One of the main uses for trail cameras is hunting and trapping animals. Trail cameras become the eyes, (and in some cases ears) when hunters are not there and help them track and kill their intended query when seasons open.
This can give a busy hunter a bit of an advantage. For me, as a college student, they helped me track down and kill an elk with my bow. I was not able to get out and scout as much as I normally would when I go hunting due to my busy school schedule, but we still wanted elk meat in the freezer. Luckily trail cameras help scout areas that we are not normally able to do. After months of checking cameras and tracking elk, I was able to take this calf elk on Utah’s hunters’ choice elk hunt with my bow at 30 yards 3 days after the season opened. (As a side note calf elk is some of the best meat I have ever had and if legal, I would highly suggest shooting one.)
How to Use Trail Cameras to Hunt
When using trail cameras to hunt it is important to set your camera’s date and time correctly to know when the animal you are hunting is coming to your camera. Also, it is important to know what habitat the animals you are hunting live in. As an example, if you were looking for elk, you would want to focus on setting up your trail cameras at higher altitudes. Then you would want to find a water hole or an animal trail. It would also be important to know what time of year it is. Elk are rutting in September and can occasionally be brought in with attractants like cow elk urine. (Before using attractants make sure it is legal in your state) These are just a few examples of what you would need to know.
Hunting with trail cameras can give hunters a slight advantage to hunting their intended target. However, hunting is not just being able to find the animal you’re looking for. In my case, I had to practice for hours with my bow and then I had to hide in some bushes for two days before an elk even came into the area I was in. Hunting is still is hard and trail cameras don’t always tell you what is going to happen the next day. For instance, I had one elk hunt we thought would be easy because we had an elk coming in every day. Then, opening day of elk season he didn’t show up for the first time in three weeks and we never saw him again. Trail cameras do not solve all a hunter’s problems but they can help.