Do you look less forward to deer season if you don't see any big bucks on the game cam? It kinda bums me out to only see decent bucks, kinda like knowing what your present was before Christmas!

That's a good way to put it. Lol. You need to get a management plan together, and that might mean not shooting anything this year. Build your herd. Don't shoot does for a few years. Rome wasn't built in one day. It takes time and money. Look at it this way..there are deer in the area and you have something to work with. Good luck.

+1 murf extremely well put goodluck

doesn't really bother me I'm always thinking maybe during the rut big daddy will cruise buy to kick some butt and charm the ladies!

cant say that i do. i havent had anything on cam worth while for awhile now. got plenty pigs though

Your not going to get pics of ever deer on one cam.You never know when a really nice one will end up in your sights during rut.

Yeah, you may never get the big bucks on cam. I have been here 3 years, and only 2 of the 5 bucks we have killed were ever on cam, never seen the other 3 before I shot them.

I'm never disappointed about hunting season starting, doesn't matter what I am seeing on cam. Though I will admit, if a real nice buck has been on cam shortly after daylight like clockwork for 2 weeks straight prior to opening morning, it makes it hard to fall asleep for wondering how exactly I should pose for pictures with that deer. Don't have to worry about that this year though, I don't have much of squat on cam.

Don't feel bad, I hunt state land and can't put one up. Some one would surely steal or destroy it. Thats why I like seeing some elses pics so much. At least your seeing something. When I'm out hunting I enjoy watching/seeing anything, even that stray dog or the darn gray sguirrel that wants screach and call all his budies to show what he found.

murf said don't shoot does, but that increases heard size not antler size. Less does make them fight for the right to breed, which hopefully make for bigger better bucks. I do agree in a low population area don't shoot the does. I also wonder if its in the geenes and no matter what you do there will never be that monster drop tong buck, not counting bringing in better stock. That is why trophy hunters just go for an older mature deer.JMO

I learned last year to not let the game cam dictate my expectations.

I started feeding the 1st of September last year. All the way from then until the last couple of weeks leading up to rifle season I hadn't really seen anything except for young bucks, does, coons (tons of them) and hogs (again tons of them).

So much so, that I went and paid money to hunt somewhere else opening weekend.

Then the 2nd week of the season I go back to my place - and see that all of a sudden there had been 3 nice bucks show up on the cameras the week before opening day. And that very evening I took a 130 class 10 pointer that had been the nicest of those 3.

So don't give up if at first they aren't there.

Earl

I've never used a game cam and I don't plan on starting.

I dont look at it as dissappointment, I look at it as what needs to be killed and what doesen't.

The problem I have is I hunt in the hill country and it's tough to let a buck get old enough to actually grow to his potential. Small ranches all around us and many attitudes of "If I don't kill it somebody else will" and unfortunately most do, and yes I am one of the few who will actually kill a doe instead of a buck. I don't care for high fences; but see why many ranches go that route.

You must be optimistic! Like what was said earlier, you won't see every deer on your cam.
Besides, it's the getting outdoors that is the fun part!

try putting cams on trails or scrapes,or water holes. big boys dont show up at feeders very often.

+1 on above comment. I like to be suprised by what shows up.

I like having the cam But hate the fact that it is usually full of pics of the horses on the property but i like getting those few pics of the deer and hogs when they show up.

The horses goona be really mad this year I just set up alfalfa hay inside my pens and that's one more thing they can't get to. bBut I figure it will keep them around the feeders for a bit.

Have any of you used alfalfa for deer? I was wondering how long it will last and how often i need to replenish it til the season gets going.

I don't put a lot of faith in those game cameras.

I've been pumped in the the past when I had several really nice bucks show up on camera only to not ever see one during the season.

I've also had the opposite happen more often than not.

I like to put one out just to see what my regulars will be, but when the rut starts you can bet those bucks won't ever show up on the camera, and you'll never know that they existed.

X2

Its a little disapointing not to have a good buck on camera, but like others have already said......you just never know when your going to be at the right place at the right time when that big boy shows up!

X2

Game Cameras only tell part of the story. Some of the best bucks we've taken on our place were never caught on our GC's.
We know the bucks are there and when the does show up, so will the bucks !

Game Cameras only tell part of the story. Some of the best bucks we've taken on our place were never caught on our GC's.
We know the bucks are there and when the does show up, so will the bucks !