Trail Cameras

Discuss the science of figuring out our prey through good detective work.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


stringpuller
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2017 2:50 am
Status: Offline

Trail Cameras

Unread postby stringpuller » Tue Oct 31, 2017 12:01 am

This time of year alot my friends and coworkers bring in ALOT of trail cam pics.. Almost daily, they are checking them on the way to thier stands. Most of these guys dont scout at all. Zero almost.
I used to use one back when they were 35mm still. I wonder if im missing out these days?
I quit using it because i felt it did more harm then good at that time. I dont have much interest in them for a hobby.
Do you guys feel its nesissary these days to be an efficient big buck hunter?
Do you guys still go off track size, bed size, rubs and glassing?


User avatar
Jhand
500 Club
Posts: 691
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2015 4:35 am
Facebook: n/a
Status: Offline

Re: Trail Cameras

Unread postby Jhand » Tue Oct 31, 2017 12:33 am

I think trail cameras can without a doubt help you out but I wouldn't rely on them just by them selves. When hunting a new property cams will help you figure things out a little easier but you still have to put your time in scouting. The main reason I use cameras is just to locate a target animals, that tells me what property's to focus on and which ones to not waste my time on. Once I get a picture of a buck in the area I go back to my scouting to try to figure out where I think he is bedding. The first year hunting a new property I will load the place up with cameras then after the season do more scouting and maybe narrow down the cameras to just a few select locations for the following year. I run close to 20 cameras and rotate through checking them, depending where they are located I might check them once a month or could be 3 months before I check them. Early season I try not to check them untill after I hunted an area. Now rainy days are the exception, if it calls for a good heavy rain for most of the day I will go check as many cameras as I can
nanookodanorth
Posts: 21
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2016 5:01 am
Location: Pennsylvania
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Trail Cameras

Unread postby nanookodanorth » Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:05 am

I use them most of the year just to kind of inventory my hunting areas. During the season, I place the cams on mock scrapes usually in areas that I haven't done a whole lot of scouting. Last Tuesday I started a new mock scrape in a strip of woods along the highway that I haven't seen anybody hunting. A quick walk through didn't reveal much deer sign at all, but I checked the cam on Saturday at mid day and found that there are 2 bucks and a few does that have started visiting the scrape already. The one buck is a very respectable 8 pointer that I will be setting up on tomorrow morning, since it seems he passes through the area just after daybreak...
I'm probably thinking about big bucks right now!
User avatar
tgreeno
500 Club
Posts: 4770
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 5:06 am
Location: WI
Status: Offline

Re: Trail Cameras

Unread postby tgreeno » Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:26 am

I would say alot of guys on here would say, "Yes". you need them.

I don't use them as much as I should. But also I don't have $1000 to buy 10 cameras and put them all over public. and possible get them swiped. So I do the best I can, with the information I can find while scouting.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, than to open it an remove all doubt
User avatar
Stanley
Honorary Moderator
Posts: 18734
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:18 am
Facebook: None
Location: Iowa
Status: Offline

Re: Trail Cameras

Unread postby Stanley » Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:28 am

Trail cameras are only as good as the operator. If you don't like using them then by all means don't. Pictures tell the truth about the buck. Rubs, tracks can be misleading if you are after a big rack. I have just as much fun running cameras as I do hunting. So for me I'm going to use them and have fun doing it.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
stringpuller
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2017 2:50 am
Status: Offline

Re: Trail Cameras

Unread postby stringpuller » Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:58 am

Very good views of both sides. 20 cameras is alot! lol
Wow how do you keep track of them all? I have trouble just with sign and stand sights on my gps and phone.
Thanks for the input guys. Im going to keep learning scouting and maybe down the road try one again.
User avatar
Jhand
500 Club
Posts: 691
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2015 4:35 am
Facebook: n/a
Status: Offline

Re: Trail Cameras

Unread postby Jhand » Tue Oct 31, 2017 4:43 am

stringpuller wrote:Very good views of both sides. 20 cameras is alot! lol
Wow how do you keep track of them all? I have trouble just with sign and stand sights on my gps and phone.
Thanks for the input guys. Im going to keep learning scouting and maybe down the road try one again.


20 seems like lot but once you start scouting a lot seems like you always need one more camera. I GPS the locations and have an excel sheet where i keep track of the location and last time checked them. If you do decide to buy some I would stay away from the real cheap ones and wait for a decent one to go on sale. It will save you a lot of headaches. Like Stanley said rubs, scrapes and tracks can only tell you there's a buck in the area where a camera will show you the quality of the buck.

I usually check a few cams every Sunday since we can't hunt. This gives me a chance to do a little light scouting and see when an area is hot also. Has been plenty of times where I go in to check a cam and find a bunch or fre an sign. Also has been plenty of times where I go in and see other hunter sign which seems to be happening a lot this year.
TNstalker
Posts: 295
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 12:40 pm
Status: Offline

Re: Trail Cameras

Unread postby TNstalker » Tue Oct 31, 2017 1:29 pm

Work ahead with them for areas u want to hunt in the future. Something I need to do better!
WISCOANDY
Posts: 110
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2016 12:40 am
Location: Central WI
Status: Offline

Re: Trail Cameras

Unread postby WISCOANDY » Sat Nov 04, 2017 10:27 am

Just started running cams, I only have 2. I'm addicted. I'm checking 1X week, but these are not in hunting spots. They are covering scrapes in staging areas on the field edge.
User avatar
JAK
500 Club
Posts: 1051
Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2017 5:49 pm
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: Trail Cameras

Unread postby JAK » Sat Nov 04, 2017 10:43 am

I didn't run to many this year worried about theft but when I ran them on private it tells you so much useful information.. I'm going to run more next year for sure
User avatar
rempse2
Posts: 187
Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2016 12:50 am
Status: Offline

Re: Trail Cameras

Unread postby rempse2 » Sat Nov 04, 2017 12:24 pm

I'm a trail camera newbie, bought my first two last year. At first you can get a looked hooked on wanting to check them, but it wore off more me after two trips to check them. Now I'll generally put them out and check them once every 2-3 months mainly to make sure they are still there and working and in good order. They have gone a long way in helping me learn what deer are on the piece of state land I'm hunting and also what kind of hunting pressure is there.
User avatar
pewpewpew
Posts: 267
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2017 4:39 am
Status: Offline

Re: Trail Cameras

Unread postby pewpewpew » Thu Nov 09, 2017 10:20 pm

The most value they bring me is KNOWING there are big bucks out there. I can sit for days, only watching squirrels, but I know they are out there.
Buckbreath
Posts: 134
Joined: Sun Mar 26, 2017 12:41 am
Status: Offline

Re: Trail Cameras

Unread postby Buckbreath » Mon Nov 20, 2017 1:28 pm

pewpewpew wrote:The most value they bring me is KNOWING there are big bucks out there. I can sit for days, only watching squirrels, but I know they are out there.

This
Also, when set up on a community scrape in late September they are great for seeing most of the regular bucks in that area.
User avatar
Rob loper
500 Club
Posts: 1747
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 1:49 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heBuckPsych/
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Trail Cameras

Unread postby Rob loper » Tue Nov 21, 2017 1:52 am

I bought 4 of them 2 years ago
I read alot about them this past spring and summer ALOT
I would use them over bait piles at my stand I would get one nice buck pic a year at most. Lots of does and year-1/2 old buck sometimes thats it i really think it hurts you when putting them exactly where you hunt.
I think they work. Around food sources water holes mineral licks etc. even bait piles are inconsistent get good buck pics
Natural destination spots are the ticket or watering holes. and i really dont think you can keep going back and forth checking cams it leaves scent. Everytime you enter your spots your leaving signs to deer. Hey. I was here!
Most of the pics i get are the deer pretty much looking into the camera. Sometimes it was like a lineup every deer would pass and pose at camera. Lol
I really want to know what im hunting but im so new to beds and this style of hunting im gonna focus on finding beds and until i learn that im gonna stay away from the cameras. Until the day i can really understand and learn what’s going on im gonna just leave it be and hunt live bucks under me are better than night time pictures
I just gotta aim small and dont miss. Good luck.
User avatar
Rob loper
500 Club
Posts: 1747
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 1:49 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heBuckPsych/
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Trail Cameras

Unread postby Rob loper » Tue Nov 21, 2017 1:52 am

I bought 4 of them 2 years ago
I read alot about them this past spring and summer ALOT
I would use them over bait piles at my stand I would get one nice buck pic a year at most. Lots of does and year-1/2 old buck sometimes thats it i really think it hurts you when putting them exactly where you hunt.
I think they work. Around food sources water holes mineral licks etc. even bait piles are inconsistent get good buck pics
Natural destination spots are the ticket or watering holes. and i really dont think you can keep going back and forth checking cams it leaves scent. Everytime you enter your spots your leaving signs to deer. Hey. I was here!
Most of the pics i get are the deer pretty much looking into the camera. Sometimes it was like a lineup every deer would pass and pose at camera. Lol
I really want to know what im hunting but im so new to beds and this style of hunting im gonna focus on finding beds and until i learn that im gonna stay away from the cameras. Until the day i can really understand and learn what’s going on im gonna just leave it be and hunt live bucks under me are better than night time pictures
I just gotta aim small and dont miss. Good luck.


  • Advertisement

Return to “Scouting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 26 guests