How many trail cams do you run? (Poll)

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How many cams?

0
6
6%
1-2
14
15%
3-4
24
25%
5-7
28
29%
8-10
10
11%
11-15
8
8%
16+
5
5%
 
Total votes: 95
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DaveT1963
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Re: How many trail cams do you run? (Poll)

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Tue Jul 26, 2016 2:38 am

JoeRE wrote:Holy buckets do some people spent a pile of money on cams, SD cards, and batteries! The heaviest users must be dropping several thousand dollars a year on cams, cards & batteries (not to mention data plans for cell cams)....hey its a (relatively) free country but that kind of money would get you a pretty nice lease in a big buck state or a good outfitter hunt if that is your thing :think:

I am slowly migrating to the anti-trail cam club unfortunately. Not there yet, have half a dozen and still use them heavily, all are out doing inventory right now. However I have become more jaded toward them with every passing year. Heck I have a hard time justifying the $200-300/year I spend on cam replacement and batteries but I suppose I am more frugal than most.

The big issue for me is that [glow=red]they are such a crutch[/glow]. I see this in myself and in everyone else. In the very near future, anyone who kills a big buck without using a trail cam will be viewed with shock - everyone will say "had to have been complete luck because he doesn't use trail cameras!" In other news, I might be turning into a curmudgeon. :D


I suppose it is a crutch in some manner - however, I heard the same arguments for portable tree stands, compounds/ crossbows, release aids, carbon arrows, range finders, GPS, on-line Topo Maps & Aerial Photos, internet and cell phones. And leases them selves can be a crutch.

As far as expense - guarantee you I get far more intel per $ spent then I would if I have to drive and glass and scout constantly - not to mention the big time saver. The closest area I hunt is well over an hour away and a lot of mine are 3-4 hours one way.

I probably average $1000-$1200 a year on cameras and batteries. There just is no way I could scout effectively the number of areas I hunt without them. The one factor that many face that the average Midwest hunters doesn't is to even find a legit shooter - I might have to check out 20 WMAs to find even one legit 4 year old or P&Y caliber buck. In Ohio I don't have to use near as many cameras as any one of our farms has a # of good bucks on them.


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Re: How many trail cams do you run? (Poll)

Unread postby Mschmeiske » Tue Jul 26, 2016 2:43 am

I'm running two but will be getting more in the future. I just got my bow license so between some bow expenses and a new stand I just don't have the funds for more just yet and I still need some camo :x

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Re: How many trail cams do you run? (Poll)

Unread postby JoeRE » Tue Jul 26, 2016 3:28 am

DaveT1963 wrote:
I suppose it is a crutch in some manner - however, I heard the same arguments for portable tree stands, compounds/ crossbows, release aids, carbon arrows, range finders, GPS, on-line Topo Maps & Aerial Photos, internet and cell phones. And leases them selves can be a crutch.

As far as expense - guarantee you I get far more intel per $ spent then I would if I have to drive and glass and scout constantly - not to mention the big time saver. The closest area I hunt is well over an hour away and a lot of mine are 3-4 hours one way.

I probably average $1000-$1200 a year on cameras and batteries. There just is no way I could scout effectively the number of areas I hunt without them. The one factor that many face that the average Midwest hunters doesn't is to even find a legit shooter - I might have to check out 20 WMAs to find even one legit 4 year old or P&Y caliber buck. In Ohio I don't have to use near as many cameras as any one of our farms has a # of good bucks on them.


I agree with everything you say Dave. I know darn well cams are a huge help in locating where bucks of a certain class are. You use traditional archery equipment Dave, so I think you understand there is a balance that one has to seek in hunting and the chase, I just worry younger/inexperienced bow hunters will not understand that if no one brings the subject up.

Tree stands are a good example. I have killed a few nice bucks from the ground and seems like most other bow hunters think hunting from the ground is ridiculous. We forget tree stands became popular only a few decades ago, millions of deer were killed from the ground before that. Hunting from a tree offers some big advantages but we forget there are other ways of getting the job done and ignorance is weakness.

I shouldn't have said I am going anti-trail cam - I am not. I am anti-trail cam dependency, which is what I see in our future. Mark my words the very next generation of hunters will be CELL cam dependent. Can't kill big bucks without them! People scoff at drones right now (just like most scoffed at cell cams only a few years ago) but in 20 years they will be an accepted part of hunting. We gain and we loose....but most forget about how much we loose and that is what bothers me.

Anyway, sorry this is not what the OP was looking for I know, lets carry on. I find the results of the survey as interesting as anyone.
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Re: How many trail cams do you run? (Poll)

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Tue Jul 26, 2016 3:33 am

Agree 100% - I have often worried where hunting is going to head as technology increases. I am addicted to a lot of crutches as most. I do actually take a few from the ground with my trad gear but no doubt it is much tougher drawing down on a buck at eye level within 20 yards - been busted more then a few times doing it :)

I did draw the line with cell cams.... and as I get older and my body shows more and more signs of reckless behavior during youth - the more I enjoy my ground level Hammock seat. I just have to perfect a good portable ground blind system to use with my ghillies. I do have a bow blind that hides my drawing arm.
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Re: How many trail cams do you run? (Poll)

Unread postby Buck snort » Tue Jul 26, 2016 3:42 am

Dave, do you have a picture of your setup? Sounds stealthy!

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Re: How many trail cams do you run? (Poll)

Unread postby Bow_Badger » Tue Jul 26, 2016 3:49 am

I generally run about 5 or 6.

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Re: How many trail cams do you run? (Poll)

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Tue Jul 26, 2016 4:43 am

DaveT1963 wrote:
JoeRE wrote:Holy buckets do some people spent a pile of money on cams, SD cards, and batteries! The heaviest users must be dropping several thousand dollars a year on cams, cards & batteries (not to mention data plans for cell cams)....hey its a (relatively) free country but that kind of money would get you a pretty nice lease in a big buck state or a good outfitter hunt if that is your thing :think:

I am slowly migrating to the anti-trail cam club unfortunately. Not there yet, have half a dozen and still use them heavily, all are out doing inventory right now. However I have become more jaded toward them with every passing year. Heck I have a hard time justifying the $200-300/year I spend on cam replacement and batteries but I suppose I am more frugal than most.

The big issue for me is that [glow=red]they are such a crutch[/glow]. I see this in myself and in everyone else. In the very near future, anyone who kills a big buck without using a trail cam will be viewed with shock - everyone will say "had to have been complete luck because he doesn't use trail cameras!" In other news, I might be turning into a curmudgeon. :D


I suppose it is a crutch in some manner - however, I heard the same arguments for portable tree stands, compounds/ crossbows, release aids, carbon arrows, range finders, GPS, on-line Topo Maps & Aerial Photos, internet and cell phones. And leases them selves can be a crutch.

As far as expense - guarantee you I get far more intel per $ spent then I would if I have to drive and glass and scout constantly - not to mention the big time saver. The closest area I hunt is well over an hour away and a lot of mine are 3-4 hours one way.

I probably average $1000-$1200 a year on cameras and batteries. There just is no way I could scout effectively the number of areas I hunt without them. [glow=red]The one factor that many face that the average Midwest hunters doesn't is to even find a legit shooter - I might have to check out 20 WMAs to find even one legit 4 year old or P&Y caliber buck.[/glow] In Ohio I don't have to use near as many cameras as any one of our farms has a # of good bucks on them.


They are a tool just like anything else. They are probably the #1 influence to deer hunting in the last decade. They bring a lot of good and bad at the same time. A lot more "you killed my buck" type attitude that runs around. For me, they have added a whole new enjoyment level to chasing whitetails.

Cameras really are not all that expensive. Once you have them...most of my cams I spent less than $100 for. Problem is keeping them from breaking.

Dave said it right. If you want to chase mature bucks in some states, you either abandon it all together or use every available tool to locate them. I have done it without cameras just based on sign alone. Most years in the midwest, during the rut, cams influence very little of the decisions about where I hunt and what I do. In Maine without cams, I would NEVER observe or see any of the bucks that I am hunting. At this stage, there are 5-6 mature bucks I am watching for the upcoming season. Not one of them would I see in broad daylight or even have any idea they were around.
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Re: How many trail cams do you run? (Poll)

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Tue Jul 26, 2016 4:56 am

Buck snort wrote:Dave, do you have a picture of your setup? Sounds stealthy!

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Are you referring to my "bow Blind? If so I can pull it out and take some pics this weekend maybe a video. Really nothing more then a carbon arrow shaft with a square hoop I made, covered with netting and ghillie material. It pops in my last arrow hole (one in quiver closest to deer - away from me) When I get in my ground blind I rotate it forward until it is 90 degrees to my bow. It is just big enough to cover the drawing action of my right arm/hand. I have thought about making it a bit bigger to hide evn more but just never get around to it. It does work and adds very little weight to my bow.
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Re: How many trail cams do you run? (Poll)

Unread postby Dewey » Tue Jul 26, 2016 5:00 am

Thought this article fit nicely in this thread. Think many of you can relate. :lol:

http://wiredtohunt.com/2014/07/21/the-7 ... l-cameras/
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Re: How many trail cams do you run? (Poll)

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Tue Jul 26, 2016 5:30 am

Dewey wrote:Thought this article fit nicely in this thread. Think many of you can relate. :lol:

http://wiredtohunt.com/2014/07/21/the-7 ... l-cameras/


Man Dewey -- that was funny right there...I don't care who you are. :D
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Re: How many trail cams do you run? (Poll)

Unread postby phade » Tue Jul 26, 2016 5:56 am

Technology is scary - it tends to undo traditions and create new ones. Some people resist it. Some people embrace it. In any case, it happens.

The hunting dynamics will (are) change (changing) as American households change. There is fewer free time, more challenges to the active engagement in the sport, and political impacts, just to name a few.

Worrying about the impact of trail cameras on face value can have merit. But think about what would happen if trail cameras didn't exist knowing the above is the current state. We often associate trail cams as "taking away" from the sport, but we often forget the value they add to keeping the sport alive in some semblance.

Trail cameras are great hooks for kids. A useful tool for those with limited time too, and it creates a sub-set of the hunting/outdoor lifestyle we want to keep alive. I am sure we'd all love our kids to whittle their own arrows, knap their own broadheads, and use a sinew-laden osage orange bow while stalking deer in a loin cloth. Sometimes we have to just settle for texting pics of bucks that showed up on camera and being excited at finally getting the chance to get away and spending some family time together with a common passion.
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Re: How many trail cams do you run? (Poll)

Unread postby Stanley » Tue Jul 26, 2016 5:57 am

The poll kind of indicates what I have said often, "we are in the midst of the electronic age". Hunting is and has been evolving and at a rapid rate. Trail cameras are a huge part of the evolution. To me the internet is the best crutch/resource available. I have learned more on the Beast in 5 years than I did the prior 50+ years of hunting on my own. :think:

Hunting is not like it was, nor will it ever be again. We can tap guys that have done it, for some pretty great information. I also think lots of guys run cameras for the entertainment factor not just a hunting tool. Cameras are more of a hobby to me than anything else. If I had to chose right now between cameras and hunting I might just chose cameras.

Ive killed enough bucks in my life to satisfy my hunger. I like the idea of getting a picture and the buck lives on. It's Christmas for grownups. The anticipation of what's on those cards, is what it's all about for me. Now I gotta go work on getting some cameras set up for deployment. ;)
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Re: How many trail cams do you run? (Poll)

Unread postby Buck snort » Tue Jul 26, 2016 6:16 am

DaveT1963 wrote:
Buck snort wrote:Dave, do you have a picture of your setup? Sounds stealthy!

[ Post made via Android ] Image


Are you referring to my "bow Blind? If so I can pull it out and take some pics this weekend maybe a video. Really nothing more then a carbon arrow shaft with a square hoop I made, covered with netting and ghillie material. It pops in my last arrow hole (one in quiver closest to deer - away from me) When I get in my ground blind I rotate it forward until it is 90 degrees to my bow. It is just big enough to cover the drawing action of my right arm/hand. I have thought about making it a bit bigger to hide evn more but just never get around to it. It does work and adds very little weight to my bow.


yes, I was referring to your bow blind.... Not a big deal, but ya, that would be cool to see what it looks like, and how you make it all come together.... but again, don't go out of your way to show me, only if you have some free time...... thanks!
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Re: How many trail cams do you run? (Poll)

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Tue Jul 26, 2016 6:33 am

OK - I will upload something to my journal showing it and how I use it.
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Re: How many trail cams do you run? (Poll)

Unread postby ozzz » Tue Jul 26, 2016 8:45 am

As far as technology goes, trail cams are one thing but I think it is pretty clear that using droned for hunting puroses will be illegal. We have already seem this.

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