Camera Placement Strategies

[MNbuckhunter]

For those of you who run cameras all season long, what strategies do you use in placing them during different periods throughout the season?

When do you pull them from minerals? Put them on scrapes? Edge of plots? Move them deeper in the timber? Or other strategies during different phases of the rut/season?

Just curious as to some strategies people use.

All my cameras all summer are along the edge of soybean fields, food plots, minerals (which are near edge of plots) as to minimize the need to go into the timber at all.

 

[rarndt16]

Early season is all about food plots. I wouldn't go stomping around timber at all early season checking cameras and risk kicking deer off the property. Once it gets closer to rut or even as early as the 2nd week of October I like to set some cameras on heavily used trails and also rub/scrape lines. I try to still focus on lines more toward the edge of timber, very skeptical sometimes about getting to deep. I think post rut seasons can be really good to get pics of bucks over mineral or feed sites being they are all about fattening up for winter. Although lick sites are good all year in my opinion for getting deer to stop and get better pics. Just my tactics!

 

[CurtisWalker]

I put mine out over minerals in February and September 14th I move them to well known annual scrapes and also on major travel routes.

 

[StickersNKickers]

Mine are usually located on plots or trails/fence crossings, usually with a stand somewhere close, unless I find some good sign that I want to watch for a little while. Missed a good area last year tho by not doing much mid-season scouting. Had at least 10 - 12 good sized rubs (5-6" trees, shredded) in about a 30 yd x 30 yd area that I found during shotgun season! Most rubbing in that small of an area I had ever seen! Definitely wished I had a camera there, but sadly did not. Was too focused on other areas, and was done bowhunting on Nov. 10.