Trail cameras ban

[BSK]

But I do get your point TheLBLman. Personally, I don't hunt on public land anymore (although I might this year). But I do understand the problem as others have described it: cams left covering areas in the woods on public land tend to produce a "this is my hunting spot, move on" mentality. Perhaps there is another answer other than banning cams on public land?

 

[deerhunter10]

I've said it before on here and will say it again. We use trail cameras and also use cell cameras. Mainly on one farm that is 45 minutes away. With that said we have been killing big deer for 20 or 25 years. If they ban them we will still be killing big deer. Is it a crutch not for us but for some for sure. I actually went about 4 or 5 years about 10 years ago that we went without cameras we thought we were doing more damage then help. If I'm not mistaken I think me and bsk got into a spat about that. I hated the extra "pressure" that you can create with them. I have heard stories about people sneaking up on deer because of cell cameras. But it's rare. I would prefer for them not to ban them but it wouldn't surprise me. All of our cameras are out of the woods and won't be back out til July 4ish. But cell cams will for sure be used to kill turkeys big time. Biggest thing is there are pros and cons to absolutely everything do the pros outweigh the cons, and I don't know if anyone will know that for a few years. For deer in tennessee I never see an issue just because of the density of them. Now for turkeys that will be interesting to keep up with.

 

[Lt.Dan]

Then there is the reality of practicability and probabilities.

When you "see" deer in a field with your binoculars, you are normally much closer to having an opportunity to immediately stalk that deer than when one is typically seen on a cell cam pic.

More often, bucks are only "feeding" in a "stalkable" spot for a matter of seconds to a couple of minutes. Perhaps different story if you hunt over corn piles (which opens up another can of worms on ethics).

I run several cell cams year round.
Rarely are they set to "instantly" send pics, simply because they run batteries down so fast that the benefit of a cell cam becomes countered by more frequent visits to replace batteries.

Even when set to "instantly" send, there is still a delay (typically 1 to 3 minutes) before it comes in, and then, the person getting it simply may not be able to view until at least minutes or hours later.
And then, MOST often, the person receiving the pic, even if out hunting during hunting season, is in no position to suddenly go pursue the deer (or turkey) for which a pic just came in (often hours after it was taken).

Sure, there are exceptions to every generality.
But for the most part with most users, cell cams are just another scouting tool.
When it comes to "ethical" perspectives of some, it could be argued a rifle scope is less ethical than any trail cam? Maybe a turkey call? A "real hunter" should use only his own mouth?

One could argue it's just "not fair" that a retired person is free to "scout" (boots on the ground) 7 days a week, while other people have to work? Maybe the state should limit everyone to only being able to hunt 1 day a year, just to be fair to everyone?

Just saying, maybe we should be more concerned about stoking division between hunters than worrying about things that typically are not the problem we fear?

Back to one of my primary thoughts:

I'd rather have lots of hunters doing more of their "scouting" via using trail cams & cell cams
than via their physically more frequently putting their boots on the ground. This is my thought whether private or public lands, again, generally speaking. The less the areas are "disturbed", the better the hunting for everyone, including those who prefer not to use trail cams.

The only advantage I can see for myself is if I'm already asleep in my stand and the cell cam pic wakes me up in time to shoot the deer ( I don't have cell cams but I do set out a few cams to see what my choices could possibly be for the season.

 

[BSK]

I've said it before on here and will say it again. We use trail cameras and also use cell cameras. Mainly on one farm that is 45 minutes away. With that said we have been killing big deer for 20 or 25 years. If they ban them we will still be killing big deer. Is it a crutch not for us but for some for sure. I actually went about 4 or 5 years about 10 years ago that we went without cameras we thought we were doing more damage then help. If I'm not mistaken I think me and bsk got into a spat about that. I hated the extra "pressure" that you can create with them. I have heard stories about people sneaking up on deer because of cell cameras. But it's rare. I would prefer for them not to ban them but it wouldn't surprise me. All of our cameras are out of the woods and won't be back out til July 4ish. But cell cams will for sure be used to kill turkeys big time. Biggest thing is there are pros and cons to absolutely everything do the pros outweigh the cons, and I don't know if anyone will know that for a few years. For deer in tennessee I never see an issue just because of the density of them. Now for turkeys that will be interesting to keep up with.

Just remember the proposed ban is only for public land, not private land.

 

[Swampster]

After 45 miles hiked on public land past 3 weeks, I'm being selfish.... ive seen 3 cell cams, multiple ladder stands, and a baitpile for turkeys on public. Again, just me being selfish, but if it's public, others should have to put the same sweat equity into their season as me. Sure, I could afford to buy 20 cell cams and blanket the national forest ... but doesn't that cheapen the whole experience?

I see stuff like this in Natchez Trace all the time and have seen piles of fish, turkey with head and feet removed.

 

[killingtime 41]

I agree with you that "regular" trail cams are a hit and miss deal that likely doesn't change things very much.

However, the cell cameras are a different animal. They absolutely change the game in the users favor. While getting a picture of an animal and immediately leading to a successful hunt is rare, we have had at least a couple of folks on this site describe that very thing happening this past season.

And, while it wasn't phoned pictures and immediate kills, I can think of three bucks from the lease I hunt that most likely met their demise due to cell cams the past couple of seasons. I don't begrudge any of the three because they were taken by persons that go above and beyond with their help and support on said lease. They deserved all three of them. But, to say that modern technology didn't REALLY help, IMO, just wouldn't be true.

All of us use technology to some degree in our hunting, whether it is improved clothing, great scopes, etc. We definitely aren't in loin cloths shooting a rock on the end of an arrow.

But, like a lot of folks, there are "comfort levels" in using some of the technology we currently have access to. Cell cams to me are approaching the livescope stuff in fishing. I am certainly not wanting either banned, but, both are a step across the ethical line for me.

Agreed 100percent with said statement. I brought up this topic on here last year. Most of the comments said I didn't know what I was talking about there was no advantage. I wasn't even talking about a ban. Just asked if cell cams give an advantage and should be allowed on public. I can't see how they don't

 

[Rakkin6]

My personal opinion and it might be formed because of where I hunt but I believe if you take it in you have to carry it out with you. Not justifying vandalism or thievery but if you were to find let's say a turkey decoy someone left or dropped, a grunt tube, rattling antlers, slate call would you just leave it lay or take it with you? The owners of these items may come back looking for them once they realize they left them behind. But they are in the bed of your truck or in your bag now. Because you know finders keepers losers weepers.

 

[townhall]

saw that

 

[Lt.Dan]

My personal opinion and it might be formed because of where I hunt but I believe if you take it in you have to carry it out with you. Not justifying vandalism or thievery but if you were to find let's say a turkey decoy someone left or dropped, a grunt tube, rattling antlers, slate call would you just leave it lay or take it with you? The owners of these items may come back looking for them once they realize they left them behind. But they are in the bed of your truck or in your bag now. Because you know finders keepers losers weepers.

There are some unscrupulous people out there. Right now I have someone's blind sitting underneath my treestand because the wind had blown it over. The owner knows I have it and where it is, but hasn't come to retrieve it. I am on public land and secure anything I don't want taken. So if it is taken, it was taken on purpose and not "found." I know what I pay for stuff and when I could barely afford this equipment it would have been a blow to me. Now I'm a little better off financially so it wouldn't hurt in that sense. It would hurt that someone stole it, in a personal way. Me, I would never take something that I knew someone left to return to the next day. I know how hard I worked to get my gear. I figure so does the next guy.

 

[Rakkin6]

There are some unscrupulous people out there. Right now I have someone's blind sitting underneath my treestand because the wind had blown it over. The owner knows I have it and where it is, but hasn't come to retrieve it. I am on public land and secure anything I don't want taken. So if it is taken, it was taken on purpose and not "found." I know what I pay for stuff and when I could barely afford this equipment it would have been a blow to me. Now I'm a little better off financially so it wouldn't hurt in that sense. It would hurt that someone stole it, in a personal way. Me, I would never take something that I knew someone left to return to the next day. I know how hard I worked to get my gear. I figure so does the next guy.

Yeah I wouldn't take a mans stand, blind etc but I personally don't like them on public land. Like I said probably because that is what I am used to. Growing up we were to poor to afford cameras and stands and where I hunt now if you get caught with a camera it's a lifetime revocation and if you get caught leaving a stand or blind you lose hunting privileges for a full year from the date it was found on the first offense and second offense you lose them for life.

 

[Speedwell-Hunter]

I can certainly see that for public land.

Links to their reasoning? Definitely interested in this topic

 

[BSK]

Links to their reasoning? Definitely interested in this topic

I have no idea why they did it. But I suspect it is what Rackseeker posted:

Hope TN does the same, but good luck enforcing that law. Nothing more aggravating to me than a bunch of trail cams on public where I hunt. Most hunters around here think they can claim areas just because they run cameras in that area. Then they name the bucks and get mad because you killed "their" buck that they have been getting pics of for the last 3 yrs. LOL.........

 

[TheLBLman]

As stated earlier, I understand the dilemmas are much different on public lands in an arid state like Arizona where there already was (pre-trail cams) much hunter competition on the relatively few water sources.

But the line of thinking many seem to have is much akin to what was once the majority group think when those using rifle scopes on their rifles were a small minority of deer hunters. Much of the bias seems to stem from either not having, or not willing to use, therefore others shouldn't be allowed either.

There are many "items" most of us are using today with our hunting that absolutely increase our opportunities more than trail cams. Among some I believe provide more advantage than trail cams are optical sights, compound bows (instead of recurves), inline percussion cap muzzleloaders (instead of flint & sidelocks), comfortable tree stands (and blinds), etc.

Often, especially over time, it's actually humorous which items get outlawed and which items are legal for hunting based on various claims of fair chase & ethics. A few years ago, tree-stands were outlawed & considered unethical by Michigan deer hunters, yet this same state of hunters made baiting deer legal, and most deer hunting there was done over bait poured on the ground.

If I had to choose between trail cams and any the before mentioned, I would consider not being able to use trail cams the least impactful to my hunting success. Trail cams are mainly just another tool for scouting. Speaking of which, not sure whether I'd prefer forfeiting the use of binoculars or trail cams, as binoculars (in real time) are an extremely valuable scouting tool for me.

 

[TheLBLman]

Nothing more aggravating to me than a bunch of trail cams on public where I hunt. Most hunters around here think they can claim areas just because they run cameras in that area. Then they name the bucks and get mad because you killed "their" buck that they have been getting pics of for the last 3 yrs. LOL.........

Yes, some hunters do in fact lay claim to particular bucks.
And I actually see this as much on private lands as public.

But imo this is not because of trail cams, but rather because of mass hunter ignorance as to normal deer movements coupled with some of those hunters simply be greedy. We were seeing this in hunter behavior long before trail cams came into use.

Some hunters are going to "lay claim" to a particular buck regardless whether they see it in a field with their naked eyes, see it with their binoculars, etc.

What I have more disdain for are those laying claim to a particular buck which happens to utilize the corn feeder in their backyard (or on the 15 acres they own), while that particular buck is weekly roaming & feeding on other people's property over a mile away. Ironically, there are often a dozen different people "laying claim" to "their" or this SAME buck simply because they each periodically see it in their back yard, or no their land, or just wherever they hunt.

 

[killingtime 41]

I wonder if the law or possible law will allow trail cams while season is closed. But must remove prior to season opening. Or is it just an outright ban

 

[Rakkin6]

I wonder if the law or possible law will allow trail cams while season is closed. But must remove prior to season opening. Or is it just an outright ban

I think of they ban them the smart thing would be an outright ban. You will have people abusing the system or saying how they forgot about them or had an emergency (which could very well be true).

 

[ImThere]

Let's get this party started in here

Ban them and ar15s. Nobody needs them for hunting!

 

[Buzzard Breath]

Add Delaware to the list of states banning them on public lands.

Delaware bans trail cameras for recreational use in state wildlife areas, forests, and parks

Trail cameras for recreational use are now banned in state wildlife areas, state forests, and state parks.

www.delawarepublic.org

 

[DRHUNTR]

I have no problem with that. I'm like some of the others have said - I hate walking in on public land and seeing people's trail cams, blinds, tree stands, etc. left in the woods. It litters the woods. Also, they are left there in some sort of effort to mark their territory. And, at times, they are just left out there to grow into the trees and make a mess. I'd like to see all public land, whatever you carry in, you carry out that day. OR..if it's a short term - 2-3 day hunt, leave it there till the hunt ends, then it leaves. I personally don't mind someone leaving a stand in a spot or a camera in a spot to hunt it on a short term hunt. I don't like when it's left out there they whole season or in some cases, forever.

Reminds me of a lease I was on many years ago. It was bowater land, so 90% of it was basically unhuntable because it was thick pines. The only hardwoods were creek bottoms throughout the property. Some guy on the lease marked every single strip of hardwoods with Surveyor's tape. I asked the President of the lease "why?". He said, "well, he's just marking the spots he hunts so he can find them". I said NO! Because he's marked every strip of hardwoods - how does that help you find anything?? He's marking them so everyone knows he's hunting there and everyone else leave those spots alone. Often, that's what's happening when someone leaves stands, blinds, cameras, etc out on public land. The goal is to keep others away from their spot. I just don't like it. But, that's me.

Like the profile pic. Lol Had to look twice.
You have nice plaques though. Mines bargain basement.

 

[7mm08]

And then you catch this guy just trying to have a little private time!!