Using Game Cameras for Hunting Success {Video}

Hunting season is upon us and many of us out in the woods rely on trail cameras (AKA game cameras) to be our eyes when we are not in the woods hunting at our stand or blind. The innovations game cams have made over the past several years has been nothing short of amazing. There are few things as fun as swapping out SD cards and sharing your best game cam photos with your fellow hunting buddies at any time of the year.

Here are a few tips for using game cams to your best advantages no matter what time of year you are in:

• Concentrate on food and water sources. These are great places to find wild game congregating during different times of the day. Of course, here in Texas, we have corn and protein feeders and lots of them which should make camera placement quick and easy. Stock tanks are another common place to put your game cams as wild game usually visit them on a regular basis out of necessity. But don’t stop there. Many other opportunities for camera placement exist as well.
• Find well-traveled trails and pinch points on the property you are hunting. These are hotbeds for activity and places wild game know very well and their “road” in to or out of the woods beyond the paths we as humans might travel frequently.
• When positioning your camera, hang it waist-high and be sure not to angle it too high or low.
• In hanging your cameras, cinch it up tight to the tree, T-post or other hard surface you are placing it on. I personally like to use small bungee cords and make sure the camera is secure and solid. You want to make sure the wind or other natural elements don’t move your camera unnecessarily when you’re not there.
• Clear out brush, weeds and all other debris that might get in the way of the camera’s view.
• If hunting public land or other areas that other hunters may frequent and snatch your equipment, invest in a good game cam locking system to keep your game cam from sticky hands.
• Place your game cam in areas that are least likely to spook game when you access them to change out SD cards.
• Especially in the case of hunting deer or wild hogs, be sure to spray your cameras down before handling them. Consider wearing gloves while handling them and keep the wind in your favor whenever and where ever possible.

Using game cams to scout an area is great for both public and private land hunting. Like many of you reading this though, I am on a budget and don’t have a ton of extra money to spend on quality, durable game cams for the areas I hunt. That was why when I came across the WingHome Trail/Game Camera I immediately was surprised at how much value was packed into a game cam at such a low price. At under $70, this is one of the best values I have recently found in my gear purchases and the quality of the photos and videos it produces is something you would likely only find in a camera costing far more. In this article, you can see some of the photos I took with this exact game cam as an example. With up to a 24MP resolution on photos and 1080P quality on videos, I am thoroughly impressed to say the least and here is a video review I made on this product as well.

 

No matter what game cam you choose, I like no-glow infrared cams as they lessen the chance of spooking game. Gone are the days of “flash” game cams with this new technology. Choose a game cam with a good watertight seal and small size. A good camera doesn’t have to be large and bulky like in the many generations of game cams before.

Using game cams are a fun way to keep up with what is going on in the woods when you have to be out of the woods working or spending time on your other responsibilities. They can be a great scouting or deer management tool for your hunting pursuits. Using them in the most effective and efficient way possible will ensure you will have a better opportunity putting a trophy on your wall and some meat in your freezer.

Story by Dustin Vaughn Warncke