TRAIL CAMERAS ARE ILLEGAL!!!!

[TREESTANDMAN]

I just called the NF to see if I could get permission to get one of my cameras that was close to a burn area and the officer told me it was illegal to have a trailcamera on National forest w/out a permit. They told me I had to come down to buy a permit asap or they would charge me a $500 fine.

[TAM]

I think they're smoking CRACK!

[Rembrant]

I hate to say it, but sometimes dealing with the Forest Service is like going to Disneyland on LSD.

This legality will be a fun one to explore.

Mike

[Diamondbackaz]

I wouldn't worry about it since I assume you would be putting it in a place that would be very isolated where another human won't see it. It is very rare that a FS employee makes it out to isolated areas where you would put a camera. Most of the FS employees spend most of their time in an office. The ones out in the field are usually in developed recreation areas.

[COUESAZ]

It is against the law. Just like putting a tree stand up on forest land is against the law if you leave it there all year long. To do anything on forest land to the trees or land that they would consider perminant is against the law.

 

I would just go get it . do not worry about getting busted removeing it. If they get mad just say you called in and they told you to get it or pay for a permit.

 

Even if they find it how do they know who to send the fine to. I do not have my name on my cameras for that reason.

 

Your first wrong was calling the forest service. They have a permint for anything you can think of.They are revising alot of there laws right now that will leave alot up to the officer in the field . It will be a bad thing when they pass the new forest use regs. It will put an end to a bunch of things we love to do in the forest.Because If the ranger does not agree with the way you understand the law he can site you on the spot. It all will depend on the way each ranger reads and understands that law to mean.

 

I know this because they are trying to stop us from gold prospecting with metal detectors on forest land. They understand that to be mining and it is not even close to mining. Acording to the rules and regs they curently have and have had for a hundred years on prospecting. A prospector could claim the mineral rights to an area and prospect on it. now they are trying to stop it.

 

If you ask me it is just another way for the government to regulate us in a hobby.

I better stop now I could go on forever witht his one.

 

This is how I understand the laws to be in place if someone knows better than I hope they share it with us.

[Diamondbackaz]

If you leave something up all year long, that is an issue. But when it comes to something that is short term such as less than 14 days, I don't see it being a big issue. Most LEO's (FS law enforcement officer) don't leave the main road too much and they very rarely leave their vehicle. Guide, I'm not sure what you mean by "If the ranger does not agree with the way you understand the law he can site you on the spot." A judge always has the last say on any law. I would be more worried about someone stealing a camera than being cited for one.

[Red Rabbit]

So much for the saying of leaving nothing but footprints and taking nothing but pictures . Actually, as I understood it from G&F, it is required to have a permit to establish a salt lick on national forest land, also.

Land of the fee and home of the paid. Thoughts of the Red Rock Pass to park on the side of the highway in Oak Creek Canyon come to mind .

[COUESAZ]

DBack

 

You are right about a judge having the last word. I would also agree that being busted by a forest service ranger is not something to wory about if your more than a few feet off the road. I have never in my life come across one while hunting game.

 

I have run into them while doing my other hunting. While prospecting a month ago I ran into one in the field. He told me I could not mine on forest land. I told him I was not mining at all just metal detecting for nuggets. He started filling out the citation, And I said what are you doing. He then told me I was being cited for mining on the forest land.

 

There was rules and regulatiuons writen up for prospecting. It is OK to do. In the last year at least 10 guy's have taken it to court when they were busted. Every one of them have one the court case ,And charges were droped.

 

The new regs they are working on seem to leave that kind of stuff up to the ranger him self to decide if you are mining or not. You may be right and not breaking the law. He will still give you a citation and you then have to go to court to proove what you were doing.

 

Now I know this is a hunting forum. So I do not want to go into my other hobby on here to much. I am just trying to show that they will have a permit to do anything we love to do before to long.

 

The group that is pushing the isue is the same group trying to keep us from atv riding and hunting and enjoying the great out doors for anything other that hiking and site seeing and hugging a few trees while we are out there. Now that is all fine and good but I may just want to shoot a deer and find some more gold out there too.

Edited January 1, 1970 by ARIZONA GUIDE

[Diamondbackaz]

Some of those guys are just on a power trip. I know of a AGFD officer that is on a power trip. I know if I see someone with a metal detector when I am wearing green uniform, I couldn't care less and would wave at them as I drove by. Now if they're removing things from a archilogical site, then I would have to stop. The Forest Service is getting more restrictive as time goes on. My biggest gripe with some Forest Visitors is litter. Anybody know what the beer of slobs Is? It seems that 90% of the beer cans I come across is the same brand, can you name that brand?

[MattMan]

I bet it's "Bro-Beer".... Bud Light. The litter pisses me off too. I wonder what the people that leave it behind would do if you came into their house and drank a 12 pack, left the cans on the floor and whizzed on the couch.

 

I think the FS has a permit for just about anything... even dumping the ashes of a cremated loved one is illegal on the National Forest. The only permit I would be darn sure I got is if I was guiding on NF or BLM. Going without that is pretty risky.

[Diamondbackaz]

Yes Bud Light is it, 12 years ago, 90% of the cans were regular bud and Michlob. I guess even the slobs have gotten health consious. To answer your question, you do have to have a permit to dump ashes on the Forestand and even in the Pacific Ocean if it's within a certain distance to shore. If you are guiding for money, you need a permit, but if your guiding to help a friend out with no money invoved, there is no permit needed. Anytime public lands are used for a comercial or consumptive use, a permit is needed. So long as a trail camera stays less than 14 days I don't see an issue. It's just like camping, You can set up a huge camp trailer with all the amenities, but everthing needs to be gone within 14 days.

[TREESTANDMAN]

The law enforcement officer, Bo Acosta, says he is going to get the camera and then cite me. The penalty is $500. I will definately take it to court because I had no idea it was against the law. They will not let me back there because the roads are closed due to the willow fire road construction.

[TREESTANDMAN]

There is no 14 day rule according to the forest service. I asked them.

[Diamondbackaz]

I stand corrected, but I think you will win in court, $500.00 for trail camera is ridiculous.

[TREESTANDMAN]

If anyone has any questions about its legality please call either Art Wirts (District Ranger) at 480-610-3300 or Bo Acosta (Law enforcement officer) at 480-610-3307.