I set out some gamecams a couple days ago, I was wondering how long most of you let your gamecams sit before checking them the first time and how frequently you check them? I don't want to push the deer out of the areas I set the cams (had good fresh deer sign in the areas I set them) due to increased human activity in those areas. I try to make sure my boots are at least sprayed with Dead Down Wind scent spray but I know I'm still leaving some human scent behind that might make the more mature deer skeptical about going back to those areas.
some times as little as a week sometimes as long as a month my property is lightly hunted and it does not seem to matter.... I will also wear rubber gloves and boots when I check them and spray them with scent eliminator whenever I put one out..Time of day you check is more important, I try and check mid-day most of the time..
I don't use rubber gloves, but I do wear rubber boots. I normally spray my cams down too before leaving the area due to touching them. I have a hard time getting out all my scentless hunting clothes (since I have them bagged up to keep them scentless) just to check cams so I normally wear my everyday clothes. I think I will try to wait at least a week even though I'm already itching to see what I have on them after only a couple days. I'm going on vacation tomorrow for a week, so that will keep me out of the woods, but I think I'll be inpatient and check them today before leaving for a week lol.
truthfully I don't always wear gloves.... I have put cams in a new area and checked them in only a few days just to see if it was worth hunting in the next day or so.
I usually check mine every week or so. The last camera had been out for 4 days and 3 hours after I left it there were 4 does at the corn. I'm checking cameras today that have been out for a week. Its not uncommon for me to check one after only a few days though and if its in a good spot there will be pics on it. I have a 12 year old son that wants to see whats on the cams NOW! Checking cams is fun and the whole point of what were doing is to have fun. I think the biggest thing is time of day you put it out and check is the wind direction. The first time I put one out I try to have it down wind of anticipated deer movement and I don't check one with the wind blowing in the direction deer might be bedded.
I couldn't contain myself so I just went out and checked the cam closest to my house which is about 150 yards away. I have my cameras set to take 3 pictures every 30 seconds and I had 160 pictures on my one cam of 8 doe and yearlings, funny they stuck around that area for so long with out any food in the area, can't have food out this time of year in PA (can't bait deer) since late muzzleloader is in season right now and late archery starts in a couple weeks. All those doe moving through there is a good sign, but I set the cam in that specific spot because I was seeing buck sign not doe so hopefully after leaving it there for a week while I'm vacation all those doe don't fill up my memory space in my S-card before the buck come through.
I'll check my other cams after I grab some lunch.. There were pictures of deer on my cam less than 20 minutes before I just checked it and had deer snorting at me letting me know they knew I was in the area.
I bought a cannon camera on e-bay cheaper than you can buy a camouflaged card reader. How often I check the cameras depends on the time of the year. My cameras are placed at feeding sites and I feed every day so I could check the chips every day. This time of year I check once a week. I have found that I go into the area so much it does not hurt to leave scent heck I do it on purpose year round.
Still be more convenient than how I do it now. I go to my cam, get my card then go back to my house to check the pics on my laptop, then have to walk back out to the cam to put my card back in the cam. Would be nice to have one of those so I could check all the pics right there at the cam site without all the extra foot work. I've always had problems getting the buck to come in to any place I feed deer. The doe seem to have no problems with going to the spots I feed them, they will literally stand there and watch me put the food out, like they're waiting for it. But the buck don't even seem interested in the food at all until late winter when food becomes more scarce, especially after those tough winters. Seems like the doe will take whats given to them (maybe because they travel in groups and have more mouths to feed), where as the buck will only bother with the food when it's their last resort.
I check mine out about every week mid day. And while we are talking game cams what is your guys opinion on the stick and pick pro's con's etc.
In the off season I check them every week or so. We get a lot of rain here; so I try to time it where I can check them during the rain. This helps keep human scent down to a minimum. If no rain is forecasted, I check them every 7-10 days. I wear gloves when I am hanging them the very first time. I wear rubber boots when checking them and if I don't have gloves, I spray my hands with scent elimination spray.
I check them about once every 2 weeks during the summer. During deer season it's usually every week or sooner if I'm hunting near one. We have 2 SD cards for every camera so we just replace it with a fresh one every time we check it and bring the one with the pictures home.
I'm going to pick up a couple more of them.. Some common sense I have it's never even came to my mind to have spare memory cards to carry with me to switch with the ones that are currently in my cams.
I check my cams every 1 to 1 1/2 weeks and I also have 2 cards for each cam so I just swap them out so I am in and out quickly. During the off season when I am running mineral sites I check my cams once a month.
I check when ever I go hunting, some time every other weekend sometimes every few weeks. I am going to put fresh batteries in and leave them out this winter. Just to see if I have a lot of yotes or not. Also to see what the deer heard looks like thru the winter. Beefie
