Trail cam on public land?

Derwood said:

You can't leave things on public land; it's littering. And you shouldn't leave things on public land because the land is for everyone to use and enjoy. Practically speaking, if you put out a trail cam discretely and take it down after a few weeks or months, no one is going to bother you. If you put it up in an obvious place, someone might take it. If law enforcement officer witnessed you setting up or taking down a trail camera, I suppose you could get a citation.

2010 Maryland Code
CRIMINAL LAW
TITLE 10 - CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC HEALTH, CONDUCT, AND SENSIBILITIES.]

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A bit of a stretch IMHO.

As long as it isn't nailed or screwed or bolted on(ie, permanently attached), I would think you would be okay as long as you move it within 24 hrs..

I agree and may or may not have two cams out on public land right now where they're not bothering anyone

Derwood said:

I agree and may or may not have two cams out on public land right now where they're not bothering anyone

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tallen702 said:

Yep. Doesn't stop most people though. The Monocacy Natural Resource Area and McKee Beshers is filled with things like ladder stands with the bottom set of rungs missing (they set up the stand, pull the bottom rungs and hike out with them. When they want to hunt, they just carry those rungs back in) trail-marker buttons, I've even seen ground blinds out there. Stands are cheap enough now that I figure most guys feel it's less hassle to just buy a new one if their old one is confiscated than to get a climber to hunt with on public property.

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I've walked through the far back end of Monocacy after the season was over and there were no less than 6 or 7 treestands we came across. Some of them were very nice and expensive.

SummitCnty said:

I've walked through the far back end of Monocacy after the season was over and there were no less than 6 or 7 treestands we came across. Some of them were very nice and expensive.

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I know the guy who manages one of the farms on Mt. Ephraim that abuts the MNRA, he spends most of the early season leaving notes to folks who push the boundaries of the area and move onto private land (it's well marked btw). He leaves them a note. If he comes back in a couple of days and sees it there again, he cuts the lock (theyr'e always locked) spray paints the sucker orange, and drops it at the foot of the tree.

What does he do with Trail camers? Nothing I presume.

Sent from the 3rd Rock

So has anyone actually just asked the DNR? In PA it's legal as long as you don't have them up in season. I've seen a couple cams and stands left at Kings Landing, but near as I can tell you're not supposed to be leaving stands.

GTOGUNNER said:

What does he do with Trail camers? Nothing I presume.

Sent from the 3rd Rock

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He pulls the card, puts it in his portable reader, looks at the pictures, wipes it, and leaves a note. People tend to be a bit more wary about their cameras than their stands. I've yet to find a good, truly cheap camera.

bump

Veblen said:

bump

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It is legal.

I’d avoid video cuz i don’t know MD “wire tapping” laws.

I know you aren’t using them for the same reason i do but it’s perfectly legal on public space.

The “litter” argument is stupid and if you got cited for that you’d win all day in court.

DNR May require some kind of obscure permit or something like they do in DC but it’s not illegal and 100% not littering.

StantonCree said:

It is legal.

I’d avoid video cuz i don’t know MD “wire tapping” laws.

I know you aren’t using them for the same reason i do but it’s perfectly legal on public space.

The “litter” argument is stupid and if you got cited for that you’d win all day in court.

DNR May require some kind of obscure permit or something like they do in DC but it’s not illegal and 100% not littering.

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All DNR says is no leaving stands over night. Take them out at the end of the day. You MIGHT get it confiscated (the camera). Maybe. Probably depends on the DNR officer. I don’t see how they’d cite you. Just don’t nail anything to a tree.

I wouldn’t as likely to get found and taken by someone.

City deer

More city deer

lazarus said:

All DNR says is no leaving stands over night. Take them out at the end of the day. You MIGHT get it confiscated (the camera). Maybe. Probably depends on the DNR officer. I don’t see how they’d cite you. Just don’t nail anything to a tree.

I wouldn’t as likely to get found and taken by someone.

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I go with the spirit of the regs, in this case. DNR hunting regs say treestands must be removed at end of day and no littering. There is no specific mention of trail cams, but there is also no mention of coolers, back packs, etc. For those strict interpretationists, can we leave packs and coolers overnight? What is the difference between keeping a sled near a planned set and running a trail cam nearby? The sled is not a treestand or litter!

I wish DNR would clarify, and either explicitly ban leaving gear altogether or specifically address trail cams. Other states which do allow treestands for the entire season also specifically address trail cam usage, requiring ownership identification, out-of-season use only, etc.

Continuing, can you imagine what our smallish state parks and WMAs would become if all hunters put out trail cams??? The woods would literally have eyes everywhere and become a paparazzi forest. Is this desirable?

Privacy, fairness and fair chase, and limiting wildlife impact should be maintained, IMO.

Veblen said:

I go with the spirit of the regs, in this case. DNR hunting regs say treestands must be removed at end of day and no littering. There is no specific mention of trail cams, but there is also no mention of coolers, back packs, etc. For those strict interpretationists, can we leave packs and coolers overnight? What is the difference between keeping a sled near a planned set and running a trail cam nearby? The sled is not a treestand or litter!

I wish DNR would clarify, and either explicitly ban leaving gear altogether or specifically address trail cams. Other states which do allow treestands for the entire season also specifically address trail cam usage, requiring ownership identification, out-of-season use only, etc.

Continuing, can you imagine what our smallish state parks and WMAs would become if all hunters put out trail cams??? The woods would literally have eyes everywhere and become a paparazzi forest. Is this desirable?

Privacy, fairness and fair chase, and limiting wildlife impact should be maintained, IMO.

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My 2 cents are, trail cam should be allowed, but be time limited. Like you could put one out for 72hrs or something. That would get hard to enforce, but I don't see anything wrong if you want to set one up a day or three before your hunt and see if a couple of spots have anything moving through and when.

Separate trail cam question, anyone spreadsheet out what's going on? Last 2 weeks I've been looking for my pictures. I put it out for a week pointed one way in my side yard and a week pointed the other.

First week pointed towards my shed and closer to my house I caught a few pics of deer once or twice per day, every couple of days. Other direction by my salt lick and where I've been spreading more corn, a crap load. Averaging 3 times per day over there. Usually once around dawn for a bit, then again around 6-7pm. Then usually an overnight. Occasionally a mid day. Sometimes twice in an afternoon/evening (like at 4 or 5pm and then again around 6:30 or 7pm).

Its the same group with an addition or two sometimes. I am seeing a core group of 5 does and a fawn. A few pics it is +/- a couple. I've seen a maximum of 6 does, a spike and two fawns in the group. Sometimes its just the spike and a couple of does and a fawn. The overnight stuff is usually two does, or a doe and a fawn. Sometimes it is just 2 or 3 does and a fawn. Rarely it is 1 or 2 does, no fawn or spike (I've seen the spike and one doe).

Now some of those, the other deer could be off cam as I've been scattering about a pound or so of corn 20yds from my house where the trail cam had been pointed and about a pound and a half around the mineral salt lick where the camera is pointed now (50yds from my house. I can and briefly did setup my ground blind between the two spots, about 10yds from one, 20yds from the other, but the fawn I got was in my back woods and the doe I got was out the garage window where I've scattered corn closer to the house, though I hadn't been spreading corn yet when I got her). Anyway, sometimes I've seen it where a couple of does will hang around the salt lick while 4-6 go to town on the corn near my house and then they all move in to my front woods. So some of the pictures I am sure was the whole herd, even though only 2 showed up. Also probably missing sometimes in the morning when the doe and fawn or the whole group go close to my house and ignore the salt lick area that morning. At least those are my observations checking out my laundry room and garage windows that face the side yard.

Been interesting to watch. Also really hoping those big bucks I see every couple of weeks find the corn and decide it is worth coming through more often. The spike is a good sized, but I don't want to waste a buck tag on anything short of a good 5-pt since I've got some deer in the freezer and looks like I shouldn't have a hard time adding another one when I want (with a bit of patients, some skill and a very, very tiny amount of luck). I will be trying to harvest another doe soon though. Neighbor doesn't have much time for hunting and I've offered him one which he has accepted. I've also offered if he has the time later he is welcome to come use my ground blind and take one for himself if he'd like. But with the hours he works and obligations he has, Saturdays are the only time he can hunt and mornings and evenings are hard, because he has to often take care of their cows, goats and horses (they board them all at a farm about a 10 minute drive away. They are looking to buy a new house on about 5-7 acres so they can keep the couple of horses, couple cows and I think they've got 5 or 6 goats right there at their house rather than wasting 20-30 minutes twice a day to go take care of them. Plus not having to pay rent on land).