So I know everyone says one of the biggest mistakes people make with trail cameras is checking them too often. Well i was told by one of the guys in the club that one of the plots has some good bucks that have been showing up on his camera and that field would be the place to be for muzzy season (18th-22nd). That is about when our rut should be kicking off. I went in last sunday and found where 3 trails converge in to 1 trail that comes in to the plot and made a mock scrape and put a camera up. Would sunday be too soon to go back in and check it? Under normal circumstances i would want to leave it for at least 2-3 weeks, but if I'm not getting anything I want to (a) move my camera to where it will be more effective (b) get another plan of attack for that week. Ive never done a mock scrape before so I'm really curious to see if it even worked. So should i slip in, swap cards, and get out or just leave it and check it the 18th?
I think a week is a reasonable time to check cams. I do it every week and know a lot of people who do. I put on rubber boots and scent free clothes when I do it just for extra caution. Anything less than a week is probably a little to much.
Well i thought about just walking in and looking at the scrape and if it looks like its been hit, waiting until the 18th. But if im going to drive 2 hours down there and walk all the way in, i might as well swap the card. rifle season starts the 23rd and i am basically my dad's "outfitter" so i am trying to find good fields to put him on.
Trail cam pics do no good if you can't look at them. If you are walking in, swap the cards. I have pics of my truck parked in the woods while I am setting up my stands and pics of a nice buck standing around the same area within a few hours. At least in my area, deer are used to activity with farmers in and out all the time. Doesn't seem to bother them too much. Then again, I have only had does, fawns, and small bucks give me shot opportunities so far. Big bucks seem to be more elusive than the rest. Just not sure if it is because of activity or not. Nah, couldn''t be that. Swap cards.
Covert Code Black is what you need But ya, if I had to drive two hours I would go in and check it. Bring some doe pee pee with you and freshen up the scrape. Or pee in it yourself. post up some pictures too if you get a chance.
IN the summer I check like every other day although I am not as careful then as I am now. I would say a week is long enough under your circumstances.
I would leave it until the first day of rifle. Than leave it for an additional 25 days just In opinion. My rifle season for KY comes in November 9th and I checked my camera last on October 27. It will be a total of 14 days that I have left it out there in the woods. I am going to check it my first day of rifle season and leave until the first week of December so they can get the rut out of there system and start going on a pattern so I can try and pattern a buck if I do not harvest one already in Rifle.
