific animals when photo is taken, but rather use the cellular feature to avoid having to hike in and disturb the area as often. Kind of souring on them though..

 

[rmyoung1]

I hate animal surveillance. If you want to surveil, work for law enforcement. If you want to hunt, hunt.

 

[Dan O]

All the electronic equipment that has been developed has removed the hunt from hunting. At some point it needs to stop, this is a good start. Ban them on public land nationwide. Use what you want on your private property. In today's climate security cameras are needed especially for predators "2 legged".

 

[LousyResident]

Never, but they are too expensive and I'm not going to buy them so others shouldn't be allowed to either.

 

[The_Yuki_Yama]

Two other thoughts I had..
1. Should it depend on species/location? In areas with limited water for example, the few water access points make cameras incredibly effective. As for species, some have pattern and have small developed home ranges that make cameras much more effective.
2. Is the quantity of cameras the issue for some? They keep getting cheaper and easier for a guy to run a lot. I know many people running 50+ cameras. What if there was a limit to the number of cameras a person could put out? A cheap few dollar permit or something to reduce the excessive use?

Some of my cameras I put out aren't even for hunting purposes but just to see mtn lions, bobcat etc. that I don't often get a chance to see in person. A couple places I hunt that are 6-8 hour drive away that I can only visit a handful of times per year, I use them just to get a sense of what is in the area, which I'm not sure really takes away from the hunt.

I also really don't see other peoples cameras in areas I go so maybe that's why I don't have quite the negative feeling toward them. Do y'all see other's trail cameras often?

 

[Maverick1]

Poll is flawed. There is not a "yes" option.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Any trail cameras, treestands, or ground blinds left on public land should be subject to pirate law.

After the 14 days...that includes your camper that gets set up and sits there on public land from August to the end of September on public land........Yaaaaa.....you know who you are. You're out there.....reading this.....If it was up to me, I should be able to scrap your rig...lol

 

[Stone_Ice_1]

I use them and set them up every year, usually on public land.

In Montana you can't currently have one that reports to your phone in real time during the season. I see this law being broken way too much. The past few years I keep finding trail cameras all over the place and lots of them are of the sort that report in real time. I am for them being banned on public land because of the number and types that I see EVERYWHERE.

 

[The_Yuki_Yama]

Any trail cameras, treestands, or ground blinds left on public land should be subject to pirate law.

After the 14 days...that includes your camper that gets set up and sits there on public land from the end of August to the end of September on public land........Yaaaaa.....you know who you are. You're out there.....reading this.....

How would one identify how long something has been up? Does the count reset every time a person goes to said stand etc?

 

[Straight Arrow]

If your damaged trail cam appears as though it weathered a hail storm ... I have no idea how that happened!

 

[Mallardsx2]

How would one identify how long something has been up? Does the count reset every time a person goes to said stand etc?

Oh no man...lol.... You're missing my point about the stands, cameras, and blinds. In regard to those items if you're not in them, next to them, or holding them, I think they should be treated as garbage, and I should be able to remove them from public ground.

 

[Steiny77]

Wouldn't hurt my feelings if they said no use of trail cameras during open hunting seasons.

 

[Robert N]

the best time for game cams for me is late spring through early fall. It's pretty much the best entertainment I have, watching the fawns come out with their spots and spindly legs to seeing how the critters develop.

I also like watching it for predators on the lease...if I can pattern a coyote, for darn sure I will, especially during the birthing time.

 

[Tcal719]

Any trail cameras, treestands, or ground blinds left on public land should be subject to pirate law.

After the 14 days...that includes your camper that gets set up and sits there on public land from August to the end of September on public land........Yaaaaa.....you know who you are. You're out there.....reading this.....If it was up to me, I should be able to scrap your rig...lol

I agree!

 

[Rie Bread]

Cameras left in wilderness bug me the most.

Cameras are a crutch and everyone knows it.

 

[bigsky2]

I love using trail cameras, but I don't think we should be able to use them during the season.

 

[The_Yuki_Yama]

Poll is flawed. There is not a "yes" option.

The poll is not flawed. Maybe you didnt read the actual poll?
It says "trail cams should be allowed..." then the options. Yes would not be a reasonable response to the poll. Perhaps you only read the title of the thread?

 

[The_Yuki_Yama]

Oh no man...lol.... You're missing my point about the stands, cameras, and blinds. In regard to those items if you're not in them, next to them, or holding them, I think they should be treated as garbage, and I should be able to remove them from public ground.

Where I archery hunt from stands for whitetail is pine trees so can't use a climber. Carrying in a ladder and tree stand every day before sunrise to set up in the dark to bow hunt frankly sounds ridiculous. This would effectively outlaw archery stand hunting there. I cannot get behind that.

 

[The_Yuki_Yama]

Cameras are a crutch and everyone knows it.

What makes them a crutch vs a tool? Are optics a crutch? Rifles? Electronic mapping tools? Trucks? Everyone has a line somewhere between hunting from helicopters and traditional archery equipment. I think to say everyone knows that one particular thing is a crutch is not totally accurate.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Redumbdant threads re: trail cams.