Trail cam experts...need advice

[Elephant]

Still summer patterns so I take em with a grain of salt. Once this velvet sheds who knows what I’m working with buck wise. Hunting (bow) a small property 25 acres that backs up to neighborhoods. Killed a 125 Inch years ago on it. Activity is excellent and has been past two months. No monsters this year but that’s okay. Can someone tell me why I can’t get a single pic of a buck at night? Literally, every buck pic is daytime. It’s got me stumped.

 

[Tight Lines]

If you are in the city like I am, or close to it, I find that the bucks here move bedding regularly...and my location is on a path that is on one of the bedding routes...will get several night pics all together, then won't have any for days or weeks...then they'll cycle through these bedding areas again...not sure if that is the case for you or not. Also those trees in front of the camera are going to catch the flash and possibly inhibit the sensor...so might move left, right or forward...but I'm no expert and interested in others thoughts...

 

[shdw633]

If you are just taking pics on the trail and not putting down any attractant like corn or minerals than most likely you are only catching deer going to or from the food source or bedding area. You will probably start getting more night pics when acorns start to fall and more of a food source is in the area of your camera. If you are putting down a food source to attract the deer than I wish I had your problem because most of my buck pics are at night.

 

[Elephant]

If you are just taking pics on the trail and not putting down any attractant like corn or minerals than most likely you are only catching deer going to or from the food source or bedding area. You will probably start getting more night pics when acorns start to fall and more of a food source is in the area of your camera. If you are putting down a food source to attract the deer than I wish I had your problem because most of my buck pics are at night.

Zero attractant. It’s simply a big hole in the fence line. Spot is hard to get to so I got the stand 70 yards away from this cam on edge of a draw and fence line. I just threw in a few random pics. I mean it’s honestly 5.5 out of 7 mornings the bucks are through this spot. If they miss morning, good chance it’s mid day or evening. Have anywhere from 8-12 baskets or larger. If they come from left in the pic their swinging by my stand.

The night time lack there of has been comical. Since June 5th, Iv seen one buck swing by on cam at night. See the does and fawns at night plenty. Had 135 inch that I was after till mid October last year that eventually got shot by guy across road. No mucho grande’s this year that Iv seen.

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

No bait daytime pics is where I wanna be!

 

[Elephant]

You can see the white circle. Cam is probably 5 yards to left and 15 yards farther down. The pines are easy to see on this and create that natural north/south look with the fence line. South of that dot (70 yards) is that break between the pines that creates a draw going west to east. I’m right there. Above the dot crossing the road...a heavy portion of those woods is now development. Big reason why Iv seen so much more movement than normal this year.

 

[EAGLE EYE 444]

I love seeing the larger buck in your 3rd photo as he shows the smaller buck just how to have a "boxing match". I have lots of photos such as this with both deer standing straight up on their rear legs only. I also have several photos with just does doing the same thing over these years.

It might be possible that someone else in your neighborhood has put out a feeder and the bucks might be congregated more in the proximity to it instead of your location at night.

 

[Elephant]

I love to seeing the larger buck in your 3rd photo as he shows the smaller buck just how to have a "boxing match". I have lots of photos such as this with both deer standing straight up on their rear legs only. I also have several photos with just does doing the same thing over these years.

It might be possible that someone else in your neighborhood has put out a feeder and the bucks might be congregated more in the proximity to it instead of your location at night.

Didn’t even think about others possibly feeding. Good call. This is my buddies property and funny enough he just put it up for sale. This could be my swan song back there this fall.

 

[bfriendly]

Funny thing about backyard bucks is they have lots of backyard owners to visit and wow. I see feeders in the backyards of lots of house. pay attention when you go fishing too

 

[EAGLE EYE 444]

One other thing that makes me wonder about your original question is the fact that based on your aerial photo in post #6, that area appears to be just about land-locked by very close houses being built on the surrounding streets.

It appears to not be many even half-way size openings between those houses for deer to be traveling very much in a narrow width area even in the daytime. What am I missing with this photo? Is there a much more "open area" with easy travel routes etc that is not shown in your photos. Also IF you set up any more cameras in your area during the next 3-4 weeks, you might consider taking a couple of handfuls of corn and just throw it out into a circle area on the ground. The deer will easily find it and will eat that feed both day and night until they have found every kernel....that the squirrels didn't eat. If you set up your cameras right, youy could easily cover a fairly decent sized area and would be able to get photos of every deer that visited your area. You will be surprised at how many deer that might be even in a small area and they will do their best to clean up every bit of food within a couple of days that way.

Also, this set-up could give you a much better answer to their "REAL" travel corridors.

 

[Elephant]

One other thing that makes me wonder about your original question is the fact that based on your aerial photo in post #6, that area appears to be just about land-locked by very close houses being built on the surrounding streets.

It appears to not be many even half-way size openings between those houses for deer to be traveling very much in a narrow width area even in the daytime. What am I missing with this photo? Is there a much more "open area" with easy travel routes etc that is not shown in your photos. Also IF you set up any more cameras in your area during the next 3-4 weeks, you might consider taking a couple of handfuls of corn and just throw it out into a circle area on the ground. The deer will easily find it and will eat that feed both day and night until they have found every kernel....that the squirrels didn't eat. If you set up your cameras right, youy could easily cover a fairly decent sized area and would be able to get photos of every deer that visited your area. You will be surprised at how many deer that might be even in a small area and they will do their best to clean up every bit of food within a couple of days that way.

Also, this set-up could give you a much better answer to their "REAL" travel corridors.

Sure there other spots I would consider openings. Southeast of that dot there is the house with two fields (looks like a peace sign). Many deer travel East through that funnel to go through the neighborhood. That’s where I killed a 125 years ago bird dogging a doe. Very possible I have a climber set up there there soon and run two stands on that property. The 135 I was after last year camped out on my property I’m hunting then crossed the road south of that dot and was shot on a 40 acre lot. Iv learned these deer will cross just about anywhere. What’s unique this year is 50 acres being cleared out just to the north.

If Iv hunted 6 years on this property Iv tagged my share of bucks on it. I’m lucky to know rich folks so they let me hunt. Got several spots throughout the county. This property is unique in it has a ravine with a creek running north and south and east to west. They connect at that southeast section. The property itself is mainly it being a huge hill with pine covering 50%, especially the higher you get and to the dot (backside of property). The ravine and lower end has some acorns. The property across fence line (west) is mainly hardwood. Deer have several paths across that hill. They hit the ravine and funnel through patches in the neighborhood.