Hunting gear on public land in MN

So I’ve seen this off and on over the years. I’m out on public land doing something and notice a stand or trail cam. I know from turkey hunting that you can’t leave a blind up overnight. I’ve always left the stuff alone. Saturday evening I pull down a small gravel lane as I saw a pheasant there, and wanted to check him out. He ran off into the grass. I was looking for him for a minute, when I suddenly see one of those tactacam with the antenna to beam pictures back to wherever. It’s strapped to a tree on the edge of the federal WPA shining across the dirt road. I’m not sure the purpose, and I thought it somewhat annoying. Maybe they want to see who is visiting the federal land? It was stationed at a back door entry point, i.e. a place to access this public property, but not the main parking lot. Have you ever seen tail cams out on public, and what do you do?

I see trail cams on public land all the time. I know of 4 on the land near me. What do I do ? Nothing why would I do anything? I hunt just as I plan to hunt.
I also know of a couple different stands guys have left out there before, what do I do about that ? I hunt them when I want to. If the guy has a cam near a parking spot it’s probably to keep a eye on how many guys are going there. Obviously stands and cameras are not supposed to be left and when they are they are public, but I’m not going to be a tattle tail about a camera or a old hanger stand. I just go about my business as usual.

Leave em, along with anything else that I think is there intentionally. And I pick up everything else I come across that isn’t clearly intentional, like trash, broken stands, carts, a broken down tent (those are all real life examples). On the WMA by me I know the USFWS uses cameras at times for different purposes including counting visitors, along with the general public using them where they shouldn’t be. Personally I don’t think it’s too big of a deal, as you know they will be coming back for a camera.

Just keep in mind that anything left on public land is now public. It’s a risk to leave a camera or stand out there because someone could use or steal them. I’m sure the person who left it there knows this too but they feel it’s still worth watching for activity.

Stands left on public land can be used by anyone who gets there first. I never ran into this issue when I deer hunted on public land, but my uncle did once. It was not a pleasant encounter. I told him ahead of time that someone could get there first before him and he should walk away. He didn’t. The next day the stand was chainsawed into bits and laying in a swamp.

I understand the laws regarding stands – but are trailcams illegal on public land? A trailcam that isnt left unattended is pretty much useless?

Youll see cams here and there. Normally in pretty easy to guess spots. I just walk by no big deal. One thing is you can still use a trail cam it just needs to be removed each day. Sometimes I like to put them on access points to see how many people are using it that day. Or an overlooked access to see if anyone else has the same idea. Always remove it same day.

Timmy wrote:

I understand the laws regarding stands – but are trailcams illegal on public land? A trailcam that isnt left unattended is pretty much useless?

It depends on the type of public. Some its totally legal to leave out. A lot you cant and need to remove each day.

In today’s lite mobile set ups leaving stands on public should not be happening where it’s illegal.
My last sit in the oxbow area I like to hunt I spotted something blue on the side of the tree I hunted out of last year.
When I was done hunting for the morning I walked over to the tree and someone had screwed in 8 steps and left them.
Back in my younger days I used a lot of screw in steps and left them everywhere. Now days with lite sticks hurting trees should be a thing of the past.

The DNR might stick an M80 in it

Stands, blinds, cameras just blow them up and leave the debris. It’s the new DNR disposal method.

I think it should be the same as leaving un-attended tip ups overnight on the ice.
Not legal.