Are Trail cameras fair?

[Horne Shooter]

For a little different spin on trial cameras...they can tell you when you mess up too.

Last year while hunting in Alberta my thin Texas blood was just too cold to stay in the stand any longer.  I was sitting on a trail where there was good sign and we had a trailcam up as well and had some good bucks coming by on occasion.  Well with about 20 minutes of shooting light left I just couldn't take any more cold and I got out and walked back to camp.  YEP...checked the camera the next day and there was a photo of my big butt walking by the camera.  The next photo was 10 minutes later of a monster Alberta whitetail.  I guess in that instance I would have rather not had the camera.  Never saw him again by the way.  I'm going back in about 3 weeks and bought better cloths this time!

That dern camera tought me a tough lesson....

[Talondale]

To answer your original question: not me.  I have one but I set it up in my yard. Occassionaly I may put it in the woods, haven't done so in a few years though.  I don't use it so much for a scouting tool outside of finding out if there are any bucks of size in the immediate area.  If they do show up on camera it does motivate me to hunt that area more but I don't use it near a stand or try to decide when he is where.  I have used some low tech ideas to see if something is going down a trail overnight or while I'm in my stand.  I've put thread across a trail or a "trigger stick".  I also read on here someone put some crossed sticks in a wallow to see if it's being used.  Our brain is our best weapon.  I don't think it's unfair, I can't smell a spore on the ground, can't hear a padded footfall in the forest, can't see 240 degrees without turning my head, but on the otherhand I'm also not the one who's the prey (hopefully).

BTW, not everyone on here is trying to do it "the hard way" some of us just think it's fun.

[Guru]

Of course it cheatin',that's why I use them    

[Chuck Jones]

I can't ever see me using a trail cam. First off, I have better things to do with my money. Secondly, I like to keep electronics out of the deer woods as much as possible. It detracts from the reason I hunt in the first place. I like the idea of being surprised by the deer I see. I hate the idea of "shopping" for deer by setting out multiple trail cams in different areas, and then hunting where the big bucks are. Too much like the hunting porn shows on TV.

[Tree Killer]

I mostly do trailcams for fun, just another hobby I guess.  Rarely do I hunt the areas I have cameras located.

Most the locations I put out trailcams are at least an hour away from home up in the mountains.

I like sharing the pics I get with other hunters both here in Oregon and elsewhere, most folks enjoy viewing them.

Ron

[razorsharptokill]

To me it's just an addition to the the fun. If I don't see anything while in the stand I often enjoy seeing what was there when I wasn't. I can't say that it gives me any real advantage.

[Holepuncher]

I don't like them,on our lease we have about nine out, I like not knowing what may walk in. We have community stands and one particular guy takes it upon himself to go down during the week when everyone else is working and down load the pics, and then email them to everyone.well since the first of hunting season he has been hunting one particular stand location everytime he hunts or at least 95% of the time. guess who has killed the biggest deer, and we don't have any pictures showing this buck. we have 1000's of pictures but not of this guy.Go figure.we hunt feeders so why use the stinking things?Now if I hunted public land or the law said no go on baiting that would be different. But in texas that ain't the case.

[Ray Hammond]

Of course, then there's a whole 'nother reason for using them! Consider:

 

I cannot take credit for this photo...it was passed on to me by a friend...

I think this whole back to the stone age thing is well, if its your thing to make it really tough- no treestands, no food plots, no private land, only selfbows, only stone points, only wood arrows...have at it!! More power to you!!!

I just like hunting and shooting stuff, and eating it. I use a traditional bow because its the weapon I am most comfortable with, and can shoot in real world hunting situations better than a compound. If I have wood arrows and stone points, I'll use em. If carbons what's around, that works for me too.

If I had the money, I would PAY someone else to make all my arrows, I'd buy every drop of my gear so I had that much more time to scout and hunt. Cause hunting is where its at for me...with stick and string. If its legal, and meets my ethical standards, I'm gonna use it.

It's legal to bait in SC- I bait over there. It's not legal in Georgia....I don't bait here.

[Widowbender]

Woodmanship??? trail cams don't have a deer magnet in them!!!      

David

[zilla]

I don't have a camera, but I do scout out my areas ahead of time.. Funny thing though, this year while bowhunting in my usual place, I am sittin in my hide the second morning and the sun comes up.. I am looking at a bush by the spring I am watching and , what the????  I see esmething in the bush.. I take a look and it is a camera... I was there for near a week.. No animals came in, but the guy did get some great shots of me takin a leak and gettin in and out of my blind...

And yes the thought crossed my mind to moon the camera.  I restrained myself..

[Blackhawk]

It's like running a trap line...or like someone said "catch and release".

With so little time available during hunting season, I do not want to be hunting where there is no game.

Yes, it seems most pics are captured in the middle of the night, but they're still fun.

[DRR324]

I use mine more for entertainment value.  I like knowing what I have in the area- even if most of the pics are after dark.  Has my camera led to a direct kill - no.  Has it helped me figure out where to place a stand- no.  I only have a small 20 acres- so its more fun to check out whats moving through my area.

[Bill Tell]

No I won't use one and think they should not be allowed during hunting seasons.  I think they are fine for scouting but should not be allowed during hunting dates.

I also believe that if you take a deer while using cams you are not following fair chase and shouldn't be able to submit your deer to P&Y and I quote.

"By the use of electronic devices for attracting, locating or pursuing game or guiding the hunter to such game..."

[b.glass]

You know I feel like "To each his own". If you want to use a trail cam for what ever reason, go ahead. If you want to use a compound bow, go ahead. If you want to experiment with EFOC and tiny little fletching and share your experience with it, then, go ahead. We all have our opinions. If you don't agree with my opinion that's fine too. But, I don't think we should be trying to make someone else feel like they are ignorant for their particular opinion. Especially when it comes to something like hunting preferences. There are more important things in life to get all up in the air about.  

[Bill Tell]

One more point.  I am sure that all of you that support trail cam use also then support your local law enforcement in placing undisclosed speed trap cameras that take a picture of your license plate as you speed by.

I just truly believe that if you stop and really consider if these are fair or not in your gut you will know they are not.

[Steel]

My trail cameras killed two bucks for me last year.I just go to the camera spots and collect the dead deer laying there! If you want to get into a what's fair and not arguement thats easy. Should we wear new factory realtree camo or hunt in buck skins like we did 100 years ago? Should we make our own bows/arrows vs buying them? Should we hunt from commerical made blinds and tree stands vs natural blinds and tree forks? Should we walk or ride horse back to our hunting spots or drive new modern trucks and 4 wheelers? Should we enter game into record books or is that not in the true meaning Traditional archery? Should we hunt foodplots or acorn trees? Should we use flashlights to track at night or oil lamps? And now the newest to the list: trailcam or not to trailcam. If I went hunting with anyone here one time bet I could find something that gave you an advantage we didn't have 50-75 years ago period. I guess to many people have to much time to sit around and think up how everyone else should live their lives and judge them. I have one Judge in my life and I can promis you it's no one here on Earth or this forum. Ever wonder why when you walk into a local archery store carrying a longbow most guys will not talk to you at first? It is because most compound/rifle hunters think Traditional archers are stuck-up holly-than-now types. They may very well have a point from what I read everyday! In the end I will hunt in the way that makes me happy and I can sleep solid at night. I don't think anyone here is a better or lessor person or hunter than me because they hunt in a different way,different tools, or different weapon than I do.

[Widowbender]

B.glass...Yes Ma'am, you hit the nail on the head!!!!

David

[Sacred mt]

Don't use one...but there is always a positive side to everything.  That said, help your fellow American...buy U.S.A.

[deermaster1]

is it fair to use my car to get to my hunting spot?  is is fair to sleep in a soft bed, in a heated house before a hunt?  is it fair to hunt an animal, with a developed and modern thinking mind?  it it fair to discuss and get ideas, about hunting things online?  the deer cant do these things, so it gives humans an edge.  start thinking about what is truly primitive (btw, nothing is or ever will be) you get a head ache, get confused, and the joy of hunting is removed.  enjoy what you do, and do what you want.  until then, nothing will ever be primitive or traditional.

[Jeff Strubberg]

You know, I was all prepared to go off on this long rant about how useful trail cams are.  Then someone trumped everything I had written with one sentence...what do you folks have against technology?

I hunt with a long bow because I enjoy the simplicity of the weapon.  I use trailcams because they extend my scouting time in the woods.  Using one has jack to do with using the other.