Where To Place The Camera?

[Mike Belt]

When you set a camera up on a scrape where is the ideal place to position the camera? I love pics from the tree's perspective the buck is working but most of the bucks I get pics of don't seem to like the looks of the camera...and they're always facing it this way. Because of this is it better to catch the buck's pics from behind or to the side of the scrape?

 

[easy45]

I usually put it off to the side if possible

 

[CopperHead77]

For whatever reason 99% of the bucks I get at scrapes don't pay the camera any attention whatsoever,IR or white flash no matter where the camera is positioned. Could be they are so focused on working the scrape,but they don't spook and often times come back a second and third time.

 

[BuckNrut]

I always try to face the camera north and keep the sun behind it. Usually about 4ft off the ground facing slightly down about 12-15 degrees.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Facing North, 3-4 feet off the ground, and make it a black flash. Problems solved

 

[LanceS4803]

What is black flash?

 

[BSK]

What is black flash?

A camera with a flash that produces no visible light.

 

[BSK]

For scrapes, I like the camera to be pointing as northerly as possible, but what I feel is more important is having the camera off to the side of any visiting buck's direction of travel as he approaches the scrape. Not only does this cut down on the number of times bucks see and shy away from the camera box itself, but this "from the side" positioning also produces better profile pictures, which help in identifying bucks.

Keeping the camera at least 15 feet from the scrape also reduces how often deer notice the camera box itself.

 

[156p&y]

I like mine off to the side too; if at all possible. But I have noticed my scrapes go dead within about 3-4 days if I don't go pull the camera.

 

[BSK]

I like mine off to the side too; if at all possible. But I have noticed my scrapes go dead within about 3-4 days if I don't go pull the camera.

Are you using black-flash?

With black-flash cams, I can leave a cam on a hot scrape all rut and still be getting great pictures after 6 weeks. With white flash and red-glow, I have to move it to a new scrape after a week.

 

[Mike Belt]

If you don't have a "workable" tree to hang the camera on for setting it up off to the side do you try to rig something up or move on to another scrape? The problem I keep running across is that I may have a great site but I'm limited in camera hanging either from a tree not being positioned right in relationship to the target area or too far to get adequate pics.

 

[BSK]

If it is a HOT scrape, and no other options exist, I will hang the camera on the tree the scrape is under. But that is a rare event in my area (lots of trees around).