One of my favorite things to do leading up to, throughout,
and after deer season is to take inventory on our trail cams. We have 200 acres
that we hunt on and have about 8 trail cams that we check often. Believe me, I
wish we had more as we always seem to find somewhere to hang another! By
hanging cameras throughout our property we are able to get a better idea on the
amount of deer we have, where they are hanging out and the times they are
moving.
One of the most exciting things to me is checking our
cameras in the summertime before bow season starts to see what kind of deer we
have to go after that season. I pay close attention to the type of deer we have
and when and where they are moving. It’s important that you have an idea on the
amount of deer and your buck to doe ratio so you know how to properly manage
your deer herd.
It seems a lot of people like to hang cameras only at
feeding sites. While this may help you initially in determining the amount and
types of deer you have, you still need to hang cameras in other places
throughout the property. Some good places for cameras are next to trails,
stream crossings, draws, water sources, or areas with wildlife sign (scrapes,
rubs, or tracks). This is especially helpful throughout mid season when the rut
hits since a buck's main priority at this time isn't food, it's finding a hot doe!
If you're having trouble finding a good place to mount your trail camera try using the Stic-N-Pic Trail Camera Mounting System. This allows you to place your trail camera pretty much anywhere you choose so you can get better quality pictures and get the most out of your scouting. Check them out on www.sticnpic.com
As the season ends, a post-season camera survey will let you
know what deer survived & will be a year older and larger next year! Keep
this in mind to prepare for next season and don’t delete your pictures! By
keeping an inventory I am able to judge the age of my deer more accurately and
better manage the deer herd for years to come!
-Andrea Haas
