Is it wise to put trail cams close to your stands?
 

I have 3 stands set up on some well used deer funnels. These funnels narrow down right in front of my stands and would be the perfect place to place a trail cam. I have scouted my butt off to find 3 near perfect stands to intercept daytime rut activity and I think I have found them. My only worry is that if I put the trail cams out now that the deer will be spooked by the flash of the camera over and over and start to avoid the cameras before I can actually hunt the stands. Have you guy's seen any evidence that this will occur if you leave the cameras out in the same place for extended periods of time? I really would like to see what is using the funnels during the entire hunting season but I don't want to ruin the area either.

I also have a mock scrape started that is being hit real hard inside of a bedding area. I would love to place my camera on this scape to see what size bucks are hitting the scrape and at what times but then again I am worried that the flash will condition the deer to avoid the scrape.

Any info on this subject would be really helpful!!!

RE: Is it wise to put trail cams close to your stands?
 

I do not tend to leave my cam at the same spot, I move it around alot. I did get 3 different pic.s of an 11 point from the same place on three different days near the end of bow season last year. All pic.s were at night too. I think they get used to it, or not sure where it comes from.

RE: Is it wise to put trail cams close to your stands?
 

Turn the flash off and put tape over it. Set the camera for daytime only. Control your scent.

RE: Is it wise to put trail cams close to your stands?
 

Why risk it this close to the season. Not only may the deer get spooked from the cam but numerous trips into you hunting area will leave additional scent if you're not carefull. My stands are set up in the core of the funnels I hunt. I do set up my cam 30-40 yards from my stand on a run after the funnel has started to fan out. I don't catch all the animals that pass but I've gotten a look at what's around.

RE: Is it wise to put trail cams close to your stands?
 

I attached my camera to a 2x4 after pounding it in to the ground along a creek. I unknowingly placed the camera 15 feet from and pointing at a buck's bed. I have 4 daytime pictures of him and a couple of bad nighttime pictures and when i went to go get my camera, he was still bedded down right there.

Retrospect - probably wasn't an ideal place to put the camera even though I got a couple of good pictures, but it didn't seem to bother him at all.

RE: Is it wise to put trail cams close to your stands?
 

After thinking some more about this I think I have an idea. My DC-200's have the ability with the expander to only take pictures during the daytime. I think what I will do is put the cameras close to my stands but set them to take daytime pictures only. This will allow me to still see the daytime activity (After all this is what counts) and the deer will have no idea their picture was taken.

RE: Is it wise to put trail cams close to your stands?
 

I move my cam around quite a bit and never leave it up for more than a few days at a time. Personally, I continue to see some of the same deer during the season as I did preseason with the cams. The deer I do not see I tend to chalk up to my screwing something up such as my approach to the stand or some part of scent control.

Hope this helps.

RE: Is it wise to put trail cams close to your stands?
 

IMO it is not wise

RE: Is it wise to put trail cams close to your stands?
 

I find spots like you described in January, Feb, & March. I set them up then never return until time is perfect for the kill. I set my cameras up in feeding areas near my hunting areas but where actually hunting would be futile becuase you wouldn't see good bucks there in daylight. The pics tell me if the slob's im after are in the area, my preseason ( Winter ) scouting tells me where to place my stand. I have noticed the deer in my area spook badly when the flas hits them. But some of the other areas i hunt they just keep coming back. But scent of you being there is far worse than the actual flash. I like to put the cameras out just before a rain storm so they do not smell that you had been there.

RE: Is it wise to put trail cams close to your stands?
 

We had many pictures of a buck during the summer that my buddy ended up taking that fall. The camera obviously didn't scare it, and it was still nearby when rifle season came in...