Should trail cams be legal?

[GigiBobert]

I know a guy that smeared a fudge like substance on one he found during the late rifle season a couple of years ago. He says it's still there!

 

[Beignet]

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.

Word from enforcement division in Helena is that you can have them up, you’re just not allowed to use them while hunting. Yes, I’ve called and spoken to someone about this. Law seems poorly written and is kinda based on the honor system.

That’s said, I leave transmitting cameras up during the season, but they’re not in a place where I hunt. I enjoy seeing what pops up.

 

[mtmuley]

What would happen to the cameras on the MPG ranch? mtmuley

 

[The_Yuki_Yama]

It’s happened to me several times. I guess my idea of a pee spot is some other guys trail came spot. It’s been on closed logging roads.

That makes more sense. I don’t have a single trail cam within 3 miles of a road, open or closed and not within hundreds of yards of any developed trail.

Plenty of portable options for trees with limbs now a days. If you use the same tree set up is simple.

could you share what you have in mind? The ones I have seen/used it seems quite unreasonable for a guy to safely set up and take down every day in the dark… I also just don’t have that much of a problem with it. I bet you leave your truck unattended, should that be allowed?

 

[Montana_Wanderer]

could you share what you have in mind? The ones I have seen/used it seems quite unreasonable for a guy to safely set up and take down every day in the dark… I also just don’t have that much of a problem with it. I bet you leave your truck unattended, should that be allowed?

A quick search on YouTube for climbing sticks, saddles, etc will keep you entertained for days. I have left stands for extended periods was just making the point it isn’t necessary. Hanging everyday does take more work though.

The truck argument makes no sense.

Now I’ll stop derailing your thread and let it get back on topic.

 

[mtmiller]

They are a tool, nothing more.

 

[GratefulHorticulturist]

Allowed, but I know some fools who bought a shit ton of cheap ones and know every nook&cranny takes the fun out of it for me

 

[apexwhitetails23]

I think trail cams are a great tool but when used improperly they can actually hinder a hunter more than help. I own a land consulting business so maybe i am a little biased but the trail cam is probably my biggest tool. it can be used for herd management , stock and inventory ,and as a scouting tool to help with patterns and locating active areas while keeping human intrusion low. I cant say much for public land as most of my experience is on private , but i would say that its a great tool there also , just have to avoid the normal riff-raff that would steal or destroy someone else's property .

and to touch on how they can hinder hunters when used improperly, they can make a hunter feel like he is chasing his tail. When cell cams came out back in the late 2000s we used our first cell cams and we would get quick immediate info for scouting, which is great until you start chasing your tail trying to go where the deer were instead of where they are going. you would see a big buck at spot A in the morning then hunt spot A in the evening , Only for the buck to show up at Spot B in the evening. Then you would alternate spot A and B for 3 days Only to see Said buck at Spot C. It was a major pain and we had to put more effort into understanding what the deer were doing instead of where they were. We quickly learned that whitetail behavior and biology were much more important than where they were showing on camera .

 

[Dougfirtree]

I think my answer would be more location dependent. They don't bug me here in the Adirondacks, because I don't think they offer much of an advantage. Deer don't really have every-day routines here. Cameras give you a general sense of who's in the area and that's about it. If you see a nice buck on one, you probably won't see him again, or if you do, it will be a week or two later.

Also, you can't glass in this environment. Are binoculars/spotting scopes an unfair advantage in the west?
I can imagine that in other geographies, I would feel differently. And I strongly believe that someone having a camera in a certain spot, does NOTHING to "claim" that spot.

 

[Oak]

I'm about tired of them. Like @brymoore, I jumped out of the truck this fall and offloaded some coffee, only to look up and see a camera staring back at me. Found one in AZ in December that looked like it might have been hanging there 10 years.

I did spot this one before it spotted me while elk hunting....

 

[lastlight]

I own 10 of them and think they should be illegal on public land.

 

[jpc01101]

I love watching the cams on my place. No cams on public.

 

[-sro-]

Trail cams are an excellent tool. They allow a hunter to be more selective and wait on a bigger animal, which they could not do if they didn't know the animal existed