Cell cams spooking big bucks

[iamthenick]

I think there is a few factors that affect how a buck will react to a camera.

Pressure being #1

Location of the camera #2...

if it's deep near his bedding area a cautious older buck will probably spot it soon after you place it there and smell your trail to it and your scent on it. And it could drive him out of the area on that alone. Especially if he's seen it year after year and is able to link humans to those cameras and he just knows to avoid them.

The more pressured a buck is the more wary he is of anything man made and the more likely he will avoid a camera.

 

[Westernwannabe]

I killed the buck in my avatar last year 5 yards from my cell camera after he had walked in front of it. He had also walked in front of it the morning prior and many, many times before that. I think they are so used to cameras at this point that most deer don’t even acknowledge them. Let’s be honest, how many places can they go and get away from them! If they are freshly put out and your scent is on and around them it’s a bigger issue. It took me 4 years of running cell cameras to kill a big buck for the record. A cell camera is doing way less harm than your scent and intrusion to go check memory cards.

 

[Long Cut]

It comes down to multiple variables (hunting pressure, deer density, habitat cover, the location of the camera proximal to their bedding area, and the individual animals personality).

The biggest factor is the animals personality & age. I’ve personally found that older animals begin to get more wary about strange things in their environment. Especially things IN or proximal to their core bedding areas.

Here are 2 different mature bucks on a GA WMA that gets a lot of hunting pressure. In my opinion, there are 2 completely different responses to this camera. *Same camera, same settings, same spot*

One is more of a curious response (X2) and the other buck has that “deer in headlights” response.

 

[jmez]

Ah, the mythical beasts have now evolved electronic detection devices.

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[Long Cut]

Ah, the mythical beasts have now evolved electronic detection devices.

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I’ve heard they now get on online forums, on electronic devices, and talk about us as well…

 

[jmez]

I'm sure of it .

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[Trial153]

I think it’s more camera specific rather then cell vs non cell.

For example i have seen more spoked deer with Reveal then any other brand. Enough that switched away from them. sample size about 15 cams.

Haven’t had the same issue with Wise eye or Reconx sample size about 20 cell cams.

I think the cam makes a noise that the deer hear and then key in on.

 

[Yoder]

Anyone watch Seek One on Youtube? He has about 100 cell cams and kills the biggest bucks I've ever seen. I think it's nonsense. I've had more trouble with bears chewing on them.

 

[Honyock]

Since I started elevating my cell and non-cell cameras around 8 ft, I've had few, if any, deer jump with the flash, much less avoid them. In fact, I had a nice public land 8 point lay down in my mock scrape this week and apparently took a snooze, as I didn't get a picture until an hour later when he stood up.

I have 3 cells cams (Moultrie Edge) out now that are only 3-4 feet off the ground and haven't had any jumpers.

I run the same cameras and they must be quiet. This bachelor group shows up every day and spends probably 30 minutes at the buffet. I’ve seen zero deer react or spook with the Moultrie Edge. Great cameras.

 

[june-bug]

I think it’s more camera specific rather then cell vs non cell.

For example i have seen more spoked deer with Reveal then any other brand. Enough that switched away from them. sample size about 15 cams.

Haven’t had the same issue with Wise eye or Reconx sample size about 20 cell cams.

I think the cam makes a noise that the deer hear and then key in on.

That's interesting. I have both Reveals and Wise Eye cams and have not noticed any difference. My target buck last year was a regular on one of my Reveals until I took him out two days after he daylighted for the first time last season.

 

[Cgeb]

Every outfitter I know runs cell cams. Those guys are in it for the money if something like a cell cam ran off big deer I guarantee you they wouldn't use it. Clients that don't get a deer won't be coming back too many times.

 

[Ditt44]

I suppose mentioning that I have numerous instances every year of deer walking up to and smelling my cams and fogging up the lenses all the time would blow up several theories?

It always amuses me to be flipping through pics or videos and one is all white-out/fuzzy and the next one is a bit of nose or whiskers. Young to old deer do this but it seems that males are more likely to walk over and take a smell or lick than doe. Many times the same evening/night I just swapped cards. "Up close and personal" cam pics should be a thread of it's own.

 

[omicron1792]

I usually don't post back but I feel like commenting on someone's bias without ever experiencing it yourself isn't fair.

You can't call BS when you have never used them. You have never witness the direct affects. Also sounds to me like you may have a unpressured piece of land to hunt. I think deer behavior has a lot to do with this whole thing.

Also, you stated that most of these "pros" make YouTube videos to support a brand endorsement. Did you even watch either one of the videos? Sounds like you didn't. If either of them had any sort of cell cam endorsement, they would be ruining or going against the positive promotion of the product. These are just guys being honest with their experiences. Most of your comments seem generalized and not specific to any of the provided info from the original post. If a group of guys gets together with all the same "evidence" of this happening, I don't see it being confirmation bias at all. I had this exact problem and never voiced it 3 years ago, that's why I got rid of cell cameras in the first place. Now what is triggering a deer to dislike its encounter with a cell cam more than an SD cam? I think it could be a ton of different things. But to say it's not there just isn't true, and there's plenty of proof. Even from the high paid "pros". Also, my negative reactions with SD style cameras are so low I can't even remember them, so I agree with you on that.

I run 20 cell cameras and see big bucks on them all the time. BS

 

[Duckhunterbrad]

I have been running mostly Stealth Cams with a few Muddy's mixed in as well and I don't believe for one second that they spook large bucks. I have been fortunate enough to kill 8 over 180in and none of them had problems posing for a cell cam.