Yes, trailcamology is a noun. Just like trail-camming is a verb. Work with me here. These days many hunters utilize trail cameras during deer season – most of them do it religiously. There is something cool about having surveillance of deer around the clock. However, if your game cam regimen is limited to the fall, you’re missing out on some valuable information about the deer in your area. First off, strategically having them at work during the summer brings excitement and anticipation of the fall to come. Sure, many of your nicer bucks might not be around after they part with their summer patterns; but some of them will. A ton of information can be collected throughout the scorching dog days of June, July, and August. Why leave intel on the table? For most whitetail nuts, the thought is nonsensical. Well, summer is almost here and it’s time for a plan.
Basic Setup Tips
There are a few things that you can do to maximize your camera efforts – and improve your images. Use a saw or loppers to remove any obstructive limbs, brush, or weeds. If needed, clear a pathway to the area. To avoid sun glare, set up your cameras pointing north and south. Also, place it 5 – 7-feet high and angle it down. This not only keeps it a little out of sight but also provides a better field of view (I also do it to keep livestock from bumping it).
Exodus trail camera hung 5 – 7-feet high and angled down for better pictures of deer
Whitetails have an unforgiving sense of smell and just like any time of year, scent control is paramount. Don’t visit your cameras any more than you have to and avoid wearing smelly clothing (a tall order when you’re drenched in sweat). Keep yourself, your clothes, and even the camera itself as clear of odor as possible by using cover scents and scent eliminators. Not a big fan of scent potions? What do you have to lose? That is, except the big mature bucks you’re trying to locate. Another alternative is to use wireless cameras to minimize your footprint in the field. I’ve yet to make that leap.
Location Location Location
So what are the best sites for summer deer surveillance? There are a few. By gathering information from scouting sessions and past property knowledge simple common sense often comes into play. Here are a few types of potential pictorial honey holes for summertime bucks.
Food Plots and Agriculture
Many crop fields and food plots are great deer draws. However, they can be difficult to cover with a camera. That’s why, where legal, feeding stations are the ticket. Still, if you can determine the primary trails deer use to access these fields, you’ve got yourself a good trail cam situation. Concentrate on field edges, as well as staging areas in-between areas and cover and the plot. Smaller food plots in more isolated areas are a good bet here as well.
Water Sources
Whether ponds, creeks, or swamps, deer will make stops for any clean water sources they can. It can be as simple as finding the tracks and going from there with a setup. My favorite water spots for trail cams are at heavily used creek crossings. Creating a manmade watering hole is another good approach, especially on properties lacking water. If you go this route, consider placing it in a secluded area near a food source.
Food and Mineral Stations
Quality image of velvet bucks from a Browning trail camera
If legal in your hunting area, corn, protein, and mineral sites are great places for setting up trail cameras. Regardless of your opinion on the extent that mineral stations help antler growth, they’ll bring salt-craving deer in front of your camera. Another benefit of these types of sites is that deer get familiar with them and will return year after year. I establish and recharge my mineral sites in the spring and have plenty of sites that are downright craters in the earth. Put these types of draws in areas where deer (especially mature bucks) feel comfortable. The idea is to encourage daylight movement.
Known Trails and Funnels
This category often holds the key, as solid heavily used travel routes lead to the aforementioned destinations. When I do my spring and summer scouting, I’m always astounded by the number of trails etched through the properties I hunt. As such, I like to up my odds by placing cameras where trails intersect. If you share your deer population with neighbors, there’s nothing wrong with scouting fence lines. Here, you have the choice of placing cameras near the crossings or following the pathways inward to choose a spot.
Other great crossings are the pinch–points – that is, any terrain or manmade feature on your property that channels whitetail travel activity. A great example of a pinch-point (or funnel) is where two fields are separated by a thin strip of cover.
In Summary
Deploying trail cameras during the summer months is a great strategy as long as you acknowledge the potential pitfalls of human scent dispersal and educating deer of your presence. On the other hand, summer game cameras give you a leg up in developing your fall hit-list bucks by identifying their individual traits and personalities. It’s also an opportunity to share the outdoors with not only fellow hunters, but potential new ones.
Well-devised summer trail camera tactics can be just as useful as those in the fall and winter. Create a plan, use caution and logic, and enjoy. Trailcamming is fun and, for the record, I wish Trailcamology had been offered as a major when I was in college.