Trail cameras or nah?

[Bowtie747]

Hey guys, been thinking about trail cameras a lot this year. Really starting to not like the idea of them, or see the point for my hunting style I guess. I’m not bashing them, or anyone who uses them. I personally just like pictures of deer. I don’t use them for dialing in on a deer or anything.

Anyone else considered dropping them from your setups?

My main reason is I hunt mostly public and it seems several times they either arnt there when I check them or like this year someone took my sd card, left my camera open and fried my camera. Also I think if I put in the time scouting and exchange it for the time I put in checking cameras I’d be better off anyways. Also I know the type of bucks I wanna shoot are there because I see them with my eyes not just a camera. So what are they really doing for me?

Again I’m not trying to stir up anything against them. I guess I’m just interested in seeing if anyone else shares my thoughts on them? Any opinion either way would be welcome, thanks!

 

[Mschmeiske]

If you’re doing observation sits maybe you don’t need them. I prefer to use them because I’m hunting a half dozen pieces of public or more and want to know which are holding deer I want to chase. I will admit, I’m almost becoming against cell cams though… maybe it makes me a hypocrite, but atleast I have to check my cameras, which still allows deer to know a thing or two about me as well.

 

[Bowtie747]

What kind of deer are you after? Like do you set a standard of score? Maybe my bar is low enough and it seems the pieces of public I hunt have the type of deer I’m after. I too hunt a ton of different pieces of public and i find 130” deer pretty typically.

 

[Connor J]

I got out of them for awhile but decided to run a bunch this year. I actually learned a surprising amount about several spots and will know what to expect next year. For example I had a camera inside a real thick bedding area from late July to late November. I now know when the bucks become active in the bedding area and can strategically hunt those dates and wind directions next year.

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[Bowtie747]

I got out of them for awhile but decided to run a bunch this year. I actually learned a surprising amount about several spots and will know what to expect next year. For example I had a camera inside a real thick bedding area from late July to late November. I now know when the bucks become active in the bedding area and can strategically hunt those dates and wind directions next year.

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See I think I’m secretly afraid that if I don’t stop using them next year I’ll have go crazy and buy a ton of them.

 

[Exhumis]

I only run them on a new property or if something has effected the movement of the deer- example, a property if hunted for years the neighbor decided to park a stand right on the property line right in the travel corridor. I hadn’t hunted for awhile and didn’t see any deer for three sits. Once I saw the stand then I understood. So I’ll hang a cam or two to help me figure it out(this property has vortex’s and weird wind pattens everywhere). Won’t prevent it but entirely but on parcels what are remote i hang my cams at least 10 feet off the ground. That’s helped me hold on to a few a bit longer.

 

[Bowtie747]

I only run them on a new property or if something has effected the movement of the deer- example, a property if hunted for years the neighbor decided to park a stand right on the property line right in the travel corridor. I hadn’t hunted for awhile and didn’t see any deer for three sits. Once I saw the stand then I understood. So I’ll hang a cam or two to help me figure it out(this property has vortex’s and weird wind pattens everywhere). Won’t prevent it but entirely but on parcels what are remote i hang my cams at least 10 feet off the ground. That’s helped me hold on to a few a bit longer.

Yea good point, so maybe I won’t run them on the properties ive already hunted and just scout on the ground more. Yea I hang mine with a stick with a cable aider and still had a problem this year but you’re right. It does help.

 

[Shed84]

I play around with trail cams from time to time but the older I get I like the excitement of finding hot sign and hunting it. If I see a deer that gets the blood pumping that's all I need. #canteatthehorns lol. Famous guys on TV that have private land have perfected the formula to grow a 200" deer every year. That's awesome and good on them but something about the unknown and a natural hunt that works for me.

 

[Bowtie747]

I play around with trail cams from time to time but the older I get I like the excitement of finding hot sign and hunting it. If I see a deer that gets the blood pumping that's all I need. #canteatthehorns lol. Famous guys on TV that have private land have perfected the formula to grow a 200" deer every year. That's awesome and good on them but something about the unknown and a natural hunt that works for me.

That last sentence really says what I’ve been thinking! There’s something to that unknown that I love. That’s to me is what hunting really is!

 

[sweats]

I run trail cams just for fun. I don't think it's ever helped me actually close the deal.

I do enjoy just watching the videos and seeing various wildlife.

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[Shed84]

I run trail cams just for fun. I don't think it's ever helped me actually close the deal.

I do enjoy just watching the videos and seeing various wildlife.

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That's a great point! I've seen some cool wildlife on the little I've actually ran cameras. I do enjoy that as well.

 

[Shed84]

Next weekend I plan to go to a favorite mountain spot. Snow should be on the ground so I plan to walk all day and set up on the biggest track I find the last few hours before dark. Without knowing his exact bed it will be hit or miss if I'm close enough to see movement in daylight. ill have a general idea from knowing the area but just that excitement of not knowing where I'm going or where I'll end up and what I may see keeps my mind occupied all week while I'm at work

 

[Hunter260]

I’ve went back and forth, but I don’t think they’re really worth running on public unless you have dozens and dozens of cell cams. On private I think they can be a super good thing if you are smart about checking them

 

[BenG]

I get a ton of excitement and enjoyment out of trail cameras but they also help me locate deer of the caliber that I’d like to hunt. You can’t kill what isn’t there.

 

[Samcirrus]

Funny thing...Utah just banned cell cameras and all cameras for a big part of the year.....with some caveats....I just read it in the news but dont remember all the details....

 

[Samcirrus]

I just got some cell cameras and they are so perfect for my mini trap line as it shows me when something is in my trap.... haven't used them for hunting yet as I just got them for cmas.... we'll see I guess.

 

[woodsdog2]

This is a great thread. I've never run cell cams but seriously thinking about it this year to better maximize the times to hunt. Ethically however, I'm not sure this is a fair deal for the buck. Or is it? I know guys that get cell cam pics and go in and shoot their target buck. Others never have luck. What are all your thoughts on this? For those that are running cell cams... have they improved your mature buck take markedly from say before without them? How much more compared to just regular trail cams and having to check them manually?

 

[philsanchez76]

My style of hunting public is just collecting as many spots as I can. These spots just have to be regularly used by deer. Early and late season they are doe killing spots and last week of October through month of November they turn into buck killing spots. The more spots the better cuz every year some get ruined by another enterprising hunter or a landowner that plants 10 food plots etc. The cameras help me either validate a spot is having consistent action and worth hunting or not very consistent and thus not worth a hunt. The cameras don't take the place of scouting, because I still have to do all the scouting to find the camera locations. Then the camera either proves my scouting correct or they prove my scouting to be too late in that the deer are already some place else even though there was a lot of sign there.

 

[Redhorse3e351]

I love cameras, not that I can say that my hunting has ever improved due to their use. I just love them because I can see better what is possibly even passing through a place I hunt. Knowing that there is at least 1 potential shooter buck on a property is great even if I never see him other than on camera I know that the possibility is there. That coupled with all the other interesting things that you capture on them is amazing. I have thought about cell cams and really am not for or against I'm just to cheap to pay for another monthly bill. Not to mention saddle gear has already taken me on a ride financially! I do think that cell cams take away from the fair chase aspect, but I also realize that mature bucks are not to friendly when it comes to constantly checking cameras. The same thoughts apply toward hunting bait piles. Not for or against. I have used them but I cant say they have been any game changer. I prefer using cams to tell me I am not wasting all season in an area that doesn't have but the same 3 deer passing through and bait piles come out late season when meat in the freezer is the goal.

 

[Bowtie747]

This is a great thread. I've never run cell cams but seriously thinking about it this year to better maximize the times to hunt. Ethically however, I'm not sure this is a fair deal for the buck. Or is it? I know guys that get cell cam pics and go in and shoot their target buck. Others never have luck. What are all your thoughts on this? For those that are running cell cams... have they improved your mature buck take markedly from say before without them? How much more compared to just regular trail cams and having to check them manually?

I can’t answer the last question but I can say one of the more successful hunters I know runs a ton of cameras. When I mean a ton, I’m talking pushing 50 to 100 covering thousands of acres. Then once they find a shooter, they put up a cell cam. Once the deer shows up in daylight once they hunt it. Usually over bait. They sit maybe 2-5 times a year and kill Boone and Crockett deer every year. If that suits them that’s totally awesome. Me personally? Not so much. Just a different style and that style doesn’t suit me. It doesn’t fill the “hunting” in me.

If you don’t have the time to hunt like some do and it fulfills you I’d say buy the cell cams. Your hunter doesn’t need to suit anyone else but yourself.