Trail cam ethics poll

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Would you or have you ever viewed another persons trail cam you found in the woods?

Yes
29
22%
No
105
78%
 
Total votes: 134
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Eddiegomes83
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Re: Trail cam ethics poll

Unread postby Eddiegomes83 » Wed Dec 04, 2019 2:18 am

Brian1986 wrote:I do not think it's ethical to check another person's trail camera pictures. To me it's like copying another classmate's homework. You might get the grade but it wasn't something you earned. And it's disrespectful to your classmate who put in the time to come up with the answers. Is checking someone else's camera the worst thing in the world? No. But it takes away from your accomplishment if you get a buck based on it. To me hunting is a personal challenge. I'm measuring my woodsmanship skills against that of a mature buck. I don't want to cheapen it by taking short cuts.

Not only will i not check someone's camera but I'll usually walk by it and wave to let the owner know I've been through. Last season I had a trail camera set up on very remote scrape 2.7 miles back in forest land. A fella from out of state came in and hunted last week of October. He could've easily checked my camera for pictures. Instead he setup his own camera on the scrape and then collected it when he went home. Turns out a 160-170" ten pointer walked through that scrape, and was going to be on both cameras. He could've stolen my card and I would never have known about it. But he didn't. I have a lot of respect for him.


So you personally would rather me set a camera next to yours and come and check it and put more pressure in that area than check your card? Obviously i am completely the wrong person for advice but i personally would rather you check my cam and never come back.
I think this is why it is less of a big deal to me. I am doing to them what I would rather them do to me. Ideally i would rather them never even find my cam but not always the case.
Less pressure. As far as taking shortcuts and outsmarting a buck....all of us who use cameras are taking a bit of a short cut.


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Re: Trail cam ethics poll

Unread postby elk yinzer » Wed Dec 04, 2019 2:18 am

Public land, no problem with it. I used to carry a card reader. I don't even know where it is anymore. Most cameras I run across are in junk locations anyway.

I've gotten away from using my own trailcams much at all. They provide me almost no intel beyond inventory, and divert too much of my limited time and focus away from actual scouting.
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Re: Trail cam ethics poll

Unread postby Eddiegomes83 » Wed Dec 04, 2019 2:22 am

elk yinzer wrote:Public land, no problem with it. I used to carry a card reader. I don't even know where it is anymore. Most cameras I run across are in junk locations anyway.

I've gotten away from using my own trailcams much at all. They provide me almost no intel beyond inventory, and divert too much of my limited time and focus away from actual scouting.


Agreed. I typically only use them to see what is on property. Almost never sit where they are. Of course there are exceptions...like a buck coming through my area everyday at the same time but that is the exception.
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Re: Trail cam ethics poll

Unread postby SaddleMaster » Wed Dec 04, 2019 3:07 am

In law there's the concept of criminal conversion which is "the unauthorized use or control of someone else's property". I think it's possibly criminal conversion once you touch or open their camera but it definitely is once you remove their card. So it's not only unethical but possibly illegal, although not to the same level as theft.
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Re: Trail cam ethics poll

Unread postby Eddiegomes83 » Wed Dec 04, 2019 3:09 am

SaddleMaster wrote:In law there's the concept of criminal conversion which is "the unauthorized use or control of someone else's property". I think it's possibly criminal conversion once you touch or open their camera but it definitely is once you remove their card. So it's not only unethical but possibly illegal, although not to the same level as theft.

Interesting. Thanks
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Re: Trail cam ethics poll

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Wed Dec 04, 2019 8:33 am

Eddiegomes83,
I could spend a bunch of time countering all these justifications as to why it's OK to take advantage of someone in this manner, but no matter what I say & no matter how obvious it is to anyone else, it is apparent that you will dance around the ethical issue & do whatever it takes to justify to yourself that it's OK to do what you want so that you can discover & kill a big buck before the guy that spent the time & money to get the intel can. Killing a big buck before he can is OK if it is done fairly, but using him in this way I think most can agree, not cool.

You seem to have different levels of of unethical. My personal ethics (as others have expressed) go like this... It's either ethical or it's unethical. It's not unethical but not really bad unethical so it's OK. You also claim others are being dishonest on here by saying they aren't doing it & that they really are & maybe that's true, but maybe it's just that they don't think like you & are just plain being honest. Maybe they don't have different levels of being unethical where some of them are not right but still somehow acceptable.

I can see where your attraction is to viewing other hunters personal information/data. You don't have to pay for the camera, you don't have to pay for the SD card, you don't have to pay for the batteries, you don't take on any of the risk of a camera getting stolen & you get all the benefits of what the other person did. You can roam the woods getting cheap easy intel at the expense of others. Potentially viewing thousands & thousands of dollars worth of camera's getting all their intel without the investment in time & money. But while I understand your attraction, I don't do it & have never done it.

HOWEVER, I want to make something clear. Disagreeing & discussing is one thing, but calling DaveT1963 "self righteous" combined with using laughter in an attempt to mock him & shut him up is pushing it. I find high ethical standards refreshing & I think we need more of it, but regardless of your personal ethics trying to silence someone in this way needs to be avoided. I generally try to communicate as just another member on here, but in this particular example I am speaking as a moderator. Please refrain from using this tactic any further.

I do appreciate your honesty in stating your opinion. However, I don't think you will have much luck in trying to change peoples opinions that it's OK to do this because you don't think it's a horrible thing you are doing to the stranger that put out the camera.
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Re: Trail cam ethics poll

Unread postby Eddiegomes83 » Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:06 am

DEERSLAYER wrote:Eddiegomes83,
I could spend a bunch of time countering all these justifications as to why it's OK to take advantage of someone in this manner, but no matter what I say & no matter how obvious it is to anyone else, it is apparent that you will dance around the ethical issue & do whatever it takes to justify to yourself that it's OK to do what you want so that you can discover & kill a big buck before the guy that spent the time & money to get the intel can. Killing a big buck before he can is OK if it is done fairly, but using him in this way I think most can agree, not cool.

You seem to have different levels of of unethical. My personal ethics (as others have expressed) go like this... It's either ethical or it's unethical. It's not unethical but not really bad unethical so it's OK. You also claim others are being dishonest on here by saying they aren't doing it & that they really are & maybe that's true, but maybe it's just that they don't think like you & are just plain being honest. Maybe they don't have different levels of being unethical where some of them are not right but still somehow acceptable.

I can see where your attraction is to viewing other hunters personal information/data. You don't have to pay for the camera, you don't have to pay for the SD card, you don't have to pay for the batteries, you don't take on any of the risk of a camera getting stolen & you get all the benefits of what the other person did. You can roam the woods getting cheap easy intel at the expense of others. Potentially viewing thousands & thousands of dollars worth of camera's getting all their intel without the investment in time & money. But while I understand your attraction, I don't do it & have never done it.

HOWEVER, I want to make something clear. Disagreeing & discussing is one thing, but calling DaveT1963 "self righteous" combined with using laughter in an attempt to mock him & shut him up is pushing it. I find high ethical standards refreshing & I think we need more of it, but regardless of your personal ethics trying to silence someone in this way needs to be avoided. I generally try to communicate as just another member on here, but in this particular example I am speaking as a moderator. Please refrain from using this tactic any further.

I do appreciate your honesty in stating your opinion. However, I don't think you will have much luck in trying to change peoples opinions that it's OK to do this because you don't think it's a horrible thing you are doing to the stranger that put out the camera.

Super moderator. My LOL was showing them I'm not all serious not mocking him if you would actually go through and read all my previous post I have a very joking demeanor. Like my comment about coming to Alabama on business to check cameras. Complete joke. Wasn't justifying anything I think you need to go and reread. I also believe me and Dave were just fine so unless he complain to you I don't think you needed to step in. Also as a super moderator if you wanted to call me out you should have done it personally not in the form. Kick me off for all I care. I've never had a problem with anybody on here. So have a good day haha LOL
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Re: Trail cam ethics poll

Unread postby stash59 » Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:24 am

Eddie I don't like your attitude either!!!!!

You obviously started this poll looking for gratification for doing something that you thought was wrong in the first place. At least in principle. When you didn't get many replies in your favor you still kept trying to convince yourself it was okay. Calling Dave self righteous, and the way you worded it was far from laughable. Using the term "Super Moderator" was also condesending. And believe you me, we, us moderators "will" be discussing this further.

Funny thing is. You commented how you wouldn't hunt near the camera anyway. So why not just set up another one. It's not hurting your kill spots anyway!!!!
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Re: Trail cam ethics poll

Unread postby PK_ » Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:45 am

justdirtyfun wrote:
Eddiegomes83 wrote:
justdirtyfun wrote:So checking an unknown camera is something I might do. Are there batteries in it? SD card? Name or date?
When a stand goes abandoned, you can judge condition and age much easier. Some rules have stands legal until such and such date. Once we see them after that date, the once legal stand them because illegal and "trash" that should be out of my/our woods.
State regs can address this issue but operate behind the action and technology. They are slow and have to reach a consensus on everything.
Good conversation and makes me think a bit.

Technically in my state you are not allowed to bring any hunting equipment until the day before the hunt and it must be removed the day after. A trail camera is technically hunting equipment. So therefore shouldn't be there during the off-season.

I hear you. But

Are you assuming that a trail camera is classified officially as "hunting equipment" or is that in your state regs? Turns into a new issue I think. Bird watchers, researchers, security cams. It will be strange for legislation to come through forcing them to be classified as such.


Yes. For sure. Legally it could and likely would be viewed as hunting equipment.

Same as a 2 man ladder stand can’t be believed to be a ‘birdwatching’ stand during the off season. Take your stuff out of the woods with you.

Moral of the story, if don’t like your personal property being touched. Don’t leave it in a public area. Period...

(Not speaking to anyone in particular here, just in general).
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Re: Trail cam ethics poll

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:46 am

Eddie. That attitude will get you nowhere. If you have an issue with anybody do it by PM and please keep the personal attacks off these boards. Not worth ruining your good standing here. You started a thread that you had to have known was going to receive some negative feedback so suck it up and take the opinions like a man.

If this continues the thread will get locked down and suspensions will be issued to whoever starts the next personal attack. It’s not worth it and we all have better things to do with our time.
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Re: Trail cam ethics poll

Unread postby Eddiegomes83 » Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:48 am

stash59 wrote:Eddie I don't like your attitude either!!!!!

You obviously started this poll looking for gratification for doing something that you thought was wrong in the first place. At least in principle. When you didn't get many replies in your favor you still kept trying to convince yourself it was okay. Calling Dave self righteous, and the way you worded it was far from laughable. Using the term "Super Moderator" was also condesending. And believe you me, we, us moderators "will" be discussing this further.

Funny thing is. You commented how you wouldn't hunt near the camera anyway. So why not just set up another one. It's not hurting your kill spots anyway!!!!

Stash, this is where I know you guys are only Reading part of what I'm writing. I said I wouldn't put a camera there because I wouldn't like somebody doing that to me. I said that multiple times cuz it would put more pressure in the area by having multiple people check cameras. If you don't call out what I say you need to read the whole post. I started off just to see if other people were doing the same thing I was doing. In almost every post I agreed yep it's unethical. The part I agreed on was that I should not be touching someone else's property. The part I disagreed on was the stealing part. Then somebody brought up that it could be unlawful, I responded good to know or interesting. I didn't even dispute him because he had a point and I don't know if it's right or wrong. With the exception of a few of you have responded very nicely and had a very normal conversation. And you can say what you want you don't know me and I was joking with David I was not mad at all. Super moderator on the other hand I was and I'll tell you the same thing I told him if you have an issue with what I'm writing you should be calling me out in a personal message not on this post. You guys could as moderators can discuss it all you want. Make sure you reread everything to know. Make sure you know what I said. and self-righteous was not named calling it was describing an action. So discuss away I don't know how many times I had to agree with you guys. I only disagreed on the stealing part. Read read read. I've been nothing but honest on this site. There was much more condescending towards me than me towards others which is fine I can roll with that but all you guys are getting real sensitive and but hurt over nothing
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Re: Trail cam ethics poll

Unread postby Eddiegomes83 » Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:49 am

Dewey wrote:Eddie. That attitude will get you nowhere. If you have an issue with anybody do it by PM and please keep the personal attacks off these boards. Not worth ruining your good standing here. You started a thread that you had to have known was going to receive some negative feedback so suck it up and take the opinions like a man.

If this continues the thread will get locked down and suspensions will be issued to whoever starts the next personal attack. It’s not worth it and we all have better things to do with our time.

Dewey, you guys keep calling me out on here not PM ing me and I'm just responding.
Last edited by Eddiegomes83 on Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Trail cam ethics poll

Unread postby Eddiegomes83 » Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:52 am

All right got it everybody. It's unethical it's stealing and I'm a scumbag. Thanks for the replies
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Re: Trail cam ethics poll

Unread postby stash59 » Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:54 am

I have read "every" word!!!!! I'm taking offense with calling Dave self righteous. Didn't sound funny to me!!!

Then how you spoke to Deerslayer, using the term Super Moderator in the way you did was showing a lack for his authority. Again not funny!!!
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Re: Trail cam ethics poll

Unread postby Eddiegomes83 » Wed Dec 04, 2019 10:03 am

stash59 wrote:I have read "every" word!!!!! I'm taking offense with calling Dave self righteous. Didn't sound funny to me!!!

Then how you spoke to Deerslayer, using the term Super Moderator in the way you did was showing a lack for his authority. Again not funny!!!

again this should be done in pm. And while I take offense to you take offense to it I mean where do we draw the line with people taking offense to something. Again I'm pretty sure me and Dave hashed it out whether you took offense to it or not. Maybe you should leave that to Dave. As far as super moderator goes oh, he basically attacked me it took everything kind of out of context and blew it out of proportion. As mentioned before I don't go around looking for people's cameras just to check them and I have not checked hundreds and thousands of them the few I have walked by that's it but in his post he makes it sound completely different in a lot worse re-read re-read re-read
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