placing trail cams for mule deer

[Retterath]

i know the season just got over not very long ago but already looking forward to next year. I plan on hunting montana for deer next year and the area i want to hunt is about 4 hrs from home, so was thinking of maybe putting up a couple trail cams next year. Do u guys think that is too far away from home to be putting trail cams. Also i have hunted whitetail a lot more than mule deer and since the area i will be hunting doesn't have a lot of trees, there are definitely trees and draws but how does a guy go about placing cams for mule deer? Try to find a trail and set it or are there other strategies for placing trail cams for mule deer. There isn't any hay land or crop fields in the area that i know about. More like badlands type of ground.

 

[velvetfvr]

I only set cams on water sources. 4 hours isn't to far. My hunting area is about 7 hours from my house to the cameras. I check them maybe 3 times during the summer.

 

[Ikeepitcold]

I've put a few on springs as well with not trees around. I've strapped them to rocks and sage brush. The biggest issue I've had was the cows. They like to lick the cameras are attracted to them for some reason.

 

[Retterath]

my luck the cows wouldn't lick them they would back up to them and do there job on them. Can cows even be able to be on a national forest?

 

[velvetfvr]

Cows love trail cams. I think I got 10,000 pics of cows alone since a rancher turns them loose on the Blm I hunt. But only in the high elevations. 5-7000 the cows don't hang out where I hunt

 

[Retterath]

i had a lot of nice black angus on my cam this year.

 

[Againstthewind]

hopefully no patties on your camera. That was pretty funny. http://www.fs.fed.us/rangelands/uses/allowgrazing.shtml I think the forest service has the info. on what areas are being used for each year so that you can avoid the heavily grazed areas.
Around Pinedale, WY they call it the drift and they migrate down of their own accord. Its kind of different watching cows move down the mountain and along the road without anyone pushing them. http://www.pinedaleonline.com/news/2004/10/GreenRiverDrift.htm
Kindof off topic there, but yes they allow grazing on NF.

 

[jjenness]

If you are going to make the long trip I would spend half the day glassing for as many deer as possible and then put your cameras where you see the deer. I find that just putting up a camera blindly rarely gets the pics I am after, unless it is a water or food source. It might be a shot in the dark but summer bucks love the natural salt licks, so if you can stumble across one definitely put a cam there. Good luck.

 

[In God We Trust]

Mule deer are hard to pattern. I agree with others, find a water source if the land is arid and set a cam on it. Make sure it is a ways from a road or trail. People will steal your gear in a minute. I had some set on some private land I hunt in Nebraska and went to pick them up Saturday and some piece of garbage stole my 32G sim card. He was tresspassing and didn't want me to see who it was. At least he didn't steal the camera.

 

[Sully]

Good info on this post. Thanks to everyone who commented and Retterath for asking the question. This was very helpful for me.

 

[Work2hunt]

One thing I do if no trees are around is I buy the cheap metal fencing posts for $2 or so and use them to hold my camera if no tree or a tree where I want it is not available.

 

[Take Em Bucks N Bulls]

One thing I do if no trees are around is I buy the cheap metal fencing posts for $2 or so and use them to hold my camera if no tree or a tree where I want it is not available.

I use a T-post upside down, and water is the best things to set up on.