OUTDOOR LOGIC WITH BIOLOGIC
USING TRAIL CAMERAS AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL SPYING FOR WILDLIFE’S SAKE BY T O D D A M E N R U D
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ntlers have grown enough now so we can begin to distinguish individual bucks. That means it’s time to get those “trail cameras working for you.” If you’re looking for a close encounter with a mature buck or are interested in managing your property for a healthy balance, trail cameras may be the most valuable tools we have. “Information” is the most important part of making sound management decisions or creating an ambush for a mature buck. If managing your property is your objective, trail cameras will help you to learn the density, buck-to-doe ratio and get a good
guess on the age structure of the herd. This, in turn, will give you what you need to know to make numerous management decisions, especially those “trigger finger” management decisions - how many deer need to be harvested and which ones. This simple formula below is widely used for determining a ballpark buck-to-doe ratio in a given area – I think I first stole it from the NDA (National Deer Association), but I’ve seen it elsewhere. You must use multiple camera locations and run your cameras for a period of one to two weeks in each spot. If you only have one camera, run it for a week or two and move it at least two hundred
Land managers are beginning to use UAVs or “drones” with cameras on them. Ethically, they should be illegal for hunting, but they could be useful for monitoring crops, showing others’ stand locations, property boundaries or other property features without physically disturbing the area, or could be very helpful in locating a downed animal.
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Cooperative Farming News
