Go Back  HuntingNet.com Forums > General Hunting Forums > Whitetail Deer Hunting
Natural Hunting Skill vs Trail Cams >

Natural Hunting Skill vs Trail Cams

Whitetail Deer Hunting Gain a better understanding of the World's most popular big game animal and the techniques that will help you become a better deer hunter.

Natural Hunting Skill vs Trail Cams

Old 10-09-2014, 07:07 AM
  #101  
Nontypical Buck
 
rockport's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,359
Default

Originally Posted by kswild
Hunting is how I gather my info as well!! I'm sure your right about it being a lot of fun running cameras not to mention seeing all the cool pics. Would not be a bad hobby to have. Hope you have a successful hunting season
Good luck to you as well. I shot a doe Saturday so I'll just be watching from a tree for a while now unless a big boy happens by. I slacked on getting the freezer organized and ready this year so its overfilled now.
rockport is offline  
Old 10-09-2014, 07:23 AM
  #102  
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
 
kswild's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Kansas
Posts: 616
Default

Originally Posted by rockport
Good luck to you as well. I shot a doe Saturday so I'll just be watching from a tree for a while now unless a big boy happens by. I slacked on getting the freezer organized and ready this year so its overfilled now.
Sounds like a good problem to have. Congrats on the doe!
kswild is offline  
Old 10-09-2014, 07:29 AM
  #103  
Fork Horn
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 101
Default

Originally Posted by Muley Hunter
Ok, one last question. I'll admit i've never used a stand, and i've never used cameras.

If you were looking for places to put up stands. Wouldn't putting up cameras for those spots be helpful before the hunt starts?

I understand a camera won't kill a deer for you, but isn't it added information you can use for your hunt?

Also, if you're a trophy hunter. Wouldn't it help you see what trophy bucks are in the area? Unlike mule deer. Whitetails don't have a big area they live in. Seeing one on camera would tell you what's in the area.

Putting a camera on a game trail would tell you how much traffic an area is getting.

None of this info is helpful to a hunter? It sure would be for me.
As far as if cameras are helpful for where you're hanging a stand… Well, yes and no. As I said you can have a lot of deer coming through an area but if you're relying solely on what shows up on the camera, you could very well discount an area that actually has a good amount of deer activity. The one thing it does help with, as you mentioned, would be if you're a trophy hunter (in my book anything that a hunter takes and is proud of is a trophy). Then you can get a good idea of what deer you would and wouldn't want to shoot. Can help minimize ground shrinkage (been there done that). I no longer shoot anything small because I like to hunt and I could shoot a young buck about every other time I go out. So yes, trail cameras in that respect do help. I've been to Colorado before and was successful on a bull on public land, and I don't think for that kind of hunt a trail camera would have been worth anything. I've never hunted mule deer (would like to) so I can't speak as to how much help they'd be for that. Or for anything other than whitetail and black bear for that matter.
Wisco94 is offline  
Old 10-09-2014, 07:38 AM
  #104  
Giant Nontypical
 
Muley Hunter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 9,557
Default

Part of my scouting for elk is looking for bedding areas. It very hard to find bedding areas without disturbing the elk. It's also hard getting close to them in bedding areas during the hunt, but that's another story.

I also look for waterholes, wallows etc. For me to see if those are being used by the elk, and when they're being used. I have to hide out, and watch. That could be an all day job, and i still can't see if they're using them at night. I've often thought that hanging a camera would make it much easier, but i'm stubborn. I continue to hunt like my dad did, and how he taught me in the 1950's. Sort of in honor of him.

Anyway, use your cameras, and enjoy it. I know I enjoy my scouting. I combine it a lot with fly fishing the high mountain creeks. Nothing beats some brookies for lunch cooked up next to a creek high in the Rockies.
Muley Hunter is offline  
Old 10-09-2014, 07:57 AM
  #105  
Nontypical Buck
 
rockport's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,359
Default

Originally Posted by kswild
Sounds like a good problem to have. Congrats on the doe!
lol not as good as it sounds. The biggest reason the freezer is so full is because we have just been pulling stuff out randomly all year and it a big unorganized mess. More of a lack of organization problem than a to much meat problem.

Usually before season starts I pull everything out, defrost the freezer, and give some meat to some people that need it and start over but we have had a lot going on recently so it is what it is.
rockport is offline  
Old 10-09-2014, 08:04 AM
  #106  
Nontypical Buck
 
rockport's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,359
Default

Originally Posted by Muley Hunter
Part of my scouting for elk is looking for bedding areas. It very hard to find bedding areas without disturbing the elk. It's also hard getting close to them in bedding areas during the hunt, but that's another story.

I also look for waterholes, wallows etc. For me to see if those are being used by the elk, and when they're being used. I have to hide out, and watch. That could be an all day job, and i still can't see if they're using them at night. I've often thought that hanging a camera would make it much easier, but i'm stubborn. I continue to hunt like my dad did, and how he taught me in the 1950's. Sort of in honor of him.

Anyway, use your cameras, and enjoy it. I know I enjoy my scouting. I combine it a lot with fly fishing the high mountain creeks. Nothing beats some brookies for lunch cooked up next to a creek high in the Rockies.
White tail are the same way. IMO getting pictures of a mature white tail in the day time without chasing him would be very difficult. I guess it depends on the pressure in the area. I personally like to let the neighbors over scout then setup where the mature deer go as a result.

That fishing part sounds pretty awesome.
rockport is offline  
Old 10-09-2014, 08:12 AM
  #107  
Giant Nontypical
 
Muley Hunter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 9,557
Default

Colorado has so much public land we can hunt you can't just guess. You need to scout a lot, or hang cameras. Cameras are very popular here.

Here's a small example of where I hunt. Multiply it by 10 spots like this. Where do you look?

Muley Hunter is offline  
Old 10-09-2014, 08:40 AM
  #108  
Nontypical Buck
 
d80hunter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,186
Cool

Originally Posted by Muley Hunter
Ok, one last question. I'll admit i've never used a stand, and i've never used cameras.

If you were looking for places to put up stands. Wouldn't putting up cameras for those spots be helpful before the hunt starts?

I understand a camera won't kill a deer for you, but isn't it added information you can use for your hunt?

Also, if you're a trophy hunter. Wouldn't it help you see what trophy bucks are in the area? Unlike mule deer. Whitetails don't have a big area they live in. Seeing one on camera would tell you what's in the area.

Putting a camera on a game trail would tell you how much traffic an area is getting.

None of this info is helpful to a hunter? It sure would be for me.
True cameras can provide information of what is going on in the woods. However I personally believe the use of a trail camera to dictate where you hang a stand is inferior to scouting the land. Knowing where the feeding and bedding areas are combined with knowing the natural land funnels in between, then hanging the stand on the most used deer trail based on this information is how I hunt.

If I hang a camera after all the scouting it doesn't change anything. I am going to sit in this location as long as it takes till I harvest a whitetail, regardless of what pictures the trail camera shows, however good or bad the pictures I look at make it out to be.
d80hunter is offline  
Old 10-09-2014, 08:41 AM
  #109  
Nontypical Buck
 
rockport's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,359
Default

Originally Posted by Muley Hunter
Colorado has so much public land we can hunt you can't just guess. You need to scout a lot, or hang cameras. Cameras are very popular here.

Here's a small example of where I hunt. Multiply it by 10 spots like this. Where do you look?

Certainly a different environment. I hunt a little over 1000 acres in IL. It sets between the IL and Mississippi river so its not flat like most of IL but in that 1000 acres I'm pretty confident with where to hunt and I make adjustments based on what I see when I'm hunting.
rockport is offline  
Old 10-09-2014, 08:45 AM
  #110  
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: North Idaho
Posts: 1,071
Default

Originally Posted by Muley Hunter
I'm not sure why nobody wants to admit that cameras don't help. I sure wouldn't be doing something if it doesn't help. I posted a link that says they help, and explained how.

Like I said. I have no problem with using cameras if that what someone does. Just be honest why you're using them. It's like someone using a GPS, and saying they don't help them find their way.
its been said many times...they do help..but its not a guarantee you will see or bag the specific deer you are looking at on the camera. I personally like to see the game that comes through.

Originally Posted by Muley Hunter
Wrong assumption bud. I use no optics at all. I'm a still hunter, and only hunt in the dark timber for mule deer, elk, and black bear. Never had a shot over 75 yds with 90% of them in bow range. I use a sidelock muzzleloader.

I was born and brought up in Mass. I hunted for plenty of whitetails with a shotgun in the 50's. Pretty much bow range again.

How do you hunt?
you are still using a tool, otherwise you would be out there hunting with your bare hands. Seems like if its something you dont use or do its not fair or cheating. Im sure some tradition bow hunters would say you have an unfair advantage using a muzzle loader.

Originally Posted by deernutz
Why in the heck are we "HUNTERS" arguing about who hunts the best, or the purest way. Whether we like it or not technology is here to stay. Some choose to use it some choose not. We all buy a deer tag and hunt within our states hunting regs. Does that make us better or worse hunters. No that makes us legal hunters. We as hunters loose ground everyday, and us putting each other down or questioning each on the way we hunt brings us down more. Hunt the way u want with what legall tools you have. Lets start backing each other because one day we may wake up and it may not be there.
exactly...there are horrible people that claim to be hunters that give the general hunting population a bad name.

Originally Posted by BarnesX.308
The only buck we ever shot that we had on cams was nowhere near where the cam was. It was purely coincidence. During the rut, I'll put cameras in a couple fields that deer only hit at night. It is only so I can get pictures. I have no idea where these bucks come from. Some may just be wanderers, looking for doe.
exactly. Ive had super nice bucks on camera...I never saw them when I was out there in the area of the camera and a couple got taken a couple miles away...would I have shot the bucks I saw on camera? sure but as far as cameras making it an unfair advantage I think its negligible. For me its more of a hobby of getting good game pics.
Wilcam47 is offline  

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.