patchholder

What kind of tips can you give on trying to pattern a big buck while utilizeing a trail camera. putting in a bedding area or a trail or a field you think he eats in and howlong would you leave it there for and how often would you check it would you be worried about tipping him off and changeing his pattern.

jmbuckhunter

I would be VERY CAREFUL trying to get a big buck on film without tipping him off. Be extra careful with scent control and do not disturb the area too much. I would definately stay away from his bedding area. You would be better off glassing fields from a distance and try to find out where he enters the field that way.

GMMAT

MY trail cams are used for inventory purposes, ONLY. I wouldn't dream of trying to "pattern" a particular buck via trail cam photos. I'm afriad my actions would lead to him CHANGING his patterns.

I guess your method is employed by some.....but the deer don't know whether you're in there hunting him.....or simply in there checking your cam. He ONLY knows you've been in HIS bedroom.....and a wiley buck isn't going to put up with the intrusion.

We're playing with fire EVERY TIME we enter his house. I just don't do it any more often than is ABSOLUTELY necessary. After reading a recent article by Mr. Eberhart (sp?)......I'm even going to change my methods for setting stands. He cites WAITING to set stands a couple of weeks ......IF you're after an early season buck (particular deer). THAT makes PERFECT sense, to me. The first time I go after the one I've got my eyes on.....will be opening day. I'll keep my stands.....my scouting....AND my trail cams FAR away from his bedroom until then.

That's just me.

lpv77

What do you mean? Wait until opening day to set you stand? Ive watched his 3 video series. They are great and very informative.

GMMAT

Nope. He said (in the article I read) that he recommends waiting a couple of weeks after the season has started to set up your stands (I assumed he meant MULTIPLE stands). He said he didn't want to intrude on the buck's NORMAL, summer pattern by mucking up the area with human scent. He said the deer "might" notice the shooting lane you'd cleared.

If I were going to set my stands early.....I'd be doing it NOW. Otherwise.....I'll go in with a climber (my preferred method, anyways) on opening day and take my chances with an un-pressured herd that hasn't smelled me in MONTHS...NOR have I altered their woods in ANY way.

THAT makes PERFECT sense......to ME.

bloodcrick

I have never tried to pattern a big buck with a cam, for fear of spooking him. The best time to get (pics) of big ones in my opinion is July and Augest when they are hanging around in bean fields as batchelor groups.

IL-Cornfed

I also suggest you be extremely cautious about stomping around a known big buck haunt runnning a trail cam. I would NOT suggest EVER going near a buck bedding area of any other area you think a mature deer lives. Trail cams arte best set at feeding areas and mock scrape to capture big buck images only to confirm that they are in the area and what animals you can wait for. You can then look at times and dates and try to piece the puzzle together and usually assume where that aniamal came from and where he's headed without getting to deep into cover.

patchholder

Thanks for the suggestions guys I guess that is why I have been so confused about the talk of patterning deer with trail cams I figured people were setting up close to beds and such to try to pattern bucks. but near the fedding area makes sense however what if a buck only comes to the field or such after night fall, would you not want to find where he is comeing from and be there earlier to try and ambush him.

pjhunts

Agree with most, definitely don't hang cam in bedding areas, I'd stick with food sources, multiple trail crossings. I'd also say stay away from active scrapes, unless your cam is a no-flash model. I had mine on two scrapes this last season, and had a pic of a bruiser at each one, but in both cases he never came back in the 2 weeks that i left my cam. I really think the flash spooked him. About the buck showing at the food after dark, which happens 99.6798234775%(or something like that) of the time. I'd place a few observation stands and try to figure out where he is coming from, if no success, gradually move farther away from the food in the direction you believe he is coming from. Granted this is not a very easy thing to do. I've gotten a lot of pics of nice bucks in my food plots, but they were mostly from 2 -6 hours after it got dark. It is really a guessing game, especially during the magic time of the year when the big boys are logging a lot of miles. I mainly use my cameras to let me know what caliber of deer I should hold out for, and also determine which does have what for fawns, so when it comes time to thin the herd, i can concentrate on the does with button bucks for fawns.(I've got a wierd bit of logic for that which takes a while to explain)

TROPHYHUNTER25

only thing i would try to pattern is what trail they use to get to there feeding area