I am just old enough that I got a few years of deer hunting in before trail cameras became so prevalent. When I shot a buck it was always exciting to walk up to him and examine all of the little details and things that maybe you couldn't see through the binoculars. Now when I kill a deer that I have pictures of, it just feels as though something has been taken away. Don't get me wrong, I love looking at the pictures and knowing what is out there. Example, I killed my best buck ever 4 years ago. I started getting pictures of him in july and I knew he was a deer I wanted. He was a regular and I got literally hundreds of pictures by time the season started. It took a month of hunting before I got him. When I walked up to him, I was excited but I just felt like something was missing because I already knew literally every little detail and bump and so on about him. Anyone have similar feelings about this?

We have 2, one we use as a security camera, the other it works if someone remembers to put in new batteries. Personally I feel it's another gadget that can be done without. When you go to the pasture you will see what you see, it doesn't matter what you have seen on the camera.

I built my own camera years ago before you could buy them using tips you could find on the Internet. Like you, I eventually got bored with it and decided it was a lot more enjoyable to hit the woods not knowing what might or might not show up.

I'm also the type who gets turned off to things when I see others get addicted to them. I knew a guy once who seemed to never have enough game cameras on his lease. He was always wanting the newest models and all the gadgets that go with them. He acted as if his goal was no longer to hunt and shoot deer but just get as many photos as possible.

tis all bouts de english, u be chooten deer & i's be killen time. 4deer county, over 4,000,000 hogs & growing, gots 4cam's & i can't's even kills a hog fur en & chillen. i would never have mades it back in B&C days. i got cheap posts

Cameras are fun but I agree, it takes something away. That being said, I keep 2 going from July-January. I keep mine on the protein feeders mostly.

Keep cameras on feeders so I can log time, weather etc. Mainly though I use them for scouting new areas during off season.

Worst thing about game cameras is a buck that looks to be a monster shrinks about 30 percent when you ground check him!!!

Game cams are another tool that has been added to a hunters arsenal. It won't cover up sloppy technique or poor woodsmanship.

Colt, I'm not sure what you said. Others, I agree that it does take a little bit of the unknown, excitement factor out of it. But, I can't help it. I check mine as soon as I show up each time. This year I bought a card reader for my iPad. It loads in less than half the tim, and flipping through them on the iPad is a breeze.

Couldn't agree more. For me, they are a great tool. I enjoy seeing the deer, logging them and watching the young ones grow year after year, seeing how far they really travel, and seeing what each year has to offer. Not every deer is caught on camera, but it can be a great tool.

They are invaluable on my place in Kansas. I use them to scout since I can't be there as much. Might be a month before my last trip, and the cameras help me see where the deer are moving, when they are moving and which stand to hunt.

As far as the OP, I agree. Something can be lost out of the experience of just showing up and seeing what walks in, but if they are used correctly, I think something can be gained also. I can pick a couple of deer out before the season and focus on those.

To me, trail cams are a way to STAY excited. Gives you something to look forward too, and if you get a pic of a good ol' big 'un, keeps you motivated to hit the woods.

I remember a similar discussion about how scopes are ruining hunting. They made shooting too easy, took the excitement out of the shot.

They're more fun for me than anything. I rarely use them as a scouting tool. I hunt where I hunt. What shows up, shows up. I haven't put any out this season. I will probably do it later in the season or after just to occupy myself and maybe locate some pigs.

I think they actually add something to the hunt. To get a pic of a giant and then to actually take that one deer, to me, is priceless.

I think they've been an indispensable tool for management for the folks who only want to kill the most mature deer on their property. It's very easy to let a 120-130" buck walk when you know there's a 150 walking around too.

I don't think they're a mandatory piece of kit, but they've never taken anything away from my hunts or the time spent with family hunting. My kids absolutely love looking at pics when I pull the card, and it just may keep them in the game for their life, and help them to pass it on to their children.

My kids used to enjoy seeing snapshots of other animals that I captured with my "home brew" camera, such as bobcats and coyotes.

They can prove valuable in controlling nuisance animals as well, such as letting you know which feeder the hogs are hitting most often.

i got cheap posts

ya'll make it sound so easy.

We have several trail cams out from time to time. I like that they give us an idea of what we have to work with and for me it takes nothing away from actually shooting them.

Admit it. It's still fun to walk up to your buddies cameras holding your hands up like they're antlers. I'm still trying to figure out how to put fake pictures on their cards and them not be able to tell they're fake. Sasquatch, unicorns, black panthers, all the regular stuff.

I think they add value. It gives you an idea of what you have walking around. As others have said, you will let other deer walk knowing there is a larger one on your lease / property. The patterns will change so what you have on camera is not always what you see when you get into your blind. It certainly helps in the off season with looking at potential shooters for the fall.

Where I hunt in E Tx, I got pics of some big ole bucks. Nobody has seen one yet while hunting. Without the pics, we wouldn't even known they were out there. Then, there was that BIG 9 point my brother killed last year that we never got one single pic of. Don't know where he came from.
So, no for me taking away from the hunt.

any one missing a 9 pointer

I think they are a great tool..