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Love/Hate

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
I have a love/hate relationship with cameras. I REALLY like seeing what is out there but it is a lot of work. On top of the work I have at least on camera stolen every other year. One breaks every other year.

I have a couple nice bucks on my main hunting ground that I have video of. Well, I decided to take back two 5 gallon buckets full of sweet corn and two five gallon buckets of apples, field corn kernels, and dried molasses. Replaced the card and batteries. The ground was littered with food when I left.

Today I go to pull the card and the area is littered with deer tracks and it is all mud from them eating the dirt trying to get all the molasses. No food left except some sweet corn cobs. Only 4 videos of a couple up and comer 1.5 y/o bucks. All from the same night that I replaced the food/batteries/card and within 30 minutes of the first video of them.

Got there today and the batteries read full. There is NO WAY that those deer were the only thing through in over a week...TOO much evidence to the contrary.

Fuggin hate cameras. It is a lot of work to get all that back there to come up with 4 videos when you KNOW there is much more activity.
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
I put out 10 gallons of apples and 5 gallons of dried molasses and corn. I am an addict....

I did switch the camera to photos instead of video to see if that helps. While I am there it works just fine on video. It seems like it goes to sleep mode and doesn't wake up later?!?

Dang...
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I'm in the same boat. Both my HD-10's took a shit after less than a year. I am now having troubles with my IR-7s. Nearly every camera I have put out this year has malfunctioned or ran out of batteries in the first 3-4 days. I may sell them all, buy 2-3 Reconyx and be done with running a shit ton of cams. Just us a couple for inventory and maybe one to scout with. I love cams, but I don't have time to run 12 any more...
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
Buying great cameras would be an option if I didn't think they would get stolen. No way am I putting out a $300 cam.
 

Mike

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,840
223
Up Nort
I feel you. I can't stand when you see your site gets blasted and you don't have much to show for it. I hate them TOO!!
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
I don't like 'em much either. I don't really run them much anymore. When I did, I feel like I knew every deer in the area. I don't want to know them, I want to hunt them...and be surprised when I do see them. Call me weird, but that's what trips my trigger.
 

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,381
193
North Central Ohio
Have 2 IR-6 cams that have been sitting here at the house since a week before gun season last year.

I decided this year I wasn't going to run them much if at all and so far they are still just sitting here lol. I have had the time to go put them out but I know what deer are out there and just don't want the scent all over or the cams giving them a head start knowing that I am out there. Would much rather wait and catch them by surprise lol. Like that will ever happen lol.

I don't know if you guys have noticed or not but the new duralock Duracell batteries have chewed my cams up. They leak and get all the crap all over the contacts. I thought the IR-6 I sent back to get fixed was the cam overheating and causing the issue but starting to think it's the batteries. Since the cam was fixed I have had both cams with those duralock batteries in them leak. Really don't want to send them in again and have them cleaned up just to have it do the same with the next batch of batteries. Might just clean the contacts and see if I can find some just regular copper tops
 

Gordo

Senior Member
5,515
121
Athens County
We've all been there. Its a shitty/frusturating feeling. Last time i'll preach this: HCO SG550's are solid as a rock and have a great price tag.

Locating a definite shooter on any property 'trips my trigger'(i like that phrase), so the hassle and work that comes with running cams is worth it to me. There's nothing like it
 

dante322

*Supporting Member*
5,506
157
Crawford county
I debated about replacing the cam i had stolen last year. Found a good deal on ebay so I have a primos ultra out now. I will not spend any more than $70 - $80 on thief bait anymore.

I like to have them out in the summer to see the antlers grow,and get an idea how many does and fawns are around. I will probably pull the 2 cams I have when season comes around.
 

moundhill

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,327
103
Hebbardsville..
I run 3 every year. 2 spypoints that I've had for 2 seasons, and a m80 for 1season. All 3 have operated fine for me and knock on wood, havnt been stolen. I do agree that it's a shitty feeling to have 1000 pics in one week, and just one small buck. But that's what makes it fun, when you finally get some bucks showing up, and are able to try to get them down. For me, I buy 3 mineral licks, and when I get my cams I ride the fourwheeler right to them and change cards while sitting on the fourwheeler. So I can change cards without getting off my butt. Plus, it's a good excuse to get out in the woods before season. Which may be good, or bad if you overdue it.
 

Curran

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,971
172
Central Ohio
I don't like 'em much either. I don't really run them much anymore. When I did, I feel like I knew every deer in the area. I don't want to know them, I want to hunt them...and be surprised when I do see them. Call me weird, but that's what trips my trigger.

I haven't put out any cameras yet this year & don't really know if I will to be honest. I'm thinking abut just hunting to hunt and see what happens. If a deer comes by & my heart rate jumps, then I'll try to shoot it. If not, then I'll have fun trying.
 

JOHNROHIO

Participation Trophy Winner
2,824
136
I put out a couple this year, but have not checked them much. I do still enjoy seeing what's out there, but they have not had the priority like in the past.

I did move them around before the last check and the other day I had some good deer on them. So things might change we will see.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
I am seeing a trend here. Do you guys think when cameras became more "affordable" we all got burnt out? Maybe realized the cameras spook the deer or our scent scares them off or we are just telling other hunters or trespassers where we are seeing deer?

I do have cameras out. One on the 65 property is more for inventory of does and trespasser patrol. One on Farm East is simply because we put it there the first year and leave it up year round. It is over minerals and has proven to be a nice inventory camera. Only running one other camera on that property. Checked it once. Full of ants. Weeds grown up in front of it. Haven't worried about checking it since. I have some on Farm West. Three to be exact. More or less for inventory and trespasser patrol. I have left them up for trespasser patrol. I know what deer are in there. I have only left them because I have been hanging them high and angling them downward. I haven't gotten mastered just yet so I keep messing with them.

Overall? I see what deer I have to hunt from road scouting and minimal cameras. I am not nearly as antsy to check cameras like I have been in the past. I don't think the cameras are going to help me kill deer. They will only get my hopes up. However, at times I do believe they help keep me motivated when the season has been a long one.
 

motorbreaker

*Supporting Member I*
1,542
63
North of Toledo
The propertys I hunt are skattered out a bit. And on most of them I cant see deer from the road. I like to know where the shooter bucks are. When I get pics of a big buck it helps me to pass on a smaller buck because I know that big buck is out there.
Like moundhill I ride my 4 wheeler up to my cameras to check them. Most of my cams are on mineral licks and I add to them if needed when I check my cameras. I use the bushnells, Some of them are the hd model. I have had good luck with them.
Bottom line is that I love to see whats out there.
 

Curran

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,971
172
Central Ohio
I am seeing a trend here. Do you guys think when cameras became more "affordable" we all got burnt out? Maybe realized the cameras spook the deer or our scent scares them off or we are just telling other hunters or trespassers where we are seeing deer?

I think the answers to that question will be all over the board Phil. I'm still on the fence as I've only got a few cameras, and of the few I own, I've never spent more than $120 on one. For me, I just hate strapping more than $100+ of thief bait (to borrow from Dante) to the side of the tree, knowing that it's only a matter of time before something happens to it. That sucks.

I do like cameras, it can be fun checking them & it's certainly a great activity to get the kids involved with. And I do feel the urge to go put them out even though I haven't done so this summer. The main reason that I want to put them out is to know what deer I have on the farms that I have permission to hunt. BUT even though you hang a camera it doesn't guarantee that you're seeing all the deer using the property. You're only seeing the ones that happen to walk in front of the camera. I think in the past I could've checked cameras too much, and possible made deer more alert to the presence of a human in the area.

All that said, I still don't know if I'll get any cameras set up this summer. I may just wing it, maybe NOT knowing what's out there is more fun than thinking I know what's out there.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
To me the biggest advantage is having an idea on certain deer before you see them on the hoof. If a deer is on the fence it is easy to get caught up in the moment while in the tree. If you have good pictures and know immediately if it is off the list then there are no regrets later. I am with you guys though. They can be frustrating for sure. Ants can be an issue. Batteries show full and you check the card a month later to find they died 2 days after the last card swap. That pesky branch you overlooked which triggers 3000 pics but only 2 are deer. Ugh. Definitely pros and cons.