1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:10,799 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, and now your host, 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. Hey, everyone, welcome to the wire to Hunt 4 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: Foundations podcast, brought to you by First Light. On this 5 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 1: week's show, I'm going to break down the case for 6 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: and against the use of cellular trail cameras in the 7 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: White Tail Woods. When listeners and readers reach out to 8 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: me about deer hunting, I know that a good percentage 9 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: of the correspondence is going to involve questions about trail cameras. 10 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 1: We love our dear cams, and we've embraced both traditional 11 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: models and as of late, cellular models in a way 12 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: that hasn't happened with many categories of outdoor gear. But 13 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 1: the reality is the trail cameras, especially cell cameras, aren't 14 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: the end all to your scouting efforts. As you'll hear 15 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: in this episode, they're pretty far from it. Actually, that 16 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: doesn't mean you shouldn't use them, but instead should consider 17 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,399 Speaker 1: how much you rely on them to tell you what 18 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:09,399 Speaker 1: is going on the woods and how you should plan 19 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: your hunts around the intel they provide. Last week, I 20 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 1: broke down many of the considerations of buying and scouting 21 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,959 Speaker 1: with traditional trail cameras. Today's episode is all about cell cams, 22 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: which is an option that has been around for quite 23 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: a while, but has really caught on in the last 24 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:41,320 Speaker 1: few years. Not only have cell cameras gone down considerably 25 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 1: in price, but nearly all trail camera manufacturers offer at 26 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: least one model now, meaning you've got a lot of options. 27 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: And my introduction to cellular cameras happened quite a few 28 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: years ago. At the Archery Trade Association show. A company 29 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: that no longer exists had a big display with some 30 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: toaster side cameras, and when I walked up to look 31 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: at them, a rep for the brand started telling me 32 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: how they sent pictures to his email. He then went 33 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 1: on to tell me how he used his cameras to 34 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: find strutting tom's and fields throughout the spring season, so 35 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: he knew where to sneak in and hunt. I walked 36 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 1: away from that conversation thinking that that was a great 37 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 1: way to ruin one of the best parts of spring 38 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: turkey hunting, which is just a surprise factor of having 39 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: a bird suddenly gobble in your ear when you didn't 40 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 1: even realize there was a long beard anywhere near you. 41 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: It was quite a few years after that first exposure 42 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: that I picked up a cell camera for myself. At 43 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: the time, I was running bear bait sites in Minnesota, 44 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: in an area with unlimited tags and very few bears. 45 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: The round trip to the site to check a traditional 46 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 1: camera was two miles and it was mostly a waste 47 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 1: of gas and time for me. I figured a cell 48 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 1: camera would tell me exactly when bears showed up, what 49 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: frequency they were hitting the bait, and would save me 50 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 1: a whole bunch of time and cost on fuel and 51 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: it it's sort of It showed the visitors, but there 52 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 1: was no frequency to those Minnesota yogis that had many 53 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: bait sites to choose from. What ended up happening was 54 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 1: that I didn't hunt as much as I should have 55 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: or would have had I been using traditional cameras. In 56 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: other words, it didn't actually help me, and it probably 57 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: hurt me a little, but it was also a hell 58 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 1: of a lot of fun. Now I've never done Heroin, 59 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: so this is just a guess on my part, but 60 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: sell cameras are probably almost as addictive as a spoonful 61 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: of china white. Seeing a new photo identification pop up 62 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: on your phone is a rush, and that little dopamine 63 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 1: drip it causes It's hard to deny. Cellular cameras are fun, 64 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: really really fun, but they are also ethically a little 65 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 1: questionable and often legally questionable. I had a conservation officer 66 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: tell me once that they fall in a gray area 67 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: that might be construed as using wireless communication, which is 68 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: illegal in many states to take game animals. The way 69 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: he described it, if you had a cell cam send 70 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: pictures of a buck to you, and an hour later 71 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: you killed it, the case could easily be made for 72 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: a hunting law violation. If your camera is on a 73 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 1: property five hours away and you can't just go hunt 74 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:16,359 Speaker 1: it anytime a picture shows up, it's less likely to 75 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,359 Speaker 1: be viewed as a violation. He also mentioned that what 76 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: is going to happen, and I fully believe him on this, 77 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 1: is that cases are going to become more frequent as 78 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,040 Speaker 1: people kill really big bucks that they've been capturing cell 79 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,279 Speaker 1: camera images of. As he put it, no one turns 80 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: in the guy who shoots a four key, but the 81 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: guy who kills the only one sixty in a section 82 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:38,840 Speaker 1: is going to make some of the neighbors jealous. This 83 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: is just reality, and the hunting regulations in most states 84 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 1: haven't caught up to this technology yet. It's likely they will, 85 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 1: but for now, it's up to you to decide how 86 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,720 Speaker 1: to use a cell camera that fits your ethical desires 87 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 1: and is not going to get you in legal hot 88 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: water during the hunting season. If you do opt for 89 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:00,799 Speaker 1: this route, you'll see a pile of reasonably priced options 90 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: on the market. They range from as low as maybe 91 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 1: a hundred or a hundred and fifty ish bucks to 92 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: a couple of hundred. The plans, which operate on various 93 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: phone networks and often require you to sign up for 94 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:14,919 Speaker 1: a recurring monthly fee, can be anywhere from ten dollars 95 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 1: on up, depending on the amount of picks you want 96 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 1: to pay for and a few other factors, like if 97 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 1: you sign up for a whole year or just a 98 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:26,039 Speaker 1: few months. Now, you can set up cellular cameras to 99 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:28,840 Speaker 1: send picks instantly, which is what I do in the summer, 100 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:32,800 Speaker 1: or batch send them at a specified time during the day. 101 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 1: This is a good move during the hunting season so 102 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: that you're somewhat insulated from instant knowledge that could get 103 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: you in trouble. Now, this type of camera promises an 104 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 1: intrusion free look into the deerwoods, and that's a big deal. 105 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: It's the biggest selling point of cellular cameras because, after all, 106 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: who doesn't want to know what's going on at that 107 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:53,839 Speaker 1: creek crossing or in their kill plot without having to 108 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 1: go in there and set the white tails on edge 109 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: with their presence. For distant properties, this is an extreme, 110 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:03,559 Speaker 1: eamly efficient and effective way to scoute. Ditto for small 111 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,119 Speaker 1: properties that simply can't handle a whole lot of human 112 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: presence before the deer. Just leave your twenty acres to 113 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 1: set up shop a little ways away in a less 114 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: dangerous wood lot. Throughout the summer, you can use cellular 115 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: cameras to keep track of bachelor groups tucked away in 116 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 1: the backs of bean fields without having to glass them 117 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 1: or slip in and potentially disrupt their pattern. This is 118 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: an unreal way to take inventory and gauge some daily 119 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:28,840 Speaker 1: usage on a food source. It's also a great way 120 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: to get an incomplete picture of what's going on out there. 121 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: In fact, all trail cameras are that way, because even 122 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: the best ones miss deer. This is something that never 123 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: gets mentioned in the hunting media, and it drives me nuts, 124 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:45,919 Speaker 1: even though I get the reasons for the silence. The 125 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 1: first one is that most folks probably just don't understand 126 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: how inexact trail cameras really are. The other involves folks 127 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,279 Speaker 1: who do, but they just don't want to talk about 128 00:06:56,279 --> 00:07:00,040 Speaker 1: it due to advertiser commitments and obligations. Listen, I get it, 129 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: but having tested a pile of cameras, oftentimes in the 130 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: same tree, pointed in the same direction, I can say 131 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: that your cameras are missing deer. During a recent conversation 132 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 1: with a good buddy who is in the hunting industry 133 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 1: as well and also a dedicated d I Y hunter, 134 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: I asked him what the rate of deer getting photographed 135 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: versus deer getting missed was with his cameras, and he 136 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: responded with maybe thirty actually show up in images. In 137 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: my personal experience, i'd agree with that. I see this 138 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: with cell cameras, and I see this with traditional cameras. Now, look, 139 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: I get this that you might doubt this, but it's 140 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 1: testable and a real eye opener when you just mount 141 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: two cameras next to one another. I've done this with 142 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 1: a mix of different cameras and have always just shook 143 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: my head at the results. It's wild, but it's a 144 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 1: good lesson. We really put a lot of faith in 145 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: cameras because it's easy to believe they are out there 146 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: fighting the good fight for us all the time. But 147 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: think about that brand new iPhone you just bought. Does 148 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: it function perfectly? Probably not. It'll drop calls, it'll glitch out, 149 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: and it will generally not give you one perfect performance. 150 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 1: And I promise you that Apple, with two billion dollars 151 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: in the bank and access to the best software engineers 152 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 1: on the planet, is closer to perfection with technology than 153 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: trail camera companies are, and they still have issues and 154 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: has a totally irrelevant side note. Apple is also one 155 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 1: of the companies that lead the charge for recurring service 156 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: fees and what that can mean for a company's revenue. 157 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: Those little four month charges that we forget about on 158 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 1: our credit cards add up in big business knows it. 159 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 1: So do trail camera companies, which is where the real 160 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 1: money is made on these cellular cameras. Depending on how 161 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:45,679 Speaker 1: many cameras you run or how lazy you are when 162 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:48,400 Speaker 1: it comes to auto renewals, this type of deer scouting 163 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: can get expensive in a hurry. So be mindful of that. Now, 164 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: knowing that and knowing that cameras are unreliable to some 165 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:01,439 Speaker 1: extent doesn't mean they aren't valuable, but just don't operate 166 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:03,719 Speaker 1: on the assumption that anything that walks in front of 167 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 1: them is going to be photographed. This isn't true, and 168 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:09,960 Speaker 1: there can be another issue with cellular cameras. I've had 169 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: a few models that also only sent me some of 170 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: the pictures they captured. I've never pinned down why this happens, 171 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: but when I check the SD card versus the scent images, 172 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:22,440 Speaker 1: it's almost always different. They are always more deer on 173 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 1: the SD card. Then we're sent to the app on 174 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 1: my phone. This isn't an argument against any kind of cameras, 175 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: but just a note of caution. As I've been preaching 176 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 1: in these Foundation episodes, multiple forms of scouting blended together 177 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 1: is the best bet to becoming a better deer hunter. 178 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 1: If you realize solely on a cellular camera to inform 179 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: your hunting decisions, you're missing most of the puzzle pieces. 180 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 1: The picture is just going to be incomplete. Now, used 181 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 1: as a complementary tool, then you're onto something. If your 182 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 1: cell cam shows some frequent buck activity, in an alfalpha field, 183 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:01,560 Speaker 1: get in in glass it as well. Take a look 184 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: at the images you get, plus the deer activity you 185 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 1: can actually observe. Take a look at the sign in 186 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 1: the area as well. If your camera is sending you 187 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:12,360 Speaker 1: a few photos each day in a river crossing that 188 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 1: is absolutely pounded with tracks, you're probably missing some dear activity, 189 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 1: but that's okay, not the other end of the spectrum. 190 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:22,960 Speaker 1: Something that is a definite plus that you'll see with 191 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 1: cellular cameras, especially if you have them send you images 192 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 1: as soon as they are captured, is that the picture 193 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 1: of deer movement throughout the day becomes more clear. This 194 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: goes for the rut, of course, but also every single 195 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:39,560 Speaker 1: day of the season. In fact, every single day of 196 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 1: the year. If you hang a camera on a food plot, 197 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 1: you might not get too many surprises outside of morning 198 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 1: and evening movement, although little kill plots often show daylong movement. 199 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: But when it comes to travel routes and staging areas 200 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:55,080 Speaker 1: and deep in the woods areas with good brows and 201 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: anywhere with decent cover, cellular cameras can reveal more daytime 202 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 1: move than we'd often expect. In fact, this is one 203 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,120 Speaker 1: of the reasons. I tend to hunt longer at all 204 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 1: times of the year now, not just during the rut. 205 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 1: Running cell cameras randomly has painted an interesting picture for 206 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:15,640 Speaker 1: me that there is the potential for daytime movement every 207 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:18,640 Speaker 1: day of the season, and that's a powerful argument for 208 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 1: sitting a few hours later in the morning or going 209 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:24,719 Speaker 1: in a few hours earlier in the afternoon. Even though 210 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:28,079 Speaker 1: traditional cameras tell you when bucks move as well, obviously, 211 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 1: it hits a little different when you're in the office 212 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 1: at noon and a photo pops up of a buck 213 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: feeding in broad daylight. This is the kind of thing 214 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: that leaves a mark because it's an in the moment 215 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:41,960 Speaker 1: realization that what we think about deer isn't always quite 216 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:45,160 Speaker 1: right or quite true. It doesn't take too many of 217 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 1: those instances before you realize time in the woods is 218 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 1: a good thing, no matter what week of the season 219 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 1: it is or what the weather is doing. This idea 220 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:55,959 Speaker 1: alone has helped me kill a few bucks that I 221 00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 1: probably wouldn't have arrowed otherwise. One particular example is a 222 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 1: b in North Dakota a few years back. I've never 223 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:06,079 Speaker 1: run a camera in that entire state in my entire life, 224 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 1: because every trip has been to public land with only 225 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:11,680 Speaker 1: a few days to hunt, which was the case with 226 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:14,920 Speaker 1: this mid October buck. But after a glassing session in 227 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:18,480 Speaker 1: the morning, I just decided to suit up, load up, 228 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:20,320 Speaker 1: and go sit over a small cattle tank in the 229 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:22,679 Speaker 1: mid day. I figured, since the tank was tucked into 230 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:25,000 Speaker 1: a bunch of cedars, that maybe a buck would randomly 231 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: drink throughout the day. Even though I had no camera 232 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 1: images to prove that and couldn't see it from that 233 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:33,400 Speaker 1: glassing point, I just knew from running cameras and other 234 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:36,560 Speaker 1: spots that the potential for midday movement was real, because 235 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:39,600 Speaker 1: it happens all over the place now. The very minute 236 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:41,960 Speaker 1: I got settled into my stand, a four pointer walked 237 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 1: into the water. I stood up and got ready, thinking 238 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:47,680 Speaker 1: he might not be alone, and within seconds saw that 239 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: I was right. The second buck, a beautiful eight pointer, 240 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: took a little drink and turned in my direction. A 241 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 1: minute later I heard him pile up in the stage, 242 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 1: and I realized that I'd have him pieced out and 243 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:01,600 Speaker 1: back to camp long before dark. Okay, a small nod 244 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 1: goes to cellular cameras for that buck, because they have 245 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 1: just solidified to me the reality that deer move more 246 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:10,680 Speaker 1: than we think throughout the day. Of course, cell cameras 247 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 1: also serve other purposes too. They might clue you into 248 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:17,439 Speaker 1: who exactly is hitting the scrapes in the beginning of October, 249 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:20,000 Speaker 1: or what time of the morning the deer most likely 250 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:22,440 Speaker 1: to travel down the creek bottom on your lease. But 251 00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:26,559 Speaker 1: just like the smartphone I mentioned earlier, cellular cameras depend 252 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:30,360 Speaker 1: on good connections to function properly. This means that you 253 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: might not be able to get a signal in your 254 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:34,520 Speaker 1: best spot. It also means that a good signal can 255 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: be highly variable. I've tried to get cellular cameras to 256 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:40,559 Speaker 1: connect to the network on a quarter acre food plot 257 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 1: and failed on one side while it connected easily on 258 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: the other side. For some reason, there can be a 259 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 1: difference in spots, even if they're only twenty yards apart. 260 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: This has also happened to me many times trying to 261 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 1: set up cell cameras in ravine bottoms versus higher ridges. 262 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 1: The same goes for thick cover versus field edges. Again, 263 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 1: this is in exact science. Understand that even with the 264 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 1: best cell camera, you'll probably want to have some traditional 265 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 1: cameras is backups. Just in case, You'll also want to 266 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:10,880 Speaker 1: make sure that your cameras are set up in sending 267 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 1: images properly. The first step is to use them at home, 268 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 1: where your cellular connection is likely to be really good. 269 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: If you've followed the set up instructions, are getting pictures 270 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 1: from your house, that's a start. It won't necessarily translate 271 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 1: to the woods, however, and now I never hang a 272 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 1: camera in the woods without making sure that it will 273 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:33,400 Speaker 1: send me images. Take the few extra minutes to ensure 274 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 1: that's happening before you head back to your truck. Trust 275 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 1: me on this. Those few extra minutes of patients will 276 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 1: save you some headaches and frustration later. If you've done 277 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 1: everything right, you should start to see some dear activity 278 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: resume pretty quickly. This is the really cool part and 279 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 1: obviously the biggest benefit of cell cameras. They can help 280 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:54,320 Speaker 1: you dial in deer movement in a way that traditional 281 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: cameras just won't. Cell cameras can also tell you if 282 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:00,960 Speaker 1: you're sharing the woods with anyone. This is a big 283 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: draw for private landowners. Knowing that someone is cruising around 284 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: on their ground on an a t V or hopping 285 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:08,760 Speaker 1: fences to shoot a few squirrels in the middle of 286 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 1: the day is valuable knowledge. Those are satellite benefits to 287 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:16,520 Speaker 1: this technology, and they are good ones. But dialing in 288 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 1: up to the moment dear activity, even if it's incomplete 289 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 1: dear activity, is key and a hell of a lot 290 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 1: of fun to boot now. As I've already stated, cell 291 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 1: cameras aren't the end all the scouting, even though they 292 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 1: might seem like they are a complimentary tool that can 293 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 1: be crazy beneficial in situations where you can't easily get 294 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: to your dear ground or don't want to negatively impact 295 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: your hotspots with unnecessary intrusion. You'll still probably want to 296 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 1: run traditional cameras, and you'll definitely have to spend some 297 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 1: time burning boot leather and looking around in those spots, 298 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 1: but maybe not as much as you would have ten 299 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:53,760 Speaker 1: or fifteen years ago. That's a very good thing if 300 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:57,080 Speaker 1: you're careful with it. Now. In two weeks, all swing 301 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 1: back around the trail cameras and the images you're currently 302 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 1: getting and just what you should do with all of 303 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:06,560 Speaker 1: that intel. But next week is all about white tail 304 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:09,240 Speaker 1: groceries and how you should pay attention to the deer 305 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:13,200 Speaker 1: buffet now to not only inform your scouting efforts, but 306 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 1: also to begin building a real fall hunting plan. So 307 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 1: that's it for this week, My dear loving friends. Be 308 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 1: sure to keep listening so that you can hopefully fill 309 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:26,600 Speaker 1: a few more tags this season, and more importantly, enjoy 310 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 1: your time on stand a little more this fall. I'm 311 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson and this has been the Wired to Hunt 312 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: Foundations podcast. As always, thank you so much for listening, 313 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 1: and we will see you here next week.