The first year I ran a camera I had a high success rate of getting pics of mature bucks during the summer and fall. The property hadn't had any hunting pressure for 20 years or so and they didn't know any better. I could also ride the gator around and see several bedded down in the woods and they would just stay put. Now I run several cameras and spend more time than I should checking them. I typically get a pic or 2 early in the year of an old one then they become ghosts. I also use true blackflash cameras and move them around.
The best way to pattern a big buck is to know where they bed, which on this farm, doesn't change from one year to the next. Glass fields from long distances and watch what they do during the season. Young deer grow up and develop the same habits as the older ones. After hunting the same property for several years, you should be able to figure out the main trails that does and younger bucks use versus the travel routes of older bucks. The most efficient way to pattern a mature deer isn't really to try and pattern them at all. Wait until the timing is right and sit up where the does bed down.
I have about come to the conclusion that cameras are fun, but do more harm than good because I don't have the patience to not check them all the time. I enjoy all the pictures, but I typically see all the bucks I get on camera when I am working on the farm and glassing food plots and large fields. (other than scrape pics) I also can't remember more than a time or two of even seeing a mature buck during early bow season, so it would probably benefit me to not bow hunt during early season unless one of the 3 year olds is too big to resist.
I also have to deal with knowing there is 300 acres across the road that has no hunting pressure and some large alfalfa fields, so the mature bucks spend their time at that country club until the alfalfa goes dormant, then come to my country club when the does need attention and my food sources are tasty.
