What am I doing wrong???

[COOSEFAN]

I've had no problem making my elk cams work for me but I've come to realize that I have no clue how to successfully use cams for coues!!!

 

It's embarrassing to admit but I figured it was time to ask for help. I've tried twice before in different southern units, both times including this last time I used 4 or 5 cams and let them soak for at least 3 weeks. I've used salt, trophy rock, or apple/persimmon buck lickers and/or jam. I've never put them on water but I always had them on existing trails to water or in saddles between canyons.

 

My goal has only been to see what the trophy potential is in certain areas and it's been one of the more frustrating things I've tried! Recently I had 3 cams located in a small 1 square mile area. This area has several water sources and I had a camera 1/4 mile from each source on the heaviest trails. I hunted this area last year and between 2 hunts saw several 100" class or better bucks and multiple bucks ranging from 70-100"class. Those 2 hunts last year were the 1st and 2nd hunt so I had high hopes that these same bucks spent their summers in this spot. After letting those 3 cams soak for 3 weeks I had thousands of pics.....skunks, pigs, illegals, BPatrol, cows and a handful of does with only 1 spike buck!!! WHAT THE HECK! I initially thought the bucks just werent there but later I glassed the area at first light and found one of the 100"+ bucks and several smaller bucks very close to my cam locations!

 

Why am I not getting the bucks?

 

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

Here's pics of the setups I had recently in that area I described.......

 

 

 

 

 

And here is the only buck pic I've gotten after 3 weeks!

 

[JACK]

Getting pic of Illegals and BP on existing trails?...Get your cams off the beaten path...so to speak I feel your pain! Took me a few years to figure it out down there. I ended up moving my "set up" closer to the bedding areas...I was just trying to get away from the traffic using the trails and water...it worked for me....just my .02 Good luck!

[Becker]

how long have you had the mineral and stuff out? I have had areas where the bucks hammer the minerals and others where they never do. Not exactly sure why they don't use it in some places. Perhaps they get it naturally in the different soil types. Not exactly sure. Interesting topic though would like to see what others have to say. All I know is the big ones are super sneaky even with the cams.

 

[BML]

I hope you get it figured out soon, because I want to see some of those 100 inchers!!

 

 

This was my first year hanging cameras in coues country and I did fairly well. I did, however, hang most of mine on water sources. Most were springs in the bottoms of nasty canyons that I knew no one would hike into. I hung a camera on one tank only and I did get great pictures. I chain up all my cameras and so far haven't had any stolen.

 

I also tried a salt lick for the first time this year and man did it work!! I bought a bag of rock salt from Home Depot for $4 or so. I found a good spot not far from a well used tank. I picked a spot under a really big cedar tree so the lick itself would be shaded most of the day. I had to do some branch cutting/trimming but it seemed to work well. Dug a 2 foot hole, mixed the salt with the dirt and then filled the hole back up. Then I hiked over to the tank and filled up a bucket full of water. I poured the water over the salt just to get it going. Don't know if that did anything, but I did it anyway. It took a few buckets of water to get the ground nice and saturated.

 

Here are the results!

 

 

 

 

 

I also have lion, elk, bear, bobcat fox and coyote pictures from this exact same spot, along with lots of coues and muley does.

 

This camera has been out for months now and these two bucks and a spike are the only 3 bucks that have hit this salt the entire time!!

[elmergoo]

Feel your pain coosefan. I have had the same results you have had. Alot of does and small bucks. The only advice I could give is I have noticed that 99% of the big buck trail cam pictures are from in thick pines or trees. A fellar in the previous thread mentioned bedding area's. I figure big bucks like seclusion and privacy 90% of their life, the rut being the exception. When time allows I plan on finding a very secluded spot most likely one of the most highest and rugged part of the terrain I am scouting and setting up shop. It is funny because the majority of the sheds I find are on mesa's or wide open spots.I think as a buck matures he just rotates a big loop through his home terrain as the time of the year dictates. Sure would like to put a radio collar on a few and compare notes. Keep at it and good luck.

[recurveman]

I can see you are in need of my help. Just let me know when you would like to go set up cams where those monster bucks are at and I'll help you out with all of the detials. I'll even bring my rifle.

 

Later,

 

recurveman

[DesertBull]

Unless it's rut time, If you don't get a good buck in the 1st 1-2 weeks, move the camera. Bucks don't wander much until it's THAT time.

 

Trails leading in and out of bedding areas seem to be more productive.

 

 

[CouesBuckhunter]

All i can say from hearing your situation is that most big bucks love cover and usually dont like keaving it. I have the same situation happening right now. I set a cam up on a more shaded spot and had them coming in. Sometimes it can be about location

[GameHauler]

Jimbo buddy.

move them to 22 where all the people are and set them 5 yards off the road.

less chance of them being stolen as their packs are full of cams before they see yours.

Life is good if you are a road hunter because the G&F has so many tags there the critters have to lay in culverts to get away from people.

 

Hope that helps my friend

[Tucson John]

Couesfan is asking for advice?! There is hope for me still!

 

TJ

[standman]

Well here are my theories, for what they are worth. From what I have found elevation matters. Salt just does not work very well in lower elevations. I believe it has to do with the type of dirt. Sandy, rocky areas just don't work with salt. I have rarely seen a spot below 5000' work very well. Deer love to dig and eat the salty earth. They would rather eat the dirt around the salt than lick salt itself. Set up your spots close to bedding areas in a spot where the deer are getting pinched into a certain area. A good spot usually will take 2-5 years before it is truly a hot spot. Through the years with all the pics and data I have collected big mature bucks are not routine to salt. I have found they will only show up about every 1 1/2 to 2 weeks with does and immature bucks being a lot more regular. So like I said these are my theories on it with what I have seen.

 

Brian

[pwrguy]

Jimbo buddy.

move them to 22 where all the people are and set them 5 yards off the road.

less chance of them being stolen as their packs are full of cams before they see yours.

Life is good if you are a road hunter because the G&F has so many tags there the critters have to lay in culverts to get away from people.

 

Hope that helps my friend

 

Thats funny right there. I guess I can add my opinion, which is worth what you are paying for it. Salt can't hurt, it will get them to stop and give you a good picture opportunity most of the time. What baits, salt etc won't do is get deer to travel 5 miles, so the key is good camera placement. If you are getting a lot of pictures of people, and/or predators, it might not be the best place for a camera. I look for area's that are well away from known roads and look for heavily used game trails between water sources and bedding area's. The one camera I have out right now that is producing the best pictures has been in the same spot now for nearly 2 years. It seems to be getting more deer all the time, and I don't really know the reason for that, could just be coincedence and nothing I have done? If I could find a seep in a canyon bottom, that I didn't think anyone else was going to, I would try that as well, however, so far no luck with that. The problem with creek bottoms is there is usually so much water, it is hard to come up with a spot unless you can find a major game trail leading to it. Good luck figuring it out...let me know when you do

 

 

[COOSEFAN]

Wow, thanks a ton for all the great advice!!!!

 

I've only had the salt/minerals out for 3 weeks on the last set. I fully expected a slow start but figured by placing the cams on the trails I would get the bucks as they went to water. I seriously glassed up a great buck not 200 yards from one of my cameras and didn't have a single picture of him, or any others for that matter! That camera is situated in a saddle between 2 north facing bedding areas and on a trail to the closest water! I thought for sure it would produce even if they didn't want the salt because I'd still get them traveling.

 

Everything you've all said so far makes perfect sense, even the culverts Mike! LOL! Thanks and keep it coming, this is all great info! JIM>

[youngbuck]

Some of my spots took over a year. My best spots the bucks are gone nearing the rut. Those same spots have 3 or 5 to 1 buck to doe ratio.

[cdenton]

Here's my experiences for what it's worth. For elk, they seem to lick a block or the dirt or whatever. They don't seem to be so picky. For coues deer I've tried salt blocks, trophy rock and they don't seem to touch it. I've had luck with salt that will leech into the dirt such as rock salt or the deer cane (my favorite). I've tried different things like the jam and buck lickers and never had much luck. They seem to love to lick that dirt. Your spots seem to be fine. I personally use saddles and natural travelways alot instead of water due to them being on maps and more chance of being ripped off. My brother-n-law (dds) always told me that the bucks seem to hit the salt for the minerals and seem to quit hitting his salts after they go hardhorned. I argued with him and thought they would keep hitting the salt due to more of a habit. I've had the same experience. Come mid september, the big bucks I have on camera don't touch the salt anymore. I have a big buck I've been watching for 4 years. I've left that camera on him year around and get pics of him alot from june thru august. After that he doesn't touch the salt although he's still in the area because ive seen him. Well I shouldn't say alot of pics. I can't pattern him. He'll come in every 10-15 days. My other spots with nice bucks seem to be the same. Once they put their full growth on they quit hitting my salts. The does and smaller bucks still come in occasionally. I don't know if it's coincidence. But if you watch the trail cam photo forum. Seems to be alot less pictures people put on there this time of year. Not sure if it's because they are out hunting and busy or if they are having the same situation with time of year and hardhorned bucks not coming as much. Good luck