“Because it’s legal” There just comes a point where surveillance and assassinations are more appropriate terms than hunting. Cams are like xbows, everyone has an excuse to use em. It’s not like I care that much, and not like my opinion matters, but it’s not woodsmanship, it’s all to make things easier in one way or another. It’s just strange being so proud of something found by not looking, by not being there when’s it was, and using information when you weren’t there to decide when to make a move. So surreal in the world when I would’ve thought a main point of hunting is to connect to nature and disconnect from technology. Most of us are short on time, families and jobs. So you didn’t know a great buck was around and some years you get him and some years you don’t. Does it really matter that you didn’t get to post a pic to impress us all on social media, or you post a 6 and not a 10? Nobody really cares is the truth. They’re happy you did whatever, and probably too busy surveilling their own property to impress you, as they sit in their stand checking all the sites online in the tree that they can’t identify. Yep, I’m a little sad how far it’s gone..
You seem to have an axe to grind here in general but I will just say this.... many many many guys are out there sitting in ladder stands never having glanced at a single trail camera photo with no "woodsmanship"
However, most of the guys I know who have an extremely dialed camera game excel at reading sign, reading terrain, finding rut sign, studying wind and weather patterns, and have a generally careful and thoughtful approach to how they hunt. Obviously there are exceptions and a cell cam on a feeder isn't exactly I high skill situation. What I am suggesting is that you are putting everyone in one bucket here and I just can't get on board with your logic at all. I won't even touch the social media part either. I agree with you that there is a line that is too far and it varies for anyone, but for many of us trail cameras are a way to go deeper and think more critically about the approach... not an "easy button"