I've got my usual good spots, but I'm very hesitant to hunt a new spot without photographic evidence of a buck in the area. Anybody else like this?

I don't necessarily think it's the right way, but I've gotten spoiled hunting places where I know there's at least a buck on camera and I'm not wasting my time.

I definitely prefer to know that a good buck is in the general area. But, if I see a lot of what I would consider good buck sign, I am not going to wait until I confirm it with a few pics. You may only get one moment in his life when he slips up and if you arent there when it happens, well it normally doesnt end well for the hunter.

Shoot, I get excited if I get does on my camera...

I've fallen into that same predicament. I've got four good areas I found last week but I had to put at cameras at each location to see what buck is using the area before I'll hunt it. Use to, I'd just see buck sign and start hunting it.

Hey I'm with you there, bud. The vast majority of my deer hunts, even now, I come up with a big ol goose egg of deer # seen.

if you find big buck sign don't screw it up by running in and out checking cameras. Geeze boys.....

My issue is I will see good sign at quite a few places and throw cameras at each one. Last year I spent about a month trying to kill a "HUGE" buck that was tearing an area to shreds and had quite a big track. I finally killed him right before season ended, he was an ancient messed up horn 210 pounder. I should've put a camera up and got a pic or two of him before I spent all that time hunting him as I had other areas with good racked deer on them.

I use cameras preseason then I pull them. After that if I do use them they are up high but usually I'm done with them early on. I use natural deer sign and I'll take what comes my way. You could be pushing that wise prize away with your camera.
Good luck!

That may be true. It's really hard to hunt without knowing if there's anything in the area, especially after several bad days.

I don't see anything wrong with killing a mature buck like him. 210 pound Alabama buck is more impressive to me than a 160 pound buck with a pretty rack.

Deer change their ranges. A buck you get photos of early may not
even be on your property now. A change in food source is one reason.

Agree with Paw Paw. How in the name of Hades did we ever kill big ol' bucks before the new fangled game cameras came along? By the time they are making the really good, hot , huntable sign, it's time to kill and get pics of dead bucks.

BTW, camera avoidance does exist.

OK here we go again. Is it the camera (something new and strange) or the scent (human presence=pressure). I feel they avoid the scent from cameras the same as they avoid stands or people putting corn out. Mature bucks anyway. Until a deer talks we will never know but I am all about the human presence (pressure)...or lack there of.

I'm with you. Pulled all my cams several weeks ago. I know personally what I will kill on each of my spots, so if one gives me the chance, I kill him. I passed up a bunch of really good deer with a bow one year, because I had pics and saw a 150" deer a few times. Never killed him and wish I would have shot 3 of the 120-130s that I passed

You guys just need to get the blackout IR's. They allow you to put your cameras right in the middle of the sanctuaries.

When done right, the deer will be the ones piddlin', not the hunter...



How many cameras do you guys set up in a season? (or pre-season I should say)

I know pne place that I'd love to have a camera during scrape making time.

We all know human scent, pressure whatever will do it cameras or not. But it's already been proven by putting a 2 cams facing 180 degrees from each other mature bucks will loop around them. BSK was one who proved this. He used a variety of different flash cams one direction and a true blackflash the opposite as I remember. I cited a radio collar study on here I heard a seminar on at a QDMA convention . Mature bucks avoid stands too. Some of those stands that were heavily hunted a buck would make a horse shoe around them just out of sight then get right back on course.

Last year is the only time I've ever ran cams in season. I put them up about Dec. 1 at 2 places . 2 cams on the same tree facing at 180. The only time I went back was to pull them 3 weeks later which is just before "show time". I killed a mature buck both places , the first day I hunted each spot. Cameras are wonderful tools, wish I'd had them about 30 years ago, whoa nelly! However, they are like 4 wheelers, ya gotta park them and just hunt sometimes.

I run about 6 trail cams and 2 plot watchers. The Plotwatchers are the best thing since piddlin started.