Trail Cameras

[Mortblanc]

Most successful hunters do not go out and find game. They go to where they know the game already is, then they wait for it to come by and pounce on it with whatever they use for such things.

It is easy enough to find out where the game is. You look for sign. You find a track that does not have five toes or make a shoe print and decide what it is; dog, cat, raccoon, deer or bear.

So you know where the game is located, so you sit down and wait, and wait, and wait. Then you realize that your nether regions have frozen to the stump you chose as a seat, you stand up, stretch and head home, only to turn and see the prey staring at you from the exact spot you were sitting.

You were at the right place, but not there at the right time.

It used to be that the only way to find out this vital information was to sit and watch.

I recently got very cold sitting on my back porch waiting for a small buck deer to make his appearance. The little brat has changed his feeding patterns during the rut and he is not crossing my property at his normal times.

I can sit up all day and all night freezing, literally freezing, to find out what he is doing, or I can sit out a trail camera.

I normally would not use such a device, not because they are "unfair" but because they are a little expensive to be leaving hanging on a tree for anyone to walk away with them.

Since I am on my own property, and the camera is relatively safe I decided to give it a try.

I now know that there are 14 deer crossing my property daily. (yep I caught them lined up walking in a row in three groups!) One is a spike buck and the other a 6 point with the rest being mature or yearling does. The bucks run together and do their travel between 2:30 and 3:15 am. The does are late risers and cross at between 8:30 and 8:50am daily.

A camera that tells you what time the deer trigger the motion sensor sure is handy!
,

[Straight Shooter]

Yes I see these trail cameras in wide use on a lot of nature documentaries , and acting as added security applications ......expensive bit of kit but well worth it in the long term ...and a darn side easier than laying in wait .

[bigpaul]

knowledge is key, no matter what the subject.

[Mortblanc]

(16 January 2022, 09:18)Straight Shooter Wrote: Yes I see these trail cameras in wide use on a lot of nature documentaries , and acting as added security applications ......expensive bit of kit but well worth it in the long term ...and a darn side easier than laying in wait .

I was shocked to find that the price has decreased if you go with a basic unit. Mine has excellent quality of picture, and ease of operation. It collects several hundred shots on 8 AA batteries and battery life is around 6 months. Takes one still shot, then a 15 second video. Gives date and hour stamp on the photo. I can scan the photos on the device or bring it in the house and get a better look on computer.

The cost of my unit on Amazon was $40 US. Cheap at twice the price!

The expensive units usually have a transmitter that sends a picture to your cell phone when triggered. They can get expensive.

I am planning to put out a bait station as soon as hunting season ends. I'll get this batch fattened up for next season, or for use as reserve food supply if needed.

I am down to the wire legally with how I can take a deer. I can not use a gun at this point due to restrictions. I can use a bow but I have been fighting rotator cuff damage for two years and that option is limiting. I could use my crossbow, but the range is at the very edge of effectiveness for that machine. If I can get them trained to come to a bait station that is 25 meters from my shooting point it will be better. I should have done this years ago.

We seem to have a shortage of mature bucks in my area. I have spike bucks of one year but only one male deer over a year old is appearing. That indicates that fawn production is slow. Deer breed better in a competitive atmosphere. A single unchallenged deer seems to not care much for his job but put a second one in there and he is willing to work.
.
.

[Straight Shooter]

Looking on Amazon the basic models run from £47.00 and up , there is one for £75.00 which looks better quality and has got some excellent reviews ......I think I will get one within a few weeks when the pension go’s in .....I have a need for one , not for wildlife though , also looking at drones .

[Mortblanc]

Mine can be positioned outside or sit inside on a window still and run as CCTV using a USB cord to the computer.

Nice thing about them is they trigger automatically, do not need hard wired power, and you can strap them up in a tree and out of sight.

Mine is camo and I removed the mounting strap that came with it and replaced it with 550 paracord. The strap stuck out like a sore thumb. Using the paracord you don't see the unit from the lane or across the garden.

No one walks through the garden but in good weather there is foot traffic on the lane. Not so much right now with temps outside at -3c and 75mm of snow.

[Mortblanc]

The hunting season is now over so I can get these deer properly trained. We are not allowed to shoot deer over bait so I did not place food out for them during the hunting season.

Our bow season lasts from September till Jan 19, continuously. Our heard is large enough and the chances of taking deer with bow are so scant that they offer unlimited tags for bow hunters. However, you are only allowed one buck with antlers, all your other kills must be does.

Them that intend to do the Robin Hood thing keep those odds in mind. Bow season is 5 months of unlimited chances and gun season is two weeks with only a small fraction of the deer kills done with a bow.

Gun season is a scant 2 weeks in November/Dec. We also have a split Black powder season in there also and extra gun chances for the kids during free youth hunts. All together combining regular gun and muzzle loading seasons you have about 30 days to take one with something that goes BANG!

I now have out shelled corn and a mineral block on the pathway under view by my camera. We will see how this works out.

I need to find a sack of apples somewhere!