It is time to brush the dust off of those trail cameras and get them out in the field. A couple of weeks ago I put out 5 Bushnell trail cameras hoping to catch a snap shot of a monster buck on one of our hunting properties. This is a good practice to ensure the cameras are working correctly as we begin the season. In August, the big boys start feeding heavily and will let their guard down a bit, becoming more visible.
Cameras have became a vital part of my hunting strategy. They are especially important during August and September as I take a buck inventory of the deer currently using our properties. This will usually dictate my basic harvest goals for the season. Let me use last season as an example. I had pictures of two different mainframe 10 pointers and a twelve pointer. I was set on shooting a buck in the low 150's to 160's based on deer I had pictures of. Now, if you have read my previous articles, you know that I abandoned this strategy when I saw a buck in the 170-180" class. Some deer will come from other properties during the rut and sometimes deer are never caught on film by the trail cameras. But the point is the trail cameras give you a general idea of what a trophy is for your particular area.
There have been many times over the last 11 seasons that I elected to pass up a quality buck holding out for something bigger. However, if I would have scouted and utilized trail cameras, I would have realized that the bucks I was passing on, were the mature deer on the farm that particular year. Maybe the biggest bucks on your property are in the 120" class. If they are mature (4 years or older) than you should be proud of yourself if you harvest one. You can't kill a bigger deer if they don't exist on your property. Keep your expectations realistic to continually enjoy this sport.
Here are a couple of things to remember when using trail cameras:
1. Make sure your batteries are always fresh so you can leave them out for approximately 3 weeks (remain patient because this will keep your sent and intrusion down to a minimum).
2. Don't hang cameras in bedding areas this time of year. You will only be bumping deer out of their sanctuary. Stick to funnels, travel routes to and from feeding areas, and food plots.
3. Take wedges or shims with you to install your trail cameras. They work great when you are trying to get the right angle on the field of view. I have also recently purchased a couple of trail camera tripods for areas that don't have a good selection of trees (I will let you know how I like them). Existing fence posts work good too.
4. Keep your camera at the elevation of your waist or chest and keep the slope of the background in mind too.
5. Make sure your camera is pointed away from the sun (usually not to the south) so you don't get sun spots.
6. Wear gloves when handling your camera in the field to minimize your human sent. I prefer to use rubber gloves.
7. Keep two SD cards assigned to each camera (label them) to keep track of which one goes with which camera (if you use multiple cameras). If an SD card goes bad, you should be able to figure out which one it is.
8. Angle your camera so you can get a couple of shots of a deer as he walks to or away from the camera. Bucks are in bachelor groups this time of year and it helps to have a field or opening in the background which may show additional deer further away. If you are getting pictures of only a deer's front or hind quarters, you need to turn your camera a bit more.
I continue to utilize my trail cameras all season long and after the season is over. Throughout the season I get an idea of what bucks have moved on to the property, the time of day they are moving, and what areas are receiving the most deer traffic. This can also aid in determining the rut stages. After the season is over, I get an idea of what deer are still alive and the sheds that I should search for in the spring.
Cameras have became a vital part of my hunting strategy. They are especially important during August and September as I take a buck inventory of the deer currently using our properties. This will usually dictate my basic harvest goals for the season. Let me use last season as an example. I had pictures of two different mainframe 10 pointers and a twelve pointer. I was set on shooting a buck in the low 150's to 160's based on deer I had pictures of. Now, if you have read my previous articles, you know that I abandoned this strategy when I saw a buck in the 170-180" class. Some deer will come from other properties during the rut and sometimes deer are never caught on film by the trail cameras. But the point is the trail cameras give you a general idea of what a trophy is for your particular area.
There have been many times over the last 11 seasons that I elected to pass up a quality buck holding out for something bigger. However, if I would have scouted and utilized trail cameras, I would have realized that the bucks I was passing on, were the mature deer on the farm that particular year. Maybe the biggest bucks on your property are in the 120" class. If they are mature (4 years or older) than you should be proud of yourself if you harvest one. You can't kill a bigger deer if they don't exist on your property. Keep your expectations realistic to continually enjoy this sport.
Here are a couple of things to remember when using trail cameras:
1. Make sure your batteries are always fresh so you can leave them out for approximately 3 weeks (remain patient because this will keep your sent and intrusion down to a minimum).
2. Don't hang cameras in bedding areas this time of year. You will only be bumping deer out of their sanctuary. Stick to funnels, travel routes to and from feeding areas, and food plots.
3. Take wedges or shims with you to install your trail cameras. They work great when you are trying to get the right angle on the field of view. I have also recently purchased a couple of trail camera tripods for areas that don't have a good selection of trees (I will let you know how I like them). Existing fence posts work good too.
4. Keep your camera at the elevation of your waist or chest and keep the slope of the background in mind too.
5. Make sure your camera is pointed away from the sun (usually not to the south) so you don't get sun spots.
6. Wear gloves when handling your camera in the field to minimize your human sent. I prefer to use rubber gloves.
7. Keep two SD cards assigned to each camera (label them) to keep track of which one goes with which camera (if you use multiple cameras). If an SD card goes bad, you should be able to figure out which one it is.
8. Angle your camera so you can get a couple of shots of a deer as he walks to or away from the camera. Bucks are in bachelor groups this time of year and it helps to have a field or opening in the background which may show additional deer further away. If you are getting pictures of only a deer's front or hind quarters, you need to turn your camera a bit more.
I continue to utilize my trail cameras all season long and after the season is over. Throughout the season I get an idea of what bucks have moved on to the property, the time of day they are moving, and what areas are receiving the most deer traffic. This can also aid in determining the rut stages. After the season is over, I get an idea of what deer are still alive and the sheds that I should search for in the spring.
To wrap this up, I checked my trail cameras yesterday. Over the last two and a half weeks we had temperatures in the high 90's everyday. This really slowed down the big buck activity. All I had on my cameras were smaller bucks, slick heads (does) and fawns. I also managed to get pictures of thunder chickens, a bobcat, coyote, fox, and a few bandits (coons). Maybe the next three weeks will show me something more if it is not so hot (should have set up a camera on some water sources). You will never know until you get your cameras out there working for you.
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