Timing the rut with trailcams

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Mike
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Timing the rut with trailcams

Unread postby Mike » Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:19 am

Timing the rut on my property always is a bit of a challenge. I know approximately of course but if I could narrow it down more it would be helpful to know when to spend all day out there vs shorter sits. Last year something interesting came about from running cams. I am in hill country, and for about 5 days prior, I had the biggest bucks on the properties running up and down the bottem of the valleys every evening after dark and morning predawn/daylight. Thinking about this, they are able to scent check the entire valley by doing so, from the downward thermals, which makes sense.

Then there was an explosion of buck activity oct 26th/27th. This is when (as far as I know) the first doe came into heat on our property. I know this cuz we watched the biggest buck on our land push this doe out into an open field oct 27th at ~1pm and breed her. By monitoring the historic cruising trails of the bucks, I think I can get a better grip on when the does on my property are starting to go into heat. The best part is one of these cruising trails is just off the edge of the yard so we can check the camera daily to see what the status is! This probly won't work on public but I think it will be good on our private land. :)

Heres how it went down, there were 1 or 2 more bucks that came through, this is all I have saved on my home computer though.

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dan
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Re: Timing the rut with trailcams

Unread postby dan » Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:31 am

Mike your absolutely correct that trailcams can be good for monitoring rut activity and time... You can tell if they are moving in daylight or at night and when the late morning cruising starts. But I do believe that your damaging your hunting by putting the cameras right on the primary cruising trails... I have noticed just like all my hunting that despite some popular belief, every day I hunt a rut funnel it gets worse. The best sightings come from day one... So if your getting scent in there with those cameras I think you might be tipping off some of the older bucks. Obviously you could be setting them up to shoot over an obstacle, or setting and checking around rain, but I think with a good trail camera plan, a guy will know based on pictures when the daylight movement peaks without jeopardizing cruising trails or funnels.
Mike
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Re: Timing the rut with trailcams

Unread postby Mike » Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:43 am

I know what you are saying, its gotta be the right spot to put your cam. The edge of the yard is one spot as I mentioned that I plan to use this year, as well as where the cam that took the pics above is. This spot isn't really huntable and is along our main access point to the woods. We are up and down this trail all year long, and I believe the deer are accustomed to scent along this trail as they cross it (they mainly cross it perpendicularly). Its easy to check too, as you can pull the card on the way in or out to hunt.
dan
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Re: Timing the rut with trailcams

Unread postby dan » Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:51 am

Gottcha, I fully agree with that logic.


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