2019 Deer Hunting

[Okie4570]

I’m finding the more I use game cameras the less motivation I have to get in the stand if I’m not seeing anything on camera. I guess this kind of makes sense, but I used to hunt no matter what...

Other than during the chase phase, I'm pretty much the same.

 

[makeithappen]

Holy smokes, what a hunt. I've only had that much action during the rut.

Around 515 a doe and button showed up. Two 1.5 year old bucks from the south pushed them off and nosed the doe around. About 550 5 does came from the north and immediately got harassed by the bucks. It was like watching pinball. Deer were bouncing all around me between 3 and 30 yards. 558 3 more bucks appeared from the south, with 2 being those I know to run with my target buck. 605 I hear him coming from the south. Couple steps and stop, repeat. He kept spooking and circling far enough out that he wasn't even a shadow. 3 minutes after shooting light, he came to 10 yards and froze. Some coons came in and he moved back to 40 yards. I started in stand until 7pm when I finally threw in the towel and figured he'd forget me easing out 260 days from now.

 

[makeithappen]

I think you are on the right track with your thoughts on game cams.
The cell cams make it worse.
We have taken the anticipation of a great hunt into a doldrums during the season because the Big boy didn’t show up that was seen prior to the season opener.

I've seen deer avoid cameras by chance too often to fully trust them as the all seeing eye. I still fall victim to that mindset but I remind myself they only catch maybe 5% of the activity at a stand location.

 

[dennishoddy]

I've seen deer avoid cameras by chance too often to fully trust them as the all seeing eye. I still fall victim to that mindset but I remind myself they only catch maybe 5% of the activity at a stand location.

I’ve got dozens of pics with just the eye of a deer looking inches away From the IR bulbs. They seem to be curious for the most part.
I generated a thread on it on another hunting forum I participate in with lots of pics showing the same thing from other participants.
Some of my cams are the glow emitters and some are the no glow.
I haven’t studied the process for either other than the no glow doesn’t shine at night if a human were walking through

 

[makeithappen]

Right. I may have used incorrect wording on that. I don't believe most deer intentionally avoid the camera, but I've witnessed many deer circle the area a camera is at, thus avoiding being on camera.

 

[retrieverman]

Right. I may have used incorrect wording on that. I don't believe most deer intentionally avoid the camera, but I've witnessed many deer circle the area a camera is at, thus avoiding being on camera.

I’m going to guess that the avoidance of game cameras is a learned response, and something negative has happened to create that response. Personally, I’ve never seen it. On my place in OK and here in TX, the does are the most skittish, but like Dennis said, I have them almost put their eye on the lens several times a year. I’ve even had them chew on the antenna of my cell cams multiple times. All that being said, after over 20 years of using game cams, I trust them, because I’ve killed too many nice bucks by using the data from the camera to pattern them.

 

[Okie4570]

I've actually stopped and bought food fifteen minutes from my cams, ate in the truck as I was driving, swapped cards, and have doe noses right on the lens within 20 minutes of me leaving lol. Strange what will and won't spook them sometimes.

 

[BobbyV]

I've actually stopped and bought food fifteen minutes from my cams, ate in the truck as I was driving, swapped cards, and have doe noses right on the lens within 20 minutes of me leaving lol. Strange what will and won't spook them sometimes.

I had a guide tell me one year that whenever he fills feeders or puts a camera out that he always leaves the 4 wheeler or side-by-side running so they get used to it and supposedly still come to the food consistently.

Don't know if that's legit or all him blowin' smoke, but who knows.

We've had bucks walk right through a herd of cattle with us putting out feed before . . . .

 

[Okie4570]

I was filling a feeder in ks once and left ATV running, as I was rolling up corn sacks the feeder threw. I put the sacks under a bungee on the atv rack, looked over and here come 5 does running down the hill, was kind of surprised. They stopped at the fence, I drove off and when I got to the top of the hill that overlooking the canyon, I looked back and they were under the feeder already.

 

[dlbleak]

I leave my truck running while I’m feeding and make a little extra noise when wadding up the sacks. The next time I check cards, there is usually a deer in there within 15 or so.