phade

Bucks don't always walk into the wind or have the wind in their favor. It's a bit of a stretched truth because it is exaggerated. Sure, they will use the wind and vision and hearing to their advantange the majority of times, especially in bedding. But, there are times when a buck is vulnerable. Those are the times to strike. Not every buck has wind-specific bedding or wind-specific travel routes all the time. Nothing is going to "overcome" that difference in strategy.

WGI cams are more of a gamble than I'd like for my money. Sometimes you get a good one. All cams can certainly go bad. The problem is, I've owned more than 10 WGIs. Guess how many had to be warrantied? Darn near every single one of them.

It's a '13 Black 60. I usually use a screw in mount or a pic n stic type set up. Rarely use straps unless it's the easiest fix for the tree, which isn't often.

Mike Tyson had the best quote ever about this sort of thing... "Everyone has a game plan for me, until they get punched in the face."

Those two bucks are solid. Hopefully they stick around and don't bail before the season starts.

I don't think I'll ever buy a sub-$100 cam again. Even in areas of high theft. Mediocre performance doesn't get what you need reliably. My best suggestion is the Covert MPE5 or MP6, or the Spypoint G4. These would be the "lowest" level cams I would ever consider buying/using. All basic consumer level game cams will have a high return rate. Nobody makes a cheap camera well. Why? Because it's cheap.

Could be it. I knew a guy who pretty much had a full on painter's suit with face mask just to gut a deer. If he didn't, he had some serious issues. Nobody made fun of him either in the hunt club...not really something to joke about.

People are also allergic to deer dander sometimes. Stinks because they can barely gut a deer sometimes.

There's a trail immediately next to the camera. Deer walk by it all the time. About 5-6 months in its current spot. No way to hang it high in that spot. Tree is spindly at best.

ADT would be nice, but sounds like the cabin is remote? If so, you may not have sufficient cell tower coverage for an MMS cam either. If you do, I'd look into that. I get pics within a minute of it being taken. Reconyx makes or used to make a cam specifically capable of catching a license plate - very high speed. It's expensive and doesn't send pics, but catching the plate number can sometimes be better than getting a pic of the actual person because you can then track it much more easily in most cases. If you can't afford that, then look into a camera with a remote box, such as a Spypoint. It's nowhere near as efficient, but by sending the pics to a remote can that you can very easily hide, even if they steal the cam, you have pics. It'd be a good one to put up close to the house since they'll be spending some time going in and out. A Covert Black 60 set out there on HD video and sound is also an option. It records superb video clarity and the sound is nothing short of impressive. You make get info off of the conversations (such as where they're going to recycle the piping, or a name when one calls to the other). Since you won't get many hits, you can record for a while per hit. The other thing, is make people think you are crazy. Nothing deters trepassers more than a crazy person. Seriously. Buy posted signs and place them on every single tree along road frontage. Place them two-three deep even. It's an eyesore, but the people who did this are more likely to rob you again rather than another party robbing you for the first time. If they see you took the effort to bulk up security, they may "leave you alone" going forward since it's not worth the effort. Placing a note like "remote security in progress" on the post sign may also help. Stealing copper piping just wreaks of drug-related crime. People who do that are more often than not tied into a drub problem like meth or heroin, or at the very least in the lower socio-economic class familiar with the re-selling/recycling of copper.

I think it is worth some research, but I'm just not going to knowingly stick myself aound something that can be harmful to my health regardless of allowable limits.

Have four cam encounters with these two thus far this summer. July 14, July 27, and two cams this morning. Every time these two are together.

If you know what you are getting into with double ladders...then they are fine. Bring a roll of electrical tape and wrap the inner joining ends. It will be a tight fit but kills a lot of squeeks.

Put on on the pond pav. This is the time of year for it. Find there tracks along the mud and set it there. Its acts like a lick...deer will hit it if its the only or major water source in this heat. You also will get daytime pics if it is protected.

General cam census practice is one cam for every 40 acres or so. I hunt small parcels and use 2-3 cams for every 20-25 acres. of huntable ground (ie not ag fields).

I know where every cam is. Lets say there are more than 10 and less than 30. Old noggin knows.

These are definitely wild...I'm sure they draw their heritage from the preserve way back when, but wild nonetheless. On the backside of the property one old posted sign is hidden and I may grab it for my hunting room, cool novelty.

I'm not sure what is considered wild but I have what I consider wild ones around in low numbers my house sit on a old preserve in the 50s dedicated to the bird. No stocking now. Amazing bird to see. Had a cam pic of one behind my house but it was in transition and not color.

Surefire is indeed awesome... I once lost my brand new Surefire on opening day of bow season. Dropped it at the base of my stand, but searched and searched and never found it. Wrote it off the books. Last day of muzzleloading season...friend hunts that stand and somehow pulls it out of the snow. I think he stepped on it and felt is roll or something. Handed it to me at the base of the stand, and that sucker turned right on and has been ticking ever since.

This is like a year old people...

I really don't like hunting a food plot edge for a mature buck. My advice is to look at how one would approach, why, and where his bed is likely located. Back off the plot edge to where his safe zone allows him to be on his feet before shooting light ends or catching him coming back to bed. For younger bucks and does and general activity, hunting on a small kill plot is fantastic. Plenty of solid advice thus far. My question is, are there tons of small food plots on this parcel? Sure sounds like it from your description. That's kind of a monkey wrench in trying to figure out what deer are where and what they prefer to eat and also what plot do they tend to go to. Maybe they mosey from kill plot to kill plot to a destination source. Don't know. Having too many small food plots can make hunting harder in my opinion. Sort of like this bumper crop we have of hard and soft mast coming up. Better off in lean years or a few kill plots and a destination source.

Nah, didn't renew one lease. Family property sale finally closed - still welcome there but not with the yahoos from the farm that'll be running through it. Ownership is underrated, lol.

Woody has a good rep...have chatted with him at a few shows over the years while working them.

Creepin'

This year is going to be another feast or famine year for me. Almost all of my hunting properties have turned over except my lease, and my lease isn't holding the bucks like it was last season because of a crop rotation that is in play. Really testing my skill sets to find a handful of good NY bucks to knock down this fall. Actually gotta find 2x the amount since I have a new solid hunting partner this year. I think we'll do OK, just nervous at the moment. I need to lay some eyeballs on deer that I know should be around but haven't shown up yet on multiple parcels. Enjoy the bow and get real close to it. I waded through 4-5 ft of water and searched on my hands and knees to find that bow before I left for the night. Like the marines, my bows never get left behind.