Arizona banning cameras ?
General Topic
Did I hear that there banning cameras ?
Yes sir,over the weekend the comission voted to ban cameras for the purpose of hunting.
Yet the use of radios (electronic communication) and spotlighting are still legal in Arizona... they have no Fair Chase argument. Ed F
Ed, you forgot 1,000+ yard rifles, 300+ yard muzzys, and 150+ yard crossbows.
Don't forget the airbow...
Don’t forget the 100 yard compound bows.
Good to hear. There is nothing easier about revealing an animal's habits and patterns than a camera on a water hole. Maybe other states will follow suit.
Glad to hear it as well. I wonder if it will make drawing a non resident tag any easier? I'm 18 years years deep and not sure when I'll ever draw. Certainly does not help with these outfitters using multiple guys, closing roads, etc. to pinpoint and keep tabs on a 470 class bull so a rich dude can just walk up, lay down, and make the shot. Then has to ride a mule over to the bull because he's too fat to walk over to where the bull died. Regardless of how much of that money went to wildlife conservation, It's unfair to the average hunter! Id love to see a ban on outfitters being able to use massive amounts of people to keep tabs on an animal and tip the scale in a rich person's favor. If you can't do it yourself on your own then go play golf or something!
I wish NM would follow AZ! I drew a 16A first season and my hunting buddy wants to put out a bunch of cameras. And of course we have to buy lock boxes to prevent theft. What a pain! Hike, listen, hunt…much more fun than monitoring trail cams. But I know a lot of guys that enjoy that as much as the hunting. I’m just not one of them.
Good to see and hopefully it gets enforced. Hoping Utah follows suit. If the current trend continues, the ban will be ignored just like the recent baiting ban is being ignored willingly and publicly. The instafamous hunters need their "hit list" documented.
While I personally think it's stupid to put your camera on a waterhole where there are already a dozen or more (never actually seen that myself) I believe the crux of the matter is it's just another way to divide hunters. Let's fight amongst ourselves and let cameras get banned. Fight and let dogs for lions or bears get banned. Fight and let lion hunting get banned. Fight and let spring bear season get banned. Fight fight fight. Cameras are so much lower of a concern on my radar than many other issues it's not even funny.
smarba, finally someone with some intelligence that isn't worried about what someone else is doing.
Smarba you can not compare banning certain technology with banning hunting a particular species. In fact I think the opposite of your point is true. If we as hunter don't start policing our on ranks when it comes to tech it going to be done for us by the other side. I am somewhat indifferent on trail cams. I have a few sometimes I put them out sometimes I don't. I think using them on private vs heavily used public is two different animals. Trail cam, drones, ebikes, and what a "bow" is, just to name a few if we as hunter don't step up to determine the line someone will for us. I'd argue the group in your state such as CBA in CO should take a stance on where that line after getting input from their members -- before someone else does.
You can't have the point of view we are always going to get along and anything should go. There has got to be thing you agree we as hunters can't do that have been made illegal at some point. How about when a few years ago in Texas they were setting up guns controlled with a remote and you could shoot deer remotely? Do you want guys flying drones overhead when you are hunting then come running when the drone spots animals? Of course we all will draw the line at different points and where the final lines is drawn will ruffle feathers.
JohnMC, I see your point, but I don't think cams make much difference in the success of a hunt. I've used cams a fair amount so I do have a good feel for them. I am NOT saying I don't have concerns with many of the items you listed. But the MAIN reason I've heard for banning cams is it is unsightly for a dozen to be aimed at a water source. While I tend to agree, if that defines what to ban, people are going to say it's unsightly for hunters to camp at trailheads, it's unsightly to see a hunter walking along a public trail, etc. etc. At the end of the day I don't believe cams increase the success rate so why would Game & Fish care? I think the ban is mainly appeasing anti hunters and dividing hunters along the way...
I don’t think cams make that much of a difference in harvesting animals. You get a picture. But it doesn’t really mean squat. Doesn’t mean your gonna kill it.
But I’ve never killed an animal that I had a trailcam pic of. But where I hunt animals don’t do the same thing twice
What's the point of using them if it makes no difference? It's a start and need to have more "braking" on this rapid demise of the true hunting experience do to the use of hi-tech, especially electronics in the field for hunting purposes.
I can go out to where I antelope hunt and put cameras on 4 or 5 water tanks and come back a week later and have very good idea which tanks they are using and not using and without a doubt increase my odds of killing one in a day or two. Not saying that is good or bad. I've done it in the past and will probably do it again - this is all private for what it it worth. I tend to agree when it comes to deer I like them more for get a flavor of what is around than where to kill one.
But more to my original point I think tech needs to be looked at closely before it is allowed to go main stream. There is a thread about the outfitter lobby in states like NM and WY and how it hurting opportunities for the DIY guys. Make no mistake that the same is happen with the outdoor companies and tech. You need to look no further than what they have done to the archery season in many states with crossbows. Those making these items are pushing hard for them to be used and legalized. Ebikes is another in the west. I am not anti ebikes. I may own one at some point and if they are legal on any trail a bicycle is legal I will probably take one there if I owned one. With that said I think they are a motorized vehicle and should be allow were ATVs and motorcycles are allow. I am just suggesting is that folks stop and think is more tech allowed always best especially on public land when added to a already crowded landscape. I am not sure that being a high tech inspector gadget is always what we as hunters need to be...
Cams give you confidence in your hunt and that is what some people need. I do not get to run cams where I Elk hunt and it shows. I do get to run cams where I deer hunt and have killed or had a shot at every target buck since the 35 mm days. To all the guys who say running cams doesnt help I ask you this. If you had two dozen cams out over three wallows and three drainages saw tons of sign but have zero pics two weeks out leading into the season, are you still going to hunt there? My guess is probly not.
Of course trail cameras help...Anyone saying different is being naive! They tell you where a critter is or where this no critters. They also let you know if any animals in the area are big enough for you to target. They also have a time stamp so you know when critters are moving around. Just like a lot of things trail camera use was really abused by some people & rules had to be enacted.
Is it true Rocky Boots was a major lobbying force for this change?
