Would you check someone else’s trail cam?

[TimberMuleys]

Just curious what everyone’s opinion is on this:

You come across a trail camera in an area you hunt. Are you willing to check it? Nothing more, just open the camera, check the card on your phone, and put it right back. Not deleting pictures or messing with camera, just checking the card. (This is also assuming the camera does not have a lock box you would have to mess with. )

And if you knew someone had checked your camera, like stated, would you be frustrated?

I personally have checked cameras before, and personally don’t care if people check mine as long as they don’t mess with anything else. I’m just curious if that is how many other people feel as well?


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[follow maggie]

I wouldn’t. It’s not mine so I leave it alone. I might pose for it, though.

[jasnt]

Not cool at all.  If you want intell on the area put up your own cams

[TimberMuleys]

Not cool at all.  If you want intell on the area put up your own cams

Only checked 2. Both were within 400yds of cameras I had up before theirs were up. Found them going to refresh salts.


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[KrisKamm27]

I'm not a trail cam guy but personally I wouldn't touch one. I imagine they get stolen all the time? I would not want to break someones camera by accident,  or interfere with a series of images from a project. I 100% would not want to be caught messing with someones camara as they come walking down the trail feeling salty because their other 3 cameras are missing/ stolen.  I personally would not be upset if I had a trail cam and someone copied or viewed it. I could imagine someone else diving into a fist fight if their camera was touched.

[Twispriver]

It's like pulling someone else's crab pot - Big No for me

[hunter399]

I wouldn't.... cause I don't want anyone messing with mine.
I've had people setup within a 100 yards of mine,we co-existed pretty well I think.
Past 5 years I've cable locked or lock boxes all mine. Pretty much impossible to check it without damage.
SD cards get corrupted,the more devices that are reading it.

With all that said ,I'd rather have someone check the card and return it to working order. Then steal or damage it.
I've had a handful of cards and cameras stolen. It sucks.

[Rainier10]

I would not.

[Blacktail Sniper]

Like has been said, not yours so leave it be.

[b0bbyg]

Nope, not mine but yours.

That being said there is one I really want to check because I think it is abandoned. Been there at least 2 seasons now.

Unit 560 back of an old cut area with a treestand near by and unused lockbox as well.
I'll check and retrieve next year if yours and you contact me

Curious how many times my group is on it, chased elk through there more than once

[Timberstalker]

That's like walking into someone's tent and just "checking" things out, and walking out.

Not I. I actually try to walk around cameras I see in the woods.

 

[ghosthunter]

Nope not mine ,no touch.

Might be interesting to know age of responders to this question. I am guessing there is an age cut off between would and would not.

I am 73

[BD1]

I wouldn’t. It’s not mine so I leave it alone. I might pose for it, though.

   100%

[trophyhunt]

Normally no, don’t touch others stuff. But this one cell camera I found in the same spot for 3 years, it looked like it was abandoned or forgotten. I opened it up and water came out of it, the batteries were starting to rust the contacts, obviously hadn’t been opened in a long time.  I took the batteries out, cleaned the contacts as well as I could, and took the card home to see if pics would give me any clues to who’s it was.  Went back out and replaced w good batteries, put card back in, it gave me no clues to ownership.  After installing new batteries, the cell cam wasn’t working so I just left it where it was.  Pretty sure it’s still there today, I’ll check in a bit during shed season.

[TimberMuleys]

Nope not mine ,no touch.

Might be interesting to know age of responders to this question. I am guessing there is an age cut off between would and would not.

I am 73

Could be. I asked the question because I wondered if I had become “numb” to having people mess with mine or people I knows cams. Seems like there’s always someone I know who has someone break it, steal cards, “snowball” the lens, steal the camera, point it away from the trail, etc., that just someone simply checking a card and putting it back doesn’t seem like a big deal to me anymore. I feel “lucky” that that is all they did. I currently run about 20+ cams year round and when running that many cams, you’re going to have run-ins with other hunters. If I don’t want my camera messed with, I put a lockbox on it. I see a camera as a tool, and if someone leaves a knife out in the woods, and I need to cut something, I may use it, but not take it. I don’t understand the other comments comparing it like going into someone’s tent. Nobody sleeps inside of cameras. Same with crab pots, you’re not directly affecting someone’s food source, or livelihood. If you want to compare it to a crab pot, I would see it more as looking at an underwater camera of the crab pot and seeing what is in it, not pulling it out and checking for crabs.


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