Digital Game Cameras – Do they take the ‘hunt’ out of hunting?
I saw this post recently in a hunting forum, and was prompted to comment:
Trail Camera's ..Do They Take the "Hunt" out of Hunting?
The author stated "since the trail cam explosion has happened it seems to me that we might be loosing perspective on what hunting is really supposed to be".
I understand this perspective coming from the point of view of a traditional hunter. Their view of hunting is exactly as it was years ago, recalling the process of scouting, looking for sign, etc. They feel that trail cameras give the hunter yet another edge up on the deer population.
While I understand the author's position, I differ, and am for the full use of game cameras. The use of a trail camera can definitely make your hunts more productive. It doesn't make them guaranteed though. You still have the beat the dere's senses, and you still have to make the shot. Many hunters weighed in on the topic, and not one hunter had a negative comment about the use of digital trail cameras.
Digital game cameras for me, are more of a timesaver than anything. Years ago, before each season started, me and my hunting buddys would leave or bows home, grab our stands, and head to the woods. Naturally, we would search for sign of deer activity, and determine several potential places to set up. We would sit in our stands before sunup, and watch the deer movement as the sun came up. We would sample different areas, and fine tune our locations. From that effort, we would determine where our stand locations would be. We would go through this same exercise a couple of times per week.
Now, digital trail cameras can do some of that work for us. It gives us time back that we can devote to other activities.
Trail cameras are just another tool in a hunters arsenal, that can result in more successful hunts. It is one of many tools that technology has brought into the woods, but there are many more to come.
As another added benefit, using digital game cameras can be a fun hobby in itself. It allows me to extend my season, by getting into the woods before the season starts to find the locations I want to sample. Return visits to the woods to switch memory cards, allows more opportunity to look for sign and other potential stand locations. The best part comes when you sit down in front of your computer to view your pictures. It it's almost like opening a present. You don't know what's inside. Maybe it's a monster buck.
