Extreme Cold Cam-Trackers
01-11-2002, 11:28 AM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Munising MI
Posts: 501
Extreme Cold Cam-Trackers
Any one use their cameras in extreme temperatures? My cameras seem to really slow down in cold temps, even with frequent new battery rotations. It seems when temps are in the 30's during the day your fine, but when they dip to low twenties or below, during the night, or day, the camera becomes less dependable.
What's effected the most seems to be the range of sensor, although it could be that after a few times of the sensor telling the camera to take a picture as I'm walking towards it, it takes.
I don't mind changing the batteries every 2-3 weeks, but I'd like something more reliable in the cold-at least down to zero degrees.
Do your's work well in these conditions and what brand do you have?? Every other temp. and the cameras I have works great.
Jeff...U.P. of Michigan
What's effected the most seems to be the range of sensor, although it could be that after a few times of the sensor telling the camera to take a picture as I'm walking towards it, it takes.
I don't mind changing the batteries every 2-3 weeks, but I'd like something more reliable in the cold-at least down to zero degrees.
Do your's work well in these conditions and what brand do you have?? Every other temp. and the cameras I have works great.
Jeff...U.P. of Michigan
01-11-2002, 11:58 AM
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: post falls idaho USA
Posts: 73
RE: Extreme Cold Cam-Trackers
Jeff,
Sorry I can't help with your question, but if you dont mind I have a ? for you. I have been very reluctant to use a cam tracker due to the fact that I am concerned that a flash might spook a mature buck. I have read every bit of research I can find on that issue and most researchers say it may spook a deer initially but they get use to it, that's hard for me to swallow. The deer I hunt on public land are already pretty skiddish...in my opinion much different from most research areas. My question to you is? What kind of feed back have you recieved? Do you get pictures of mature bucks consistently returning to your camtracker or do you get one initial shot of a big buck and never see him again on your cam tracker? Or have you experienced both? I would appreciate any imput.
Thanks!
IHW,
Shed (had to re-register as shed1)
Edited by - shed1 on 01/11/2002 13:02:54
Sorry I can't help with your question, but if you dont mind I have a ? for you. I have been very reluctant to use a cam tracker due to the fact that I am concerned that a flash might spook a mature buck. I have read every bit of research I can find on that issue and most researchers say it may spook a deer initially but they get use to it, that's hard for me to swallow. The deer I hunt on public land are already pretty skiddish...in my opinion much different from most research areas. My question to you is? What kind of feed back have you recieved? Do you get pictures of mature bucks consistently returning to your camtracker or do you get one initial shot of a big buck and never see him again on your cam tracker? Or have you experienced both? I would appreciate any imput.
Thanks!
IHW,
Shed (had to re-register as shed1)
Edited by - shed1 on 01/11/2002 13:02:54
01-11-2002, 12:14 PM
#3
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Munising MI
Posts: 501
RE: Extreme Cold Cam-Trackers
Shed,
I've taken pictures of mostly 2.5 year old bucks-a few times each though. I've seen running tracks from my camera, but I've also had many mature does, and a couple of yearling bucks feed continuously right in front of the camera, getting a new picture every 2 minutes, or 5 or whatever I have it set on. Some does have actually walked up to it evidently getting a whif of it.
I don't think I'll ever put it on a great scrape or rub-line and take a chance. All my cameras are on food plots/mineral sights, or one time placements during the summer on trails that cross a 2-track. Your right though, my pictures become less frequent as time goes on. If I move the cameras in a food-plot, I get a boost in pictures again until the new site takes hold. I sit very rarely on my food plots, but one of the times this year I had a deer actually look over at the camera and it seemed to run by the spot. The deer was far enough away to get it's picture taken, but it seemed nervous about it. I don't feel that on a food plot it really matters, but I don't put any right by a tree stand, or in my hidden buck spots.
Jeff...U.P. of Michigan.
I've taken pictures of mostly 2.5 year old bucks-a few times each though. I've seen running tracks from my camera, but I've also had many mature does, and a couple of yearling bucks feed continuously right in front of the camera, getting a new picture every 2 minutes, or 5 or whatever I have it set on. Some does have actually walked up to it evidently getting a whif of it.
I don't think I'll ever put it on a great scrape or rub-line and take a chance. All my cameras are on food plots/mineral sights, or one time placements during the summer on trails that cross a 2-track. Your right though, my pictures become less frequent as time goes on. If I move the cameras in a food-plot, I get a boost in pictures again until the new site takes hold. I sit very rarely on my food plots, but one of the times this year I had a deer actually look over at the camera and it seemed to run by the spot. The deer was far enough away to get it's picture taken, but it seemed nervous about it. I don't feel that on a food plot it really matters, but I don't put any right by a tree stand, or in my hidden buck spots.
Jeff...U.P. of Michigan.
01-11-2002, 12:30 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: ......
Posts: 3,643
RE: Extreme Cold Cam-Trackers
My homemade camtracker works fine and the temps here have dipped down into the teens ..... and its very humid too compared to many areas. I am still getting the kinks worked out of it as far as isolating the flash and getting flash spots on the pics, but so far I am very pleased.
01-11-2002, 12:57 PM
#5
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Munising MI
Posts: 501
RE: Extreme Cold Cam-Trackers
Stealthycat,
I think what hurts it the most is the "prolonged" exposure to cold. Sometimes the temps here will not be above freezing for several weeks at a time-last year almost 2 months without a day above freezing. Sometimes the camera will have several inches of snow frozen on top of it. A day or two does not seem to hurt at all.
I don't know much about the homemade cameras, but I do appreciate the camo job on my cameras-blend in real well.
Jeff...U.P. of Michigan.
I think what hurts it the most is the "prolonged" exposure to cold. Sometimes the temps here will not be above freezing for several weeks at a time-last year almost 2 months without a day above freezing. Sometimes the camera will have several inches of snow frozen on top of it. A day or two does not seem to hurt at all.
I don't know much about the homemade cameras, but I do appreciate the camo job on my cameras-blend in real well.
Jeff...U.P. of Michigan.
01-11-2002, 01:00 PM
#6
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: post falls idaho USA
Posts: 73
RE: Extreme Cold Cam-Trackers
Jeff,
Thanks, Great information...very appreciated. I like your approach in relation to where you place your trackers and why you do so. I have another question, I would assume our deer herds and habitat is similiar. My area of Idaho looks nothing like what most see on the Outdoor channel. I am in northern Idaho which is mountainous, densely forested with lots of water ie.. lakes, streams, rivers, and swamps. Our latitude should be relatively close giving us both distinct seasonal changes in food sources and weather. Here that dictates a very "far ranging/migratory whitetail". Many of our bucks travel miles away from their breeding grounds before they head back just before the rut kicks in then they leave afterwords. I have backtracked some of them for miles or spotted one buck four or five miles in the summer from where he breeds in the fall. My question is do you see this same type of far ranging deer patterns and if so with your cam trackers do you get pics of the same bucks that showed up in the area the year before? As far as doe families go....here their range is much less than most mature bucks. Other than during their dispersal peroid most of the does and young bucks live in or near the easiest and most convenient food sources year around with out ranging to far.
Thanks again,
Shed
Edited by - shed1 on 01/11/2002 14:03:35
Thanks, Great information...very appreciated. I like your approach in relation to where you place your trackers and why you do so. I have another question, I would assume our deer herds and habitat is similiar. My area of Idaho looks nothing like what most see on the Outdoor channel. I am in northern Idaho which is mountainous, densely forested with lots of water ie.. lakes, streams, rivers, and swamps. Our latitude should be relatively close giving us both distinct seasonal changes in food sources and weather. Here that dictates a very "far ranging/migratory whitetail". Many of our bucks travel miles away from their breeding grounds before they head back just before the rut kicks in then they leave afterwords. I have backtracked some of them for miles or spotted one buck four or five miles in the summer from where he breeds in the fall. My question is do you see this same type of far ranging deer patterns and if so with your cam trackers do you get pics of the same bucks that showed up in the area the year before? As far as doe families go....here their range is much less than most mature bucks. Other than during their dispersal peroid most of the does and young bucks live in or near the easiest and most convenient food sources year around with out ranging to far.
Thanks again,
Shed
Edited by - shed1 on 01/11/2002 14:03:35
01-11-2002, 02:34 PM
#9
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Munising MI
Posts: 501
RE: Extreme Cold Cam-Trackers
Shed,
Our deer migrate a little different. I think the bucks and does use the same areas, maybe adjacent though, during both summer and winter. The bucks have a little bit bigger home range than the does-especially breeding. With the cold and deep snow we get, the deer migrate 5-15 miles to their yarding areas. There, the deer stay together, but the bucks use more of the fringe areas and stay quite well fed because of the higher browse they can reach. When the winter is over the deer return. Some biologist think that yearling buck dispersal is greater in our area because of the large movement patterns already associated with our deer herd. One problem is that if there is a big die-off in one area of the deer yard, that can effect a very large area of a summer range, because individual family units migrate together, and stay in the same traditional yards year after year, together. Unless another summer range becomes overcrowded, it takes years for a summer range to be re-established after a winter die off of resident deer.
This year the deer are still around-very unusual. They are still trying to find food on my food plots, and seem to be going back and forth on the migration trails and all most unsure of what to do because of our unseasonabley warm weather. I'm sure I get pictures of the same deer during the migration, but many bucks have already lost their antlers, and many bucks are already shot. They also probably move at night when it's really cold and my camera isn't working
!! I could go on and on, but...
Jeff...U.P. of Michigan.
Our deer migrate a little different. I think the bucks and does use the same areas, maybe adjacent though, during both summer and winter. The bucks have a little bit bigger home range than the does-especially breeding. With the cold and deep snow we get, the deer migrate 5-15 miles to their yarding areas. There, the deer stay together, but the bucks use more of the fringe areas and stay quite well fed because of the higher browse they can reach. When the winter is over the deer return. Some biologist think that yearling buck dispersal is greater in our area because of the large movement patterns already associated with our deer herd. One problem is that if there is a big die-off in one area of the deer yard, that can effect a very large area of a summer range, because individual family units migrate together, and stay in the same traditional yards year after year, together. Unless another summer range becomes overcrowded, it takes years for a summer range to be re-established after a winter die off of resident deer.
This year the deer are still around-very unusual. They are still trying to find food on my food plots, and seem to be going back and forth on the migration trails and all most unsure of what to do because of our unseasonabley warm weather. I'm sure I get pictures of the same deer during the migration, but many bucks have already lost their antlers, and many bucks are already shot. They also probably move at night when it's really cold and my camera isn't working
!! I could go on and on, but...Jeff...U.P. of Michigan.
01-11-2002, 06:44 PM
#10
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Piggott Arkansas USA
Posts: 51
RE: Extreme Cold Cam-Trackers
Hey guys there is an article in North American White Tail that goes into wether or not deer are spooked by trail cams. The author says that he observed a very large and mature buck being photoed by a trail cam and the buck appeared more curious than concerned. Ive got mine out now and Ill play with it for the rest of the season, but I cant see going into an area any where near one of my stands in the 3 weeks to a month prior to season. Im kinda picky about contaminating my stand sites.