New Video Series “Game Camera Footage”
I did a video in the past of the Moultrie Deer Feeder that I have on my property. Many people liked it but a few made what I consider stereotypical comments about how feeders are akin to shooting fish in a barrel.
As I post videos from the feeder I hope to dispel some of these myths. Feeders in and off themselves don’t turn deer into highly conditioned trained pets.
That said Deer can become highly conditioned to feeders if…
- The land owner controls large tracts of land
- The land owner feeds heavily year round and
- The land owner maintains a deer density beyond what the land can support with out feeding
In such situations I have seen deer literally run in like dogs to a can opener when the feeder goes off. In my situation I have 5 acres and only about 3 is dense woodland. There are thousands of acres of private land around me and I only have access to a neighbors adjoining 5. My feeder in this environment is nothing but an additional feed source among many others.
In the following video you will see one large buck, this is the only deer that visited the feeder (which has been in operation for months now) in a 24 hour period, he was there in the pitch dark at around 3:15 AM. Feeders can be effective, but they are not magic and only a tool. This deer will likely remain largely nocturnal, especially the moment he feels any hunting pressure.
Hopefully this series will be both educational and entertaining. Who knows what we will see as the series progresses. I also wonder if the raccoon in this episode knows how fond I am of raccoon stew?
What trail camera are you using. Reviews would be appreciated as I’ve just entered the trail cam market.
Awesome Jack! Now you need some Night Vision to hunt that sucker! LOL!
Very cool! Can’t wait to see more of what’s out there at night. And, btw, your new banner looks great!
~Kel
Feeders are quite helpful when having severe drought conditions like we’re seeing now in Texas. Without the supplemental feed many of the deer where I am would have a hard time finding forage to eat.
Coming from New York I always thought it was a joke to hunt off of feeders however the land distribution in Texas is much different than New York, there is much less public land in Texas (only 3% of the land is public). It’s pay to play down here, you either 1) hunt on public land which can be under a lot of pressure from the many hunters that are doing the same thing, 2) Buy a hunting lease for the year or season (prices are typically between $800-$1,500), 3) Purchase property on which you can hunt. Additionally, if you live in an area with a similar plants, bushes, forage for animals as your neighbors and they provide supplemental feed then your inclined to do the same or you may never see deer on your property. I personally use a feeder along with food plots that I plant for deer and also to improve the quality of soil on my property.
I do now understand the rationalization of using a feeder.
TOO COOL! I really want to get a game camera.. I think we could catch some amazing wildlife on our place. Like the bobcat that is trying to break into our chicken pen and the raccoon who took just about all of our corn and left a nice pile of husks under a pecan tree.. or maybe the possum that lives in our compost pile .. heck we might even catch a glimpse of our crazy neighbor wandering around in the woods. Life is just too fun in the country.. !!
I could almost hear the crickets.
I dont think feeders are unethical at all. Having gone home without seeing deer countless times you still have to beat the deers arsenal of senses before the hammer falls. Good looking deer Jack and the best of luck this fall.
I agree with Ted. We need a review of your trail camera. I am also looking into them and really would like to find a good inexpensive camera to use.
If you are one of those who don’t care for hunting over bait, one thing to keep in mind is that hunting over feeders was illegal in many states, and that quite a few of these laws were inadvertently changed by the anti-hunting groups. Since overtly interfering with a lawful activity (i.e., hunting) is illegal in many states, these groups would covertly go to hunting areas with large game animal populations and place piles of feed to attract the animals; then, when unsuspecting hunters would hunt the area, these groups would call the authorities and let them know about the hunters who were inadvertently disobeying the law. This brought attention to the whole concept of hunting with bait, and it was eventually discovered that the practice was not detrimental. Although bait and motion activated game cameras are now used, we still call it hunting and not shopping, and I suspect that is not likely to change anytime soon.
Natchez(www.natchezss.com) has virtually all their cams on sale right now. Unfortunately they don’t have reviews. Cabela’s and Amazon are likely to have the same cameras with reviews and you can comparison shop as needed. I have the Moultrie D-50 and it’s been a real workhorse even though it lacks some of the features of the high end cams. It’s durable, batteries last and last, and picture quality is very good. I’ve even used it to snap unattended pics of our paintball and ATV outings and the results can be quite amusing.
Way cool. I cant wait to pick up some property. I’ve been looking in AL ,GA and TN. I plan to set up food plots feeders and a camp house for vacations and weekends. Great video!
Nice set up. Wonder what raccoon stew tastes like.
It tastes just like chicken. lol. Bar-b-qued racoon is even better IMO. Without going to school, how have the deer in this country become smarter than a large portion of our population including many of our movie stars.
I recently purchased a camera form Wild Game Innovations, the IR5D to be exact. I am very pleased with the video and photos it produces. As a result I have been able to watch the activity near my feeder and track the growth of three nice bucks, a few does and a couple of young fawns. I would recommend a trail camera to anyone who is serious about studying the numbers and development of their local deer population.
I used to hunt a lot in the UP of Michigan back when baiting was legal (I believe they changed the law when CWD become more prevalent). I can attest to the fact that deer can become wise to feeding. One season I had an older doe, a 1 1/2 yr old doe, and a fawn come into my bait pile 3 days in a row. The two younger dear came in and munched on the apples without a care in the world. The older, wiser doe never left the cover enough to give me a clean shot, never ate 1 apple, just waited for the other two to eat a bit before moving on. I thought that after a couple of “safe” days she’d feel comfortable, but she never did. Baiting/feeding is good for population control, but not for trophy hunting (older deer) in my experience.
Also have a good Texas coon story I think you’d get a kick out of, but I’ll save it for another day.
For those looking for a trail cam, a real good hunting buddy has tried quite a few on his land and he told me “you get what you pay for”. Sorry I don’t know the brands, but if it’s cheap (not on sale, but in general) I’d avoid it.
Very cool, what kind of camera are you using?