game cameras on public land

I still don't own any cameras but enjoy seeing the pics from my buddies when they catch a deer creeping.

Due to very limited free time, Google earth usually gets me to a starting point to put my boots on the ground. Quite honestly, if I had cams, I'm not sure I would deploy them on a public parcel but they certainly would help.

Just blabbing - not targeting op.

People are so worried about what other people are doing and want to level the field so that they have some advantage.

They pitched a fit about e-bikes cause they were too cheap to buy one. So now it is assist only.

Some states have banned game cams because of the whiners.

Its like society, some folks want us all to start from the same starting line. Then we have socialists demanding that we all end on the same finish line at the same time no matter who runs the race best or who even tries.

I do understand where this stuff is coming from and it is the tv and youtube heros who would be lost without their electronic gadgets. They kill stuff on tv so everyone with xyz app must be slaying them, gotta ban it.

FL has some of the worst hunting available in the country and the shortest hunt times (3 or 5 days). I think we’re gonna make it without banning everything. The state slready set us up at a disadvantage but allows the opportunity.

Only hunt turkey - Yes we own several and will use them almost continuously on private land. They help keep track of the gobblers and also spot the area trespassers. Good to know the patterns of both. When we drew a very limited quota in 2022 I scouted the WMA at least a dozen times with two cameras running. Worked out. Maybe in a few years I'll have enough points to draw the area again.  Grr!
Attempt to post a picture or two. If they post upside down click them and if you are logged in they self correct and enlarge.  Top picture is from my trail camera a few weeks before the quota hunt.  Opening morning I set up with my back to the tree where the camera was located.  The one I'm holding may be the one strutting in the camera.  I like to think so anyway.  I really worked for that one.  It was over a mile back in.  A lot for an old geezer.  The walk back out with 17 additional pounds was a killer.  It got hot. Oh well, One picture correct one upside down .

Yes I see your point, Almost like a video game. Drones are another coming concern.

Live video!  That's cool - I used to think I was gonna take a Harbor Freight drive way alarm and kill the noise part, just the red blink when something sets it off - set it up behind me so I'll know when to turn around to see what it is. 

Being deaf, this seems like a smart thing to me.  How deaf - I can't hear the tweety birds, deer blowing at me, or deer rooting around in the oak leaves.  Hunting is all visual and sitting there with my head spinning around will spook stuff for sure.

Yes some cell cameras you can get pictures sent to you that very moment. Hell on private land my uncle sets his out and waits for a hog to show up at night and get woken up by the notification on his phone 😂. But he’s an older gentleman and ain’t as fit as he use to be. But that only works because he has service on his phone in the area. I don’t know about y’all but when I hunt public land I barely get a single bar of service if that so the whole sitting in your truck in the ac waiting for a pic to show up only works if your in an area that has enough cell service to send you a picture. So that shouldn’t be a worry.

I have a couple cell cams and the reason I do is because I work and go to school still so I have little to no time to go back and check my cams so having them sent to my phone is ideal. ALSO for those scent freaks it helps prevent you from frequenting an area and laying your scent all over to check the camera and the deer picking up on that and taking off cause they smell humans frequenting the area.

I have the Gen 1 Tactacam X or XBs. I forget which specific sub-model.

The receiver unit will receive data from multiple sensors, Mr. Turkeyman.

I suppose should explain…. We gave 2 doors where stuff gets dropped off, have sensors at the doors so can get the packages before anyone else does.

Man, my life is so much simpler than the rest of you guys.

South Florida 

I’ve let legal deer walk when my freezer is full , but unfortunately for him it’s empty. He would be going for a ride in the truck if he walks by me. I’m not a trophy hunter.

Oh, I see how you are!… If I decide to keep the permit, I believe it’s the adjacent wma to where you will be. Hopefully you sound like your new name when walking in opening morning, and push them over the property line to me!..😎

Like anything else, they're a tool that needs to be used correctly to be of use. Used incorrectly, they can do more harm than good. Getting one picture of a buck means nothing and has caused many hunters to sit a spot, and pass other bucks in vain while waiting for a deer that lives miles away. Also, consider the impact of checking the camera regularly. And, then, you have to factor in the time potentially wasted by checking cams when you could be looking for sign.

They are a tool and you can learn a lot about when on how deer move. I wished I had this tool when I was younger and had lots of public land to hunt. When I hunted public land I did a lot of scouting and looking for sign. Most of my scouting was done when I was hunting, because I did more slip hunting than sitting in a stand. Unfortunately hunting a lease you can't ramble around much because everyone has their own spots or area. I don't think you can use a game camera wrong or check it too often if you check it during the middle of the day and wear rubber boots. And if you want to see bucks on a camera put it on a scape when they first start making them. You should get pictures of multiple bucks and does. If you find another scape 50 or 100 years away put another camera on it. Sometimes you will get some different bucks on it.

Last year was a strange rut because the deer started scaping like they should, but then after a week or so it was like someone turned the light switch off. They just stop showing up and it stayed that way all season long. Thats what makes deer hunting interesting, fun and hard; you just never know what they are going to do.