# Will game cams be banned?



## bad luck (Apr 9, 2009)

Utah just outlawed them.









Utah Bans Trail Cameras for Hunters


It's one of the most divisive issues Utah sportsmen have ever faced, but the end has finally come for trail camera use for hunters.




www.bowhunting.com


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

What's next, you can't take your cell phone hunting???..sounds ridiculous.
Is a cell phone not a handheld transmitting device?


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

Highly unlikely.


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## HeaVyMeTaLFiSHinGFiEnD (Oct 2, 2010)

Probably. Seems nowadays everyone just sits back and watches all of their rights stripped away without doing much about it besides whining on facebook.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

It's Utah, where it's fine to have several wives, but trail cameras cross the moral boundary.


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## HeaVyMeTaLFiSHinGFiEnD (Oct 2, 2010)

M.Magis said:


> It's Utah, where it's fine to have several wives, but trail cameras cross the moral boundary.


Several wives? Sounds like absolute torture. No wonder they're all miserable.


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## Bluefinn (Jan 26, 2007)

HeaVyMeTaLFiSHinGFiEnD said:


> Several wives? Sounds like absolute torture. No wonder they're all miserable.


That's a good one. My trail cam isn't going anywhere, just like my guns.


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

Usually use it for trespassers also ..... good grief ..... catch me if you can (I rarely put one out anyway)


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## Smitty82 (Mar 13, 2011)

Utah again proposes a ban on trail cameras during hunting season after pause on idea


State wildlife biologists are again proposing a ban on the use of trail cameras in hunting a few months after they pulled the proposal to further survey hunters after some initial backlash.




www.ksl.com





It seems like the majority of hunters there Approve during the big game timeframe. You know some big outfits are specially using the real time information to get their clients a better shot at an animal.


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## bad luck (Apr 9, 2009)

It’s completely different hunting out west than here , Will be interesting to see if other western states follow their lead.


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

It seems like the majority of hunters there Approve during the big game timeframe. You know some big outfits are specially using the real time information to get their clients a better shot at an animal.
[/QUOTE]
That's usually high fence though so I don't see that making much difference.


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## Southernsaug (May 23, 2019)

Arizona made cameras illegal too.


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

Like was said earlier . It's completely different out there . It had gotten pretty bad to the point that public water holes may have 10-30 cameras around them .


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## OptOutside440 (Feb 3, 2019)

It wouldn’t bother me one bit if trail cameras were banned, same goes for corn feeders and baiting. I much prefer hunting over sign just as I did as a kid. My Dad showed me how to scout for deer as a kid. The fun in hunting is the mystery to me. You see a large deer track and find a big rub and you know something grand is out there. I was able to harvest a really nice 8 point buck this season. I was in the woods later in the year after gun season and was walking along and kicked up a bedded buck that was probably one of the largest I saw in my life! Would I have passed on that really nice 8 point I harvested if I would have known that other deer was out there? Not at all. Being out in the woods, scouting, and learning about deer habitat is more rewarding than just relying on a trail camera. Personally it takes excitement away by having trail cameras.


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## Southernsaug (May 23, 2019)

I don't use game cameras, but I don't have any objection either. I think it's neat to see what is out there 24/7. I will confess I prefer hunting without the aide of a camera or feeder. The experience is just richer to me that way, but I have no ill feelings towards anyone who does. Bait, on the other hand, is something I frown on, but wouldn't ever tell anyone not to do it. I understand why they bait and to each his own.


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## triton175 (Feb 21, 2006)

Didn’t see any mention about public vs. private land. If it’s public land then the bureaucrats can pass whatever laws they want. Private land, that’s another story. Don’t think they can tell people what they can/can’t do on their own land


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## Southernsaug (May 23, 2019)

your right triton175. What happens if the landowner simply says, "it's not a game camera, it's a security camera" ?


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## bad luck (Apr 9, 2009)

Can only speculate that’s it’s like rifles, even though private property, still can only use straight cartridges


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## Smitty82 (Mar 13, 2011)




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## Smitty82 (Mar 13, 2011)

Have no clue how they’d enforce that, other than relying on the integrity of the land owner.


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## Ten Bears (Jan 12, 2012)

bad luck said:


> Utah just outlawed them.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



But officer I was just bird watching.


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## Morrowtucky Mike (May 2, 2018)

There’s a lot of things out there that are hard to enforce. Yet even if you get away with it you are still poaching period. Wether you would agree with it or not, the law is the law. I use trail cams but won’t use the ones that send real time pics to my phone. Perfectly legal in Ohio I just choose not too. It would suck if they made all cams illegal here but I understand why they would in some states out west.


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

Smitty82 said:


> Have no clue how they’d enforce that, other than relying on the integrity of the land owner.


They wouldn't enforce it on private property.


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

I don't think we will see them banned in a wide spread manner. A lot of money to be lost by the companies that make them if they did.


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## DH56 (Dec 31, 2012)

bad luck said:


> It’s completely different hunting out west than here , Will be interesting to see if other western states follow their lead.


Arizona and Nevada already did. Montana banned all trail cams in 2010, then reinstated them in 2017 and only allows standard trail cameras and cell cameras(Those that transmit pictures right to your phone in real time) are not allowed. All of the Bans apply to hunting or seasons. and not for personal use or security.

Boone and Crocket also does not allow the use of cell cameras on any new entries. This is driven on the ethical harvest as "Fair Chase" when cell cam pics and other high technology provides and unfair advantage. Evidently 2/3 of the hunters surveyed in Utah also agreed based on the article.

Hunting out West has other Big Game involved(Elk, Antelope, Mountain Lion, Moose, Mountain Goats etc.) and is highly coveted by hunters. Some of this was caused by selling pictures and coordinates, using cell cams to go after game right when you receive the picture knowing exactly where they are at at that time, and placing many cams by many people at watering holes or areas that are frequented by Big Game causing issues for the game being constantly disturbed and with other hunters.


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## Bluefinn (Jan 26, 2007)

Well now I know why they were banned. Money over ethics & morality. I have a cheap Moultrie that I change the memory card & put it in a Canon camera to download the pics on my laptop.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

OptOutside440 said:


> It wouldn’t bother me one bit if trail cameras were banned, same goes for corn feeders and baiting. I much prefer hunting over sign just as I did as a kid. My Dad showed me how to scout for deer as a kid. The fun in hunting is the mystery to me. You see a large deer track and find a big rub and you know something grand is out there. I was able to harvest a really nice 8 point buck this season. I was in the woods later in the year after gun season and was walking along and kicked up a bedded buck that was probably one of the largest I saw in my life! Would I have passed on that really nice 8 point I harvested if I would have known that other deer was out there? Not at all. Being out in the woods, scouting, and learning about deer habitat is more rewarding than just relying on a trail camera. Personally it takes excitement away by having trail cameras.


Disagree on the lack of excitement. I really enjoy pulling my cards and seeing what is on the property. It’s exciting every time a put a sd card in the laptop. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes with how they hunt.

I’m not on board with the thought process that if you don’t utilize or like the tools that are available that you don’t care if they are taken away. We all have different methods and ways of enjoying the outdoors. We don’t need more things taken away from us.


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## one3 (Dec 1, 2015)

Do not object to cameras. They help in many ways. Baiting and feeders, can go. MHO


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## Buzzy (Jul 2, 2011)

We are always going to keep getting better at killing/catching things. Look at the jumps fishing has made in the past 30 years it’s insane. That’s where I understand the ethics. As a very valuable technology becomes more accessible it’s easier for everyone to harvest. For better or worse we have to ethically manage the population we harvest and that may be by not allowing this.

Right?


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## Moo Juice (Jan 20, 2021)

I wonder if fish finders could be considered game cams.


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## Smitty82 (Mar 13, 2011)

The majority of hunters in Utah were in favor of the ban. It’s their state, if they think it best for where they live then who are we to judge?


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

Smitty82 said:


> The majority of hunters in Utah were in favor of the ban. It’s their state, if they think it best for where they live then who are we to judge?


Well hell...why'd he even start a thread on it huh?


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## Smitty82 (Mar 13, 2011)

🤣


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## RossN (Mar 12, 2021)

Enforcing this "law" should be, well, difficult to say the least.


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

RossN said:


> Enforcing this "law" should be, well, difficult to say the least.


Why? The cameras have a time, date stamp, gps location and send to your phone and email? That's the easiest evidence trail ever.

reelylivinsportfishing.com


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

I'm in agreement with what BobK said. I run multiple cameras all year long because I get a lot of enjoyment out of it. One of my favorite summer weekend activities is to go around and pull cards and view them in the shade with a cold beer. I love watching antlers grow from week to week. I like moving cameras around to find out who's traveling where and checking out different food sources.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Muddy said:


> I'm in agreement with what BobK said. I run multiple cameras all year long because I get a lot of enjoyment out of it. One of my favorite summer weekend activities is to go around and pull cards and view them in the shade with a cold beer. I love watching antlers grow from week to week. I like moving cameras around to find out who's traveling where and checking out different food sources.


Same here!
These days...will shoot a big buck but don't particularly horn hunt like I used to.
Get the most enjoyment just checking the cams seeing what's running around the woods.
This thread is a reminder...Gonna have to get out and check mine. Prolly been better than a month since I last did.


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

fastwater said:


> Same here!
> These days...will shoot a big buck but don't particularly horn hunt like I used to.
> Get the most enjoyment just checking the cams seeing what's running around the woods.
> This thread is a reminder...Gonna have to get out and check mine. Prolly been better than a month since I last did.


You better get out there, and take extra batteries!


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Muddy said:


> You better get out there, and take extra batteries!


Good idea Muddy...thanks for the reminder.


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## turkeyt (Apr 13, 2006)

Makes one wonder if the camera issue started with “some“ of the big time outfitters making the wrong people mad.


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