Nick from MO asks,
Topic: Trail Camera Survey Method: When you were taking inventory of your new hunting spot last fall, did you use the same trail camera regiment as you have in the past?
Bill responds,
I used the same system of getting the inventory of bucks on the farm I hunted in 2020 as I have used for the prior several seasons on the farm I sold.
Nick,
Yes, I started in mid-September putting the cameras over small piles of corn until I had an idea what was in each area. I ran 10 total cameras, five on each side of the valley.
I didn’t run any in the cover or on the ridges. I figured that most of the deer on the ridges would come to valley to feed in the ag fields. So to keep impact down, I only put cameras on the edge in places I could drive to with the ATV.
I learned as much as I could in about three to four weeks and then pulled all the cameras in mid-October. I started hunting in late October. I don’t really want to know where ever deer is at every minute of the day.
I just want to know where the bigger ones live and something about their behavior (daylight active vs nocturnal) and how dominant they seem to be from interaction with other deer on the photos.
I also want to know how often they show up because that tells me how close I am to their core. Knowing what direction they approach the camera from and which way they go when leaving also tells me much about where they are likely bedding.
That’s my approach. I learn as much as I can, as quickly as I can and then remove the cameras and start hunting. Good luck. (3/4/21)
