Are Trail Cams making you guys hunt less too?

[phade]

Cams are one tool in the tool bag. They capture some intel that we cannot because we're not in the woods 24/7. Trail cams however do make people lazy sometimes, they can give people false pretenses, and they take images or lack of at face value.

No different than over-relying on one tactic for any other part of hunting.

[Gobbler Chaser]

I love being in the woods and get my fair share of wilderness time being retired, logging, and turkey hunting but sitting on the stand when I know all I'm going to see are the same does is something I can pass on until I'm ready to shoot one. Last couple deer seasons have been slow with deer settling into the bow season routine. Last couple yrs I had to wait for the rut and rifle season to shake up the checker board. The last week of bow when the rut is hot is when I'll be spending many hrs in the stand. Other than that lack of bow season bucks around me let's me get other things done. 

[E J]

My trail cameras are basically my scouting. I work so much from late August til November I don't hardly have a chance to go out in the woods. At least that way I have an idea of what might be around. It certainly doesn't dictate where I would hunt though. That's all based off wind direction.

[DirtTime]

What's a trail cam? Is that some new age GoPro you strap to your boot to see the trail better?

 

[BowmanMike]

1 hour ago, Gobbler Chaser said:

I love being in the woods and get my fair share of wilderness time being retired, logging, and turkey hunting but sitting on the stand when I know all I'm going to see are the same does is something I can pass on until I'm ready to shoot one. Last couple deer seasons have been slow with deer settling into the bow season routine. Last couple yrs I had to wait for the rut and rifle season to shake up the checker board. The last week of bow when the rut is hot is when I'll be spending many hrs in the stand. Other than that lack of bow season bucks around me let's me get other things done. 

Try some public land,I got into that last year and it is fun figuring out new areas. Not sure what area you are in but there are a ton of options around me and pressure in bow season is very very low.

[Five Seasons]

I think I have a finite amount of time i can play hookie, wake up early, neglect household chores. So they don't necessarily change how much I hunt as much as they change when I hunt. We all know that heat and heavy rains aren't exactly deal breakers but they also don't spark the same flurry of activity as a crisp fall morning. My cams just sort of reaffirm this and when I might be tempted to sit and leave some scent behind, they help me stay away... if that makes sense. 

[GreeneHunter]

Interesting .... just checked my Trail Cams (replaced the chips) and have seen no movement whatsoever over the last 2 weeks ..... Hope its  not EHD ( Greene County 4H ) !

[Gobbler Chaser]

6 hours ago, BowmanMike said:

Try some public land,I got into that last year and it is fun figuring out new areas. Not sure what area you are in but there are a ton of options around me and pressure in bow season is very very low.

Actually thinking if digging out my climber and giving that a go. I hunt public dirt during turkey and rifle

[Gobbler Chaser]

2 hours ago, GreeneHunter said:

Interesting .... just checked my Trail Cams (replaced the chips) and have seen no movement whatsoever over the last 2 weeks ..... Hope its  not EHD ( Greene County 4H ) !

That's a scary possibility in areas

[BowmanMike]

Cams are invaluable for figuring out when a certain area gets hot or better said the does go hot. I heard about some University research that figured out that the same does will go into heat at the same time every year. And so will their offspring. So that means their home range is the place to be at a certain time. 

Bucks are very tuned into this and will be in that area almost to the day every year. I got this from multiple different podcasts and some of those guys runs dozens or even hundreds of cams. And they get bucks showing up in the same three day window every year.

That still is not a guarantee that they will kill any of those bucks,but it is amazing intel.

[genesee_mohican]

 I can think of a few things that would make me hunt less, but trail cam results aren't one. |If I think I'm hunting in an area with few deer or small racked deer, I'll pull stakes and start looking else where.

With that said, I keep cams out year round. I usually don't set them up too close to my stands, but do have them in areas where I can get a good feel for what deer are around that area in general. With that info, I'm realistic about the chances of a nice buck walking by my stand when I'm actually sitting there. 

I've checked cameras from 4 different areas that I hunt and they all look promising. Most people I've talked to tell me they have seen some real slammers, so I'm thinking this fall is going to be real good state wide.

[Gobbler Chaser]

2 hours ago, BowmanMike said:

Cams are invaluable for figuring out when a certain area gets hot or better said the does go hot. I heard about some University research that figured out that the same does will go into heat at the same time every year. And so will their offspring. So that means their home range is the place to be at a certain time. 

Bucks are very tuned into this and will be in that area almost to the day every year. I got this from multiple different podcasts and some of those guys runs dozens or even hundreds of cams. And they get bucks showing up in the same three day window every year.

That still is not a guarantee that they will kill any of those bucks,but it is amazing intel.

Yep there is that time period when I pull my cards and say, Where TF did he come from. That's get busy time for me... having does around is the best bait