Would you rather?

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Tim H
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Would you rather?

Unread postby Tim H » Wed Mar 14, 2018 2:51 am

I remember a time with hunting without trail cameras. The anticipation of waiting to see the buck for the first hand was a part of hunting I really enjoyed. The mystery. With that said would you rather........

Get a picture of a shooter and try to go after him knowing he exists?

or

Go off the sign and keep the mystery of how big he is, until you see him personally for the first time?


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fireforeffect
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Re: Would you rather?

Unread postby fireforeffect » Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:15 am

That's a tough one. I would rather have the mystery, BUT the trail cam data is just too valuable to forfeit. I believe that I have a significantly better chance of narrowing down a bucks weak spot when I use cams. That said... I'm not running any cams on public. I'm simply reading the sign and putting in the legwork. I've had plenty of success on permission pieces, but never branched out into public land hunting until last year. I'm hoping to put a big public buck down in 2018. I've got one in mind, just need a few more pieces of intel 8-) I have no idea how big this buck is, but I hope to find out next October.
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Tim H
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Re: Would you rather?

Unread postby Tim H » Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:18 am

fireforeffect wrote:That's a tough one. I would rather have the mystery, BUT the trail cam data is just too valuable to forfeit. I believe that I have a significantly better chance of narrowing down a bucks weak spot when I use cams. That said... I'm not running any cams on public. I'm simply reading the sign and putting in the legwork. I've had plenty of success on permission pieces, but never branched out into public land hunting until last year. I'm hoping to put a big public buck down in 2018. I've got one in mind, just need a few more pieces of intel 8-) I have no idea how big this buck is, but I hope to find out next October.


I definitely agree that trail cams produce valuable information. Last year I saw a 130s buck before I got him on camera. I had the sign from the year before and predicted there was a nice one in the area. So really I guessed he was there before I got him on camera. Which was really cool!
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Re: Would you rather?

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:28 am

I think for me, a huge part of the hunt is anticipation. I run trail cameras, but I honestly think I had more fun hunting before I started using cameras. That said I really like running cameras. I would say at this point in my hunting career I like using trail cameras as much as hunting. So I kind of break down hunting and cameras into two hobbies. More fun is what it's about for me.
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Re: Would you rather?

Unread postby PK_ » Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:36 am

The mystery is more fun to me.

But if you want the biggest bone in the area unless the area is setup well for glassing it is hard to beat a trail cam.
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Re: Would you rather?

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:44 am

I like the mystery. Over the years I got plenty of big bucks on cam but always seem to kill one I never knew was around.
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Re: Would you rather?

Unread postby Uncle Lou » Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:45 am

I am pretty much a no camera guy. I won a camera back when louisville beat michigan in the NCAA bball tourney.

Used it in a neighbors back yard for a short while in summer and to scout a coyote bait pile one winter- what great pics we got of all types of animals. I can't believe it didn't convert me to a camera guy. Other than that it sits in the basement.

So I say gimme the mystery
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Re: Would you rather?

Unread postby Tim H » Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:54 am

Stanley wrote:I think for me, a huge part of the hunt is anticipation. I run trail cameras, but I honestly think I had more fun hunting before I started using cameras. That said I really like running cameras. I would say at this point in my hunting career I like using trail cameras as much as hunting. So I kind of break down hunting and cameras into two hobbies. More fun is what it's about for me.


I agree with you Stanley on your complete post! I also love running cameras. I like looking at them and collecting good shots. I use them as a tool but also sort of a hobby. But I also love the anticipation! I like to think that there are giants out there that get around the cameras because they are too sly and clever. To see a new buck that you never got on camera is pretty exciting!
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Re: Would you rather?

Unread postby Dpierce72 » Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:12 am

I like cameras more for 'inventory' than 'strategy'. The camera tells me what is around, but given a deers range, I have never really used them to pinpoint where a big buck is living or set up a strategy based on camera intel. Perhaps I'm missing some of the benefit...

Given my limited opportunities and lower big buck densities, knowing I'm at least 'in the game' is meaningful to me. Before The Beast (ie last season and the seasons before) I probably used them incorrectly so my usage will change moving forward.

But to answer the "would you rather" question? I'd rather...
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Re: Would you rather?

Unread postby Killtree » Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:33 am

I like trail cams. They sure helped me figure out how to pattern mature bucks in the early season.
I don't rely on cams,but it sure is comforting to have a buck figured out good enough to get a pic.
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Re: Would you rather?

Unread postby wolverinebuckman » Wed Mar 14, 2018 5:03 am

I'm going for the mystery, I want to be surprised when that big guy walks out. I'm trying to learn this new bed hunting game, and from spring scouting I have found a few areas I think might have a good (for me) buck based on bed location, tracks, rubs, and jumping solitary deer.
I'm looking forward to my first full beast style season, and learning the woodsman skills and sign reading to make myself a better hunter. I don't want to become reliant on cameras.
Besides that, I am currently planning to hunt up to 8-10 different parcels (mostly public) with multiple sit locations at most of those, there is no way I could afford camera scouting at all of those.
I have a camera my son gave me that I leave up on my grandpa's five acre yard, which is mostly surrounded by woods. We enjoy looking at the doe group that calls the place home. Last season I caught a ghostly image in the edge of the darkness of the biggest high rack buck I have ever seen, and some huge tracks in the yard, to boot! I'll be looking for him this year, but the tracks alone would have driven that.
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Re: Would you rather?

Unread postby rizzo999 » Wed Mar 14, 2018 5:13 am

I've been getting farther away from using them every year. I admit, for me, not relying on the card pull to determine when and where to hunt or even if there is a mature buck to chase has lowered my anxiety. I prefer to enjoy those unexpected critters that come out of that bed that I'm setup on. Sometimes it might just be a nubbin buck!
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Re: Would you rather?

Unread postby Southern Man » Wed Mar 14, 2018 5:16 am

Stanley wrote:I think for me, a huge part of the hunt is anticipation. I run trail cameras, but I honestly think I had more fun hunting before I started using cameras. That said I really like running cameras. I would say at this point in my hunting career I like using trail cameras as much as hunting. So I kind of break down hunting and cameras into two hobbies. More fun is what it's about for me.


Me too.

Even with running cameras you're not totally sure what will step out. But cameras are fun, even with more than deer. I set a couple up for hummingbirds last year.
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Re: Would you rather?

Unread postby tgreeno » Wed Mar 14, 2018 6:22 am

I love the mystery!

I've never shot a buck, I've had on camera. I usually only run two.
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Re: Would you rather?

Unread postby llcooljames » Wed Mar 14, 2018 6:33 am

Last year My friend had cameras out on a private property we have permission on, It was my first experience with them. It was cool knowing all the bucks that were around, but I didn't like some parts of it. I found myself already marking some decent bucks off my "list" before I even saw them. Then when I had them in front of me they got the pass, even though I would have been more than happy with the buck if I'd have never seen it before. I have been bow hunting for 2 years, and for the second year I ate my buck tag even though I could have filled it, but was holding out for the bigger deer we had on camera. Both of the smaller 2 year old bucks I passed were shot in gun season. One by a friend, one we found dead a few days after it was shot. Now knowing that they didn't make it anyway, I wish I would have put an arrow in one of them, I would've been tickled with my first archery buck, but that's the game we play. So in that case I'd rather have the mystery.

On the flip side, it is really cool to have living pictures of a deer you shoot. I shot my gun buck this year on a property I only hunt one day a year, and had no idea he existed. After I shot him one of the neighbors sent me trail camera pictures from when he was in velvet, and I'm glad to have them.


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