Arizona ban on trail cams

[Ranger Rick]

I still feel stiffer penalties for those that brake the law is the best tool for managing beside a good game count and management program. This doesn't happen over night and should be planed for the long haul and closely monitored.

I realize that the different states have different problems than other states, but it is up to that state to correct it's problems. Through better management than Many, Texas has made painful changes to many but now has one of the largest herd's of white tail deer (Over 4 Million) because of management programs. Many have not worked but they were eventually changed.

Leased land has been around for a long time but many ranches were permission hunting (Without pay) one of the biggest problems then was the poachers that would abuse the land and over harvest game, If they couldn't get permission to hunt where they wanted, they just poached.
At the time if you were caught trespassing, you were ticketed $102.50 (A cheep place to hunt) Texas went to a $5,000 dollar fine and 6 mounts in jail system and trespassing was no longer considered a profitable hunting option.

TPAW, Opened a wildlife management area and studied white tailed deer for over 30 years so they could understand the reason deer antler growth had fallen in size and using there study it was decided that different counties needed different size restrictions and numbers. Many leases started when day hunting proved to be incontrollable so the hunters approached the land owners about getting together enough hunters and leasing his property for hunting and also managing the heard. This was good for the hunter and the land owner because it also managed the abusive hunter that couldn't follow the rules.

It will never be a prefect solution but we have some of the best deer hunting In the states.

Public land for hunting is abundant in Texas but that is where most of the hunting violations are found and where most of the game wardens spend most of their time. leases are very reasonable And if you don't mind some of the illegal hunting the public land can work.

I have found that a moderate priced lease is cheaper than hunting public land because I have full control of the hunting and the land owner depends on me to keep his land clean and violation free. this is one of the trail cams long points. and if anyone comes on the ranch without permission they will be caught and prosecuted.

Hogs are our latest problem and like deer they must be managed or they will over populate.

Nothing worthwhile is easy. In this sport we find that out every day.

J E CUSTOM

I agree with you Jerry on stiffer penalties for the most egregious violations. In Idaho we hear about some serious poaching yet jail time is suspended, fines are reduced and one may lose his or her hunting or fishing license for life but would that penalty stop a poacher? I'd favor mandatory minimums: felonies are crimes with a minimum one-year prison sentence. One can get prison time for theft, but I don't remember hearing of a poacher getting a sentence with at least a year fixed. I have also heard of $5,000 fines (or more) and that is often for killing several deer or elk, but those fines usually fall short of the elk or deer lost.
On the flip side (as a former county commissioner), I got calls, emails and letters from sportsmen who made a minor mistake or violation and was charged with a misdemeanor (misdemeanors are the Catch-All in Idaho if the offense is neither a felony nor infraction ID Code 36-1401(b)). Idaho FnG misdemeanors carry fines up to $1,000 and jail up to 6 months plus a misdemeanor on ones record may result in loss of a job.
ID FnG penalty reform has often been pursued, but little or nothing has been gained.

 

[Ranger Rick]

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

Given today's laws, an honest hunter could be charged with distruction of property if the trail cam owner called the sheriff and reported the damage

 

[Bob Wright]

Here's a link to AZGF website under hunting/hunting fair chase where it states that the cell cams are officially illegal.
I'm looking for anything related to other cams. You should be able to navigate around here if you would like.

AZGFD

www.azgfd.com

 

[Goldengun]

Trail cams are a great management tool, they manage to put a ton of money in outfitters pockets every year!

That's so awesome!

 

[Goldengun]

Given today's laws, an honest hunter could be charged with distraction of property if the trail cam owner called the sheriff and reported the damage

Put a bounty on them. Honest hunters can snatch them up and deliver them to the game wardens office for a small reward. Owners can pick them up along with their fine!!

 

[Ranger Rick]

Put a bounty on them. Honest hunters can snatch them up and deliver them to the game wardens office for a small reward. Owners can pick them up along with their fine!!

There you go.

 

[JAYgs8163]

I still feel stiffer penalties for those that brake the law is the best tool for managing beside a good game count and management program. This doesn't happen over night and should be planed for the long haul and closely monitored.

I realize that the different states have different problems than other states, but it is up to that state to correct it's problems. Through better management than Many, Texas has made painful changes to many but now has one of the largest herd's of white tail deer (Over 4 Million) because of management programs. Many have not worked but they were eventually changed.

Leased land has been around for a long time but many ranches were permission hunting (Without pay) one of the biggest problems then was the poachers that would abuse the land and over harvest game, If they couldn't get permission to hunt where they wanted, they just poached.
At the time if you were caught trespassing, you were ticketed $102.50 (A cheep place to hunt) Texas went to a $5,000 dollar fine and 6 mounts in jail system and trespassing was no longer considered a profitable hunting option.

TPAW, Opened a wildlife management area and studied white tailed deer for over 30 years so they could understand the reason deer antler growth had fallen in size and using there study it was decided that different counties needed different size restrictions and numbers. Many leases started when day hunting proved to be incontrollable so the hunters approached the land owners about getting together enough hunters and leasing his property for hunting and also managing the heard. This was good for the hunter and the land owner because it also managed the abusive hunter that couldn't follow the rules.

It will never be a prefect solution but we have some of the best deer hunting In the states.

Public land for hunting is abundant in Texas but that is where most of the hunting violations are found and where most of the game wardens spend most of their time. leases are very reasonable And if you don't mind some of the illegal hunting the public land can work.

I have found that a moderate priced lease is cheaper than hunting public land because I have full control of the hunting and the land owner depends on me to keep his land clean and violation free. this is one of the trail cams long points. and if anyone comes on the ranch without permission they will be caught and prosecuted.

Hogs are our latest problem and like deer they must be managed or they will over populate.

Nothing worthwhile is easy. In this sport we find that out every day.

J E CUSTOM

I would love to part of a group lease in Texas if the opportunity ever presented itself! Not a terrible drive for me to get some extra hunting opportunities. Not really a option here in Az.

 

[J E Custom]

I agree with you Jerry on stiffer penalties for the most egregious violations. In Idaho we hear about some serious poaching yet jail time is suspended, fines are reduced and one may lose his or her hunting or fishing license for life but would that penalty stop a poacher? I'd favor mandatory minimums: felonies are crimes with a minimum one-year prison sentence. One can get prison time for theft, but I don't remember hearing of a poacher getting a sentence with at least a year fixed. I have also heard of $5,000 fines (or more) and that is often for killing several deer or elk, but those fines usually fall short of the elk or deer lost.
On the flip side (as a former county commissioner), I got calls, emails and letters from sportsmen who made a minor mistake or violation and was charged with a misdemeanor (misdemeanors are the Catch-All in Idaho if the offense is neither a felony nor infraction ID Code 36-1401(b)). Idaho FnG misdemeanors carry fines up to $1,000 and jail up to 6 months plus a misdemeanor on ones record may result in loss of a job.
ID FnG penalty reform has often been pursued, but little or nothing has been gained.

Texas does have a first offence, that doesn't send the offender to jail on most of these offences. but the second offense is normally jail time and is a felony.

Most "Smart'' Texans don't want the first one so if they do screw up it will be the first time and they dodge a bullet. It's like a second chance. Many times if it seems like a simple mistake, Most wardens will issue a warning so they are in the system and have to stay honest.

Most of the Texas game wardens are very fair and if it is not a blatant violation they have the discrepancy to charge what they think is fair. Sometimes they are taken advantage of and when the person screws up things are By the book.

There is no prefect system, but it seems to work good.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Ranger Rick]

Texas does have a first offence, that doesn't send the offender to jail on most of these offences. but the second offense is normally jail time and is a felony.

Most "Smart'' Texans don't want the first one so if they do screw up it will be the first time and they dodge a bullet. It's like a second chance. Many times if it seems like a simple mistake, Most wardens will issue a warning so they are in the system and have to stay honest.

Most of the Texas game wardens are very fair and if it is not a blatant violation they have the discrepancy to charge what they think is fair. Sometimes they are taken advantage of and when the person screws up things are By the book.

There is no prefect system, but it seems to work good.

J E CUSTOM

Texas has a better system than Idaho. Here prosecutors often fight "Grace" laws.

 

[Barrelnut]

Put a bounty on them. Honest hunters can snatch them up and deliver them to the game wardens office for a small reward. Owners can pick them up along with their fine!!

Funny and even sounds like a good idea on first thought. But.... probably not a good idea to start a property dispute amongst strangers with guns, in the woods, unnecessarily.

 

[Barrelnut]

Funny and even sounds like a good idea on first thought. But.... probably not a good idea to start a property dispute amongst strangers with guns, in the woods, unnecessarily.

I come from some deep woods....

 

[mulie]

We must ask ourselves as HUNTERS are we hunting or killing? I don't believe anyone likes seeing a ton of trail cams chained to the trees. I believe cell cam monitored game cam should be outlawed in fair chase. If your a high fence "game farm" you should be allowed to use what you wish.

 

[snowypeakoutdoors]

The commission is made up of rotating appointments, that require pretty strict criteria on their favorably towards the wildlife and the AZGF mission, proven track records in that area. Not a PETA or a Sierra Clubber in the bunch. These are Governor appointments that only happen on a rotational basis.
The antis would never be considered for this board.

Commission Agendas - Arizona Game & Fish Department

Find Arizona Game and Fish Commission meeting notices and agendas. The public is invited and encouraged to attend Commission meetings or view live webcasts.

www.azgfd.com

They will be when AZ goes blue...just like what is happening in CO.

 

[rammac]

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

What a stupid thing to say, an honest hunter would report the illegal camera rather than assume that they had the right to take the law in to their own hands.