Trail Camera Timing

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diyhunter
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Trail Camera Timing

Unread postby diyhunter » Sun Aug 13, 2017 3:35 am

This is the first year I've scouted with a trail camera on public land. I've got a camera about 2 miles (and 600 vertical feet of climb) from the road in a travel corridor leaving a general bedding area. The area is all mature woods. There is a ridgeline that runs west to east. The bedding area is on a point at the east end of the ridge and the deer trails leave the bedding area along the ridgeline to the west. I'm trying to figure out if there are bucks back in this area to see if it is worthwhile to hunt during the season. I'm not sure if this spot will be good early-season, but there was a lot of sign that it will be good in the rut (rubs and scrapes). There are oak trees producing acorns all over the ridgeline. I put the camera out on 7/29. Our season starts on 10/1. When would be the best time to check the camera to avoid disturbing the deer but still close enough to the season? Do you think this is a setup better fit for early season or rut / late-season?


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Re: Trail Camera Timing

Unread postby tbunao » Sun Aug 13, 2017 4:15 am

Since you said you are new to the camera game here is a good thread on them. Bucky is a master.

viewtopic.php?f=286&t=28855&start=0

I would say check those cams around 8/19. That way if you need to relocate you have time. Also will those oaks be producing this year? Check the tops for a good mass crop. If those suckers are heavy then more than likely if a good one is in the area he will feed there.
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seazofcheeze
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Re: Trail Camera Timing

Unread postby seazofcheeze » Sun Aug 13, 2017 6:09 am

It's a tricky question to answer. If acorns aren't dropping before you check the camera, you could possibly miss a buck (s) that move into the area once the acorns start dropping. This happens quite often, especially if you have a seasonal food source like soybeans within 2-3 miles. Once the beans dry up and the acorns start raining, a lot of deer seem to shift around.

If you are confident you found a good bedding area, I'd wait to check it until Sept 15, if you feel you HAVE to check it. Acorns should be coming down by then and most bucks will be out of velvet and starting to disperse. Unless your area is holding a bachelor group, I think you will have a better idea what is in the area closer to season. If you can wait, I'd actually hunt it the first 2-3 days of the season and swap memory cards on your way out from your first evening hunt.
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Re: Trail Camera Timing

Unread postby JoeRE » Sun Aug 13, 2017 8:23 am

Yea would depend some on how intrusive your camera check will be. Will you likely clear out the bedding?

I don't know when acorns start dropping over there - around here the first ones start early September with most starting late September.

Early season bucks are solitary critters. So my gut says if there was a bunch of sign around, most of the action will be around the rut. Early season you may only see a bunch of does and maybe some young bucks. That's just based on what I would see around here, I have some very similar areas staked out. Starting in late October the big boys start bedding in closer proximity to those doe groups and that rut sign starts getting laid down.

So if it was my area I would be tempted to check it early september without very high hopes - mostly to make sure its still operating correctly - then maybe check it in conjunction with a hunt in late October or early Nov and leave it there for as long as you can thru the rut. That sign didn't lie, bucks will be there around the rut and that's the best intel you can have. Then next year you will have a great idea of when bucks started to show up and that sort of thing. Good luck sounds like a great type of setup.

Multiple camera checks will be counter productive because for one that effects deer in the area and for two that also taints the data you want ideally for the whole fall. Sure there are exceptions but most of my cameras don't have much on them for the week after I hang or check them. Then activity returns to mostly normal...if you checked that camera once a week you can see the problem there!
diyhunter
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Re: Trail Camera Timing

Unread postby diyhunter » Sun Aug 13, 2017 9:55 am

Prevailing winds in the fall are North / Northwest in my area. There is general bedding (tons of scat and trails/tracks - probably doe groups) that I have to pass north of to get to the trail cam. My path is about 200 yards away from the fringe of the doe bedding, so it's possible that bedding area will clear when I go by but the woods are thick in that area so I'm not sure exactly what will happen. The buck bedding is to the east of the trail cam. I will likely be able to get to the trail cam without disturbing the buck beds (unless the wind shifts or swirls). The buck bedding is about 200-300 yards from the trail cam.

The whole trail cam thing is new to me. I feel like I need to check it to make sure I know how long the batteries will last and how many pictures it will hold. I like the idea of leaving it back there the entire season to monitor the traffic but I need to get back in there at some point before mid-Oct just to make sure things are working properly. Don't want a dead camera during Oct/Nov. You've got me thinking that checking them in mid-September would be okay and then once again when I return in late October to start hunting the pre-rut. If nothing shows on the camera by late October I would think of leaving the camera (for intel on next year) and moving onto another piece of public. I've got the Wildgame Innovations Cloak Pro 12 Lightscout (8GB card) -- any idea how many pics it can handle before the card is full or the batteries die?
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elk yinzer
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Re: Trail Camera Timing

Unread postby elk yinzer » Sun Aug 13, 2017 1:45 pm

I like to hang cameras near bedding in late summer (now til velvet peels) and not go back until the first day I hunt that area. Hunt it once early, check the cam for buck quality, and figure out a plan from there. If it is a grade A area no way I go in there between when they lose velvet and season.
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Wannabelikedan
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Re: Trail Camera Timing

Unread postby Wannabelikedan » Sun Aug 13, 2017 5:21 pm

diyhunter wrote:Prevailing winds in the fall are North / Northwest in my area. There is general bedding (tons of scat and trails/tracks - probably doe groups) that I have to pass north of to get to the trail cam. My path is about 200 yards away from the fringe of the doe bedding, so it's possible that bedding area will clear when I go by but the woods are thick in that area so I'm not sure exactly what will happen. The buck bedding is to the east of the trail cam. I will likely be able to get to the trail cam without disturbing the buck beds (unless the wind shifts or swirls). The buck bedding is about 200-300 yards from the trail cam.

The whole trail cam thing is new to me. I feel like I need to check it to make sure I know how long the batteries will last and how many pictures it will hold. I like the idea of leaving it back there the entire season to monitor the traffic but I need to get back in there at some point before mid-Oct just to make sure things are working properly. Don't want a dead camera during Oct/Nov. You've got me thinking that checking them in mid-September would be okay and then once again when I return in late October to start hunting the pre-rut. If nothing shows on the camera by late October I would think of leaving the camera (for intel on next year) and moving onto another piece of public. I've got the Wildgame Innovations Cloak Pro 12 Lightscout (8GB card) -- any idea how many pics it can handle before the card is full or the batteries die?


I've never owned a Wildgame Innovations cam but generally MOST "new" cams (made in the last 5 years or so) that use 8 AA batteries can last several months with the right set up mode and application. In other words, multi-shot or video mode off, reduced picture quality (user preference), reducing sensor sensitivity (if cam has the capability), using lithium batteries (optional, not a must IMO), not positioned on bait, no stray objects (tree limbs/tall grass) blown by the wind causing the cam to trigger repeatedly, or cam facing the sun at any point in the day causing the sensor to pick up false movement (sometimes you can only limit and not eliminate). Positioning cameras high and pointing down can help eliminate a lot of this but it's a little more difficult judging the size of some bucks to an extent but not a major concern IMO. With an 8 GB card you would be lucky to fill it in a year (8,000+ pics depending on cam settings) on a travel route in/out of bedding if you weren't having any of the issues stated above. If you did fill it though, I'd say you have a smoking spot! 8-)
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