Bennett Springs Live Cam

[awhuber]

Hey you guys know that enforcement officers watch fisherpersons all the time with spotting scopes. Have for years.

[fozzie.]

I think you guys may be making a mountain out of a molehill. Maybe a few of you should cut back on the CSI

I've glanced at it a couple times today, pretty underwhelming. Grainy video of the dam with a few folks fishing off it. Couldn't tell who they were or what vehicles were in the parking lot, even in full screen mode. I'd challenge anyone to discern the difference between Powerbait and a glo-ball at that resolution.

What surprises me most is that a lot of you guys so concerned with privacy/surveillance have no problems posting reports and stories here, broadcasting to the world where you fished, when you fished, who you fished with, what you fished with, how deep you fished it, how successful you were, and even providing photos of yourself, your catch, and your location. Far more information than can be provided by watching that video stream. DNR doesn't need to put up a camera to spy on you guys, you provide all the information they'd need voluntarily on here.

It just doesn't seem like a big thing- an ad, comparable to the photos of trout anglers you see slapped on the cover of Conservationist or in your local newspaper. Do I think it's necessary? No. But I don't think it's so sinister as to make me question whether I should fish Bennett in the future.

[fozzie.]

I think they should put up some advertisements on that bridge. Be a nice place for a viagra or godaddy.com sign.

The most important thing about advertising is to know your audience. I think the following would be more successful:

Powerbait

Reynold's Wrap

Budweiser/Miller

Durkee's

[FishinCricket]

The only thing that's worse than having a sudden case of diarrhea in the woods is getting drug out of the woods in handcuffs with crappy pants around your ankles..

And I don't put EVERYTHING in my fishing reports, otherwise I would have had to add "Fishing below the island was great but don't go on the island.. I had an accident there and youmay wanna steer clear until after a decent flood.."

I know, I know.. MDC isn't going to rethink their "watch em from afar with camera/binoculars/etc" policies just because ihave bowel problems when I Wade the river..

But for those of you who aren't getting our point, consider this:

Would you be offended if you found out your parents have been keeping you under surveilance since you left home? (and used your money to buy the equipment)

Wouldn't that bug you? Even if you were sure you had been "good".. Heck most especially if you had been good, right?

[rcguy]

Sure is fun to check in once in awhile from work to see the fishing... makes me want to head down

Cricket, You're a hoot dude! I've not been around for awhile but I'm gonna head down to Bennett some day

soon.

[Flysmallie]

But for those of you who aren't getting our point, consider this:

cricket I don't think anyone gets your point after that.

I ask again, what is wrong with you??? :lol:

[patfish]

Pull your panties out of a wad there guy

I'm not your guy, buddy!

<very few will get the above arcane reference>

[stlfisher]

Cricket thank for the laugh:)

If I was tuning in and saw someone being dragged out of the woods in handcuffs with crappy pants around their ankles I would laugh my @ss off. I would feel bad about it later, but I would laugh.

I guess I can see others viewpoint about about survelliance, but it is a live web cam, not really a surveillance camera. A surveillance camera you would be able to actually make out who the people are and record hours of tape. A web cam would actually have to be set up to record the information. I am sure that can be done very easily, but we don't even now if they are doing that. It isn't like they have a vault under the dam so "CSI game and fish agents" can poor through hours of tape. It is not like this is a big secret operation...I mean it was advertised on the MO State Park's page.

[fozzie.]

The only thing that's worse than having a sudden case of diarrhea in the woods is getting drug out of the woods in handcuffs with crappy pants around your ankles..

You're right, and that'd be an issue if the cameras were pointed into the woods. Call me modest, even a prude...but if someone is dropping trow and dumping brown trout in the parking lot at Bennett Spring State Park, I'd sort of expect them to be hauled out of there in handcuffs and crappy pants.

And the parent analogy only works if you're spending your life camped out in front of the Bennett camera. DNR isn't filming what you did at the bar last night or who you went home with, it's filming people (who I'm not sure could be identified due to the picture quality), fishing, walking around, etc in order to potentially draw people to the state park. I guess I don't see it as surveillance as much as a video postcard.

No I wouldn't like my parents watching me and every aspect of my daily existence. But if they want to film me fishing for a couple hours with a camera I got them for Christmas, I'm not going to get bent out of shape over it.

[eric1978]

The only thing that's worse than having a sudden case of diarrhea in the woods is getting drug out of the woods in handcuffs with crappy pants around your ankles..

Why do I have the feeling that's actually happened to you?