mattfish
Active Member
I set up a camera last year on well used trail on public Land I hunt. In July got some real bruisers on the camera. It was set about 30 yards off of what I suspected as a creek crossing area.
I ended up pulling that camera believing I knew they were there so I could hunt this travel trail when the winds/ thermals were favorable. Hunted it couple times but other action pulled me away from the area. I eventually hung it back up during archery and got less pics but still productive.
Fast forward to this winter, I placed the camera on tree about to fall into the creek. I got over 400 pics of deer in March. Some were repeat pics of deer just lingering. My concern is that some deer 100% knew that camera was there and were spooked by it. Posed and ready to jump outta their own hides! Others just stared around the area.
Do I dump the camera? It’s literally eye level with deer. If you were standing in the creek it’s chest level.
Great pics really cool. I’m worried because I know I got big bucks cruising through the area in July. 90% of the pics were daylight photos.
Got over 400 pics of deer in one month in March. Both buck and doe. Some had already shed one bruiser had not. Probably only handful of pics were deer knew it was there. But enough pics of deer standing in the area looking around.
Are they listening to my camera go off? Is that the reason for the curious looks in front of my camera?
Don’t wanna blow the area up unnecessarily. I could put the camera to work elsewhere. If I raise it up it’s gonna be really high. I have it low so I can get the photos.
My concern is do I have enough data for the time of year I’m interested in? During hunting season got a handful of pics along the original trail.
I moved right to the creek to start to understand the travel pattern better. I also added a second camera on the other side to nail down the direction of travel. My hope is to backtrack the travel pattern to find either the food source or bedding.
This is in mountain country in Pa so lots of mature timber and nomadic deer. I wanna make sure I’m not invading unnecessarily but not pulling out to soon either.
Any thoughts?
I ended up pulling that camera believing I knew they were there so I could hunt this travel trail when the winds/ thermals were favorable. Hunted it couple times but other action pulled me away from the area. I eventually hung it back up during archery and got less pics but still productive.
Fast forward to this winter, I placed the camera on tree about to fall into the creek. I got over 400 pics of deer in March. Some were repeat pics of deer just lingering. My concern is that some deer 100% knew that camera was there and were spooked by it. Posed and ready to jump outta their own hides! Others just stared around the area.
Do I dump the camera? It’s literally eye level with deer. If you were standing in the creek it’s chest level.
Great pics really cool. I’m worried because I know I got big bucks cruising through the area in July. 90% of the pics were daylight photos.
Got over 400 pics of deer in one month in March. Both buck and doe. Some had already shed one bruiser had not. Probably only handful of pics were deer knew it was there. But enough pics of deer standing in the area looking around.
Are they listening to my camera go off? Is that the reason for the curious looks in front of my camera?
Don’t wanna blow the area up unnecessarily. I could put the camera to work elsewhere. If I raise it up it’s gonna be really high. I have it low so I can get the photos.
My concern is do I have enough data for the time of year I’m interested in? During hunting season got a handful of pics along the original trail.
I moved right to the creek to start to understand the travel pattern better. I also added a second camera on the other side to nail down the direction of travel. My hope is to backtrack the travel pattern to find either the food source or bedding.
This is in mountain country in Pa so lots of mature timber and nomadic deer. I wanna make sure I’m not invading unnecessarily but not pulling out to soon either.
Any thoughts?