SHOULD GAME CAMERAS BE ALLOWED FOR HUNTING?

[George]

This is an interesting discussion, one I like to follow to stay current with popular opinion and differing viewpoints, especially because people's viewpoints is what drives new laws that might directly affect my own activities.
On a gamecam bunny trail, one thing that's been happening in Pennsylvania is multiple murderers hiding in the woods have been apprehended with the help of gamecam pics, so hunters are doing general society a service through providing security surveillance in the woods. It's interesting that multiple states are passing laws against game cameras when cameras is kindof the age we live in, and can make the world a safer place, nowadays if you leave the house you're probably on camera somewhere. Technology is here to stay and it's going to be hard to put it back into the box and pretend it's not here.
To illustrate how diverse each individuals opinions can be: While I'm somewhat neutral on game cameras, I'd be very much in favor of banning bait piles but of course, I'd be very unhappy if wildlife foods plots were banned at the same time. I'm in favor of the unpopular position of banning ar15's, but not in favor of banning bolt action repeaters. Id like to move opening day back to Monday, shut down Sunday hunting, and make crossbow illegal again, although I use one, go figure...
So the laws lining up with exactly what I and everybody eles wants is probably an impossibility that's not going to happen. We each have one vote, one voice, and one opinion. And I'm good if it's not exactly my own flavor of choice, I will obey the law without grumbling, and sometimes not operate at the fullest extent of the law if I don't morrally approve of it.

I saw on facebook recently an on the loose murderer in the next county west had his picture taken in the woods.

G

 

[catscratch]

No AR's or Sunday hunting Mennonite?

 

[yoderjac]

I saw on facebook recently an on the loose murderer in the next county west had his picture taken in the woods.

G

Just to add a personal experience, when we first purchased our property, trespass and poaching were big issues. We reported every trespass to the sheriff's office and every poaching to the game warden. One day I got pictures from my game cameras of two guys trespassing and reported it as normal to the sheriff's. Turns out they were wanted criminals. I'll never know if the pictures helped law enforcement zero in and apprehend them, but I read about the prosecution several months later.

 

[Drycreek]

I’m gonna give this one more shot, for those who do not understand, whomever they may be. Cat is mostly correct in his assessment of my explanation, but I think I can sum it up in two or three sentences.

I hunt because I like it and have all of my life, over 60 years of hunting , and I didn’t start until I was about 11/12 years old. We eat two deer a year, between my wife and I and some given to my daughter. It’s not a sport, it’s just what I do.

And here’s a question. If I don’t chase big bucks, and if I only kill two deer a season, what earthly difference does it make if those deer have been on my camera ?

And here’s the answer Victory……….not a bit !

 

[Calder Royce]

I think game cameras are fine as long as they’re used ethically. They’re great for scouting patterns and checking what’s in the area, but I draw the line at using real-time cellular images during a hunt. Fair chase still matters — the camera should help you learn, not replace the hunt itself.

 

[Mennoniteman]

No AR's or Sunday hunting Mennonite?

Well, again, these are only my personal viewpoints, and since they are mine of course they are a bit odd. But I'll explain where I'm coming from;

SUNDAY HUNTING: Growing up on a farm, PA never had Sunday hunting, so we grew up accustomed to it being a peaceful day off, no hunters driving four-wheel drives on our farm lanes, no loud guns booming, no deer being dragged out of the woods under our noses while we had the preacher over for Sunday dinner, nobody banging on the door to ask permission or ask for a tow. And also a day off for wildlife, letting game animals get back into normal patterns before the next weekend rolls around. And, IMO, if a hunter can't get his buck in six days, he probably won't in seven. But it's become a moot point, and I'm in a rapidly fading minority, because PA allowed Sunday hunting now, and churchgoing farmers are posting their PA farms by the droves.

SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLES: I enjoy guns and I own an AR-15 myself that I use for groundhogs. The sole reason I'm in favor of a semi-auto ban is that there are too many post-modern nut cases in today's society, and with AR's readily available these crazies are killing a lot of people. (yes, there's a lot of other remedies that should be looked at too) If the crazies firepower were more limited they would still kill a few people in these episodes, but it would save some people's lives. Saving young lives that are needlessly being wasted by a hail of bullets is where I'm coming from, to me it doesn't seem wise to have military style weapons designed to take out a lot of people in a hurry readily available to nutcases. Until our government/ society can come up with a working plan to keep these weapons out of the hands of nutcases I think the current answer is to limit the ready availability of said weapons. And we don't think we could, but the reality is that sportsmen could make out just fine with being limited to bolt action rifles, and some hunters would actually wound less game if they only had a single shot. So I realize that I'm in a very slim minority of gun owners thinking high capacity fast shooting weapons shouldn't be allowed, and it's probably not going to happen anytime soon, but I'm willing to give up mine if it does, in the name of giving an as yet un-named young school student a better chance at survival when the next crazy shows up.

 

[Drycreek]

So……just so I understand, you think ARs should be banned, but you have one ? Yeah, that seems a bit odd.

Just so you know where I’m coming from, I think it makes just as much sense to ban all cars that can exceed 30 mph. Just think of the lives we could save !

You cannot legislate morality MM, no matter how many laws you pass. To think otherwise is faulty thinking !

 

[yoderjac]

Depending on location, I can see where semi-automatic rifles could be a safety issue in the hands of some.

 

[Mennoniteman]

ell, again, these are only my personal viewpoints, and since they are mine of course they are a bit odd. But I'll explain where I'm coming from;

SUNDAY HUNTING: Growing up on a farm, PA never had Sunday hunting, so we grew up accustomed to it being a peaceful day off, no hunters driving four-wheel drives on our farm lanes, no loud guns booming, no deer being dragged out of the woods under our noses while we had the preacher over for Sunday dinner, nobody banging on the door to ask permission or ask for a tow. And also a day off for wildlife, letting game animals get back into normal patterns before the next weekend rolls around. And, IMO, if a hunter can't get his buck in six days, he probably won't in seven. But it's become a moot point, and I'm in a rapidly fading minority, because PA allowed Sunday hunting now, and ch

So……just so I understand, you think ARs should be banned, but you have one ? Yeah, that seems a bit odd.

Just so you know where I’m coming from, I think it makes just as much sense to ban all cars that can exceed 30 mph. Just think of the lives we could save !

You cannot legislate morality MM, no matter how many laws you pass. To think otherwise is faulty thinking !

I forewarned that my way of thinking might be a bit odd . And don't worry, any AR legislation at all is going to be DOA in congress.

 

[yoderjac]

Depending on location, I can see where semi-automatic rifles could be a safety issue in the hands of some.

Just to be clear, I'm not in favor of banning them, but I do think there are places where the should be prohibited from deer hunting. I could just see some kid shooting across an open field at a running deer with one. In fact, I've considered building one myself, as much for the experience as anything.

 

[yoderjac]

I haven't seen any posts from @victory for a while. I hope he didn't feel ganged up on. He is a beneficial voice on the forum.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I haven't seen any posts from @victory for a while. I hope he didn't feel ganged up on. He is a beneficial voice on the forum.

Thanks for your kind words and openness to dialougue. Just like myself, knowing full well that if I voice my opinion "that ARs should be banned" will be a very unpopular position, @victory shared an unpopular position on game cameras, and I appreciate his honesty in boldly sharing his opinion, even if it's different than many others, it's been a good discussion. Open dialougue without name calling is a sign of a civilized society that will find common ground somewhere and come to wise conclusions most of the time.

 

[Drycreek]

I forewarned that my way of thinking might be a bit odd . And don't worry, any AR legislation at all is going to be DOA in congress.

This congress maybe, but I think at least half of the country feels like you do. What happens with the next prez and the next congress ? I think it’s because of the media portrayal and even gun aficionados calling them “black rifles”. The many liberals calling them “machine guns”, “weapons of war.”, etc. doesn’t help either. Most people who are against them do not understand them. It’s not about the gun, never has been. Most of these “shooters” go to places where no one is armed. In that scenario, I could do more damage with a pump shotgun and a brace of Glocks. It’s not hard to contain unarmed people, and these maniacs know that, and they pick their targets accordingly. No right thinking person should ever want something banned that is used other than what was it’s intended use. If we’re going to do that, the list of banned items would be long, and some of them would affect you.

No need to worry MM, I resolved not to give up mine years ago. Freedom has a meaning and it hasn’t changed since the term was coined !

 

[Mennoniteman]

This congress maybe, but I think at least half of the country feels like you do. What happens with the next prez and the next congress ? I think it’s because of the media portrayal and even gun aficionados calling them “black rifles”. The many liberals calling them “machine guns”, “weapons of war.”, etc. doesn’t help either. Most people who are against them do not understand them. It’s not about the gun, never has been. Most of these “shooters” go to places where no one is armed. In that scenario, I could do more damage with a pump shotgun and a brace of Glocks. It’s not hard to contain unarmed people, and these maniacs know that, and they pick their targets accordingly. No right thinking person should ever want something banned that is used other than what was it’s intended use. If we’re going to do that, the list of banned items would be long, and some of them would affect you.

No need to worry MM, I resolved not to give up mine years ago. Freedom has a meaning and it hasn’t changed since the term was coined !

Well, I'll give you a boost, if a future congress bans them I'll deliver mine and my skid of ammo to you down in TX so you have a better chance of holding out

 

[Drycreek]

Well, I'll give you a boost, if a future congress bans them I'll deliver mine and my skid of ammo to you down in TX so you have a better chance of holding out

It had better happen in the near future MM, I’m pretty damn old !