Trailcam pics

[Hoytvectrix]

I really wish I had a reliable way to hunt my bottom in the AM. 3 days in a row my regular has worked this scrape at 8:30 (7:30 after the time change). There is no good way to make it happen I think.
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Before we really knew what we were doing, we put many of our food plots in bottom ground. They are incredibly difficult plots to hunt in the AM or PM.

Is there a way that you can take advantage of rising thermals? One thing could be to have wind at your back with thermals rising from the direction you're facing. The only downside is that you have to be able to get in before the deer can see you, but that is likely going to be when thermals haven't started rising yet.

 

[Mortenson]

Maybe just choose a really hard consistent wind, if that's a possibility. We have some pretty decent bottom turf also, and have a couple small plots down there. Get lucky down there occasionally. Probably go in sometimes also when it's not doing any favors, but it's still fun.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I really wish I had a reliable way to hunt my bottom in the AM. 3 days in a row my regular has worked this scrape at 8:30 (7:30 after the time change). There is no good way to make it happen I think.
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Chest & neck steroids???

 

[Feelslikefar.]

Tough to choose when you have so many monster bucks running around like these. Check out the spread on the one on the left, it's got to be at least 3 1/2 inches.

Six cameras, these are the only two bucks I've gotten pictures of since June.

This guy, I'm guessing the one on the right up top, though maybe not. Last weekend bow hunting he came out at 50 yards, fed for a few minutes and left.
The next day at the same time I had out a decoy and some doe urine. He literally came busting through the woods and charging in. Unfortunately I'd gotten REAL sweated up walking back in that afternoon. (25 degrees when I dressed, 60 then) , so I was stinky. He came to 40 yards but would come no closer.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I have no pictures to share, but some info. A guy in our camp runs cams all year at camp & at his house. The bigger bucks that were on cams all summer have disappeared - just little guys showing up. Acorn crop is huge here this year, and that may play a role for not much in the way of food plot sightings. I believe the fall dispersal and rut travels are the culprit, mostly. Miles of wooded, acorn-heavy mountains all around us to sniff out the girls. Anyone else seeing cam vacancies or lack of expected live sightings?

 

[bueller]

I have no pictures to share, but some info. A guy in our camp runs cams all year at camp & at his house. The bigger bucks that were on cams all summer have disappeared - just little guys showing up. Acorn crop is huge here this year, and that may play a role for not much in the way of food plot sightings. I believe the fall dispersal and rut travels are the culprit, mostly. Miles of wooded, acorn-heavy mountains all around us to sniff out the girls. Anyone else seeing cam vacancies or lack of expected live sightings?

I hunted for 10 hours Saturday and didn't see or hear a deer. Cameras are all really quiet also. Up until 3 weeks ago it was looking real promising. Then the bucks went nocturnal. And the last week or so they have pretty much disappeared, same for the doe groups.

Did have an 8 pointer I'm not familiar with chasing a doe pretty hard on cam the last two days. Hopefully the regulars come back by the weekend.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

I have something like 15 cuddebacks out over three properties right now and am getting somewhere around 1/10th the amount of photos I was getting two weeks ago. The bucks are definitely chasing and the does are definitely hiding. My parents saw one of our shooters in their lawn but he hasn't been on a camera in several days.

I am sure they are all just in atypical areas.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Same. Almost zero pics. No shooters. Saw a buck Saturday evening I haven’t had on camera in a while.

 

[Feelslikefar.]

Cameras are all really quiet also.

I only have one cell camera, but the last photo I got from it of ANYTING was October 23.
(and it IS working)

 

[T-Max]

It's official. My cams are all dead unless I am hunting button bucks. I think the ladies are hot now. Saw a nice buck cruising a field edge on the way to work this morning.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

12:51

 

[Feelslikefar.]

It's official. My cams are all dead unless I am hunting button bucks. I

I would have taken a shot at that spike. I have only been bow hunting for about two weeks, it would have been my first deer with the bow. More accurately, I have about two weeks of bow hunting spread out over the last 36 years. With worsening physical issues, this very well may have been my last chance. (I was really hoping for a doe) Sad fact is I'm adjacent to 1300 acres of state land. So while there are certainly up sides, deer growing old isn't one of them. We're happy just to see spikes. "If you're not shooting does, you're probably not shooting anything."

 

[Hoytvectrix]

I would have taken a shot at that spike. I have only been bow hunting for about two weeks, it could have been my first deer with the bow. More accurately, I have about two weeks of bow hunting spread out over the last 34 years. With worsening physical issues, this maybe very well have been my last chance. (I was really hoping for a doe) Sad fact is I'm adjacent to 1300 acres of state land. So while there are certainly up sides, deer growing old isn't one of them. We're happy just to see spikes. "If you're not shooting does, you're probably not shooting anything."

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If you're seeing does, I would keep your head up and stay out there. It is only a matter of time before a more mature buck comes around. There are all kinds of potentially interesting discussions to be had about this. I am not sure if you have a property thread already or not, but that might be a good idea.

On our cameras, which aren't even exclusively on food plots, we aren't even getting photos of does. Just random photos of cruising 1.5 and 2.5 year old bucks. For the months of September and October, I was probably averaging 125 photos per day. Now, it is around 5-10 per day. This is with almost zero hunting pressure too.

 

[Feelslikefar.]

I only had the three days, that was it for the year. Two days more than last year.

Last doe were on the night of the 23rd and the last ones on camera.

 

[Brian662]

Next year's shooter. I think he's ~160" this year but I'd guess 3.5 year old. I hope he survives the gun season.

Cameras have been slower the past week per usual this time of year, but it also coincided with 3 out of the last 5 days have been heavy rain events.

Still seeing a few mature bucks on camera but mostly at water holes and a few scrape locations.

 

[Brian662]

I really wish I had a reliable way to hunt my bottom in the AM. 3 days in a row my regular has worked this scrape at 8:30 (7:30 after the time change). There is no good way to make it happen I think.
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Bottoms are for blinds in my opinion.

Even with blinds in the bottoms we still only hunt high winds or rain and almost always dark to dark.

 

[T-Max]

Bottoms are for blinds in my opinion.

Even with blinds in the bottoms we still only hunt high winds or rain and almost always dark to dark.

I'm lucky to be able to have two blinds down there. One is a soft side and the other is a box. The soft side is hunted with S something winds which actually lets the scent blow up a steep draw with an old trash dump in it that the deer can't use. The other is a hard sided redneck above a steep creek bank. It does pretty well to let the scent fall down into the creek bed and as long as there is W to the wind, it is pretty solid. The swirling winds can be a challenge sometimes, but I kind of have them figured out and know when I just can't go. Even then I used to chance it a few years ago. Not so much now.

 

[buckdeer1]

T-Max I finally saw your PM,get back with me

 

[T-Max]

T-Max I finally saw your PM,get back with me

Done


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[Howboutthemdawgs]

Crazy that this deer has survived. Got him last summer looking horrible. Three legs will do that. Saw him twice last year out of the stand and it was pitiful. Mercy kill went through my head. Well I was shocked when he showed up this summer in one pic. Honestly I’d forgotten about him but I’ll be damned if he didn’t show up last night again.

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