This is my first year using a trail camera and at least in the area I'm planning to hunt the learning curve has been steep. I'm using a Moultrie M-880 with a Moultrie lock box and a python lock.

On my first set I installed the camera looking down an overgrown skid road that had a trail worn into the grass. I didn't see any beds or poop in the area but I figured it was a travel route due to the fact the skid road was on a saddle that led between two, large hills. I baited the sight with a Purina molasses and corn deer block and a trace mineral block. After a 10 day soak I was pretty bummed out to see nothing for my efforts. Only pics of me coming and going.

So I moved my camera to an entirely different area and unit all together. it's now in a buck only unit so I'm hoping to locate some does. I set it up in a mixed stand of timber near a creek bottom. The trees are probably only 30-40' tall and it's very thick in there but I found some good sign in there while scouting for late season last year.

I baited it with the same blocks from my first set and let her sit for about two weeks. When I went to pull the card I was again, pretty bummed out to only find pics of me coming and going. So I came back the next day and this time brought a pile of apples to leave there. I cut a couple in half and stuck the halves on tree branches hoping to get the scent out there. I just checked the pics last night after about a week and a half soak and was relieved to finally have pics of a deer. It's only one doe but at least I finally got something!!!

what's strange though is that in the pic she isn't eating the apples or licking the blocks. She just stands there for a minute and bails. My bait isn't visible in the pic. It's just out of the bottom part of the frame so I'm thinking I should aim the camera a little further down? It's already no more than 3' off the ground though.

If I decide to stick with this area it's going to be really tough to hunt. Pretty much the entire area is a complete hell hole and is impossible to be quiet in. There's only a couple small patches of old growth timber that would be easier to hunt I have yet to scout those timber stands though. I know the deer are using the thick stuff though. I bumped one last night that was a few yards inside the timber. I was riding my mountain bike back out and I heard a snort wheeze and then the deer crashed through a bunch of blackberry bushes.

Sorry for the novel. If any of you have any advice please chime in. I've been spending a lot of time in the woods lately and am learning every day but early archery is already almost here!

Here's a couple pics. please don't mind the camera name. It's meant as a message to anyone who may steal it someday. haha.

Here she is:


And there there she goes: (lower left)

Nice work! Put in your time and you'll find a stud or two! Keep it up!






Tyler

My first year with a trail cam too. Its addicting. I used blocks similar to yours designed for deer. Got deer cruising by but only elk and bear ate the block.

I'm surprised she walked within 5' of a huge pile of apples and didn't even give them a smell. I thought apples were like deer crack?

I bought three Walmart bags of golden delicious. They were in great shape when I left em up there. still looked decent on Tuesday. I'll be checking the cam again soon. if the apples get rotten should I remove them from the area?

My deer ate red, green, rotted, and fresh apples.

I'm surprised I don't have a bear on the cam yet cause there's definitely a few in the area. I find fresh sign each time I'm in there. I sat way back in a clearcut with my buddies' .270 on Tuesday evening for a few hours. It's a hillside full of boysenberries that are now all gone but the blackberries are starting to ripen. This is where I've found 90% of the bear sign in this area. On my way out I had a bear huff and pop it's jaws at me. I was all alone so it woke me up real quick. Bear decided not to show himself though.

I think blacktails are pretty savvy when it comes to their food sources. They love apples that are near apple trees but I think they avoid any bait or food sources that are out of place.

I have run into a bow hunter several times in one of my spots who maintains cameras year around and he told me that every time he baits an area he stops getting pictures from that camera and he had some bombers on his memory card.

So I'd leave the mineral block there year around but loose the bait and see if they start using that trail again.

thanks for the advice 2Many but I'd like to keep the bears were I've found all the sign so I can legally hunt them.

2Many,

It appears I spoke too soon...

went to check pics after work and found the trail leading to my camera littered with huckleberries. This was odd because there are no Huckleberries near my camera. then I see my molasses and corn block half eaten and half my apple supply gone. Haha. The bear came in at 8:30am this morning and stayed til 8:44am.

Looks like he's saving some for later:


couple of the bear. my camera was aimed too high and due to where the bear was standing while eating my apples not much of himself made it into the frame.





So, by law I will not be hunting bear in the timber stand that my camera and deer bait are in but about a 1/2 mile down the road is a clearcut full of berries. Me and Addicted2fish went in there tonight and sat from 6:00pm-8:00pm in silence. Then we decided to give the ole wounded rabbit call a try. within about 20 minutes we had a bear circling us and growling. They were short, almost protest sounding growls. we couldn't see him but he was there and was circling down wind.

Pretty cool encounter though. I'll be back in there ASAP.

Haha. I can't have him walking around in that area then. ;)Hopefully he'll finish eating my deer bait and go hang out with is buddy that growls at me.

Cool stuff.

Cool stuff man.

I have a trail cam that has successfully taken pictures of me coming and going, staring in the lens, wiping it off, and one time a cat from a nearby house.

I also tried a bait program for deer when I first got a muzzle loader. It did not work. I hauled a 5-gal bucket of apples into a unit on my bike every 3 days for 2 weeks leading up to my hunt. I only attracted bears and elk. By the end of the first week, as soon as I dumped the bucket I could hear the critters pretty much headed to the bait pile. It was like I was walking out and they were walking in.

haha. yes!

Since I put up some deer fencing around the area we are planting for landscaping, the deer have beaten a nice track following along the outside perimeter. Mostly does and fawns, just one little spike so far. We have what seems like deer I-5 going down our hill, it makes me wonder just how many deer live in our neighborhood. I've only ever seen two bucks, one forkhorn and a three-point, but there must be more around. I sold the trail camera I bought and installed while we were building the house. I should get another one just to see how many critters travel through.

Sg

Hey Salmo,

You want one less deer to travel through your yard? If so you know who to call. Have tag, will travel.

If they're still hanging around during hunting season, I'm sure we can spare one. I'm sure there are bucks around, but I don't see them often. If that doesn't work out, do they still have an either sex weekend late in the season?

Mind you, there are no trophies here, just little blacktail jackrabbits that will dress out 55-60# of venison.

Archery only, and you might have to carry it out when the neighbor lady isn't looking. She's kind of a bambi hugger and often has deer foraging or sleeping in her yard.

Salmo,

I'm not picky. And early archery is already open.

If my wife's OK with dead deer down the hill, this could happen. We had coyotes this morning, so she may want the carcass removed whole so we don't have coyotes feeding on a gutpile that close to the bedroom window.

I'll send you a PM.