Cell trail cams going to go extinct.

The same way any other game laws are enforced in public land?
That's a bit scary to me. Currently there needs to be reasonable suspicion to enter private land. If a warden saw a truck with gear or a guy in orange on a atv....a tree stand that could be grounds. If the banning of cams is enough to align a guy looking at his phone with the potential that he's checking his camera app....that is essentially free reign to enter. For us in a state with a 99 hour hunting season blowing elk out on day one could mean the end of the seasons opportunity.

I don't care about the cams either way, but I get nervous about how a over zealous or even a jealous warden could use the opportunity for their own gain.
 
That's a bit scary to me. Currently there needs to be reasonable suspicion to enter private land. If a warden saw a truck with gear or a guy in orange on a atv....a tree stand that could be grounds. If the banning of cams is enough to align a guy looking at his phone with the potential that he's checking his camera app....that is essentially free reign to enter. For us in a state with a 99 hour hunting season blowing elk out on day one could mean the end of the seasons opportunity.

I don't care about the cams either way, but I get nervous about how a over zealous or even a jealous warden could use the opportunity for their own gain.

So… you think that it’s somehow different than bag limits? How does the state enforce bag limits on private land?

The laws apply and that means most people are going to comply with them. Even a small chance of getting caught isn’t worth taking game illegally.

And the idiot who brags about violating the law or otherwise attracts a lot of attention - particularly online or through busybody neighbors - gets an extra look. Then the state uses a warrant to prove that all those cell cameras are busily transmitting during hunting season. This isn’t rocket surgery.

Additionally, once they are illegal, no one can brag about the advantages they give. All that bragging is free advertising for the people who sell them.
 
So… you think that it’s somehow different than bag limits? How does the state enforce bag limits on private land?

The laws apply and that means most people are going to comply with them. Even a small chance of getting caught isn’t worth taking game illegally.

And the idiot who brags about violating the law or otherwise attracts a lot of attention - particularly online or through busybody neighbors - gets an extra look. Then the state uses a warrant to prove that all those cell cameras are busily transmitting during hunting season. This isn’t rocket surgery.

Additionally, once they are illegal, no one can brag about the advantages they give. All that bragging is free advertising for the people who sell them.
Bag limits would be addressed after the shots. If a warden heard 200 shots from 2 guys.... he's got what he needs. A single shot is not the same.

I've had 99% great interactions with the wardens and I work with them on some projects. I have however seen a couple in the past that were snakes. I saw one harassing a youth hunter about feathers in a bird vest that was obviously decades old... this at a hunter's breakfast fundraiser. Completely not the way to start the kids season or experience with enforcement.

Luckily Bliss retired long ago.
 
Enforcing on private land will be tougher, but still accomplished. Az banned cell cameras a while ago and trail cameras all together a few years ago. The way our law is written, using them, even in the off season is illegal. Basically, any and all information learned from them is illegal if you hunt, or share your info with anyone. Having them in an area you never hunt, still constitutes "learning" from them.

The land owners that continue to use them after a ban, are poachers, plain and simple. Getting caught usually happens by loose lips, especially in this day and age. I am sure plenty will continue to use them and likely not get caught. It is nice in Az, to walk up to waterholes, and not see 15 cameras. As per usual, a few bad apples ruined it for all of us. Outfitters posting online each year, pictures of their 200 new trail cameras and such.
 
Ultimately trail cameras in the western states were becoming too efficient to be compatible with normal notions of fair chase. Also, they ultimately lead to reduced tags by making success easier.
 
Lol, no, they are not going extinct.

If you see some big whitetail states jump in, then there might be something to it. With the caveat that I am talking about private property, not public. There are probably nearly as many cell cameras deployed in Wisconsin alone as in the entire "backcountry".

 
That's a bit scary to me. Currently there needs to be reasonable suspicion to enter private land. If a warden saw a truck with gear or a guy in orange on a atv....a tree stand that could be grounds. If the banning of cams is enough to align a guy looking at his phone with the potential that he's checking his camera app....that is essentially free reign to enter. For us in a state with a 99 hour hunting season blowing elk out on day one could mean the end of the seasons opportunity.

I don't care about the cams either way, but I get nervous about how an over zealous or even a jealous warden could use the opportunity for their own gain.
It would be no different than how they enforce baiting…..
 
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