Can Someone Critique my Trail Cam Setup

[RoughCut]

So I went out today to set up a Cam on some Deer CoCaine (I heard it was pretty good stuff). It's my first time setting up a cam and have no idea what I am doing, so I was hoping to get some feedback. Anyways I had a spot picked out that I wanted to set the cam and ended up busting a doe not 40 yards from where I set up. I walked about 20 more yards and found this Shed. Seemed to be active spot so I decided to set up right there.

 

Anyways, Let me know what you think

 

Thanks

[cramerhunts]

Kind of hard to tell the exact angle of the camera but I would have put the deercane in the middle of the two trees with the camera pointed straight down more. This would have given you a smaller field of view but really cut down on the false pictures. As it is it appears to me you will have the branches from the cedar and all of the ground cover in the back ground giving you fits. I think you did good by putting it in the general area that seems to be quite active just maybe a little more time in the site set up will give you better results.

 

Also don't forget to keep the camera pointed north/south as much as possible.

 

Phil

[RoughCut]

Kind of hard to tell the exact angle of the camera but I would have put the deercane in the middle of the two trees with the camera pointed straight down more. This would have given you a smaller field of view but really cut down on the false pictures. As it is it appears to me you will have the branches from the cedar and all of the ground cover in the back ground giving you fits. I think you did good by putting it in the general area that seems to be quite active just maybe a little more time in the site set up will give you better results.

 

Also don't forget to keep the camera pointed north/south as much as possible.

 

Phil

 

Thanks for the quick pointers. The Camera is facing North as it sits. I thought about puttin the salt between the two trees, but I was thinking that the camera would be too "in your face", so I tried to back off the salt a bit. That was my train of thought anyways, you are right though I probably will get a ton of windy branches. I also packed in a liter of water to pour on the salt. Is this really beneficial?

 

Thanks

[soazarcher]

Looks like a good spot.

 

A couple of things you could do to improve your pics,

 

It looks like the lick is on the other side of a trail, I can visualize deer turning away from the camera to hit the lick=butt shots

 

I try to face a camera facing up or down the trail, you will get more "head on" shots and deer stay in the frame longer

 

It's also nice to get 'em up high in a tree facing down, helps with glare, theives and bears

[cramerhunts]

As far as the water it depends upon the amount of moisture you're getting. If its dry and not raining much then yes it can really help getting the lick going. You'll find that the deer will lick, chew the soil that the salt has leached into and not the actual salt.

 

I've had to put the camera about five feet directly above the salt before to get rid of the false triggers and it doesn't seem to bother the deer.

 

Here is a pic from that particular set up.

 

 

 

Phil

[Ernesto C]

That's a pretty picture right there!

[gotcoues]

I prefer to have the cam very close to the ground, I shoot for the legs. Maybe 12in" of the ground, I enjoy getting the small critters too. When they are in test I will see what kind of distance I can get and then double check to see how level the beam is by trying to get under the detection beam without the test light going off. if I can, then I shim it down with a stick and then start over. Normally I spend about 15min just double checking and then checking again. If it's not set up very well, it's dang near worthless.

 

To me, your cam seems to close, if you have a group of deer at your site your field of view is probably pretty weak to get multiple deer that are spread out a bit. As far as false pictures, I normally do a little grass/weed matinence if necessary.

 

I do like the pics from straight above (very interesting), but it would seem they are very isolated to a small area.

 

Good luck, I find the cams very addicting!

 

 

 

[Bucks_N_Yotes]

When I set up on trails, I try to have the camera at a 45 on south side ot the trail. Somthing that would be worth your time would be a card reader that you can view your pics. It really helps with your set up and knowing where our cameras limits are.You can pick them up for around $50. I have found that the higher up, the more pitch you need on your camera. If your in a dryer climate, the water trick works great by speeding up the long term process.

[RoughCut]

I really appreciate all of the comments. It seems it really comes down to personal preference and experimentation. How long would you guys say it takes for deer to find salt?? Also how long will it last?? I know the answers to these questions can vary drastically, but just looking for an average.

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

I like to increase my number of pics by pointing it into as much open area as is available. I like to aim down the side of a clearing or a water hole.... here is why.... this cam is about 6" off the ground pointing down hill.

[Bucks_N_Yotes]

Your salt is going to depend on alot of things, such as how avtive is the area, amount of traffic, are you sure there is no other sites in the area that they are hitting. Is it in a bedding area, along a frequent route, or is it so out of the way they might get to it. All these factors and more is why your trail camera is such an important tool for you to use. What type of camera are you using?

 

From what I have learned, it takes a little know how. Once you figure it out, thats when the fun begins and the costs start adding up when you have to have more camers, more SD cards, more cameras, and maybe more cameras!!!!! It is amazing what you will learn! Keep at it and learn from it. Ben

 

[RoughCut]

Your salt is going to depend on alot of things, such as how avtive is the area, amount of traffic, are you sure there is no other sites in the area that they are hitting. Is it in a bedding area, along a frequent route, or is it so out of the way they might get to it. All these factors and more is why your trail camera is such an important tool for you to use. What type of camera are you using?

 

I have never personally glassed this area, but have heard of some nice bucks being taken from the area. Cattle in the winter time are fairly active, so their might be existing salt blocks somewhere, but not too close to where I put mine. I hiked my butt off about 2 miles through some nasty nasty. I imagine it's smack dab in a bedding area as I jumped that whitey about 30-40 yards from my cam. Due to the cattle it was really tough deciding if any one trail was strictly a deer trail or cattle. Will they both use the same routes???? I have always wondered that. Anyways there was a super prominent cattle trail about 80 yards up mountain from my cam.

 

Also how long do you guys leave your cams out. I am using some cheapy Moultrie D-40's.

[Bucks_N_Yotes]

I leave my cameras out most of the year. I check them sometimes weekly, and others monthly. I am not sure about the cattle, but I know that I have Javelina that are sharing the same trails as the deer. Like most, path of least resistance!

[bowsniper]

I always have the best results by having the camera point to the North. Less sun glare and less false trips (depending on the type of sensor in your cam). Also, if your cam does not have a laser pointer, they can be very useful to aim the cam. I use a small square aluminum block with a tight hole for a $10 pointer to aim the pointer at a 90 degree angle to the cam.

 

Good luck and be careful, this can become addicting. To keep your cam yours, avoid water holes and near by roads. Having your cam tampered with or stolen is usually a not a question of "if" but "when". Also remember that unless we all hammer the commissioners with email this Fall, using salt and other bait will likely be illegal next year. I will keep you posted.

 

Mark

[DesertBull]

I learned my lesson about checking the cams too often. The deer get your scent too often, especially old bucks, and they go away or go nocturnal real fast.

 

I only check mine once per month now, wear gloves, and try not to touch any trees or bushes when crossing any trails and get in and get out as fast as possible.