Are you hanging trail cameras so that you have very little chance of spooking a wise old buck or doe? It really it isn't that hard to do! Here are 2 very important tactics that should be the base of all of your trail cam hanging activities:
1) Above Head Level
In heavily hunted states it is common for deer to walk through the hardwoods with an eye on the sky, for the dark blob of hunters in treestands. However, even then it takes a lot of education for this to happen. In high pressure areas deer can be taught on 1 parcel to look up, while on another to rarely notice a big dark object in a tree. Hunting traveling deer (instead of feeding), using numerous stand locations and making sure that you are not skylighted are all ways to keep deer from discovering your perch. When you don't move and are above a deer's line of site, they should rarely notice you without movement and a total lack of cover behind you. The same methods you use to hide yourself effectively in a tree, can be said when hanging your next trail camera. Placing your next trail camera at a height of 6' or higher and above a deer's line of site, is the first step in making sure that a reclusive old giant never realizes the camera is watching his every movement. Deer rarely look up unless they are educated to do so. Even a trail camera hanging just a few feet above a whitetail's head can be hidden enough, in particular since the deer will never actually see the camera move to spook them. But hanging trail cameras high is not the only top camera placement tip that you should be following this season!
*Spook proofing your next trail cam placement is fairly easy to do and if done so correctly, you can see how quickly the local deer herd can get used to the location the trail camera is hanging.
2) Hiding The Profile
Hanging trail cameras at least 6' off of the ground is a great start however, I suggest that you take your placement strategy to the next level. By making sure that an adjoining tree is hiding the profile of your elevated camera position, then you will be covered both vertically and horizontally, by the ever searching eyes of mature whitetails. Even placing an old log or large stick against the side of the tree where the camera is hanging is a great way to conceal a cameras profile, while offering a lot more potential options for choosing your next trail camera setup.
Spook Proof Trail Camera Hanging:
Blackout and low-glo infrared bulbs,rubber coated trail cameras are a couple of other great practices for hanging your trail cameras. However, I always like to make sure that the two basics of height and profile are covered first, as the foundation for any successful camera placement. If you can cover the basics, your opportunity to leave a trail camera hanging all season long without spooking deer in the same location, can be accomplished very easily!
