ORIGINAL: jackflap

This is purely anectodal but the biggest buck I have ever seen on a camera, and much bigger than any live animalI have ever seen in over 20 years on this particular farm, shows up on a flash camera a few years back.

He is looking right into the camera and this is about a month before the season. Never saw any sign of hime since and he was very distinguishable as he had a large drop tine.

Did the flash scare him off and would an IR or no camera at all made any difference? I don't know and never will.

But today, I will use only an IR camera. Kinda like you guys who believe in scent lock. A lot of you recognize it may have limited effect, but it can't HURT anything.

Granted, the flash gives you a better picture, but for me it is not worth the CHANCE that it might spook that one individual monster buck that is scared of everything and hence why he got so big in the first place.