Set Your Trail Cameras Now for Hunting Success

Cellular trail cameras have changed the game for many hunters, and where they are legal to use, they can make a huge difference in how you hunt. For me, I run trail cameras year round not to monitor the trophy bucks as much as I do to monitor the deer herd health, as well as other critters in the woods. Plus, I just like to watch what is going on in the woods when I can’t be there. Cellular trail cameras provide an up-to-the-minute view into what is going on in the woods, and I like it. The cool thing for me to see, too, is that the costs of the cameras are coming down, and the quality and technology is going up.

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Running a trail camera year round gives you valuable information that you will need come fall, too. It gives you insights into deer interactions that you would never see unless you were in the woods, and even then, your presence causes issues. There are also movements that are year-round patterns that you can learn, too.

The cellular revolution

Cellular trail cameras have gained in popularity to the point of being the preferred use of a camera for many hunters. The reason is simple – it takes away the need to constantly go into the woods to change memory cards. While I did greatly enjoy doing so, it also caused issues, especially as we closed in on the seasons.

The seasons

Spring

You want to run a trail camera in the spring to see several things. For one, it is your best view from the woods of how well the deer herd winterized in your area. You can tell a lot about how well the deer survived the winter by a few good, close photos that can show you malnutrition, injuries, and overall population size. Deer are still moving in their winter yarding herds, so when you see one deer, chances are good, you’ll see a solid cross section of your winter population. An added bonus is the spring fawn drop, and you can start seeing fawns showing up on cameras later in the spring. Lots of fawns means that the winter was mild and the deer population is strong. It is also a good indicator of how well your nutrition base is in your area.

Spring is also a great time to pick up on early-season deals on trail cameras. I like to stock up now.

Summer

The deer populations thin out a bit, and you’ll see those lush summer red coats of fur on camera. I like to make sure I have cameras on all of my food plots in the summer, as well as on main travel corridors. This is when you’ll notice some of the social aspects of the herd interactions coming into play, as well as how the deer are responding to certain food plot growth. It is also a great way to see if there are any disease factors coming into play to your local herd, like blue tongue, or other illness.

Fall

Of course, this is the prime time for trail cameras, and you can use them to gauge movements, populations, rut timing and much more.

Winter

Aside from late hunting seasons, trail camera use in the winter is actually a very important tool. I noticed a drop in deer activity late in the season, and the trail cameras proved a fear that I had – coyotes. Predation is a big problem for me, and having cellular cameras up all winter long, showed me a clear idea of exactly what I was dealing with. The images also gave me a good idea of how well the deer population was getting by in the weather. Remember that what we think the weather is doing and the severity of the seasons, that may not be how the deer herd perceives things. I thought we had a tougher winter than the deer actually endured, which is a big help in future planning.