For as great as scouting technology is, you still have to use it right for top success. Here’s how.
The use of trail cams has become a staple of bowhunting, from using them to identify potential harvest-worthy bucks on a piece of ground to patterning. We all love heading out to check our cams in anticipation of what we might have a chance at slinging an arrow at.
The unfortunate thing about trail cams is that in most cases they aren’t used correctly, which can cost hunters a true buck of a lifetime buck. As an archery outfitter in South Dakota, my livelihood relies on being able to pattern mature bucks, which means I really need to know the ins and outs of effective scouting.
After years of experimentation, here are my suggestions for getting the most out of your scouting techniques, and the best way to use scouting cameras.
Early Bird Catches the Worm
To start with, start scouting in early summer. I spend countless hours behind my spotting scope and binos watching pinch points and traffic areas during the hottest days of the summer. During the summer, whitetails are less nocturnal and this will also give you the chance to see the ratio of does to bucks and also fawns. After two seasons of counting your herd, you will have a good idea of the actual ratio.
Optimal ratio is one or two does for every buck. If you are seeing multiple does without fawns and not a lot of bucks, you better get some extra doe tags and even it out a little. Of course, bucks will be in velvet and still growing, so rubs will be from last year. Dress and prepare as if you were climbing into your stand in the middle of the rut. That’s right, wash your jeans and shirts in scent-killing detergent and spray down before you make your way in. Spray your boots LIBERALLY and also your hands.
For most that have newly acquired ground, the first thing you want to do is find the spot with the most sign, and put a cam or two up. This could be a hunter’s biggest mistake. If you find that spot, there is a good chance you have treaded deep enough and left enough of your own “sign” to make that ghost buck just that—a ghost.
Even the slightest hunch from a wary, mature buck that he is being watched will do one of three things.
1. Turn him nocturnal.
2. Make him change his travel routes. Or
3. Make him pack up and head to a different piece of ground all together. Going nocturnal will kill your chances of harvesting him.
If he changes his travel routes, then it’ll start a game of cat and mouse that that will keep you guessing and wondering if he didn’t choose number three and head out altogether. It’s best to avoid all three options. Don’t hesitate to hike into a good glassing spot or park your vehicle a mile or so away from your newly acquired ground and observe. When scouting mule deer, it’s not uncommon to spend three or even four days behind the scope getting a feel for the ground. Whitetail can be observed in the same manner.
Cameras and Placement
You want to start with your camera(s) in spots where there is sign of course, but you should keep it minimal at first; a spot where a row of trees meets a fence, a shallow spot in a creek where the deer are obviously crossing, or just along a fairly used trail. Stay away from rubs, scrapes and definitely bedding areas.
When a mature, dominant buck makes a scrape in the same spot for a couple of years in a row, he is defining his territory. This buck, especially, knows the area well. The last thing you want is a bunch of red lights or a flash lighting him up when he is in one of his most testosterone-filled moments, besides breeding a doe or battling another buck. After all, he is the same deer 20 yards away from the scrape that he is when he is making his presence known on the scrape.
If you insist on placing cams on scrapes, set the unit on “daytime only” mode and place it as far away from the scrape as you can, and also above a deer’s head height. When you hang a picture on your wall, where do you put it? Eye level so everyone sees it. When you set up a stand, where do you put it? Above the deer’s normal line of vision, right?
Do the same with your cameras and not only will you help avoid deer knowing something is different, but you could capture more deer in the background that you might not have caught if the camera was at deer shoulder or head height. I am not saying you should hang your cameras 20 feet up, but simply above head height and facing down where it’s much less invasive.
During the summer months leading into early fall, I only check my cameras once a month; this ensures that I’m not impacting the ground and deer behavior. If I have seen a buck that looks mature with my own eyes and want to verify that he is using the ground, I will pull the cameras completely after the first photo I get of him. Then, I place them back out there three weeks before the season and only check them one time—five or six days before the opener to see if he is pattern-able—but not all bucks are!
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