Question for the camera users and watchers

[dobber]

Where i hunt its big bush country and not many hunters, realistically its 4 people, me and my son, buddy and his son. The property is likely 3,000 acres with no roads, add the surrounding portions and well, its friction huge.
Cameras get set up every year by my buddy and on occasion we see the same deer year after year - had pics of one for 5 years, always at dark when the season was on, once seen in daylight during hunting season (hanging on the wall).
We see loads of 3.5yr old bucks, but where oh where to they go after that?
There have been some big deer taken over the years, but not many of them with pics, almost glad we dont have too many pics of them older deer, would cause some serious issues with the amount of time i hunt, but sure be nice to see what's out there.
Anyone else get lots of pics of smaller bucks, but you know for certain bigger ones are there?

 

[bowhuntingrook]

What are you putting the cameras on?

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[dobber]

What are you putting the cameras on?

there are some natural trails, over bait, pinch points to fields - again can fill the interweb up with doe/fawn and bucks 3.5yr and younger.
One thing my buddy did notice a few years back, he had a young buck with split G2's, saw him several times in the field, but never on cam. He was hunting the stand, does/fawns and spikes all over the bait, but that particular buck would not get in front of the camera, he actually walked behind and off to the side. Said he would have never believed it had he not seen it, didn't bother any of the other half a dozen deer though

 

[MJ74]

Every year its like we get a whole new group of 2.5yr old bucks. Been letting bucks walk for years and years.
In talking with some of the neighbors they get the same thing so apparently the deer in my area travel a LONG ways off.

I only have a handful of bucks I get pics of from year to year.

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[dobber]

@MJ74 that's exactly what i'm saying, and its not a regional thing, there's likely 1000 miles between where we hunt lol, but keep an eye out for one of my travelers, easy to recognize 300# big boneded deer

 

[bowhuntingrook]

there are some natural trails, over bait, pinch points to fields - again can fill the interweb up with doe/fawn and bucks 3.5yr and younger.
One thing my buddy did notice a few years back, he had a young buck with split G2's, saw him several times in the field, but never on cam. He was hunting the stand, does/fawns and spikes all over the bait, but that particular buck would not get in front of the camera, he actually walked behind and off to the side. Said he would have never believed it had he not seen it, didn't bother any of the other half a dozen deer though

I've mentioned how I wouldn't use anything but "black" cameras in the past, but even those can spook cautious deer. But put them on scrapes, bucks work scrapes 10 feet from a corn pile and never get caught on the corn cameras. And with scrapes their mindset is less cautious as you get closer and closer to rut. 2 different scrapes 15 feet apart get used by different deer, and ones you've never seen.

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[bowhuntingrook]

Pressure is probably one of the main reasons you don't see mature bucks, cameras are a form of pressure.

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[TravisLH]

I’ve literally watched older does and bucks skate right around cams, I agree that they’re a form of pressure and I’ve also found that having the up around the 6ft mark pointing down seems to bother em lesss than at eye lvl.


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[dobber]

yeah maybe that would be some kind of pressure, but again these deer don't see people, my poor buddy has a bunch of deer that will actually come into his feed lot and eat oats from the silo spillage - in daylight
I did set a stand this year to be off the normal area i hunt, but won't be able to hunt it due to the amount of water, could get in maybe once before its an unpassable mess.