Iowa recently pushed out plans to ban trail cameras on public lands. This first step in a long process echoes recent actions by states like Kansas that did the same in 2023 for public and WIHA (walk in hunter access) lands.
I recently talked to Chris Ensminger of the Iowa DNR to see why the state is seeking the ban and what it means for hunters. According to Chris this is the first step in a 6 month process, involving an approval by the governor, legislature, NRC, and also allowing for public comment. If approved it would outlaw all forms of trail cameras on public lands, but not affect use on private lands.
When asked why they are pursuing the ban, Chris said, “it’s an experience issue, not a fair chase one. With little public land in Iowa, residents are complaining about the high number of cameras taking their picture when on public lands.” He also cited cases of hunters using them to claim ground and block other hunters from using certain areas, and also some seeking personal monetary gain by selling trail camera photos and locations of trophy bucks to out-of-staters.
And residents of Iowa seem to approve. According to Chris, 80-90% of Iowans support the measure. When pressed about if other, less restrictive solutions were considered, Ensminger simply stated yes, but that other options would be hard to enforce and this was the simplest way to solve the issue.
For hunters this means that if passed, it would not affect hunting in 2026, most likely taking effect in 2027. But it does raise a few questions. Namely, does this unfairly punish those not owning private land, especially non-residents, and has hunter self-regulation become such an issue that state agencies are being forced to apply stricter regulations?
The answer may be yes to both of those, and time will tell if Iowa joins the ranks of states tightening the noose around public land trail camera use.
