like all the others said, I love seeing whats out there & really had my eyes opened as to whats available. As a matter of fact the cameras problably kept me from shooting a younger buck this year as I knew there are several good bucks around even though I have not been able to see them in person. IT IS CHRISTMAS EVERY TIME I VIEW THE PICS. Try it you will like it.

I wish I could be in the woods scouting all the time myself when I can't the trail camera does it for me and it is also a good reference tool for deer you shoot and you don't shoot it is fun and addictive.

It depands on what one wants to do IMO. If you want to shoot mature deer and do not have a lot of time to scout then IMO they are necessary. I told myself I would NEVER use one, well I need one to hunt like I want ot these days. With kids and all their activities I do not have the time to scout like i use to, What help me was fact I knew when, why and where the deer were moving. The last two years I have no idea what is in my woods and where they are at. I have been flying blind. So I went and bought one, and in Jan I am going to buy two more.

I hunted alot without one, and got my first one this year! I got it mostly for observation on my grand parents property after her place had been broken into. I then used it a little on a few deer. I loved the results it gave me. But to say it is necessary? No it's not but alot of fun to have around. As Germ said though, it tells you alot about them.

I think trail cameras are a great tool to use when used correctly. I think a lot of hunters can't fight the urge to check their camera and fill the area full of scent they also put it over a bait site and not on trails leading to bedding areas or food. I use trail camera's not just to see what maturity of deer I have but what direction they are coming from and when they are coming. Also, I use them to see what isn't there. If I leave a camera in a spot and production is slow on the camera then I just scouted an area that I know won't produce and move on to the next ideal spot.

I buy into this.

What I see a LOT if is guys putting them in areas that are likely holding good deer.....and checking them WAY too often. How much is "too often"? How much would you HUNT a good spot? A deer doesn't know the difference in whether you'r escouting, hunting, etc... he just knows you've been in his house, AGAIN. That's pressure. I just prefer, now, not to pressure them any more than I do when I'm actually hunting them.

I put up my camera over a mineral site for about 3 weeks, last season. I'm not sure I'll use it at all, next year. I've taken two bucks I had trail cam pics of.....and that was a cool experience. But I'm not willing to take that chance, now.

I can see what you are saying and agree with the whole first paragraph. I only put my cameras in LOW impact spots. My cameras are never more than 20 yards off of a field edge, 80% of the time actually on the field edge. Check them every 1-2 weeks. I let one go a month last year with out checking as to not bump any deer there.

Trail cameras are for fathers, husbands, businessmen, Sunday-school teachers, volunteers, and hunters. They allow me to be all of these things without sacrifice. And when used correctly are the second most lethal weapon I have. Maybe I'm just lazy.

Nope, they're not neccesary at all, but as stated, they'rea heck of a lot of fun. For me, its like hunting year round. Just think...a picture is a kill.

But I do think they can up your odds tremendously if used correctly. I'm in the process of going all homebrew over the winter. I want to have at least 3 in the woods by this summer.

Not only is proper use of the camera essential, but I will go so far as to say what camera you actually use is just as important.

I have used the Cuddeback flash cameras, Bushnell Flash and am now using 4 Moultrie I40s. I can tell you that I will never buy another I40 again. I have never had so many deer looking at the camera and know its there as I have with this camera. Its too loud.

While in Illinois we set an I40up on a scrape, just to see what was visiting it. Over the 10 days we were there, we checked it 3 times. The first time we had quite a few pics of different bucks on it and each time after, less and less. We sat in a stand about 100 yards from it a few days and could see the camera. On one occasion we watched a buck walk up almost to it and stop. He looked right at the camera and then quickly walked past it. He knew it was there. Scent wasn't the issue, it was the camera itself.

So, as much as proper use of the camera is important, so is the type and brand of camera. IMHO.