End of 2011 Deer Gun Season in Ohio
Ohio gun season for deer came to a close this week as muzzleloader season ended. Our hunters went out on Saturday to three different locations, but saw nothing. As they were debating whether or not to hunt on Sunday, they recalled the big buck images they had captured with their Cuddeback IR trail cameras. So early on Sunday morning, they headed off to the woods.
Chris was rewarded with this nice buck about 9:30 in the morning. His success prompted Hunter, our 10-year old who had yet to get a deer, to go out again with his dad on Sunday afternoon. His story tomorrow.
Game Camera Angle of Alignment
Moultrie Game Spy M-100 Mini-Cam
The final step in game camera placement is to determine the angle of alignment with relation to the trailyou plan to monitor. A camera placed at a 90 degree angle creates the smallest possible detection zone.
By placing the camera at a 45 degree angle, the animal is in the detection zone for a longer period of time, giving the camera more time to detect and photograph animals that pass by. This placement is particularly preferred for cameras with slower trigger speeds or low PIR sensitivity.
It is not recommended that the camera be placed directly down a trail since some cameras do not detect movement directly toward or away from them. Experiment with various placements and compart results. Have fun and enjoy your game camera.
Game Camera Field of View
Once the game camera has been placed in the proper position with relation to height and range, the next step is to check the field of view. Check for obstructions such as leaves, limbs and other vegetation. If you see any, remove them carefully.
When you’re satisfied that the field of view is clear, trigger the camera by walking in front of it. Review the image to confirm that you will get the photo you want.
Tomorrow: The final step — angle of alignment.
Range is an Important Factor in Trail Camera Placement
The previous blogs talked about lighting and height in the placement of your game camera. A third factor to be considered is range. If an animal passes too close to the camera, some parts of the deer may be cut off in the image or the image may be missed completely. On the other hand, if the camera is too far away, there may not be enough illumination to capture the photo.
Optimal range for most cameras is between 15 and 20 feet, but it may vary. To check the range of your camera, you should test it in the back yard in both daylight and nighttime conditions.
Tomorrow: The camera’s field of view.
How High Should Your Game Camera Be Mounted?
Once a north-facing spot has been located for your trail camera, the next concern is how high to place it above ground level. This depends on the animal you are scouting, but in general, the camera should be aimed at a height equal to the center of the vertical height of the animal. The distance will range from 2 1/2 to 4 feet above ground level.
Be sure to consider weather conditions when placing cameras, especially in low-lying areas such as floodplains and beaver swamps. These are great areas for wildlife photography, but you may run the risk of losing your camera. If heavy rains and rising waters are predicted, it is best to retrieve your cameras.
Tomorrow–What is optimal range for your camera placement?
Get Quality Photos With Your Scouting Camera
Placement of your game camera is unique with regard to each situation and location, but there are still several factors over which you have control. This week’s blogs will address some of those factors.
The first is lighting. The first step toward solving those problems is to make sure the camera is always pointed in a northward direction. This orientation will avoid the direct rays of the sun regardless of time of day or season of the year. In addition to avoiding backlighting, fogging and sun glare, this placement also protects the sensory components of the camera.
Another Successful Deer Camp
We’ve been hosting deer camp for over twenty-five years now and it’s still exciting when everyone starts pulling in on Sunday evening. My sons and my nephew have been in constant attendance over the years while others attended for a few years and then stopped coming, either because of age (these hills are rough), illness, family obligations, or other reasons.
The camp was small this year due to illnesses — five hunters were here. It was, however, a successful hunt. Three bucks and two does were harvested. In addition, great food and exciting reminiscences were enjoyed. The scrapbooks of hunts past have been augmented by discs or memory sticks of trail camera photos of “the big one” that’s still out there.
Happy Thanksgiving!
A Successful Hunt
Early on Saturday morning, the boys were up and ready to go hunting. They decided that Chase, now 8 years old, would go with his mother, and Hunter, now 10, would be accompanied by his dad.
As soon as they pulled into my driveway, I recognized the deer that Chase had harvested because it was one whose image had been captured by one of the scouting cameras. It was easy to identify since one of its antlers had been broken off, presumably in a fight. These images are the “before” and “after” pictures of that deer.
Chase's 2011 Deer
Youth Season 2011
Downloading images from Cuddeback IR
With Dad in Montana hunting mule deer during the ten days prior to youth hunting season in Ohio, Mom and the boys went out to check the game cameras. They took their mini-computers so they could download pictures in the field to be sure batteries were good and everything was operating properly so that they were capturing images.
When they got home, they were able to view the photos several times and all of them commented on how addictive the cameras could become. The boys spent quite a long time deciding which buck they would like to see in their sights on opening day. The results in tomorrow’s blog.