The Biggest Conflict I Know Of

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How Often Do You Check Your Trail Cameras

Poll ended at Tue Dec 13, 2016 3:39 am

Everyday
0
No votes
Every 2 or 3 Days
0
No votes
Every 4 or 5 Days
0
No votes
Every 6 days to a Week
1
3%
Ever 2 Weeks
4
11%
Every 3 Weeks
3
8%
Every 4 weeks
8
21%
I Usually Leave it for Months Until I hunt
9
24%
I don't Use Cameras
13
34%
 
Total votes: 38
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The Biggest Conflict I Know Of

Unread postby Jrichard » Sat Dec 03, 2016 3:39 am

Okay so here I am again. On my computer, at work, bored, and hungry to hunt.

I am reading all of these different articles on different "reliable" sites. And a lot of points that are made are pretty much repeated over and over. But one thing that I find everyone has a different opinion on is how often to check your trail cameras. I can only create one pole, but let me know how often you check them in season. Out of season. In the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

Some people I know dont run cameras until Summer time. Some dont even scout, they just go in blind put up a ladder stand, and then just hope to kill something, anything. I run them all year round, and I do this because One, things change every year, and two I seem to have the early and mid season down pretty well. But late season seems to allude me. Skunk after skunk after skunk. So I am going to run them all winter. Just to give me an idea of what the deer are doing pressured and unpressured in the late season.

But that is me. How about you? Do you not run cameras? Why? Do you check your cameras more often come season end? I am thinking check the cameras every week? Every two weeks? Usually, especially closer to the new season I usually check them every 3 to 4 weeks. Keeps pressure down. And my scent to a minimum.

Now the article I just read, the guy said "Avoid checking trail cameras too often. Once every two to four days is plenty." Now in my opinion, deer don't usually start showing up consistently until the camera has been there for a few days at least sometimes. Then I get 60 or 70 pictures in a few days. I am sure deer are more sensitive in some areas. More so than others.

Okay no more rants from me, I wanna hear from you guys!


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SamPotter
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Re: The Biggest Conflict I Know Of

Unread postby SamPotter » Sat Dec 03, 2016 4:14 am

I check mine when I remember to. The ones I can access directly by ATV I check more often. I also usually put them in fringe areas that deer use more at night. Another thing I try to do is check them in the middle of the day when deer aren't likely to be close by. In farm country this doesn't seem to bother them at all.

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Re: The Biggest Conflict I Know Of

Unread postby Southern Man » Sat Dec 03, 2016 4:23 am

I put cameras out in March and leave them until January / February, without checking them. Some cameras I hang to be checked periodically when I'm hunting close to them.
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Re: The Biggest Conflict I Know Of

Unread postby Dewey » Sat Dec 03, 2016 4:30 am

I don't use cams nearly as much as most but when I do they stay in place for at least a few months before checking. The greatest advancement now is cellular cams. This completely eliminates the urge to check them often and stinking up the area since pics are instantly sent right to you.

By far the biggest mistake guys make is checking cameras way too often polluting up their hunting areas in the process. In that case they do WAY more damage than good.
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Re: The Biggest Conflict I Know Of

Unread postby john1984 » Sat Dec 03, 2016 4:38 am

I think it depends on the location of the camera.

But then there are guys here camera bombing areas, checking them every week or 2. , and then they say the buck is all over the map, with no pattern. I do wonder if placing all them cams all over and checking them every 2 weeks in one of the reasons the buck is all over the place with no pattern. Who knows.

I don't run cams for deer anymore but I'm thinking about placing them in bedding around late July and then letting them soak for 3 or 4 months.

Then use that Intel for the next year. I really like seeing these pics of bedded bucks on trail cams, vary cool

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Re: The Biggest Conflict I Know Of

Unread postby mauser06 » Sat Dec 03, 2016 5:17 am

Last winter I located a spot covered up in sign...trails that looked like cow paths in a pasture. Scrapes everywhere. I knew it has some great oaks and an apple tree every 50-100yds that produces good apples.


Its a real thick creek bottom and narrow.


I didn't know how or when the deer used the area.


I hung a camera in mid-late September when I hunted it. Then didn't come back till Halloween for a dark to dark.



I have most of the seasons Intel captured on camera. Sure, it's a small representation of the area. But I gained a ton of intel.


I'm probably going to do that more times than not with my cams now.


It's awesome checking cameras and knowing what is lurking around...but the checking of them is pressuring deer and tipping them off. Might use a couple on field edges or big trails used by people just to see what's around and enjoy some pics through the season...

But I rather use them as a tool to gain Intel for the future.

I think especially rut movement can be pretty patterned season to season...That camera showed a crazy spike in action the week of Halloween...I had it over a scrape..under an apple tree and oaks. Had action all season...but that week was incredible.

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Re: The Biggest Conflict I Know Of

Unread postby dan » Sat Dec 03, 2016 5:20 am

No correct answer... Its situational. A cam that is at or near a great hunting spot or near bedding is getting checked a lot less than one on a field edge taking inventory.
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Re: The Biggest Conflict I Know Of

Unread postby Sam Ubl » Sat Dec 03, 2016 5:26 am

While I do run a camera or two every year here or there, I sometimes wonder if it takes away from the unknowing of who's around and the enjoyment of surprise when I step into the woods. I've passed really good bucks up I normally would have shot had I not known a bigger one was around, only to learn the neighbor killed the bigger one, or he was car struck, or I just didn't catch up to him. I enjoy the pursuit of a single animal, but I also enjoy making a split decision on the fly if and when I have a chance encounter with a buck.

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Re: The Biggest Conflict I Know Of

Unread postby JoeRE » Sat Dec 03, 2016 6:16 am

Agree with Dan.

I personally like long term deployments in spots I may hunt sometime in the future - usually next year. But there are a lot of other strategies.

One thing you do have to decide though - is your primary goal to get a bunch of pretty pictures, or are you trying to kill a buck. Use the camera accordingly.
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Re: The Biggest Conflict I Know Of

Unread postby Jrichard » Sat Dec 03, 2016 6:32 am

My question now is, say you have a new spot. Brand new to you. And youre just trying to get intell. Do you check them every couple weeks till you find a spot that you want to leave it for a while? Because what if you put it in a spot that looks good, but has no activity. Now your kind of wasting time with that camera?

I get if you have buck beds you want to keep an eye on. Or if you KNOW the deer run a certain way in an area and you put it out for inventory. At times like that you can get away with leaving it out for months at a time.

But I find that I put my camera out in a spot for a few weeks. And if nothing passes it I move on. But say you are getting constant activity on the camera? Do you move the camera back more to see what else you can get on camera? Or do you let it sit?

It is just so crazy. Think about it this way... Deer patterns change with the seasons, food, weather, ect. Say you put a camera out for a couple months and you get 200 pictures on your camera. You pull the card, look it through. Now pictures are on the card from january 1st until March 3rd. And you left the camera out from December 25 until June 5th. Do you leave the camera there. Or do you pull it move elsewhere. I just dont see how some of that can be productive.

Idk I am just throwing these out there. Like Dan said there is no right answer. But I am just tryin to find a happy medium. And all these thoughts come flowing through lol.
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Re: The Biggest Conflict I Know Of

Unread postby Lockdown » Sat Dec 03, 2016 6:39 am

I'm with Dan and Joe. It is ENTIRELY situational.

I've got inventory cams often over bait, that I check when time allows, but never more than once a week. In these locations I'm not worried about scent or boogering deer. They are away from bedding.

When I set an intel cam I leave it for as long as possible. If I'm hunting nearby I might check it, but the longer it soaks, the better.

I'm at the point where I'm 70% intel based, 30% inventory. With time being an issue for me, cams set invasively in bedding areas and left for long periods of time are becoming more appealing all the time.

Also, I don't believe checking a camera every few days is going to gain you anything but a burnt out cam location. Only way I would do that is if I'm camera bombing an area trying to pin down a buck that I fully intend to kill NOW. Like Bucky does. For me time doesn't allow for that.

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Re: The Biggest Conflict I Know Of

Unread postby Zona » Sat Dec 03, 2016 6:51 am

Sitting here surrounded by big rubs and thinking about this topic as I type. 2nd year in a row that this area has blown up. Is it rut sign, early season or something else? Observation stands are not an option, what do you do? Only thing I can come up with is to place some cams in the area around September 1st and check them once while I hunt the spot in early October and again during the rut. So in this case it would be once a month.

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Re: The Biggest Conflict I Know Of

Unread postby JShea » Sat Dec 03, 2016 7:03 am

I've played with cameras in the past. When it comes down to it The only pic I like is myself holding its head up.

I'd rather hunt new hot sign and if a buck comes in that i think is good for that particular area he's about to get a picture taken with me.
Pros...inventory
Cons...expense...theft...stinking up an area...

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Re: The Biggest Conflict I Know Of

Unread postby Stanley » Sat Dec 03, 2016 7:27 am

I let mine run for months on end with out checking them. My goal is to let the cameras do some footwork scouting. I like to see what the bucks do in an area with out human intrusion. This normally helps me out for future years not this year. Plus I do get an inventory of what bucks are/were around.

I also agree to some extent cameras take some of the anticipation out of the hunt. I enjoy running cameras as much as hunting, to be honest. So for me cameras are an added hobby and a fun one that keep me attached to bucks as long as the cameras are running.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: The Biggest Conflict I Know Of

Unread postby tgreeno » Sat Dec 03, 2016 10:23 am

I don't use them very much. After muzzleloader season I plan on putting some out just to see what good bucks are still around.
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