Trail Cams Are Addicting

FishSticks

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My dad and I are starting to put cameras out around his lake place on state and county land. I think we are running around 16 now and it is stupidly fun. Need the trails to dry off and firm up before putting out the rest.

When do you guys typically put out cams and how many are you running?
 


jpv

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I normally don’t put mine out until late July-early August and move some around there after. I run around 10 cams give or take.
 

PrairieGhost

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I have six. I have only ever used them to check on deer for my grandson. Otherwise I run them around my yard. Twice they have been used for evidence in court. They have saved me about $10K. This week-end I took one along to watch the campsite while hunting turkeys in the Badlands. We run into this one guy that came into camp and asked if we wanted to share a campsite. He was about 60 with hair down to near his belt and I think already high. I said we were turkey hunting and he left. I didn't know if he was looking for friends to toke up with or a boyfriend. Weird guy.
 

KDM

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I don't put out cams until a week or so before bow season (3 cameras). I don't want the deer to adjust their daily patterns due to my intrusions into the area. Once I put the cameras up, I don't check them but once every 7 days or so. The idea is to keep the noise, scent, and general disturbance to a minimum. I've noticed that once I start sitting, no matter how hard I try, the deer figure out I've been there and start adjusting their movements. For example, if I sit in the same stand every 3 days on the same good wind, it takes the old does about 5 sits before they start coming out downwind and scent checking my stand. That's why I use two stand sites per hunting spot. It takes a few more sits before the Bucks start coming out later and later. I don't know if that is due to the does being skittish or because the bucks just figure it out. Either way I have about 10 sits total, 5 before the rut, the rut where all bets are off, and then 5 after the rut before the stand becomes "known" to the deer. The rut seems to "reset" their memory and movement patterns. I just hope I have one down before my 5 sits are over. Hope you keep your cams WELL hidden and don't get them stolen. 16 is a bunch on public land. Good Luck!!
 


ShootnBlanks

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We only run 6 cameras but move them around throughout the season. Like KDM, we check as little as possible and try stay out of areas.it doesn't take long to see whats around a certain area. I kept just 1 up till a couple weeks ago. Surprisingly batteries did well. Kinda fun to see deer come in with antlers, then 1, then none..lots of other critters show up too like coyote, turkey, various birds and what the kids call "tree rats" - squirrels.
 

Shockwave

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I run 4 cameras. I started with two Hunten Outdoor cameras that I bought 7 years ago and bought all new ones last year. I thought I would test a couple different ones so I bought two different Moultrie's and two different Wildgame Innovations. I'm looking at buying a Browning camera soon to add to the collection. I usually put them out End of July/early August.
 

Josh Havelka

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Usually have around 12. Most years we have them out all year. This past year put them out in May.
 

Yoby

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I have 4 bushnells and 1 spartan. Had 2 or 3 wild game inovations, and 4 huntens. I started with the later and after 2 or 3 yrs the huntens pretty much stopped taking pictures of anything but me or took pictures every 2 seconds until batteries were dead. gave the WGI cameras to my cousin so he could track deer in MN for shotgun/bow. Gave them to him due to the comparison to the bushnells.

The Spartan I used during the rut to determine when it finally hit. and after that, it was my home monitoring unit as it would send me texts with the pictures of who ever pulled into the yard (around Christmas time I could make sure things didn't grow legs or when we had the house for sale). I don't usually put them out on where I bow hunt until July, but getting up to the inlaws is a feat so those go up when I get a chance. The only problem I have with putting them up too early is battery life. If you can't check on these cameras for a while 1) you don't know if a weed is triggering it (happened last year, 10k pics of a fricken weed) 2) when the batteries go dead (2 yrs ago they went dead 3 weeks before rifle season).

I think they are a great tool to figure out travel on a piece of land (if you have enough) and if you track long enough trends from batchellor groups/does to general populations of the herd.

Every year I wish I had more pictures or more information so I knew what and where to plan for the next year.

Have fun
 


KDM

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I usually wave to make it known to the owner their camera was found. It just shows the owner, their camera is vulnerable to theft and might need more camo or a new location. If I see guys on my camera that are just walking by, I know they are trespassing and the camera is fairly well hidden.
 

FishSticks

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I had a few people on camera last year close to hunting season but no issues, a few coworkers with land talk about cams only getting stolen while on posted land because the thieves were actively trespassing. I do have a bunch of cable locks and will probably put those out the first time I check.

With having 16 I will check a handful every few weeks so I do not disturb the deer too much, I am guessing they will soak about 5 weeks between checks.

Had a lot of turkeys, bears, deer and coyotes last year. I had more fun checking those things last year than deer hunting.
 

bigbrad123

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I have my 3 cameras and 2 protein licks ready for deployment, but probably won't get around to it until the 2nd weekend in May. After I put them up, I try to only check them maybe once a month throughout the summer. I hunt a pretty small farmstead so I have 5 or 6 different spots I usually rotate them around based on the crops, trails, and travel corridors that develop throughout the summer.
 

Yoby

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I have my 3 cameras and 2 protein licks ready for deployment, but probably won't get around to it until the 2nd weekend in May. After I put them up, I try to only check them maybe once a month throughout the summer. I hunt a pretty small farmstead so I have 5 or 6 different spots I usually rotate them around based on the crops, trails, and travel corridors that develop throughout the summer.

Well, without some deer plots located next to you this year, you may have better luck. :;:cheers Keep me informed on what you see.
 

ShootnBlanks

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Always have avoided any cameras I came across that I caught in time. If I think It got a pic of me I pull the card, smash the screen, and steal the nearest deer stand.:;:
 


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