Trail Cameras and Big Bucks
By Buckmaster
Nearly every big buck harvest you see these days includes trail camera photos. Trail cameras are now in integral part of nearly every deer hunter’s scouting efforts — and they’re a lot of fun, too!
A few stalwarts complained about trail cameras when they first became popular, but the management advantages were hard to dispute. Knowing what bucks frequent a property allowed hunters to select individual deer for protection or harvest, depending on its potential. Cameras also have allowed us to learn about deer habits like never before.
Now that cellular trail cameras are becoming the norm, however, questions about fair chase are becoming more common and are gaining traction. Several states have banned trail cameras altogether, largely as a result of cellular cameras.
Admittedly, it’s a gray area.
Is it ethical to get notified there is a buck under your stand, so you leave work, sneak in and take the deer? That’s debatable.
When it comes to deer regulations, Buckmasters has always taken the position that such decisions are best left to the wildlife professionals in each state. That includes regulations for trail cameras.
What we will say officially is there is room for ethical use of cellular trail cameras. Being able to retrieve photos without physically visiting the camera reduces scent and pressure, two important factors when you’re pursuing mature bucks. Fewer trips to the woods saves gas and allows those who live considerable distance from their hunting grounds to monitor their cameras.
In most cases, cellular cameras don’t create any fair-chase questions not raised by regular trail cameras. And, as popular as they are, trail cameras have not had any negative impacts on deer populations.
As with many ethics questions, trail camera use comes down to the individual. Can cellular cameras be abused to skirt fair chase? Possibly, but even those debatable cases are extremely rare. At least for now, the good far outweighs the bad when it comes to cellular cameras.
What do you think?