What do you consider when deciding where to hang your trail camera? I generally prefer water holes at locations I might place a tree stand. This July I missed a great opportunity when I failed to have a camera with me when I went out scouting a couple places, but I will be back five days before the season opens and hope to set them up then. I am thinking about placing mine up a little higher in the tree than in the past, and pointing it downward. What else could I be checking out?
Where Do You Hang Your Trail Camera
- Thread starter Swede
- Start date
Swede
Last year I did some testing on locations of trail cams.
I had one on a spring/wallow and another on a meadow and one on a trail.
I knew the spring/ wallow would have action, along with the trail, but the one that I put on the edge of a small meadow was the most surprising.
There were no significant trails, just an opening.
I put the cameras about 5ft up with just a slight tilt down
I got lots of pics [all bulls] in just over a week.
Below are some pics of that meadow.
Last year I did some testing on locations of trail cams.
I had one on a spring/wallow and another on a meadow and one on a trail.
I knew the spring/ wallow would have action, along with the trail, but the one that I put on the edge of a small meadow was the most surprising.
There were no significant trails, just an opening.
I put the cameras about 5ft up with just a slight tilt down
I got lots of pics [all bulls] in just over a week.
Below are some pics of that meadow.
That is great information Brad. What I am ultimately trying to find out is about alternative tree stand locations. I am thinking if people place cameras at different places, then we may find some good tree stand spots. Going to a meadow with no water or trails is interesting. Have you thought of placing a stand there?
Swede
This location is a minimum 2 hour hike from the truck.
We placed a stand there last year, and it got used once with no results.
IMO, this spot would be ideal for a ground blind.
Its a south facing slope so the thermals are steady.
You could easily go chase bugles if you wanted to.
This location is a minimum 2 hour hike from the truck.
We placed a stand there last year, and it got used once with no results.
IMO, this spot would be ideal for a ground blind.
Its a south facing slope so the thermals are steady.
You could easily go chase bugles if you wanted to.
Stringunner
New member
- Mar 13, 2014
- 146
As you know Swede I have cameras up now. 9 of them. All of them are on water and in all new locations this year. Some are producing some are not. For the past 3 years I have split them between water locations, trails and salt locations. What I like about the water spots is I get way more pictures of the various animals in the area. However they may or may not show their faces again come hunting season. I found that cameras placed on the trails did get some pictures but not near as many as when placed on water. I didn\'t feel it gave me enough information to see what animals are around, or give confidence enough in a location for a stand, purely based on number of pictures. The salt spots worked great pre-season, but as we have discussed before, the salt locations generally go void once the season starts.
Cnelk\'s post about the meadow is a good idea I think, but I wonder about consistency enough for a stand. The pictures would tell you this for sure. It would also be a great opportunity to get an idea of what animals are in the area and for this reason I find it pretty compelling.
Cnelk\'s post about the meadow is a good idea I think, but I wonder about consistency enough for a stand. The pictures would tell you this for sure. It would also be a great opportunity to get an idea of what animals are in the area and for this reason I find it pretty compelling.
This is a few hundred yards from my camp ... I thought it\'d be great, but ... after having a camera out for a month last year, I only saw activity on a few days.
To be honest, I enjoy putting cameras out, but I\'m not sure how to make them actually -- you know -- useful. I get photos, and I know then that elk are in the area (but I knew that already, didn\'t I?)
Using them like Swede (near a treestand) is different, and probably much more useful.
To be honest, I enjoy putting cameras out, but I\'m not sure how to make them actually -- you know -- useful. I get photos, and I know then that elk are in the area (but I knew that already, didn\'t I?)
Using them like Swede (near a treestand) is different, and probably much more useful.
Back to elk, though ...
I was real excited to see these mid-August photos last year ... but by mid-September, the area this was taken was empty of elk ... hardly a track, or pile of poop. My excitement was misplaced (though that has happened before! :lol: )
Anyway, my point is that it\'s fun to see photos, but I\'m uncertain about how truly useful the photos are. I mean, if you can see tracks and poop, do you really need more information most of the time?
I was real excited to see these mid-August photos last year ... but by mid-September, the area this was taken was empty of elk ... hardly a track, or pile of poop. My excitement was misplaced (though that has happened before! :lol: )
Anyway, my point is that it\'s fun to see photos, but I\'m uncertain about how truly useful the photos are. I mean, if you can see tracks and poop, do you really need more information most of the time?
I think anyone using game cameras should take a different approach and think \'outside the box\'.
Of course if you set up a camera on a trail / wallow / water hole, the chances are pretty high youre gonna get some pics.
But arent that what tracks tell you?
Most elk hunters know that elk are a social animal and open spaces without trails are frequented by elk.
I believe many of you that use cameras would be quite surprised if you set a camera on the edge of a small meadow [or even in the timber] in the middle of elk country.
No trails, water or wallows around....
Of course if you set up a camera on a trail / wallow / water hole, the chances are pretty high youre gonna get some pics.
But arent that what tracks tell you?
Most elk hunters know that elk are a social animal and open spaces without trails are frequented by elk.
I believe many of you that use cameras would be quite surprised if you set a camera on the edge of a small meadow [or even in the timber] in the middle of elk country.
No trails, water or wallows around....
Stringunner\'s and Brad\'s posts are telling me much of what I was looking for. Tick\'s thoughts are on target too. Water holes, where trails converge that have rubs and bedding areas nearby, is what I gone with for years. I am thinking everything else is random. Maybe saddles and entrances to fields or meadows would be productive, but they may be too random also.
I have 4 tree stands out now, all ready for the season.
Not one of them is by a trail, wallow or water.
They are placed in areas I have seen elk. Typically flat, a mix of aspen and pine. Not far from what I believe are bedding areas, or passing areas.
My thinking is elk terrain is just as a magnet as a wallow, water or trail.
And unlike Swde, I will be making soft mews occasionally from my stand
Not one of them is by a trail, wallow or water.
They are placed in areas I have seen elk. Typically flat, a mix of aspen and pine. Not far from what I believe are bedding areas, or passing areas.
My thinking is elk terrain is just as a magnet as a wallow, water or trail.
And unlike Swde, I will be making soft mews occasionally from my stand
This weekend I hung 2 trail cameras. My intention was to hang them on the contour game trails that lead to bedding areas and not on a destination spot. Because of the elk sign encountered, I hung one near the edge of meadow and one near a meadow/creek. The cameras are about 10-15 yards from the edge of meadows, but placed on a heavy used game trail leading into the meadow. I like putting them near a low log that the elk step over.
This is only my second year using trail cameras. I may have messed up the aiming. I did not go stand at the edge of the meadow when I did the aiming. The camera is pointing towards the meadow, however, I forgot to do the aiming setup properly.
I don\'t have enough experience to know if my setup is good or not.
This is only my second year using trail cameras. I may have messed up the aiming. I did not go stand at the edge of the meadow when I did the aiming. The camera is pointing towards the meadow, however, I forgot to do the aiming setup properly.
I don\'t have enough experience to know if my setup is good or not.
F M: I did last year. This year, my digital camera was malfunctioning. I did not have time to troubleshoot or replace my digital camera before heading out. The only thing I did was put my cell phone camera up and try to take a picture in the direction that I thought it was aiming at.\"F M\" said:
Exactly. That would have been the point of doing the aiming. You put my camera in aim mode and you walk to the locations you want to reach.\"Swede\" said:
I was way too giddy to finally make it into the mountains that I was a bit brain dead. This is the latest I have ever started scouting.
They are good cameras: Moutrie M880. It takes good pictures. The only thing I changed from last year was to select 2 fast shots instead of one single shot. It is set to trigger at the lowest setting of every 5 seconds. I thought the 2 fast shots (2 shots within 1-2 seconds) may reduce the number of: just missed the animal triggering the camera.
I will know in 2 weeks. I don\'t think I will have another chance to re-position them for another setup. At least I found the fresh sign that I looking for.
