Placing on public

flyinpro

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Jun 10, 2013
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1,285
Location
Blount Co, TN
I know this could be a laughable subject, does anyone place their cameras on public land? What are some hints or techniques you guys use to reduce the possibility of having your cameras stolen?
 

Weegee

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Apr 15, 2020
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408
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Davidson County
I don't do it, but I know people who do. One guy puts them high enough so that you can't reach them without a climbing stick, but doesn't cable lock them. He only puts out cheap ones, but hasn't lost any so far...
 

philsanchez76

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Jul 6, 2019
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1,937
Location
Middle TN
I know this could be a laughable subject, does anyone place their cameras on public land? What are some hints or techniques you guys use to reduce the possibility of having your cameras stolen?
Only 2 years experience here but been running cameras on very heavily pressured public for those last 2 years and leave them out all year just to help scout new areas. I have 10 cameras (several cell cams and some regular cheap ones). No cams stolen yet; just one memory card taken out (that still hurt cuz It was a few months of data). They probably would've taken the cam too but it was cable locked. I try to hang them 8-10 feet off the ground with a climbing stick and angle them down a little. And I have cable locks for about half of them. I try not to put them on very obvious trails. My policy is as soon as I get a human on camera, its time to move that camera.
 

larry ipock

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Dec 18, 2014
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1,403
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scott county Tn.
Been pretty lucky so far Put out six this year. None stolen. Usually try to put them where lazy hunters won't go, and not heavily pressured. Only two legged problem was a father/ daughter squirrel hunt that hammed it up for the camera, and put a ribbon on stand.
 

philsanchez76

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Jul 6, 2019
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1,937
Location
Middle TN
How high off the ground was the camera when they removed the SD card?
Well.... that day I had forgotten my climbing stick and just hung it as high as I could reach- so it was only about 7 feet high. It was also on a very well defined trail over a very well defined and huge scrape. Learned my lesson.
 

volsfan1976

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Dec 27, 2007
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350
Location
Plateau
I have been really lucky as I have had as many as 18 out on public land and never had one stolen. I never had them locked or up high or anything. Mostly all were in places that most people around here would never go. only ever got pics of people on 3maybe 4 of them and when I did I moved those. and those pics were either squirrel hunters or people digging ginseng. 2 times the cameras were spotted. a man and couple kids hunting seen one and were looking at it quite a bit and another time a guy seen it and im pretty sure tried to moon it but thank goodness it was set to 3 pics and not 5. lol. but they never bothered them. the other people never knew they were photographed. the only one I ever had that was bothered was by the only bear I have ever gotten on camera. So I have been extremely lucky but also not dumb about where I put the. A guy at work has bought 5 and had all 5 stolen. But he also put them on a pole in a food plot on his lease. I don't leave them where just anyone can find them easily.
 

JCDEERMAN

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Jul 19, 2008
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17,480
Location
NASHVILLE, TN
I don't hunt public, but some folks take 1 climbing stick out with them. Hang it 2 feet off the ground, step up to top step and hang the camera. 1 stick should get you up over 9 feet
 

flyinpro

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Jun 10, 2013
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1,285
Location
Blount Co, TN
Good ideas. As I said I've pulled my 8 cams of a lease in KY & will start scouting for the last rut rubs on public. i figure real dedicated hunters will be out looking for sheds old rubs as well.
 

PickettSFHunter

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Jan 11, 2004
Messages
21,755
Location
Jamestown, TN
I do every year. This is on public land that hardly gets hunted though until late Winter hog dog season, because there just aren't many deer there. I remove the cameras before the hog dog hunt happens. Never had a problem. I don't do anything special, don't lock them or anything, just not much chance people will be back in there during the Fall.
 

beefydeer

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Joined
Mar 1, 2013
Messages
605
Location
NW TN
I run on cameras on state land. I try to put them in places where they wont be found, but I know going into it there is a chance they will be stolen but I am willing to take the risk.
 

Rackseeker

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Joined
Sep 26, 2002
Messages
8,410
Location
Southern Mid TN
I mostly hunt public land and don't use trail cams before or during season. I like to put a few out as soon as season closes just to see what bucks made it thru the season. I have seen to many times someone gets pics of a buck and thinks its their buck. Also running cameras during the season puts added pressure on mature bucks. Wouldn't bother me if they banned them on public land and put a $10 a piece bounty on them for everyone that is turned in.
 

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