Reminder: Trail cam meeting/webcast tonight at main G&F office

[ThomC]

Hey all you Outfitters,horn photographers, and stealers too, it is time to wake up. Agenda item #28 AZGFD Commission meeting in Payson this Friday. I am sure that you will be upset by the rule that no cameras littering up water holes will pass. There may be small tweaks available so get your opinion ready or forever hold your water.

 

IMHO for numerous reasons the cameras should not be littering our waterholes.

[Sneaker]

What I have never heard answered yet is why putting a camera on a dirt tank would be a unfair "fair chase" violation, but why hanging a camera on a natural seep or spring is not against fair chase? Not sure why they won't just come out and say the real issue. Its really not a fair chase issue or they would just ban all cameras period because they are "not fair". The only real problem is the situations with tons of cameras on one water.

[MT_Sourdough]

I have lived in and hunted in AZ for close to a decade and I have yet to see any evidence of the problem that this big government "nanny state" measure is designed to solve. I am not saying that a problem doesn't exist, but I am saying it is very confined to a small number of areas and with limited violators.

I have been racking my brain to understand how a game cam (that is not a "live" feed camera) gives me any advantage to filling my tag. While, in my circumstance, I still haven't determined how it is going to help me make a kill, I did realize how it may be perceived as an unfair advantage. Reading the latest gossip about an alleged poaching of a trophy buck did give me a realization. I am not a trophy hunter and I do not think about my time in the field as all part of an attempt to kill the biggest record book trophy. Reading about what people will do to get that record buck or bull shows me a different perspective. So now, I realize people view their hunt and hunting in general through the prism of trying to discover that record book set of antlers. If you are scattering cameras all over heck and creation to discover that big buck or bull, then I suppose that using the cam leads to an unfair advantage over other hunters who are, also, setting their hopes on getting that record book buck or bull. In this case, it is not a violation of fair chase, but rather something that is used in competition between hunters.

So, is that what this is really about, competition between trophy hunters?

[Born2hunt]

Maybe Im missing something but what is the intent of banning non-cell cameras? I havent seen a clear reasoning for banning standard trail cams and what theyre trying to accomplish.

[Ringer]

They can definitely help to get a decent animal. Last fall my buddy had a couple on all of the water where I have hunted for the last 40 years. One water hole had some nice bulls coming in just before dark so he hunted there and killed a 7x6 the first night and his son killed a 6x6 the second night. They help you narrow down the areas to focus on. I finally drew a bull tag for same unit so hope he can help me out with cameras but if not then I will do what I have always done. Hunting is not competitive for most of us.

[MT_Sourdough]

Water holes are typically dug out of dirt. You put water in that hole and the dirt around it gets wet. Wet dirt is called mud. Mud is the best medium for capturing foot prints. I can tell how many elk and when they came in by looking at the mud. The only thing more a game cam tells you is what the antlers look like.

[trphyhntr]

ban them all, traditional archery equipment only. no swarovski or leica glass either.

[MT_Sourdough]

Also ban Keystone Light, speaking of litter.

[cjl2010]

Also ban Keystone Light, speaking of litter.

Whats your problem, bro?

[AZLance]

I just signed all my trail cams over to my wife. So I no longer have any trail cams on water holes. Problem solved.

[trphyhntr]

I just signed all my trail cams over to my wife. So I no longer have any trail cams on water holes. Problem solved.

I lost all my cams in a boating accident

[cjl2010]

Just dont put them on water. Seems easy enough.

[trphyhntr]

Just dont put them on water. Seems easy enough.

And double check that you're a 1/4 mile from a water source?

[cjl2010]

Range it, mark it on a gps and beat feat until your 440 yds.

[muledeerarea33?]

 

Just dont put them on water. Seems easy enough.

And double check that you're a 1/4 mile from a water source?

I just take a survey transit and shoot a line. Calculate the land lay and set my cam. Most quarter miles are more like 300 feet. The rule doesnt specify land lay or as the crow flys.