Trail Cameras and Scouting
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Paul from ON asks:Hi Bill. I enjoy your website every day. I wish I could get your TV show here in Canada, but my provider doesn't carry it. I appreciate your humble approach to this incredible opportunity that we have to enjoy the outdoors. My question is in regards to trail cameras. I have had several makes of cameras, with varying degrees of satisfaction. I read alot of reviews from the reputable review sites to try and spend my money wisely. I noticed you were using a reconyx camera, and this camera has the best reviews on the net hands down. The field scan mode is a bonus. I am considering this to buy, but that will be the camera for the year. What model do you use, and have you been happy with it? Good luck on your current pursuit. Thanks for the input. PaulWinke Responds:Paul, Best resource I have found is our sponsor TrailCamPro.com. Lots of very good reviews and unbiased testing. I am using the Reconyx Hyperfire. I have been quite satisfied with it. It does a great job. Always works. I have also had good success this year with the latest Bushnell cameras. Good luck. Happy New Year. (12-30-11)
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Bruce from WI asks:When you get pictures of Double G4 close to the blind, are those from a field scan camera? If you use a motion detecting camera how do you check it with out pressuring the area to much? What model and brand of field scan camera do you run over that field? Thanks a ton. Happy new year!Winke Responds:Bruce, Yep. I have two Bushnell cameras (the most recent smaller Trophy Cam, but I have also used Reconyx in this role too) one on either side of the blind - set to take a photo every minute from 3:30 to 5:30 PM each day. They are facing in opposite directions. You have to be able to get in and out without making noise and you should do it only when the wind is right. I also wear Elimitrax booties (leggings) when going in to set and check trail cameras. It can be done, but you have to be sneaky (or you have to the set the cameras where you can drive to them and deer aren't put off by a truck driving through at midday.) Good luck. Happy New Year (12-31-11)
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seth from IN asks:im looking to buy some new trail cams not very happy with the ones i have have been reading alot of reviews and having dificuly finding a good camera insnt extremely expensive but still works well wat kinda of camera would you suggestWinke Responds:Seth, I tell everyone the same thing: go to www.trailcampro.com and you will see all kinds of testing and recommendations on which cameras are best in each price range. They also have a very good return policy that permits you to send the camera back if for any reason you aren't satisfied with it. Personally, on the mid-price I like the Bushnell and on the higher end, of course, the Reconyx. There are also other good cameras listed on trailcamPro website too. Good luck. Merry Christmas. (12-16-11)
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Cody from WI asks:Hey Bill, Its me again. I saw that you might have had the Bushnell Trophy camera, if so, do you like it? and have you heard of other people that like it? I would love to buy a Reconyx, but Im 16 years old, and I just don't have the money for that! Thanks anyways Bill! Happy Holidays.Winke Responds:Cody, I like that camera a lot. It is my favorite trail camera, actually. It is reliable, easy to set up and takes pretty nice photos. I think you will be totally happy with it. I would buy it through our sponosor (TrailCamPro.com) because Rich has a very good customer satisfaction rating and great service. If you don't like it, he'll take it back, no questions asked. Good luck and Merry Christmas! (12-12-11)
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Aaron from WI asks:I'm looking at buying a new trail cam. I'm looking to spend under $200. Any suggestions? Thanks. My cousin introduced me to the website about a month ago and have been on it everyday since to watch videos. It's the best out there!Winke Responds:Aaron, Glad you like it. Thanks for the support. My best advice is to go to TrailCamPro.com and check out Rich's comments on the best cameras in every price range. He does all the tests and factors in warranty returns and everything to come up with the best suggestion. It really is a great website with lots of very useful information. Good luck. (11-27-11)
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randy from MO asks:Bill Congratulations on Daggers. Heading up to the family farm for opening weekend. I have 2 questions 1) have a new trail cam if i hang it in a funnel will the pictures i might get at night disrupt the next days hunting 2) with the other families around we control about 1550 acres practicing QDM for the last 5 years what sort of grosses should we start expecting to see out of macon co. Thanks for years of great info. RandyWinke Responds:Randy, Thanks for that. 1. Nope. As long as its a infra-red the deer are unlikely to notice it. They are moving (most likely) so the noise of the shutter (if there is any) will be washed away by their own noise. 2. A realistic gross score for you guys would be 160. That is still our target here most years. I have just been on a good run here lately. I would not get too caught up on antler size but focus on age. I used to think that you had to get them to 4 years. Now (after seeing how much G5 jumped from 4 to 5) I am thinking that 5 is a better minimum age for a managed setting. If you can get a few more neighbors onboard, I think you can realistically pull that off (waiting until they are 5 to hunt them. Good luck (11-16-11)
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Andrew from SC asks:Bill, great show this week. I remember watching your shows last year and how it didn't seem like you ran trail cameras when you were hunting. Any chance you could run them this season during the rut? I'd like to see how my pictures compare to yours as far as if deer seem to be more on their feet during the rut and if this shows during the season, and curious how seeing what's on your cameras compares to what your seeing when hunting and would like to hear your experiences on TV. Just an idea. Thanks!Winke Responds:Andrew, I don't believe I will run them during the season. I just don't like going in and grabbing the cards all the time. I think it creates too much impact, except in locatoins that are close to where I walk to get to and from my stands. I think the information is then of limited use because I may not come past for a week or more. I like to use the bait (where legal) get the photos and learn what is in each area quickly and then pull out well before I start to hunt. I run my cameras in food plots, so I suppose I could put them on field scan mode and get some information without having to run bait. That might be my best option. In fact, now that I mention it, that is what I am going to do in a few areas. Thanks for asking, you inspired me. Good luck. (11-3-11)
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Jordan Leach from IN asks:Mr. Winke, HI mr winke i love the show and cant wait till monday to see the new episode! but my question is i was just wondering how often you check your trail cameras or how often should i check mine so i dont mess up the hunting or spook deer? SO far i havent spooked any but i was just wondering how often you should?Winke Responds:Jordan, Thanks for the support. I check mine every four days right now. I would say, every four to seven days is pretty good. I want to know what is happening right now, so I check them more often, but when I start hunting I will probably pull all (or most) of my cameras until after the rut. I don't want to be checking them all the time during the time when I am hunting. I would rather learn as much as I can right before I start and then just go after them based on that information. Maybe not the best strategy, but it keeps the impact down during the season. If you can check your cameras on the way to or from your stands, that is different. You may as well keep them going. Good luck.
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Bob from AL asks:Bill, are you going to run trail cams during the hunting season, and if so where are you going to put them? Why didn't you run cams last year during hunting season?Winke Responds:Bob, I haven't decided yet. Maybe in a few spots. I will focus on a couple of bucks. I don't like having to mess with checking cameras during the season. The only information that is useful at that time is current information (recent photos) because things can change so fast during the rut. You need to know what is happening right now to get any value from it. That means I have to check the cameras quite regularly and I really don't want to be hitting all my camera sites every couple of days. Again, I may run a couple of cameras in select - easy to access locatoins - this season, but not all of them for sure. Good luck.
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Bob from MI asks:Bill, great show! From watching all of your shows it seems that you seem to get deer mostly during the rut and late season. I have been trying to pattern deer this year more than I ever have with my cameras. I never really used the cameras much last year but saw good bucks...only during the rut and late season. It seems I'm always one step behind the deer. Early season I put them on food plots, they show up for two days in daylight and then go nocturnal. They switch to oaks, and I put cams over hot oak trees, but they only eat at a particular tree for a couple days. I'm putting cams over mock scrapes and getting pictures of good bucks now, but at night which is to be expected since they normally check scrapes at night...so they are telling me what bucks are in a particular area, but they are during times when there are not legal shooting hours. Are cameras really for patterning deer or is it more to just see what bucks are on your property so that you can be more prepared tWinke Responds:Bob, Cameras are definitely for patterning deer. Any time you learn anything about a buck, it helps you unravel his personality and that is what patterning is all about. The camneras are telling you something important right now - the bucks are moving during the night. Welcome to the October Lull. That is typical behavior. Most bucks, but not all, will be moving during the night now. They will start to break with that behavior starting in late October. The best time to see one of these old nocturnal bucks is when a doe comes into estrous in his core area. Some of them never move much during the day other than that. Some, on the other hand, move a lot during the day. For example, one buck on our farm was nocturnal all fall last year. This year he is popping up on the cameras (and I am actually seeing him) in daylight all the time. They can change as they get older. So all you can do is be careful with your hunting, stay out of your best areas until late October or when you see a buck moving during the day.
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Travis from PA asks:Bill, it's very early in the PA archery season and ive got alot of sign of a very large buck, i mean trees as big as my leg rubbed and 15-20 of them + 2 big scrapes all on an oak flat on a mountain top about 3/4 of a mile from a bunch of corn fields...now this years acorn harvest is very poor and was wondering where i should place a stand? how signifigant is that much sign at this time of the year?Winke Responds:Travis, That early rub sign is not super valuable now, unless it is fresh. Bucks often rub heavily right after shedding velvet and then may even relocate. The sign goes dead. However, if you have fresh sign, that is another matter. If you have fresh sign, I would hunt that area in the mornings and try to set up closer to the food sources for evening hunts. Good luck.
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Mark from IL asks:Bill, I have been reading your hunting articles for years and the info. You share with fellow hunters is always appreciated. Your web site and show are truly TOP NOTCH! I mostly hunt public land in Illinois which can lead to frustration for sure but with lots of extra effort and by employing several of your suggestions I have had a lot of successful hunts. I prefer to take does and only mature bucks but enjoy watching younger bucks pass by and make mental notes on how they react to different situations. My question is that while hunting last year on nov. 7 I watched a 19 pt.locked up with a doe fend off 6 other bucks but never presented me with a shot. They were situated in an area which is full of 7th. Hog brush that made a stalk unrealistic so my ticket to this show was a 1 time deal. I know this deer made it through the season but dissapeared like a ghost for the rest of the winter. I would love to set up a trail camera but know it will end up in somebody elses goody bag for sureWinke Responds:Mark, Your question got cut off, but I have an idea where you are going: options. What other ways can you scout up that deer without losing a trail camera. First off, there are camera lock boxes out there on the market that might work to eliminate theft. Some of today's cameras are pretty cheap (and not overly reliable) but they might be a good option when combined with a lock box. Otherwise you have to go by sightings, maybe big tracks too since big tracks mean big-bodied deer which are normally mature bucks. I think that is very hit and miss, but you can learn something, probably. Otherwise, just put in your time in the most remote areas and hope for the best. You have to stay away from other hunters, that is a given, but you also need to hunt so carefully that you aren't impacting the deer yourself. So keep that in mind - super careful. Also, there is no saying the buck didn't follow that doe in there last year from private land nearby. When a doe is hot, a buck will trail her to whereever she leads. Usually she won't go far, but if she gets a wild hair, she could end up going several hundred yards before settling down. All things to consider. Good luck.
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Hunter from AL asks:Mr. Winkie, do you use trail cameras to help you hunt deer or do you just use them to find out what deer are present on your land.Winke Responds:Hunter, Mostly just to learn where the bucks are most active, where they are moving during the day, that sort of thing. I generally stop monitoring them after I start to seriously hunt, but I may keep a couple of cameras going this year. Good luck.
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Brandon from MO asks:Bill, I have a question about using the Bushnell Trophy Cameras field scan mode. From your experience, how high up on a tree should you place these cameras to maximize the field scan option? How many yards out have you been able to capture deer on the field scan mode? Last, what time interval would you suggest for optimizing scouting efforts, such as time of day and how many minutes apart intervals? Thanks Bill. Sincerely, BrandonWinke Responds:Brandon, I have set mine at about 5 feet, but I know that some people go higher. You would want to go higher for sure if the field is tall grass or soybeans, for example. I felt that the field scan mode pretty well covered a food plot of just under 1 acre. That is a pretty big area. For sure not at night, but during the day when there is enough light to pick up everything on the field. I think the last 45 minutes is enough and set to shoot a photo every 20 to 30 seconds makes the most sense for me. If you go less than that, too many deer will slip through because they simply cross the field and are gone without a photo. Good luck.
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Hank from TN asks:Mr. Winke: Your show is awesome!!! I have a question about using trail cams. I save your shows on TV and just watched your show on "killable bucks". My wife even watched it with me. Great show. I think I've been putting too much pressure on my deer by using trail cams deep in the timber and bedding areas unlike what you recommended on your show. I have 220 acres that I hunt. 100 of the property has a road around it where I can place cams on the fringes like you recommend. On that 100 is all my food. I have clover, corn, soybeans and wheat. The other 120 is all timber (oaks) and I'd have to go into the timber to place cams. Should I stay out of that area? I have 7 Reconyx cameras which I like a lot. I'm wondering though how many I should use? If I use them only on the fringes then that really limits where I can put them. I am using all 7 on the entire 220 acres, but if I stick to the fringes then they would all be on the 100 acres and would that stillWinke Responds:Hank, Thanks for the support. I appreciate it. I would just set the cameras around the fringse of the 120. Maybe if you have an easy way to access it you can hit a location or two inside, but really if you pay attention to the photos you can get a pretty good idea where they are coming from when they approach the camera and that will tell you something about where they are bedding. Once you start hunting, you can take a camera in with you and set it when you go to hunt and then check it each time you go back to that location, killing two birds with one stone and allowing you to get information from farther into the timber. But even at that, I wouldn't get too aggressive hunting inside the timber except in spots you know you can sneak into and out of without being detected. Good luck.
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Justin from KS asks:Bill, First, great show and great site! I'm blessed with a ton of land to hunt, some farms are 80 acres and some are 500 acres, but only a few farms are in the same block of timber or creek bottom. I run about 12 or 13 cameras,is it a better practice to lump a buch of cameras on one farm for a couple of weeks and then move them. Or just put one camera per farm? I don't have the resources or the time to have multiple cameras on each farm. How many cameras do you run on your farm/farms?Winke Responds:Justin, Thanks for the support. I would try to have a camera for each 60 acres, or so. Deer move around, especially at night, so that should get you what you need. If you bait the camera sites, you will get most of what on the farm within about ten days. I don't think I would saturate one farm. You need more consistent and more recent information than that. I would focus on getting cameras in the most likely spots on each farm and then if you have extras, look for more spots, but I wouldn't have more than one camera per 60 acres, as I mentioned. I own 12 cameras, but I only have about six or seven of them out at any given time. I may put out a few more now that we are getting closer to the time when I will start hunting so I can learn more. Good luck.
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Manuel from AL asks:Is putting trailcams over each of my hunting plots and checking them once a week bad practice? Getting good patterns but uncertain if this will continue if I have cameras over same sites I am hunting... MannieWinke Responds:Mannie, I don't think that is a bad practice as long as you check them at mid day. I don't see a problem with that strategy. Good luck.
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Brian from PA asks:I was getting 3 or 4 decent bucks on my trail camera. The last two times I have checked it, No Bucks! Will the flash from the camera spook mature deer and cause them to avoid the area?Winke Responds:Brian, Yes, it will. There is no question that some bucks are flash shy - Jason Vickerman proved that by placing infra-red video cameras over flash camras to see what happens. Not saying this is the reason those bucks changed patterns, but it sure may be. Good luck.
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Rick from IA asks:I just bought 2 wildgame innovation trail cameras and put them up...the night pictures are good, but all of the early morning pictures are white...cameras are not facing the sun in the mornings.....any suggestions??Winke Responds:Rick, I have not used of those cameras. Not sure if it is a firmware issue (download new drivers to fix it) or just the product of poor design or quality control. Your only true course is to contact their customer service and see if they can help you. You are hitting my struggle on nose. I needed a trail cam sponsor but didn't know which camera to select for fear it might not work well all the time. Rather than pick one camera, I began working with TrailCamPro.com because they sell all of them and Rich and his crew do tons of tests (including telling which cameras have the least warranty issues) so you can find the best ones directly from him rather than me promoting one over another. However, we do promote Bushnell and Reconyx indirectly because Rich said they offer the best value at two different price ranges. More expensive than the Wildgame, yes, but sometimes you really do get what you pay for. Good luck.
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rob from IL asks:Where do you recomend to put trail cameras?Winke Responds:Rob, I like to put them near food sources because I feel like that lets me get in and out without a lot of intrusion during the middle of the day. You can put them on trails, on scrapes or you can set them for field scan mode and place them up higher in the tree where they can shoot time lapse images of the entire plot. I don't like placing the cameras near bedding areas or in the cover. I like spots I can drive right to (or at least get close to with the truck) to reduce impact. Hope that helps. Good luck.
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brian from IA asks:Hi Bill, Have you tried any of the time lapse cameras, plot watcher,etc if so, which one do you like the bestWinke Responds:Brian, We just use the time lapse or field scan modes on our Bushnell and Reconyx cameras. This function works well for scouting small food plots because you can tell where the deer are coming out and how much activity occurs on the entire plot during daylight hours. Works great.
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Chris from OH asks:Great preview show, At the start of the show you were glassing a food plot from a tree stand. I'm wondering if you are sitting in a stand you plan to hunt this season or if you set observation stands just for that purpose. Could you share your thoughts on how close to hunting stands you glass from? Thanks, ChrisWinke Responds:Chris, Thanks. I appreciate the support. In that case, I was sitting in a stand that we sometimes hunt with guns (youth season). It is not a very good stand for concentrating deer movement, making it a poor choice for bowhunting, but it does cover two small fields well enough to work with a muzzleloader. I doubt we will have the chance to hunt it this year as the beans are already starting to turn yellow and likely will be unattractive to the deer by mid-September youth opener. I don't normally glass from hunting stands because they don't set up with a good enough field of view for the summer filming. I sometimes put up new ones and we sometimes glass from the ground. Good luck.
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Dick from WI asks:Have you ever had batteries in your trail cam blow up? I have had two cameras go bad this year with duracell copper top alkaline batteries and ruin both cameras. Is this a normal thing or am I just having bad luck with new batteries?Winke Responds:Dick, I have not. Sounds to me like the camera is making a dead short for the batteries. I would not say it is fault of the batteries but instead the fault of the camera. I would see if you can get a warranty repair on the camera. Good luck.
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tom from WI asks:Hi Bill, What are the range's in quality in trail cameras. A friend from work is going to buy a Tasco camera. It might be the low end of the spectrum, I'm curious what you think. I just recently obtained some permission on some farm land, and I feel the need to purchase some and put them up. I haven't bow hunted in three years, so I'm pretty pumped for this season. Thanks, TomWinke Responds:Tom, In my experience it makes a big difference. I have used some cameras that were basically disposable cameras. They only lasted one year, some never made it a week. The best way to know which ones to buy is to visit our sponsor TrailCamPro.com. Rich has tests on his site of all the cameras he sells (honest tests). The tests are complete with warranty information (which ones he has the most problems with, etc.). He has a good return policy on cameras. Definitely the place to shop for trail cameras. Good luck.
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Loren from MN asks:First I have a theory to share about your older age class deer being more visible during daylight. Maybe they have found that they can go cruising during daylight with less chance of running into the more dominant bucks that are still in their prime and mostly nocturnal. My question is to ask if you have ever put two trail cameras in the same location? We just finished a 10 day test at our house. The results were very interesting. We used two different brands of infra-red cameras. We set them up perpendicular to each other with a mineral lick centered in the view of both cameras. My first find was that one camera had 70 pictures and the other had exactly 100. There were certainly some photos with more distant deer that would only trigger one camera and not the other. After downloading, viewing and studying the time frames on all of the photos, I was surprised that many of the deer that were standing right in the mineral lick were on one camera and not the other. There were several dWinke Responds:Loren, That is another good theory. You might be onto something there. Jason Vickerman once put a video camera at an angle to a flash camera to see if deer bolted from it. That was interesting. They definitely reacted to the flash. We have not, however, run two trail cameras on one bait site to see what they caught and missed. Very interesting information. I would be interested in knowing which one got the most images.
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Nathan from PA asks:I have another question. Have you seen Buckeye cameras? they are wireless and send images to your computer. Have you ever used this and what do you think about using them from an ethical and effective stand point? Do you think deer are scared of trail cameras in general? Do you use trail cameras during the hunting season to pattern deer? Why or why not? Nate DogWinke Responds:Nate, I am aware of those cameras but have not tried them. I know guys that have used them and they seem to work fine. I am not a fan of a camera that can send you a text of a photo it takes and you can know in real time where the deer are showing up at that exact time. I think that crosses the line for me. It would seem to take some of the thrill of the unknown and the thrill of the hunt out of the experience for me. I wouldn't use that mode myself. I use cameras up until about the time I start hunting hard and then I stop messing with them. That could be a mistake but I feel I can learn most of what I need to know from that timeframe. Good luck.
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Chandler from IA asks:We have our primos truth camera out and there are cattle in the timber. So we were wondering where to put it now because all the pics we get are of cows. Where we have the camera now is the main place for the deer. Then our other timber that we hunt there are cattle there to, but I was wondering if sawing wood on a daily basis will affect the deer being there? Sincerly, Chandler Sterk the junior hunterWinke Responds:Chandler, You will just have to accept the fact that the cows will be in most of the photos. I don't know of any method to keep them away without also keeping the deer away. If you can place a bag of corn in front of the camera and put it inside a fenced in area that the deer can jump into and the cows can't but otherwise, you will have to live with the photos of cows. Yes, cutting wood in a certain area every day will reduce deer activity there. However, it won't keep them out altogether because they will get used to it as normal human activity and not threatening, but it will definitely reduce some of the deer activity there.
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Alex from AL asks:Bill, i read a couple questions people have posted about trail cams and you say you bait yours. A) what do you bait them with? and B) will the baiting work right now when the soy beans seem to be there food of choice?Winke Responds:Alex, I bait with shelled corn. It works year around. Yes, they will still come to corn even in the summer, but not as heavily as they will starting in about early October when the browse starts to whither and dry up. Good luck.
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Curtis from IA asks:I put mineral blocks out in the spring and summer for nutrition but more for stopping them at my camera. What are the hunting laws about how far you can hunt from these blocks and how long they need to be pulled before hunting near them. ThanksWinke Responds:Curtis, I have asked a couple of different game wardens in my area and the answer is that you can't be hunting patterns that are affected by the bait site. In other words, if it looks like you are sitting on a trail leading to the site, you are in violoation. It will be hard for them to make a strong case unless you are sitting very near the bait, but they were not able to give me a specific number. It is best for you to simply call you local game warden and ask him/her and then just do what they say. That is the safest approach on this matter. Good luck.
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Todd from MI asks:Long time viewer and first time posting a question. I am curious about trail camera placement. I recently just put my cameras back out. What locations are your most successful at getting the best pictures and why? Thank You and God Bless!Winke Responds:Todd, I put mine near feeding areas and I use bait (corn) to get the deer to concentrate at the camera long enough to get their pictures taken. I don't like to put them back in the timber for fear of bumping deer when checking the cameras at midday. For this reason, I am not learning a lot about which trails the deer are using, but I am learning which bucks are in the general area. My primary goal is to hang the cameras in places I can get to and from wtihout bumping deer. Good luck.
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Brian from IA asks:Bill, I am going to bowhunt a new spot this fall. It's a very large public area in Southern Iowa and I don't have a lot of time to scout. Where should I be placing my trail camera at right now?Winke Responds:Brian, I am sure I know the area. Look for trails leading to soybean fields on nearby farms. That is where you will catch them right now. However, the more valuable information is what they are doing in October and you won't know that until after the bucks break up their bachelor groups in early to mid September. Then I would focus on scrapes as they start to appear and placing cameras near oak trees that are dropping acorns. If you aren't afraid of getting your camera stolen (I would be) you can place it over a small corn pile for a few days in various part of the area to get started. Myself, I would not get too carried away the cameras on public land, hunt acorns in October and move to bedding areas (ridges) in November. That is not the way I would necessarily hunt private land, but this strategy will keep you in the deeper parts of the area and away from the fringes where most other hunters will hang out. Good luck.
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John from MO asks:hey bill love the show, i have put in countless hours of hard work and lots of money into my deer hunting property. i see nice bucks on our property during season but this spring in scouting i havent seen a good buck on camera or anything and i want your opion on what you think is wrong?Winke Responds:John, Either they aren't there or you aren't getting them to the camera. I like to use a bit of bait (corn) where legal to lure the deer to the camera and I place the cameras near feeding areas. Normally, you will get photos of most of the deer in the area. However, bucks have summer ranges and fall ranges. Sometimes they don't overlap. That may be the case here. They like to hang near protien-rich food sources in the summer (soybeans, clover and alfalfa) and then break up and spread out in early to mid September. That might be the case here. They just may not be living on the place much in summer. However, if you have all the right foods for summer bucks, my guess is that they are there but just not hitting the places where you have your cameras. Good luck.
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Kane from IL asks:I hunt on a farm in northern Illinois with lots of timber and great food sources from clover, soy beans, corn, turnips, ect. I was wondering when and what will be the best trail camera placement as the deer activity changes through out the year from now early July to late November? Really appreciate your time.Winke Responds:Kane, Sounds like a great spot! I like to place my cameras over baited sites (if legal in IL - not sure on that). If it is not legal, you have no real option but to get cameras that have field scan modes (newer Bushnells and Reconyx to name two) and then set them up where they can photograph your food plots every minute or two during the last two hours of each day. If you can bait to the camera, put out a bag of corn in front of a camera set along the food sources (easy to access spots so you can get in and out easy). I keep cameras in food sources until I pull them in October, but baiting to the camera is legal here in Iowa. Again, if not legal, stick to field scan mode and about the end of September, move a few cameras to trails and eventually by mid October move them to scrapes along field edges. Any time you are set up on the field edge use the field scan mode. These cameras will trigger at intervals and whenever a deer comes in front of them - the best of both worlds. Without bait, it is tough. With bait, it is pretty easy to figure out exactly what is there. Without the bait you can start to determine their patterns, with bait about all you can do is figure out where they are feeding and try to sort out the trails from there. Good luck.
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John from MO asks:hey bill, I know you have heard this before..but what is your opion on how the flash on a trail camera affects the deer? Thanks and keep up the good work!!!Winke Responds:John, Jason Vickerman set up a video trail camera overlooking a standard flash trail camera to see what the deer do. His videos show that they (at least some of the bucks) definitely flair away from the flash trail camera and even run off. That was enough for me. I use the infra-red models exclusively now.
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Davey from MI asks:Hi Bill, Love the show! My question is about scouting new areas. When is a good time to start setting up my Game Cameras? Is it even worth scouting whitetail in the summer months? Thanks alot, Keep up the good work DaveyWinke Responds:Davey, You can learn a few things during the summer months, but not necessarily as much as you will learn after the bucks shed their velvet and break up their baachelor groups. Some bucks will move off after they shed their velvet and break up the groups and will move into a new fall range. And some may well move into your hunting area from a different summer range close by. So your summer scouting does give you a place to start and is fun, but in the end, it is what you learn in mid-to-late September and after that has the most value to you as a deer hunter trying to pattern bucks. Good luck.
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Cecil from IN asks:Are you still planning on having a trail camera available this summer?Winke Responds:Cecil, I was hoping to, but it doesn't look good. We tried several sources but each one had too many negatives against it. It is a tough industry to sort out. Maybe next year.
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Cody from WI asks:hey bill, i was wondering that every saturday, or friday i go out to our land where i hunt to check the trail cameras, and see how things are going out in the woods, am i going out to check my cameras to often? am i pressuring the bucks to much going down there once a week, sometimes 2 times a week? thats all, thanks!Winke Responds:Cody, I would say that once per week is fine. I would try to keep the cameras away from bedding areas so you can come and go without alarming the deer. If you are running them off every time you go in, that issn't good, but if the cameras are on the fringes, then once a week is fine. Twice a week is probably too much regardless of where the cameras are located unless you can drive right to them. Good luck.
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ryan from AL asks:Any pictures of Big or the other hitlist bucks since you got them early? Do you have cameras up now?Winke Responds:Ryan, I got lots of photos of that buck. It seemed that he was all over the place showing up on several different cameras but always at night. I got over 100 photos of him on three different cameras but only one was right at daybreak one time. Otherwise, all the photos of him were at night - during the wee hours of the night too. I pulled the cameras in late December. I kind of wish I had kept them out but about the only way to get photos this time of year is to bait them to the camera. I figured I had seen enough to know what was still on the farm after the regular firearms season. There were still a few good ones around. One I really wanted to shoot went MIA since mid-October was a buck we called the Double G4 Buck. I hope he shows up this year again. I saw him a few times during the 2009 season when he was already big. He was even better this past season, but then he disappeared. Not sure if he was shot or just moved a bit and stayed nocturnal. It was a year when many bucks were active only at night.
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Travis from KS asks:I have been a viewer of the site for the past couple season and really enjoy the shows. My question is on trail cameras. I see that you use the DLC Covert, Moultrie and Leaf River cameras. I have used Moultrie, Bushnell and Cuddeback. The most consistant of what I have used is the Cuddeback capture but I know I am missing animals, the Bushnell I have sometimes has runaway images of nothing and the Moultre I had did not work right from the beginning but I have a friend that has great luck with his Moultrie. I have done some research on trailcampro.com on several different makes and models. I am looking at IR cameras that take video. My question is which camera to you feel is the best and most consistant? How is the progress of the camera you and Bill from Muddy coming along? A suggestion I have for the Ask Winke section is that maybe you could post the date on your answers either mm/dd/yyyy or just mm/yyyy just so if people are doing research on the site that they know how old theWinke Responds:Travis (12/31/10) Just kidding. I think that is a good suggestion because people are always looking for current information especially regarding deer behavior and a few weeks can make a huge diffrence. The guy at Trailcampro seems to be the best voice for making recommendations so I would definitely take his advice to heart. I have just decided to pass on making any camera recommendations until we figure out how to do it well. Of the cameras our nearby pro staff have tried, they like the Covert for the video quality, but I have not tried video on that camera and just had a Covert that was only a year old go bad on me. Like I said, I hate to make any recommendations right now. We are still working at it. We hope to have a camera by June. Thanks for your support and Happy New Year!
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Jason from PA asks:Hey Bill, Love the show! I have a few questions. First, how and where do yo set your tail cams? Do you bait or set buy food or main trails? I seems like the pics you show the deer are just perfect. Second have you see or tested the new Leupold Vendetta bow mounted range finder? Any comments on that? Thanks for the awesome show and Merry Christmas!Winke Responds:Jason, I appreciate the support. I set my cameras over bait very near food plots. The bait is not really bringing the deer in so much as it is concentrating them and holding them long enough for a picture. Because I have the camera in an area where the deer are already heading toward, I can get quick results, and get the camera back out of there within a few days. I pour out a single bag of corn in front of the camera. That holds the deer long enough for a good photo and because I don't put out much, it is gone fairly quickly so the bait doesn't have any affect on their patterns. Just be sure to check with the local game warden to be sure it is legal in your area. It is different in each state. Also, be sure to find out when and how you can hunt the property after putting out the baited camera sites. Again, every state is different and I think even each game warden has their own take on how best to prevent hunting over a baited camera site. Like I said, I use just a bit of bait, get in and out quick and it has almost no affect on their patterns. Merry Christmas to you too.
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TIM from MI asks:WHAT KIND OF TRAIL CAMERAS DO YOU USE AND/OR RECOMMEND?Winke Responds:Tim, I have used a wide variety of cameras and feel like they all have strengths and weaknesses. I think I am going to get into the trail camera business with Larry from Muddy Outdoors so hopefully we can offer you a great option at a good price. Keep your eyes peeled for a camera from us this summer.
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Brian from MN asks:Hi Bill; I enjoy your show very much, keep up the good work. I would like to know what trail cameras you feel are the top preformers. I have used several brands with a wide variaty of results. So what are your top picks?Winke Responds:Brian, I have used a wide variety too. I never could figure out a trail camera sponsorship for the show. I want to have a quality camera that isn't so expensive I feel guilty recommending it. Larry and I at Muddy Outdoors are looking at coming out with a trail camera this summer, so I am going to just hold my recommendation until I know where we are going to come down on this one. Good luck.
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will from NC asks:HI Bill love the show, i was wondering what kind of trail cams you use ir or regular flash?Winke Responds:Will, I believe the IR is better from the standpoint that I have seen trail cam video of deer bolting from flash cameras. If you use a flash camera, it will be less offensive to the deer if you place it above them and point it down slightly. They don't react to that as much as when it explodes right in their faces. Good luck.
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Kade from IA asks:What strategy do you use when scouting deer with trail cameras late season after they stop hitting scrapes? What things to do look for? we have a 15 acres secluded corn field that we feel the deer are focused on. Should we set up our cameras around that thinking 90% of deer will hit it at some point. Or should we move them in towards beddding? we use buckeye cams with solar panels so we will not disturb the area after they are set up.Winke Responds:Kade, I would stay away from the beds and focus on the food. You likely won't be hunting near the beds anyway, so what you really need to know is where and when they are feeding. Good luck.
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Tim from MI asks:What kind of trail cameras do you use? And/or recommend?Winke Responds:Tim, I don't have one style that I love. I like the Coverts I have but I have not tried lots of other styles. I have Covert, Moultrie and Leaf River, so I am probably not the best one to ask on this subject. A website called TrailCamPro.com has a lot of good information on which ones are best. That is where I would start. Good luck.
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Cody from WI asks:Im loving this show, good job this year also, and my question is how do you draw dear to your camera, or where is the best place to hang it without getting to close to bedding areas? Thanks, good luck with the rest of the season!Winke Responds:Cody, I use bait (corn) to bring them to the camera and then place these baited sites in high activity areas. (Baiting to the camera may not be legal in all states so please check your regs or call the game warden). These are not areas I hunt and I even pull the cameras and stop baiting well before I start hunting. However, I feel that it makes sense to keep cameras running in other locations during the season. Some guys love running cameras over scrapes, personally, I prefer funnels like open gates, creek crossings, small food plots, etc. Stay away from the bait at that time. Prior to your hunt you want to find out as quickly as possible which areas of the farm the bucks are living - an inventory. During the season you want to know more about where they are traveling so it makes sense to get rid of the bait. Good luck.
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jamie from AL asks:How many cameras can I put in one area? And does the flash bother the deer?Winke Responds:Jamie, I believe the flash does bother some deer. A good camera density is about one for every 40 to 60 acres. Generally, that will get most of the bucks on the farm, especially if you place the cameras over mineral sites or bait. Good luck.
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Blake from SD asks:Bill, Again, love the show and can't wait to see if you get an opportunity at one of those monsters you got on your trail cameras. That leads me to my question. I notice you are using several different brands of trail cameras and was wondering if you favor any one brand or model over the others. Also, I have had a little luck capturing some deer on my cameras this year but know from my scouting that there are so many more that I am not getting pictures of. What would be a good setup placement and position that I could try? I hunt wooded lows as well as field edges. Thanks!Winke Responds:Blake, I don't own lots of brands, but of the ones I do own, I prefer the Covert. It is a small camera that is very easy to operate. It is reliable and takes respectable (useable) photos in all conditions. For more camera information go to www.trailcampro.com. I use a bait pile to concentrate the deer in front of my cameras. I keep them in one spot for about ten days and then move them to a new spot. I can cover my farm fairly quickly that way. If you can't bait to the camera, it makes it harder to figure out what is around. In that case you need to set up on trails and scrapes around open fields. You won't get a lot of daylight photos, but you won't go into the woods and spook a lot of deer either. Good luck.
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Mike from AL asks:Bill I have a trailcam question. I bought a wldgame IR4 cam and it was my first cam but it messed up after only 3 months so I been looking at getting another one and I have narrowed it down to two choices. I either want to get the DLC covert 2 or the cuddeback capture flash. I can see the remote probably being an issue with the DLC and like the quality of the flash cams but also liek the idea of the DLC taking AA batteries and the way infared is supposed to not spook deer. DO you have either model and which would you reccomend. Thanks and good luck this season.Winke Responds:Mike, I have the DLC and like it. I don't have the Cuddeback Capture, but it is a good camera for the money based on the impartial reviews I have read. I personally like the infra-red. But to each his own. I feel the flash will spook deer based on some testing Jason Vickerman did by placing a video camera where it could record the reaction of deer to the flash.
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Harley from AL asks:Bill, great site, thanks for all the info. On your recent video you have cameras set out to catch your fall bucks on camera and help you determine their routes. You're using corn like you would for a deer census, but I was wondering why you were using corn if you're trying to determine what routes they're using. Won't they use different routes if your using corn to attract them and once you stop using the corn won't their routes change again? Or is it more you're just trying to determine what bucks are present in the fall and if so, do you ever use trail cameras to track or try to determine the routes of your deer (or is it pretty consistent from year to year based on what you've learned on your farm and it's topography, food sources, etc.). Sorry for all the questions.Winke Responds:Harley, I am not going to hunt most of these bucks in the exact area where I had the cameras. I am not all that concerned about their routes because the routes will change from day to day. I am only interested in knowing the size and location of their ranges and core areas to the best of my ability. I likely wouldn't hunt them on their routes anyway unless they just happened to be spots I can hunt without alerting any deer. I focus on stands I can get away with hunting somewhere in their home range (ideally as close to the center as possible) and then I just put in my time, trying to keep it fresh. If you go straight to their photographed routes without concern for impact, you will likely have one good hunt at best. As I answered another fellow, I am not sure my strategy is the best. I may change it next year, but it makes sense to me. I just want to know where they are living and then I will hunt them where I think I have an advantage within that area and put in my time. Good luck.
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Dave from MI asks:What trail cameras makes/models would you highly recommend in your own experience. I'm assume you've tried your share and have pro/cons for some. Thanks again for your time and most of all for your commitment to "Midwest Whitetails".Winke Responds:Dave, I appreciate your support. I answered this in a bit more detail in the last question. To sum up, I am not an expert here, but those who are prefer Reconyx. I have Covert, Moultrie and Leaf River. I like the Covert model I have over the other two models. That is not to say that Moultrie and LR aren't making good cameras now - I have their older models. Good luck.
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Eric from IA asks:Hey Bill, Was wondering what you are useing for trailcams? and also which ones are your favorites and which ones are the most reliable cameras. Most importantly which ones would you recommend for me to look at. Was just starting to look into getting one, and would enjoy some input. It got me thinking about it after reading the last blog. They would be handy! Love the show!Thanks!Winke Responds:Eric, I am not an expert on trail cameras, but I have talked to people who are. They recommend Reconyx hands down. Second choice is Bushnell. Covert is a good one. Scout Guard also shows up as a dependable unit. I have personally used Moultrie, Leaf River and Covert. I like the Coverts because of their size and they seem to be reliable. I am trying to sort this out too because I need to find a trail cam sponsor for our show/website. Once I figure it out you'll know because we will hopefully have someone on board. To answer your question: I'd go with Reconyx if you can afford it, Bushnell or Covert if you can't.
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Brian from IA asks:Bill, I just gained access to hunt a piece of private land. This place is loaded with big draws that are long and wide as well as 2 pieces of timber that are about 10 acres each. No crops just pasture on this farm but there is a corn field on the adjacent farm (getting picked this week.) is it to late in the season to do a little scouting, hang a stand, and have any success? Thanks so much for what you do for this sport!Winke Responds:Brian, It is not too late. I will still be putting up a few stands here and there. I would not try to sneak around if you are going to scout it heavily. Act like a farmer and drive right up there slamming doors and running a chainsaw some. Get them out of there and then scout it. If you aren't going to scout it that heavily, consider just carefully setting a few stands on the downwind edges as you go in to hunt for an afternoon and then learn as you hunt. There are two approaches: either make the noise and spook all the deer out or be very sneaky and try not spook any deer out. I would avoid any other strategy. Also, if you can scout during a light rain, that is also a good strategy.
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George from NY asks:Hey Bill- George Allen here hope all is well. On the Missouri blog- they said if you find a rub/scrape line it may be a good place to hang a trail camera. Do you put the flash on for night shots?(during or close to season) Or do you lengthen the time between shots- say 2-3 minutes so you get one good shot between flashes? I have both infared and flash camera's but the flash get better night shots. Just curious....(yours opinion) George.Winke Responds:George, The best way to set up the flash cameras on scrapes is to place it higher in the tree pointing down so it is not at eye/ear level. Deer are not at all sensitive to light coming from above but the flash at eye level seems to get them. If you don't believe me, try messing with a deer sometime with a flashlight from your stand pointing it straight down on them. They seem not to even notice it. It is actually kind of strange how they don't react to it at all.
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Kyle from WI asks:Hi Bill, I really enjoy what you are doing with midwest whitetail. I have been waiting for someone like you to do a show like this. The fact that you talk about the setup in detail, like wind direction and stand location is great. I have learned a lot from you over the years with your great articles and now with midwest whitetail. Thank you. I do have a question. What are your thoughts on using cameras for scouting? Do you prefer the infrared or flash models? I plan on using more cameras to help me monitor deer movement throughout the season and just wondered what you thought. Thanks again.Winke Responds:Kyle, I sure appreciate your kind words and support. Thanks for watching the shows. I like the infra-red because Jason Vickerman set up video cameras next to flash cameras and proved that deer shy away from them when the flash goes off. Some guys set the cameras up higher in trees (five or six feet up) and point them down to eliminate some of these concerns with the flash cameras. Good luck.
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steve from WI asks:Hey bill thanks for the e mails.Super excited about the upcoming shows.Got some awesome pics. of great bucks this year.Left my cam. up near stand to see who stays and who go's and how times and patterns change.Do you think its a bad idea? Should i have pulled it or moved it? Thanks for all your awesome early footage and your ideas for making my small spot more productive! steveWinke Responds:Steve, It is right around the corner for you isn't it? Good luck. I don't think that will kill you. You can easily check it when you go in to hunt it, but I think I would pull it and move it to a different location the next time you go in there. Some bucks are camera shy - they just don't like the sound of the shutter and in some cases they even react to the camera simply being there even if it doesn't take a picture. I would pull it next time you hunt there and move it some place new where you can monitor an area where you don't have a stand in the hopes of finding a pattern (or a buck) you didn't know about.
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Ryan from AL asks:Hi Bill, I love your website and find much valuable information here. I hunt an area where there are very steep ridges on both sides of a creek bottom. We have permission for the bottom and one side of this creek. On the tops of the ridges this year is strictly corn. We are trying to pinpoint movement during the rut. We have found several good trails that run about 3/4 of the way up of the ridges. Along the creek bottoms there are heavily used trails and crossings. Will bucks travel along the bottoms during the rut or stick to tops and ridgd trails? Thanks a lot, RyanWinke Responds:Ryan, They will use both patterns, but it can be very tough to hunt the bottoms with the way the winds swirl in these locations. The valley would have to be nearly 1/4 mile wide to keep the winds from swirling down in the bottom. I would hunt the side-hill trail (a great pattern for the rut) and leave the bottom alone until the end of your vacation time or the last few days of the best portions fo the rut - when you have nothing to lose by bumping a few bucks. I like hunting high on the ridges to minimize wind swirls.
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Ron H. Jr. from WI asks:Hey Bill. Hope everything is going good for you and your team this summer. Its about that time again!! Cant wait! Anyways I have a question for you from a buddy. We have a few cameras out, getting some good pictures, but my buddy keeps getting weird pictures on his cameras. He is calling them "Orbs". The camera will take 3 pictures, the first one or two have nothing but the woods, and the last one or sometimes the second picture will have some crazy blob or a bunch of blobs. We looked at them close and they are for sure not bugs or fuzz floating in the air. Any ideas what might be going on here? Thanks for your time Bill, and GOOD LUCK this fall!!! ~Ron~Winke Responds:Aliens Ron! Run for the hills! I am not sure on that one. You may have stumped me. It could be you are getting random shots but the orbs are dew drops or condensation on the lens. That can look funky at times. Otherwise, I guess I would have to look at the images to have any other thoughts on the source of the blobs. Remember with a slow shutter speed, anything that is moving will tend to blur - like a small flying saucer going by. Seriously, that is a good question. Good luck this fall yourself.
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Tom from MO asks:I was watching your show today, and I was wondering about your trail camera setups. You say you get pictures of these certain bucks throughout the year at different locations. How many cameras are you running? Also, how are your cameras set up? Do you place any kind of bait in front of the cameras, or are they strictly on trails, scrapes, rubs or crossings? This is a bit of a situation for our farm, because we really like having pictures to look at. Most of the time our trails or crossings will come up with only a few pics on them. Whats your advice on setting up cameras? Thanks, Tom BarnardWinke Responds:Tom, I use corn to bring the deer to the camera. It is legal here when done a certain way. Call the game warden first to find out what is permitted. I set out six cameras and move them about three times during the time leading up to when I start hunting. That allows me to get a rough inventory of where the bucks are located and how active they are. I will leave the camera for about 10 days to 2 weeks in each spot (baiting the location twice during that time) before moving it. I like to place them near open areas that I can drive to that are also secluded enough that deer will feel comfortable visiting them. That way I keep impact to a minimum. I drive right up in my truck, swap cards, pour out a bag of corn and drive off. We try to place the cameras facing north whenever possible to reduce false triggers and poor photos due to the setting or rising sun. I hope that helps.
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Tyler Trosen from MN asks:What is your favorite trail cameras to use? Why? Thanks TylerWinke Responds:Tyler, I have not tried them all, but the testing done by friends of mine suggests that the Reconyx are by far the best. I have used the Covert and they are good. Beyond that, I have only heard from others. I hear a lot of grumbling about nearly every brand on the market, at least to varying degrees. If you can afford the Reconyx, they are the way to go. If not, it is a tighter race. Bushnells are supposed to be very good.
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Ray from MO asks:I got two trail cameras this summer with the hopes of patterning a buck whose huge sheds I found at the base of a thick brushy ridge. Scouting in February and March suggests he moves off the ridge from either end. I plan to put out the cameras at either end of the ridge and begin to collect data on his movement patterns. What is the best way to use the cameras to pattern him? And, if my cameras verify his pattern, should I try to hunt him early or wait until late October for the rut to kick in? Thanks!Winke Responds:Ray, I think the camera will tell you all you need to know to answer both questions. Most importantly, however, don't push in too close with the camera or your coming and going will put him on alert. If you are baiting the deer to the camera you will have a better chance of getting images of him, but it won't tell you quite as accurately which trails he is using. Myself, I am too impatient to put cameras on trails and then play cat and mouse with a buck. I prefer to use bait, get him in front of the camera and at least know which part of his range he is using and when. I can probably figure out which trails to try to hunt him on after I have shut off the bait site and pulled the camera. Talk to the game warden about this so that you are sure to be doing it completely legal. But if you have patience, trying to determine his actual travel routes might work. I would just start hunting him as soon as he starts to show up during legal hunting hours, or around October 25 at the latest. Let the deer tell you what to do. However, don't be surprised if he isn't doing what you think he should be doing. They rarely do what we expect. That means you may need to move the camera a few times to find where he is actually living right now - he may also move after shedding velvet and you will have to relocate him. Patterning is an inexact science because the bucks themselves are so unpredictable.
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MIke from KS asks:Bill, I thought I would take the time to tell you I have learned alot from your show and articles. My question has to do with trail cams. Thankfully I have access to hundreds of private farm ground with little to no hunting pressure. I try to check my cameras once a week to once every two weeks. During Summer I do not try to be quite and do not worry about scent. And yet I still get deer going by my cameras the same day even hanging around. Should I be more stealthy in my aproach and concerned about scent? I have seen plenty of big deer even after I have been there. I plan on hunting early season (Sept. 20th) and wonder should I cut back my trips to the cameras or keep them used to my outings? Thanks for your time and hope you the best this hunting season. Thanks, MikeWinke Responds:Mike, I think once they get used to non-threatening human presence in an area, it is not as big a deal as it when the disturbance is fresh. In other words, they hate new things and surprises, so they come to see your checks of the camera as ordinary (safe) human behavior. I would probably keep right on doing it the way you are doing it. I would not quit once you start hunting unless you want to. There is nothing wrong with being quieter and more scent-conscious, but I doubt you will see more mature bucks as a result. I am guessing they have gotten used to your coming and going.
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Gary from WI asks:Have noticed as my farm and the deer mature that the infrared cameras from Buckeye get fewer pics of the older bucks on the farm. I see these bucks regularly from the distance with my spotting scope and digicam pics and some are 5 years or older now. The cameras pick alot of younger bucks up regularly but despite having 10 of these cams out on the farm year round, they avoid these cameras. I just can't believe how well these animals are in tune to their surroundings and despite moving cameras intermittently, I can watch several of these bucks nightly work around them without any pics. I am less and less inclined to keep spending the time and energy pulling cameras every 2-3 weeks. Have you noticed this with your older bucks on your farm?Winke Responds:Gary, I have not noticed it here. I don't run cameras except a few weeks each year, so maybe that is part of it. Also, I have a friend down in GA that manages a big property down there. He says to get the old bucks you have to bait a site for ten days without a camera to get the buck comfortable there and then he puts the camaera on a tree of fencepost. He says he almost always gets all the mature bucks in the area within a few days and then nothing after that. They tune in to the camera very fast. You might try that if baiting to the camera is legal where you hunt.
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Bill from WI asks:Bill, For a while in early june i was getting nothing but bucks on my trail cam overlooking a mineral lick, but now they have disapeared, any ideas where they went, i havent seen any glassing lately either, i have lots of ag fields, and cover, this is the first time it has happened Thanks, and have a happy Independence Day BillWinke Responds:Bill, I am not sure on that. It is possible that something has moved into that area and scared them away from the lick (a coyote den or something like that?). It is also possible that they have shifted to a different area because of changes in their food sources. My guess is that it is related to changes in their food sources. Are there some good soybean fields or alfalfa fields nearby where they may have moved toward? That is where I would start looking. My guess is that the shift is temporary, and unless you don't have food sources in the area of the lick, they should be back. Happy Independence Day to you too.
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Matt Epps from GA asks:Hey Bill thanks for answering my question about a hunting strategy for my Georgia tract. I can't wait to try some different methods. Im fixing to buy another trail camera and I want to know if I should spend the extra money on an infra red camera. I've never had one and the deer never seemed to be spooked by the flash of the cameras I use now, but I have to say I've never had more than one pic of the same mature buck. So should I buy an infra red camera and which one would you recommend....(that is affordable).Winke Responds:Matt, I would go with the infra-red. They are affordable enough now that it is worth making the switch. We are looking to line up a trail cam sponsor, but there are a number of good cameras in the $100 to $200 price range. We have had good experiences with Covert and Scout Guard, among others. The new Moultries look good, but I have not tried them yet. Also, the cameras from Wildgame Innovations are very reasonably priced, though, again I have not tried them.
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Troy from MO asks:How often should i check my trail cameras?Winke Responds:Troy, If you have them over a mineral site during the summer, for example, you can let the camera sit for a month if your HD card is large enough. If you have them over bait, such as corn, you will have to refresh the bait regularly prompting you to swap out cards while you are there. Leading up to the season when I am trying to pattern bucks, I check them every four or five days, but a week would also work (assuming your bait will last that long if you are baiting to the camera). I like to keep my cameras well away from bedding areas so I can check them at midday and often drive right up to them. That reduces impact and doesn't alert the deer.
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kade from IA asks:Bill, We've recently bought a new 100 acre parcel and I've been back and forth on setting up cameras to determine deer patterns. Now what do you recommend on figuring the deer out on the property and their travel patters. Set up cameras on the 4 corners of the property or group a few cameras together in each area and grid it out? I know deer will change patterns as the seasons change and the food/pressue changes? But what do you recommend for scouting?Winke Responds:I would think that four cameras is a good number and I would put them out near the prime food during the summer and then fan them out so the farm is covered pretty uniformly during the rest of the year. Since baiting for camera use is still legal here in Iowa (you might want to check that to be sure as there was some recent talk about shutting that down) I would bait to the camera site with corn starting in mid-to-late September and remove it well before you plan to hunt (if you are going to hunt that area). That way you can learn the new fall ranges of the bucks and get a better idea where they have relocated to. That is probably the most important thing the cameras can teach. The summer stuff is just for fun. What you do after the bachelor groups break up is where the real business takes place.
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Todd from IA asks:I'm doing some research on attractants for trail cam pictures and can't seem to come across anything in the past posts but I know its been covered.What would you recommend for an attractant from now until season starts?Thanks.Winke Responds:Todd, One of the most popular blogs to date has been a guest blog by Scott Prucha about the correct mineral mix (a do it yourself mix) that works well in front of the trail cameras all summer. If you go into the archives for Winke's Blog you should see one about trail cameras from last summer. There is a good mineral recipe in that blog. Good luck.
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Troy from MO asks:Where is the best spot to place a trail camera at this time of the year? Also how far are the bucks into their antler growth? Thanks.Winke Responds:Troy, Placing them over mineral licks is a good choice. It is much cheaper than placing them over grain piles and won't attract racoons and crows, etc. Location-wise, near regular food sources is a good choice - near trails leading into feeding areas. I have been seeing bucks lately with about 8 to 8 inches of beam, so I would say they are only just getting started. They usually show their true potential in early to mid-July.
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Mike from IN asks:Bill: I was curious to exactly what you use for bait for you trail camera stations in the summer and early fall? I am going to run several additional trail cameras this year and was wondering what the best thing to use is. Do you use mineral licks also for your cameras? Thanks.Winke Responds:Mike, I don't shoot a lot of photos in the summer. Mineral would be the best for summer use since squirrels, coons, crows, etc. don't come to it. However, by fall they stop using minerals and then you will need something simple like corn to hold them long enough for a shot. You don't need to put out much, just enough to slow them down as they move past so the camera gets a good shot at them. If you have a camera with a very fast trigger speed, you can probably just set up on well-used trails, but most cameras won't perform well under those conditions.
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cameron from AB asks:I there again Bill, I have one more question about the trail cams..... where is the best place to put them and do you use bait at your camera locations? Ive heard that at the edge of a feild is best but I dont want my cameras getting stolenWinke Responds:Cameron, I use bait to stop the deer because I don't have cameras with the world's fastest trigger speeds. The bait also pulls them to my location. I also place them on the edges of fields so that I can drive to them to check them and add bait as needed. I am not afraid of getting them stolen since they are on private land. If I was afraid of getting them stolen, I would probably go just inside the woods, skip the bait, put the cameras on trails and use the smallest possible camera such as the Covert so it is harder to see. You will need to poing the camera slightly up or down the trail so it has time to "see" the deer and power up for the photo.
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cameron from AB asks:Hi Bill I was wondering when you would recomend I should start to put up my trail cameras?Winke Responds:Cameron, I would say you can start to see some antler development even now, but it is too early to really tell what they are going to turn into. Probably by early June you should be able to see definite antler formation and by early July you should be able to tell one buck from another.
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Joey from MS asks:Great job and a terrific show! Thank you for your Christian values that you exhibit. Are you getting any pics on trail cam of some of your hit list bucks? Great 8?Winke Responds:Joey, Thanks for the support. I appreciate it. I stopped running cameras back about Dec. 20. We have no record of that buck since the day I shot at him. We have found antlers from him for the past four or five years, so hopefully we find them again. He is old and he is not going to live forever. I wouldn't be surprised if we find him dead somewhere. It has been a very hard winter here. But I hope not. Stay tuned!
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Curtis from IA asks:Thanks for the quick response! I asked you a some questions about IR cameras. I do bait the camera with salt blocks and corn but I only have 2 cameras for the 300 acres but rotate them every 2 weeks from my 10 different salt blocks. Once the season starts I have to put them on trails, do you put your cameras close to your stand even though the shutter makes a sound? In regards to my last question about 3 being too many to hunt a 300 acre land, I'm a teacher so I don't get much time to hunt except weekends. The land doesn't get touched during the week but from about Oct.20th-Nov.20th 3 of us hunt it pretty hard. Morning and evening hunts during the weekends not sure if the 5 week days is enough to "let the dust settle".(of course I take my two vacation days on the 7th or near by that date). I'm pretty sure the deer start to pattern us any ideas for us? How many cameras do you think I need?Winke Responds:Curtis, I don't run cameras near my stands. I typically run them over bait and then stay away from them. I may hunt the general area, but only after the bait is long gone and I have remove the camera. I ran the entire plan past my local game warden and was fine with it. My method is probably not the most efficient method. I am guessing that I should be moving the cameras to scrapes once I stop running baited sites so that I can continue to get feedback on patterns and movement near my stands. I would say that five weekdays is enough to let the dust settle in your hunting area as long as you are hunting carefully during the weekends. You have to think in terms of keeping your impact low during the hunts or you will certainly educate the deer. If three guys all barge into the area at once and the things that deer know to be normal suddenly change, they will react. If the same human activity pattern is repeated the next weekend, they will likely change their behavior. Deer are much better at knowing they are being hunted than we give them credit for being. Do you think a person could consistently sneak into your house and you not figure it out. You would see the muddy tracks on the carpet, notitce things out of place, hear odd sounds, etc. A person would have to be very, very sneaky to get away with that consistently. That is exactly the way you need to think about your approach to hunting. It is the deer's house. If you aren't extremely sneaky, they will know you have been there.
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Curtis from IA asks:I have two Moultrie IR cameras because I thought the flash effected the deer when the camera took a picture. Now that I have the IR cameras I still think it effects the deer. What do you think? Do you use cameras during the hunting season and do you use them near your stands? I have a 300 acre farm 45% timber with a crick running down the middle and a river at the back end of the farm. The property is narrower than long so I know deer pass through but the past 3 years I have been getting pictures of great bucks but only getting one picture of them. Last question is 3 people hunting this land too many? Thanks, love what you guys are doing with the websiteWinke Responds:I think they hear the camera's shutter, at least in some cases. I am not sure if they "see" the IR flash or not. I think they are less sensitive to the IR than they are to visible flash. At least that is what I see. However, as stated, some of my cameras make a dull thud sound when the shutter opens and closes and I am sure they can hear that and no doubt react to it. We get some bucks passing through too, but most we photograph more than once. You may not have enough cameras out. Are you baiting to the camera? For example, I use a pile of corn to lure them to the camera and that works (you can't hunt anywhere near that spot for some time after you stop baiting). Three sounds like to many to me. Ideally, two is enough on ground that size. It really depends on how often you hunt. If you don't hunt much, three is fine. You don't want to average more than two people on the place per day during the best times, for sure.
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Scott from CT asks:Hi Bill, Love your show!what are your thoughts on flash trail cams? Do you think the flash spooks deer? Thanks! ScottWinke Responds:Scott, People who have done a lot of testing think the flash does spook some deer. I think the IR cameras also spook some deer too, if the shutter is audible.
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Adam from MI asks:My Wildview trail cam works great, but the batteries were being sucked dry by the bitter cold nights here in Michigan back in December. Any advice on which cams perform best in cold weather? Or tips on battery life? Anybody try rechargables? The cost of batteries for multiple cameras really adds up!Winke Responds:Adam, I have used the Moultrie cameras and they have very good battery life, very good. I also used dome Covert cameras last season and they did a good job. I am sure there are others, but I have not tried enough of them to know which are the best. I am sure that rechargeables would be a good option. I use them for many things and they work great.
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Jason from WV asks:First of all, I love the show!! I haven't missed a single episode all year! The e-mail updates are nice too and I enjoy getting them. I read an article on your site a few weeks back that I remember you saying was written by one of your friends. It talked about how to make a mineral lick and it gave the ingredients and instructions for that particular mixture. Could you tell me where I could find that article? I can't find it now on your site. Also, I live in mountainous terrain in WV so when and where would be the best place to put this mineral lick? On trails?, near beds?, on ridges?, etc... Lastly, do I need to put something additional with it like apples or corn to help initially draw the deer to it and help them find it until it becomes a well established mineral source for them?Winke Responds:Jason, That article is in the Journal archives. Go to Winke's Blog and go backwards until you find it. I would place them in heavily traveled areas, near trails or trail intersections. You shouldn't need to put any attractant with the mineral, but I suppose if you want to get them started on it right away, a 1/2 bag of corn would do that. They won't use them much until the winter thaws and will stop using them heavily after their antlers are done growing and they start shedding, probably in September they will stop using them as much. Good luck.
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Richard from PA asks:hey bill, i have a question i put out a couple of trail cameras to scout a farm that i am on. one day i had went out to check the camera and when i went to turn it on to see how many pictures it took it turned on and off consistently. i brought it back to my house and after i let it sit for a day i was fine. so what happend to my camera.Winke Responds:Richard, Not sure, may have been an electrical short in the circuit card caused by moisture and sitting at home dried it out. I would give it another try but possibly it simply doesn't seal well enough. Also, batteries always do better when they are warm. Alkaline batteries can practically stop working if it is cold enough.
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Shan from IA asks:Bill, Congrats on another great job with Midwest Whitetail this year. Got a few questions for you. I grew up and began hunting in the big woods of northern WI. Have you thought about getting anybody from up that way on the WI show to let people see how the hunting is different from southern WI? Up north the woods are much bigger and most people are hunting over a pile of corn these days making deer nocturnal so it can be tough. That leads to my second question regarding bait and the use of trail cameras. I now live in IA and see you use corn with some of your trail cameras. What are the laws regarding that? Do you have to be careful of how close you hunt to one of those set ups if you feel like the bait is dictating deer movement? My third question is about the Muddy sticks and stands. How easy are they to use compared to a climber for giving a stand hunter some mobility? How high does a set of 4 sticks get you? Great job again and Happy Holidays. ShanWinke Responds:Shan, We do need to add someone from that area, there is no doubt about it. That style of hunting has much different challenges that we need to address. You can bait your trail camera sites as long as you don't hunt over them or over any trails leading to them. We put out small amounts of corn and then stop baiting that site well before we start hunting that general area. In most cases, I am baiting right in food plots just to give the deer something to home in on. If I put out a bag of corn in front of the camera, it is gone in about four or five days and the deer stop coming to that camera. Muddy Sticks will get you about 16 to 18 feet. We carry five of them when using them strictly for our climbing. However, I often supplement the sticks with a couple of screw-in steps here and there, and maybe a branch or two and four sticks will get me to about 20 to 22 feet when used that way. I don't like climbers, so there is no way I would ever carry one - especially not here in Iowa, probably not anywhere.
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Jeremy from GA asks:Bill, Love the show. Much of the info is very helpful for us, here in the south as our rut/movement patterns are simmilar to yours. Have you ever thought about doing a show on the use of trail cameras, set up, location, etc. I am just starting to use them with great results, but am surely making some rookie camera mistakes. Knowing that a good buck is in the area, thanks to trail cam pics, makes it easier to hunt the slow periods, especially here in Ga. where the bucks can be VERY nocturnal. Thanks again for the great show, I look forward to it each week. JeremyWinke Responds:Jeremy, It is a very good idea. Much of what do here is starting to revolve around what we learn from the cameras. It is part of the reason (a big part) of why we see the number of good bucks that we do see. I think adding a segment about camera use to the show would be good. Thanks and Merry Christmas.
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Woody from VA asks:Card Reader. You have any suggestions for a card reader for viewing Compact Flash and SD cards? My dad can't seem to learn how to use a computer and has had 2 cuddeview's break. He wants one he can hook to his TV to view like the cuddeview but be able to play a slide show. Love the shows, any news on the High or Great 8? I Sure would like to get some MWGear for Christmas.Winke Responds:Woody, Man, I don't know anything about that. I do have some shirts now though and am getting my shopping cart built so I can put them up for sale on the site. So, should be in the next few days, I would say. Thanks. Bill
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Dave from MN asks:Bill, Thanks for the awesome website. I've been reading and enjoying your articles in Peterson's Bowhunting for years and it's great to finally "meet" you through your website. My question is about your preference of trail cameras. Do you prefer flash or infared models. Any particular model(s) you recommend? Thank you!Winke Responds:Dave, I appreciate the support and hope that we can keep you involved here. I am not a trail cam expert. From what I have learned, I have selected infra-red for my own cameras. I am currently using the Moultrie Game Spy 4.0 IR. It does fine for what I need but some of the guys that put them up all summer say that this camera is not sealed well enough to keep the ants out and they mess up the circuits. Not sure if they have fixed that or not. I have been happy with the ones I have but I only run them in late September and early October. Good luck.
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Aaron from TN asks:I have had problems with my trail cameras and tree stands being stolen lately. I feel that trail cameras are a great tool for scouting when I cannot be there, but it is expensive when they come up missing. I did have the cameras cable locked to the tree. Do you have any other ideas how to keep my trail cams safe?Winke Responds:Possibly hanging them higher and pointing them down so they are out of reach. Otherwise, I can't think of anything that will work better than the lockable cable system. That is a huge bummer. It sure makes a person mad. I hope you catch them.
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Todd from GA asks:I have see that some hunting celebrities on tv have a closed circuit camera system that transmits a signal that can be picked up on your tv. Do you have any information on how to setup a system like this?Winke Responds:Todd, I know Don Kisky is doing that, but I am not sure I have seen anyone else doing it. It is all in the camera. The camera sends the signal by line of sight to the antenna and then that runs through some kind of transducer to create the final video stream. I think Don had the camera custom-made. I am not sure on that. I will ask him next time I talk with him and post it on a blog or something. It is not a currently available system on the market, that is all I can say for sure. I would think there might be video survellance systems out there that you can research on the web that will do the same thing. Check those out first.
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Josh from WI asks:hey Bill love the show! I was just wondering if you ever have problems with bears destroying your game cameras? I have never had one destroyed yet but have had bears right in the camera! I put needles on mine and that has kept them off just wondering what your thoughts are!!! thanks JoshWinke Responds:Josh, I have not used trail cameras in bear areas before. I think there are products you can buy to go over the camera (like a steel cage) to keep the bears from destroying it, but I am not up to speed on that stuff. If somone else has ideas, let me know and I'll get it up here.
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Tracy from IA asks:Hello, I'm a 15 year old bow hunter, and, as such, on somewhat of a budget. I am looking for something to atract deer to my trail cams in september and early october, when mineral licks aren't as efective. I know corn would work well, but I don't really want to spend the money for it. I was wondering if you thought oats would work, as a cousin of mine farms, and has a grain bin with a bunch of dirty oats in it that needs cleaning out, and what's left is free for the taking. Do you think it would work? Thanks, Tracy. P.S. I also love your show!Winke Responds:Tracy, Thanks for your support. I think the oats would work as long as it isn't spoiled too badly I might be tempted to mix a little corn into each pile at the start to get them using it. Good luck this season.
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MARK from MN asks:last year in late december i got a couple of nice bucks on my trail cam i figure they were both 3.5 year old deer and i feel the only way i seen these deer i because i had corn out and was feeding them. i had already filled my tag and was just seeing what was all out there. i have not seen the deer since. we now have an 80 acre soybean field planted in the area where i had the pics would this be an ideal spot to sit with a ground blind or do you think the deer have moved on and only came there for the food source of corn and will only return to this area when food is hard to come by.Winke Responds:Mark, It is hard to answer that question. There is only one way to find out: sit on the downwind edge of the bean field with a spotting scope and watch what comes out during the next few weeks. You can also put out another corn pile (if legal)and run your cameras right now to see if he is still around. If you see him during the summer, combined with the late season photos, you can bet he lives around the area close by. If you don't catch him this summer, you don't have much to go on except a hope. Your hunting area may be part of his fall range but not part of his summer range. Like I said, your question brings up more additional questions than it does answers.
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Dean from NJ asks:Bill, First off, i want to say, i love the show and website. Ok, last year i hunted a huge buck for my area, never got him. I did however get a bunch of pictures of him coming to my bait about an hour after dark. Also, he would only come a couple times and then nothing, i moved my bait a few hundred yards, again he woudl come a few times and then gone again. Do you think my trail camera, since it has a flash would spook him? Would getting an IR camera be better or just go without the camera altogether? Thanks! DeanWinke Responds:Dean, Thanks for supporting Midwest Whitetail. I have a friend who makes fun of me for starting my answers that way. But I do appreciate it. There could be a couple of things causing this. Yes, it could be the camera. I would likely say that it is. We have some trail cam video of the walking world record reacting to a flash camera. It is pretty cool stuff. You can see it in Episode 5. Jason Vickerman built the video camera that captured the scene. Very cool stuff. Literally, it is the world record buck before Tony Lovestuen shot it in 2003. Anyway, I think the flash will spook them. I also think that the shutter click of any camera (even infra-red) will get their attention, possibly spooking them. Some guys have had good luck putting the camera up above the deers' heads and shooting more down on them to keep from alarming them. Me, I would forget the camera, give the buck time to get comfortable and then go in after him. Once you know he is in the area, the camera doesn't do you much good unless you just want pictures of the buck. That is a different story. If you are trying to kill him, keep all intrusion to a minimum.
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Jesse from IA asks:Bill, i typically run about 6-8 trail cameras a year. I've had my best luck with cuddeback, i was wondering if you use cuddebacks, what other brands you use, and which you prefer. Also, i know the bucks are growing pretty fast right now, but still have some growing to do, when do you start putting your cameras out? Thanks, Jesse UlickiWinke Responds:Jesse, I have been using Moultrie Game Spy 4.0 cameras mainly because they are affordable and have long battery life. However, their trigger speed is not overly fast so they work best over a mineral lick or bait pile. I have a couple of friends who use the new Reconyx and they swear by them. They are more expensive, but apparently they get everything and also have a long battery life. I personally don't put cameras out until after the bucks have shed their velvet, but that is probably a mistake on my part. I will probably reconsider that as July comes on. We will start filming velvet footage and putting our hit lists together in mid-July. Good luck and have fun. Happy 4th of July.
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Ian from WI asks:hey bill got some more questions for you. I have used your advice and tips of working for farmers it worked lol i just got access to a 100acre hunting property near my house SWEET!! it is just outside of the suburbs of milwaukee. How will the contact with people affect the deer and beacuse this is a new property how do i determine what is a true "trophy" for the situation? ive got areal photos and did some quick scouting when the lil old lady that owns the land invited me to hunt. Trail cameras are new to me this is prob going to be my starting point ive got an old 35mm camera you know college is expensive and ill use what i got thanks again and ill keep yah posted if ud like this is a big learning experince compared to hunting the family farm.Winke Responds:Ian, Congratulations and good for you. When I used to do that, I had so many farmers calling me by the second summer that all I was doing was baling hay. I had a lot of great permission though! I suspect that any buck 2 1/2 and older is a realistic trophy. If the neighbors are not hunting the bucks hard, you may move up to 3 1/2 year olds. I guess the only way to know for sure is to do some glassing this summer and see what comes out. Also, try to match normal human activity patterns and the deer won't be wise to you. I wouldn't go where no one else ever goes. Hunt the fringes of their core (sanctuary) areas. I look forward to hearing how it turns out. Good luck.
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Kyle from WI asks:Hi Bill, What type of scouting camera do you prefer? With or without a flash? Great website! Don't change a thing. I especially like the way you use the aerial photos to show where and why you hunt a particular spot. -KyleWinke Responds:Kyle, I appreciate it. Thanks for your support. We plan to keep it pretty much the same with a few new twists that I think you will enjoy. I used the Moultrie Game Spy 4.0. It is infra-red. I think the deer can here the shutter either way, so it is not as if the IRs don't have a knock against them too. Not sure what to suggest. I have seen both sides of the argument, but I think the IR is probably less likely to spook deer. I have a friend that hangs his cameras high and points them down and that seems to eliminate the flash shock. Good luck. Bill
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Troy from MO asks:When do you recommend to start putting out trail cameras?Winke Responds:Troy, I like to film the deer so I am not too worried about putting the cameras out till the bucks start to disappear off the fields in the summer (about late August). In the meantime I'm filming. However, most people start about mid-June as the bucks start to show some potential. By mid-July you can usually tell what they are going to become. Good luck. Bill
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Rob from MO asks:I was wondering what type of digital scouting cameras you use. I currently have a Cuddeback IR and looking at purchasing another but before I do I figured I'd check around and see what others are using. RobWinke Responds:We have been using the Moultrie Game Spy 4.0. It has great battery life and the photos are good enough. The trigger speed is not all that fast, but we make a point of shooting over corn piles, so that is a non-issue. I understand from guys that have used them, that the Reconyx are awesome cameras. So you might want to take a look at them too. Good luck. Bill
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Ben from MO asks:Hello Mr. Winke, first off great show, just can't get enough of it. I am currently going to college 200 miles away from my property and depend heavily on scouting cameras. I had long thought that my current cameras were not capturing the whole "show", but this year proved it and was the last straw (personally saw a 160 inch 8-pt make a scrape 20-25 ft in front of the camera and got 0 pics). My question is what trail cameras do you use and could you recommend a few? I am looking for the best bang for my buck. In your experience does flash have much effect on the deer and is infared worth the extra money? Also why no love for MO? Just curious, keep up the good work and thank you for your time.Winke Responds:I need to something in MO for sure. No reason for the lack of love. I will fix that this coming season. We started MW on July 4 and by Aug 15 had our first show out, so there wasn't much time to contact people in all the areas I wanted to cover. I used Moultrie 5.0 Game Spy cameras this past year and they seemed to work fine, but I always had them over corn piles so I didn't have to worry about trigger time. Battery life has been awesome and the photos are fine for our purposes. I would get infra-red from what I have seen. Good luck. Bill "MO Lover" Winke
