Trail Cameras

[Swede]

Brad, good points, but I don\'t fully agree. Some water holes get frequent use. As you say the camera is only telling you what you already know. Elk are watering there in significant numbers. Big deal, but what about the little water hole that is getting a 300+ class bull about once a week. You don\'t see him at several camera sites but have picked him up a couple times on one other camera about a mile and a half away. If you only want \"an elk\", the water hole with frequent use by cows, calves and a few small bulls is great. If you get excited by a big bull opportunity, then those other spots will get your stand, and you have a fair idea when to be waiting for him. I admit it has worked better for me in theory than in practice, because the bulls are leaving my area very early in the season. Still I have seen that very situation.

 

[cohunter14]

I am also thinking that if you put the cameras in strategic locations, you will be able to know if elk go into or out of a certain area. For example, say you put a camera on a saddle that you are able to check before entering a drainage. Knowing that elk have gone into or out of the drainage is great information to have. If you are able to pattern elk AND put some cameras in strategic locations like that, I think you can hunt more strategically.

 

[Olympushunt]

Trail cams can provide useful info other than the obvious elk sightings. I have areas that it is difficult to tell tracks. I\'ve been surprised with the amount of deer traffic, predator traffic....people traffic etc. I had a nice buck coming in to a spot over where I live that would only come in about 1am. If I had only seen the tracks of this nice buck I may have sat there for him, but the camera showed this would have been a waste of my time. I\'ve had cameras show spots that were primarily being used by bulls and other spots only cow elk. If you think you have a spot that people might be going through on occasion put your camera about 12 feet up in a tree and aim it down. I had a guy obviously looking for my camera (I had salt out) but never saw it because it was up in a tree. Elk don\'t typically look up and neither do the 2 legged animals.

 

[Olympushunt]

How do you manage to setup cameras, and then go back for the pictures without leaving your stink in the area you want to hunt?

Could be why the animals aren\'t there when you go hunting.

Ya....must be the scent I leave behind installing the camera since I\'m getting thousands of elk pictures for a month and a half after. That must be why.....or maybe as the opener approaches and the hunter pressure increases drastically the animals change their patterns. That couldn\'t be it. Must be the stink. :crazy: It must be dumb luck I get elk pics the same day I install them....or kill elk the same day going in. You probably believe killing an elk and hunting over the top of the gut pile won\'t work either. I have places close to home I would check a half dozen times during the summer even kicking elk out going in to check them and the elk would be back the same day as if nothing ever happened. I\'ve even passed over elk opening day but the numbers of animals visiting drastically went down the opening week with all the traffic only half a mile from the roads near by.
Maybe I don\'t stink like you? Possible.

Pretty sarcastic post bud. I was trying to gets guys thinking about what they were doing.

I probably do stink more than you you sweet pea, but i\'ve probably killed more elk than you too, and never needed cameras. Can you still find them without your toys?

Oh...Sorry Pete...I missed this post of yours. A) Not your bud. B) I was killing elk before trail cams C) This isn\'t a pissing contest but thank you because I am way more impressed now. D) The post was asking about what type of cams people like....hijacking a post isn\'t helpful.

 

[bowhunter]

How do you manage to setup cameras, and then go back for the pictures without leaving your stink in the area you want to hunt?

Could be why the animals aren\'t there when you go hunting.

Ya....must be the scent I leave behind installing the camera since I\'m getting thousands of elk pictures for a month and a half after. That must be why.....or maybe as the opener approaches and the hunter pressure increases drastically the animals change their patterns. That couldn\'t be it. Must be the stink. :crazy: It must be dumb luck I get elk pics the same day I install them....or kill elk the same day going in. You probably believe killing an elk and hunting over the top of the gut pile won\'t work either. I have places close to home I would check a half dozen times during the summer even kicking elk out going in to check them and the elk would be back the same day as if nothing ever happened. I\'ve even passed over elk opening day but the numbers of animals visiting drastically went down the opening week with all the traffic only half a mile from the roads near by.
Maybe I don\'t stink like you? Possible.

Pretty sarcastic post bud. I was trying to gets guys thinking about what they were doing.

I probably do stink more than you you sweet pea, but i\'ve probably killed more elk than you too, and never needed cameras. Can you still find them without your toys?

Oh...Sorry Pete...I missed this post of yours. A) Not your bud. B) I was killing elk before trail cams C) This isn\'t a pissing contest but thank you because I am way more impressed now. D) The post was asking about what type of cams people like....hijacking a post isn\'t helpful.

Actually Olympushunt You were quite sarcastic. Stillhunter asked about scent. A simple quote like \" I wear scent free clothes and shower ahead of placeing cameras. I also wear latex or rubber gloves and spray the cams with scent killer.\" would have been better. :downthumb:

 

[elky McElkerson]

I\'m a complete newb with camera. Having said that I am having a blast. I still make rookie mistakes. My latest. I changed batteries and didn\'t reset date time. dUH! Finding a good location is not second nature to me. I\'m awful.

I did pull a few good pics yesterday. Stoked! It was so exciting popping the card out and slipping it into my camera for a peek.

Tip. I pack a lightweight ladder to get my camera up higher. Figured to make it more difficult to steal. And I only bought a cam with a lock box option.

This was more fun than I expected.

 

[OldMan]

Oh...Sorry Pete...I missed this post of yours. A) Not your bud.

Then stop sending me flowers.

 

[Olympushunt]

How do you manage to setup cameras, and then go back for the pictures without leaving your stink in the area you want to hunt?

Could be why the animals aren\'t there when you go hunting.

Ya....must be the scent I leave behind installing the camera since I\'m getting thousands of elk pictures for a month and a half after. That must be why.....or maybe as the opener approaches and the hunter pressure increases drastically the animals change their patterns. That couldn\'t be it. Must be the stink. :crazy: It must be dumb luck I get elk pics the same day I install them....or kill elk the same day going in. You probably believe killing an elk and hunting over the top of the gut pile won\'t work either. I have places close to home I would check a half dozen times during the summer even kicking elk out going in to check them and the elk would be back the same day as if nothing ever happened. I\'ve even passed over elk opening day but the numbers of animals visiting drastically went down the opening week with all the traffic only half a mile from the roads near by.
Maybe I don\'t stink like you? Possible.

Pretty sarcastic post bud. I was trying to gets guys thinking about what they were doing.



I probably do stink more than you you sweet pea, but i\'ve probably killed more elk than you too, and never needed cameras. Can you still find them without your toys?

Oh...Sorry Pete...I missed this post of yours. A) Not your bud. B) I was killing elk before trail cams C) This isn\'t a pissing contest but thank you because I am way more impressed now. D) The post was asking about what type of cams people like....hijacking a post isn\'t helpful.

Actually Olympushunt You were quite sarcastic. Stillhunter asked about scent. A simple quote like \" I wear scent free clothes and shower ahead of placeing cameras. I also wear latex or rubber gloves and spray the cams with scent killer.\" would have been better. :downthumb:

Oh, I won\'t argue I was being sarcastic...or that I could have written something else. That was actually the nice version. Ok ok...I will play nice. I just thought it was a silly question and accusation. Obviously putting up cameras isn\'t going to drive animals out of the area.
I agree with Elky McElkerson, cameras are a blast and it\'s like Christmas when you go check one. I\'ve had gotten pictures of bear, deer, elk, antelope, people, bobcats, cougars, coyotes, hawks, squirrels, rabbits, big foot....oh wait...not that yet, but I am really waiting on turkey and pigs. That would be cool. I have made a TON of errors with this game and I\'m glad to share some tips so that others may not suffer the same fate. Elky, I have done the date screw up multiple occasions. I once put in the following year.....so I was lucky enough to predict the next year when that 6 pt was going to be there. I only wish it really worked that way. Here are some of my following blunders:
1) Forgetting new batteries....DOH
2) Forgetting new SD card... DOH
3) Bringing new SD card and taking the old one out, fumbling around awhile and putting the old card back in! DOH DOH DOH! Imagine how happy I was with myself when I got home from the 4 hour round trip to view all my new animals and getting a blank card. Disssssapointed!
4) Forgetting to bring the keys to unlock the cam..then deciding I wanted in bad enough to break into my own cam damaging it. DOH DOH DOH DOH!
5) Leaving new batteries in the truck and hiking all the way in to my cam before realizing it.
6) Ummmm.....not showing everyone my smarts posting these things.
Anyhow...now I carry a list on a small piece of paper in my pack. Batteries? Check. New SD cards? Check. Keys? Check. SD card viewer? Check. Brain? Ummm. One thing I have found important is to wait a few minutes and check the camera is up and running. There are some things you will have a hard time foreseeing. The sun angle can make the camera trip...as can wind blowing grass around. Those things are hard to predict. The camera that gave me 6,000 images was being tripped way to frequent and basically ended my session 7 days in before the card was full.
Oh...another screw up...this one is on Swede. Setting up camera and making sure the angle is perfect, the position is great...walking off and getting to the truck before realizing he didn\'t turn the dang thing on! If I was a nice person I would have offered to go back and turn in on...but I waited at the truck keeping his coffee company instead.

 

[Swede]

Oly, I remember that mistake. You are more familiar with trail camera use than I am, but I have made at least some of the same mistakes you mention. The idea of a list is a good one. Remembering what key is for which lock is good too. I have had problems with that a couple times. It is amazing what you forget after the cameras have been spread out in different places for a couple months.

 

[cohunter14]

Oh, I won\'t argue I was being sarcastic...or that I could have written something else. That was actually the nice version. Ok ok...I will play nice. I just thought it was a silly question and accusation. Obviously putting up cameras isn\'t going to drive animals out of the area.

Just keep in mind that everyone on here is trying to either help others or learn from others. Just like your last post, which was very helpful. I know I would be a dummy and check each of those items off of your list at some point in time. Now I will have a checklist :upthumb: Personally, the reason I love this forum is because people don\'t flame others for asking questions or posting opinions. We are all \'buds\' on here as far as I\'m concerned.

I actually thought Pete\'s question was a good one:

How do you manage to setup cameras, and then go back for the pictures without leaving your stink in the area you want to hunt?

Everyone always talks about leaving the woods alone and not parading around in them the day before the opener. So, what is everyone\'s protocol for checking game cams? Do you check them the day before the opener? If not, when do you check them?

 

[OldMan]

I learned decades ago the hard way to stay out of bedding areas before a hunt. I learned by turning a bedding area into a non bedding area. I don\'t do that anymore, and observe from a distance now.

My question was legitimate, and didn\'t deserve a smart ass answer for camera dude. My response was my nice version too, but I regret that now.

Mods don\'t have much to do on this forum, but this is one time they should have.

 

[Swede]

Cohunter14, I understand your question. Maybe this will help.
I access my tree stand sometimes twice a day. That means I am on the ground four times because I go in, then hours later get out. That is very rarely a problem. Sure I have been busted, but we pick our times and direction of travel. We prepare routes to minimize the likelihood of being detected. Hanging a stand up a few days before the season is rarely a problem either. I have had to get quiet when big game comes in while I am hanging a stand. One time it was a bear that came in, got a drink, then went for a swim in the pool, before slowly walking away. Fortunately I was high enough up the tree that scent and noise were not a problem. The cameras are left anywhere from two weeks to two months. Even if you are detected that is not going to be a problem. I really think there is a big difference between pressure and an occasional meeting. If you are busted going to hang or check a camera, just finish what you are doing then leave.
Like Still Hunter wrote, bedding areas are sensitive. If you want a camera in one, then go in early in the morning or late in the day while the elk are out feeding. I admit I do not always follow my advise there, but I am not going in to hang or check a camera often either.

 

[cnelk]

I like to screw my cameras to the tree instead of using the straps provided.
That means I need a screw driver! And screws!
I hide the screwdriver nearby the tree so I don\'t have to remember it

I also tape an extra SD card inside the case so I don\'t have to remember that either.
Then when I get there, I swap cards, check batteries (change if needed as I carry AA in my pack)
And walk out view the pics on a digital camera that is also in my pack...

 

[Olympushunt]

Could be why the animals aren\'t there when you go hunting.

Pete...you got my sarcasm because you are implying you know my area and why animals \"aren\'t there\" when I go hunting. If you left your original question as that it was you would have been answered sans sarcasm. I also find it amusing you need to pound your chest saying \"I\'ve killed more elk than you!\" I don\'t know many silly enough or insecure enough to pull that card. Who cares. I will leave it at that. I don\'t know you or your elk resume. Don\'t care either. This wasn\'t meant to beat up on you and if your feelers got hurt I am sorry. No hard feelings. This isn\'t adding any useful info to the site or thread. I will keep it to useful info from here on out. To answer your question about how to put up cams without leaving stink in the area...take a bath. Scentless soap preferable. If anything....we provided some entertainment to the masses during the long winter break.
Luke

 

[Olympushunt]

I like to screw my cameras to the tree instead of using the straps provided.
That means I need a screw driver! And screws!
I hide the screwdriver nearby the tree so I don\'t have to remember it

I also tape an extra SD card inside the case so I don\'t have to remember that either.
Then when I get there, I swap cards, check batteries (change if needed as I carry AA in my pack)
And walk out view the pics on a digital camera that is also in my pack...

Smart....LIke I was saying before, I like Stringunners security. High strength metal boxes bolted to a tree (I\'m assuming bolts since that\'s what I use) from the INSIDE of the box. I found one bolted to a tree that had to be 3 feet in diameter. Good luck to any two or four legged animal trying to get that sucker off! :mrgreen:

 

[Stringunner]

Yes lag-bolted with 5-6 inch lags. From the inside and with a washer to prevent the lag head from being able to be pulled out through the box. Always use the same size head so you always have the right wrench!!! I use two bolts per cam and sometimes three if I need to change the angle this can be done by putting one lag further in than the other or something like that. Pad lock and good to go. Cut the tree down or bash in the cam that\'s about all one could do. This has been a very informative thread I will post more later, I\'m on my phone tonight and it stinks typing, not to be confused with the stink left behind while placing/checking cams! Lol

 

[cnelk]

@ Pete & Luke
Don\'t think posts weren\'t being monitored. :rtfm:

 

[Olympushunt]

@ Pete & Luke
Don\'t think posts weren\'t being monitored. :rtfm:

I never thought they weren\'t! I wouldn\'t write anything that would ruffle the mods feathers.
Btw......Jeremy, I think that was funny. Phones do stink for writing.

 

[Olympushunt]

As I mentioned in another thread, I really want to try to take advantage of using trail cameras this year. I know there have been threads about recommendations on these, but please include them here as well. My main question is how long will the batteries last on these cameras. I currently only have once camera and it doesn\'t seem to last that long, but it is older and definitely wasn\'t a fancy one. Thoughts and suggestions?

Getting back to the original post...I started wondering about IR versus regular flash. I have about half of my cameras that are IR and half flash.
I haven\'t noticed a difference as far as game being aware of the camera. Has anyone else had bad experience with the regular flash models?

 

[OldMan]

Could be why the animals aren\'t there when you go hunting.

Pete...you got my sarcasm because you are implying you know my area and why animals \"aren\'t there\" when I go hunting. If you left your original question as that it was you would have been answered sans sarcasm. I also find it amusing you need to pound your chest saying \"I\'ve killed more elk than you!\" I don\'t know many silly enough or insecure enough to pull that card. Who cares. I will leave it at that. I don\'t know you or your elk resume. Don\'t care either. This wasn\'t meant to beat up on you and if your feelers got hurt I am sorry. No hard feelings. This isn\'t adding any useful info to the site or thread. I will keep it to useful info from here on out. To answer your question about how to put up cams without leaving stink in the area...take a bath. Scentless soap preferable. If anything....we provided some entertainment to the masses during the long winter break.
Luke

Ok, my last post on this. I certainly wasn\'t thinking of you when I made my first post in this thread. I was talking in general, and if anything had Brad\'s post in mind. I\'m not sure why you took it personally?
I\'m surprised I mentioned my elk success. I normally keep that off forums. I guess the point I was making was that maybe my way had some value. Staying out of your hunting area before a hunt is never a bad idea.

btw My feelings don\'t get hurt.. I do get pissed off sometimes though. You pushed my button by misunderstanding my post, and assumed too much about me.