The invention of trail cameras changed the game, but the introduction of wireless/cellular technology took hunting intel to a whole new level. And with it came a whole new set of questions, concerns, and criticism.
Nothing’s better than waking up to photos of several shooters walking through your honey hole, sent directly to your cell just a few weeks before archery season starts.
But what about other hunters who sit by the phone, waiting to see a big buck go by their camera so they can hightail it to their stand?
Cellular trail cameras can be another great pre-season scouting tool, or they can be manipulated to give hunters an unfair advantage.
Using them in the off-season to minimize foot traffic while taking inventory of deer in the area is perfectly ethical — and incredibly convenient.
But using cellular trail cams to get real-time updates from your hunting spots so you can rush out there when bucks are nearby is not fair chase and just plain cheating.
The Pope and Young Club agrees, according to their most recent position statement on the technology:
“The Pope and Young Club, historically, has not viewed the use of trail cameras as a violation of the Rules of Fair Chase.
“With the invention of wireless trail cameras, as well as other devices that can send real time data to a hunter, all hunters need to consider how the use of these devices may affect fair chase. While the use of a wireless trail camera is not automatically a violation of the Rules of Fair Chase, using this technology to deliver real time location data of the animal being hunted would be a violation of rule #7 of our Rules of Fair Chase.
“For clarification, if you receive a wireless image (photo, video, GPS coordinate, etc.) and it elicits an immediate (real time) response that guides the hunter to the animal, it would be considered a violation of the Rules of Fair Chase and prohibit that animal from being eligible for entry into the Pope and Young Club’s Records Program. Fair Chase is defined as the ethical, sportsmanlike and lawful pursuit of free-ranging wild game animals in a manner which does not give the hunter an improper or unfair advantage over the animal.”
Regulations surrounding the use of cellular trail cameras continue to evolve, with some state agencies banning them for hunting — and others outlawing trail cameras in season altogether.
So stick to using cellular trail cameras legally, ethically, and out of season only rather than rigging the game.
Bow Bully,
Trail Cameras are so last decade! Even the ones that have near real-time communications.
Drones are out there with multi-spectrum sensors that can find prey (also other “hunters”)in almost any conditions. Worse still is their ability to drive game/prey to the “hunter” with various techniques.
Offense and defense is a forever changing relationship.
shootski.
shootski, fortunately drones aren’t legal for hunting in many places!
I am familiar with trail cams, and the cellar models, and believe they have their place, but I have never used them.(they weren’t around when I was growing up)
But having been a lifelong hunter, (I am 58) I have never chased trophies, and never really understood those that did.
When I was 10 I was with my dad in the mountains of Colorado when this huge bull elk walked out, and my dad took the shot. A few hours later in. Camp, a man drove up with a few others, got out, looked at the elk my dad had and said, “yea, that’s the one. I been chasing”
They got back in their Jeep and drove away. My dad was not a trophy chaser either, but one of his later acquaintances was, and always wanted my dad to get the antlers scored, (he never did, and they still hang on my brothers den wall.)
I had not thought about the organizations that kept those records making rules to take technology into account in their rule making.
The few people who I have known who did chase trophy animals, did so at all cost, it was their only purpose of “hunting”..
I enjoy the time in the woods, if an opportunity presents itself I take it.
If not, I still had a good time.
A bad day of hunting is better than a good day at work….
Ian..
Ian, great point that most of the hunters who take advantage of this technology are too focused on trophy size!
Well said Ian!
Hank
One of my normal goodbyes to my wife as I walk out the door to go hunting generally contains ” I’ll be taking my gun/bow for a walk”. I can only hope that the gun or bow in question enjoys it as much as I do.
If it was only about the taking of game,, it would be called Killing instead of Hunting.
TBB,
An interesting subject. But where do we draw the “technology line”? We use a lot of high-tech items ( like a vehicle) that could be viewed as giving the hunter an unfair advantage.
Modern equipment does give advantages but I don’t think that there is a need to restrict everyone to hunting from the ground with a homemade self bow.
IMHO, no matter what equipment is used, the (successful) hunter still needs to know his quary, be able to ambush or stalk it and have the skill to make the shot.
Just a thought.
Cheers,
Hank
Hank
“IMHO, no matter what equipment is used, the (successful) hunter still needs to know his quary, be able to ambush or stalk it and have the skill to make the shot.”
I agree.
“Modern equipment does give advantages but I don’t think that there is a need to restrict everyone to hunting from the ground with a homemade self bow.”
Hank,
This got a good chuckle from me as I need to show it to my wife; that is exactly what she thinks, hahaha! She grew up hunting for food; when I wanted to get a tree stand for my compound bow, she thought that was excessive; her brother was the only one in her family to get a compound bow, and their granddad got really upset when he did, saying, “What’s wrong with the bow [stick bow] I made you?!?” 🙂
Cheers,
dave
Yup, nothing wrong with a stick bow Dave, I prefer them.
I’ve gotten more deer with homemade bows made from elm, maple or ironwood than I have with a compound.
Been on the watch for a suitable piece of Buckthorn as it is very similar to Osage. Would be a challenging make a Buckthorn bow as the wood has the most twisted and convoluted grain you’ve ever seen.
Have a great weekend eh!
Hank
Yes, Buckthorn is awesome; people admire my “Hank Special”! 🙂
“Modern equipment does give advantages but I don’t think that there is a need to restrict everyone to hunting from the ground with a homemade self bow.” Well said!
Not when it comes to making the ‘Boone & Crockett Club’.