Q: How can I use my trail cameras effectively during summer for herd inventory and buck identification? When should I put them out?
A: Summer is one of the best times of year to gather valuable insights about your deer population. With predictable movement patterns centered around food, water, and mineral sites, deer—especially bucks in velvet and does with fawns—are easier to pattern and photograph. When used strategically, trail cameras can provide a reliable snapshot of the health, size, and structure of your local herd.
Cameras can be used year-round, but if you’re worried about battery consumption, I wouldn’t worry about getting cameras out until the bucks become recognizable. Usually by mid-June all the main points on the antler will be growing and you should be able to tell the bucks apart.
To begin, focus your camera efforts on high-traffic areas. During summer, deer consistently visit food plots, agricultural fields, mineral licks, and reliable water sources. These predictable stops serve as ideal locations to position your cameras. Bucks in velvet often frequent these sites at dawn and dusk, making them perfect for photo-based inventory and individual identification.
Definitely keep your cameras moving. For broad property coverage, consider implementing a zone or grid system. Divide your land into manageable sections and rotate cameras between them on a schedule. This technique gives you a more complete view of your population and helps detect overlapping home ranges.
Camera placement is also crucial. There is no rule to positioning, if you don’t get what you want after the first set, reposition. Typical position would put your cameras at waist height, away from the sun when that specific site will be most active. Trim vegetation near the lens and sensor to prevent false triggers from swaying branches or tall grass, which not only drains batteries but clogs your card and wastes your time with useless images.
Mossy Oak
In areas where baiting is legal, using corn, apples, or mineral blocks can draw deer in for clearer, head-on shots. In regions where baiting is prohibited, food plots, mineral sites or water sources can serve the same purpose without violating regulations.
Modern trail cameras offer a variety of settings to maximize photo opportunities. Time-lapse mode can be particularly useful for watching open areas like food plots, capturing activity over long periods even if deer don’t walk directly in front of the sensor. Combining time-lapse with motion-triggered photos can provide a full representation of daily patterns.
Summer is also the perfect time to begin building a buck catalog. As mentioned, by mid-June, bucks in velvet are easier to identify thanks to visible antler characteristics, body size, and even unique scars or coloration. By creating a photo log for each distinguishable buck, you can track individual development and put together patterns on the ones you would like to target.
Additionally, trail cameras are great tools for monitoring fawn recruitment. Observing the ratio of fawns to does in your images can provide a basic yet important snapshot of reproductive success and survival.
When we get to August, I begin switching cameras over to Mock Scrape sites. Yes, I know they don’t have hard antlers yet, but bucks (and does) will visit scrape sites (more so the licking branch) all year long. This is especially true when using a Wildlife Research Center Golden Rope. I don’t know what it is about this natural fiber rope, but I tend to get better action out of it than an actual real licking branch. You can hang these ropes up in a good spot and get results even if you don’t treat it with scent.
Mossy Oak
To keep your cameras productive throughout the summer, avoid checking them too frequently. Common sense should tell you that excessive human activity can push deer into different patterns or completely off your property. This is one pro for cellular cameras that allow you to monitor activity remotely without disturbing the area.
When used thoughtfully, trail cameras offer a window into your deer herd that scouting alone can’t match. By focusing on smart placement, minimizing disturbance, and carefully cataloging your photos, you’ll enter the fall with a deeper understanding of the bucks on your property and the overall health of your herd.
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