Thinking of dumping all cameras.

[NMSbowhunter]

Do you drive a combustion engine vehicle to get to your hunting location? If you do, you’re using an advantage that, if removed, would reduce deer killing success rates by 90% at least. I highly doubt if you remove trail cameras from the equation, we’d suddenly start killing a tenth of the deer we do now.

One could make the argument that the vehicle and your eyes are just a crappy trail camera. You can easily drive to the property and scout and surveil the deer, and make hunting strategies based off of the information gathered. No different than a trail camera in concept. Just more efficient.

I still would like to hear the story of the pure American hunting tradition you speak of.

I honestly think if most of the guys I know would stop using game cameras (non cellular) they would kill more deer. They undoubtedly overpressure their spots by checking cards and pouring out bait. I see so many night pictures of good deer from these guys and hardly ever see a picture of them with the deer. Pressure is pressure and when you physically visit the spot it is equivalent to hunting that spot, in my opinion.

For them the cell camera is a game changer since they don't have to physically go in to check the pictures. It is this little nuance that makes the difference. Now they can sit at home, or at work ready to run out at a moment's notice to kill the deer. They can now put up a 500 pound capacity corn feeder and let the camera do the work for them. This is their strategy. They only run out when the camera tells them in real time that the deer is there.

 

[kyler1945]

 

[NMSbowhunter]

View attachment 79469

I'll have to check that out. I've always been interested in what makes people tick.

 

[2Sloe]

Wait....I knew you were an old fart, but sounds like maybe you were the first fart?!

well I began in 1990. So…nope I don’t think there were even cell phones.

So where do we draw the line? I find it odd that we can surveil, in real, time an acreage, and that’s just considered ok and normal? And now thermal scopes sound amazing honestly…. When is it just too easy and too effective? I think we’re there. Want more info, just place more cameras… just does not set well with me.

Funny thing about cell cams, or really any cams, is I love the pictures when I see em… who wouldn’t admire what people catch on camera? I don’t have a deep hatred, just think we’ve already taken this so far with all the mentioned mechanical advantages that we’ve kind of crossed the line of fairness.

yes, I understand there’s still no guarantees, but it sure gets creepy close

I understand where you are coming from, I won’t say I haven’t had similar thoughts at one time, but you just have to step back from the emotions a little. IMO It’s the job of the Wildlife and Fisheries across the country to draw the lines that you referred to, and it’s job of hunters in each state to follow the lines. That’s why I don’t complain and criticize others who hunt differently than I do, like over corn or with dogs for example. It’s not my place to tell them how they can, or should, hunt. That’s the Wildlife and Fisheries job. The real purpose of hunting is herd management….and let’s, be real here, to produce a revenue stream for the state. All the technological advances get factored into the herd managment plan for every state. We saw Arizona make trail cams illegal not long ago because it was creating stress for the Elk population. Also, as many can attest to, trail cams do not necessarily translate to more deer killed for a particular individual. I would suggest that they do often result in more excitement about going hunting and that’s a good thing IMO. It’s all good. I wish you luck and hope you get a Booner in ’23.

 

[DroptineKrazy]

I understand where you are coming from, I won’t say I haven’t had similar thoughts at one time, but you just have to step back from the emotions a little. IMO It’s the job of the Wildlife and Fisheries across the country to draw the lines that you referred to, and it’s job of hunters in each state to follow the lines. That’s why I don’t complain and criticize others who hunt differently than I do, like over corn or with dogs for example. It’s not my place to tell them how they can, or should, hunt. That’s the Wildlife and Fisheries job. The real purpose of hunting is herd management….and let’s, be real here, to produce a revenue stream for the state. All the technological advances get factored into the herd managment plan for every state. We saw Arizona make trail cams illegal not long ago because it was creating stress for the Elk population. Also, as many can attest to, trail cams do not necessarily translate to more deer killed for a particular individual. I would suggest that they do often result in more excitement about going hunting and that’s a good thing IMO. It’s all good. I wish you luck and hope you get a Booner in ’23.

If only we all could get a Booner in 2023

 

[Gator]

Cams kept me from shooting a buck in one place this year. I knew what was there so I held out. Ate tag soup.

I run a single cell cam at my house for trespassers. Got a pic of three bucks in daylight this year so I walked out there with my slug gun and there they were, walked back to the house. In my head that is cheating and too easy (now if I was hungry it would be a different story). Just my thoughts on cams.

 

[overspined]

I don't know why but I hate the idea of baiting deer and it is strictly illegal here but I don't have a problem at all with baiting bear which is perfectly legal here and I have done it off and on for years. Weird. Maybe cause I've hunted in Northern Maine all my life and the only time I have ever even seen a bear was at my bait.

In MI baiting is illegal but they still sell it at every gas station and I bird hunt too, and find bait all over ugh

Well, bear is a little different. Highly nocturnal, thick cover in Maine and Michigan. You’d never see them while hunting without bait or dogs. Out west I see em while hunting.

 

[overspined]

I understand where you are coming from, I won’t say I haven’t had similar thoughts at one time, but you just have to step back from the emotions a little. IMO It’s the job of the Wildlife and Fisheries across the country to draw the lines that you referred to, and it’s job of hunters in each state to follow the lines. That’s why I don’t complain and criticize others who hunt differently than I do, like over corn or with dogs for example. It’s not my place to tell them how they can, or should, hunt. That’s the Wildlife and Fisheries job. The real purpose of hunting is herd management….and let’s, be real here, to produce a revenue stream for the state. All the technological advances get factored into the herd managment plan for every state. We saw Arizona make trail cams illegal not long ago because it was creating stress for the Elk population. Also, as many can attest to, trail cams do not necessarily translate to more deer killed for a particular individual. I would suggest that they do often result in more excitement about going hunting and that’s a good thing IMO. It’s all good. I wish you luck and hope you get a Booner in ’23.

That’s a pretty well said argument

 

[NATHAN]

I would rather add a couple more. Cell cams for me, my sd cams got very little use this year. They have helped me learn a lot about different areas and dates without going in. Love the info. I won't buy any more sd cams for sure.

 

[PEEJAY]

Lucky for me i bought 3 first gen tactacams as my first cameras and only one works 3 seasons later. I keep that on small piece of private i pretty much never hunt anymore. i had one decent buck all year visit that property and i mainly use the intel to learn when the deer are moving a lot. I have no interest in buying more cams. It was good info to learn but i enjoyed the suspense way more without cams.

 

[BTaylor]

If you really study cam pics, there is a lot to learn about deer movement. That is esp true with cell cams because you dont have the lag time of when the card gets checked and having to go through hundreds and hundreds of pics. Increasing understanding of animal behavior is an enhancement of woodsmanship imo.

 

[overspined]

My hunting partner uses cell cams. We were on Vaca hunting this past season and based on his photos I could tell you exactly when to get after a spot/area because you can totally tell when the time has come to catch specific giant bucks in daylight. I mean the intel is just insane. You could see the patterns develop. He wasn’t aggressive enough and by the time he decided the “wind” was right the big ones had vacated.. lol. You can totally tell both that, and generalized deer movement patterns, when they switch food sources, the intel just can be so limitless and immediate if they’re used correctly/placed in the right spots. That’s why I say they seem like more of a surveillance tool. I was blown away.

 

[PEEJAY]

one thing cams have helped me with that i would have never known about is trespassers and poaching.

 

[Loopwing]

We had a conversation at camp this weekend. It is funny the restraints we put on ourselves. One guy (illegally) I hunt with puts more weight out in corn every year than he puts meat in the freezer. Another guy hunts with a bow almost all season and no corn for 10 miles, but is the first to call dibs on an active oak tree (still bait). People make hunting what they want. Every time I go home without a deer, it is a failed hunt. I might have learned something and had a great time, but it is still a failed hunt. Time spent away from my kids and family I can't get back. We eat deer meat 3-4 times a week. The trade off is one my wife and I ok with, as long as I constantly bring home deer. Other guys climb trees and watch the wildlife and call it hunting. If you are truly trying to kill deer then why would you go to the woods without everything legal in your arsenal???? We put undue restrictions on ourselves. We all run cameras at camp, none of us has ever changed spots because a deer popped up on the cell cameras. We take in the Intel and might be there tomorrow or on the same wind next time. Cameras don't make you kill deer. It just let's you scout that 60ft piece of the millions of acres around you. It takes skill to put out a camera and actually get the Intel you need.

This is almost like the gun control debate, law abiding citizens follow the rules, poachers are going to use every tool (legal or not) in their arsenal to kill deer.

If it is legal, do it and kill deer. If you don't want to do it, don't do it, but don't put anyone down because you want to restrict your ways to be successful.