No cameras for me this year
Wisconsin
I'm trying something new. I am leaving the cameras behind this season to see if there is a difference in my hunt. I am trying to figure out if my infringement on the woods, and if my cameras have a negative impact on the deer? I know if you are clean, and check them less often, ideally, the deer should not be alerted too much, but it does seem that I must be leaving scent either by leaving some sweat near my cameras, or the camera itself, but I do notice that the deer seem to be patterning the cameras after a while? As if they know they are being photographed? I have read extensively on how to properly set up your cameras, and I've tried many methods, but they still seem to figure it out. I also read that we are too eager to see what's on the cameras, and are checking them too often. Well, what's the fun in that, if you leave your cameras for 2 months?
The other aspect that makes me want to go without, is the fact that once you get your photo evidence back, you can be disheartened by only seeing deer that might fall short of your goals. When I was a kid, it was fun fanaticizing that the next deer could be a monster, or the not knowing made me dream loftier thoughts. I'd like to rekindle that mindset. I must admit last year was not as exciting, knowing there was nothing (I had on camera) that was noteworthy. I feel that if I don't know what's there, I can get back to hunting again. I know it might sound silly to some of you, because the cameras add a certain element that many love (including me), and maybe some of you veteran hunters might think like me? Either way, I feel this might be a step forward for me, and get back to my roots, rather than relying on "big brother" to let me know what's NOT there?
I've been bow hunting 36 years. Cameras are relatively new to me, and I feel like I may have outgrown them? We will see after this year, because I have not entered the woods yet. I will go in soon to prune some trails and tree limbs, and after that, I will rely on past experiences, and several alternative tree stands to play the wind, and observe....and dream!
What are your thoughts?
I will continue with the cameras. I enjoy getting a glimpse of the critters that inhabit my land. I like seeing the progress of horn growth through the summer and really am amazed at the number of different bucks that pass through as the rut occurs.
I'm like a kid at Christmas checking cams. I do think they can have a negative impact if your checking them to much. I like to put them up and check them in the rain. I've switched to all the no glow cams.
I like element of surprise. No cameras used.
Camera's are fun but you really thought this through. I agree with many of your points.
Have a friend who has better than a half dozen cams on his 40 acres. Checks them a lot. Emails pics of bucks to me, but never seems to connect with any of "his" bucks come bow season. Gets frustrated and depressed because he has them on camera but never gets them when the time counts. I like the surprise factor as well, Pete-pec! Certainly don't begrudge the use of multiple cams. I have only one set-up on a well used trail of my 35 acres.
No cameras , I can figure out rough size and travel direction without . Not to mention travel through your hunting spot to hang and / or check cameras leaves microns of odor .
I'm running cameras this year again for the first year in a few. I set them July 3rd, they will not be checked until around August 5th. I think if you put them in low impact areas and don't check them too often they are a great tool.
Pete, you raise very valid points. We quit using cameras after having less than desirable showings on the camera. It made one kind of depressed prior to going out knowing the lack of deer in the area. There is something to be said for the element of surprise. That said, now that I have my own land, I have 4 cameras out. I am more or less using them as tools to see if deer use certain areas versus using them to see the numbers or quality of the deer. Once I get to know my land, I will probably quit using them again and go back to the element of surprise.
Those are actually really good points. Not sure I will abandon the cameras but maybe just check them really infrequently.
Sounds like we love the element of surprise. It might be pulling a card from a camera, and pulling back on a deer that quietly snuck up on you? Either way, we love to be surprised!
My buddy asked me tonight, "what do you have on your cameras?"
A simple reply, "Dust!"
Good luck all, I hope we all have a surprise in store!
Excellent Pete. The timing of this was perfect as I checked a camera today. Will not check again until August 15. Then I will see if I am having the negative impact I suspected I was.
Here has been my experience,,,, from 94 to 2010, we had a camp in Clark County. we owned 10 acres, leased 180 that was connected.
That landowner, had the other 300 next to us, we had line marked, and respected our borders, and got along very well......
We only deer hunted the land, it was logged and we left a big sanctuary, in the middles, lots of wetland, we never went into.....
We only went on the land, to hunt, that's it,,,, scouting was done in the spring, and stands were set than. adjustments made only during in season, and only hunted them on our best winds, from what we thought the deer were doing.....
We never set a camera, never made a food plot and never used bait, never........
The landowner next door, at lots and lots of cameras out, food plots and bait. We would go to his cabin and look at pictures of some great bucks, they had on camera, both day, but mostly at night......
Both bow and gun season, our camp shot some really nice bucks, for Clark County, 120's to 147, our biggest killed, and I missed with bow, a true 150....
Our neighbors shot squat to very little with bow, and shot a few with rifle, but their best buck a 125, killed with a ML, after we did our "gentle push" for them.......
They created so much disturbance on their 300 acres, the bucks simply had them patterned, and cameras was the main reason....
We closed camp in 2010, after we lost our lease, and sold off our land,,,,,, landowner, wanted more money, but in a lot of ways, I could feel the tension year after year, he said one day, all I do is grow deer for you guys to shoot.....
My experience with cameras is this...yes, it is fun to see what's going on out there when you aren't there, but if I'm truly honest with myself I know I'm patterning those animals by running cameras and checking them. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it don't work on big bucks! Come to think of it I can't attribute a single deer killed to my use of trail cameras. Same could be said for food plots but that's a different story. One thing that really bothers me about these cameras is that for what you pay for them they sure don't seem to last very long! I've had my best luck with Bushnell's, but now that I'm down to just one left I think I'll relegate it to watching the front door of the cabin and just do like some of you other guys and be pleasantly "surprised" when a big buck shows up near my stand. Cameras were fun while they lasted, but like all novelties they've lost their luster for this guy.
Cameras prove a big buck is there if you get a photo of him. BUT, not having a picture of a big buck does NOT mean there is none there. Pics of big bucks that suddenly show up during the rut probably tell you that buck is not local. So, net is even if you don't have 'shooters' on camera does not mean that one won't walk in front of you for that big surprise at some point. I check my deer woods cameras about once a month, maybe weekly or when I actually hunt a stand near them when the rut comes.
Cameras on bear baits are a different story. I went with no cameras on bear baits 3 years ago to revisit what the anticipation thing was about. Course if you see a 6" track the anticipation comes right back anyway.
Like South Farm I have moved most of my cameras to cover driveways and buildings now. One neighbor that had been an issue is out of prison now and there have been a handful of break in's around another property.
A lot of good comments here. My two pennies: Not sure about the "big woods" but most farm country guys I know across the state use cameras for the fun factor, for cool pictures and yes, to see what's out there at various times of day/night/year. Almost every big buck story I've ever done (I'm talking B&C bucks), the guy had multiple game cam photos of the deer, often for multiple years. Sometimes I think we give bucks too much credit. Yes, unintelligent pressure could ruin your spot, but some farm country deer simply live nocturnal most of the year only to make a mistake early in bow, or come the rut. They're used to people and activity to a point. When pressured they'll hole up in some thick-n-nasty stuff, or overlooked sanctuaries, but are still around and a carefully placed camera (not over bait, IMO, during season) will not only show you what's using the trail/field, but it won't spook the animal either. If you're paranoid, place 'em high so they're shooting down, or get the type that only shoots daytime shots so no risk of flash/IR "spooking" (plus you see what really moves during legal light).
I love trail cameras, mine hit the woods starting tomorrow and over the weekend. I can't disagree with most of what was posted above. Be smart about how and where you use them and most issues go away.
It's a great tool for helping others practice QDM. When you/they can see whats out there, many find it easier to hold off for a mature deer.
Last year was the first year I patterned a mature buck using a trail camera. The buck came out of the woods on the same logging road 5 out of 7 evenings for over 2 weeks. When the wind was right my friend set up his adult son, on the ground with a crossbow, and he killed the buck. I don't think they scored it yet, close to a 160" buck. I'll dig out the sequence of photos, pretty cool stuff. BC
I agree with Naz on the fun factor. Most of us only have a limited number of days we can hunt our land and the "surprise" factor comes from actually seeing a deer you would like to harvest. If you've paid for your land and work hard at improving it, one of the joys I get out of it is showing my kids and friends the animals using our land. You would never guess a bobcat or a badger or a bear were passing through until you have a pic or video clip.
I too think we are giving deer too much credit with regards to figuring out what is going on if you check a camera. I use my atv to collect video cards and leave it running while I'm doing it. We have a ATV club that uses the gravel road next to my property and I've had deer by my stand when an ATV goes down the road, they look that way and once it passes they go back to doing their thing. If it stops and turns off, then they get nervous.
Same thing with a shooting range a mile away. On a clear day with no wind, you can hear guns banging away and the deer never pick up their heads. The don't associate the noise with danger until someone is pushing them through the woods and shooting guns.
I guess every property is different but if you can avoid the deer associating danger with your routine of checking cameras, you should be able to see deer during the season.
To each his/her own but I love seeing what is happening on my 80 acres when we aren't in a tree waiting to be surprised.
You guys can go ahead and believe we are giving deer too much credit. But imo you can NEVER give a mature buck enough credit. They seem a lot of the time, to be an entirely different species.
Like mentioned of the fella who has a half dozen cams on his forty but can't connect ...this is synonymous with what happens with batters. They get "all these pictures" of deer but can't understand why they can't get that big buck. No matter how careful, humans encroaching on the Bucks territory IS noticed. The bucks avoid humans like the plague and checking cameras and "replenishing" bait piles do just that. Some stands I visit one time a year. I never place cameras remotely close to a stand.
I used to hunt a woods that had a public trail going though it. I saw deer all the time. I was close enough to the trail to overhear some short pieces of very interesting conversations. Even with all that activity I saw plenty of deer and my scent did not seem to be an issue to them. I eventually quit hunting there because I never saw anything big enough for me to shoot. Just shows how deer become accustomed to human activity in their home area but the big ones had enough smarts and experience to know better.
Simply put...what one deer will do the next will do something different!
Nothing and I mean nothing in deer hunting whether bow or gun is exactly the same.
Some big bucks tolerate infringement while others will not. Solely depends on the deer.
Now if you want to talk averages, that's different I would guess.
But never say a deer will never do something because most know that as soon as you say they wont...they will. Come late October and into November, most of us have seen some pretty amazing stuff when it comes to huge whitetails.
But I agree it's best to side on the side of underestimation...because we truly don't know what will happen.
I guess that's why the call it hunting and not killing!
I agree. A deer throughout it's entire life is probably "learning". I put that word in italics, because it's likely they are just programming their inherited defense mechanisms to avoid those things they don't know. A three, four, five year old deer has certainly had more interaction with outside elements than say a yearling. Pat, you nailed it. Nothing is certain. You play the odds, you yourself use those same skills to be the predator trying to stalk the prey. Have you ever sat in a tree undetected with a deer below you because you knew you were not going to shoot that deer? The moment of truth however, that deer seems to somehow know that you want it. It becomes nervous and flighty, and may have not moved to lift your bow? Do they smell your adrenaline, hear your heart beating or heavy breathing? They just somehow know something wasn't right? That's what I would say is the difference between a deer that doesn't react to encroachment versus being pursued. entering the woods lightly to check cameras, prune trails, deal with food plots etc., doesn't make deer run off, but I think every time they get bumped or learn of your presence, they do have that instinct to be on alert....even if it's only temporary?
Here's a Wisconsin bowhunter who consistently arrows trophies, and he attributes a lot of it to his camera surveillance in helping establish patterns and whereabouts. Dozens of shots of his biggest bucks on cam.
I consider his use of them as an aid to his "obsession".
Agree, just posted because some seem to believe that camera use deters chance at trophy bucks. Also agree with BT that different deer/habitat can be a different tale, too.
Naz, funny you should link Scott. He is a family friend. The guy eats, sleeps, and breathes mature whitetails. Cameras are a part of his system, but the guy could get it done without them. He has forgot more about big deer, than many will ever know.
I've thought about not using them and actually can be somewhat disappointing most of the time. But not putting them out makes you think you may miss capturing a big boy. They're definitely Yin and Yang.
Rut what county was the buck shot in,,,,,,
A check of the records shows his 2011 buck was officially scored at 170 5/8 inches and is listed as Pierce County. This video shows it being arrowed over "Lucky Buck" mineral.
razor, Naz is correct on Pierce county.
If been using tail cameras for over a decade, and have no plans to stop.
However during the summer and fall, I only have my trail cameras set up on food plots, and only check them on the weekend, and I always do it by ATV either at noon, or well after dark. I have found that the deer return to the plots minutes after I have left on the ATV. I don't even have to get off the atv, so my scent is minimal, as I alway spray my hands with scent killer before checking each camera.
I have seen little reduction in deer activity, and get many large bucks who show up day after day on the same camera. Yes, I will admit that the majority if big buck pictures are at night, but that has always been the case.
The weekend prior to the gun season, I move some of my cameras to some more unorthodox places on the property (escape routes, lightly hunted areas, etc.) and I leave those cameras there unchecked until the 1st of the year or my last day of bow hunting for the season.
I love going thru the cards every Sunday night and seeing what "christmas gifts" have arrived.
Also, I print out pictures of our larger bucks, and put copies of these around the hunting shack. We have many guys who only can hunt a couple weekends a year, with no scouting, and these pictures let them know what is out there, so they have a better idea what to let pass or not.
Very cool that you do that for the crew. Good idea!
Has anyone used any of the cellular-based trailcams? My company sells one of them, full disclosure, but I was curious to hear feedback from this crowd in particular. The cameras can send you an alert daily, or whenever photos are taken and you can log into a portal to view thumbnails and get the fullsize photo if you want. The camera has a cellular modem built in that transmits the data, eliminating the need to go out and collect the data cards. We sell them primarily for security applications but we do have some hunters purchasing them as well.
BillB,
I love the idea of cellular trail cameras, but they are just too damn expensive to use for a scouting tool.
Perhaps in the future, if both the cameras and the plans canbe priced mouch more reasonable, woULD I get one. But for now, no way.
And some day we will be able to hunt right from the comforts of our recliners right in the living room.
My friend has a camera on every bait. He does not go hunting until he sees the correct deer, at a time he prefers. They work great, he hunts a lot less, and gets bigger animals.
You're right Pete, and you and I will reminisce over a fire in a cave admiring our paintings of deer taken in the past. The score of these deer is not measured in inches, but instead gauged on the culmination of the hunt!
SAWTOOTH I think your friend is missing out on a lot of great non-productive stand time...
"SAWTOOTH I think your friend is missing out on a lot of great non-productive stand time..."
He's BAAAAAACK!!!!! I knew you wouldn't stay away RC.
Armed drones are next... Pick your buck and push the button while sitting at the card table in the deer shack. Watch it all go down on your 60 inch.
All this talk about RC I finally took up, to google this guy's name. And what a joke he is!! And exclamation marks are the best I can give. He's made himself a online joke everywhere in the hunting community. And even lake link. And to think he has a family. And a woman willing to breed with him. RC? Or whatever your new name is. Get lost man, you've proven yourself worthless too, too many times!!! Sorry for the rant guys. My apologies to everyone for this negative post. May it be my last one of these.
10BUCKS is not RC I live in WI and have a cabin near Cumberland. WI. I am not RC.....
