Originally Posted by
Muley Hunter
Ok, one last question. I'll admit i've never used a stand, and i've never used cameras.
If you were looking for places to put up stands. Wouldn't putting up cameras for those spots be helpful before the hunt starts?
I understand a camera won't kill a deer for you, but isn't it added information you can use for your hunt?
Also, if you're a trophy hunter. Wouldn't it help you see what trophy bucks are in the area? Unlike mule deer. Whitetails don't have a big area they live in. Seeing one on camera would tell you what's in the area.
Putting a camera on a game trail would tell you how much traffic an area is getting.
None of this info is helpful to a hunter? It sure would be for me.
As far as if cameras are helpful for where you're hanging a stand… Well, yes and no. As I said you can have a lot of deer coming through an area but if you're relying solely on what shows up on the camera, you could very well discount an area that actually has a good amount of deer activity. The one thing it does help with, as you mentioned, would be if you're a trophy hunter (in my book anything that a hunter takes and is proud of is a trophy). Then you can get a good idea of what deer you would and wouldn't want to shoot. Can help minimize ground shrinkage (been there done that). I no longer shoot anything small because I like to hunt and I could shoot a young buck about every other time I go out. So yes, trail cameras in that respect do help. I've been to Colorado before and was successful on a bull on public land, and I don't think for that kind of hunt a trail camera would have been worth anything. I've never hunted mule deer (would like to) so I can't speak as to how much help they'd be for that. Or for anything other than whitetail and black bear for that matter.