Delaware public land trail camera ban

[BTaylor]

I was watching on of Dan Infalt's videos the other day and he made a great point. Josh asked him whether he thought cameras were better for learning an area or glassing and he said glassing. Albeit they were also discussing shining/spotlighting deer (which is highly illegal here but legal where they are) as a means to see what deer are in an area and what is out there. His point was that a camera just covers a tiny area and won't begin to give you a real clue about what is out there and what they are doing.

There is some validity to that argument. A trail cam is definitely looking through a straw. The question though is who is using that cam, the guy that found an oak tree dropping acorns and threw a cam up to see what deer might be coming by or the guy that has studied the maps and walked the ground and is using cams to pinpoint their hunt setups because they want to hunt a specific deer? I would not be bothered in the least if they banned cams on public here, some public ground here they are already banned. I would not be in favor of an outright ban on all ground though.

 

[Bwhana]

This is a great move and would love to see it across all states. I would also favor a very simple rule on all public that solves 99% of various issues on public, but is too simple and won’t happen.

On public land, you should be required to take any camera, stand, bolts, sticks, steps, markers, fill-in-the-blank, in with you and back out with you when you leave. Nothing stays overnight! I’m not a proponent of baiting, but even that could apply to this simple rule if so motivated.

Private is a completely different world and should be treated as such.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

I have a strong suspicion that cameras miss a lot that is basically right in front of them also. I had this brought home a couple of times. Once while I was hunting a spot that I had a camera at I had deer under me all morning. I swapped cards and when I checked it that night, I only got one picture of one of those deer even though there had been 4 and they stuck around a while. The other instance was a spot that both I and a friend had a camera at the same spot. I got a picture of a good buck on my camera and commented on it. He said he checked his card the day before and did not get that buck on camera even though the cameras were only a few feet apart.

 

[Robert loper]

There is some validity to that argument. A trail cam is definitely looking through a straw. The question though is who is using that cam, the guy that found an oak tree dropping acorns and threw a cam up to see what deer might be coming by or the guy that has studied the maps and walked the ground and is using cams to pinpoint their hunt setups because they want to hunt a specific deer? I would not be bothered in the least if they banned cams on public here, some public ground here they are already banned. I would not be in favor of an outright ban on all ground though.

great point in who is using the cameras and for what reason

 

[Robert loper]

I have a strong suspicion that cameras miss a lot that is basically right in front of them also. I had this brought home a couple of times. Once while I was hunting a spot that I had a camera at I had deer under me all morning. I swapped cards and when I checked it that night, I only got one picture of one of those deer even though there had been 4 and they stuck around a while. The other instance was a spot that both I and a friend had a camera at the same spot. I got a picture of a good buck on my camera and commented on it. He said he checked his card the day before and did not get that buck on camera even though the cameras were only a few feet apart.

I agree 100% I actually think that some bucks will skirt them just like they will skirt known preset stands or blinds

 

[Rutman]

Surprising that so many on here are for more government control of their lives….


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[GeoFish]

Surprising that so many on here are for more government control of their lives….


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I am used to control of my life, been married for 42 years, LOL.

 

[Plebe]

Surprising that so many on here are for more government control of their lives….
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For someone who doesn’t use trail cameras, it’s just government control of “your” lives, lol.

 

[OSUTodd]

I don't see a problem with anyone having a trail camera on public land. Putting a camera out somewhere doesn't interfere with anyone else's hunt in any way. It doesn't stake a claim to a spot or keep anyone from hunting nearby. I actually like seeing other hunters' cameras because it's a clue to the level of pressure in an area.

I have six cameras total, no cell cameras, but I really only put them all out in July and August. That first year was a real eye opener concerning the size of the deer that live where I hunt. I had no idea the quality of deer out there. Then I leave one or two out through the season, but put them in areas I have never hunted and don't plan to that season.

I have learned more about deer and the places they are and aren't in the last two years than in my previous 30+ years hunting. It's a long slow learning curve when you only get one day a week to hunt, but the cameras I left out from October to January was like getting the experience of hunting a spot 24/7 for four months.

I had one that had very few triggers. That was eye opening. I had one that showed very little activity, then was a parade of deer for about 10 days in November. Another camera had a ton of activity, but almost entirely at night.

Then I might scatter some around for a month or two late in the season in some new areas, just to get an idea what might be around next year.

 

[kbetts]

Trail cams make it easier, how much easier is open to argument.
Gov't control......can't bait either. Not the same I know, but it's their call.

Time. That's what does it. Time in stand, being able to watch from a safe distance. Then make one or two moves in consecutive sits and shoot one. I hope we all get more of those days.

 

[DE bow hunter]

Do you go by the same name on Insta?

No. I’m not on instagram or any other social media

 

[DE bow hunter]

Delaware Bans Trail Cameras for Recreational Use on State Wildlife Areas, State Forests, and State Parks - State of Delaware News

DNREC and DDA have determined that trail cameras for recreational use are no longer to be permitted on state wildlife areas, state parks, or state forests.

news.delaware.gov

 

[DE bow hunter]

I do t really have a problem with it. I’ve been putting boots to the ground since I was a kid. I hope it keeps the masses out of the woods but I don’t think anyone is going to abide by the rules

 

[Jammintree]

Delaware Bans Trail Cameras for Recreational Use on State Wildlife Areas, State Forests, and State Parks - State of Delaware News

DNREC and DDA have determined that trail cameras for recreational use are no longer to be permitted on state wildlife areas, state parks, or state forests.

news.delaware.gov

Most Interesting is the final reason DE provides for banning trail cams. This is worthy of a thread all its own.

• Ethical issues associated with using cellular trail cameras for “trophy hunting” to the extent that the Boone & Crocket Club, keeper of “big game” records, does not recognize animals taken by hunters helped in their harvest by cellular trail cameras.

 

[Jammintree]

Most Interesting is the final reason DE provides for banning trail cams. This is worthy of a thread all its own.

• Ethical issues associated with using cellular trail cameras for “trophy hunting” to the extent that the Boone & Crocket Club, keeper of “big game” records, does not recognize animals taken by hunters helped in their harvest by cellular trail cameras.

So as to not detail this thread:

B&C label cell cams unethical

Recent announcements that the state of Delaware is banning trail camera use on public land cite the Boone and Crocket clubs ethical stance Regarding cell cams. Apparently the organization will no longer score bucks killed with the aid of cellular trail cams. So apparently they have drawn a...

saddlehunter.com

 

[WISCO]

It wont stop people from using them. You are not allowed to leave tree stands up on a lot of public lands and people do, baiting is illegal in most of my state and yet everyone does it. A lot of the public I hunt is owned by paper companies that put their land in forest crop so they dont have to pay taxes on it. so the green shirts dont have a say in anything except license and bag limits.

 

[arrowchukker]

Trail cams, if used for intelligence gathering purposes, may, and I repeat “may” help you lock down a bucks areas a little better. Say it makes the average hunter 5-8% more efficient at killing deer. Here in VA, it takes roughly 12 weeks to harvest 200,000 to 220,000 deer. If you are 5-8% more efficient, just shorten the season 5-8%.

 

[Rutman]

Where baiting is illegal, corn still flies off the shelf September thru November… Banning cell cams won’t accomplish anything but making people better at hiding the cams. The guy that runs dozens of cams isn’t going to not put them out. You can guess what I’d do… But when something’s been legal for years, then all of a sudden some bureaucrat decides that it’s now illegal…. Screw them.


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[Halfstep]

Where baiting is illegal, corn still flies off the shelf September thru November… Banning cell cams won’t accomplish anything but making people better at hiding the cams. The guy that runs dozens of cams isn’t going to not put them out. You can guess what I’d do… But when something’s been legal for years, then all of a sudden some bureaucrat decides that it’s now illegal…. Screw them.


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A few years back during early bow season, I seen a friend of mine at Wally World and he had several bags of corn. I ask him if he was going to dump out a corn pile in front of his tree stand. He said he no, but he was going to plant some "no-till" corn by his tree stand. lol

 

[Mitchellfarmer1982]

I think the ban would be pointless in Arkansas bc so few laws regarding leaving items are enforced currently. I do not believe they help as much as people are saying. If anything I think it hurts more people than it ever helps. Some people are smart enough to utilize them correctly and it helps but will never kill a deer for anyone.