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Ditching trail cameras?

CSBowHunt

CSBowHunt

Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2021
Messages
80
Am I crazy but part of me has made up my mind that Im not going to be using cameras this year. Main reason being is to go back to just hunting and setting up in areas based on sign and previous years intel. I personally over think a lot and when my cameras go dead and deer stop showing up I get stressed out and I feel like it has slightly impacted that way I hunt now because at the end of the day when Im out in the wood I shouldn't be stressing about bucks not showing up I should be enjoying it. Another reason is sometimes I feel like I hunt areas too hard and become dependent on pictures I get and I don't see a thing and that could be causing me to miss out on other spots where the action is happening. Just wondering if any of you guys have any input or have ditched them too. Thanks
 
elk yinzer said:
Yeah they psych me out and have never really helped me kill a deer.
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Don't get me wrong they have helped me in the past but I can say majority of my bucks have come from before I was using them and just using woodsmanship and scouting the cameras cause me to get in my head and over think which almost takes the fun out of it for me
 
Ive shifted to thinking of a camera as a this year tool to a future year tool. Scout an area you think has potential but rather than guessing if its good and dedicating hours there put a camera up, let it there all season. Last year I learned an area I was in wasnt worth hunting until the rut. There was virtually zero buck activity through the season besides the rut and then it was a highway. Hunted that area multiple times and never saw a buck. Just so happened I had other obligations and hunted other areas during the rut and missed that window there.
 
I run them… about 20 of them and it’s labor intensive to me. That’s the biggest reason I’ve considered giving them up, but I like to know what’s in the area and if I’m wasting my time somewhere. I do agree though, they can be a gift and a curse. A boost of confidence at times or they just take the wind right out of your sails.
 
I have just about decided to abandon their use. I only have 2 out right now and I pulled that cards a couple of weeks ago and in 6 weeks worth of pictures I got very little intel, nothing that just reading the sign in those spots had already told me.

I do like the idea of leaving them out in all year in a totally new area to get intel for next year. I may try that approach since I already have them.
 
I've never personally used one.

But my brother puts a handful up in one spot we hunt and it's fun to see the photos. We use them to set a seasonal standard. There's usually a couple decent bucks in the area, and we might hold out for one of them, or put more time in other spots, depending.

The cameras only get checked a few times a season so it's not like we're making adjustments to our hunting strategies or sneaking out to shoot a buck in a food plot when a cell cam pic comes in, or anything like that, like some do. Probably the only thing we've learned from the cameras is some general idea of when deer seem most active on the property year-year.

Where cameras can cost you is when you're holding out for a specific buck that got hit by a car, taken by another hunter, moved on, etc. It's neat, though, when you're lucky enough to get one of the ones you've focused on and have his pic on the hoof.

I don't stress over it, and would be just fine with no cameras allowed. If it's not fun, ditch it.
 
It’s nice to know what’s in the area and to have intel for future seasons, and I have definitely killed deer based on my camera Intel. But I have found myself moving away from using them for boots on the ground hunting unless the photo was literally in the last 24 hours. Cell cams help, but really I have moved to letting them soak for the whole season before a check. I’ll tell you what though, collecting a season long soak card and popping it into the computer is like Christmas morning
 
Man!!! This is what I’m talking about. I’ve been wanting to ditch them too. Even thought about selling the ones I have this year so I’m not tempted. Couple reasons for me

I don’t hunt huge deer, anything pope and young and up is good enough for me!

There is something I can’t explain but it just seems like it’s not hunting. I’m not knocking it at all but just something perosnally I don’t like.

They are a ton of work and I feel like I’d be better off doing that work somewhere else.
 
Plebe said:
I've never personally used one.

But my brother puts a handful up in one spot we hunt and it's fun to see the photos. We use them to set a seasonal standard. There's usually a couple decent bucks in the area, and we might hold out for one of them, or put more time in other spots, depending.

The cameras only get checked a few times a season so it's not like we're making adjustments to our hunting strategies or sneaking out to shoot a buck in a food plot when a cell cam pic comes in, or anything like that, like some do. Probably the only thing we've learned from the cameras is some general idea of when deer seem most active on the property year-year.

Where cameras can cost you is when you're holding out for a specific buck that got hit by a car, taken by another hunter, moved on, etc. It's neat, though, when you're lucky enough to get one of the ones you've focused on and have his pic on the hoof.

I don't stress over it, and would be just fine with no cameras allowed. If it's not fun, ditch it.
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Never used one ever? I think we just became best friends haha I’m really jealous over that haha
 
I’m going opposite this year. Adding more cameras. But I let them soak all year though. Last year was the first time I really clustered a bunch of them. And that really told a story for that property. Planning on doing it again this year but with more cameras and more properties.

Can’t imagine checking them throughout the year though. Seems like that would make it less fun.
 
They will all brick themselves at some point. Over it
I will say the guy here that kills his
Monsters every year, finds them with camera. If they aint on camera, he aint wasting time hunting that area. Keep moving them every 3-4. Most people leave them over a week. WRONG


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Aeds151 said:
They will all brick themselves at some point. Over it
I will say the guy here that kills his
Monsters every year, finds them with camera. If they aint on camera, he aint wasting time hunting that area. Keep moving them every 3-4. Most people leave them over a week. WRONG


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

If you can get to the woods every 3-4, I think you're in position to do well.
 
I run a lot of cameras. Over 40 this year. Typically 1/2 to 2/3 are dedicated as long soak cameras And this really helps to eliminate new ground that my eyes think look great but camera data says otherwise. I don’t get as many days to hunt as I used to so this helps me be as efficient as possible for the next season and not “waste hunts”

I also use them for in season intel and they have for sure helped me kill target bucks but they definitely can be a crutch for people.
The cool thing about hunting is people hunt for different reasons and have different styles. What works for me may not work for you.
 
I really don't run regular trail cams anymore once in season, just cell cameras on known perennial scrapes and focus on scrape week. I hunt the areas I know good bucks exist less (keeps scent and intrusion down) and am considerably more effective.

My regular cameras are for summer scouting.
 
Bowtie747 said:
Man!!! This is what I’m talking about. I’ve been wanting to ditch them too. Even thought about selling the ones I have this year so I’m not tempted. Couple reasons for me

I don’t hunt huge deer, anything pope and young and up is good enough for me!

There is something I can’t explain but it just seems like it’s not hunting. I’m not knocking it at all but just something perosnally I don’t like.

They are a ton of work and I feel like I’d be better off doing that work somewhere else.
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Exactly my thoughts I think about the times when I use to just go in the woods as kid and just hunt those were some of the best times. And than the hunting industry worked its magic and I bought into all the newest gadgets. Ive just been really thinking about it and I think its time to go back to the basics and hunt the way that got be addicted to the outdoors in the first place. Scouting,woodsmanship and getting on the hot sign. I agree with the idea of putting the time and effort trail cameras take up into something else whether that be knocking on doors, shooting my bow, gear maintenance ext.
 
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