If you plan on using trail cameras in Arizona to scope out where big game animals may be, think again. Starting Jan. 1, 2022, a new rule (R12-4-303.A.5) prohibits the use of a trail camera “for the purposes of taking or locating or aiding in the take of wildlife,” according to the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

In June, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission unanimously approved the new rule after “an extensive public input process.” This rule expands upon a previous 2018 rule that prohibited the use of live action trail cameras for locating/taking/aiding the take of wildlife and specifically applies to the use of trail cameras to aid hunting efforts. Anyone using trail cameras for research, general photography, cattle operations, or security purposes can continue to do so.

One major note: Any photograph or its data captured by a trail camera AFTER Jan. 1, 2022 and used for the take or aiding in the take of wildlife will be unlawful, even if that was not the initial intended use of the trail camera.

For more details on the new rule, click here.