when do you start getting serious with trailcams?

[Steve D]

For me it isn't the end of the world if I don't have any out but I like seeing what I missed and when I missed it. Nothing like sitting in a tree for three or four hours freezing only to find out later one walked by fifteen minutes after I left or fifteen minutes before I got there .

[nyslowhand]

The OP's original question was about when do you put out cams ("get serious") to see what's around your area. Implied is will these summertime photos show what'll be around during hunting season. Simple answer is - bucks maybe/does probably!

Sure, cam photos/vids taken during bow season can help pattern a buck, sometimes. Things get pretty hectic during the rut, so what you see on your cam one day may become a futile hunt the following day. Agree with member that said hunting a BB you'd gotten tons of summertime photos of can often ruin your fall season. Did this once!

Oh yeah, MOOG. Lot to be said about the "good ole days" before trail cams. You hunted an area because it had been productive in the past. Feet on the ground scouting was the MO of the day. Long before the naming of BBs or having a hit-list. You started your hunt with not a lot of expectations and often were pleasantly surprised when a big boy strolls by. Anyone scouting with cam Intel on recent activity, while ignoring any historical harvests or patterns is missing a key factor of success.

Love seeing those bucks grow their late spring, summertime headgear, but pay more attention to what's going on with the does and their feeding patterns. Esp in Sept when it changes in my area. Boys will be boys, so if the girls are around, the boys will eventually show up!!!

Edited July 25, 2018 by nyslowhand

[greg54]

I put 2 cams up in back yesterday and pulled card on 2 I have setup from few weeks ago. Always have one watching far side of my sisters yard, there is always some creature coming and going from the thicket on the side there.

[518BowSlayer]

i leave mine out all year. I put them right next to my stands. I used to check them pretty often which was cool because it would get me even more excited about the upcoming season but last year I tried something different. I checked them during spring turkey, changed the batteries and didn't go back there til opening day of deer. just wanted to keep my human scent and disturbance down as much as possible. and I did see more deer last year than ever before. maybe just a coincidence but I'm doing it this way again this year. I have to help my father in-law move some stands on another property next week so im gonna check that cam but that's it. that property will be otherwise untouched. probably overkill but so far so good. I figured the pics never really changed my hunting strategy so why disturb the area. maybe if I put out more than one cam on each property I could actually pattern the deer more but I never have. the one property is only 5 acres(but next to a large farm that I have recovery rights to) and there's only one way to access it so the pics don't effect my strategy.