Rut range shift has begun

[BSK]

With the high-end gps equipment, the surveyors' roles on rural land is far different now than in recent times past. Many not be as "hard" as what you're currently doing.

I'm not concerned about the difficulty. What I do is FAR more physically demanding than a surveyor. I don't want all the legal ramifications and getting drug into court over property line disputes. Plus, that would be super-boring work. Currently, I get to talk to hunters about deer all day. That is an effing awesome job!

 

[Ski]

Currently, I get to talk to hunters about deer all day. That is an effing awesome job!

Hard to argue with that.

 

[Dumbluck]

That map is sweet.

BSK are you typically wanting a certain number of cameras per acre for each farm?

I'm running about 1 camera per 10 acres this year on 250 acres. I don't think my wife would like my battery bill if she knew it.

I may have just picked up another 400 acres, I'm waiting to see if camera bill is gonna go up or stay the same.

 

[BSK]

That map is sweet.

BSK are you typically wanting a certain number of cameras per acre for each farm?

I'm running about 1 camera per 10 acres this year on 250 acres. I don't think my wife would like my battery bill if she knew it.

THAT is a lot of cameras!

On a serious note, a baited census is run with one camera for every 160 acres (4 per square mile). However, for an unbaited census - since nothing is being used to draw deer to the camera - I prefer double that density, or 1 camera per 80 acres.

Thankfully, my battery bill is a business expense. And this year it was about $250! And that's not replacing batteries in all my cameras. Some of these newer cameras will run 6 months out of the year for a couple of years on a single set of lithium AAs.

When I analyze a photo census for client, normally, the client owns/operates the cameras. I just analyze the data. If a client wanted me to run the whole census, the fee for my time would be exorbitant.

 

[Ski]

On a serious note, a baited census is run with one camera for every 160 acres (4 per square mile). However, for an unbaited census - since nothing is being used to draw deer to the camera - I prefer double that density, or 1 camera per 80 acres.

How many do you run on your personal place? I have cams at every habitat enhancement(food plots, water holes, bedding thickets, mock scrapes) and every terrain pinch/funnel and natural congregation area. It's property specific but still way more than 1/80. I've got two 80ish acres spots. One has 4-8 cams at any one time depending on time of season, and the other has closer to 20. And I still feel like there are large gaps of movement I don't see. One property in particular is the conjunction of three major hollows and aside from pre-rut and late winter, the deer residing in each hollow almost never enter the other hollows. The high hogback ridges create natural barriers the deer don't cross unless they're looking for love or really hungry. That place takes a lot more cameras than usual because it's almost like hunting three different properties.

 

[BSK]

How many do you run on your personal place?

I generally keep 8 cams running from early August to mid-January on my 500 acres. However, I move the cameras constantly to try and monitor as many locations as possible. Over the 5 1/2 months I'm running 8 cameras, I will use 50-60 different camera locations.

 

[Ski]

I generally keep 8 cams running from early August to mid-January on my 500 acres. However, I move the cameras constantly to try and monitor as many locations as possible. Over the 5 1/2 months I'm running 8 cameras, I will use 50-60 different camera locations.

Ah ok. Just different way to skin the same cat it sounds. I've got a lot of cams that sit largely dormant outside of their "hot" times. Case in point is mineral sites. I leave cams running 365 on them even though they're only busy from May through August. I do move cams around to some extent but most of my cams stay in one place 365 days year after year. Sounds like you're still using as many locations but using fewer cams to do so.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

We have 24 cameras and typically leave them in the same spots this time of year. Whenever we do find "a new hot spot", we will rearrange some cameras around. Our math comes to about 1 camera per 26 acres.

 

[BSK]

Ah ok. Just different way to skin the same cat it sounds. I've got a lot of cams that sit largely dormant outside of their "hot" times. Case in point is mineral sites. I leave cams running 365 on them even though they're only busy from May through August. I do move cams around to some extent but most of my cams stay in one place 365 days year after year. Sounds like you're still using as many locations but using fewer cams to do so.

Correct. In summer, I may only check cams once every two weeks, because there are so few locations for cams in summer (deer patterns are more limited). However, starting mid-September, I'm checking cams weekly and often move several every time I check them. Once we get into scraping season, a couple of cams will sit on the best ones the rest of the season, but the rest will constantly be moved to check new scrapes, trails, bottlenecks, food plots, etc.

 

[dmccallie]

At least on my property it has. Picked up 10 new bucks in a week's time. And typical of the rut range-shift, it usually starts with a sudden surge of new yearling bucks showing up on cam. 8 of the 10 new bucks I picked up last week were yearlings. Usually, the new big boys start showing up a week or so later.

I wanted you to see this . Me an my buddy's hunting spot in ten mile . 1pm sat

 

[BSK]

Nice buck!