Cell Cams for Turkey

[Five Seasons]

I ran cell cams in the fall for the first time this year. I'm hunting new property for turkey, just year 2 there and don't have a good feel for where the birds roost despite having a few close calls last year.

I thought about turning the cams back on for the middle of April through the end of May, but I'm just not sure if I feel good about it, in particular if I get live shots while in the woods as running and gunning for turkey is very common and very different than deer. This isn't something I'd think I would do every year but more or less to learn this property a little better.

I understand that legally the choice is mine, just wondering what y'all think.

[virgil]

I say use the cameras.  I'm no expert.  But, in my experience, the birds don't roost in the same spots each night- at least not on my property.  If nothing else, the cameras can help you get a sense of if/how many birds are on your land.  On my land, it's rare to find them in the same place two days in a row.

[Five Seasons]

40 minutes ago, virgil said:

I say use the cameras.  I'm no expert.  But, in my experience, the birds don't roost in the same spots each night- at least not on my property.  If nothing else, the cameras can help you get a sense of if/how many birds are on your land.  On my land, it's rare to find them in the same place two days in a row.

there are dozens upon dozens it's insane what I saw in the fall. But just like deer in the winter it should be interesting to see how they act in the spring haha.

I'm surrounded by a few fields that i cannot hunt, so i'm hunting the edges but the birds are roosting in a particular area that i didn't have good access to until now.

Edited March 18, 2022 by Belo

[Jeremy K]

I plan to put out a few . My father and I are going out with my son the first weekend available . We'll head down there Friday and put up the ground which ever camera tells us has activity ,if any. If it was just myself going I wouldn't bother . I'm trying what I can to maximize the experience for my son if possible. He won't know if I'm using cams or not ,he's 6.

[Five Seasons]

11 minutes ago, Jeremy K said:

I plan to put out a few . My father and I are going out with my son the first weekend available . We'll head down there Friday and put up the ground which ever camera tells us has activity ,if any. If it was just myself going I wouldn't bother . I'm trying what I can to maximize the experience for my son if possible. He won't know if I'm using cams or not ,he's 6.

yeah i hunt with my kids too and wouldn't feel bad about using them to improve the experience. hunting alone though I just don't know how I feel about it, I'm not sure it's sporting

[Jeremy K]

25 minutes ago, Belo said:

yeah i hunt with my kids too and wouldn't feel bad about using them to improve the experience. hunting alone though I just don't know how I feel about it, I'm not sure it's sporting

I don't know about you but raising a family takes up just about every ounce of free time these days . You and I both don't have the luxury of living where we hunt so using cams as a tool to increase our odds just makes sense to me. If had no job or kids to raise I could easily put the time in scouting and I wouldnt need cameras of any kind. 

[mlammerhirt]

Run the cameras.....maximize your oppurtunity......and when the plan comes together your children may be hooked for life.

My hutning partner cant wait for 5/1

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[Buckmaster7600]

If you have to ask you’re probably not ok with it.

I wouldn’t do it but I won’t do it for deer either.


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[chrisw]

Put them out, it's a turkey... No need to get regal about it.

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[chrisw]

yeah i hunt with my kids too and wouldn't feel bad about using them to improve the experience. hunting alone though I just don't know how I feel about it, I'm not sure it's sporting

"Sporting" is a rabbit hole. You're toting a 3" mag turkey load, decoys, several types of calls, roosting them the night before, a ghillie suit, a ThermaCELL and getting a picture of a bird is the non sporting part? To each their own, I admittedly don't put a lot of emphasis on turkeys as I don't find them all that interesting.

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[virgil]

11 hours ago, chrisw said:

"Sporting" is a rabbit hole. You're toting a 3" mag turkey load, decoys, several types of calls, roosting them the night before, a ghillie suit, a ThermaCELL and getting a picture of a bird is the non sporting part? To each their own, I admittedly don't put a lot of emphasis on turkeys as I don't find them all that interesting.

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3 1/2"

[G-Man]

I run cam for turkey, nit cell cams but 12 cameras out at the moment.  Using to locate pre hunt birds or even roosting birds night before  I would not have issue with. Getting a photonif a bird and them trying to stalk or approach it would be a no no for me.  I like seeing what around the area , now I know I have 7adult 2 jakes and 8 hens  out and about. Ibhave had same property for decades and roost areas are always roost areas.  Strutting areas are great spots for cameras.  Cell service is spotty by me to begin with so I won't buy a cell cam  plus running 26cams  I can't imagine the cost let alone the constant incoming pic alerts... 

If your having issue with live time updates I under stand some cell cams have features for specific time batch upload  perhaps set it so it's not during legal hunting hours ( after lunch would be fun to see what you missed.)  

Using information you get to set up  for next days hunt or similar weather hunt a week from photos is just Using a good scouting tool...  Having it tell you  here it is come get it right now isn't appropriate for myself  personally

[Five Seasons]

14 hours ago, chrisw said:

"Sporting" is a rabbit hole. You're toting a 3" mag turkey load, decoys, several types of calls, roosting them the night before, a ghillie suit, a ThermaCELL and getting a picture of a bird is the non sporting part? To each their own, I admittedly don't put a lot of emphasis on turkeys as I don't find them all that interesting.

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so the thermacell not withstanding, none of what you mentioned is new technology. 

That said, with regards to sporting I'm thinking more along the lines of a guy like me hunting 40 acres and getting pics at one end then run and gunning to that spot from my current setup. Pre cell cams that would never have been an option as you're not going to hear the birds from that far away and I think we'd all agree that a locator call is much more traditional.

I'm not married to the sporting part of things just something that's in my head bouncing around. 

[chrisw]

so the thermacell not withstanding, none of what you mentioned is new technology. 
That said, with regards to sporting I'm thinking more along the lines of a guy like me hunting 40 acres and getting pics at one end then run and gunning to that spot from my current setup. Pre cell cams that would never have been an option as you're not going to hear the birds from that far away and I think we'd all agree that a locator call is much more traditional.
I'm not married to the sporting part of things just something that's in my head bouncing around. 

Just because it isn't new technology doesn't mean that it is or isn't sporting. I see no difference in watching birds every morning leading up to the opener or getting a picture? Or running non cell cams and checking them before the opener to see a very defined pattern then hunting based off of that Intel. If you get a cellular picture it doesn't mean you can run right over and kill one? The lines get blurred immensely. How about watching a buck run does in a field from the road then grabbing your rifle and sneaking up and killing the buck? Sporting? If you feel so oddly about it then running any cameras would seem out of place to me. It could also make a big difference if your property is a distance from where you live with current gas prices, why drive out to check cams anymore? I've brought this up before but, are fish finders sporting? My time is worth something so if either can shorten the time it takes me to find deer/birds/fish then I'm going to use it. It doesn't mean I'm going to catch fish or shoot a deer, just putting myself in a higher probability location from the start. It can also lead you to be more selective about harvest knowing what the quality of critter residing there is/isn't. Again, I put more time/effort into deer/fish than any sized turkey. If you have property that holds turkeys they really aren't to difficult to kill.

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[LET EM GROW]

I did the same thing last year as I didnt have time to scout, on a new lease. I put up some cell cameras in areas i thought birds would be going to and leaving roost... Well out of 7 cams, I was kinda let down.. BUT, once i got to the property expecting not much for action, I was surprised that there was more action going on around the cams, than actually in front of them. Same with deer, You dont get the pics we expect all the time, but in person with the right hunting technique, many times we are surprised. 

I would put them out now, The other day while predator hunting at first light, there was birds everywhere gobbling.. group of toms, single toms.. this side of road and across.. The nice weather had them breaking up a bit already.. 

I learned they are a useful tool to help us, but do no always rely on them.. They are icing on the cake, after you do a tad bit of homework IMO   

Edited March 21, 2022 by LET EM GROW

[Buckmaster7600]

Just because it isn't new technology doesn't mean that it is or isn't sporting. I see no difference in watching birds every morning leading up to the opener or getting a picture? Or running non cell cams and checking them before the opener to see a very defined pattern then hunting based off of that Intel. If you get a cellular picture it doesn't mean you can run right over and kill one? The lines get blurred immensely. How about watching a buck run does in a field from the road then grabbing your rifle and sneaking up and killing the buck? Sporting? If you feel so oddly about it then running any cameras would seem out of place to me. It could also make a big difference if your property is a distance from where you live with current gas prices, why drive out to check cams anymore? I've brought this up before but, are fish finders sporting? My time is worth something so if either can shorten the time it takes me to find deer/birds/fish then I'm going to use it. It doesn't mean I'm going to catch fish or shoot a deer, just putting myself in a higher probability location from the start. It can also lead you to be more selective about harvest knowing what the quality of critter residing there is/isn't. Again, I put more time/effort into deer/fish than any sized turkey. If you have property that holds turkeys they really aren't to difficult to kill.

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I’ve said it a lot of times before but “sporting” or “ethics” are between yourself and the person in the mirror.

To me if I’m hunting and get a cell cam picture of a bird or a deer from a cell cam on the property I’m on that bird or deer is in big trouble. Now if that was the only property I had to hunt I might not be as aggressive as far as deer goes but for turkeys pressure is a non issue. To me that takes a part of the game that I really enjoy out of it and is something I would never do.

I have killed birds that I drove by and saw in a field but it’s something I don’t/won’t do anymore because it takes the fun out of it for me. I also won’t roost a Turkey.

I have ZERO issues with those that do but as we all know hunting is a very personal thing and why we all do it our own way.


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[Buckmaster7600]

  Right,I have never Roosted a Gobbler. From the very start,I figured that would add much more time to my day. Still - the Turkeys have fallen.
  My Year round  Hiking on Public gives me plenty of info. To each their own as far as Intel gathering.

I’ve done it, I’ve shot turkeys out of trees, I’ve shot deer while using a truck and tractors as a rest. My ways have changed over the years. That’s why I will never judge how anyone else chooses to kill critters.


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[Five Seasons]

  Right,I have never Roosted a Gobbler. From the very start,I figured that would add much more time to my day. Still - the Turkeys have fallen.
  My Year round  Hiking on Public gives me plenty of info. To each their own as far as Intel gathering.

I also don’t roost them, and agree with you both that a hunter creates his or her own standards.


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[Five Seasons]

Just because it isn't new technology doesn't mean that it is or isn't sporting. I see no difference in watching birds every morning leading up to the opener or getting a picture? Or running non cell cams and checking them before the opener to see a very defined pattern then hunting based off of that Intel. If you get a cellular picture it doesn't mean you can run right over and kill one? The lines get blurred immensely. How about watching a buck run does in a field from the road then grabbing your rifle and sneaking up and killing the buck? Sporting? If you feel so oddly about it then running any cameras would seem out of place to me. It could also make a big difference if your property is a distance from where you live with current gas prices, why drive out to check cams anymore? I've brought this up before but, are fish finders sporting? My time is worth something so if either can shorten the time it takes me to find deer/birds/fish then I'm going to use it. It doesn't mean I'm going to catch fish or shoot a deer, just putting myself in a higher probability location from the start. It can also lead you to be more selective about harvest knowing what the quality of critter residing there is/isn't. Again, I put more time/effort into deer/fish than any sized turkey. If you have property that holds turkeys they really aren't to difficult to kill.

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A lot of what you mentioned I don’t do and if I did or was tempted I wouldn’t hold high in my own personal memories.

I hunt for the challenge 90% of the time.

Running cameras and in particular cell cams to limit my impact on an area is something I’m ok with for deer. The instant notification doesn’t have much an impact on me because I’m not good enough to sneak up on a buck. Turkeys are easier to bushwhack. The whole point wasn’t the patterning while I wasn’t there, but the notifications while I was.

The real time part is what I’m struggling with and just thought I’d post it to shoot the shit with you all and get some perspective and thoughts, that’s all. You know, less politics, more hunting discussions


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[DirtTime]

I wouldn't do it. Last year was the first time I set out a cam specifically for the deer season. I set it with just over a month to go, and left until the last day of the NZ regular season. I hunted the area I put the cam a few times, but I never checked it.

 

I will say this, part of hunting for me is not knowing. I think I'd be more frustrated if I got a notification a bird was coming my way and not seeing it, then not seeing anything at all. It would be worse than getting an answer to calling only to have the bird go silent too, and that sucks.

 

It's your hunt, do it your way. Who cares what anyone else says?