People Are ‘Creeped Out’ By Private Trail Cameras on Conservation Land

In the Massachusetts Mashpee River Reservation and Woodlands, locals are grappling with conservation agents over the presence of personal trail cameras mounted to trees. Some have complained their existence is creepy while those who placed them say their civil rights are being violated if the cameras are removed.

As reported by the Enterprise in Mashpee, conservation agents brought the issue before the Mashpee Conservation Commission earlier this month in response to a “very large amount of calls from residents who are beyond creeped out” by the presence of these private cameras on the land.

One agent, Daniel Kent, says that when he took a camera from the area and returned it to the owner, the situation escalated.

“He was agitated saying that this violated his civil rights,” Kent says. “We had multiple discussions with him and the town manager, who also got involved in this.”

Both sides of the argument seem to believe they are in the right. Conservation agents say the cameras aren’t allowed unless they’re specifically approved while advocates say that their civil rights are being violated if those cameras are removed. The argument falls under a very specific regulation that, unfortunately, does not explicitly forbid the placement of private cameras on conservation land.

“The regulation did not specifically say [no] trail cameras, but it does allude to activities you want to conduct on conservation land,” Conservation Commission chairman Paul Colombo says. “You must come before the commission or at least supply the commission with a written request for the activity.”

The commission wants to amend the regulation to specify trail cameras to resolve this issue going forward. But until then, the owner of the removed camera is incensed.

“What triggered this was that [the owner of the camera] said it was a violation of his constitutional rights,” Kent tells the Enterprise. “We don’t believe that to be the case at all. He was putting private structures on conservation land.”

Trail cameras like the one in question are typically placed for hunting purposes, but Kent says it is becoming more common to find them basically on trails instead of well off the trail which would make them viable for hunting. In some cases, Kent says he has found some very high up — high enough that a 30-foot ladder would be required to place them.

“The issue we have is that cameras are showing up on trails and people are watching people,” Kent explains.

Trail cameras often find their way into locations they aren’t expressly allowed to be. It’s not uncommon to find them on private land, which has happened to a PetaPixel staffer in the past. In this case, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to need to go through official channels before placing them in conservation territory. It certainly would avoid issues where their placement negatively impacts the experience of other visitors.

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.