Is august too early to be setting up game cams on state land in Michigan? I will be hunting state land that is 4 hours away so i want to make sure I have enough proof or sign of deer in a area before i set up a stand or blind. But, is august maybe a little to early to determine a pattern?
I wouldn't think so. Just be careful, I know how MI is...'the brown is down' mentality means a lot of hunters. Make sure you 'hide' your cam. Good luck.
IMO you are going to at least get an inventory of what's around...up here I know what bucks are going to be here for the early season but most the bucks switch up on us when the rut hits. However - the bucks that move in as regulars for the end of October thru November usually have made one or two appearances on the cams sometime in Aug-Sept. You will surely get a good idea of where the does are travelling though and come time for the rut the bucks will be chasing those does. Some of the patterns may change as food sources change with mast crops dropping and fields being harvested(corn)/cut(hay,alfalfa), but if you have the camera in the right place you will know - some of the bedding areas and bigger buck sanctuaries stay the same no matter where the food is. Only thing about putting the cams out earlier is there is a longer time period for some undesirable to find your cam and take it...this is what I would worry about, being that you are likely in a much higher population/traffic area than I, and I worry about theft enough out on the public lands round here especially when small game, bear, and baiting seasons open up.
