Montana bans the use of Trail Cameras!

Montana bans the use of Trail Cameras during hunting season!

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Motion-Tracking Devices and/or

Camera Devices

It is illegal for a person to possess or

use in the field any electronic or camera

device who’s purpose is to scout the

location of game animals or relay the

information on a game animal’s location

or movement during any Commission adopted

hunting season.

From page 10 of the regulations.

web page

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The way this reads, I also interpret it as Range Finders.

If one were to strictly abide by the guidelines of B&C or P&Y a similar statement is also in their guidelines. Is this never asked and kind of shunned to the side when entering an animal for B&C or P&Y???

What are everyone’s thoughts on this?

I guess I use a range finder because I find it more ethical to know the exact yardage of my game thus giving me a better opportunity for a clean quick kill!

Trail Cameras on the other hand do aid in the scouting of the animal and I can see their point here. Not that I agree with it, but it does give me an advantage. Just my $.02

This is very interesting Rob. I’m new to the trail camera useage…to me it’s like Christmas morning as you don’t know what you’re going to get. I think they can be very key to scouting animals and I would hate to see them ban it here. As far as range finders I’m with you on this. It helps a person better his chances at a quicker, ethical harvest…I find it hard to argue against that. We’ll have to watch to see if any more states follow Montana’s lead on this!

“Motion-Tracking Devices and/or
Camera Devices “

I don’t believe rangefinders will fall into this category. They are not Motion tracking or camera devices, and they don’t scout an animals location, or transmit their location. You may get a fine for using one, but I don’t think it would hold water in court, and most off I don’t think rangefinders are what Montana had in mind when wording this bill. I am thinking it is more to keep the cameras that instantly send pics to a computer, or cell phone out of the woods, which will also help stop the internet hunting.

That really sucks! I do not agree with it at all.

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What are everyone’s thoughts on this?

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My thoughts are the government can eat my . Good luck forcing that on me.

I also read it as cameras…. not rangefinders or even binocs ??? I think where the problem lies, sometime back, some outfitters somewhere (I can’t remember where) had set up rifles, run by computer, set up in say Goat country. You could then buy a tag and shoot your goat from the comfort of your couch, with a laptop. The sad part is, as game cameras become more and more sophisticated, laws will hit the books to deter the unlawful use of them. Think about it, you know there are idiots, who would place a trail cam out, one that will alert you that there is game in range… the guy pulls up the website to monitor the camera… see’s the biggest 7 x 7 Elk, he ever seen in his life, bed down 80 yards out in front of his camera….guess who is taking the afternoon off and going for a little hike ??? I agree, that is not fair chase. Again, 90% of the laws on the books, are written for 10% of the hunters…

Interesting point G, never would have looked at it that way. What is the delay with those satelite cameras? Is it instant or is it a 1/2 day or full day delay?

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during any Commission adopted
hunting season.

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As I see this, it only is during your open season. So it kind of looks like you could have one out before and after to see what is in your area and what survived too. The biggest looser in that description would be the 3 month long bow season. Gun hunters theoretically only miss out on a week or two. Either way, just another way the MAN is out to get us.

I don’t have a problem with any of it.. I use all of this stuff but I also think that hunting should get back to hunting.

If they wanted to enforce that in MN I’d be the first one chucking all of my junk in the garbage. I know we all have a choice, and I could do that today, I’m just saying I wouldn’t complain.

NOW: If they said you couldn’t use a depth finder for fishing I’d throw a fit!

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NOW: If they said you couldn’t use a depth finder for fishing I’d throw a fit!

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Fishing….?……..what is that?

I think it would be interesting to know the ages of the people that are for and against this ban. I am 46 yrs old and you do not need either of these. To know the yardage to a spot put a stick in the ground or a piece of tape up to spot and count how many paces to your stand. As for scouting by trail cam you have to go into an area to place it so you are disturbing that area, scout with a spotting scope or bi-nocs. And also food plots shoulbe ILLEGAL as they are not naturally occuring feilds in the practice of farming THEY ARE BAIT PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

Not to start anything but a question for perchhead, do you still hunt with a longbow/smokepole?

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I think it would be interesting to know the ages of the people that are for and against this ban. I am 46 yrs old and you do not need either of these. To know the yardage to a spot put a stick in the ground or a piece of tape up to spot and count how many paces to your stand. As for scouting by trail cam you have to go into an area to place it so you are disturbing that area, scout with a spotting scope or bi-nocs. And also food plots shoulbe ILLEGAL as they are not naturally occuring feilds in the practice of farming THEY ARE BAIT PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

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This should be interesting… We as sportsmen need to stick together!! Comments Like that only give the anti hunters more ammunition to use against us. just my .02

What are you guys talking about people already see hunters in a bad light and it is only going to get worse as more and more people lease hunting land hunt over food plots etc. I think that that generation X AND Y ARE driving this with their need for instant gratification and having to have the biggest and baddest or best. Having grown up in Se minnesota you can do all of your scouting at sunrise or sunset and develop a pattern on any deer when they come out of the woods to feed in the fields . Muzzle loader season was intended to be primatve weapons only now we have moderm front loaders who should have to hunt the firearms season and by the way when I have hunted archery season I have hunted with a recurve and if my shoulder wasnt messed up I would still hunt the archery season and take whatever deer the lord put within 20-25yds

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What are you guys talking about people already see hunters in a bad light and it is only going to get worse as more and more people lease hunting land hunt over food plots etc. I think that that generation X AND Y ARE driving this with their need for instant gratification and having to have the biggest and baddest or best. Having grown up in Se minnesota you can do all of your scouting at sunrise or sunset and develop a pattern on any deer when they come out of the woods to feed in the fields . Muzzle loader season was intended to be primatve weapons only now we have moderm front loaders who should have to hunt the firearms season and by the way when I have hunted archery season I have hunted with a recurve and if my shoulder wasnt messed up I would still hunt the archery season and take whatever deer the lord put within 20-25yds

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Perchhead

You bring up some valid points, and though the opinion you share is not similar to my own, I can respect your lament for days and times gone-by.

That said, you tend to catch more flies with honey, and alienating fellow hunters only muffles your voice; or worse, isolates it. If you feel strongly about this issue, and it seems you do, I’d urge you to do something constructive with it. None of us take kindly to accusations or generalizations, no matter where our opinion lies. There’s room for all kinds.

Joel

Very well said Joel I couldn’t agree more. We are all on the same team and as long as we use everything legally available to us to use. I have no problem with it

My thinking on food plots is, it’s food for deer/turkey, and I belive farm crops can also be considered as a food plot, the only difference is farm crops are cash crops with the benefit of also feeding deer and turkeys. while a food crop is there for the purpose of feeding and providing a good food source to improve the quality/health of the game we are after.

A good example: My Aunt and Uncle have a farm they retired to about 15 yrs ago. They started out growing 30 acres (out of 160 acres) of corn to help pay off the farm and back then prices were good, the last few years they only planted 10 acres of corn because a farmer down the road would buy that for feed,and the price fell out of the small farmer market. Now the farmer down the road don’t want the corn for feed, so this year they are planting food plots just for the animals, and are the same size fields as the corn was. They are doing this for the quality of the herd & flock and it will also help all the neighbors because they have just quit growing anything, crops or food plots.

Baiting is a whole other thing, baiting is to lure the game to a specific spot (bait piles) for the purpose of the kill.

I could agree to a point of a food plot being a certain size to be considered legal, but if the the plot is to small the food will be gone and the game will move on to other food sources anyway.

The reason I asked about the longbow/smoke pole question is if you have a problem with modern technolgy getting to involved with the art of hunting you should be using that equipment to hunt yourself.
Trailcams I can see is almost like a hobby and management tool. If you know you have a big buck/ tom on the property you might be more apt to wait for that certain animal. I do know some people use these tools for actual scouting times and stuff but that is the way this country is moving to the i’m to busy way. But if it is there land they have all the rights to use it the way they want.

I don’t belive the propsed law was talking about range finders because then spotting scopes and bino’s. also would have to included

I do recall the days of marking yardage with a stick or piece of tape and it really is no different than using a range finder today. It’s all about knowing the distance to your target and making a clean, ethical shot. I don’t see anything wrong with that!

My point being is what age are you guys who think you need all this crap? How many years have you been hunting this is my 32nd year. Shooting a deer should not be like going to your farmer and feeling up a steer and saying I will take that one, besides food plots etc change the deer travel patterns etc just as bad as a pile of corn. I personally would not worry about a deer starving in the southern half of minnesota.Or is that you are just affraid to do little leg work.

Perch,

While I think there are lots of ways to hunt, reading your stance it appears to me to come across as holier than thou. Which in turns puts me on the defensive because I don’t hunt the same way you do. Which is exactly what hunters don’t need is a bunch of in fighting and bickering.

I say great for you if you have a very traditional style of hunting. If that is what makes your hunts rewarding for you, I’m 100% in support of you. Why do you feel the need to bash the guys who choose to plant a food plot or a use a trail camera? Seems awful elitist if you ask me.

John

Perch…no one is asking you to change the way you hunt. If they were then you would have something to get all upset about. Who cares how other people hunt or what they use or how old they are….if they enjoy hunting and do it legally then there is no reason to get upset with others. Times change and so does the technology…you can either accept it for what it is or ignore it, but don’t getting upset with fellow hunters just because they use different methods than you.

This is the last time I post on this subject I am not the elitest here, do any of you guys know how the most successful bow hunter patterened all the record book bucks he killed. Do you know who I am talking about? He lived in Claremont Minnesota and he drove a road grater for Dodge county or the township and he would see these animals and when conditions were right he would place a stand and sit that stand that day. I know everyone does not have the time to do this leg work so they look for an easy way out and use trail cams good for them! If I was to use a trail cam it would be done in the off season and be out of the woods by Augst 1st so as not to disturb the area I planned to hunt. Just for your information I work in a hunting related industry and there are alot of people that I work with that feel the same way as myself on food plots trail cams etc and were kind of tired of the way things are being shoved down our throats like all the proposed special regulations like antler point restrictions. To those of that think this is nesscessary just take a look at the Outdoor News there are plenty of big deer. We do not need these rules. Once again its the way the younger generation was obviously raised they have to win no such thing as losing in Johnnys book.
And oh by the way That Bowhunters name is MYLES KELLER!

I am 42 years old. I got my first bow at 14 years old… I have been deer hunting for 30+ years. I used to use white spray paint, to mark my yardage from my stand. This is when I had the land to hunt, basically in my back yard. I also did this at my old place, that I last lived 8 years ago. Now my hunting land is 80 miles from my house… I can’t go sit in my stand and read Hunting Mags like I used to at my old place in the evenings after work… I loved to do that too… So as my situation changed, so did the tools I use. I use trail cams, I use mineral blocks, I use a range finder, I use portable stands, I use the best bow I can afford, I use the best arrows I can afford..best broadheads..etc etc etc. I don’t think age really has anything to do with it…but rather, choices made by some, to not embrace new equipment or techniques. I think its great some guys stay old school… By the same token, just because someting is not for you, does not mean nobody should use them. I do believe, when Myles was runnin’ that grader… he also shot a recurve….. I know in the 80’s, he was shooting/representing a compound bow… something he was rumored to have swore he would never do…. That does not take anything away from what he has accomplished.. in my book. I bet everybody wishes they could have a perm stand, that they can scout everyday, along the corn rows or alfalfa field edge, with yardage known, but in reality, them days are over for most of us. Sorry for the ramble, but in-fighting really gets in my craw… I am done with this one too…..

Well perch, no one said you and your hunting industry friends aren’t entitled to hunt the way you want. I’m currently unaware of any laws that force us to use trail cams or plant food plots as the rules read today. I gotta say, you sound jealous. I can only assume it’s because hunting isn’t necessarily a blue collar sport anymore. Public land seems to get more and more pressure and private land continues to be leased to those who can afford it.

Am I jealous those who can afford it, you bet, but not bitter and angry. I’ve got several friends here I’m jealous of. Just because I have to save all year to be able to afford a couple 3 day hunts doesn’t mean I’m angry at my friends who can hunt 20-40 days a season. God bless them!

I think you are misjudging so many of your fellow sportsman. Let’s take food plots for example. I wish I had some ground to get soil samples & figure out that puzzle, make bedding areas and overall just make it a better environment for all critters, not just deer. I mean think about how cool it is to sit in a stand and watch some turkeys come strolling by, see a fox or coyote trying to sneak in for a meal or the yearling deer playing in freshly planted alfalfa. So, to assume that me wanting to plant a food plot is solely to kill a big buck, you’ve missed out on so much. In my opinion, you’ve missed the point of being in the outdoors all together.

As sportsman, I’ve always thought we are in this together. I guess I’ve always assumed I choose a bow, you choose a gun, so what. Shouldn’t our goal always be to enjoy the outdoors and to leave the environment cleaner than when we got there?? I’m not sure how trail cams and food plots can ruin that?

The great thing is, if you and your industry friends feel so strongly, take up the cause. That’s what is great about this country. You can make change if your voice is loud enough.

John

How dare you guys use tractors to plant your fields and drive cars to get around town. You should still be using ox and horses. Just trying to put it in a different light. Which ever way you hunt it’s still hunting. Unless you’re one of those guys that harvests something every time you leave the house. Then its not hunting any more.

Brothers don’t shake hands. Brothers gotta hug.

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Brothers don’t shake hands. Brothers gotta hug.

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Unless you’re one of those guys that harvests something every time you leave the house. Then its not hunting any more.

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What’s the problem with that.,, I did that in college all the time! Wait, we’re talking about hunting right?

Easy tiger, there should have been a weight limit if you did that well

Everyone hunts for different reasons and no two hunters use the same exact equipment or hunting tools to harvest their game. We should not judge another fellow hunter on how an animal is killed and the tools chosen to aid in the killing as long as it’s taken legally. Let’s stay united and keep our focus on more important groups such as the anti-hunter organizations.