Drive or Walk?

[Sam Ubl]

Dan, you're online now, so that will help, but let's talk about this...

I'm going to hang a camera. My question is whether I should walk across the alf-alfa field and along the field edge to where the camera will go or should I drive? It's not a question if I'm allowed to drive to the spot, it's a scent/sound question. The deer must be used to the smell of vehicle exhaust (trucks/tractors & the property is along a road).

If I walk in and spook deer out and they end up coming back only to smell me, will they remember that smell as a negative or will it not make a difference. I understand they will smell me anyways when I get out of the car, but will they relate that to the farmer their used to? If I come quietly walking up to the spot, something the farmer NEVER does, will that be percieved differently?

[dan]

Flip a coin... If there is no bedding around the field it should make little difference. The drive in might be better cause your scent won't be drifting around as much as when you walk... If deer are bedding around the field both will spook them. Driving might spook them less.
Andrae drives to all his cameras on a little truck like ATV and takes the same rought to condition the deer. It seems to work pretty good based on the reactions at 1st versus now.

[muddy]

I would drive and not give it a second thought. Granted I'd do my camera checking as close to mid day as possible every time and check every 2-3 weeks up until the rut.

[Sam Ubl]

Just as I suspected, there he was, a dandy freak buck standing 10 yards from my treestand I set up 3 weeks ago. It was 7:45 when I finally got there (had to mow the lawn and make the bed first, blah blah), and it wasn't until 15 minutes after he dissapeared into the woods before I drove into the field and up to the spot I'd set the camera. As soon as I got out of the truck and walked to the tree, I heard him moving away through the woods, but the lush green foliage was enough to mask my identity.

The farmer had combed the alf-alfa field less than two weeks ago, not to return until late August if he follows his annual schedule. I feel confident the deer did not spook as he may have if I'd walked through the field and along the woodline to the spot I intended to place the camera... I believe hearing my footsteps sweeping through the lush alf-alfa would have alerted his predator radar and who knows...

Camera is out now, so let's see if we can get a closer look at this neat deer in 3 weeks or so. I'll post pictures from last night as soon as board is fixed

[dreaming bucks]

I check all my camera's on my 4 wheeler.... Like Dan said Andrea does, I use the same routine everytime out, go the same way, usually around noon... I don't see any deer get up and spook, so I'm assuming they are bedded down in the tree tops and don't feel danger from me passing by....

[Sam Ubl]

You have flying deer by you, too?

[Black Squirrel]

I got within about 20 yards of a 1.5 year old just last night. He seemed more curious than anything. He was on a field edge on the lane I always drive on.

[Sam Ubl]

Here are the pictures I've been waiting to post.

That night I went to set my cam, I glassed this cool buck right under my stand - RIGHT WHERE I WANTED TO SET MY CAMERA (Dan's rule says that's a No-No).

So what did I do? Waited till he left and drove down and set the camera anyways - I know Dan, I'm only hurting myself you're thinking... I dunno, maybe I'm just looking for cool pics of these deer, maybe taking inventory, I can't really tell you what I'm thinking, but I will say this... It's been 2 weeks now and I haven't been back. I will wait out another two weeks and I'll go there the same day the farmer is cutting the alf-alfa and drive down while he's cutting to change out the batteries and card. He'll be down in two months from that point to cut again and I'll just have to wait it out and show up then to get the camera out for good.

This deer is cool. Not a GIANT, but I can't wait to see trail cam pics. He's got some neat palmation on the tall side with an awesome brow tine, which sports about a 4 or 5 inch kicker that I'd call a back scratcher as it points back and curls down... It's stemmed off that fantastic brow.

[Sam Ubl]

Here he is again... He's got room to grow a little.

[dan]

He has some good character.

[Sam Ubl]

That's what excites me about him. I have pictures of him 2 years ago in velvet as a 1.5 year old. Sweet pics, too... Trail cam shots of him growing, in full velvet, shedding velvet and 2 weeks after hard bone. He dissapeared last year and re-appeared this year! He's not giant, but the character points are what impresses me. The history combined with his character make him an ideal candidate to shoot, but once I see him hard boned, we'll see what I decide to do... I may elect to pass him up as I think another year would really do it in the character points, he'd look SWEET!

[patman]

I use my 4 wheeler and put my camera on trees that I can reach from it without stepping on the ground.