Help! Bucks on Camera Midday

[KingfisherNYC]

Hey, everyone. I'm a longtime lurker at this site.

I'm a terrible hunter but trying to get better. I've shot a bunch of does, but only seen one buck (a very young fork) that I didn't want to shoot. And he was very nervous coming by.

This spring I tramped all over some public land where I hunt, looking for sign and trying to rethink everything. I posted a cellular camera in two new locations that seemed likelier to me. One was a total fail--almost never get a picture from that site.

But the other, I get pics of deer every day, and often maybe two to three times a week, I get pics of mature bucks (different bucks, but there is a clear dominant animal in the area) in the middle of the day, at 10AM, at noon, at 4 in the afternoon. I will also get some in the evenings and mornings.

I'm really afraid I'm going to screw it up when I get out there to hunt. Can you help me with the following questions:

1. I have concluded I've got the camera very close to buck bedding, given the times of day I'm seeing the deer. Is that right, do you agree?

2. I set up a tree in March with cranford steps. It's on an access route from a trail, and about 20-30 yards from the camera. I'm now very nervous that the tree is too close to the bed. I've got pics of bucks at midday moving from the spot where my tree is to deeper cover. I'm also nervous about making extra noise poking around for another tree. My instinct is to just do my best to be quiet at the original tree. Thoughts?

3. I am not seeing a single buck, but 4-5 of different ages. I also get a lot of does. When I picked the spot, the area I thought was doe bed was between my tree and the area I thought was buck bed. Would the pics I'm getting be explained by a doe bed, with a few buck beds around it, and then bucks checking things out during the day when they stretch their legs? Would anything else account for different ages of bucks moving through the area midday?

4. It's pretty clear from the pic that deer--primarily does--are using the same access route I planned to get in there. Due to the nature of this spot, I don't have another good access route. Do you have suggestions for how to get in there? I'm thinking it's a one shot deal b/c once I get in there my scent will be all over the place. Is that right?

5. I'm not going in there unless the wind is just right. But is there pressure to get in before the food source changes? I think the food is ag across the street.

What else should I be thinking about?

[Bonecrusher101]

Dynamite spot!!! Congrats!

If I were you I’d pull your cam and get out of there ASAP. You know enough to know that it’s good. No point in chasing the deer around putting up permanent stands all over when you can’t kill them now anyway. Now you should let it settle back down and don’t educate the bucks that you are frequently in the area.

[KingfisherNYC]

Thank you! (It's a cellular camera, so I haven't been in there since March)

[Grizzlyadam]

Sounds like they might be doing a mid day bed shift maybe the wind direction or thermal is changing causing them to move a bit and probably do some browsing as well. Is it on a knoll or elevated bump/hill? Sounds like your cam is right in the bedroom.

I would go hunt it as soon as you can when the wind is right seeing that it's currently being used. Bring a mobile stand in with you and go really slow looking for sign of where they are exiting the spot and if you have to set up a bit farther back from your currently prepped tree, so be it. Pay attention to if you bump anything going in so you know if you got too close.


Next time you go there your laying down scent so you might as well be hunting it. I wouldn't worry about the does using your trail smelling you in that regard unless your planning in going there to hunt does on a regular basis.

[Matt Gill]

My suggestion is to review the pics and monitor the future pics for what the wind direction is on the days you are getting shooters on cam so you will know which wind to hunt it on. Hopefully you can see some type of pattern and up your odds for when you go in

[justdirtyfun]

You are getting good information from your camera. And have a spot you will be hunting. But...

What do you still have on the "to do" list?

Physical training
Shooting practice
Equipment modification and silencing
Stealth practice with full gear on your back.
Navigation
Data crunching from pics and weather conditions

I have not used a cell cam but if I were you.
Leave the camera in place, hunt the area, and observe the changes that result. Pattern will change somewhat from fall food source and wind change so be aware of this. Hunting there once will not send them into the next county.
Good luck this season.