I checked my camera 2 days ago..I've been checking it every 4 or 5 days....was getting lots of bucks and then when I checked it...had one buck and tons of doe/fawn pictures and a gobbler. I moved my camera across this over grown hay field to a piece of woods surrounded by fields on 3 sides...lots of deer trails in there...Bucks starting to lose velevt so I'm guessing the deer are starting to move around...set up their territories, etc....

I know several guys that practice the same thing and are successul. Deer don't recognize human scent as dangerous instinctivly. It is just a smell. It is the activity associated with the new smell that puts them on alert. Get the deer used to your smell in a non threatening way and they will settle down in my opinion.

this is only practicle on small acre tracts (a few hundred) IMHO.

You just never know. Theres a bunch of things that could have happened. Your scent in the area but it would only deter for a day or so. A hunter your not aware of. Predetors in the area. I don't think it was the camera though.

I would bet on the facts that these guys are right. I think it is a combination of the two, You came in excited to see what you had on the camera and did not think about your scent, or they had moved for a while to check out a new food source. Like they said have patience they will be back. Also this is all part of finding the pattern of the deer on your property as well check out your surroundings and look for sign and move your cameras, and see what you come up with. Good luck.

i noticed when i put my cam up it was 2 days when the deer started coming in, a few days later the cows came by then 2 days later the deer came back, then the grazing leaser came and shredded and the deer came back 2 days later. although this last time i was in and out, only replacing batteries and swapping sd cards. when i went to check it the deer came in the next morning. they are unpredictable even when you think you know, but im sure scent is a factor and maybe not a bad thing just an abnormal thing for them to risk geting too close to. good luck.

maybe :alien: happened !

Did you turn them on? Just kidding! Scent control is a must. The doe's don't seem to care as much but the bucks do. Also, I noticed that if your still using a flash at night. This is usally only good for one snap shot of Mr. Big. Thats if it doesn't go off before the doe's get to it off first. The Big boys don't tolerate flashes in night very well. GOOD LUCK

Trail Cams
 

are designed to drive hunters nuts before they go hunting.
Those trail cams try to get you to figure everything out, before you get out there hunting and figure everything out.