Cell cams and trapping

[Deerhunter12454]

I’m curious what the legality of using cell cameras to keep an eye on traps is. I live close to 2 hours away from both leases and want to start trapping coyotes. I know traps are suppose to be checked every 24 hours but that’s close to impossible living 2 hours away.

 

[furtaker]

I'm not sure what the legality is, but if you set enough traps to make it worthwhile you're gonna need a bunch of cell cameras.

 

[buckpasser]

I don’t think it’s a legally acceptable way of checking them. I run them just to get coyotes out quickly before they have a chance to pull out or damage a pad or toe. It’s also interesting to watch the sets in this way.

You may have legal ground to stand on if you have an “on demand” option that could be used each morning in place of an in person visit. This would at least be ethically acceptable if not legal.

 

[GAEngineer]

I'm going to say it's not legal based on OCGA 27-3-12:

§ 27-3-12. Unlawful substances and equipment; computer assisted remote hunting prohibited
(a) It shall be unlawful to hunt any wild animal, game animal, or game bird by means of drugs, poisons, chemicals, smoke, gas, explosives, recorded calls or sounds, or recorded and electronically imitated or amplified sounds or calls. It shall also be unlawful to use electronic communications equipment for the purpose of facilitating pursuit of any wild animal, game bird, or game animal.
(b)
(1) As used in this subsection, the term "computer assisted remote hunting" means the use of a computer or other device, equipment, hardware, or software to control remotely the aiming and discharge of a firearm or other weapon so as to allow a person not holding that firearm or other weapon to hunt or shoot a wild animal or any wildlife.
(2) It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, or association to engage in computer assisted remote hunting or provide or operate a facility that allows others to engage in computer assisted remote hunting if the wild animal or wildlife being hunted or shot is located in this state.
(3) (A) Any person violating the provisions of this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than $1,000.00 and not more than $5,000.00, imprisonment for a term not to exceed 12 months, or both such fine and imprisonment.
(B) Any equipment used or intended for use in a violation of this Code section, excluding motor vehicles, is declared to be contraband and shall be forfeited in accordance with the procedures set forth in Chapter 16 of Title 9.
(C) The hunting and fishing privileges of any person convicted of violating this subsection shall be suspended for three years.

 

[Railroader]

Unless you are willing to drive two hours each way to release a stray dog or the neighbor's cat, or a coon or bobcat then it's probably not a good idea.

You absolutely WILL catch critters you don't want, and you owe it to them to turn em loose in a reasonable amount of time. This requires an in person check every morning without fail.

In only one month of trapping, I have caught a coyote which was my target...I have also caught FOUR non targets...This is on a line that averages about 12 traps.

My rookie advice is that if you can't check em, you got no business setting them.

 

[Doug B.]

It has never been a question in my mind. If I have traps set, I WILL check them the very next morning! Sometimes on the weekend my wife will say "have you got to check traps in the morning?" And if I have some set I tell "yes I have traps set so I have to check them. I take this serious and she understands. She just don't always know if I have some set or not.
I can't stand the thought of leaving an animal caught all day just cause I am either too lazy or too far away to check them. The regulations say check them every 24 hours, that's what i do.