Deer Alerted by the Camera Trigger

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rsimms

rsimms

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Every trail camera I've read about (or owned) routinely advertises they are completely silent and will not spook deer. But apparently if deer are really close to my Moultrie Products camera, they are alerted when the camera triggers. Here's proof positive. My question to my trail camera-using friends, are they alerting to a sound or a light (infrared or otherwise)? Or perhaps just to seeing the camera (which I don't believe is the case)?
For what it's worth, they do only alert when they are very close. I've got plenty of images on this camera where they do not alert. It's only if they are walking directly on the trail that passes right by the tree the camera is on. #notetoself Don't put your camera DIRECTLY on the trail you wish to monitor. #trailcam #trailcamera #whitetail #whitetaildeer #whitetailhunting #Moultrie

 
Some cameras produce a very quiet "click" when they trigger. If the woods are very quiet, a deer will be able to hear that. If a camera's flash is not true black-flash (low-glow or red-glow), deer can see the flash. And yes, deer WILL react to just seeing the cameras. Every time I move a camera to a new location, the first time a particular deer walks by, they stop and stare at the camera. However, once the camera does nothing that frightens them, they ignore it from then on.
 
BSK said:
Some cameras produce a very quiet "click" when they trigger. If the woods are very quiet, a deer will be able to hear that. If a camera's flash is not true black-flash (low-glow or red-glow), deer can see the flash. And yes, deer WILL react to just seeing the cameras. Every time I move a camera to a new location, the first time a particular deer walks by, they stop and stare at the camera. However, once the camera does nothing that frightens them, they ignore it from then on.
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Yeah, I have lots of images/videos of deer simply staring at the camera (without alerting). This example is the first time I've ever seen them actually spook, albeit a "soft spook." It's funny to see the other deer thinking, "What the hell are you running from?"
 
Funny Story: Back in the day of film trail cameras, I'd put corn in front of them to lure deer for pictures. I'd spend extra money to get a 36 picture roll of film. And...I always promised myself I wasn't going to the one hour develop place, as it was much cheaper to mail them off to be developed at Walmart. Those old film cameras made a loud "CLUNK" when they took a picture. I'd wait two weeks and go get my film and head directly to the one hour develop. 5 minutes after I left the camera out there, a flock of crows flew in for the corn. The camera "CLUNKED" and scared them so, they flew off. This triggered the camera and it took another picture. After a few seconds, the flock flew back in, causing the camera to "CLUNK" again. All 36 pictures were taken within 10 minutes of me leaving it. And after two weeks, 36 picture roll of film, and expensive one hour development - I had 36 pictures of crows flying in and out of my pile of corn. I'm embarrassed to admit how many times this happened to me. 🤣 😂
 
DMD said:
Funny Story: Back in the day of film trail cameras, I'd put corn in front of them to lure deer for pictures. I'd spend extra money to get a 36 picture roll of film. And...I always promised myself I wasn't going to the one hour develop place, as it was much cheaper to mail them off to be developed at Walmart. Those old film cameras made a loud "CLUNK" when they took a picture. I'd wait two weeks and go get my film and head directly to the one hour develop. 5 minutes after I left the camera out there, a flock of crows flew in for the corn. The camera "CLUNKED" and scared them so, they flew off. This triggered the camera and it took another picture. After a few seconds, the flock flew back in, causing the camera to "CLUNK" again. All 36 pictures were taken within 10 minutes of me leaving it. And after two weeks, 36 picture roll of film, and expensive one hour development - I had 36 pictures of crows flying in and out of my pile of corn. I'm embarrassed to admit how many times this happened to me. 🤣 😂
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Oh the 36-exposure rolls of film! The developers at my local Kroger loved me! They would get excited when they would see me come in because they were going to get to develop and see "deer pictures." But the number of times I got back 36 pictures of basically nothing (or crows or turkeys or squirrels, etc.) are too many to count. Once, a doe bedded down right in front of the camera and I only got 36 pictures of here laying there staring at the camera!
 
BSK said:
Oh the 36-exposure rolls of film! The developers at my local Kroger loved me! They would get excited when they would see me come in because they were going to get to develop and see "deer pictures." But the number of times I got back 36 pictures of basically nothing (or crows or turkeys or squirrels, etc.) are too many to count. Once, a doe bedded down right in front of the camera and I only got 36 pictures of here laying there staring at the camera!
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🤣Yep. Good Times. I wish every trail camera fan could have experienced those days.
 
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I do not put them near bedding or woods trails for that reason. Give them some space from the camera. Areas that are not necessarily secluded.
 
rsimms said:
Every trail camera I've read about (or owned) routinely advertises they are completely silent and will not spook deer. But apparently if deer are really close to my Moultrie Products camera, they are alerted when the camera triggers. Here's proof positive. My question to my trail camera-using friends, are they alerting to a sound or a light (infrared or otherwise)? Or perhaps just to seeing the camera (which I don't believe is the case)?
For what it's worth, they do only alert when they are very close. I've got plenty of images on this camera where they do not alert. It's only if they are walking directly on the trail that passes right by the tree the camera is on. #notetoself Don't put your camera DIRECTLY on the trail you wish to monitor. #trailcam #trailcamera #whitetail #whitetaildeer #whitetailhunting #Moultrie

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A couple of my moultrie cams do have a very faint click that you probably couldn't hear unless it was dead still. But, if I can hear it I know deer can also hear it.
 
DMD said:
🤣Yep. Good Times. I wish every trail camera fan could have experienced those days.
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I wasted quite a bit of money on those cams that used a roll of film!!Very few pics of deer and batteries shot after a roll of film!
 
Now I probably don't get as good of pics as those that put their cameras 3 feet off the ground but I believe they are less noticed if you put them up higher. I carry a stick with me and usually place mine about 10-12 feet off the ground. I have to spend a little more time aiming the camera to get the view I want but the deer don't even notice them nor do trespassers and poachers.
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marty d said:
Now I probably don't get as good of pics as those that put their cameras 3 feet off the ground but I believe they are less noticed if you put them up higher. I carry a stick with me and usually place mine about 10-12 feet off the ground. I have to spend a little more time aiming the camera to get the view I want but the deer don't even notice them nor do trespassers and poachers. View attachment 327277View attachment 327278
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You are right on point marty d. A high mounting location will DRAMATICALLY reduce deer reaction to the camera.

I don't do this simply because 1) I'm moving cameras frequently and setting them up high is a pain, 2) I can't see body conformation on bucks as well from the "looking down" angle, and 3) I often want the camera shooting out far into the distance at ground level because the camera locations is just a general bottleneck and I need to cover a wide area.
 
marty d said:
Now I probably don't get as good of pics as those that put their cameras 3 feet off the ground but I believe they are less noticed if you put them up higher. I carry a stick with me and usually place mine about 10-12 feet off the ground. I have to spend a little more time aiming the camera to get the view I want but the deer don't even notice them nor do trespassers and poachers. View attachment 327277View attachment 327278
Click to expand...
I always intend on putting mine up high, and when I get in the woods, I just forgot. I actually like the shots from up high like you have yours.
 
BSK said:
You are right on point marty d. A high mounting location will DRAMATICALLY reduce deer reaction to the camera.

I don't do this simply because 1) I'm moving cameras frequently and setting them up high is a pain, 2) I can't see body conformation on bucks as well from the "looking down" angle, and 3) I often want the camera shooting out far into the distance at ground level because the camera locations is just a general bottleneck and I need to cover a wide area.
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No I totally get what you are saying. We have some on our lease down low and they are great. Several are on public ground so I place them higher to avoid theft. Now could someone get this yes but rarely do people seem to look up while in the woods. I get it because I am usually looking for snakes in early season and sign mid to late season. The view is def tighter looking down.
 

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