Trail camera ethics

[Ryan P]

What do you guys think? I drew a special permit for elk this season. Same tag my dad had last year so I had some knowledge of the area already. I set my camera up on a wallow back in June and have been checking it once a month since. I went back yesterday and on my way to it I could see someone put a salt block in the meadow. Damn. Then I get to my camera and the SD card had been deleted and the batteries were messed with so it wouldn't take any new pictures... really frustrating 2.5hr drive to find that. What are your thoughts? If it were me and I packed a salt lick in and found a camera I'd look to put it somewhere else... 

[dreadi]

I’d be angry. 


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[CP]

Messing with another person’s camera is wrong.  I don’t think anyone will disagree with that.

Now for the controversial part.    I’m assuming this is public land, so hanging a camera by a wallow doesn’t make it “your wallow”.  Maybe there already was a camera there and you didn’t see it.  Somewhere there may be guy bitching that some *censored* put a camera up by his wallow. 

Maybe not, but it is public land so, either you share it, or you move on.  Not worth stewing over.

[Ryan P]

I get that part 100%. I'm just really hoping that he's a muzzy or stick flipper. The salt block is what made me think he set up after he already found my camera not before. If he'd already had a camera there he'd know that there's elk in there twice a day and a block is unnecessary. Either way it's not my land and there's nothing I can do. Set up your own camera idc. Just don't mess with mine. Just makes makes me wanna buy 5 gallons of cat piss n dynamite the area. Lol. Petty I know.

[hunter399]

.....

[Mfowl]

Messing with your cam is lame! If they put out salt and their own cam nearby then so what, no big deal. Probably too late now but maybe set up a "covert" cam watching your initial set up and catch the the jerk messing with it. At least you could blast him on the Internet and perhaps dissuade future bad behavior from him or others.
I don't get why people feel the need to mess with or steal cams. Public is open to all, they aren't deterring others from hunting the area. Some people just suck I guess.

[buckfvr]

I think its about personal moral compass.  If you roll through life like a P.O.S., thats just how you roll and approach life.  No excuse for it, just another sample of humanity.

[Ryan P]

I set up my other cam where you park to walk in there. At least then I can ask someone if it happens again.

[hunter399]

....

[goldenhtr]

I also have another spot that I plan on sitting there opening modern deer season. I don't like "claiming" spots. But if I show up and someone is sitting in my spot. Then we are hunting together and will see who can shoot faster . Basically public land ,I have the same amount of right to be there as the next person.
Some of my spots ,I have had salt there for 5+ years yearly. These are not spots that I showed up a week before season and dropped a salt block,or deer block. Im not gonna move cause someone wants to hunt over my hard work. At the same time,there welcome to sit there and watch me shoot my deer if they choose.

For a moment there I thought you were talking about ethics:) I don't care if you have been coming to this spot for 20years, get up earlier, if someone beats me to a spot then it's theirs. Move on to plan B. They got there first, deal with it and get up earlier the next day. Bad ethics on you for thinking you have rights to a public spot just because you have scouted it. JMO

[hunter399]

I also have another spot that I plan on sitting there opening modern deer season. I don't like "claiming" spots. But if I show up and someone is sitting in my spot. Then we are hunting together and will see who can shoot faster . Basically public land ,I have the same amount of right to be there as the next person.
Some of my spots ,I have had salt there for 5+ years yearly. These are not spots that I showed up a week before season and dropped a salt block,or deer block. Im not gonna move cause someone wants to hunt over my hard work. At the same time,there welcome to sit there and watch me shoot my deer if they choose.

For a moment there I thought you were talking about ethics:) I don't care if you have been coming to this spot for 20years, get up earlier, if someone beats me to a spot then it's theirs. Move on to plan B. They got there first, deal with it and get up earlier the next day. Bad ethics on you for thinking you have rights to a public spot just because you have scouted it. JMO

Nope, not gonna.
Public land is just that .
We will hunt together,or the other will leave.
I don't mind gaining a hunting buddy for day.
If the other guy doesn't want a hunting buddy.
Then he'll have to hunt under somebody's else's feeder and trail cam.
Simple as that.
I'm good with hunting with a stranger,maybe even making a friend.
There is no first come/first served on public land.

Let me ask you.....
Would you hunt somebodys trail cam/feeder?
Just cause you got there first.
Would you sit in someone's tree stand ,just cause you got there first?

Getting to a gate first or access point is one thing.
When your sitting next to someone feeder or in someone tree stand is another. Just my opinion.

Just to be clear ,I will be making every attempt to be there first.
Only reason I created the spot is for my son ,which only has weekend to hunt. There is more than enough public land in the area to hunt. If by chance I'm not there, hunt away,I encourage it,good luck.
Hunt my spot,gain a friend,or move along.
That's there choice.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

They left my cameras alone.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

We all missed the elk

[MeepDog]

A problem I've encountered is a person trying to buy public land by putting up $5000 worth of trail cams and tree stands. It looks like it gets hammered with pressure, but it's a single guy
or small group putting a stand and camera in every available spot. The whole idea of not hunting near someone's camera or tree stand or bait pile goes out the window when they're intentionally taking up every spot. We're talking ladder stands, cell cams, spike steps, tree felling, baiting, the whole nine yards. I know it's a small local group because no one is carrying ladder stands, chainsaws, bulk bait in 4 miles with no horses or vehicles allowed without backdoor private access. I have to give them credit for really canvassing the area, but I'm still going to hunt it under their stands and cams.

[huntnfmly]

I use a section of ladder steps that gets me up about 3ft then put my cam up another 6ft and use a cable lock and lock box with a stick behind it to tilt down.
Take the ladder section with you works great

I also have another spot that I plan on sitting there opening modern deer season. I don't like "claiming" spots. But if I show up and someone is sitting in my spot. Then we are hunting together and will see who can shoot faster . Basically public land ,I have the same amount of right to be there as the next person.
Some of my spots ,I have had salt there for 5+ years yearly. These are not spots that I showed up a week before season and dropped a salt block,or deer block. Im not gonna move cause someone wants to hunt over my hard work. At the same time,there welcome to sit there and watch me shoot my deer if they choose.

For a moment there I thought you were talking about ethics:) I don't care if you have been coming to this spot for 20years, get up earlier, if someone beats me to a spot then it's theirs. Move on to plan B. They got there first, deal with it and get up earlier the next day. Bad ethics on you for thinking you have rights to a public spot just because you have scouted it. JMO

Nope, not gonna.
Public land is just that .
We will hunt together,or the other will leave.
I don't mind gaining a hunting buddy for day.
If the other guy doesn't want a hunting buddy.
Then he'll have to hunt under somebody's else's feeder and trail cam.
Simple as that.
I'm good with hunting with a stranger,maybe even making a friend.
There is no first come/first served on public land.

Let me ask you.....
Would you hunt somebodys trail cam/feeder?
Just cause you got there first.
Would you sit in someone's tree stand ,just cause you got there first?

Getting to a gate first or access point is one thing.
When your sitting next to someone feeder or in someone tree stand is another. Just my opinion.

Just to be clear ,I will be making every attempt to be there first.
Only reason I created the spot is for my son ,which only has weekend to hunt. There is more than enough public land in the area to hunt. If by chance I'm not there, hunt away,I encourage it,good luck.
Hunt my spot,gain a friend,or move along.
That's there choice.

Someone sitting at your site is BS sitting next to that person and wrecking your hunt as well is BS I understand but it’s public land. If you do that you become a DBag  just like the person sitting at you site The problem I have is people thinking it’s their property because they have a cam up

Just move on because if you’ve been getting pics you probably know which direction animals are coming from go sit on that trail