phade

Running cams can do a lot of damage if not done right. That said - not every deer, mature bucks included, are the same. Some deer tolerate very very little intrusion, while others tolerate it more. Nobody knows their disposition. One intrusion at this time of year isn't going to make the buck run for the hills and never come back - especially if that locale worked for safe exit for the buck - that's why they chose that spot. Most all of my cams are set now to soak - I have one cell cam I want to move because it's not getting any action for some reason (I think the low rains since it is on the marsh edge), but otherwise, they're set to sit until a walk through is done to ensure stands and lanes are in huntable shape, probably some time in August. The August pull will tell us what is around. Some will stay and some will leave for fall ranges, etc. but inventory will be half done. Once the velvet comes off, if something needs done, I'll pull cards on cams on the way in or out. One thing is for certain, I know some very serious trail cam guys around the country, from Kentucky/Ohio, to Iowa, and Idaho. The % of deer on cam vs. not, that end up being ground checked, is 80%-20%, easy. I can't recall the last time one of them sent me hero pics of a newcomer they didn't know about. There's plenty of guys who do it without cams, but like everything else, it is just one tool in the bag of tricks to use. At the moment, there's really only one buck that I know of, that I can't seem to get pictures of, despite being seen three times in person (one each by each hunter in my group) over the course of the last year. He seems to stick to a property border and doesn't go into our core. I have a cell cam there now and he'll show up in August most likely, like he did last year.

Here are some Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Pics...

They shoot the deer because the camera is sending pics from 650 miles away....

I set cams where I believe the sign suggests I set them. I rarely if ever set a cam where the sign suggests I don't - and when I do, it's because I want to rule out that I believe it is not where I need to be. That statement just doesn't ring true to me. People who set cams willy nilly generally get willy nilly on camera. People who set cams in the right spot because they can read the signs/scouting info, do get the bucks they're after on cam and sometimes, on the wall. Drury brother want people to think their experts because that impacts what they do for a living.

I don't think there is a clear cut answer to that. Every cam, including Reconyx has its issues of some sort. Moultrie (while I am not a huge fan of) is no worse or better than the others in the same price point. Rule of thumb for non cell/data cams should be for every $50 spent, you should get one year of service. For a $100 cam, if you are on year three, you are "money in the bank." People's expectations of cameras are simply too high I find. These cams sit in harsh conditions and we expect them to stay outside 365 or go in and out of homes which potentially has worse effects.

Every buck I've killed in the past 5-6 seasons I have on camera - including a 6.5 year old according to deerage's tooth results. Just because I use cameras doesn't mean I don't scout. Many of the places cams are run are places where glassing isn't possible. I average between one and two days of scouting for every one day of hunting in a given year. This year has been the lowest for me by far.

Wow those are awesome!

Nice - did you take the ferry over to Caladesi or private boat? We were trying to get out there last month but the schedule didn't work out when we were down there. I did get out an catch a few fish out of Clearwater Beach.

Good tips - chopped fields suck. Talk about a vaccum cleaner moving through...deer about face their patterns or uses a lot when this happens.

Big corn fields like that are a curse and a blessing. If you don't have any corners, then it can be tough. I would look for corners, funnel locations, and low spots. If you have woods lower than the field (it looks flat, but pics can be deceiving), I would most certainly look into that area - even more if it happens to be a corner portion of the field. Bucks will hit the field from those spots to suck in thermals in the evenings. The thermals will be pulled down (even if only a foot or two of elevation change!) and mature bucks will use that to scent check the field for danger or receptive does before exposing themselves to danger - even more important after the corn is harvested, but still it'll be a natural travel corridor. If you have any portion of woods jutting out into the cornfield, this is often a very good scenario to scout out. You can find buck beds along the point edges (not right at the point, but often set back to be able to pick up scent or sight of that point). You'll see that overall point is a peak of activity when the corn is up and sometimes they'll use it after harvest before entering and crossing the empty field because it affords more protection. If you find a spot along the field edge that you like - it'd be worthwhile to talk to the owner to buy back a few rows in those stand areas and cut down one or two lanes into the corn to shoot into (with permission). This can be a differencemaker because there is little more frustrating than a buck you can see, but cannot shoot, either due to permission or because the corn is up (you will see and hear him, but you won't be able to pick a spot). There should be staging areas somewhere along the field but far enough into cover. It can be tough if you only have a portion of the field edge to work with. Consider looking at that staging trail and finding smaller trails leading to it (either angling or parallel). Those areas are where the bucks will sit back feeding, waiting, scent checking, etc. until it is ready to proceed. Even better if you find some oaks dropping in that staging area. Look for irrigation or drainage ditches coming and going into the field. Check those areas out. You may find bucks using the grassy swales and low spots alongside them for bedding amongst the corn, and traversing to and from the woods along them. The tough part is you'll probably find two or three trails that the bucks are taking into and out of the woods, and at that point, it can be a bit of a guessing game. The corn provides cover, and it's a spin of the roulette wheel. Low spots, points, ditches, etc. would be places I would try first once I feel confident a buck I want to shoot is using that area.

That's what she said. On a roll....

It's a joke. I've was largely a Hoyt guy before moving to Elite (I don't tell anyone about that one year with PSE).

Use the Hoyt box above, that way nobody will want to steal it.

Intro for the site, for now. https://youtu.be/TP44y8NFzfs

hamburg is their biggest.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The Buffalo store ranks among the least impressive Cabela's I've been too. I've been to 6 or 7 of them. Unfortunately, all of the new stores are going to be this model going forward. The days of the mega superstore are gone. We still go 1-2x a year because I'll make a day of it with the wife to go to the mall and eat at Smokey Bones - the best national chain of BBQ I've been to. Their in-house amber ale is good. It's in the same parking lot as Cabelas.

Looks like she's already surpassed you from a fishing standpoint! Nice job.

My garden is alongside my house so I have no ability to walk it. It's maybe 3.5 feet wide by 30 feet long. I use landscape fabric but I also mulch over that entirely to help retain moisture since the soil dries out a bit being against the house and not getting 100% of the rain sometimes. A very cheap alternative is to use a couple layers of newspaper instead of the fabric or plastic, and then mulch over it. I'm going to go back to this as I pull the mulch each year and mix in some mushroom compost each spring by hand. No need to spend the cash on the fabric if I need to pull it each spring anyway. The lettuce may have a hard time at this time of year here. Lettuce for me has only worked out well when I am planting early with the peas carrots and beets, etc. This late in the year, the heat is going to be killer. If it even grows, the taste probably will be off. I am quite sad because I planted a couple square feet of peas and I lost most of them to a darn chipmunk problem. Got two pea plants making it, but that is it. Nothing beats fresh peas in the garden. I may just plant more and see what happens.

My old man is moving to Stuart, FL in the next 60-90 days as soon as he finds a house to his liking. Supposedly that is a nice little stretch between Palm Beach and Stuart. Don't know much about the deer there, but lots of good turkey and gator to be shot. I have a standing job offer in Tampa/St. Pete but the wife will never move. 90% of my family is in FL now. Good luck - I am sure people would be willing to trade a gator/Osceola hunt for a swap hunt back up here.

The most impressive bang flop I've ever seen in person was from a 25.06....big gnarly buck too. Darn thing didn't even flinch. One of those times where you watch the shot and all you can do is say dammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmn!

Moog had a nice cover made for his boat. Pretty sure it was local to Rochester. Snaps and seams are perfect fit. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Haha, indeed! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

TC and several others are posting their nice mounts from the 2015 season. If you can't beat 'em...

Video quality and sound is pretty good on today's cams. Just saying.