Trail Cam Tactics

[Richwon4]

I'm old school but finally broke down and got a trail cam. Having trouble getting anything except for coons. Now I am on a new property, maybe I just don't have them figured out yet.

 

[trailrider]

Best advice. don't check them too often. How long are you waiting?

 

[Lammchop93]

Go by some mineral lick or a salt block and place it in front of your camera. I did that and all the deer started showing up on camera!

 

[mtb1981]

Play with the height. Too low and you get small animals, too high and you get nothing. I use around the 5-6' mark and a flat angle, not pointing down.

 

[originalhonkey]

salt block off the trail. camera at 4'to5' high tops. dont face the cam 90 deg to the trail.
set the cam with a 45 deg angle to the trail this give the deer more time to be in view and trip the cam.

 

[M4Madness]

Pour corn out in front of the camera, and you'll get tons of pics if the deer are there. I average close to 500 videos a week on a single camera. I do get the occasional raccoon family, so you may literally be swamped with them if you use corn. LOL! Just be sure to have no corn in the area starting 10 days prior to hunting.

 

[IndianaSlim]

This Question can be answered 2 different ways in my opinion. If all you're looking for is to take inventory and see what deer are around by all means pour out a bag of acorn rage/corn/salt or your bait of choice. You will get pictures. Lots and lots of pictures.

That said, however, this time of year we run cameras trying to get deer in a late summer feeding pattern. Especially this year when our season opens sep 15. We set ours 6-8 ft high on an angle to an intersection if possible. Angle them down towards the intersection. Take your time when setting as it really sucks switching cards getting home and realizing you need to move that camera.


Here's the toughest part of it all. Stay out of the woods!! If you check them once a week the deer will catch on pretty quickly We check ours at most every 2-4 weeks. Be aware when you check your cameras. Check them in the middle of the day if possible. Even better is check them during a rain storm! It will get rid of your scent pretty quickly.

 

[trophy hunter]

i use mineral in front of my camera, right now deer all the help they can get. once they find it they will hit it like clockwork. watch your scent,get in and get out,i have got as far as spry down my cameras with scent killer. as for how long i usally check mine about once every 2 weeks, been a few time i have had over 5-600 pics easy..good luck.

 

[Aggar]

Use some lucky buck. You'll get pictures.

 

[Aggar]

1383 pics in 17 days.

 

[TheBigTim]

If you have a salt lick out and you still aren’t seeing many deer do you have any thoughts?

I have had 3 cameras out in the Morgan Monroe state forest for a few months now. I have been checking them every week to every other week. At best I have seen a hand full of doe and spotted yearlings. No bucks. This will be my first year hunting the Morgan Monroe state forest and would like to know that I am in at least the right ball park. There is a ton of sign where I am set up. But I just can’t seem to get any buck pictures. I might try a bag of corn.

 

[HICKMAN]

I'm actually wanting to get one of the trail cams that does time lapse, that way I can watch a whole area instead of just a single trail.

 

[TheBigTim]

I just picked up a cuddy back attack IR. It has a guard duty feature that takes a picture every 12 seconds during daylight. I haven't had a chance to try it in the field yet but at home it worked great. Cuddy. Back even has free software to view all 1000+ pics in about 10 minuets.

 

[uberpeck]

Make sure to have the bait at least 100 yards from you stand though- don't want to get busted for baiting.

 

[HICKMAN]

Picked up a Wildgame Innovations Red 2 for $70.

I love the fact they have 7 trail cams under $100. I don't need 10 megapixel images, just need to see what's there.

Now that they've added Flextime to their cams, I can get time lapse video.

 

[IndianaSlim]

Wildgame makes decent cameras. We started with 4 of them a few years ago. For various reasons we now run mostly reconyx, but we got some pretty good pictures with the wildgame cameras. Be careful though Hickman....this "sub" sport is addictive!

 

[RGriff69]

I just ordered a Wildgame Red 6 Enhanced. Stoked to get it out!

 

[Aggar]

I had a wild game 6 just die on me so I guess I'll go get another one.

 

[trophy hunter]

i have had no luck with wildgame cameras, going to sell my last one before it breaks..

 

[jett86]

I put up a camera on tree where a trail forks so the deer generally walk straight towards it. 5 feet or sohigh. I have seenn a lot of doe and raccoon but no bucks this year so far. I figure if the doe stay in the area the bucks will come but as of right now ive seen no antlers