2012 Trail Cam Thread

[slimngrizzly]

I would about guarantee they are not hooks at all, but the blood filled ends drying, stretching, and sliding off. The next time I check that camera Id bet hes a clean 8.

it sure is different looking though! Maybe he ran into the side of a car!

[mabr]

Slim you might be surprised. The buck in my avatar had this happen to him in his second year and it stayed with him. We figured he hit on something during the early stages of growth.

[Finlander]

Nice pic's!

[1eyeReD]

Been reading lots about trail cams and wanted a $100 or less cam to try out and I finally decided on a Primos Truth Cam 35. Got the older model, big ugly thing but it appears to get the job done.

Couldn't wait to get it out, but because I'm hunting state land I was a bit paranoid and put the cam about 13 or 14 ft up on a tree limb that gave me a perfect angle on a crossing/water hole. It looks like the trail cam setup worked out and though I didn't get any monster bucks on the camera, I got some deer as well as other wildlife. With these being my own very first trail cam pics, I was quite excited.

Set it to 3 shot burst and with 10 second delay and left it out for a week. I had pictures throughout the week and ended up with 312 pictures with most being triggered by leaves and stuff (rookie move), but deer showed up nearly every morning and evening.

Below are just some samples of the many pics I got. Again, not bad for 100 bucks. I'm happy with my purchase and I may just get another one or two for a private piece that I usually hunt later into October (thinking of getting the TC 35 Ultra model).

Mmm backstraps..

Night pics. Good enough for a sub $100.

Bambi!!

Turkeys!

Tiny 6pt buck..

I think this guy lives very close by this stand. Hopefully his older cousin or Dad comes around to visit him.

Another tiny buck. Spike to the left.

[DaveT]

I bet you got a lot of pictures of that vine every time the wind blew. We bring a portable sprayer with roundup and spray all the vegetation in front of the camera but sometimes we still get a rogue weed that grows right in front of it. Frustrating!

[1eyeReD]

Indeed. That vine was quite an action star. I was hesitant to try and remove it while standing on screw in steps and it was well out of my reach while setting up.

[james_walleye]

Nothing new of the big deer on this property, but this was kind of neat.

[fr0sty]

Nice, freshly peeled!

[BuckmasterG]

Pretty excited about these deer! Both dandies but would leave the 8 for another year first is on the hit list. Too bad they only showed up on the camera over the feeder, let them snack for another week and hopefully they will stick around for our plots and acorns.

[BuckmasterG]

Awesome Pics James! Hope I can catch some shedding the velvet, so far all still had them as of Monday on our land.

[96trigger]

[JBone]

Monster!!

[Finlander]

Nice pic's! Now if you can only have them show up when the season starts! Good Luck!

[fishinfey8]

The first nice buck that my dad has gotten on camera this year. Looks young to me, wonder what he will look like next year if he makes it!

[96trigger]

nice buck!

[Crappie Rage]

Fishin, I think that buck is older than you think. Short looking legs and a belly. Neck to chest looks smooth. Minimum of 3.5 possibly 4.5. He will look completely different in another 5 or 6 weeks.

[bigbucks]

I agree he's not all that young. They look a lot younger with summer hair & no rut.

[slimngrizzly]

Ya hes a chub! I agree hes an older mature deer. Sticker off the 2 as well!

Id be trying to put an end to that aging process!

[fishinfey8]

Thanks guys, that is good to know! I have been hunting for quite a few years, but my dad (and out hunting party) is just starting practicing QDM on his land. This has included growing plots, cameras, and the whole nine yards. I shot a dandy off the property in 2010- and we know there are good genetics around, but I am having a hard time judging old vs young, and the "hit" list from ones that we should let live. It's tough since I live 6hrs away, but it sure is fun getting pictures via email or texts! Without any prior knowledge, would you say take him, or give him another year? Is there any science when you haven't watched him grow up?

[leech~~]

Anyone else run into this same issue? The last few years that I have put out cams over a mineral block everything starts out really well with hundreds of pictures of nice bucks, does, bear and as the weeks get colder and the leafs start to drop I get less and less shots until it tappers off to all most nothing by the time rifle season hits. I'm thinking that after it cools down the Deer just don't seem to need the salt and minerals to retain water as much? Is this happening to anyone else and what do you think is happening?

[surewood]

That's typical. They start dispersing, develop a hierarchy. Salt isn't on their mind so much. Once the rut starts I usually get some mature bucks again.

[slimngrizzly]

Leech, I would assure you that happens to EVERYBODY who leaves their cams on the mineral. The deer are dispersing, their hormones are changing, and their bodies have less of a need for protein and more demand for carbohydrates. Acorns and corn are better to focus on now, thats what they will be fattening up on!

[sticknstring]

True dat. Move your cams to travel corridors, food sources, & mock scrapes!

[Finlander]

It's like a new ballgame once the velvet drops! Move the camera's to new locations for sure!

[leech~~]

Leech, I would assure you that happens to EVERYBODY who leaves their cams on the mineral. The deer are dispersing, their hormones are changing, and their bodies have less of a need for protein and more demand for carbohydrates. Acorns and corn are better to focus on now, thats what they will be fattening up on!

I do have it setup right smack in the middle of all oaks so there are acorns all over. It maybe that the acorns go away and so do the deer later in the season?