In season scouting with trail cameras

[Czabs]

I don't use my trail cameras a whole lot while in the hunting season because I'm usually hunting, and I feel like I rather run and gun a spot rather than set a trail cam to find out if a target buck is in an area or not. I would like to use trail cameras to my advantage as much as possible though this season. Any advice for a trail camera newb. How you use them, the do's and dont's, examples of using them and killing one (particularly (before rut), tips and tricks, etc.

I will use them in the rut mainly on small private chunks, seeing if there are shooters in the area. Also use them in the summer months to collect inventory on bucks. Anything else feel free to share!

[Stanley]

My thoughts are it's hard to get much valuable information during the rut. The camera in my opinion should be used to help gather information about an area to be hunted and not necessarily this year. During the rut the bucks are helter skelter so what could you realy gain by setting cameras and checking them during the rut? You can get information about benches, saddles, pinch points to see if your hunches are correct about bucks using those structural points.

In my opinion feeding/water patterns which happen before and after the rut are a much better use of trail camera usage. For instance I have trail camera intel from last year about a water hole. Looks like the drought we are having is playing into my hands for that water hole. I put a stand up (earlier this spring) close to the water hole with a camera running again this year. I haven't checked the camera this year yet, and won't until I hunt the stand and kill a good buck,or season ends.
This may sound foolish but now I will have another years intel on the water hole with out disturbing it.

Don't get me wrong, you can inventory for bucks and not hunt the area you are inventorying unless you have a buck patterned. Too many guys wonder why they can't get good bucks on camera and why they can't kill a good buck. If you use the big buck hunters mentality, when using trail cameras you can make then work for you and not against you.

[BassBoysLLP]

Most of my stuff in the fall is field scan mode on field edges and ridges. All placed on the outside looking in

[ Post made via Android ]

[BassBoysLLP]

My thoughts are it hard to get much valuable information during the rut. The camera in my opinion should be used to help gather information about an area to be hunted and not necessarily this year. During the rut the bucks are helter skelter so what could you realy gain by setting cameras and checking them during the rut? You can get information about benches, saddles, pinch points to see if your hunches are correct about bucks using those structural points.

In my opinion feeding/water patterns which happen before and after the rut are a much better use of trail camera usage. For instance I have trail camera intel from last year about a water hole. Looks like the drought we are having is playing into my hands for that water hole. I put a stand up (earlier this spring) close to the water hole with a camera running again this year. I haven't checked the camera this year yet, and won't until I hunt the stand and kill a good buck,or season ends.
This may sound foolish but now I will have another years intel on the water hole with out disturbing it.

Don't get me wrong, you can inventory for bucks and not hunt the area you are inventorying unless you have a buck patterned. Too many guys wonder why they can't get good bucks on camera and why they can't kill a good buck. If you use the big buck hunters mentality, when using trail cameras you can make then work for you and not against you.

Some good points there Stan.

Just out of curiosity, have you ever deployed a camera for the season only to realize you didn't turn the camera on or have the camera fail prematurely?

I've made this mistake before, but never with that kind of time at stake.

[ Post made via Android ]

[headgear]

Solid camera advice Stan!

[Timmy]

I don't have any good input on this thread but I do have a question. There's a great looking bed that I found this spring while scouting that has a trail running from it through the cattails about 200 yards or so which comes out into a crp field that has some scrubby brush in it as well. On the other side of the crp field is some hardwoods and farm fields, but right where that trail comes out of the cattails there is a single white oak tree. I suspect this will be the first stop for food. Do you think I could get away with putting a cam up in this tree facing downward? Being that its a foodsource and the deer wont be there until its dark could I get away with leaving scent there from checking the cam. I know its recommended to place cams on a food souce but would this be pushing it?

[Dewey]

I don't have any good input on this thread but I do have a question. There's a great looking bed that I found this spring while scouting that has a trail running from it through the cattails about 200 yards or so which comes out into a crp field that has some scrubby brush in it as well. On the other side of the crp field is some hardwoods and farm fields, but right where that trail comes out of the cattails there is a single white oak tree. I suspect this will be the first stop for food. Do you think I could get away with putting a cam up in this tree facing downward? Being that its a foodsource and the deer wont be there until its dark could I get away with leaving scent there from checking the cam. I know its recommended to place cams on a food souce but would this be pushing it?

I would be sitting in that tree and give em arrow instead of taking pics!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Timmy]

I have a tree in the marsh 50 yards or so from the bed to hunt it from

[ Post made via Android ]

[Timmy]

I would just like to make sure they are using this bed before i go and hunt it. Or do I just hunt it when the acorns are dropping and hope for the best..?

[ Post made via Android ]

[Dewey]

Do you have any idea if the bed is from a mature buck? If it is I would be very careful or your hunt will be over before it starts.

If you already know where the bed is and have a tree picked out to hunt I would hunt it the first opportunity that you have a good wind. Messing around with a camera will tip the buck off with human scent before you even hunt the spot. More than likely the white oak is a main food source right now so guaranteed he will pick up your scent and may alter his bedding location.

I found this out the hard way more than once. The surprise approach always is better and the first time in there is by far your best chance.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Stanley]

My thoughts are it hard to get much valuable information during the rut. The camera in my opinion should be used to help gather information about an area to be hunted and not necessarily this year. During the rut the bucks are helter skelter so what could you realy gain by setting cameras and checking them during the rut? You can get information about benches, saddles, pinch points to see if your hunches are correct about bucks using those structural points.

In my opinion feeding/water patterns which happen before and after the rut are a much better use of trail camera usage. For instance I have trail camera intel from last year about a water hole. Looks like the drought we are having is playing into my hands for that water hole. I put a stand up (earlier this spring) close to the water hole with a camera running again this year. I haven't checked the camera this year yet, and won't until I hunt the stand and kill a good buck,or season ends.
This may sound foolish but now I will have another years intel on the water hole with out disturbing it.

Don't get me wrong, you can inventory for bucks and not hunt the area you are inventorying unless you have a buck patterned. Too many guys wonder why they can't get good bucks on camera and why they can't kill a good buck. If you use the big buck hunters mentality, when using trail cameras you can make then work for you and not against you.

Some good points there Stan.


Just out of curiosity, have you ever deployed a camera for the season only to realize you didn't turn the camera on or have the camera fail prematurely?

I've made this mistake before, but never with that kind of time at stake.

[ Post made via Android ] [/quote

I have had batteries go dead, cards die out. Never set one out and not have it function. Triple check everything before deployment. Even if the camera dies out you still haven't buggered the area as you would by checking too often. Get yourself a laminated check off list and use it. Pilots and truck drivers use check off lists so they don't crash because of no fuel or lose a trailer down the road.

[MOBIGBUCKS]

My thoughts are it hard to get much valuable information during the rut. The camera in my opinion should be used to help gather information about an area to be hunted and not necessarily this year. During the rut the bucks are helter skelter so what could you realy gain by setting cameras and checking them during the rut? You can get information about benches, saddles, pinch points to see if your hunches are correct about bucks using those structural points.

In my opinion feeding/water patterns which happen before and after the rut are a much better use of trail camera usage. For instance I have trail camera intel from last year about a water hole. Looks like the drought we are having is playing into my hands for that water hole. I put a stand up (earlier this spring) close to the water hole with a camera running again this year. I haven't checked the camera this year yet, and won't until I hunt the stand and kill a good buck,or season ends.
This may sound foolish but now I will have another years intel on the water hole with out disturbing it.

Don't get me wrong, you can inventory for bucks and not hunt the area you are inventorying unless you have a buck patterned. Too many guys wonder why they can't get good bucks on camera and why they can't kill a good buck. If you use the big buck hunters mentality, when using trail cameras you can make then work for you and not against you.

Some good points there Stan.


Just out of curiosity, have you ever deployed a camera for the season only to realize you didn't turn the camera on or have the camera fail prematurely?

I've made this mistake before, but never with that kind of time at stake.

[ Post made via Android ] [/quote

I have had batteries go dead, cards die out. Never set one out and not have it function. Triple check everything before deployment. Even if the camera dies out you still haven't buggered the area as you would by checking too often. Get yourself a laminated check off list and use it. Pilots and truck drivers use check off lists so they don't crash because of no fuel or lose a trailer down the road.

Great idea with the checkslist. I always run my cameras for inventory at no less than six weeks between checking the cameras. I can't tell you how many times I wondered if I turned on camera #3,#2, etc..

[headgear]

Do you have any idea if the bed is from a mature buck? If it is I would be very careful or your hunt will be over before it starts.

If you already know where the bed is and have a tree picked out to hunt I would hunt it the first opportunity that you have a good wind. Messing around with a camera will tip the buck off with human scent before you even hunt the spot. More than likely the white oak is a main food source right now so guaranteed he will pick up your scent and may alter his bedding location.

I found this out the hard way more than once. The surprise approach always is better and the first time in there is by far your best chance.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Going off Dewey's post, is there anywhere you can check for tracks coming from the bedding area/oak tree a little further away? I do agree with his surprise attack setup, this just might be a way to have better intel about a buck using that bed before you hunt it. That or maybe glass from a distance and see if you can spot his rack above the cattails.

[Stanley]

I don't have any good input on this thread but I do have a question. There's a great looking bed that I found this spring while scouting that has a trail running from it through the cattails about 200 yards or so which comes out into a crp field that has some scrubby brush in it as well. On the other side of the crp field is some hardwoods and farm fields, but right where that trail comes out of the cattails there is a single white oak tree. I suspect this will be the first stop for food. Do you think I could get away with putting a cam up in this tree facing downward? Being that its a foodsource and the deer wont be there until its dark could I get away with leaving scent there from checking the cam. I know its recommended to place cams on a food souce but would this be pushing it?

I would not disturb the area this close to season. I would have set a camera up in June and let it run uninterrupted until seasons end. This will let you know if the deer do stop and eat acorns. If you set the camera up now and disturb the bed to food pattern what will you have gained? Sometimes it's about next year, not this year.

[BassBoysLLP]

I partially disagree. If you have the time, hunt the spot and hang the cam on the way out. Grab the cam on the following hunt. You might not have enough intel before the pre-rut, but you might get enough information for a post rut or late season hunt.

I agree with most. Try to avoid making special trips to hang and pull cameras. Don't count on rain to wash it away. Depending on immediately local hunting pressure, intermittent spikes in intense pressure (gun season, pheasant season) are good times to check in a pinch.

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