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Iowa Cell Camera rules

Not surprising. I've always been a little bit conflicted with the ethics around them. And I have no judgement to everyone that uses them, at all. This has just been my own feeling on them and I could never really get fully on board personally so I stuck with the old school cameras and pulling cards.

Always felt that if a guy wanted to spend the money, he could grid his entire farm with cell cams and essentially have a live feed of deer as they moved through the farm. I know that's unrealistic for most but would that be fair chase? I'd say definitely not. So where is the line drawn? Real glad a I didn't buy a few in the last couple years now though.
Just an FYI...I have heard tell of a mighty big buck that was taken down last fall with exactly this ^^ strategy. The "hunter" got pics of Mr. Big sent to him where he lived/worked, which is about 2-1/2 hours away from his hunting farm. Upon receiving pics of Mr. Big walking in the daylight, he left work promptly and boogied to a nearby stand and shot said deer that evening.

That just isn't fair chase to me, FWIW. This deer was well known in the neighborhood that he lived in and let's just say that my understanding is that all of his neighbors were not a big fan of that strategy.

Having only talked to one of said neighbors, FWIW, I did not sense garden variety jealousy that someone else bagged Mr. Big, just genuine disdain that in his mind, and apparently other adjacent management oriented neighbors too, that nowadays a specific animal could be so effectively surveilled electronically and remotely from so far away and then methodically targeted and killed that same day.
 
Supposedly the DNR is now saying cell cams can still be used on private even when hunting. The exception is cell cams alerting you to deer approaching your hunting spot while you are actively hunting there. We'll see what the regs say when released.
 
Supposedly the DNR is now saying cell cams can still be used on private even when hunting. The exception is cell cams alerting you to deer approaching your hunting spot while you are actively hunting there. We'll see what the regs say when released.
Kind of like allowing electronic devices or optics on primitive weapons, but it being illegal to use them in hunting / shooting at quary.

Stupid is as stupid does.
 
Every year there are stories of some guy getting a pic from his cell cam, immediately going out to his stand and killing that deer. This is not very common though and definitely not the norm; of all the guys I know, none have had this happen to them personally. What usually happens is you get a pic, you establish a pattern and you can capitalize on that pattern before it changes. It's usually 24 hours between pic and kill. Even with a cell pic, I'd say it only works out less than 50% of the time in these situations. Like was said before some bucks don't like cell cams, after one trigger, some bucks avoid that trail imo, some bucks are bothered less, but nothing is guaranteed.

If their argument is fair chase I think it has to be applied evenly across the board and not different rules for public and private. I don't get how it's not fair chase though, you still have to hunt the wind, get in clean, execute your shot and get lucky that the deer will cooperate. Everything about the actual killing of the deer is done in a fair chase method. Information and intelligence on the deers whereabouts is an aid you can use to your advantage if you're smart. What's the difference between the farmer telling you he saw a huge buck come out in that corner field 3 nights in a row or your cell cam telling you that? It's usually a 3-5 minute delay on my cell cams and I don't monitor my cell phone 24/7. Change the rules to getting pics sent at midnight and I'd be perfectly fine with that and just as effective.

Fair chase is a funny thing, as hunters we're constantly looking for an edge; ozone emitters, scent blockers, decoys, attractants, box blinds, tree stands, range finders, smokeless muzzleloaders, food plots. All these things are meant to aid us in the hunt and give us a tactical advantage greater than what we would have naturally. None of us want a fair situation, we all wanna stack the deck in our favor. What's the combat quote, "if you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck". So wouldn't actual fair chase be man vs beast on the ground with no manipulation of the surroundings?

We literally justify blocking our scent, manipulating an entire property, hiding in a box blind, luring a deer into a manicured food plot straight into a kill funnel where we smoke it with a single shot smokeless muzzleloader (let's be honest it's a single shot rifle), but cell cams is where we draw the line in the sand on fair chase? Lol Guys out west call us midwesterners deer farmers and they're right to a degree. I'm sure in 30 years I'll be grumbling about whatever the new fangled tech is being used.

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Every year there are stories of some guy getting a pic from his cell cam, immediately going out to his stand and killing that deer. This is not very common though and definitely not the norm; of all the guys I know, none have had this happen to them personally. What usually happens is you get a pic, you establish a pattern and you can capitalize on that pattern before it changes. It's usually 24 hours between pic and kill. Even with a cell pic, I'd say it only works out less than 50% of the time in these situations. Like was said before some bucks don't like cell cams, after one trigger, some bucks avoid that trail imo, some bucks are bothered less, but nothing is guaranteed.

If their argument is fair chase I think it has to be applied evenly across the board and not different rules for public and private. I don't get how it's not fair chase though, you still have to hunt the wind, get in clean, execute your shot and get lucky that the deer will cooperate. Everything about the actual killing of the deer is done in a fair chase method. Information and intelligence on the deers whereabouts is an aid you can use to your advantage if you're smart. What's the difference between the farmer telling you he saw a huge buck come out in that corner field 3 nights in a row or your cell cam telling you that? It's usually a 3-5 minute delay on my cell cams and I don't monitor my cell phone 24/7. Change the rules to getting pics sent at midnight and I'd be perfectly fine with that and just as effective.

Fair chase is a funny thing, as hunters we're constantly looking for an edge; ozone emitters, scent blockers, decoys, attractants, box blinds, tree stands, range finders, smokeless muzzleloaders, food plots. All these things are meant to aid us in the hunt and give us a tactical advantage greater than what we would have naturally. None of us want a fair situation, we all wanna stack the deck in our favor. What's the combat quote, "if you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck". So wouldn't actual fair chase be man vs beast on the ground with no manipulation of the surroundings?

We literally justify blocking our scent, manipulating an entire property, hiding in a box blind, luring a deer into a manicured food plot straight into a kill funnel where we smoke it with a single shot smokeless muzzleloader (let's be honest it's a single shot rifle), but cell cams is where we draw the line in the sand on fair chase? Lol Guys out west call us midwesterners deer farmers and they're right to a degree. I'm sure in 30 years I'll be grumbling about whatever the new fangled tech is being used.

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I think you make many valid points to consider, it is definitely true that it is easier, via technology and gear, etc, to bag an old buck than it once was. But...there is a clear distinction here IMO in that the cell cam can give the exact location of a living beast in real time to a hunter electronically surveilling the quarry.

All of those other things that you mentioned are real and worthy of consideration and conversation...but they aren't real time, exact coordinates of the game being chased. Just my thoughts on the matter.
 
Any more rules going to change ?
- smokeless muzzleloaders?
- Straight wall rifles or cartridge clarification?
- Lighted Nocks?
- Lighted Sight Pins?
- Rangefinding sights like Garmin, Burris or others?
- Anything else?
How about enclosed scentproof blinds, they kill more mature bucks than a cell cam. Ozone machines? Stupid law if you ask me

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My real question is when does this go in? July 1? When the regs come out? Now? I know several guys who just took cams out this last weekend (and have seen 2 on public already)
 
Thanks for sharing. And, not all public, just state managed. I am thinking that might change over time.
 
So county conservation land is still ok?

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Yes, according to this video. Basic explanation is it has little to do with deer hunting and is about people leaving stuff on public state land that is not specifically allowed for (e.g tree stands and blinds).
 
Yes, according to this video. Basic explanation is it has little to do with deer hunting and is about people leaving stuff on public state land that is not specifically allowed for (e.g tree stands and blinds).
But isn’t that the same for county land too? (Not allowing stands and such) Seems pretty grey to let the counties make their own decisions on cameras- or did I hear that completely wrong?
 
He could have explained that better; on the public hunting atlas blue outlined land is DNR managed, green is county/other. From my understanding cams on green outlined land is legal, blue outlined land is illegal.

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But isn’t that the same for county land too? (Not allowing stands and such) Seems pretty grey to let the counties make their own decisions on cameras- or did I hear that completely wrong?
But the state does not control county or Federal (Army Corp) land. He was extremely clear that the cameras were not allowed only on State managed lands. He used Red Rock as an example. State land (green signs) means no cameras (cell or non cell). Corp land (different sign) cameras are allowed. Even those 2 areas may adjoin.
 
He could have explained that better; on the public hunting atlas blue outlined land is DNR managed, green is county/other. From my understanding cams on green outlined land is legal, blue outlined land is illegal.

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A bit confusing on colors. Green signs on the land means state, but blue color on the map is state.
 
A bit confusing on colors. Green signs on the land means state, but blue color on the map is state.
All the public I hunt whether county or state is boundary marked with the same green DNR signs. I never knew there was anything different besides the ihap signs.

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