Arizona ban on trail cams

[JMW67]

If they are banned I would think the honest hunter not using them would destroy the ones found making it very expensive for the people using them so it would be hunter enforced at that point would probably cause some conflict but what does not on public land

 

[JAYgs8163]

Nevada did it. The regulation Nevada passed is similar to Option 2 being considered in Arizona. "No cams used from Aug 1-Dec31".

 

[mrjashu]

I live in Arizona and have hunted it for 41 years. I've NEVER hunted on private property in 41 years and I'm not fortunate enough to own a large piece of property. The issue in AZ relates to the usage on public lands which is 90% of what we can hunt. What I can tell many of you is that there IS a issue in Arizona with how the cameras are being used. We have very limited water sources in many of these units, as a matter of fact in many units the water is trucked in by AZGFD, RMEF, and other volunteer organizations. I've hunted unit 9 and 10 which are Elk and Antelope Trophy units and are very hard to draw and remote trophy units. I've witnessed the craziness of them being used with over 15-20 cameras on a given water hole. The joke being "The Paparazzi is on the water". The amount of trophy bulls, bucks, and speed goats being harvested has increased at a alarming rate and it's more than likely due to the use of Cameras. This has an effect on the gene pool here as people here are not using them to Manage the heard. They are using them to kill the biggest trophy they can, all the time. Many of you mention removing a buck from the gene pool because it just needs to be done to improve the heard. That's NOT happening here. We're having the reverse effect as we are harvesting more of the best bulls, best bucks, and best speed goats at a alarming rate and deterioration of the gene pool is what is possible if it's allowed to continue. Think about your 1000 acre piece of private property and all you do is kill the biggest and nicest bucks all the time, what's going to happen? To compare AZ to using these as they are in PA or NC is like comparing apples and oranges. I'm against banning the cameras but I believe there needs to be some limitations set. I believe AZ will enact so called "option 2" which prohibits the use of them from July 30th - Dec31. That's my rant, out!

The thing is what you said is only true about a few units in the state. A ham-fisted total ban would punish the rest of the state where this problem just doesn't exist. I have run a few cameras here in Southern AZ and I have never run into someone else's camera at a water hole down here, and believe me I look.

Why not just target camera use in those specific problem areas and leave the rest of us alone?

 

[LVJ76]

The thing is what you said is only true about a few units in the state. A ham-fisted total ban would punish the rest of the state where this problem just doesn't exist. I have run a few cameras here in Southern AZ and I have never run into someone else's camera at a water hole down here, and believe me I look.

Why not just target camera use in those specific problem areas and leave the rest of us alone?

Wishful thinking LOL. Great point but just doesn't work like that unfortunately.

 

[JAYgs8163]

The thing is what you said is only true about a few units in the state. A ham-fisted total ban would punish the rest of the state where this problem just doesn't exist. I have run a few cameras here in Southern AZ and I have never run into someone else's camera at a water hole down here, and believe me I look.

Why not just target camera use in those specific problem areas and leave the rest of us alone?

It's more than just a few. I hunted 35a in early November for Coues deer. With the lack of water out there there were multiple cams on just about every catchment or cattle trough. Anyways, we can all agree to disagree. I think the best compromise is to follow the Nevada regulation. As of now Option 1, the total ban of them $ucks. Option 2, seems reasonable, "Don't use them for the months of Aug-Dec." Anyways....

 

[mrjashu]

It's more than just a few. I hunted 35a in early November for Coues deer. With the lack of water out there there were multiple cams on just about every catchment or cattle trough. Anyways, we can all agree to disagree. I think the best compromise is to follow the Nevada regulation. As of now Option 1, the total ban of them $ucks. Option 2, seems reasonable, "Don't use them for the months of Aug-Dec." Anyways....

Interesting, I've never hunted 35a. I did hunt three different southern units this fall (so far) and have yet to see a camera in any of those units. I hunted one northern unit this fall (elk hunt) and of course there were cameras all over those water holes, so I understand what people are saying.

I mentioned that I run a few cameras. I have yet to hunt any of the spots where I had/have cameras. What's been amazing for me with cameras is the learning process. They immediately create a feedback loop for what you're seeing when you go into a new area. You see sign, you see things that you think *might* be productive, then with the camera you can test your theory and get almost immediate feedback.

An example is over the summer I went to a new area that looked like it might be good for bear. Cover, feed, etc everything looked right. I was curious so I dropped a camera in there. Sure enough within two days I had a bear on my camera. COOL! I just learned something new about bears and their habitat. Will I ever hunt bear in there? I doubt it, but who knows. For now I'm content with the fun of learning about the animals.

I would be seriously bummed if that became illegal....

 

[Bob Wright]

members here investing a lot of typing time in a totally unenforcable edict.

Riddle me how it will be enforced ------ LMAO !

All these long range hunting and shooting skills we have? It's a target rich environment around water holes. If the G&F says it's no longer legal, it's going to be open season on anyone's game cams still out there. You can bet on that passionate new sport. "Rules for thee and not for me" will end game cam use rather quickly. People will end game cam use if it's an across the board edict and others ignore it.
Want to wager on that one? Still laughing? Think the game cam owner is going to complain to the G&F that his game cam was stolen or grenaded after they were illegally placed. Like the meth guy that complains his bag was stolen and wants the cops to investigate.
Yeah, that's the way it'll work.

 

[LVJ76]

We hunted 35a early last month and did see cameras around, quite a few actually. In the other areas I've hunted in the southern part I have not seen any.

If the ban of them will help get out deer numbers up then I'm up for it.

Also, I think a lot of us also need to work on more predator hunting, especially down here, coyotes are everywhere and they decimate the fawn population of both mulies and coues deer, that'll also help.

 

[Bob Wright]

We hunted 35a early last month and did see cameras around, quite a few actually. In the other areas I've hunted in the southern part I have not seen any.

If the ban of them will help get out deer numbers up then I'm up for it.

Also, I think a lot of us also need to work on more predator hunting, especially down here, coyotes are everywhere and they decimate the fawn population of both mulies and coues deer, that'll also help.

I couldn't agree more. Predators like coyotes are a plague on Antelope and many others.

 

[Bob Wright]

If they are banned I would think the honest hunter not using them would destroy the ones found making it very expensive for the people using them so it would be hunter enforced at that point would probably cause some conflict but what does not on public land

Guaranteed.

 

[LVJ76]

If they are banned I would think the honest hunter not using them would destroy the ones found making it very expensive for the people using them so it would be hunter enforced at that point would probably cause some conflict but what does not on public land

Guaranteed.

Oh heck yeah, it'll be open season on cams LOL.

And as you mentioned Bob, they'll run to file a complaint to G&F, and I bet you there will be at least one idiot that will.

Stay safe

 

[SummitsCalling]

From my perspective, cameras in AZ are a major problem. As alluded to earlier, some outfitters run 500+ cameras, that's absolutely insane to kill a few deer a year. That's on top of sharing information with other outfitters who run cameras AND paying for locations of deer. Yes people pay for that information, would suprise you what it goes for. The deer herds in N AZ come from Utah, there's a reason why Utah put fences up along the border. Very few big deer make it through the season now, and it's because of the all the cameras and each outfitter + friends running hundreds of people everywhere. The animals literally have no chance, it's why so many big animals get taken every year. Dozens of people sitting on big deer waiting for the client to come in because it's been patterned with the hundreds of cameras around, truly sad what it's come too. Put this is my perspective of someone who's barely gotten to hunt AZ in his lifetime, just what I've observed

 

[Bob Wright]

From my perspective, cameras in AZ are a major problem. As alluded to earlier, some outfitters run 500+ cameras, that's absolutely insane to kill a few deer a year. That's on top of sharing information with other outfitters who run cameras AND paying for locations of deer. Yes people pay for that information, would suprise you what it goes for. The deer herds in N AZ come from Utah, there's a reason why Utah put fences up along the border. Very few big deer make it through the season now, and it's because of the all the cameras and each outfitter + friends running hundreds of people everywhere. The animals literally have no chance, it's why so many big animals get taken every year. Dozens of people sitting on big deer waiting for the client to come in because it's been patterned with the hundreds of cameras around, truly sad what it's come too. Put this is my perspective of someone who's barely gotten to hunt AZ in his lifetime, just what I've observed

Yes they do. This year's Governors tag for elk was over the top. There had to be 20 people in that one picture that were guides or working for the guides to get a 472 green score bull. I would estimate that the guide fees were close to $100k and the tag was $325K at a benefit auction.
Thats not hunting, when the client was simply trucked in, then horseback then told, "there it is.....". I wish I had just stumbled onto that bull and popped him right there in front of the "guides".

 

[Barrelnut]

I wish I had just stumbled onto that bull and popped him right there in front of the "guides".

That would be hilarious.