Summer Secrets for Velvet Giants

I’m about to date myself a bit, but I’ve been using trail cameras since the days of 35mm film. Since then, I have learned that waiting at Walmart 1-hour photo only to get 36 pictures of a leafy branch swaying in the breeze has taught me a thing or two about what not to do when setting up a trail camera during summer for velvet bucks. Here are my dos and don’ts when it comes to setting up your trail cam to maximize the opportunity of gathering intel on every buck in the area.

DO:

1.

Set up your camera in an area that limits accidental trigger from moving limbs/grass, leaves, and plants. I usually target closed canopy woods because the lack of sunlight hitting the forest floor limits plant growth. If that isn’t an option in your area find an edge that you can easily clear the plants with a string trimmer or mower. The mistake I made here was forgetting how quickly thistle can grow and cover up the camera frame. Don’t let this be you!

2.

Place something in front of the camera that will attract deer for a nice, centered image. My favorite summer product is a combination of the Ani-Mineral® Block, Mineral Dirt® 180, and Mineral Dirt 180 Liquid which I call the ultimate mineral site.

3.

Use a cellular camera with solar panel to limit intrusion into the area. I use the Moultrie Edge series cams and l can usually go the whole summer without changing batteries wherever I have full sunlight.

4.

Place camera near preferred food source locations. The Pro Bean Blend and the Clover Plus Alfalfa plots are fantastic when it comes to mid-summer attraction power.    

DON’T:

1.

Place the camera in bedding areas. As tempting as it might be to dive into a bedding area during the summer because you think a buck lives there, it doesn’t make sense to put unnecessary pressure on him. If he doesn’t like your intrusion, he will seek a different property that feels more like a refuge.

2.

Face camera east or west. There’s nothing worse than getting images that are so highly over-exposed due to the rising or setting sun that you can’t even tell what triggered the camera.

3.

Think all your summer bucks are home bodies. I’ve had several bucks summer on areas I can hunt and as soon as the velvet falls off, they relocate for the fall. It seems like the older they get, the shorter they disperse, so getting an older age class of bucks on your property should limit the number of bucks that vanish once hunting season rolls in.

4.

Check non-cell cams too often. If you are still using SD card cameras, it can be hard to let those cameras soak for long enough to gather a good number of images. Every time you check the camera you leave behind scent and deer will know you have been there. Even though we are still a long way out from hunting season, deer will not use the site as much if you are there weekly checking cards. I suggest waiting at least a month between card pulls.