Game cameras are the ultimate hunting tool. There is a giant selection on the market and most of them are very affordable. However, I have found that many hunters underutilize them. If you are a hunter without a game camera, you are missing out. For those of you who are interested in trying one out, here are four can’t miss places to set one up.
Trails
Trails are a great way for a beginner to get started using a game camera. In fact, in the early days of using hidden cameras in the woods, they were called trail cameras. Getting results is as easy as finding a well-worn trail and setting up a unit at a 45 degree angle. This angle will allow you to cover more area instead of what is walking directly in front of the camera. Simply point your unit down a trail and you will get what comes and goes.
A more advanced use of a game cam is to find the smaller satellite trails that run parallel to large community trails. These satellite trails are usually mature buck trails. Bucks are not social animals, but they do like to keep track of what deer are in the area, so they walk downwind and parallel to larger trails and scent check them. Use this to your advantage.
Funnels
A funnel is when a tract of timber or good cover peters out into a small section that adjoins another larger section of timber. Funnels force cover-seeking deer to travel through them. It is natural for deer to stay in cover and not be exposed, so if you can find a decent funnel with a few trails running through it, that spot is perfect for setting up a game camera.
Fields
Fields might seem too large to put a camera into, but they are now making cameras with deep focus that can be set up on a large field and all deer activity can be monitored. Since fields often act as gathering and social spots for deer, watching a field is a great idea to see what is coming and going and spy on deer.
Water
All animals need to drink so if you can find an area near water that is chewed up with tracks; it might be a great game cam spot. When it comes to water, bucks become very wary so they are more apt to use the larger doe trails when watering. For some reason, it seems to make them feel safer using these community watering spots, and it eliminates some of the risk involved with being exposed.
There is one warning that needs to be given about the use of game cameras. Once you experience success with one, you will be hooked for life.