A decade ago, game trail cameras were virtually unheard of. The first models were extremely crude by today’s technological standards. Original versions used traditional rolls of 35mm color film most often contained within a conventional type camera that was mounted inside of a case that could be hung in the woods.
Those early cameras yielded mixed results of photographic quality. Some had flashes for night shots, some did not. Most functioned on elementary motion detection, but the critter had better be pretty close to the lens. It is amazing how far these cameras have come in such a relatively short time.
If nothing else, the use of these cameras started a movement unique among deer hunters. On the one hand, the developed prints told a story of the deer on a property. Maybe there was a buck shown, or two. It could have been a buck never seen before on the place. Sharing the photos among family, friends and fellow hunters became half the fun.
Then hunters began to put out more cameras, and they began to study the photos in more earnest. They placed cameras in areas where deer were expected to be. When a good buck was photographed, then the hunters began to ponder how to hunt that specific buck.
Fast forward a decade or more, and today game trail cameras are used extensively by hunters to plan their hunting strategies and tactics. Captured photos are compiled and evaluated by time of day, location and other potential hunting criterion.
Some hunters conduct extensive game surveys of their property gaining information on deer numbers, sex ratios, buck quality and other valuable aspects of the deer herd. Hunters know more about their deer than ever before since the use of game cameras has become so common. It may not make them better deer hunters, but certainly better informed ones.
Be the first to comment