thoughts on camera’s

[JeepKuntry]

Cameras are a love hate relationship. I mainly run them from June till the end of October. I like getting an idea of what is in the area. But I have had cameras that went from hot to absolutely nothing and that frustrates me to no end. I mainly run cheaper cameras and on private. But I am going to run some on public just to get an idea of a few saddle areas.

 

[102]

Another couple of points of interest about trail cams.

1-B/C and P/Y have stipulations about cell trail cams. Basically if you are using a camera to make a decision about where and when to hunt, and that decision puts a candidate in front of your stand, and you kill that animal as a direct result of information based on that camera sending you images to your device, then it's likely that the animal is not eligible for the books. (if this sounds confusing it's because I'm confused about it as well). Besides, it seems most hunters don't care about this rule until they kill a record book animal. Then they really care!
That said, If you get a picture of a book animal, I suggest you quit using the cell cams and switch to SD cards!

2-In just the LITTLE amount of time I have been using these, I have decided that big mature deer don't like them. At least on the pressured land I frequent. They seem to avoid them. I'll get a pic or two and then they evaporate.

I've also found that using a tree stick and climbing up a couple steps to put up the camera really detours thieves.

And use the screw in thing. NOT A STRAP!!! Straps are visible and stand out. Screw ins don't show up!

And I've also put the camera in a great spot. Left it, saw no pics. turned it 180 degrees, and got lots of pics!

 

[Deer Assassin]

Interesting. You are lucky. Always heard that locks are for honest people. Would like to have a camera or two but shy about theft.

i had my first one stolen this year on private land
local tresspassing scum

 

[Ski]

i had my first one stolen this year on private land
local tresspassing scum

Be ready. They'll come back for more, like raccoons to deer corn. Can't help themselves.

 

[Deer Assassin]

Be ready. They'll come back for more, like raccoons to deer corn. Can't help themselves.

I pulled all the others

they even took the cable lock

 

[Ski]

I pulled all the others

they even took the cable lock

That's horrible. Some folks are just scoundrels.

I've had a stand, camera, and several cards stolen in the last couple years. The camera I understand. What gets me is taking the cards, as if you're only a little bit thief. If you're already trespassing and brazen enough to steal the camera card so I can't identify you trespassing, then why not just take the whole camera? I'm glad criminals are stupid.

 

[Grnwing]

I didn't think you were allowed to put up trail cameras on WMA's without the permission of the WMA manager. Ran into some guys on a NWR that had $600 worth of cameras "stolen", turned out they game warden had found them and removed them. A quick phone call to your local WMA manager may save some of you some money and headaches.

Treestands: The use of wire, nails or other metal material is prohibited in the building or attaching of climbing devices or hunting stands. Portable devices or stands that do not injure trees can be used. Hunting from permanent, attached stands is prohibited. Leaving any personal property, including treestands, unattended for more than 24 hours is prohibited without prior approval of the area manager. WMAs require that treestands must be marked with the hunter's TWRA ID number

 

[DRSJ35]

Yes and here's the other stipulation. If they find them they will take them including stands. And then auction them off. One area manager told me they had 7 cameras and 16 stands in there storage yard. This is in a small area.

 

[redblood]

I love trail cams. But i am not sure they help harvest mature bucks. In fact, they probably hurts us more than we realize. But they are worth it to me.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

The key to cameras are how they are utilized: Where they are, when they are checked and how the pictures are interpreted. If utilized correctly, they can be a great tool for managers and hunters.

 

[Deer444]

Another couple of points of interest about trail cams.

1-B/C and P/Y have stipulations about cell trail cams. Basically if you are using a camera to make a decision about where and when to hunt, and that decision puts a candidate in front of your stand, and you kill that animal as a direct result of information based on that camera sending you images to your device, then it's likely that the animal is not eligible for the books. (if this sounds confusing it's because I'm confused about it as well). Besides, it seems most hunters don't care about this rule until they kill a record book animal. Then they really care!
That said, If you get a picture of a book animal, I suggest you quit using the cell cams and switch to SD cards!

2-In just the LITTLE amount of time I have been using these, I have decided that big mature deer don't like them. At least on the pressured land I frequent. They seem to avoid them. I'll get a pic or two and then they evaporate.

I've also found that using a tree stick and climbing up a couple steps to put up the camera really detours thieves.

And use the screw in thing. NOT A STRAP!!! Straps are visible and stand out. Screw ins don't show up!

And I've also put the camera in a great spot. Left it, saw no pics. turned it 180 degrees, and got lots of pics!

I quit using cameras 10 years ago they will break your heart .I know the deer are there and I quit getting upset and depressed when I quit using cameras.

 

[Headhunter]

I just started using them seriously last year. And in ALL honesty, they tell me WAY more about where NOT to waste my time than where to hunt.
Also I use them early season for inventory of deer. ESPECIALLY does pre rut. If I've got plenty of does in front of a camera...it's just a matter of time!

I disagree. I have hunted several spots with friends and the first thing I do is ask them where they do not hunt. I don't want to intrude on where they hunt and deer pattern hunters to some extent. Several times I have been told, if you want to go to this area, heck we don't even put cameras there anymore or the cameras we have there aren't getting any pictures. Not only have I gone to those spots and killed deer, I have killed a couple nice bucks.

I crack up when someone tells me if I ain't getting pictures of deer or of the deer I want to kill, I don't go to that area. Deer can and will go anywhere.

 

[Hunter 257W]

I've used Trail Cameras since they were 1st developed. I even used the little trail timers that used sewing thread and a timer to register a one time passage down a trail. I spent a lot of money on developing film for years until some thief mercifully stole my last film camera and allowed me to save money by buying some digital cameras. I don't really think they help me much at all with hunting except to show what bucks are there in the general area. I've never seen a single deer that was predictable enough to be in a certain place at a certain time. They may come by a camera 2 days in a row early then not show there at all for 2 weeks. I mainly just like to see what bucks are using my land. I've left cameras up year round ever since I started using them.

 

[Ski]

I disagree. I have hunted several spots with friends and the first thing I do is ask them where they do not hunt. I don't want to intrude on where they hunt and deer pattern hunters to some extent. Several times I have been told, if you want to go to this area, heck we don't even put cameras there anymore or the cameras we have there aren't getting any pictures. Not only have I gone to those spots and killed deer, I have killed a couple nice bucks.

I crack up when someone tells me if I ain't getting pictures of deer or of the deer I want to kill, I don't go to that area. Deer can and will go anywhere.

Misusing or misinterpreting a camera doesn't mean cameras are bad. It only means the hunter doesn't know what they're doing. In the right hands, a camera can be an invaluable tool. Same can be said for bows, guns, or anything else we use in hunting.

 

[Ski]

I've never seen a single deer that was predictable enough to be in a certain place at a certain time.

Ever hear of the "same time, same place" theory? The thought is that a buck will repeat the same movement pattern year after year, making it possible to predict where & when he'll be in a spot this year because he was there last year, barring an outside force that prevents it. This was my first season giving it a serious try and now I'm 100% sold. Four target bucks in two states with only seven sits in the stand is not an accident or coincidence. My TN velvet buck took 3 sits. My Ohio buck took two sits but same day. My other TN buck took one sit, and my wife's buck took one sit.

I have trail cam history with all four of those bucks & used it to choose where to hang stands and which days & times to hunt them. It was a completely new concept to me, although I'd heard about it for years. I'm used to hunting hard, putting in long seasons, and sometimes without success. Never again. On one hand it feels like cheating. But on the other hand it's an entirely higher level of accomplishment knowing that it's not random chance, but predictable. I am more excited for future hunts than I ever have been before.

 

[102]

I disagree. I have hunted several spots with friends and the first thing I do is ask them where they do not hunt. I don't want to intrude on where they hunt and deer pattern hunters to some extent. Several times I have been told, if you want to go to this area, heck we don't even put cameras there anymore or the cameras we have there aren't getting any pictures. Not only have I gone to those spots and killed deer, I have killed a couple nice bucks.

I crack up when someone tells me if I ain't getting pictures of deer or of the deer I want to kill, I don't go to that area. Deer can and will go anywhere.

Headhunter...read ALL my posts!
I agree!

I killed my 300th bowkilled deer (almost all public land) because I was going to pull the camera as that camera indicated there were virtually no deer in the area. Apparently all traffic was behind that camera according to sign. So I decided to sit a stand.

And he showed up!

Cameras can completely fool you!

 

[102]

And I've also put the camera in a great spot. Left it, saw no pics. turned it 180 degrees, and got lots of pics!


November 17th, 2020

 

[Huntaholic]

Ever hear of the "same time, same place" theory? The thought is that a buck will repeat the same movement pattern year after year, making it possible to predict where & when he'll be in a spot this year because he was there last year, barring an outside force that prevents it. This was my first season giving it a serious try and now I'm 100% sold. Four target bucks in two states with only seven sits in the stand is not an accident or coincidence. My TN velvet buck took 3 sits. My Ohio buck took two sits but same day. My other TN buck took one sit, and my wife's buck took one sit.

I have trail cam history with all four of those bucks & used it to choose where to hang stands and which days & times to hunt them. It was a completely new concept to me, although I'd heard about it for years. I'm used to hunting hard, putting in long seasons, and sometimes without success. Never again. On one hand it feels like cheating. But on the other hand it's an entirely higher level of accomplishment knowing that it's not random chance, but predictable. I am more excited for future hunts than I ever have been before.

SHHHH!!!!!!! Don't tell EVERYTHING! Ive lived here for 12 years now and its uncanny how on either Dec 24th or Dec 25th there will be a shooter show up out my window. I haven't killed one of them yet but its not because I couldn't have! And in case you were wondering, yeah, there was one here this morning, a 140 in +or- typical 10.
Ive got another spot I run cameras on year around. Last year in a 10 day window I had 4 different shooter bucks on that camera from Dec. 15th to Dec 25th. I pulled the card this morning just for ***** and giggles and sure enough there was a shooter there 3 days ago.
The best deer Ive ever killed, a 153" bow kill, was because of running cameras. The cameras helped me to pass up a lot of smaller deer because I knew there was better deer there. It doesn't always work but when it does it adds a whole other level to the kill.

 

[redblood]

SHHHH!!!!!!! Don't tell EVERYTHING! Ive lived here for 12 years now and its uncanny how on either Dec 24th or Dec 25th there will be a shooter show up out my window. I haven't killed one of them yet but its not because I couldn't have! And in case you were wondering, yeah, there was one here this morning, a 140 in +or- typical 10.
Ive got another spot I run cameras on year around. Last year in a 10 day window I had 4 different shooter bucks on that camera from Dec. 15th to Dec 25th. I pulled the card this morning just for ***** and giggles and sure enough there was a shooter there 3 days ago.
The best deer Ive ever killed, a 153" bow kill, was because of running cameras. The cameras helped me to pass up a lot of smaller deer because I knew there was better deer there. It doesn't always work but when it does it adds a whole other level to the kill.

I agree they can help in that regard.

 

[Hunter 257W]

Ever hear of the "same time, same place" theory? The thought is that a buck will repeat the same movement pattern year after year, making it possible to predict where & when he'll be in a spot this year because he was there last year, barring an outside force that prevents it. This was my first season giving it a serious try and now I'm 100% sold. Four target bucks in two states with only seven sits in the stand is not an accident or coincidence. My TN velvet buck took 3 sits. My Ohio buck took two sits but same day. My other TN buck took one sit, and my wife's buck took one sit.

I have trail cam history with all four of those bucks & used it to choose where to hang stands and which days & times to hunt them. It was a completely new concept to me, although I'd heard about it for years. I'm used to hunting hard, putting in long seasons, and sometimes without success. Never again. On one hand it feels like cheating. But on the other hand it's an entirely higher level of accomplishment knowing that it's not random chance, but predictable. I am more excited for future hunts than I ever have been before.

I've never heard of that by that specific name but come to think about some of the GPS tracked buck studies I've read of it makes sense. At least in that bucks seem to somewhat repeat general range shifts and uses of certain areas at the same general times each year. Of course to make that of any use bucks have to live long enough to be there at least one season after you can recognize them as an individual. It seems to finally be happening on my farm that we have bucks living long enough to do this. In fact this year there are 3 bucks that look more like bulls than deer for the 1st time ever. Having neighbors with unrealistically high antler standards is the man reason this has finally happened. I'm not complaining, that's for sure. I don't care so much for the rack but rather just knowing such bucks are roaming around out there.