Thinking of dumping all cameras.

[BackSpasm]

“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"

 

[overspined]

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"

No axe to grind. I’m not some sort of hater. I care about hunting and the longevity of it, the tradition of it.

I do think you could do ALL of those things you laid out to hunt and ditch the cameras, or could you? I’m really not attacking you or anyone. The truth is without them the game changes DRASTICALLY. If I were a non-hunter, I’d be very against them. As a hunter, I just don’t like them, and think that the non-hunters will judge harshly as Joe Rogan (for example) explains to the world what’s going on.

It’s just not good for the perception of hunting. The social media part will help to end the public support of hunting as the tech makes it look more like murder. I certainly wouldn’t turn a blind eye to the impact of social media. We need that support. I don’t know how long you’ve been seeing the drastic changes occur, but I’ve seen this go from a “trip wire string timer” to real time cell cams surveilling properties. We’re on the path to decrease non-hunter support. State agencies are already banning them. Probably for the best.

 

[cmcclain88]

Yea, I’ve been debating this for a while now. This year I reluctantly put 3 up. Still haven’t checked them and that’s been since august.
I don’t consider myself a lazy person but I’m about to give someone the gps location and they can have them lol

Also tired of the common hunting “buddy” lingo of “got any big ones on cam”. Maybe I like being different but I get tired of the normal tv style of hunting

Since we are both in Ohio, go ahead and send me those GPS locations and I’ll get rid of those cameras for ya. Haha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kyler1945]

No axe to grind. I’m not some sort of hater. I care about hunting and the longevity of it, the tradition of it.

You mentioned crossbows as an equivalent to cameras. You say here the tradition of hunting is what matters to you.

Can you give a two paragraph summary of “the tradition” of hunting that you point to?

I’m awful curious about what exactly you think the folksy pure tradition of hunting is in this country. Which is what I think you’re referring to.

Surely, you’re not referring to the 3 billion year old murder spree that has taken place on earth in pursuit of calories and amino acids….

 

[2Sloe]

“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 forgot to mention guns. Much too easy to kill a deer with a gun. Range finders? Too much of an advantage. Mechanical releases, 80% let off, aluminum or carbon arrow shafts, mechanical broadheads, GPS’s, cell phones, Hunting apps, and on and on and on. Maybe you don’t view those things as “technology” because they have been around all of your life. When I started hunting I didn’t have any of those things so maybe it’s easier for me to recognize them for what they are….technology designed to make hunting easier. The reality is, the only thing you need to kill a deer is a weapon and ammo. You should look at all of the the things that you use to hunt and and ask yourself if you actually “need” any of that stuff to kill a deer or if it just makes your hunting easier. Good Luck!

 

[LtMoe66]

Not that cameras aren’t cool and make it easier seeing what’s on the menu. Thing is, seemed to be more exciting to see a deer that you never new was there before cameras came along. There are pros and cons here for sure but it seemed like I used to get more satisfaction just reading sign, like reading tracks, rub, scrapes and picturing in my mind what he looks like before a camera or cell phone cam sent me the picture.
Anyone feeling like dumping your cameras too?

Dumped mine a while ago. Can’t use on most public land I hunt anymore, plus the fact that it keeps you from going into your areas and leaving scent. Makes you better at reading sign. Taken my 2 biggest deer without them!

 

[Tim0712]

I’ve gone back and forth with using them and not. I don’t mind cell cams because I can put them up in august and forget about them till April. That being said I don’t hunt off the cameras. The cameras give me an idea of how the deer are movin and what’s there for quantity of deer and that’s it. I’ll put them on food sources or bedding to see the travel but if you know where to put cameras you already know what the deer are doing. And if you know what they’re doing then you know where the proper travel corridor or destination spot is for a stand

 

[Robert loper]

I buy cheapo’s like the ones at walmart.
tasco’s are super cheap come end of January start of February. They go down as low as 10$.
I love the cameras because it keeps me in the woods year long. The only times i dont have trail cameras out is from mid febuary to mid to late june but my cameras sit fir at least 2-3 months at a time and some sit 6 months.
Im actually looking for a few to purchase or trade for.
pm me anyone who has any which work and are willing to part with.
i have some things i can trade too

 

[BackSpasm]

You forgot to mention guns. Much too easy to kill a deer with a gun. Range finders? Too much of an advantage. Mechanical releases, 80% let off, aluminum or carbon arrow shafts, mechanical broadheads, GPS’s, cell phones, Hunting apps, and on and on and on. Maybe you don’t view those things as “technology” because they have been around all of your life. When I started hunting I didn’t have any of those things so maybe it’s easier for me to recognize them for what they are

Wait....I knew you were an old fart, but sounds like maybe you were the first fart?!

 

[Loopwing]

This thread really made me think..... I am going to sell all my old cameras and invest in only cell cameras. Keep an eye out on the classifieds in the upcoming weeks.

 

[overspined]

You forgot to mention guns. Much too easy to kill a deer with a gun. Range finders? Too much of an advantage. Mechanical releases, 80% let off, aluminum or carbon arrow shafts, mechanical broadheads, GPS’s, cell phones, Hunting apps, and on and on and on. Maybe you don’t view those things as “technology” because they have been around all of your life. When I started hunting I didn’t have any of those things so maybe it’s easier for me to recognize them for what they are….technology designed to make hunting easier. The reality is, the only thing you need to kill a deer is a weapon and ammo. You should look at all of the the things that you use to hunt and and ask yourself if you actually “need” any of that stuff to kill a deer or if it just makes your hunting easier. Good Luck!

well I began in 1990. So…nope I don’t think there were even cell phones.

So where do we draw the line? I find it odd that we can surveil, in real, time an acreage, and that’s just considered ok and normal? And now thermal scopes sound amazing honestly…. When is it just too easy and too effective? I think we’re there. Want more info, just place more cameras… just does not set well with me.

Funny thing about cell cams, or really any cams, is I love the pictures when I see em… who wouldn’t admire what people catch on camera? I don’t have a deep hatred, just think we’ve already taken this so far with all the mentioned mechanical advantages that we’ve kind of crossed the line of fairness.

yes, I understand there’s still no guarantees, but it sure gets creepy close

 

[neonomad]

well I began in 1990. So…nope I don’t think there were even cell phones.

So where do we draw the line? I find it odd that we can surveil, in real, time an acreage, and that’s just considered ok and normal? And now thermal scopes sound amazing honestly…. When is it just too easy and too effective? I think we’re there. Want more info, just place more cameras… just does not set well with me.

Funny thing about cell cams, or really any cams, is I love the pictures when I see em… who wouldn’t admire what people catch on camera? I don’t have a deep hatred, just think we’ve already taken this so far with all the mentioned mechanical advantages that we’ve kind of crossed the line of fairness.

yes, I understand there’s still no guarantees, but it sure gets creepy close

Cell cams have killed a lot of deer but in practice in many situations it’s not the panacea it sounds like… let’s say you wanted to fully surveil a 200 yard field edge… that alone is probably 5 cameras just for 50% coverage. If they’re batteries the system eventually starts to fall apart and solar will cost you upfront. Many times running cams is a battle of malfunctions as well, it’s a hustle just like anything else. If you have a good spot like a licking branch or a great trail or a giant pile of shell corn the effectiveness probably goes up. A friend and I run 15 cell cams on 150 acres (Cuddelink), sounds crazy just saying it. But one camera per ten acres misses A LOT. The one good buck encounter I had this year, the cams were telling me the action was dead that day, cams were wrong. We both have families and can’t hunt too often, and those cameras have connected me to the woods like never before, I gain something while also losing something (some of the mystery). We don’t hunt corn feeders, buddy got a decent buck this year and it looks like I’ll be eating my tag. The two big shooters we have both lived. All this tech 16 sits and I still can’t get it done.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

A lot of folks are using cell cameras to kill deer in real time. I know a guy who works for a local municipality. We were talking this past summer and deer hunting came up. I asked if he got one and he relayed the following story. He is in a small hunting club within 15 minutes of town. They are big baiters and run spin cast feeders at all their stands and he has started to run cell cameras. I think he told me he had three cameras now.

Here is the "hunt". He was at work and the phone went off. It was his "target buck" at one of his corn feeders. He said he made some excuse, drove back to the office, dropped the work truck and jumped in his personal vehicle which had his rifle in it. He drove out to the lease, all the while getting up to date pictures of the deer at the feeder. He snuck up and shot the deer. He then ran back to the truck, changed into camo and took some grip and grin pictures, then called his son to come get the buck because he was going to be missed at work if he stayed too much longer. He was pretty proud of this accomplishment; especially sense he was still on the clock.

I didn't really know what to say to that.

 

[DroptineKrazy]

A lot of folks are using cell cameras to kill deer in real time. I know a guy who works for a local municipality. We were talking this past summer and deer hunting came up. I asked if he got one and he relayed the following story. He is in a small hunting club within 15 minutes of town. They are big baiters and run spin cast feeders at all their stands and he has started to run cell cameras. I think he told me he had three cameras now.

Here is the "hunt". He was at work and the phone went off. It was his "target buck" at one of his corn feeders. He said he made some excuse, drove back to the office, dropped the work truck and jumped in his personal vehicle which had his rifle in it. He drove out to the lease, all the while getting up to date pictures of the deer at the feeder. He snuck up and shot the deer. He then ran back to the truck, changed into camo and took some grip and grin pictures, then called his son to come get the buck because he was going to be missed at work if he stayed too much longer. He was pretty proud of this accomplishment; especially sense he was still on the clock.

I didn't really know what to say to that.

The baiting seems more unethical to me than the cameras lol.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

The baiting seems more unethical to me than the cameras lol.

It is the default setting here unfortunately. It is a real problem but one that is not likely to go away.

 

[DroptineKrazy]

It is the default setting here unfortunately. It is a real problem but one that is not likely to go away.

I don't know why but I hate the idea of baiting deer and it is strictly illegal here but I don't have a problem at all with baiting bear which is perfectly legal here and I have done it off and on for years. Weird. Maybe cause I've hunted in Northern Maine all my life and the only time I have ever even seen a bear was at my bait.

 

[kyler1945]

I don't know why but I hate the idea of baiting deer and it is strictly illegal here but I don't have a problem at all with baiting bear which is perfectly legal here and I have done it off and on for years. Weird. Maybe cause I've hunted in Northern Maine all my life and the only time I have ever even seen a bear was at my bait.

Haha, you can sum up basically every ethics and morals discussion on this site with that paragraph. Just change whatever the specific details are of the person arguing.

It basically goes “I don’t do X because it’s unethical. I don’t like when other people do X because it’s unethical. I do Y, that is 99.9999% the same as X, because I like it. I never considered just how much X and Y are the same with regard to the specific ethical complaint I’ve made in the past, because I really like Y.”

Appreciate the self reflection and honesty. I wish more people would just say why they actually don’t like something, or admit they don’t know why, instead of making the people who do the thing the out group or bad guy.

 

[kyler1945]

well I began in 1990. So…nope I don’t think there were even cell phones.

So where do we draw the line? I find it odd that we can surveil, in real, time an acreage, and that’s just considered ok and normal? And now thermal scopes sound amazing honestly…. When is it just too easy and too effective? I think we’re there. Want more info, just place more cameras… just does not set well with me.

Funny thing about cell cams, or really any cams, is I love the pictures when I see em… who wouldn’t admire what people catch on camera? I don’t have a deep hatred, just think we’ve already taken this so far with all the mentioned mechanical advantages that we’ve kind of crossed the line of fairness.

yes, I understand there’s still no guarantees, but it sure gets creepy close

Do you drive a combustion engine vehicle to get to your hunting location? If you do, you’re using an advantage that, if removed, would reduce deer killing success rates by 90% at least. I highly doubt if you remove trail cameras from the equation, we’d suddenly start killing a tenth of the deer we do now.

One could make the argument that the vehicle and your eyes are just a crappy trail camera. You can easily drive to the property and scout and surveil the deer, and make hunting strategies based off of the information gathered. No different than a trail camera in concept. Just more efficient.

I still would like to hear the story of the pure American hunting tradition you speak of.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

I don't know why but I hate the idea of baiting deer and it is strictly illegal here but I don't have a problem at all with baiting bear which is perfectly legal here and I have done it off and on for years. Weird. Maybe cause I've hunted in Northern Maine all my life and the only time I have ever even seen a bear was at my bait.

It's all what you grow up with. I've never hunted bear since we don't really have many here. I have seen one in all my years in the woods. I'm like you I guess, and don't see baiting bears as bad, but just never seen it done any other way.

People talk themselves into a lot of things being OK. There are guys around here who poach by running dogs across private property they don't have permission to hunt and shoot deer out their truck windows with high powered rifles on public roads. Do they think they are the bad guys...I seriously doubt it. It is a game to them. Let's see what we can get away with and who we can get one over on. My guess is they see themselves as the underdogs, downtrodden Robin Hood types who are "poaching the King's deer", except in this instance the King is anyone who owns land. Surely anyone who owns property must have cheated in some way to have it since they don't own any themselves?

 

[DroptineKrazy]

I can actually give you another perfect scenario. Chumming in fresh water lakes and ponds is strictly forbidden in Maine and I wouldn't think of ever doing it yet I have no problem at all with chumming when I'm on the saltwater chasing Stripers or Mackerel. Perfectly legal.