Why Trail Cam Placement is Essential for Deer

[NFA-ADK]

This video is pretty good at explaining why having you trail cams placed above 6ft will help with preventing negative reactions to your presence...  This is in reference to deer cams specifically.  This negative reaction is one of the main reasons I am hesitant to use them in deep woods, to scare just one deer could be the only one I might have seen for the week...  Love all the pics and video's keep them coming!!! 

 

[jesse.james]

Yup

http://huntingny.com/forums/topic/17156-if-you-use-trail-cameras/

[defrazzle]

I also agree that whitetail deer will observe any change in their environment, which includes the positioning of trail cameras.  Initially they may be hesitant and somewhat wary of traveling in the direction of the "new" environment.  However, those same deer will become accustomed to the change and then will accept the new addition to their "area".

 

I have had my cameras at a height of 3-3.5 feet and have not had any issues with whitetail deer avoiding the area.  In fact, I have pictures where the deer look right into the camera and all I have on the picture is their head!  Now whether that is because I live in a truly remote area and the deer are really inquisitive.

[defrazzle]

I have seen more deer behind my camp this year than in the past - Bloomingdale,NY.....attached is a short clip of a young 4 point and  a young spike.  Last years 10 has not been seen yet!

MDGC0021.AVI

MDGC0031.AVI

[gjs4]

Fact- Ever deer is different.

 

Fact- Every intrusion has a deer reaction of some sort.

 

Fact- Silently glassing from afar has less of an impact than cams.

[defrazzle]

Fact- Ever deer is different.

 

Fact- Every intrusion has a deer reaction of some sort.

 

Fact- Silently glassing from afar has less of an impact than cams.

 

I have my cams at "deer height" which gives me a larger field of view and catches more deer when they are 50+ feet away.  So far the deer have not shied away from the cameras, in fact they come back for more portraits.  Yes, they look into the lens once in a while, even get as close as all I see in the picture is their ears or back.  So, this tells me that they are not afraid of the little box on the tree......

 

I agree with the glassing fact, - - - - - where you can do it.  Where I live and hunt the farthest you can see in most places is 75 feet.  Also due the remoteness, the deer, when startled or surprised during a stalk jump about 25-75 feet, stop and look back to see what made them jump. LOL

[phade]

Have you ever used video? Reveals a different perspective.

[defrazzle]

Have you ever used video? Reveals a different perspective.

 

All my three Moultrie cams are on video and I agree that it reveals a different perspective.  On mine, the cam takes a still photo first which then contains all the other data like moon phase, time and temperature.  The in goes into a 30 second clip  (daytime & Color) and a 15 second clip (nighttime & B&W). 

 

What I like about the video is that you can gauge the demeanor of the deer.  Whether nervous, relaxed and direction of travel.

[defrazzle]

This video is pretty good at explaining why having you trail cams placed above 6ft will help with preventing negative reactions to your presence...  This is in reference to deer cams specifically.  This negative reaction is one of the main reasons I am hesitant to use them in deep woods, to scare just one deer could be the only one I might have seen for the week...  Love all the pics and video's keep them coming!!! 

 

 

Just got back from checking all my three cams.  After watching the YouTube clip above AND my own videos......I moved and RAISED all my cams to a height of 8-9 feet.  It will be interesting to compare the new video's to what I saw today.  See the clips I loaded on YouTube......

 

http://youtu.be/fdcT--B0HYw

 

and two attached here......MDGC0003.AVI

[defrazzle]

You can see that the doe is a little wary as she is looking right into the camera.  If you look closely, it seems that she was heading to shield her fawn from the "camera" toward the end of the clip.  On the other video, don't know whether it is the same doe or not, but this time there seems to be no interest from her as she passes the camera.

 

Anyway,I will post some videos from the new camera's position.....by the way, all three cameras are in the deep woods, right behind my camp.  I still call it "camp", even though we sold our house in Plattsburgh last month and moved into it on a permanent basis.

[Bambam]

This video is pretty good at explaining why having you trail cams placed above 6ft will help with preventing negative reactions to your presence...  This is in reference to deer cams specifically.  This negative reaction is one of the main reasons I am hesitant to use them in deep woods, to scare just one deer could be the only one I might have seen for the week...  Love all the pics and video's keep them coming!!! 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVQUSR5BdIk

 

That's the exact video I was going to post when I saw the thread title.  Awesome.

 

[G-Man]

I have gotten a big buck on can single pic, nothing of him for weeks then turned the camera 90 degrees and pic of him again. Deer learn to avoid cameras, same a tree stands. Had a permanent stand, deer head comes over the ridge looas at stand to see if it is occupied. Put a portable up 30 yards from it and watched it happen over and over. Deer would check permant stand before they would show themselves under portable That's why you should move your cams around. They learn where they are and advoid them. No matter the hight.