Something I have started doing this year (actually this past week) is Run-n-Gun Trail Camming. I will not do this after season starts (about 3 weeks). What I am doing is setting up my cam after going in clean and quiet. (If there is such a thing) I set up my cam over a travel area, leave it for 4 days, pull it. If there is a buck on it, fine. If not, I move on anyway. I figure if a buck is using the travel route "frequently", then I should have at least one pic of him. If I still want to hunt this area, whether I get pics or not, during the later part of the season, no foul committed. Point: These are not bedding or staging areas. Travel zones only. I will only invade the staging/bedding areas later. What do you all think about this as for as locating a frequently used travel route?
I have a 40 acre continuous piece and sevral acres scattered about where my house is located. I won't do this on my main property for 2 reasons: 1) Do not have the time 2) I really like to leave it be with little to no disturbance until season starts. There are lots of trails around my home area though. I have a couple bucks that seem to maintain a regular pattern each year because no one can get to them where they bed. I also know there are some slammers that bed not far from my home as well. Just tuff hunting.
I think it makes sense and will be less likely to educate "more" deer. After all is said and done, yeah, he may never show there again, but, if I get 1 pic of him using that travel route... He may decide to use it again. If I get no pics in 4 days, I will not be out 2 weeks of wondering what's on my cam. Just my opinion.
Sounds like a good way to utilize cams DURING season to be able to quickly set up on a buck using an area.....but I see no advantage to it during the summer months. Leaving a cam for 3-4 weeks until a card fills up and going in and out the same way, will cause no more disturbance than the 4 day method, especially if the 4 day method is in and out of the same general area. I think during the fall months it could REALLY help one decide on where to setup though. I plan to start monitoring scrapes and the trails history has shown me bucks use when they start first cruising for does and becoming more active. I will have as many cams as possible out, and a quick 4-5 days will tell me which area if any is worth hunting.
Let me put it this way.. the EDUCATION of a whitetail is the hunters WORST enemy. You'll only educate him.. every 4th day you enter your odds will substantially fall on a resident buck. Let me get this straight too.. since I know you don't believe in SL or SB... You somehow believe that what you're proposing is better than using these products? Because you believe you will be less of an intrusion than a guy who wears this stuff?
First of all Duke, I won't even pretend to know as much as you about Buck hunting. I will clarify though, that I am not planning to enter any "core" bedding or staging areas for cam purposes. Much like Jeff said, I will only go in those areas when the wind is right, and I intend to hunt "then". I am talking about using this method only in transition/travel trails to and from feeding areas. What is this? Not sure what you are referring to. I will say, I Do Not put any faith in SL or SB. I just don't. If someone can show me how it helps, I'll be glad to listen. What I am proposing to do is try a different method of scouting. I fully agree, scent will be there. The trails and travel routes are scattered quite a bit though. (Like each one is anywhere from 400 to 500 yds or more apart.) I really do not feel like this type intrusion will be any worse/or better than using, or not using SB or SL. jmho
Um, no, it's not. I just said earlier that my main area is 40acres. I also said, I will not be utilizing this tactic on "that" land. The areas I will use it on is scattered trails/travel routes that covers an "overall" area of about 100 acres.
I'm sorry LA.. I guess my original response came off wrong. It was merely an observation about many hunters who are so quick to negate a product like SL.. but then will walk into their woods 25 times before their season first starts to fill their "need" of a picture. Just an observation.. and one I think makes NO sense. Sorry it came out so harsh.
No problem Duke, No offense taken. I see where you are coming from. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I do value yours at times.:D
