Just curious how everyone sets up their camera sites. This is my first year with a camera, all I have done to this point is set it up on a spot where I have a trace mineral block that sits on top of a stump. I've gotten alot of pics, mostly does/fawns/critters. A few small bucks. I set up a mock scrape and moved my camera to it a couple weeks ago. Checked it several times...nothing. I put it on a tree along a logging road that has had scrapes each year religiously, still nothing. I just moved it back to my mineral block yesterday. At least I can get some pics, LOL. The bucks are non-existent on my property this year...even as we speak. I have yet to find a scrape anywhere, and very few rubs...and seen only 1 buck when hunting. I'm hoping it picks up. Never seen it like this. Still seeing does, so that is a positive. What do you guys use to establish your sites that you've had good luck with? On a bait site, I figure most use corn? How much do you put out, and how often do you refresh? Gonna probably pick up a few more cameras and want to start a few new sites. Trying to get some ideas of what works well for you guys. Thanks
This year I also bought my first camera. In my area it's thick big woods so if you want instant pictures you use corn/apples to get the deer to come in. If you put that out by me I guarantee that every night you'll get deer. They also pound the bait by me so no matter how much bait you put out it'll be gone the next day. But in Wisconsin you can only put out 2 gallons of feed so that's what I do. So this year was tricky to find the bucks by me. Last year I scouted and found a really sweet rub line. I thought this area would be great next year if the bucks survive. Well I put out my camera and got nothing but does, fawns, and raccoons. I did this for about a month and then suddenly a buck showed up. And another, then another. It's like the bucks came out of hiding. I have maybe 4 or 5 different bucks that came to my camera (and some nice ones) until the rut happened. I get few pics of them now. But mostly trail cams are a trial and error type deal. You learn to use them based on your area. I've tried to set them out in different views on my bait to get better pictures. Putting them up in mock scrapes aren't a bad idea. One thing I would try is to find a rub line and position the cam alone the route of the rub line. Or wait until the snow flies and watch for steady runways. Either way have fun with it.
You can use corn and also get a good mineral site started in Jan. if there is a good water source nearby.
In no particular order, Monster Raxx sites, water sources, heavily used trails, food sources and field edges is what I have the best luck with.
I put out apples in an open field in early September and over 1 week I had over 300 pictures of deer... All bucks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
