First night of my first trail cam

[caddisguy]

I put up a trail cam for the first time. There was a spot I was curious about, trying to decide if it's worth hunting early season. Copied the card before I left and looks like I got lucky the first night. This guy came along and my budget-cam managed to get some video. This was the best frame. It looks like he has a decent rack on him, but scrawny otherwise. Decided to leave the cam for a few weeks and see if this spot works it's way up my opening week plan list... that is if some bear isn't knocking it down as I type...

http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t644/vaporeyes/trailcam-deer-freeze-01_zps081e2d7e.jpg

Saw this guy a few km away. Had an SJ4000 (gopro clone) on my head at the time so I got some decent frames. Nice rack but small deer still. It's muley-blacktail hybrid zone so this is typical.

http://i1318.photobucket.com/albums/t644/vaporeyes/sj4000-deer-freeze-01_zpsf8150333.jpg


Just looking for a "yay caddisguy nice grainy trail cam... way to find those deer man... one day you'll get you one of these deers". Alright I'm ready... give it to me ;-P

[Steeleco]

For better effect your best to post your pictures before the working bunch go to bed LOL Even grainy he looks to be sporting some decent bone and he may have a wee bit of growing still to do?

So the GPS coordinates are?

[caddisguy]

but but I am the working bunch... 5am is gonna hit me where it hurts. Just trying to unwind after the highway 1 EB Sunday traffic.

Ok, I've been unwinding and slacking for 6 hours... you caught me... that langley -> downtown commute, 9 hour shift and return flight is still going to hurt. Forget all that though... caddisguy got a trail pic! lol

[fuzzybiscuit]

Yay caddisguy nice grainy trail cam... way to find those deer man... one day you'll get you one of these deers!

Looks like a great spot.

[caddisguy]

I was thinking of putting some sort of attractant down so that deer stop and hang around where the camera is pointing, but then noticed that though the Wildlife Act says that it ok to leave bait/attractant if it's for lawful hunting/trapping purposes, the Parks Act--and this is a provincial park--just says "No person shall feed wildlife in a park, conservancy or recreation area".

I either have to find out their definition of feeding (ie: whether this just means feeding things first hand or if leaving out salt/grain counts too). I guess some doe urine would be legal. Never too early for bucks to start thinking about babes.

[Steeleco]

HUM! Provincial park and allowed to hunt, that narrows things down a bit. LOL You leave a trail came in a park and it's still there when you go back. Lucky guy!!

[caddisguy]

HUM! Provincial park and allowed to hunt, that narrows things down a bit. LOL You leave a trail came in a park and it's still there when you go back. Lucky guy!!

It's a bit of a hike and a nasty bushwack. I can't think of anyone in their right mind--myself included--who would go there. Takes a bad case of buck fever and a hunch, but even then it's a needle in a haystack.

No people sign around at all, but there is a lot of bear sign. I just know they are going to mess with it. I might go back in a couple weeks just to make sure it's still where it should be, swap the card and maybe try and make it less convenient for bears to get at.

[Steeleco]

On a serious note! Can the cams not be placed higher than the average bear is willing to climb and be angled down towards your target area. It's not hard to fashion a ladder to help us bipeadels get higher up!!

[caddisguy]

I was thinking the same. No matter what camera, mother nature provides all sorts of solutions for getting it up high and improvising tilt. In this case there were time constraints so it is very sloppy work... will probably fall off if a bear sniffs it. I'll fix it up good in a couple of weeks if it's still there.

I can see how these cams could become a whole other addiction on there own. I'm already browsing around for more cheap ones. I think just getting the confirmation of presence or lack of animals will help me without cameras in the long run with finding productive areas.

[Rob Chipman]

Confirmation/information about what's in the area is what I like best about trailcams too. I've got two now and will likely get another before too long.