The Hunting Beast

I'm not a big trail cam guy but I've used them for future intel. I like setting a few up on spots I have hunches about and let them run from Sept to late Nov. Then check them when I hunt the area only or when the season is over. I know they dont capture everything that is happening but if I see good buck movement on those cams at the right times, I know those are spots I want to hunt the following year. I'm real low key with them and dont rely on them for much.

I guess that’s stuff I don’t worry about much... I’d prefer a random trail camera over big brother any day and I’m sure he’s watching

I put the cameras up and would rather do that than kill the deer. I just thoroughly enjoy checking cameras. I have so many cameras and so many 150+ deer I won’t be able to hunt them all and I still want more.

I don’t really care if I walk by someone else’s or not because I figure they’ll do exactly what I do-delete the picture and not think much about it. A group of three guys walked by a $200 camera of mine over a mile in the woods and didn’t touch it. 9/10 people will not steal them

I know - who is going to hang a tc and take it down before nightfall???

There is no provision for privacy on public land. A game camera, another hunter, the kid from down the block may all unintentionally capture stuff.

In my line of work, we are required to take photographs to document things. Some folks get all antsy at photos being taken and as long as I'm on a sidewalk, in a public park, or some other public area, can legally photograph anything that is visible. Imagine the Google car - it drives along videotaping everything is goes by.

Say this not to alarm anyone, but to inform. We have little true privacy.

Down here we have a refuge we hunt that has the dawn to dark rule for trail cameras and it is crazy. Otherwise we can hang em and run them. Just want to know what time the deer come thru - if it is 0900 or just before dark. That way I'm not in the stand stinking up the area.

Swampman wrote:I just read through the 2020 Minnesota hunting regulations. I do not see anywhere that says trail cameras are allowed on public lands. I did find that trail cameras can NOT be left overnight on WMAs or Federal lands in Minnesota.

I cant seem to find anywhere that it wholesale says they are illegal on federal lands. I've seen WMA's and WPAs but not so much USFS.

Have 2 cameras I keep meaning to put out as I haven’t shot anything yet and with post rut, post gun, late season hunting here it’s tough to find a good buck on public.

Usually locate deer by scouting with a stand on my back. Have few new areas pretty far in I may try a camera or too.

Have used on private for years and near my house for fun and to see how deer are moving (can’t hunt there).

Nothing wrong with it in my opinion.

Have 2 cameras I keep meaning to put out as I haven’t shot anything yet and with post rut, post gun, late season hunting here it’s tough to find a good buck on public.

Usually locate deer by scouting with a stand on my back. Have few new areas pretty far in I may try a camera or too.

Have used on private for years and near my house for fun and to see how deer are moving (can’t hunt there).

Nothing wrong with it in my opinion.

Regardless of your opinion its best to contact the local game warden to clear up any questions you have about regulations. I spoke with our local Warden a few weeks ago about this very subject and was informed it is not legal in Minnesota to leave them overnight. He gave me his card and asked that I share any I find with him on OnX.

Rhlde80 wrote:Regardless of your opinion its best to contact the local game warden to clear up any questions you have about regulations. I spoke with our local Warden a few weeks ago about this very subject and was informed it is not legal in Minnesota to leave them overnight. He gave me his card and asked that I share any I find with him on OnX.

Not legal on state land, federal land, or not legal on any public land?

Pudster wrote:

Rhlde80 wrote:Regardless of your opinion its best to contact the local game warden to clear up any questions you have about regulations. I spoke with our local Warden a few weeks ago about this very subject and was informed it is not legal in Minnesota to leave them overnight. He gave me his card and asked that I share any I find with him on OnX.

Not legal on state land, federal land, or not legal on any public land?

I think none of the above.

Pudster wrote:

Rhlde80 wrote:Regardless of your opinion its best to contact the local game warden to clear up any questions you have about regulations. I spoke with our local Warden a few weeks ago about this very subject and was informed it is not legal in Minnesota to leave them overnight. He gave me his card and asked that I share any I find with him on OnX.

Not legal on state land, federal land, or not legal on any public land?

We only talked about WMA, SNA and other state owned lands. There are no state forest or federal lands in his jurisdiction. I asked about SNA's (Science and Nature areas) specifically as I have ran into a pile of cameras on one specific SNA in our area. I was also looking for clarification, so when I ran into the Game Warden I figured who better to ask.