Whereas path cameras are nice instruments for patterning whitetails and finding turkeys, many hunters don’t notice how efficient these gadgets are for western large sport scouting. And I don’t simply imply setting cams over watering holes and wallows to seize pictures of elk, pronghorn, and muleys. There are many different methods for snapping pics of huge bulls and getting a bead on native herds. You simply have to understand how and the place to put your path cameras within the backcountry.
For starters, western path cam ways differ from setting cams within the East and Midwest because of rugged terrain, restricted service, and expansive landscapes. Most western hunters chase elk, muleys, speedgoats, bears, and lions on huge tracks of public land that require lengthy hikes to achieve. This implies prolonged intervals of time in between checking cameras and relying in your gear to work correctly with out upkeep for weeks to months on finish.
I’ve been setting path cameras within the Colorado backcountry for years, and the next eight suggestions have helped me be extra profitable at patterning varied large sport species. Observe the following tips, and also you’ll fill extra tags this fall.
1. Set Your Cameras North or South Going through Over Water
Water reigns supreme on the western prairies, rolling hills, and cedar-dotted canyonlands. Late in the summertime, when scouting for pronghorn, I put a number of cameras on prairie ponds, inventory tanks, and is derived. My go-to methodology is to drive a T-post into the bottom and connect my digital camera with the strap on to the put up or use Browning Path Digicam’s T-Publish Mount. The T-Publish mount is sturdy, and the rotating ball head enables you to angle the digital camera completely.
I found that generally, relying on the path digital camera mannequin, the rising and setting solar can set off false pictures. Because of this, I face my cameras north or south to keep away from clean pictures. Additionally, relying on the scale of the water supply, discover the heaviest concentrations of tracks and put the digital camera there. It’s best to run your cameras on video mode, too. Movies provide you with extra intel about the place bucks method a water supply from and help you higher consider trophy potential.
2. Use Lithium Batteries and Outsized SD Playing cards
I really like taking a summer time scouting mission, getting off the crushed path, and hanging elk cameras over wallows and at well-used path intersections. After setting my cams, I don’t return to verify them for no less than three to 4 months. Because of this, I load my cameras with high-capacity SD playing cards and energy them with Lithium batteries.
One 12 months, I forgot about one in every of my elk cams. The HuntStand app ultimately jogged my memory it was nonetheless there, and after I returned the next summer time to retrieve it, the cam nonetheless had 60 % battery life. Solely lithium batteries can final that lengthy. Additionally, when hanging cams in far-flung places, I sometimes set the seize mode to a three-photo burst or a five-second video at most. Nothing is worse than displaying as much as your hunt to search out that your SD card crammed up every week earlier than.
3. Dangle Your Cams Excessive for Tree Units
It’s a must to get inventive when hanging cameras on public land for 2 causes: To assist forestall theft and to guard the cameras from being destroyed by bears. I exploit tree mounts and path digital camera holders to boost my cams off the bottom. Angle your digital camera in direction of the bottom to the place you anticipate sport to stroll by. Then, crouch to the peak of an animal and transfer across the space. Lastly, pull the cardboard and use an SD reader to view the pictures and make sure you’re centered within the body.
4. Use a Bear Proof Container
In states like Idaho, the place bear baiting is authorized, a path digital camera is value its weight in gold. Not solely are you able to sample bears, however you’ll additionally know what number of bears are hitting the bait and when. Plus, you’ll be capable of consider the scale of varied boars. The unhealthy information is that bears like to boost hell on path cams. I misplaced six earlier than I woke as much as bear conduct. Bears chew cameras to items, knock them off timber, stomp them, and twist and switch them in the wrong way you need the digital camera to face. All my bear cameras go in bear-proof path cam containers. Belief me, they’re well worth the funding.
5. Don’t Overlook Floor Units
Too usually, I’ve returned to search out path cameras out of batteries, SD playing cards full, and, usually, spun round a tree. Elk and deer are curious critters. They may lick path cameras to demise, placing a nasty movie over the lens, kick them, and spin them with their antlers. Because of this, I usually use a floor set.
Test state laws earlier than chopping down any dwell brush, but when authorized in your space or in case you’re looking on personal floor, carry a hefty knife. I like Benchmade’s Bushcrafter. My go-to floor set is to search out a big boulder or log. For boulders, place the digital camera on high and use one other sizeable rock behind it to maintain the cam upright. Wrap the strap across the rock after which create a wooden base across the digital camera with sticks. Angle it, and use leaves, moss, and so on., to make it disappear.
Nonetheless, my favourite ground-setting method is putting cameras beneath a log. I carry a small backyard spade in my backpack, dig the bottom beneath the log, and conceal the digital camera. Take your time when digging your gap beneath the log. I pile free filth behind the digital camera after which tilt the digital camera again into the free filth to present it the correct angle. This helps cover the cam from animals and thefts.
6. Mark Each Cam
It’s simple to overlook the place you set a digital camera when looking on a pair hundred thousand acres of public land. It will get much more tough when in case you set out a number of cameras. To stop shedding them, I mark all of my path digital camera places on my HuntStand app. If you recognize you’ll be in an space with out mobile service, obtain your offline maps beforehand, and also you’ll be prepared. HuntStand and different mapping apps supply a path digital camera icon that permits you to pin every digital camera and retailer pictures from that particular cam. It’s a cool characteristic that may prevent cash and complications.
7. Use Conventional Non-Mobile Path Cameras
Mobile cameras are stylish, and it is sensible, particularly for waterfowl hunters. These high-tech gadgets ship real-time pictures and video to your smartphone. Nonetheless, not solely are cell cameras unlawful in some states, however in addition they don’t work in most backcountry areas. For these causes, western large sport hunters ought to follow conventional non-cellular path cams. When you’re assured the cell service in your space is sweet, by all means, set a cell-cam. However you need to all the time put a non-cellular cam close by as a backup. This fashion, if the realm loses service, you’ll be able to nonetheless retrieve pictures.
8. Construct a Path Cam Package
Probably the greatest issues I ever did was construct a path cam package. Cameras, batteries, SD playing cards, straps, and equipment are troublesome to trace. I’ve misplaced cameras, misplaced straps, and arrived at a deployment location solely to comprehend two of my cameras didn’t have batteries. So I created a one-stop place for all my path digital camera gear and equipment.
I exploit Yeti’s GoBox 30 and GoBox 60 waterproof circumstances. After I arrive at my path cam vacation spot, I switch the cameras I need to take, additional batteries, straps, SD playing cards, and any digital camera equipment into my backpack. The bins characteristic a detachable divider that separates the underside right into a pair of compartments excellent for stacking cameras and organizing straps and different gear. The detachable trays are nice for batteries and SD playing cards.
I additionally advocate buying an SD card holder and having circumstances for empty playing cards and playing cards that should be reviewed. Three years in the past, after pulling path digital camera playing cards from a chief elk unit in Colorado, I acquired in a rush and put three playing cards in my pocket. After I acquired again to camp, I had no playing cards to assessment. Take time and keep organized along with your path cameras within the backcountry. In any case, retrieving cams within the mountains is loads totally different than strolling out again to the meals plot. Plan forward and be organized when working path cameras within the West.
