Cams during hunting season

[southernhunter]

I am running 3 infrared cams on one of my hunting property's : two bushnell and a moultrie , I have had them placed on my tree stand locations for 4 months and while pulling cards today I had a thought , question being: should I remove them all together or move to a different location away from tree stands. I don't want to train the older bucks to afoid my set ups .

 

[BSK]

If they are IR cams (not black-flash), I would never have them near my stands. Deer definitely avoid them.

 

[MUP]

I don't run cams anywhere near where my best stand loc's, or rut stands, are.

 

[BSK]

I run black-flash cams near stands, but only those stands that have easy ATV access (where I can drive right up to the camera).

 

[Boll Weevil]

I have a camera or 2 somewhat near stands but didn't hang the stand because of any picture data; 1 is in a saddle and the other is in a bottleneck. The cams are there because they are well-traveled areas vs. me simply wanting to see what walks by my stand.

What BSK says about black-flash near stands is a good idea that I hadn't considered...I'll need to swap 2 of my black cams to those spots.

Good thought.

 

[woodsman87]

Dumb question. What do the IR cams do to scare the deer? The only thing I have observed is the clicking sound scare them. Is that what it is?
What is so good about the black flash? I got trail cam fever right now because I am finding scrapes everywhere on my property, but do not have the will or the way to drop a bunch of money on a trail-cam.

 

[BSK]

Dumb question. What do the IR cams do to scare the deer? The only thing I have observed is the clicking sound scare them. Is that what it is?

So-called IR cams use visible red light for night illumination. These cams call themselves infra-red (and they do use some infra-red light for illumination), but they use more visible red light than infra-red. Deer can see the red light and it bothers them, causing them to avoid the camera area in the future.

What is so good about the black flash?

True black-flash cams use ONLY infra-red (invisible) light for night illumination. Deer can't see any flash at all. They don't know they are getting their picture taken.

I've done a lot of comparative studies between the different types of flash illumination (white flash, IR, and black-flash). Both white flash and IR cams see rapidly declining picture counts when the camera is left in one location for several weeks. In contrast, black-flash cam locations generally see dramatic increases in picture counts over time, once the deer get used to the camera box itself and learn to ignore it once it doesn't do anything threatening or frightening.

 

[Winchester]

I agree the true Black flash cams are the way to go!

 

[BSK]

Boll Weevil,

What's the yearling buck in the picture below looking at? Me in a stand! I had just climbed up into my stand, and was in the process of getting settled in, when I heard a deer walk up behind me in the dark. I froze, but could tell by the sound that the deer had spotted me and was nervously shuffling around. He wandered on before it got light enough to see, so I was really nervous that the deer had been something I wanted to shoot, until I picked up the camera's card after the hunt. Luckily, just a silly yearling buck.

 

[MUP]

 

[southernhunter]

Once deer start to avoid a area because of a cam .how long would it take them to come back once the camera is removed from the area ? Also how well does it work just to turn off the nite time function , Thanks for the info .

 

[PickettSFHunter]

I leave some white flash cams in the same spots 365 days a year and move others around depending on whats going on. Still get regular pics of mature bucks in the same spots throughout the years. Dont get any increases by moving them. They just get used to it, I cant tell you how many deer Ive watched just this year getting their picture taken with the flash firing and they just stand there and keep doing whatever they were doing. I have seen some absolutely flip out over red flash though, definitely over red flash video. I guess we all have different experiences, my deer are just used to being flashed at when they leave the womb lol

 

[Winchester]

I leave some white flash cams in the same spots 365 days a year and move others around depending on whats going on. Still get regular pics of mature bucks in the same spots throughout the years. Dont get any increases by moving them. They just get used to it, I cant tell you how many deer Ive watched just this year getting their picture taken with the flash firing and they just stand there and keep doing whatever they were doing. I have seen some absolutely flip out over red flash though, definitely over red flash video. I guess we all have different experiences, my deer are just used to being flashed at when they leave the womb lol

Steven, my experience has been that a few deer become accustomed and get used to the white flash, and even fewer mature bucks will get accustomed and begin to ignore it. For the most part however the majority don't like it and will begin to avoid the sites. That's my experience anyway.

 

[HOOK]

Boll Weevil,

What's the yearling buck in the picture below looking at? Me in a stand! I had just climbed up into my stand, and was in the process of getting settled in, when I heard a deer walk up behind me in the dark. I froze, but could tell by the sound that the deer had spotted me and was nervously shuffling around. He wandered on before it got light enough to see, so I was really nervous that the deer had been something I wanted to shoot, until I picked up the camera's card after the hunt. Luckily, just a silly yearling buck.


Hate that. I got busted the other day in the dark while I was putting my coat on after the climb...sometimes when you think your alone...well.... they let you know....

 

[BSK]

Once deer start to avoid a area because of a cam .how long would it take them to come back once the camera is removed from the area ? Also how well does it work just to turn off the nite time function , Thanks for the info .

I'm a firm believer that deer have VERY long memories for certain things, and "threats" are what they remember longest. In my opinion, any deer worried about the camera simply DOESN'T come back through that area again DURING DAYLIGHT, at least not that year and potential not for as long as they live.

I've noticed that once a "hot spot" has been over-hunted (deer are aware of the regular human presence and are avoiding the location), it take 3-4 years of not hunting it before it is "hot" again.