Shining, glassing or cams ?

Discuss deer hunting tactics, Deer behavior. Post your Hunting Stories, Pictures, and Questions/Answers.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


User avatar
oldrank
Posts: 6158
Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:32 am
Location: USA
Status: Offline

Shining, glassing or cams ?

Unread postby oldrank » Sat Jun 04, 2016 3:58 am

What do you feel is the best method for taking preseason invetory and why? What are the pros and cons of each?

I am just recently getting into the cam game but have heard mixed reviews. I mainly do summer glassing but feel I really have to be careful of tipping off other hunters who seem to be doing the same. I would like to do a little more shining but its tough with my work schedule n personal life. Whats your favorite way to take inventory?

[ Post made via Android ] Image


User avatar
Jphunter
500 Club
Posts: 771
Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2014 5:04 am
Location: East Texas
Status: Offline

Re: Shining, glassing or cams ?

Unread postby Jphunter » Sat Jun 04, 2016 4:09 am

I think it's different for different areas. Shining isn't legal where I hunt so glassing and cameras are the methods I use. In areas with agriculture glassing seems to work pretty well for seeing deer, but most of the time the bigger deer don't hit the fields around here until after dark. Cameras work pretty well for getting a picture but can be a little more intrusive.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
User avatar
Bayshorebuck8
500 Club
Posts: 989
Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2015 2:12 am
Status: Offline

Re: Shining, glassing or cams ?

Unread postby Bayshorebuck8 » Sat Jun 04, 2016 4:18 am

I think glassing if possible is best. Absolutly no intrusion whatsoever. Plus you can better observe there movements instead of oh they walked by that tree at such and such time. Cons of this it takes time and effort and sometimes its difficult to find a vantage point or to see into real thick stuff if no fields are nearby.

[ Post made via Android ] Image
User avatar
Bayshorebuck8
500 Club
Posts: 989
Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2015 2:12 am
Status: Offline

Re: Shining, glassing or cams ?

Unread postby Bayshorebuck8 » Sat Jun 04, 2016 4:19 am

Jphunter wrote:I think it's different for different areas. Shining isn't legal where I hunt so glassing and cameras are the methods I use. In areas with agriculture glassing seems to work pretty well for seeing deer, but most of the time the bigger deer don't hit the fields around here until after dark. Cameras work pretty well for getting a picture but can be a little more intrusive.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image


X2

[ Post made via Android ] Image
User avatar
DaveT1963
500 Club
Posts: 5196
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2014 1:27 am
Location: South
Status: Offline

Re: Shining, glassing or cams ?

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Sat Jun 04, 2016 4:30 am

3 different tools with different applications..... only two of which can legally go into my tool box.... and I use them both.

[ Post made via Android ] Image
User avatar
Lockdown
Moderator
Posts: 9957
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 4:16 pm
Location: MN
Status: Offline

Re: Shining, glassing or cams ?

Unread postby Lockdown » Sat Jun 04, 2016 5:33 am

I live in ag country and each of the three have their place. If you've got bedding that's real remote they might not make it to the field in daylight, and a spotlight beam only reaches so far.

I think each individual property should be assessed to try and figure the pros and cons and which method is best suited for it.

I can't run cam on public but my cameras (5) showed me more big deer last year than glassing and shining combined. Trail cams are super effective when used properly.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
User avatar
seazofcheeze
500 Club
Posts: 3860
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2013 1:13 pm
Location: Billings, MT
Status: Offline

Re: Shining, glassing or cams ?

Unread postby seazofcheeze » Sat Jun 04, 2016 6:52 am

Cams>shining>glassing. Cams can go basically anywhere and are on 24/7 until the batteries run out. Less of a time commitmwnt, less gas, etc. Most of the big bucks I see in my area are while shining. Occasionally I will see a few glassing and since our season starts Oct 1st. most bucks are coming off summer patterns by then so glassing works better for pre season inventory than patterning in my opinion.

[ Post made via Android ] Image
User avatar
Dewey
Moderator
Posts: 36724
Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:57 pm
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: Shining, glassing or cams ?

Unread postby Dewey » Sat Jun 04, 2016 7:22 am

For me glassing is the lowest impact and really the only option for my primary hunting areas. Most times I am doing this on my mountain bike going into areas vehicles cannot go. I can cover a lot of ground and stay very low key compared to glassing on the road from my truck. This time of the year my bike is always with me so I can pull it out of the back and hop on to investigate certain areas. Most marshes or state forests have good networks of dike roads or access road and trails.

I also shine where I legally can and will be running cams in places I cannot get to as often like out of state so I can get an idea on the quality of bucks in the area so I know where to focus and don't waste my time this fall in non productive areas.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
JoeRE
500 Club
Posts: 4576
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 5:26 am
Location: IA
Status: Offline

Re: Shining, glassing or cams ?

Unread postby JoeRE » Sat Jun 04, 2016 8:09 am

Depends a lot on what the terrain and cover is, and what is legal of course. If time isn't an issue, glassing and shining are probably your best bet for inventory in most ag country. If you don't have the time to do a bunch of that, cams are definitely the way to go. Glassing is lowest impact, shining the highest impact IMO although some may disagree. Some of the biggest oldest bucks will not routinely show themselves in daylight in fields even in the summer so glassing has limits. From what I have seen repeated shining really makes mature deer more spooky. Long term cam placement around food sources for inventory would be somewhere in the middle in terms of impact, letting it soak there for several weeks doesn't disrupt much but you should have several cams in an area for best results and that is $$. Basically there are tradeoffs for each.
User avatar
BigHunt
Posts: 12159
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2011 9:50 am
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: Shining, glassing or cams ?

Unread postby BigHunt » Sat Jun 04, 2016 10:16 am

All of the above if you can get away with it........
HUNT LIKE A BEAST
User avatar
Bigb
500 Club
Posts: 937
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2012 5:12 am
Status: Offline

Re: Shining, glassing or cams ?

Unread postby Bigb » Sat Jun 04, 2016 12:51 pm

I'm in hill country with a lot of small ag fields mixed into the area. The way that our ag fields are situated and the terrain, it is very tough to glass since most of the ag is impossible to see from the road. It really helps with poaching because most bucks never show there face by the road. Bad thing is its very tough to glass or spot light. We rely on cameras for us. We put some on ag and many on pinch points. Ag cameras we can check a little more often, pinch points we may check once a year or not ever that. I use a lot of trail camera information for the following year on what spots are hot during the rut. I don't live by where I hunt so I concentrate most of my hunting time and days off during the rut.
BassBoysLLP
500 Club
Posts: 9756
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2011 11:28 am
Location: Central WI
Status: Offline

Re: Shining, glassing or cams ?

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Sat Jun 04, 2016 1:10 pm

All of the above. But my favorite way to find best of the best bucks is to all night shining in summer with a public land gps in tow. Every 150+ near public gets logged. Cam clusters and glassing follows. Sometimes you confirm you are in the game, sometimes you are out, sometimes you take a chance on the circuit during the rut. I hate hunting areas that don't hold a buck I would consider shooting. Many areas can be inconsistent. This approach ensures you are consistently in the game.

Sub-note: I really want to get a drone for late evening observation of remote areas in hill country. Awesome glassing tool.

P.S. I hate expensive corn. It is the worst enemy to hardcore shining during the late velvet rut.

[ Post made via Android ] Image
mainebowhunter
500 Club
Posts: 3448
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2016 10:45 am
Status: Offline

Re: Shining, glassing or cams ?

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Sat Jun 04, 2016 1:20 pm

I used to do a lot of spotting with a light. But really, just did not find it to be all that productive. This year, going to try it again in August. New spots, new areas, new game. Cameras and in season observation are 2 of my biggest tools. Kind of hunt from the outside in. We have so much timber here that cameras are my #1 tool. When August hits, deer are on the apples hard. Many of those trees are no where near roads or any type of place to scout.

I really count a lot on in season scouting if what I find when I hunt seems cold. The one thing I do wish is that it was legal to spot during the season. I do have some spots that it would really benefit me to know if the bucks are there.
User avatar
purebowhunting
500 Club
Posts: 1376
Joined: Sun Apr 07, 2013 6:37 am
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: Shining, glassing or cams ?

Unread postby purebowhunting » Sat Jun 04, 2016 1:31 pm

My most productive has been glassing and shinning during summer, this year I'm trying mock scrapes with ropes or vines hanging over them. I have a few up with more to come, the current ones have been up since last fall and still active. Hope it helps just get a look at what's around. It seems that with glassing I see more big bucks in June, as the antlers get more developed I think they give up trying to eat on any easy access fields.
User avatar
oldrank
Posts: 6158
Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:32 am
Location: USA
Status: Offline

Re: Shining, glassing or cams ?

Unread postby oldrank » Sun Jun 05, 2016 4:47 am

Thanks for the responses guys. It seem s that each should be a valuable tool that should be called apon in the right situation. Knowing when to use them is the key. Alot of great thoughts.

[ Post made via Android ] Image


  • Advertisement

Return to “Deer Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Aeast and 84 guests