Trail Cameras on Public Land: What's Legal
Can You Put Trail Cameras on Public Land?
Often, but not everywhere and not every kind. "Public land" covers National Forests, BLM ground, wildlife refuges, National Parks, state wildlife areas and state forests, and each is run by a different agency with its own rules. Two filters apply to every camera:
- State hunting law. Does your state restrict trail cameras, or cellular cameras specifically, for hunting or scouting? Some do, some do not, and some only during season.
- The land manager's rules. Does the agency that runs that ground allow cameras or other personal property to be left, and for how long?
Check before you hang anything. These rules change often, and a camera that was legal last season may not be this one. Confirm the current regulations with your state wildlife agency and the specific land manager. This page tells you what to ask; it is not the official rule where you hunt.
Missouri: Trail Cameras Are Not Allowed on Conservation Areas
If you hunt Missouri Department of Conservation areas, the answer is no. Since July 1, 2023, the Wildlife Code lists "placing or using trail or game cameras or other similar devices" among the activities prohibited on department areas, with an exception only for scientific use under a Wildlife Collector's Permit (3 CSR 10-11.110). Other public ground in Missouri, such as federal land or Corps of Engineers lakes, follows that manager's rules, so check with them. Season dates are on our Missouri hunting seasons page.
Are Cellular Trail Cameras Allowed on Public Land?
Cellular cameras are the ones most often singled out, because they send real-time alerts to a phone, and several states have decided that crosses from scouting into fair-chase territory. Idaho, for example, prohibits transmitting trail cameras for hunting and scouting big game and game birds on federal, state and local government land from August 30 through December 31 (Idaho Fish and Game).
These laws are being added and revised season to season, so we do not publish a state-by-state list that would go stale. Look up the current rule in your state's hunting regulations before you rely on a cellular camera on public ground. If cellular is off the table, non cellular trail cameras are the alternative.
Federal Land: Forests, BLM, Parks and Refuges
Federal agencies lean in clearly different directions. These are general tendencies; the office for your specific unit has the final word.
| Land Type | General Tendency (verify locally) |
|---|
| National Parks | Generally prohibit leaving personal property, including cameras, unattended |
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| National Wildlife Refuges | Generally prohibit leaving personal property; many require all gear removed at day's end |
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| National Forests | Often allow dispersed personal use within limits; individual forests can add restrictions |
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| BLM Land | Often allows it, but caps how long property can be left unattended; limits vary by office |
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Where cameras are allowed, the common strings attached are a time limit on leaving property unattended, a requirement to remove gear daily (common on refuges), and, on some state wildlife areas, a rule that cameras be labeled with the owner's name and contact information.
Keeping a Camera From Walking Off
Where cameras are legal, theft is the practical risk. Hang them away from parking and main trails, mount above eye level angled down, and lock them with a security box. Tactacam's Security Box Gen 4.0 fits the Reveal X 4.0 and Pro 4.0, and the Gen 3.0 box fits the X 3.0 and Pro 3.0.
