Cameras for Patterning vs Inventory

[Jackson Marsh]

I mainly run cams to get soaking wet, attacked by mosquitoes and mildly irritated.

[ Post made via Android ]

[NBK438]

Thanks for the responses, fellas! I'm just gonna stick to inventory in low impact spots like a funnel in an area I feel will be used at night.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Dewey]

I don't have a ton of experience running cams since I have only used them sporadically over the years mainly for inventory purposes. This year I used them more than ever just to confirm what I found scouting and to help me decide what properties I want to focus on. Running cams out of state has really given me a good idea of the quality of bucks that are around so in that capacity they did the job perfectly.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Ack]

Last year I ran a cam in a spot that annually had good buck sign. I placed the cam before season and pulled it mid-November. I did not go back in and hunt the spot after I pulled the cam, but I now have the knowledge of when the bucks show up in this spot and the caliber of bucks laying down the sign. And I will probably do it again this year in another area or two.

[Mibowfreak]

I run cams for more of an inventory purpose than anything. But this year, now that the velvet is shedding I will be transitioning these cams to areas I would like to gain Intel for next fall.

[ Post made via iPad ]

[mainebowhunter]

I will also add...I don't look a gift horse in the mouth either...if a buck is showing up like I was hoping he was, I exploit the pattern. I don't wait till next year to hunt him. I run a lot of cameras. I would prefer to run less and observe...but thats just not in the cards for this state. I place a lot of cams that I can check on my way to stand.

Here is one example of what I mean. 2015, ran 6 cameras on a property. Only one shooter, low odds. Plenty of 2.5yr olds, moving in daylight. Spring scouting revealed lot of beds in the area. Never hunted the property last year. 2016, apples were sparse, acorns were heavy. Stands spots had to be shifted. Cams revealed bucks are bedded not far from there. 2 3.5yr olds that I have followed since winter are bedded there. Get pics of them everyday in daylight. They are holding to the same pattern as they did last year. On the same property, in 2 different spots, a 7yr old buck is using 2 food sources outside of the bed. He has become increasingly more active in daylight this year than ever before.

Having low buck numbers, cameras really help me be more efficient. With multiple spots, it really helps me to prioritize the best odds spots.

[DaveT1963]

When I am running cameras on a different property to gather intel for the next year.... I am not just blindly setting these things out. I know from hunting the previous year that there are a couple two and a half to three and a half year old bucks that I want to keep my eyes on and to try to get some patterns for those bucks. They are not quite ready to shoot but show enough potential for future years. I am setting these cameras out usually in August / September and then I will pick them up in January-March during my postseason scouting. It also lets me know which books survived.

[ Post made via Android ]

[jwilkstn]

Every year I find myself using cams less and less for "direct" patterning. I just don't see it working with mature bucks. It doesn't work for me and I don't see many stories about anyone else pulling it off either. Its high impact and I think it gets people trapped in the "day late" mentality where they are always one step behind a buck and don't try to anticipate what he will be doing tomorrow or next week.

I use cams heavily for inventory and what patterning I still do is mainly through long term deployments (4-8 weeks) to identify annual patterns in an area - that I might hunt the following year. I like to do this with individual bucks - so when a "shooter" shows up in an area, hopefully I have intel on him from past years. I have had a lot of success with that.

So I still use cameras for patterning, just very low impact, for future years intel or just to see what is showing up at a particular food source or the like, then hunting based on scouting knowledge - do not recommend constantly checking cameras and trying to hunt what happened one or two or three days ago. The proof is in the pudding so to speak. Tons of hunters trying to do that and very few succeeding. Cams are a great support for scouting & knowledge of the land but are a lousy substitute for it.

Joe exactly what I was going to type but did not take the time to type it. Just had this conversation today with a buddy. It has been my findings as well. Because a lot of my buddies keep trying to pattern and kill like that. Fails every year. 99% of the time it does not work. Even on 2.5yr olds.

It's really why I spend most of my time focused on beds. Daylight activity around beds gets me excited. Because I know why they are there.

Again...we come back to time on a piece of ground. Just no substitute for it.

[ Post made via Android ]

I do the same as these guys.

I'll add that I have a couple spots I like to keep a camera all fall that are proven hot spots, but I also try s couple new areas every year just to better learn my property.

[ Post made via Android ]

[iowa whitetail]

I will put them on the outskirts and when I get a good Buck I'll pull cams from spots I don't and put more cams out for him. I can figure out what side of the farm he is using more. I Will check them every few weeks off season and at least every week in season. If I get him on cam more often I will check it every day if I start to get daylight pics, usually around oct30. I guess I use them for inventory at first then kinda pattern, more just too see what area they are in more often. I've killed alot of target bucks this way.

[ Post made via Android ]

[mainebowhunter]

I will put them on the outskirts and when I get a good Buck I'll pull cams from spots I don't and put more cams out for him. I can figure out what side of the farm he is using more. I Will check them every few weeks off season and at least every week in season. If I get him on cam more often I will check it every day if I start to get daylight pics, usually around oct30. I guess I use them for inventory at first then kinda pattern, more just too see what area they are in more often. I've killed alot of target bucks this way.

[ Post made via Android ]

And that is how lot of guys use them in spots with higher deer densities. Bill Winke uses his the same way. He did an episode on that. Its kind of how I used to try to use them in lower deer density areas and it is just not effective. Its interesting though because its a method that works for you BUT a lot of guys would say they ruined areas checking cams that often. But your killing target bucks that way. Real interesting.

Its why I love the beast...guys all hunting different tactics and methods, some even seem to contradict each other.

[jonsimoneau]

I am finding that the data I gleam from my cameras is more useful the following year. As an example the past 2 years I placed cameras on suspected rut travel corridors and left them all of November. I did not hunt these spots. After a couple of years I learned which corridors are best during each phase of the rut because it was consistent year to year. Now I have stands in those locations and I know when to be there.

[ Post made via iPhone ]