Are Trail cameras fair?

[longbow59]

I am curious if there was anyone like me who won't use trail cameras? First let me say I do not feel like I am better hunter for not using them. I just can't get over the fact were out there with a stick and string. Then were going to put a electronic device on a tree to let us know deer A is coming in the field between 9 and 10 am. I would be interested in how you guys felt.

[Over&Under]

I do understand your point, but the way I look at it, nothing is guarenteed.  I have had elk coming in to a water hole like clock work for the last couple of years (shown on the trail cam) then sat the hole and not seen a single elk, or had them come in and not present a good shot.  

I cannot speak for whitetails, but my experience with elk and mule deer is that they are sometimes hard to pattern, you may think they are coming and going consistantly, but then they change for some unknown reason, weather, other animals, etc.

A trail cam for me is more of another fun way/reason to be in the woods getting pics of game I otherwise would not get, and if I am able to up my odds a bit in the process, then so be it.

[longbow59]

I only go in my area to hunt. I am trying to leave the area as pristine has possible. Do you think by checking camreas you might be leaving to much scent? Therby alerting game.

[hunt it]

It's fun and if you have limited hunting time in an area it will give you a better idea of where to set up.

An advantage over the deer, I say no way. You still have to do your part to make it happen.
I cannot tell you how many monster whitetails show up on my cameras at some ungodly hour in middle of night. Never seen, let alone killed one of those monsters yet. The big boys even though pressured lightly in my area are almost 100% nocturnal.

[longbow59]

My buddies are always showing pics of deer after dark. But what good is that? The reason I brought this subject up, I was watching the outdoor channel and Rodger Raglin was advertising a sevice that when a pic was taking at the camera it would email the pic to your computer. I was thinking thats alittle much. My point is we choose to use the hardest weaponry to kill with {a bow and arrow}. then we use electronic devises to hunt with. I dont see how the 2 go together.

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

I think the scouting aspect is minimal,I run cameras and am always seeing bucks I don't have pictures of, and I have pictures of bucks I never see.
 It does however give you the opportunity to hunt  year around.. No license required.. Kinda like catch and release thing.
Also amazing the other things you catch,, Critters, trespasser etc.
Don't think of it as Scouting, just think of it as another way to spend time out doors and view wildlife.

[Ray Hammond]

Longbow, it might affect your attitude that you have the longest season in the country, if I am not mistaken.

That gives you a lot of room for error and time to do a lot of ground pounding.

[Anaconda12]

I am with you 59 I refuse to use them, I see the enjoyment it brings to others using them so who am I to judge them for using them.  I like you kind of want to use my skills to figure what kind of bucks or other activity there is in my woods by READING sign, whether is be disecting scrapes and rubs to studying tracks and locating bedding areas and then try to solve it all by a well placed arrow, not a well placed camera.  But again that is just me if others enjoy them so be it.

[Whip]

I use a camera, but really it isn't a very good scouting tool for me.  Maybe just because I don't use it that way, but from my experience there really isn't much of a pattern to the big boys at least.  

I set mine up on a small water hole and get pictures of all kinds of deer at all different times of day and night.  Some of the small bucks can be seen fairly often, and maybe if I tried I could even tie them to a pattern.  But if I get two or three pictures of one of the big bucks over a one month period I'm doing good.  They just don't seem to come around very often, or maybe they are camera shy.  Since I don't put the camera where I am trying to hunt it doesn't help or hurt me either way.  Just fun to see what is there and keep my hopes and dreams alive.  

No way at all do I feel like I am taking unfair advantage.  I gain far more knowledge by looking at tracks and sign because they leave those clues wherever they go - not just in one spot like a camera location.

[Anaconda12]

Let me clarify one thing ( the question asked) I do not think about it as being unfair or fair, I think  of it as a personal decision if someone enjoys it so be it I am not going to think of them as any less of a hunter for using them.  I shoot longows and selfbows does that mean everyone has to agree with me?

[jchunt4ever]

I personally don't have any problem with using a regular trailcam and actually have a couple myself. I will tell you that I was a little hesitant at first, just for the same reasons you probably are. I thought it would make it soooo easy, put a camera on a trail for a couple of weeks or even a month, look at the pictures and see when that big buck is coming in and go sit that spot on his next scheduled visit.

Well, let me tell you, this is my third year of using trailcams now, have gotten thousands of pics of deer, and I am yet to pattern any single deer from it. In fact some of the better bucks, I've only gotten 1 or 2 pics of ever and never have seen those buck in person. And yes those pics were in daylight hours.

Now the newer technology of pics being sent wirelessly to a computer or cell phone as soon as they are taken, I totally agree with you. I feel that is so unethical and would be so easy to abuse, that I think it should be outlawed. I really don't see much difference between those things and the remote control guns with a camera looking through the scope and connected to the internet, for "online hunting".

However, after stating that I do see how these new camera's could help you stay out of your hunting area and not dispersing your scent and bumping deer, etc. That's a great idea, and even yourself stated that as a problem with the regular cameras, but the temptation and human nature to take the easiest route or "cheating" is all too great.

I think these devices will and probably have already started giving hunting a bad name in society. At some point, there has to be a line drawn where "hunting" turns into "shooting/killing", and I feel these cameras have crossed that line.

Sorry for the long post, but just wanted to voice my opinion on the subject.

[snag]

I think it is more entertainment than a sure thing scouting tool. Sure you can see if there are bucks or bulls in the area and if they are shooters. But like others say it is no guarantee with them.

[trapperDave]

they are a GREAT way to involve your children and instill in them a love for nature. Its also nice knowing what the "potential"is in your area. I have an idea what the biggest bucks in the area are, ans what I could or should hold out for. They wont put any more deer in your freezer, but they will educate you! And they can be used for ALOT more than just gettin deer pics.

[Bjorn]

We live in an unavoidable mix of technology.Computers in cars, high def TV, veggie burgers and stick bows-choose those you want.

[KyleAllen]

I believe trail cameras to be our greatest scouting tool. I am a full time student and i work on top of that. I have a limited amount of time to hunt so i want to be able to capitalize on it. We do not hunt with stick and string because we want to live in the stone age. We do it for the challenge. It makes us get closer. It makes us feel connected. Trail cameras take away from none of that. The only thing they do is save you the time of sitting in a fruitless spot. They are certainly not sure deals. Tho our cameras are full of deer. I have yet to as much as have a shot. I suppose it comes down to a personal preference just like everything else. My opinion is youre missing out on a whole other world of enjoyment by not getting to check your camera.

regards
kYle

[Tioga]

I really enjoy my trailcamming. Since I've started camming 5 years ago, I've never had one hanging during hunting season because I'd rather keep it rather then have it stolen. But I found an apple orchard on state ground that I never knew existed last week. It's getting hammered by a few deer including one fair sized buck that I've seen 3 times in that area throughout the summer. I have no interest in killing this buck, but just for heck of it I decided to try to figure out whether he's hitting a nearby clover plot first or hitting the apple orchard first. I put my trailcam up, and got him coming from the clover plot to the apple orchard at 9:45pm. The next night, I set up 200 yards uphill from the clover plot and had him 20 yards from my stand at 6:10pm. He walked away never knowing how much danger he was in.    

  So yes, my trailcam absolutely did give me an advantage had I chose to harvest this buck. Was it unfair? To me it was. But to the next guy maybe not. Depends on how one views these kinds of things.

[bowless]

I'd love to have one.  I think the advantage is the confidence factor by actually seeing pictures of deer near the stand.  A lot of sign helps too but pics would be great.

[Missing Impossible]

A trail cam will not tell you that a deer "is" going to come into the field between 9 and 10 am, it will only show you what deer has previously come to that field between 9 and 10 am.  The area I have my homebrews in is not hunted and I still would not want to try to pattern a deer based on my pics alone.  One uses the trip to check cams as scouting time also.  Should someone start a thread that electronic mosquito repellants aren't "traditional"?  Just as silly IMO.
Mike

[KyleAllen]

I apologize but i do find such topics rather frivolous. Decided to chime back in to add that if you feel you are too hard core traditional to use a trail cam then you should abstain from using the mountain of information that you likely obtain, as the rest of us do, from using tradgang! After all, the deer can't use the web so that just isn't fair to them!

Just my .02 =^)

[longbow59]

Interesting responses. It seems there are a few people who kind feel like me. I can relate to some of the points made like just enjoying getting in the woods and seeing the pics. How much of the popularity is because of marketing. Drury outdoors always talking about cameras and theres Stealth Cam advenures. Do you think they got us again with the hype got to get a camera to deer hunt? Trying not to sound to cynical, is it about them wanting us to buy there product. Just a thought?