Trail cams kill bucks!

[Denisboyko22]

Not trying to argue with you because I don’t use trail cams, have never owned one, but a few questions I have.

1. I only have so much time to hunt, how do you check cams if it’s not windy/rainy/inclement weather on those days of hunting/scouting?

2. If you are checking your cams how are you not alerting deer and especially mature deer to your presence?

3. How do you determine if a buck on cam is using what area? Are you relating it back to bedding? Or does it just let you know he frequents the area and then you hunt the historical/sign based stuff for him?

4. How often are you checking your cams?

5. Do you do stuff to keep them from getting stolen? Are you hunting private/public?

The person on this board who I feel has had the best posts on trail cam use is JoeRE I know he does not really post anymore but the way he used his was the most thought out and strategical of any that I have read about. Main bowhunter also had good strategies, he does not post anymore either. Anyways these are just things I keep asking myself when people talk about checking trail cams.

1&2: this is why I'm on the outside, I check these cams on the nicest day of the year if I want. I'll put them on a good food source. I dont think it bugs deer to have human sent on the outside. People have killed deer because they get a pic of them a few hours after they check cams and they figured that out. I think deer are curious also.
3: once I realize I have a deer I want to hunt I'll pull cams from other places to really narrow him down. Once I know what side of a property he prefers I'll set myself up if I'm not already. I'm not sure how alot of people use cams but I'm not using them to say ok this deer is comeing from hear down this path at 430. I just use them on the outside to see what's around. In fact if I get daytime pics I usually move it cause I'm to close.

4: depending on time of year. Summers I'll check them few times a month if that. Once you get into late oct I'm looking every few days. But in oct I'm on scrapes once they start making them. It will tell just how often he is there also will tell you his personality. Is he a ruff neck deer that wants to fight or is he the shy kind. Makes a diff in calling at a distance!

I hunt mostly private and I've had my share of them stolen. It's just how it is I guess

Got a question for you , I've been tagged out on with my buck tag but need another deer for meat and I got on trail camera 3 or 4 doe coming through 4 minutes before shooting hours but I checked the camera 2 days after they came through , do you think my scent will scare them off from me checking the camera? I know if it was a buck it wouldn't be there again but just wondering on doe since I need some meat right now and this is very pressured land

[Bowhunting Brian]

Not trying to argue with you because I don’t use trail cams, have never owned one, but a few questions I have.

1. I only have so much time to hunt, how do you check cams if it’s not windy/rainy/inclement weather on those days of hunting/scouting?

2. If you are checking your cams how are you not alerting deer and especially mature deer to your presence?

3. How do you determine if a buck on cam is using what area? Are you relating it back to bedding? Or does it just let you know he frequents the area and then you hunt the historical/sign based stuff for him?

4. How often are you checking your cams?

5. Do you do stuff to keep them from getting stolen? Are you hunting private/public?

The person on this board who I feel has had the best posts on trail cam use is JoeRE I know he does not really post anymore but the way he used his was the most thought out and strategical of any that I have read about. Main bowhunter also had good strategies, he does not post anymore either. Anyways these are just things I keep asking myself when people talk about checking trail cams.

1&2: this is why I'm on the outside, I check these cams on the nicest day of the year if I want. I'll put them on a good food source. I dont think it bugs deer to have human sent on the outside. People have killed deer because they get a pic of them a few hours after they check cams and they figured that out. I think deer are curious also.
3: once I realize I have a deer I want to hunt I'll pull cams from other places to really narrow him down. Once I know what side of a property he prefers I'll set myself up if I'm not already. I'm not sure how alot of people use cams but I'm not using them to say ok this deer is comeing from hear down this path at 430. I just use them on the outside to see what's around. In fact if I get daytime pics I usually move it cause I'm to close.

4: depending on time of year. Summers I'll check them few times a month if that. Once you get into late oct I'm looking every few days. But in oct I'm on scrapes once they start making them. It will tell just how often he is there also will tell you his personality. Is he a ruff neck deer that wants to fight or is he the shy kind. Makes a diff in calling at a distance!

I hunt mostly private and I've had my share of them stolen. It's just how it is I guess

Got a question for you , I've been tagged out on with my buck tag but need another deer for meat and I got on trail camera 3 or 4 doe coming through 4 minutes before shooting hours but I checked the camera 2 days after they came through , do you think my scent will scare them off from me checking the camera? I know if it was a buck it wouldn't be there again but just wondering on doe since I need some meat right now and this is very pressured land

Go give it a sit and see what happens.. I would. Experience is your best teacher.

[PK_]

Holy crap.

That’s it.......I’m headed to Iowa next year.

I’m with you Dewey !

I’ll bring the little debbies.

[iowa whitetail]

Not trying to argue with you because I don’t use trail cams, have never owned one, but a few questions I have.

1. I only have so much time to hunt, how do you check cams if it’s not windy/rainy/inclement weather on those days of hunting/scouting?

2. If you are checking your cams how are you not alerting deer and especially mature deer to your presence?

3. How do you determine if a buck on cam is using what area? Are you relating it back to bedding? Or does it just let you know he frequents the area and then you hunt the historical/sign based stuff for him?

4. How often are you checking your cams?

5. Do you do stuff to keep them from getting stolen? Are you hunting private/public?

The person on this board who I feel has had the best posts on trail cam use is JoeRE I know he does not really post anymore but the way he used his was the most thought out and strategical of any that I have read about. Main bowhunter also had good strategies, he does not post anymore either. Anyways these are just things I keep asking myself when people talk about checking trail cams.

1&2: this is why I'm on the outside, I check these cams on the nicest day of the year if I want. I'll put them on a good food source. I dont think it bugs deer to have human sent on the outside. People have killed deer because they get a pic of them a few hours after they check cams and they figured that out. I think deer are curious also.
3: once I realize I have a deer I want to hunt I'll pull cams from other places to really narrow him down. Once I know what side of a property he prefers I'll set myself up if I'm not already. I'm not sure how alot of people use cams but I'm not using them to say ok this deer is comeing from hear down this path at 430. I just use them on the outside to see what's around. In fact if I get daytime pics I usually move it cause I'm to close.

4: depending on time of year. Summers I'll check them few times a month if that. Once you get into late oct I'm looking every few days. But in oct I'm on scrapes once they start making them. It will tell just how often he is there also will tell you his personality. Is he a ruff neck deer that wants to fight or is he the shy kind. Makes a diff in calling at a distance!

I hunt mostly private and I've had my share of them stolen. It's just how it is I guess

Got a question for you , I've been tagged out on with my buck tag but need another deer for meat and I got on trail camera 3 or 4 doe coming through 4 minutes before shooting hours but I checked the camera 2 days after they came through , do you think my scent will scare them off from me checking the camera? I know if it was a buck it wouldn't be there again but just wondering on doe since I need some meat right now and this is very pressured land

if they dont come by I'm betting it's not because u checked cams.

[Bucky]

Agree they are my #1 tool for finding and killing older deer. Most with years of history.

I do similar things in regards to outside in.... watch and wait till the variables add up... then push in for the kill. Wind... weather... historical... most recent intel.... sometimes you just know you’re gonna get an opportunity! Those hunts are nerve racking

[iowa whitetail]

Agree they are my #1 tool for finding and killing older deer. Most with years of history.

I do similar things in regards to outside in.... watch and wait till the variables add up... then push in for the kill. Wind... weather... historical... most recent intel.... sometimes you just know you’re gonna get an opportunity! Those hunts are nerve racking

That's the truth!

[brancher147]

I have a friend that hunts private farm land and he can pattern mature bucks with cams and observation. In the national forest mountains I hunt they have not been any more useful than scouting for me. I have probably wasted more time hunting an area because I had pics of a big buck than anything when I should have been scouting. They are definitely useful in some areas but I use them less and less every year in the mountains and scout more. Killed my biggest bow buck this year-with no cams. I do like cams and do use them but just to see what’s around not really to pattern anything.

[phade]

I'll set cams in pretty aggressive spots sometimes, but that's not always the rule. A cell cam set in late season in a bedding area can be a goldmine of info, you just have to make sure it runs well, is powered, and is at minimum either hidden well or the deer disposition is such that it doesn't care.

I'll only do this if i have confidence I can make the cam last and work well in that spot.