Michael Waddell Trail Cam Tips: Deer HQ: All Things Deer & Deer Hunting

Michael Waddell Talks CelluCORE Live

Getting the Most Out of Your Trail Cameras

Michael Waddel offers his best tips for when, where, and how to use your trail cams.

Technology continues to evolve in trail cameras Itโ€™s critical for hunters who use them to evolve, too. We asked Michael Waddell to offer his latest tips for making the most of today’s trail cameras in the spots you put them on.

It’s About Getting the Most Out of Your Time

Getting the most out of your trail cameras helps you plan better so you can get the most out of the time you have to hunt. If you donโ€™t want to spend time trekking out to distant spots to check SD cards, cellular trail cams make senseโ€”especially cellular trail cams with solar power.SD card cameras make a lot of sense for locations closer to home, especially when youโ€™re already spending time there filling your feeders or tending your plots.

1. Use SD Card Cameras in Early Season to Assess the Action

Setting up and tending to feeders and plots is a big part of the fun of hunting. Itโ€™s a great way to get away or spend time with the family. And if the deer in those areas are fairly conditioned to human traffic, itโ€™s smart to set up SD card cameras at those locations. Pulling and viewing those SD cards in the early season gives you the edge on spotting target bucks and planning better hunts

2. Use Cellular Cameras In-Season to Optimize Your Time

For spots that take time to get to or you canโ€™t risk spooking big bucks, Cellular cameras are the ticket. Once theyโ€™re set up, you’re getting instant pics and images so you can make a plan based on whatโ€™s happening now or change your plan on the spur of the moment. Youโ€™ve got real-time information to scout your target bucks and pick the window to hunt in that gives you the highest percentage chance of bagging one.

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3. Taking Advantage of Live Streaming

Some Cellular cameras let you view live video of your spot in real-time. So, no matter where you are, if you get a pic of a target buck, viewing the live video right then can give you the critical information youโ€™d miss. He might be acting aggressively, or approaching or leaving in a certain direction. These are critical details you might not get without the live feature.

4. Know Your Setting, Keep It Simple

Getting your settings right can make all the difference. If your trail cam is on a scrape or trails, you might want to set it for every 20-30. Why? Deer might not be hitting those spots regularly, so you donโ€™t want to miss a single moment theyโ€™re there. For cameras set up on feeders or food sources where deer pile up and linger, set it for every 1 or 2 minutes. Youโ€™ll get the pics you need without getting overloaded with thumbnails and without draining your batteries needlessly..

Bushnell Rangefinders. (2023, September 20). Michael Waddell Trail Cam Tips: Deer HQ: All Things Deer & Deer Hunting. Rangefinders, Hunting Rangfinders | Bushnell. https://www.bushnell.com/deerhq/michael-waddell-trail-cam-tips/