Here is a great video from Bowhunting World Magazine.  It outlines their 3 step plan for effectively scouting for deer using a digital game camera.  The concepts are pretty basic, but helpful.

I checked on my Scoutguard SG550 this morning, and man has the undergrowth really taken off in the woods. The whole landscape is changing and the area I have my game camera placed in has taken on a whole new view.
If you have a game camera out now, consider taking a pair of pruners with you the next time you go to pull your memory card or check your batteries. There is a strong chance that the clear view your camera had a few weeks ago, is now obstructed by the undergrowth.
Trim away any undergrowth or low hanging branches that might interfere with your pictures. This is really important, because some lower cost game cameras might trigger false activations from branches or plants swaying in the wind.

Are you checking your game camera too often?

I know it can be tough to resist the temptation, but checking your game camera too frequently can have negative effects on the number of images you capture.  As the deer season approaches, you also run the risk to negatively effecting the quality of your hunt.  Scent you leave in the woods and the act of jumping up deer can have them raising their guard the next time they pass through your favorite hunting spot.

Get to know your game camera, and determine how long the battery life is.  Always use the same brand and type of batteries, and always put fresh batteries in your camera.  Use the largest memory card that will fit in your game cam.  Consider shooting at a medium resolution which will reduce the file sizes of the images stored to your memory card.  Try to delay your visits to your game camera based on your battery life, or image capacity.

The last thing you want to do is return to the woods and find dead batteries or a full memory card.  So get to know your game camera, practice some patience, and see if you get more and better pics.

If you are using a trail camera to survey a piece of land, focus on high traffic areas.  I like to walk a piece of property with my GPS in hand and look for signs of activity.

1. Those 'highway' trails.  Trails that are just tore up from traffic.
2. Places where trails intersect.
3. Downed fences used a crossing points.
4. Crossing points on creeks and ditches.
5. Rub patterns.

Walk the active trails.  Determine where the deer are coming from, and where they are going?  You can typically find bedding areas and feeding areas on either end of a hot trail.  Determine which is which.  This can help you determine the deer's direction of movement depending upon the time of your hunt.  Placing a scouting camera on a hot trail can help you figure this out.

Areas where deer trails cross are ideal for game camera placement.  These intersections increase your opportunity to score with your game cam.

Crossing points at downed fences, ditches, and creeks are an ideal location for a trail camera.  These crossing points serve as funnels, and can draw numbers of deer right past your camera.

While scouting, watch for rub patterns.  Dominant bucks can mark territory with rub lines.  They can work these areas repeatedly to make these presence known.  These areas are a great place to get an image or clip of that big buck.

Watch for natural food sources.  Areas of oaks dropping acorns can bring deer to feast in that area.   Keep your nose peeled for honeysuckle.  This is like candy for a deer.  The same goes for persimmon.

Survey the land for these type of spot, and then place your game cameras accordingly for increased success.

When I ask the question, "Does your Game Camera Stink?", I'm not asking if performs poorly, or doesn't work well?  I mean, "Does it smell?"

One tip that many hunters overlook is to wear gloves any time you have contact with your digital game camera in the field.  Everyone knows that deer have an incredible sense of smell.  There has been a huge market created around products that claim they will help you defeat a deer's sense of smell.  Open any hunting catalog and you will find scent cover sprays, scent killing sprays, scent-free soaps and shampoos, Scent-Lok hunting clothing, rubber boots, and even deodorants.  Deer will become spooked by human scent, and when they do, they are typically GONE!

Over the past season, I learned first hand the importance of using the same precautions when interacting with my game cameras, as I would if I were heading into the woods to hunt.  I have a couple of cameras in the woods behind my house.  Due to the close proximity, I was heading into the woods frequently to swap out memory cards to look at my pictures and videos.  I noticed that I was getting more and more videos of nervous deer.  The does appeared spooked, with their noses wildly sampling the air.  I also noticed that I was getting fewer pictures of the bucks that I had been seeing regularly in the area.  I started capturing more pictures of deer staring directly at my cameras (like the one below), or even nosing them.

When it dawned on me, I changed my act.  I started pulling on my rubber boots, scent-lok jacket, and wearing my gloves each time I would head into the woods to swap my memory cards.  I also tried to put my curiosity on hold and make fewer trips to my game cameras to swap out the cards.

The difference has been noticeable.  I'm getting more pictures and video of deer that appear less nervous.  I'm getting less pictures of deer staring at my cameras, or appearently spooked by its presence.  And most importantly, I'm getting more pictures of the bucks that I knew were cruising the area.  I believe that these bucks were more cautious than the does when detecting human scent, and were vacating the area before the does would.

So take this tip into consideration the next time you go hang a camera, or pull a memory card.  You will see a difference, and see more deer.

Where is the best place to set up a digital game camera?

Game cameras are designed  to help make your scouting job easier.  They work 24 x 7 to help you pick the right hunting spot to ensure success when you head into the woods with your gun or bow.  I'm definitely partial to bow hunting, and proper placement of your deer stand can make the difference between making a good kill shot, or watching that deer walk by just out of range.

I like to place my game cameras on well travelled trails, near food sources, or on trails that lead to bedding areas.  Look for evidence of deer tracks to help guide the placement of your camera.  I love to find a spot where two or more trails intersect.  These crossroads can be a gold mine.  Hot does leaving scent on well travelled trails are a recipe for success when the rut kicks in.

I will often leave corn, and apple block, or some other feed or treat in range of the camera to encourage the deer to stop and pose for a picture.  If there isn't a good tree close by to mount the camera on, I'll use a game camera post mount. These are ideal for ensuring that you have good camera placement and get the proper angle.

If you are placing your camera in an area that is not heavily wooded, you need to take into account the rising and setting sun.  Place your camera in a position that will not be pointed in the direction of the sun.  This can cause your pictures to be washed out by excess sunlight.

Ensure that you camera lense and sensor are clean from dust and dirt.  Make sure that the area in front of and around your camera is free from debris and branches.  Branches blowing in the wind have been known to trigger some motion sensors on cameras, resulting in deerless photos.

Scouting with a game camera is a sport in itself.  It is a great way to extend your time in the woods.  Please post a reply if you have some game cam photos or videos that you would like to share and we will post them on our website along with your story.