I suppose all elements of life have experienced drastic change in an ever-growing technology, recalling a day when anglers and hunters weren't privy to all of the electronics marketed today.
I feel a little saddened that the basics are often lost in our quest to keep up with the most up-to-date gadgets. But I also find myself appreciating graphs, Global Positioning Systems and other gadgets that appear to lead to a higher success rate and lend to convenience for those of us with a passion for hunting and fishing.
One device has proved most effective in the hunter's arsenal, serving as an upgrade to outdoorsmen once required to depend upon knowledge of a whitetail's habits and an ability to read signs when placing a stand -- let along thinking like a mature buck and consistently bagging one year after year.
Nothing will ever replace knowledge and experience, though many doubts can be eliminated with placement of a game cam in the area one plans to hunter, either alongside a well-used trail or within eyeshot of a feeder. Though a slew of doe photos might appear on the media card, the camera might catch an occasional snapshot of that trophy-sized buck you suspect is frequenting the area.
I, too, use game cams, and for multiple reasons. Although I grow most excited upon seeing an obvious shooter nestled in my files, I am also aware that an impressive number of does is a good sign.
As most hunters understand, bucks totally change their patterns and mindset when the annual rut sends them into a tailspin. Thus I'm confident that a heavy doe population means that ol' buck will be frequenting the area once his biological clock tells him it's time to pass his genetics to the next generation.
I also find game cams an effective means of figuring patterns. One can easily determine if the deer are stirring at particular times or if they're moving sporadically. Of course, patterns change with the moon, and never discredit the importance of barometric-pressure changes. But cameras are the most effective means of understanding when animals are most active.
One might also use information posted on their photos to indicate of how often that buck travels through the area. Again, things will change with the rut. However, any information one can obtain pertaining to a particular buck's habits increases one's odds of success.
Even though I use my game cams as a hunting tool, I also find myself enjoying them as a means of entertainment. I'm interested in the number of deer using the area but also find myself engulfed in scanning through my photos with hopes of seeing other critters.
I kept tabs on a gray fox that wandered in front of my camera numerous times last season. And turkeys certainly ate up their fair share of my media cards. Then there was a bobcat that showed up on the camera a few times and several raccoons that stirred under the cover of darkness.
I've not seen any foxes or bobcats yet this season, but I have enjoyed watching a family of raccoons going about nightly rituals. I want to see a multitude of deer on my files but will be equally pleased to watch what happens in a bountiful forest when I'm not there.
Sports on 10/23/2016