How many of you scout the old way...pre camera? I don't even own one but just prefer hunting the sign and seeing the buck the first time from my stand.
I just scout old school
I do as well. Nothing against cameras, I get that they can be part of the fun, but my job requires looking at a screen for multiple hours every day. I guess I just enjoy keeping woods time simple.
I find regardless of the fact that I do use cameras, unless I have 50 out in each spot covering every conceivable angle, you still need to spend considerable time with boots on the ground, walking, observing and employing woodsy skill and figure out what the animals are doing and why ...... so I certainly do both and will say "old school" scouting is king and has to be done. Deer do crazy things and they love to change it up on ya, particularly the bucks. You have to try to capture the big picture of what they are doing and the cams only get you part way and sometimes not even that far.
Strictly old school. Don't own a camera. Scouting and reading sign is part of the hunt.
Last year was the first time I had ever used trail cameras.
Mid-Way USA had a sale, 3 for about $50 so I bought 3. Next week they were still on sale and I bought 3 more.
We placed them around the mountain, and checked them every weekend.
We got some cool pictures of deer, bear and turkeys, including a 12 pointer that showed up a week before rifle season. My brother in-law shot him, he weighed 202 pounds. We had a lot of fun!!
This year we put them up around the yard at the new house. Mainly just to see what's coming out after dark.
So far, just the same few does and fawn, and "Spike" who I had seen earlier this summer with his twin brother.
I have not seen his brother in a month or so...?? But Spike comes around during the day from time to time.
I did get a few night pictures of a nice 8 pointer, that I hope to introduce to Zwickey Delta next month!! :pray:
That said, I'm still an old school guy, doing it the old school way.... :archer:
Wouldn't you have to know where the trails are and the way animals travel "before" you knew where to put out cameras to get pictures of them? Just sayin! :bigsmyl:
I don't use a camera. Actually, I don't need to do a whole lot of scouting. I have been hunting the same property for so long, I am familiar with the common game patterns. I just look around to see if anything has changed since last season. As long as there is no major outside influence, the deer remain, for the most part, creatures of habit.
Exactly Sam. :thumbsup:
Quote from: BAK on September 02, 2022, 11:36:56 AM
Wouldn't you have to know where the trails are and the way animals travel "before" you knew where to put out cameras to get pictures of them? Just sayin! :bigsmyl:
Nope, just stick it on a tree and you'll get all the big bucks to pose... :laughing:
By the way I keep a few cams out but there is no excuse to not do the ground work. I take em down for the most part before season starts, you have to be where the deer are and I'm not movin cameras into new areas during hunt time.
The ones I do have out , I mount about 8-9' off the ground and ride the Honda up to them and change cards every couple weeks.
No choice here in AZ. They are illegal period
I have never used cameras. To me getting out there and scout ahead of season or when going in worked for me decades. Still harvest animals, guess just prefer workmanship over tech. One fails
No cameras for me,kinda takes something away from it for me
Bought one last summer...never put it up anywhere. Probably just mount it for home security/surveillance somewhere.
I look 'round real careful before I cop a squat out there. :nono:
Killdeer
To me that's not old school. It's the only way, keeping ourselves as much of the hunt as possible
My camera gets a lot of use but in the side yard. My wife likes to see picture's of the deer at the apple tree and then later when she feeds them...
I have hunted the same ladder stand for 5 years. changes in the area do cause changes in deer activity.
Wind storms knocking down trees, crop rotation, acorn crop, even a guy that set up a ground blind 100 yards away last year. He set it up 10 yards off of a major trail that comes around the corner at a steep draw.
Still need some foot work...
Every bit of skill that goes into shooting a deer is the same amount that goes into to getting good pictures of one. Unless you are using bait or something you can't just set the cam out into the woods somewhere and have the deer come pose like on the cover of field and stream. I scout a lot before, after and during the season looking sign of hot oak trees or browsing areas, funnels etc. Cameras are just one more piece of the much larger puzzle to me
Still enjoy doing it old style.
Old school, because I'm old !!
Old school, most of the places I hunt cameras don't last long.
:campfire: :coffee: :archer2: :campfire: