Would you leave your rifle leaning against a tree in hopes that it will be there for your next hunt. Abandoning stuff on public land is just asking for it to be removed. An acquaintance of mine lost a couple of cameras on public land and had some USFS stickers made to put on his cameras and so far has been left alone.
It's not abandoning anything. Is leaving your tent up when you go on a hunt abandonment? What about your truck? You left it on public property and walked away, must be free game. Oh, but you're coming back for it? Same with the game cams.
