So 2 weeks ago I place a cam. Check it 5 days later had over 20 videos. Had about 6 different bucks and a couple does. Then wait about 10 days only had 5 videos. 2 does 2 bucks and turkeys. I set up a mock scrape in the same area. To try and get a good look at the bucks. Should I be worried about the drop of activitie ? Some of the videos were the same deer backtracking in the frist pull.
The deer are smelling your scent and adjusting their travel routes. Stay out of the area, you know they are there.....but you don't want them to know you are there.
Trailcams are a mixed emotion game. One minute they can have you flying high and confident as can be. The next they can have you wondering if you should save them vacation days for summer. There are so many factors. One as listed above is your scent in the area. Remember also a trailcamera covers a small area. They aren't showing the big picture. We put them in the best places possible, then stay away and hope for the best. But nothing beats seat time when season hits, can see those deer that were walking 3 feet to the left of the camera that you been missing for months.
Well it could be a varity of reasons, but I wouldn't worry about it. Set your cams and wait a couple weeks to go check them. It's still really early and deer have a lot of cover and browse this time of year. I'd keep away for a while though just to make sure your not pressuring them out of there.
Don't check the cams so often. Its hard to resist the temptation but you have to let them sit. At Minimum I wait 3 weeks but usually only check mine once a month during the summer. During bow season I usually only check the cam if i'm going to that spot to hunt. Its very common to see results like you did. Maybe the weather was different. Maybe for a few days they went behind the tree you had the camera and you would never even know it. I agree with the above poster though, checking the cam too often usually gets them on edge because they smell your scent and they will use a different route for a few days until they feel comfortable again.
I get you dont want to have more scent than necessary but deer in most places are used to human scent. They encounter it daily most of the time in most areas. I dont like to walk threw my hunting areas more than I have to but once every week or 2 doesnt worry me all that much.
From where I have a cam I can see houses. Maybe 150 yards. And the land owner goes out to cut fire wood every so often. But he rides his tractor. Bit I'm definitely going to give at a least 2 week. I still have to set my stands.
Yea i guess the type of area and how close it is to other people definately plays a part. You probably would be fine doing it once a week or two. My area is a little different, but I like to check all my cams when its raining or going to rain shortly after i'm there.
thats the problem with people and trail cameras. Everybody wants to check them every week, and all you do is pressure the area with scent. i check mine every 2 months unless closer to november with colder weather. you will see much better results.
I had the same issue. I think the new scent from the mock scrapes contributed as well as my scent too. I took mine down for now just because I didn't have the confidence in them right now. I will probably put them back out during the first part of October but for now I chose to let the area go undisturbed until September 26. Other than setting a stand towards the edge of the woods for my girlfriend Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
There are areas where deer expect to encounter human scent and areas they do not, in areas they expect it to be they'll tolerate it. In areas they expect to be void of scent most will react negatively when encountered, especially older animals. Right now in my area the deer have transitioned to acorns, that could play a part also.
Youre in there way to much. I set my cameras and check them monthly. In and out. I just swap cards and get the heck out of there
