Video versus still images

[BSK]

I use trail-cameras almost exclusively for running season-long unbaited camera censuses. I want to see what bucks are using a property through the late summer, fall and early winter months (September through mid-January). I do this by placing cameras in likely deer high-activity areas, especially feeding areas, movement bottlenecks, and most importantly (for censusing bucks) scrapes. The questions I'm trying to answer are: Does the property see much range-shifting of bucks? When does this occur? How many bucks and of what ages and antler size use the property during different parts of the hunting season?

For these purposes, I need to identify each unique buck by sometimes very subtle antler characteristics hence I need crystal clear pictures of bucks night and day. In the past I have always relied on cameras that take the best still images. Even the best video resolutions cannot compare to a high-resolution still image. In fact, I had sort of "written off" video trail-cameras a useless for my purposes. But after this season, I'm seriously rethinking that. As my old cameras began dying after many years of use, I started replacing them with cameras that were touted for taking great still images, but also were advertised as taking great video. On a lark, I set some of these cameras on video mode over scrapes. Wow, what an eye-opener! First, I can't believe how much more I learned about deer behavior watching the video clips versus just still images (more on that later). Second, although when video is slowed down to frame-by-frame, the images still aren't anywhere near as clear as a good still image, I'm amazed at how well the human brain can "interpolate" what it is seeing in full motion. When watching the videos in full motion I could clearly see every nuance of a buck's antlers, yet when slowed down to frame-by-frame, the images were not that clear. Amazing what the human mind can do. Obviously, there is a lot of "digital processing" that goes on in our brains between what our eyes actually record and what our mind sees. In addition, there are times that even great still images can't help you identify a buck, especially a buck in full motion producing nothing but a series of blurred still image. In video, even a buck running through the set-up can be identified.

Needless to say, I'm sold. I will be investing in more high-end video units in the future. I will continue to need and use top-end still imagers for monitoring large open areas (night flash distance is greater for still images than video), but for monitoring trails, bottlenecks and scrapes, it's video for me from now on.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Great stuff. Likewise, for whatever reason, I too decided to convert several of my cameras to video instead of still pics this season. I was amazed! We picked up a good buck in early November....rack-wise he was the biggest we've had all year. While trying to determine his age (we knew 3.5 or 4.5 but was hard to tell because of angle), he seemed very submissive looking past the camera before heading in the opposite direction. The next video showed our only 4.5 walking stiff-legged to the scrape and hitting it. This had us believing the bigger racked buck was a 3.5, which later videos confirmed that for us.

Nonetheless, I was surprised how well the batteries performed on video. The biggest reason I never did video was due to believing they would kill the batteries much faster. The last thing I want is cameras to die right during peak scrape times. They performed well and will definitely be using video more in the future. Very cool hearing grunting and other noises off in the distance. Glad you brought this up

 

[BSK]

Nonetheless, I was surprised how well the batteries performed on video. The biggest reason I never did video was due to believing they would kill the batteries much faster. The last thing I want is cameras to die right during peak scrape times. They performed well and will definitely be using video more in the future.

I'm blown away by the battery life as well. I've had some of my video units out since September. They have taken hundreds and hundreds of 20 second videos, many at night, using 20 seconds of battery-draining black-flash illumination. Yet powered by only 6 lithium AAs, they all say they are still near 100% battery charge.

 

[BSK]

Very cool hearing grunting and other noises off in the distance.

I could write an entire article about what I learned about deer behavior from just a single season's videos. But one of the best lessons was the ability to pinpoint what hunters call the "peak of the rut" - when bucks are most frantically chasing does. With still images you get a couple of pictures of a buck walking through the camera set-up. What is he up to? With still images, you might not know. With video and sound you see him stop, look at something in the distance, and then sprint off after it, grunting like crazy. Obviously he's after a doe. Still images don't tell you that. Another common situation: still images gives you a blur of a deer running through the set-up. Is it a doe or a young buck? What is it running from? Coyotes? With video you see the doe bust through the set-up and with sound you hear the crashing of branches and the grunting of a buck that never goes through the set-up. She's being chased. Couldn't tell that with still images.

 

[tahtah]

BSK, I'm another who rarely posts but reads TNDeer constantly. I'm also very glad to see you return to the site.

I've seen several threads lately about "what" cameras, but not sure I've seen one where you state what camera brand/model you're currently using. I didn't realize any of them captured sound. Do you mind sharing, and possibly repeat, what brand model cameras you are using that are giving you such good video and sound?

Thanks again for all your insight and contribution to making this site so great!

 

[BSK]

tahtah, don't want to sound like an advertisement for one camera company, because I'm sure there are several good models available, but I'm currently using the two dual-lens versions Browning has; their 2018 model Dark Ops Pro XD, and their 2020 model Patriot. Each unit has one lens and imager for daytime pictures, and a different lens and imager for night pictures. Having a separate night imager allows them to use an imager specifically designed for picking up infra-red light. And the sound quality on these videos are amazing.

Wish I could post some, but a single 20 second video is 100MB in size!

 

[BSK]

Some other observations from video trail-cameras:

I don't want to downplay how important, from a hunting standpoint, pinpointing the peak of chasing discussed above can be. One of the most common questions I'm asked after running a season-long camera survey is "When was the peak of daylight chasing?" Maybe hunters caught it. Maybe they chose the wrong stands on the wrong days and missed much of it. Finding out when it really was is very interesting information for future years.

But other things learned:

I'm sure everyone knows scrapes appear under licking branches, and these licking branches are used all year by deer. The scrape underneath is only made in the fall/rut months. But I was amazed how it is primarily does that use licking branches before bucks start scraping. In September, does work the crap out of overhanging limbs. They often spend several minutes chewing and mouthing the branches. And I mean just about ever doe that comes by. On the other hand, bucks paid minimal attention to them. They would sniff them a bit and tickle them with antlers a bit, but nothing like the focus they received from does.

Once bucks start scraping under the overhanging limbs, for awhile, does pay no attention to the scrape itself. They still focus only only the overhanging limbs. However, and this occurs so fast it's like flipping a switch, does become absolutely fascinated with the scrape itself, sometime spending up to 5 minutes just standing in the scrape and sniffing it. This is also the time when a few does will start peeing in the scrapes themselves. I firmly believe this sudden change in behavior is due to hormonal changes in does just before they come into estrus. At least from what I observed this year, once does start becoming focused on the scrapes themselves, in about 7-10 days, watch out! It's going to start happening!

Until I had video of bucks working scrapes, I had no idea just how violently they thrash the overhanging limb once actual scraping begins. I've got video after video of bucks grabbing the limb in their mouths and violent shacking it. It appears they will even intentionally get the branch tangled in their antlers so they can thrash it even harder! How those limbs survive more than one season of this treatment is beyond me!

 

[scn]

And this is why I first came to TNDeer to learn from this gentleman.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Until I had video of bucks working scrapes, I had no idea just how violently they thrash the overhanging limb once actual scraping begins. I've got video after video of bucks grabbing the limb in their mouths and violent shacking it. It appears they will even intentionally get the branch tangled in their antlers so they can thrash it even hard! How those limbs survive more than one season of this treatment is beyond me!

All that is very fascinating stuff.

I had a limb that deer would work every year since I discovered it (7-10 years) until the limb died , rotted and fell to the ground in 2019. I drove a T-post in the ground at that location this year, found and cut down a sapling with a long over-hanging branch and wired it to the T-post. Worked like a charm

 

[BSK]

I had a limb that deer would work every year since I discovered it (7-10 years) until the limb died , rotted and fell to the ground in 2019. I drove a T-post in the ground at that location this year, found and cut down a sapling with a long over-hanging branch and wired it to the T-post. Worked like a charm

How cool! I'll try that. A couple of my traditional scrapes have gone dead because bucks eventually ripped down the overhanging limb.

 

[BSK]

Another observation:

Although I'm sure everyone knows bucks will urinate over their hock glands into a scrape. Although the exact reason is not known, it is assumed they are using the urine to wash important pheromones from their hocks into the scrape. These pheromones probably carry information such as the buck's health, age and dominance status. However, I found it fascinating that generally only the oldest and most dominant bucks did so. EVERY buck that works a scrape might urinate into it, but younger, less dominant bucks would squat to pee in what appeared to be an intentional attempt to prevent their urine from running over their hock glands. Why, I don't know, but interesting...

 

[Safari Hunt]

"Although I'm sure everyone knows bucks will urinate over their hock glands into a scrape."
Some of us have done that on our boots. Doesn't attract anything but flies.

 

[BSK]

Yea, I used to by able to piss over the top of my stand's shooting rail. Ummm, not so much anymore!

 

[megalomaniac]

A little off the subject title, but pertaining to scrapes.... I've never seen this before, but this year I had a young doe (1.5 or 2.5) hit a scrape, bend over and literally rub her forehead all in the scrape, then jump up, spin 360 degrees in almost an instant, then repeat the process. I'm assuming she was coming into heat, but all the other does in estrus without a buck I've seen just simply urinated in the scrape and hit the licking branch before moving on.

 

[BSK]

A little off the subject title, but pertaining to scrapes.... I've never seen this before, but this year I had a young doe (1.5 or 2.5) hit a scrape, bend over and literally rub her forehead all in the scrape, then jump up, spin 360 degrees in almost an instant, then repeat the process. I'm assuming she was coming into heat, but all the other does in estrus without a buck I've seen just simply urinated in the scrape and hit the licking branch before moving on.

Fascinating. Never seen that behavior. On a side note, my mentor, when he did his Ph.D. work on signpost rubs, photographed does backing up to the rubs and rubbing their genitalia on the rub. I've never witnessed that one either!

 

[TheLBLman]

They have taken hundreds and hundreds of 20 second videos, many at night, using 20 seconds of battery-draining black-flash illumination. Yet powered by only 6 lithium AAs, they all say they are still near 100% battery charge.

Browning Dark Ops?
Keep in mind the internal battery meter generally does not work properly with lithium batteries (including the newer Browning cell cams).
At some point, you will go from 100% to 0% with a single next video clip.

Yes, compared to only a few years ago, battery life is phenomenal,
and most cams use fewer batteries as well!

It's so nice to only need 6 batteries instead of 12!

As to the video clips not draining the batteries as fast as assumed,
try doing video on your cell cams ---- "uploading" those video clips will drain things fast!
I assume that's one reason the Browning Defender cell cam was designed to use 16 AA batteries, as it was among the first to offer cellular video uploads (at a reasonable price point).
Ironically, the Newer Scout Pro model uses 8 batteries yet has longer batter life than the Defender.

Lots of good info on this thread!
Seems I need to re-think the video vs. stills dilemma.

And if you're not additionally doing "field scan" mode to monitor fields and larger plots, this feature has been very enlightening to me in certain applications. With certain cams, you can set them to simply take a pic, say every 1 minute or every 5 minutes, etc. during certain hours of the day (such as early morning & late evening. You can see deer, often make out large antlered bucks, over 200 yds away from the cam.
This feature allow you to pick up deer way beyond the cams' relatively short triggering ranges.

 

[TheLBLman]

Yea, I used to by able to piss over the top of my stand's shooting rail. Ummm, not so much anymore!

Seriously, there is no better "deer call" than the sound of a steady piss stream hitting dry or frozen leaves.
I ALWAYS try to make a noisy "call" around 30 minutes before leaving a morning stand hunt. Amazing how often unseen bedded deer 100 yds away will get up and come right to that sound. Several of my mid-day deer have been killed immediately after using this reliable "deer call".

I know some think I'm kidding, but I am not.

 

[BSK]

My "deer call" ain't working like it used to! Instead of thinking my "call" is a buck-doe chase, they now think it's a mouse chase.

 

[BSK]

Browning Dark Ops?
Keep in mind the internal battery meter generally does not work properly with lithium batteries (including the newer Browning cell cams).
At some point, you will go from 100% to 0% with a single next video clip.

Dark Ops Pro XD (dual lens). But I'll watch for that. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Browning Dark Ops?
Keep in mind the internal battery meter generally does not work properly with lithium batteries (including the newer Browning cell cams).
At some point, you will go from 100% to 0% with a single next video clip.

Really? Why is that? This is something I didn't know.

For what it's worth, I have been using regular AA duracells and have had great battery life running video. Not just with the Brownings, but also with a Moultrie and a WGI