arizona, cameras, interesting

[Headhunter]

https://mountainlion.org/2021/06/14...rail-cameras-for-aiding-the-take-of-wildlife/
I personally like it. Tongue in cheek, but kind of serious, to me cameras are cheating to some extent, especially cameras that send pics to your phone or computer. I am not bashing anyone or saying I am a better hunter than anyone, truth be told, I am possibly the worst hunter there is, but I am persistent, my thought process is I never give up and eventually a stupid deer will show up. That thought process applies to all my hunting and fishing actually.

I am not advocating for it, but if it became law anywhere I hunt, it would not bother me. Never used a camera, other than to catch trespassers or thieves, but I have basically never used a camera for deer. I don't see a ban happening though since I think the camera business is a huge business that makes a lot of money.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

There is some chatter about this in another forum:

https://www.tndeer.com/threads/arizona-says-bye-bye-to-trail-cams.404630/

 

[DoubleRidge]

Not surprised on public land.....but on private land I don't agree.....trail cameras can be a useful tool for private land managers for a variety of reasons other than "killing deer".....some of what can be learned from a camera survey can be used to make decisions that benefit the deer...then there is the benefit of catching or deterring tresspassers ...but with that said I can see where hundreds of people running cameras on certain public land units in Arizona could have a negative effect on wildlife putting extra stress on the herd during a time period where they normally wouldn't experience stress....for me personally cameras have saved a bunch of deers lives....what I thought was a "shooter" before I ran cameras now is a nice buck....but I know there has been an older age class buck in the area so I'm more patient to hold out and give the younger "nice buck" a pass.....on private land the good outweighs the bad IMO.

 

[Ski]

trail cameras can be a useful tool for private land managers for a variety of reasons other than "killing deer"

Bingo. I can't say I've ever tagged a deer based on trail cam info, but I can say 100% that running trail cams has made me a better hunter. They let me understand deer behavior and herd dynamics in ways I never got to see while hunting.

As for the AZ ban, I don't really have an opinion because I don't know much about the situation or reasoning. I do think it's maybe overreach to ban them on private ground, though. I wouldn't be surprised if that gets legally challenged.

 

[timberjack86]

I think they hurt more than they help but that's my take on em. I still enjoy the pictures. But hey it's just another freedom taken away by a form of Government.

 

[PalsPal]

I see the cell cams as potentially eroding the "fair-chase" aspect.

I could have cams setting on trails near where I'm hunting, and could be alerted from which direction a deer might be approaching.

Or, I could get a picture that a deer had just entered a field. If I'm close enough, I could slip to that field and get a shot.

Now, normal trail cameras where you have to actually go to the camera to see the pics, I do not see an advantage gained.

 

[scn]

Cell cams go a long way in taking it from hunting to killing.

Sort of like the livescopes in fishing. Both definitely across the ethical line for me.

 

[BSK]

I could have cams setting on trails near where I'm hunting, and could be alerted from which direction a deer might be approaching.

Or, I could get a picture that a deer had just entered a field. If I'm close enough, I could slip to that field and get a shot.

There are now cams that will "live stream" the video/images, in that you are watching through the camera live. I think that could really cross some ethical boundaries.

 

[scn]

In the "off" season, I can see their place for monitoring the property for illegal activities and a better census of animals on the property.

During the season, it crosses the line for me.

 

[philsanchez76]

I can definitely see both sides but I think taking away cams would greatly hinder getting the next generation excited about hunting. There's nothing like showing a kid a picture of a huge buck to help keep his interest. Hunting is hard at first and filled with alot of failure and that's why most young people quit.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I can definitely see both sides but I think taking away cams would greatly hinder getting the next generation excited about hunting. There's nothing like showing a kid a picture of a huge buck to help keep his interest. Hunting is hard at first and filled with alot of failure and that's why most young people quit.

There is definitely something to that. Kids these days have a need for immediate gratification. Hunting is the complete opposite of that and surely has something to do with the dwindling number of kids getting into hunting. They need that adrenaline rush…and they need that rush often. That doesn't coincide with hunting, even though that's what hunting shows tend to project.

 

[BSK]

I can definitely see both sides but I think taking away cams would greatly hinder getting the next generation excited about hunting. There's nothing like showing a kid a picture of a huge buck to help keep his interest.

And not just kids! As I've said many times, cameras have never helped me kill a particular deer. But the pictures from cameras have definitely kept me excited about hunting at times when my enthusiasm had been flagging. THAT has probably helped me kill deer - getting me back into the woods when what I had personally seen from the stand was not providing encouragement.

 

[MickThompson]

I can definitely see both sides but I think taking away cams would greatly hinder getting the next generation excited about hunting. There's nothing like showing a kid a picture of a huge buck to help keep his interest. Hunting is hard at first and filled with alot of failure and that's why most young people quit.

In this specific instance, I don't think we have to worry about recruiting the next generation with desert hunting in Arizona

I think we lose just as many if it's too easy. First hunts need to be exciting and not uncomfortable but not necessarily successful in terms of game being bagged

 

[TheLBLman]

I suspect trail cams, including cell cams, have caused about as many hunters to NOT kill a particular buck as to kill a particular buck.

Where they have most helped me is in sorting out bucks using a general area, deciding in advance which bucks I consider NON-shooters, which ones are shooters to me, and trying to determine specific features that make each more identifiable.

Particular bucks are often killed over a mile from where someone "thinks" he's going to kill it based on his trail cam pics.

Generally speaking, trail cam pics are more a tool for deer management than deer hunting, although pics can motivate one to hunt longer & harder. The downfall for most hunters is that those pics cause them to over-hunt (ruin) a particular spot, actually decreasing their odds of killing a particular "target" buck.

 

[Rakkin6]

I say on public land it is up to that state, not sure why you would out a trail cam up on public land anyways it will probably just get stolen. Private land is a different matter, I don't think the government should be telling people how to manage their private property. What is the difference between a camera on my.tree and one watching my driveway or front porch.

 

[BSK]

Where they have most helped me is in sorting out bucks using a general area, deciding in advance which bucks I consider NON-shooters, which ones are shooters to me, and trying to determine specific features that make each more identifiable.

When it comes to hunting success, this is probably the greatest aid I receive from trail-cameras. I've sorted and analyzed the pictures so many times, and learned to identify each buck's unique characteristics so well, that the instant I catch a glimpse of a buck I know who he is and whether he's a "shooter" or not. I don't have to watch him moving through the trees 80 yards away trying to figure out how old he is or what his antler configuration is. As soon as I get a glimpse of him I can start setting up for a potential shooting opportunity instead of trying to get a better look.

 

[Dean Parisian]

Tonight as you sleep, in remote, alpine high country, tucked into their tents lie young whipper snappers, employed by world-class outfitters, to "sit-on" some massive muleys and 400 inch bulls. These guys are running trail camera's for that client who can dish out major $$$ for a shot at a once-in-a-lifetime animal. It's a business.

 

[Andy S.]

^^^^^ What I had got wind of, glad to hear it from a reputable source. Thanks for weighing in Dean.