Camera bombing

[Lockdown]

I camera bombed the grove where I killed my buck this year. It's probably 6 or 7 acres and I had 3 cams on it. One on the 4 wheeler trail they cruise on down the middle of the grove, one watching the fence line they use as a travel corridor, and one right up against the doe bedding.

Judging by the first two cams, it would have seemed like a slow rut for what that place normally is. The bedding cam had bucks and chasing galore at all hours of the day.

Up until this year I had always stayed away from the doe bedding to keep from bumping them. This year I got aggressive and it paid off huge! I'll be in the thick of it for rut next year.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Was your aggressive move a direct result of camera bombing and the Intel you obtained?
This has worked for me quite a few times over the last few years. Since I have yet to find that "magical tree" and this yields results.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

No, the kill wasn't the result of camera bombing. But having 3 cams in such a small area told me a TON about how they move in there.

I have always left the bedding alone to keep the does active in the little grove. No does=no bucks come rut. I decided the risk was well worth the reward and put a cam up close enough that I'm sure they heard me placing the camera.

I knew it was the #1 bedding area for the grove, and figured whether I screwed things up or not, I would be gaining Intel one way or another. In 4 years of running camera there, this was the best card pull yet.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[exojam]

I wonder if I should drop all of my cameras on that one area dirtnapgiver?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I would. Especially the point of the ridge and the bottle neck in the field.

Thank you.

Anyone know of any good deals on low priced cams? I like my little Covert MP5 but they went back to 100 bucks.

There is the Primos Workhorse for under 50 but it appears to be white LEDs (says IR) on Midways site and I thought those were red LEDs.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Stanley]

I like the idea. Make sure to make notes of what the food sources were and are when you light up the cameras. Buck movement changes year to year according to food sources for sure.

[JoeRE]

Camera Bombing: The act of spreading so many human scented, disruptive items around a small area any semi-intelligent mature buck knows they should avoid the area during daylight hours for the foreseeable future. Sorry, couldn't resist

Not gonna lie though, have been temped to do this after a buck or two that I just couldn't figure out. Good luck. Hope my definition is wrong in your situation!

[Bucky]

JoeRe.... mature bucks are in certain areas for a reason. 5-7yr old deer DON'T relocate after living in an area for 3-4 yrs

They may shift 40-80 acres


It works!

[ Post made via Android ]

[Bucky]

I think some of these newer telemetry studies will/have prove (d) this point

[ Post made via Android ]

[dirt nap giver]

Bucks in high pressure states live with more human scent than those with less.
If mature bucks in Michigan started over in another location every time they smelled a human, they wouldn't have anywhere to go.
Kind of like the always walking into the wind theory.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Bucky]

Bucks in high pressure states live with more human scent than those with less.
If mature bucks in Michigan started over in another location every time they smelled a human, they wouldn't have anywhere to go.
Kind of like the always walking into the wind theory.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

My experience is 5yr old + deer end up in the same areas yr to yr... it is what they know. There are some bucks that at roamers by nature, but the majority setup shop in the same areas yr to yr

Summer and Winter food sources can move them... but their fall rutting range/"rut circuit" will be similar

[dirt nap giver]

Bucks in high pressure states live with more human scent than those with less.
If mature bucks in Michigan started over in another location every time they smelled a human, they wouldn't have anywhere to go.
Kind of like the always walking into the wind theory.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

My experience is 5yr old + deer end up in the same areas yr to yr... it is what they know. There are some bucks that at roamers by nature, but the majority setup shop in the same areas yr to yr

Summer and Winter food sources can move them... but their fall rutting range/"rut circuit" will be similar

Right. Which is why I camera bombed this spot before they move in this location for late season.
You wouldn't wait till the bucks are set up there to set the cameras. You set up before they move in, right?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[KLEMZ]

So I have a question about camera bombing in a big woods setting. I know of some preferred mature buck bedding areas that get repeated use by the bucks. I would be lying if I said I have it all figured out because I have not killed a big north woods slob near his bed yet. The question I have is...

Should I set cameras randomly around the bedding areas hoping to learn unknown travel patterns, or should I set cams up on what I perceive are known travel corridors based on tracks, terrain, etc.

[dirt nap giver]

So I have a question about camera bombing in a big woods setting. I know of some preferred mature buck bedding areas that get repeated use by the bucks. I would be lying if I said I have it all figured out because I have not killed a big north woods slob near his bed yet. The question I have is...

Should I set cameras randomly around the bedding areas hoping to learn unknown travel patterns, or should I set cams up on what I perceive are known travel corridors based on tracks, terrain, etc.

It's still a game of terrain, sign etc. I am intentional about camera placement.
What i am looking for is info on days, wind direction, time, moon phase any chink in his armor that will lead to killing him.
Your example is text book to why I started doing this.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[BassBoysLLP]

Bucks in high pressure states live with more human scent than those with less.
If mature bucks in Michigan started over in another location every time they smelled a human, they wouldn't have anywhere to go.
Kind of like the always walking into the wind theory.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

My experience is 5yr old + deer end up in the same areas yr to yr... it is what they know. There are some bucks that at roamers by nature, but the majority setup shop in the same areas yr to yr

Summer and Winter food sources can move them... but their fall rutting range/"rut circuit" will be similar

Truth

[Lockdown]

Bucks in high pressure states live with more human scent than those with less.
If mature bucks in Michigan started over in another location every time they smelled a human, they wouldn't have anywhere to go.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I agree 100%

I can see how placing one miles back in a swamp where people "never go" would be detrimental.

The biggest public swamp/non ag section that I know of is a little over 2 miles x 1.5... People have access from all sides and there's nowhere that they can't go.

The big ones all head for low pressure private when pressure gets too high. There's plenty of that around since the deer drive is nearing extinction on good private land.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Hodag Hunter]

So I have a question about camera bombing in a big woods setting. I know of some preferred mature buck bedding areas that get repeated use by the bucks. I would be lying if I said I have it all figured out because I have not killed a big north woods slob near his bed yet. The question I have is...

Should I set cameras randomly around the bedding areas hoping to learn unknown travel patterns, or should I set cams up on what I perceive are known travel corridors based on tracks, terrain, etc.

The closer you work towards his bedding the "better" your access trail needs to be. Every buck is different but get within 1/4 mile of a bed I would be nervous checking cams and not blowing him out to a different bedding area.

You still may get some pics but forcing that buck into another area. There is so much good bedding where I hunt and not enough bucks. They will stay in some consistent locations until pressure spikes then they move daylight bedding.

[tim]

I always place a lot of cams in my place. this year I had 7 going. if I had 20 I woulda had 20 going. I often have 2 on the same fence opening and often only get the deer on 1 cam . its because the deer comes through the fence and goes one way or the other. I used to have them facein directly at each other and realized I missed the pics if the deer decided not to go through the opening and stay on the logging road. I know some people will argue that these cams affect deer badly. I think if in the right areas the more you have the more they will get used to them. there going to be exceptions and if you realize the buck you are after is not tolerant then adjust .