Braintrust,

A little background:

I’m a ND native back for the deer gun season. I am a fortunate landowner who drew a unit tag that took 6 years to draw. I did not put in for a landowner tag during this time because in ND it’s one or the other for nonresident landowners. My land is posted.

I’m have hunted all over the Midwest/West and Western Canada. I get there are different methods of harvesting game and different cultural acceptances.

So here goes— how much “intrusion” should landowners have to put up with these “hunters” who park on an approach an snap pictures of deer a half mile away with their digi/phone scopes? How is this different than a drone? Should these guys be asked to move along at some point? What’s stopping them from s opting into my yard?

I grew up in ND and appreciate the common sense simple manner that the NDGF Dept and the legislature take in establishing our rules and laws.

Better they do it safely from an approach rather than just pull off the side of the road and do it. I don't get the problem your having, you can't stop someone from glassing your land from the road.

Just pound in a no hunting sign in the middle of your approach, then they'll have to stop on the side of the road to take pictures of your deer..

Leyland cypresses?

I'd worry far more about having an Alexa listening device in your house, or your data being mined and sold every time you use your phone or computer. Taking pictures of deer from a public road isn't illegal. Every time you go into a store you're being recorded, have you taken as much interest in that?

Unless they're digiskoping or phoneskoping into your house there probably isn't much you can do about it.

This^^^

There's a pretty big difference between taking a picture of the deer and actually killing it. What is your problem exactly? You don't want them knowing what is on the property?

Anything that can be seen from a public space is up for public viewing. Its up to you to close the shades to you home and property. Plant a tree line, install a privacy fence along the road or just let people look at "your" deer. The only time I get a bit frustrated is when I have a stand on a field edge and people honk at deer in the field as they drive by but I know they can honk if they want so I just live with it.

That deer belongs to the state government anyway. It's not your deer.

Actually in Kansas, wildlife are public property. They belong to the public, not the government. On paper anyways…

plant a screen around your property of pines about 3-4 rows thick it will bring more deer and give you the privacy you like

we are getting to laws that allow more photographing , recording and video capture and not less

places striking down old laws that prohibit recording your interactions with an officer and such.



with a drone it enters your air space it could crash and cause damage or need to be retrieved. vs if a crop duster flies over your place and crashes while working on an adjacent field he is licensed and insured.

with a spotting scope or Digi scope it is a picture from afar the light refracted has left your property to be captured on their side of the fence

similar to how you can't have a Laser that projects on the target but a red dot that sends no light at the target but looks like it through the optic is a-ok

Never once said the deer were “my” deer. I used the word “intrusion”. It’s not particularly fun to hunt your own land when there is spotting scopes and cameras watching your every move.

If you think my concern is about the deer, your only half-right and missing the intrusion part and the ability to enjoy your land.

And some of these hunters don’t use approaches but rather stay on the gravel road and digiscope. I had to finally talk to hunters on Saturday who pulled over to the other lane and parked. They got their scope out and snapped for 16 minutes. They faced the wrong way on the road to take some pictures.

You can't stop people from looking, and why would you want to stress yourself out about it?

well I can tell you how a friend used to deal with people often tress passing but sometimes they would sort of keep to the creek aka navagable water way , they were huting the creek and claimed not to be on the way to state land behind his that the creek never actrually gets to it turns and heads west not south into the state land , it gets close but misses by 150 yards

he would jump on his 3 wheeler old honda well it was fairly new at the time and ride around blazing off rounds in the air with his AK , they got the idea he was crazier than they were . after he realized he hit his own house doing that and put a hole it the roof he stopped

if you set up a video camera with a couple high power LED lights and go out and video the people taking pictures it should make them un easy enough that they move on.

every time they stop to take pics on the road someone on a 4-wheeler comes flying out to the road to take pictures of them from your side of the fence for added effect have them dress in all camo with a face mask

I guess I'm failing to see what the actual problem is. If you pass a property and see a big buck standing in the field, your not going to want to look?

Man, I sure hope he isn't worked up enough to go to all that trouble.

I think most aren't understanding what digi/phoneskoping actually is. I also don't think it's the fact people are pulling over and simply taking pics of deer that the OP is upset about.

Basically what it is, is an attachment that you attach to a spotting scope that allows you to either take pics with your phone or camera through the scope. These are high resolution photos that are taken at distances the normal cameras or phones can't reach.

I'll use this as an example: With my 750mm camera lens I can take a pic of my neighbors house that is over 1/3 of a mile away. I can see into his kitchen fairly easy. With a digiskope attachment not only can I see into his kitchen I can read the labels on his spice bottles and count the grains of salt he spilled on the stove.

So I can see why the OP is upset, especially if they are following him with the scope and watching what he is doing.

You bought a piece of land that is viewable from the road. No laws against looking at deer from a public roadway, and there shouldn't be. It's not hurting you or your hunting, right? Do you only look at critters that are on property you own?

I'm glad I'm not your neighbor