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With the recent talk about game cams I was wondering if anybody uses them on public land. I would be afraid someone would steal it becouse I had a stand stolen once. If you do use them how do you protect them against theft?
trail cams & public land?
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I have three on public ground now and check one weekly the other two are a bit farther north so I check them about every two weeks or whenever I get up there.
they are in a locked metal box chained to a tree but I haven't had any of them messed with ........yet
they are in a locked metal box chained to a tree but I haven't had any of them messed with ........yet
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I've never put any out before, but I'm going to about the first week of September and then get them out opening of bow season.
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I have property that backs up to public land and have had more cameras and stands stolen off my own property than the public land. I lock and chain the cameras and they shoot them if they can't take them. They also shoot the working mechanism on my feeders (on my own property). I used to lock the ladder stands and they would take part of the ladder. Now, I get the small shanked locks and run through the pin holes in each section of legs on the ladders, and a 3/8 inch cable around the top part. Takes 4 locks per stand, but I did not loose one last year (knock on wood)
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500 Posts
yeh the stand I got stolen they actually took both ladder peices and the little gun rest pad. I hate a thief. I don't even own a camera but was thinking of buying one. If I did it looks like the only place I would be able use it is on public becouse I can't find a lease near Beebe.:banghead:
thief. I don't even own a camera but was thinking of buying one. If I did it looks like the only place I would be able use it is on public becouse I can't find a lease near Beebe.:banghead:
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443 Posts
I've gone one i've been putting out on Ft Chaffee for about 3 or 4 years. Hasn't been messed with yet, but I try to put it in some of my more remote hunting spots. Not that anywhere on Chaffee is really that remote. it's got a cable and lock that came with it. A couple of years ago I actually got pictures of a couple of guys that looked to be scouting, and one other guy that was squirrel hunting before bow season opened. None of them messed with the camera, and I'm sure they saw it. Just to be safe, as soon as I got the pictures developed and reallized that many folks were in the same area, I got my camera out of there.
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2,600 Posts
Did you get any good bucks on cam Bowhunter71 ?
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11,766 Posts
Would it be OK if I just pulled the card looked at the pictures and put the card back?:razz::biggrin:
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2,579 Posts
A few years ago someone on one of these boards was telling of a friend of their's experience with a game cam on public ground. He told that when his friend developed the film there was two folks rear's cam "mooning" it. His friend hit the ceiling till he told his friend that at least the guys left the camera without messing with it. Then his friend saw the humour.:arkie:
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Do the same rules apply for trailcams as do stands? On a stand on public property you're supposed to have your name and address, and a stand can't stay in the same location but for seven days. Just curious.
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I don't think you have to have your cameras marked with your name and whatnot like stands.
All of my cameras are on public ground. I did have one stolen last year at the end of September. My experience is that not many people get out on public land this time of year and usually they don't until closer to season, end of September. The cameras you have out now should give you a good indication of what animals your dealing with. I will pull my cameras mid September and put them back out after gun season when everything calms back down to see what made it through. I also put camo tape all over my cameras and paint the straps. I think all of this should decrease your chances of theft considerably.
A note about the painted straps if applicable. After I paint them I hang them outside, spray them with some sort of scent killer every day for about a week and a half. This seems to get the paint fume smell out of them.
All of my cameras are on public ground. I did have one stolen last year at the end of September. My experience is that not many people get out on public land this time of year and usually they don't until closer to season, end of September. The cameras you have out now should give you a good indication of what animals your dealing with. I will pull my cameras mid September and put them back out after gun season when everything calms back down to see what made it through. I also put camo tape all over my cameras and paint the straps. I think all of this should decrease your chances of theft considerably.
A note about the painted straps if applicable. After I paint them I hang them outside, spray them with some sort of scent killer every day for about a week and a half. This seems to get the paint fume smell out of them.
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That's funny, I've walked past cameras on public land before, and I've thought about doing both of those. I planned to carry my laptop back in there and check the pics, but I never got around to it.
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Most of the pics I've gotten have been of does or smaller bucks.
3 years ago got a pic of a real nice 8 pt. Picture was actually taken about 2 hours after I put the cam out one evening after work. Buck was broadside to the cam at maybe 10 yards. Long main beams and good mass. Never saw that deer during season and only got one picture of him.
The next year I had the cam located about 100 yards from this same spot over a scrape and got some pictures of some small bucks and another 8 pt that looked to be at least 18" wide, but not much mass. Never saw him during the season either.
Sure hope they let us hunt it this year... It should be pretty good after being closed down most of last season.
I built a camera mount using a screw in step and a thin piece of sheet metal. I take 4 steps and use them to climb a tree. Then screw the camera mount in the tree and attach the camera. You will end up getting aerial photo's of your game. Also attach leafy camo to break it up. So far I have not had one stolen from public ground. Before this I would put them on a tree at knee level with cable and locks. Have had 3 stolen:frown:
It is basically the same thing as you see on some of the hunting shows ... Don Kisky and Lee Lakoski advertise them.
It is basically the same thing as you see on some of the hunting shows ... Don Kisky and Lee Lakoski advertise them.
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14,637 Posts
Uhh... You mean a strap-on tree step since it's on public land, right? :wink:
nope
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