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New to trail cams

810 views 17 replies 8 participants last post by  danimal260 
#1 ·
My first season was last year. Saw a lot on this farm I got permission at but nothing ever in range. Now I have permission for an urban zone area and have had a couple friends tell me they've seen deer there. Went and scouted last weekend and saw a bit of sign. Mainly in a drainage ditch that runs through the woods. I'm planning on buying a trail cam Friday as they are on sale and want to put it up. My questions: Should I put it higher looking down to deter theft or just leave it lower? Should I check it every couple weeks for shots? Or wait longer?


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#2 ·
It depends on the foot traffic in your woods. I have places where stands have been stolen and properties where I have no worries. I wait 2 weeks to check my cameras. I pull the sd cards and check them on my computer, the next day they go back in and I stay out for another 2 weeks. If I am filling corn feeders or renewing mineral sites I do this the same time I am checking cams. If I check things every two weeks I am keeping human intrusion to a minimum. I would throw out some corn and salt and put a cam over it, that will tell you the visitors in the area. baiting has to stop I believe 10 days before season, I stop 2 weeks before season. I put my cams low to the ground but I have a safe property.
 
#3 ·
baiting has to stop AND all affected soil removed ten days prior.


Ive had a few cams walk off over the years....on my own private posted property.
I now carry a section of climbing sticks and place my cams up out of reach and out of direct line of sight.

have two cam cards so one trip to the woods you can swap cards and cut your intrusions in half
 
#4 ·
You have both just said everything that I was thinking. I appreciate it. I'm planning on buying an SD card reader for our iPad and just loading the pics as I get to the camera. Didn't think about an attractant or anything though. Would using something like that keep the deer coming back even after it's gone 2 weeks prior to season?


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#5 ·
Danimal! yes deer will keep coming back to a baited mineral site after it is gone. I use salt or mineral blocks vs the powder. The blocks don't soak into the ground as much as pellets and powder / liquid do. 2 weeks before season like I stated I pull blocks and feeders. Even if the blocks are gone I shovel dirt and cover affected area. A CO could test your soil if he finds it and suspects it to be baited. I doubt that would happen but why chance it. This year I might pull them 3 weeks before season to minimize intrusion so close to season.
 
#7 ·
Don't want to bomb the thread, but I've got a couple old Moultrie cameras (big and bulky) that take decent pictures. However, I'm looking to upgrade. Any suggestions for smaller cameras that aren't going to run me 2 bills and still take quality pictures? I'm looking to buy 2 or 3 more. Thanks.

Rob
 
#10 ·
make sure your sd cards are only used in trailcam to avoid format issues for a few years been using bags of deercane powder over the summer in easy access/non stand areas and they cannot resist stopping for a picture or 2 Ill take a bucket and dig the top layer off in September so im not hoggin all the deer in the neighborhood
 
#11 ·
I got a Moultire A5 that takes ok pictures. I put my camera low to the ground since I don't have to worry about someone taking it. Check it every two weeks and download the pics to my computer in the woods so I can stay out as much as possible.
 
#12 ·
I am running Moultrie A 5's for around $50 each you cant beat it. Quality photos and videos at a fair price. They are a smaller camera as well, check em out. I have never had a problem with one.
Cheevous... How long have you had them? Just curious. I have been looking at adding to my inventory and don't want to spend a bunch of money. Are they worth it?
 
#13 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have two cuddeback ambush irs and 3 bushnell trophy cams. Honestly I shod spent all my money with bushnell. Cuddeback... Great photos and video. Battery life sucks. They claim 6 months and I have had it on just picture mode and barely get a month out of them. Yes I am running just normal AA battery's but still. I get almost a year out of my bushnell a without changing battery's and still get good trigger speed. Those are the two things I look at. Battery life and trigger speed. Can't take a picture if the battery is dead and don't want to look at the As$ Of a deer all the time. I got my bushnell a on eBay for $110 ea. found a guy with old inventory that had 67 left. Got a good deal on them. So far I have not had any problems with any of them other the. A squirrel trying to eat the face off one of my cuddebacks. One cuddy and one bushnell pic below. $100 price difference ..... FYI they sell lock boxes for most cameras with any expense or cable locks.




Bushnell
 

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#15 ·
What is your reason for putting up a camera? To see how many deer are using the area, or how they use it/what time, or to ID the bucks? There can be many reasons and that will determine the best strategy. I personally use them to try to ID which bucks are using a property, and good way to do this is buy some pre-orbital gland scent and use that in front of the camera (much simpler/easier than mineral blocks). It also works well to make mock scrapes later. I am personally finding ways to mount cameras higher up as there is pretty good evidence that they don't spook deer as much if you get them up out of their line of sight. There is no way that at least some deer will not react negatively to a camera, but this can help minimize it.
 
#18 ·
Went to swap cards in my 1 and only camera today, and move it to another location to check another spot that looked like it had traffic. Got home to check it. Wasn't expecting much for this being such a small urban zone area next to a highway. This is what I got. I must say I'm super happy. I've been learning so much from this community the last year. This should be my first successful year. Even if I only get 1.


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