Scouting/trail cam tactics on public land

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thepennsylvanian
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Scouting/trail cam tactics on public land

Unread postby thepennsylvanian » Wed Dec 19, 2018 4:20 am

I wanted to see how you all are using your trail cameras on public land. I've typical set mine in areas that i planned to hunt, however i have found that to be counter productive this year. So how are you all using your cameras in conjunction with your scouting? any and all ways would help, as im having trouble thinking outside of the box here. . . :pray: :think:


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rfickes87
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Re: Scouting/trail cam tactics on public land

Unread postby rfickes87 » Wed Dec 19, 2018 5:17 am

I have hung cameras almost anyway imaginable in the past... over a food source, next to ag fields, trails, over beds... anything. I did something for the first time last year that totally paid dividends for years to come....

I found a good bedding area in early Sept on public about two years ago (old overgrown clearcut ontop a ridge) and on a south facing side of it at the 1/3 is where the clear cut transitions to hardwoods...10 yards from that transition is a faint deer trail i noticed while scouting. I put a camera there. I was too lazy to check it once the season started and i ended up leaving it sit till mid November, so basically the whole PA archery season. 6 weeks. I was happily impressed with the pics i got. 5 different bucks about 100" and slightly bigger. I was blown away when i checked the history wind data. every single 2 1/2+ year old buck used that trail when it was leeward to the bedding. I couldn't believe it. That is the most benefit I've ever gotten from a camera in 10 years of hanging them. Sure it didn't help that season but now i have a spot to hunt for YEARS to come on a north wind!!!
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Re: Scouting/trail cam tactics on public land

Unread postby A5BLASTER » Wed Dec 19, 2018 7:03 am

I put mine on trails bleeding into and out off bedding areas, but no that are with in a hours walk of any place you could park a truck.

Like to put mine up in the tree looking down at the trail.
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Re: Scouting/trail cam tactics on public land

Unread postby tuff4x4 » Fri Dec 21, 2018 2:37 pm

For what it is worth.. I try to put a camera on a trail that comes out of a bedding area, not just any trail or any bed. I try to find a bed that is setup for a single trail out, one that is used with the confidence that nothing knows there is a big buck there so he comes out one way mostly. I am so far only putting a camera in a bed if there are multiple trail options for the buck. I am using the intel that I gain for the NEXT year as I do not plan to hunt the area with the camera in that year. I do put cameras on food sources or around them and I will hunt those right away if time allows.

I like pictures but I am after the intel more then anything. My brother in law shows me crystal clear pics of bucks standing over a scrape at 2am all the time. But the best pic I have every got was a blurred image of a buck, that I could only tell had alot of mass, walking on a trail just before dark. It lead me to his bed.
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Re: Scouting/trail cam tactics on public land

Unread postby bh bowhunter » Mon Dec 24, 2018 3:08 pm

I just left a cam today along a well used trail, high up on a ridgetop, after finding a lot of deer sign in the snow. Found a good spot for a natural blind next to a blow down. further along the trail I picked a tree for a stand, which will work for a NW wind. Will scout this spot several more times and move the camera around before the season opens.

Now is the time to scout like mad! I scout with my binos at the ready for when I jump deer from there beds or I see them in a clearcut. I'm hoping to see mr. big so I can find his hidout. Then by mid-January I focus on sheds while scouting and all the while moving my 14 cameras around.
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Re: Scouting/trail cam tactics on public land

Unread postby brancher147 » Tue Dec 25, 2018 1:20 am

In the past I used cameras in places I hunt and run them until gun season. It never really helped me.

This year I used them in areas I didn’t hunt and never have hunted just to gain intel. I hung near bedding late summer and left all season or I hung over scrapes in October and left. I have checked 3 of 6 with a little intel gained but no real good bucks. But so far none stolen and only 2 hunters both first week gun season. The jury is still out if this method will really help me. So far it has just confirmed what I already suspected. I have never seen any correlation with wind or leeward sides in the mountains. I just look for direction of travel in relation to time and bedding and daylight activity.
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Re: Scouting/trail cam tactics on public land

Unread postby pewpewpew » Wed Dec 26, 2018 12:20 am

the best gauge I have found for where deer spend time is the concentration of poop on the ground. I often hang cameras over spots riddled with poop. Mostly just for inventory.
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Re: Scouting/trail cam tactics on public land

Unread postby Doublejake » Wed Dec 26, 2018 1:23 am

Has anyone ever placed their cameras 20 feet in a tree to hide them from other people? I have, they don’t seem to get noticed by the Deer. But I definitely don’t get as many pics due to limited area coverage. It’s also more time consuming.
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Re: Scouting/trail cam tactics on public land

Unread postby UofLbowhunter » Thu Dec 27, 2018 5:02 am

Doublejake wrote:Has anyone ever placed their cameras 20 feet in a tree to hide them from other people? I have, they don’t seem to get noticed by the Deer. But I definitely don’t get as many pics due to limited area coverage. It’s also more time consuming.


I have, so have many others on here. Dan has done that years ago! I have even gotten one stolen 15 foot up. The theif had to have a stand to get, this was 2 miles deep too,but he worked to get it! But its not gonna keep me from putting up cameras, im just gonna have to be smarter to where i put them!
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Re: Scouting/trail cam tactics on public land

Unread postby Doublejake » Fri Dec 28, 2018 10:45 pm

I have, so have many others on here. Dan has done that years ago! I have even gotten one stolen 15 foot up. The theif had to have a stand to get, this was 2 miles deep too,but he worked to get it! But its not gonna keep me from putting up cameras, im just gonna have to be smarter to where i put them![/quote]

All mine are paddle locked and pass word protection so it they work hard to steal it it will also be useless to them.
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Re: Scouting/trail cam tactics on public land

Unread postby Dpierce72 » Sun Jan 06, 2019 1:38 am

I don't go 20', but I go one stick/aider. I also take the strap off and only use a python cable. The width of the horizontal strap draws attention IMO.
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Re: Scouting/trail cam tactics on public land

Unread postby Nmann707 » Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:12 pm

Im strictly using cameras for inventory purposes. Like many others have mentioned I hung my cameras mostly where I planned to hunt, but that proved to educate the deer I was after. Just this past year I have been spreading my 9 cameras over more public properties that I’ve been interested in. Since I only hunt public land I hang them 10’ up in trees and angled down. I feel this protects against theft and gets the cameras above the deer. I really think it helps concealing them from people and deer. I focus on food sources (mostly oak flats and connecting private ag fields) or main trails where the deer will tolerate human scent. Believe it or not the walking trails and logging access on public property can get lots of great info on the deer in the area and you can check them without worrying about spooking deer. Just my 2 cents worth.
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Re: Scouting/trail cam tactics on public land

Unread postby Rich M » Wed Jan 09, 2019 12:59 am

I don't know where I'll be hunting until June or July - quota hunt or two each year.

Use the cameras to verify what I think I'm seeing when scouting and keep moving them around weekly until I find what I'm looking for - this lasts up until my hunt date. 10-12 ft up, angled down, 10-15 yards from target area/trail. Thinking of doing the CuddyLink system so that when I find a good buck, I won't scent up the area again until I set my stand...
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Re: Scouting/trail cam tactics on public land

Unread postby whi52873 » Wed Jan 09, 2019 8:23 am

Doublejake wrote:I have, so have many others on here. Dan has done that years ago! I have even gotten one stolen 15 foot up. The theif had to have a stand to get, this was 2 miles deep too,but he worked to get it! But its not gonna keep me from putting up cameras, im just gonna have to be smarter to where i put them!


All mine are paddle locked and pass word protection so it they work hard to steal it it will also be useless to them.[/quote]

How do you password protect your SD card? I've had several cameras stolen but have had more SD cards stolen out of the cameras than anything else.
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Re: Scouting/trail cam tactics on public land

Unread postby Doublejake » Thu Jan 10, 2019 2:16 pm

whi52873 wrote:
Doublejake wrote:I have, so have many others on here. Dan has done that years ago! I have even gotten one stolen 15 foot up. The theif had to have a stand to get, this was 2 miles deep too,but he worked to get it! But its not gonna keep me from putting up cameras, im just gonna have to be smarter to where i put them!


All mine are paddle locked and pass word protection so it they work hard to steal it it will also be useless to them.


How do you password protect your SD card? I've had several cameras stolen but have had more SD cards stolen out of the cameras than anything else.[/quote]

My Cameras are password protected not the SD card. They are also paddle locked.


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