Dan Ladd: What’s the deal with trail cameras on New York state lands?

Hunters reading the New York 2025-26 Hunting & Trapping Regulations Guide made an interesting discovery that had not been in previously printed editions of DEC’s annual publication.

On pages 18 and 19 it says it is unlawful to leave personal property, including trail cameras stored on state lands. This is mentioned under both State Forests and Wildlife Management Areas. As for the Adirondack and Catskill State Forest Preserves, the guide states that all state land rules and regulations apply to these public land tracts as well.

I admit, when a friend of mine asked me about this over the summer when sporting licenses went on sale I surmised it was the same policy as tree stands or even ice shanties on public lands and lakes, and that as long they weren’t left there indefinitely, there were no issues. Of course, in both of those cases the owner’s personal identification information needs to be included. Tree stands and blinds must be removed by the end of the hunting season.

However, trail cameras, can’t be left overnight on state lands. I confirmed this with DEC.

“The trail camera issue isn’t new or the result of a change,” Jeff Wernick, with DEC’s press office, told me in an email. “It just hadn’t been published well previously. The underlying reason is that it is unlawful to leave personal property on state land. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation makes exceptions through issuance of a TRP (temporary revokable permit) for specific needs. For example, permits to researchers for placing cameras on public land.”

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Wernick also confirmed the general exceptions for tree stands and blinds placed during the open hunting seasons, or leaving traps while engaged with trapping. But trail cameras are not allowed, and technically never have been, to be left overnight.

There is a mechanism that may allow state land trail-cam use, even though it promotes using them on private lands. That is participation in DEC’s new SnapShot NY program, a citizen science initiative designed to have the public assist the agency in acquiring data on mammals across the state. Once you sign up for SnapShot NY, you’re assigned a grid cell so that the location of your photos, and thus the animals you photograph, can be logged by DEC. There’s an app utilized to participate.

Meanwhile, I’m trying to figure out what’s so bad about using a trail camera on state land. And how many hunters have done so over the years, including this one, unknowing of the law.

Remembering photos. Speaking of photos, one thing we’re seeing fewer of is those wonderful nostalgic old photos for our Remembering feature. It’s one of my favorites in this entire publication, especially hunting photos. But they don’t have to be about hunting. So, if you’ve got an older shot of a parent, grandparent and so on enjoying hunting, fishing or trapping in yesteryear, send it along with some details.

Redundant reminder. Not to sound like a broken record but our annual safety reminder ahead of the Nov. 15 Southern Zone opener warrants repetition. We all know the rules of gun safety, but sometimes we forget them. We also take our tree stands for granted, so be safe there as well. Enjoy the hunt, wear that orange (or pink), take some great photos, but most of all, practice safe hunting in all aspects. Good luck to all.