The Value of Trail Cameras

[Swede]

I mentioned on another thread that I gave my trail cams to my son. It is not because they don't take pictures or let me know what walked in front of the camera. I got day and night pictures of elk. The trouble I came up with was deciding "so What"? Most of the time a bull went by my camera, and I did not see it again that year. I could see on the ground if elk were hanging around an area and about when they were there.
Every place is different, and different situations can change elk habits. I would not advise someone not to set out trail cameras but be strategic about it and learn if the elk in your area come around frequently or if they just pass through infrequently. Pay attention and note if something changes like hunting pressure, logging, or the rut move the elk. Then plan to monitor what is happening with the elk. This is not rocket-science or something that takes precision. Make your best guesstimate where you will find elk. Sometimes you can come up with a jewel and sometimes it is just a plain old stone.

[WapitiTalk1]

Interesting thread sir, curious to see the comments/input on this one.

[RanchoSueno]

I don't plan to "target" any individual animal but I know the elk use one area fairly heavily that I have hunted but it seems mixed on when they are in that area. Is it night time use? First week of archery before they go high? Is it part of their cycle and they're only there every 5-6 weeks? Being 1300 miles from there I can't just observe it seasonally. Hoping to place a couple cameras near a wallow and a well beaten trail through a saddle to see if there's any intel worth utilizing. For our whitetails, it's a whole different story. You can pattern an individual and make a move when he daylights. I just want an idea of how any elk use that specific area over the course of the summer months going into fall

[Lefty]

Man I need to quit exiting before my comments are uploaded.
So Swede Ill just pass on giving you greaif,,, this time,,,,,,

Trail cameras are a hobby And trail cams have gone a long ways I have trapping friends theat check their woldf sets on their cell cams. Lots of incredible trap set video out there not.

With that said I dont think cell video cam footage for bear hunting over bait is fair chase,,, But the arguments used in Nevada I believe are a unfair by some jealous types and envy against mostly guides.

Myvalue is I get to see whats out there, and in many cases prevents me from shooting if I know something elsle is in the srea. And I do need to admit,, It was pretty cool watching a spring 175 lb bear on my bait while I was in the blind, made it easiers to ID as boar.
Nice spring black-black bear.
However I knew they was asmalled blonde using the bait too,,, so a total pass

Some cool things about cameras You get to know whats in the woods. I have one trail cam 7400 ft elevation, skunks coon, pine martin, deer elk bear coyotes fox,,,

Last year my wife and daughter and Andrew used a sell cam to keep track of me going in and out of certain trailheads, ( I have an older phone without recertion) .

I also hunt in grizzly country I dont visit the woods when there' are grizzlies around

So very valuable for us

My daughter uses a camera ate here house,,like a security camera. The camera notifies them,,, if its a lion by the barn of horse trough they fire a shot in the air

[Swede]

Good Grief Lefty. You got lost somewhere. We are on the elk hunting forum. You must have a good use for trail cameras to help with your elk hunt.

Rancho, I have observed different elk habits in different general areas. Some elk forage in one area at night and move back into the timber in the morning. They leave in the late afternoon to repeat their routine. Some bull bunches leave their summer hangout and start mingling and gathering the cows in early September. Some have a regular circuit they follow, and you just have to wait for them. Waiting 5-6 weeks for elk to return seems like a long time. I am patient, but don't want to perch in a tree that long hoping to see a bull before the season is over.
I agree that seeing pictures of elk will let you know the time-of-day elk were there. Can you use that information to predict when they will return? Is their timing part of a pattern or just coincidence? The best thing I could do is put antlers on some tracks. I also have a 2024 picture of the bull I shot him in 2025. He was at the same location at roughly the same time. I heard him bugle several times from a flat above the spring where I sat waiting. It just took him several days to come to me. There was a friend's camera near my stand, but it was not useful as it showed no discernable pattern of the bull. I do not remember if he had a picture of the bull or not, but if he did it was just from one encounter.

[RanchoSueno]

You very well could be on to something Swede but without ever running a camera for myself in this area, I will only be hypothesizing what elk do or do not do and when they are or are not doing it let me prove you right lol

[Swede]

Perfect answer Rancho. Prove me right or wrong so you will know your area and the elk that inhabit it. Just because I have observed certain things does not mean it is a law governing all elk or even any elk. It is just an observation made over a few incidents/seasons. There are two words seldom fit elk behavior. 1. Always. 2. Never.

[Lefty]

My cameras just give me more in the woods time. I believe that I actually kill less because there is always something else out there

[Lefty]

Hey buddy thats for the bears

Never saw this guy during season.
The one in the back was 13 yards