I recently spoke with another hunter while checking in my turkey this season. We got talking about trail cameras and how much they have changed the way we hunt. Camera technology has advanced so much in the past few years but the cost of a good trail camera has stayed affordable.

He recently used his trail camera to catch a window peeper. My initial reaction of WTF made him laugh! But he said, no seriously he had some evidence (hearing noises at night and some strange footprints) of a trespasser, peeping tom, thief or someone with bad intentions in his yard in the middle of the night. So he attached his Reconyx trail camera to the outside of his deck and pointed it towards the yard. It was somewhat hidden by some bushes but could still get good images if someone walked by it. He slapped a python cable lock on it and then waited.

It only took a couple of nights of security camera detective work but he caught some good images of a male wearing black pants and a hoodie. One image showed some facial hair and from that they were able to identify a man that lived alone in the neighborhood. The police used the images as evidence and charged the man with invasion of privacy. Unbelievable! I think after seeing the images I would have set a tree stand in the backyard and waited for him to do it again then gave him a good beat down. What a freaking perv! I hope he gets what he deserves.

I know this didn’t have much to do with hunting other than another use for a trail camera and the recon work done by my friend but I thought it was pretty cool to hear about a trail cam being used as a security camera. There are actually some great trail cameras that can be used for security. Read some security camera reviews to find one that works for your situation.

Trail cameras have no doubt modernized the average hunter. The use of cameras has increased significantly in the past decade and for good reason. Trail cameras capture animals in their natural habitat without alerting them. Hunters can pattern deer more easily and learn valuable information about their travel and feeding patterns. It’s also nice to see what bucks are roaming your property and to keep tabs on them. To better increase your odds of trail camera success follow these 6 quick tips.

1. Normally we don’t set any trail cameras until July. Most of our bucks don’t start sprouting new antlers until this time anyway so there is no reason to risk bumping them off the property.

2. We like to set our trail cameras in easy access low impact areas preferably along a field edge or lane where we can drive the UTV right up to the camera. Because of all the farm activity in our area, driving around doesn’t spook the deer like foot traffic does.

3. To draw deer out of cover and in front of the camera we will throw down a salt lick or mineral block. This helps keep the deer in the picture frame longer and makes for some great images.

4. Don’t check the trail camera too often. Limiting the amount of interaction with the deer is always a good choice so don’t overdo it by checking cameras every other day.

5. When we do put a camera in a more remote area or sanctuary, we will suit up and spray down with scent control just as if we were hunting. These cameras will also only get checked once a month and preferably during or just before rain to help wash away any human odors left behind.

6. When we do capture a picture of a good buck we back off a little and give him some space. We may check that camera less frequently or even pull the camera completely. We don’t want to run him off just so we can get pictures of him all summer.

Following these trail camera tips will help increase your odds of getting better pictures without over pressuring the deer.

Knowing where and how to place your trail cameras can mean the difference between great images or missed opportunities. When monitoring wildlife with a trail camera you will no doubt learn through trial and error. Here are 3 hard to beat trail camera setups to help get you started.

Follow the Trail

Placing your trail camera on deer travel routes seems logical, but don’t setup on just any deer trail. Find the most used trails between bedding and feeding areas.

Preferably, you want a deer trail that runs east and west so you can set the game camera on the south side of the trail facing north. This will eliminate sun glare in pictures taken at sunrise and sunset.

Find a tree that is 5-10 feet off the trail and is big enough that it won’t sway in the wind. Set the trail camera 24-36 inches high depending on the terrain.

Place your camera facing the trail at a 45 degree angle. Some trail cameras won’t trigger fast enough when perfectly perpendicular to the trail.

Monitor a Food Plot

Set your trail camera up higher than the typical 24-36 inches to monitor a larger area like a food plot. This is perfect for a trail camera like the Moultrie Panoramic 150.

Set the camera on a time lapse mode so it takes pictures every 5, 10, or 15 minutes. This will allow you to see when and where deer are entering the field. This is our favorite trail camera placement just prior to hunting season when deciding our tree stand locations.

Bring Them to the Camera

During the off season you should be less concerned about deer travel routes but more interested in the new bone bucks are sprouting. Place a deer attractant or feeder 15-20 feet in front of your trail camera.

Face the camera to the north and use a level and somewhat open area, though you still want some cover so the deer feel comfortable.

We have used different mineral licks and feeders with corn to bring bucks of all sizes into camera view.

It’s common for deer and turkey to come into these sets and stay for awhile as they feed. It isn’t unusual to get dozens of images of a single buck using this method.

Related Articles: 10 Trail Camera Tips, Trail Cameras for Predators

In order for deer to reach their full potential they need good nutrition year round. But one of the most crucial times for deer nutrition is early spring and summer during antler growth and fawn development. A buck will only reach its full potential of antler growth with a high quality diet of protein, minerals and vitamins.

The perfect hunting property will have about 5%-8% of its total acreage planted in food plots. Of those, about 40% should be annuals and 60% perennials. There is no better perennial food plot than clovers. Every hunting property should have a good dose of clovers as both deer and turkey love them.

We have found Imperial Whitetail Clover by Whitetail Institute to be a great mix of clovers specifically designed for both whitetails and turkeys.

Our Review of Imperial Whitetail Clover:

• It seems to handle browse pressure better than other clover mixes we have tried.
• The larger leaves of the ladino clover in the mix provide a lot of forage.
• Freshly nipped stems will regenerate new growth.
• The clover plots last up to 5 years without replanting saving time and money.
• It’s one of the first things to start popping in early spring just in time for turkey season.
• It is easier to establish than other clover plots we have planted.

Our clover plots do best in heavy soils that hold moisture. Always do a soil test before planting new clover plots and fertilize as needed.

We disc the area to be planted and wait 2 weeks for weeds to begin showing before spraying with Glyphosate. We most commonly spread about 400lbs of 6-24-24 fertilizer per acre depending on our soil sample results. We lightly disc again after fertilizing. Using a culipacker we firm the seed bed, broadcast the seed at a rate of 8-10lbs per acre, then cultipack a second and final time.

Place an exclusion or utilization cage in your plot to keep deer from browsing that area. Doing this is very telling as to how much browse pressure your food plot is getting. Even in large clover plots we have noticed a significant difference in plant height inside the cage compared to the rest of the plot.

Clover plots are also one of our favorite places for trail cameras. The clovers are obviously shorter than soybeans, buckwheat, or other types of food plots so it makes for better pictures, especially of turkey.

Whenever unwanted grasses or broadleaf weeds begin to compete we identify the culprit and visit our local Co-Op. They hook us up with the right selective herbicides and help us with the mix rates. Whitetail Institute sells herbicides (Arrest and Slay) for both grasses and broadleaf weeds that are safe to spray on clovers. We like to apply the herbicides with a small sprayer pulled behind a 4wheeler.

It’s important to mow your clover plots a couple times per year. We mow our whitetail clover plots down to 4-6 inches with a bush hog once they reach 10-12 inches high. Never mow your clovers when it’s hot and dry. The clover plants are already stressed in hot/dry conditions and mowing them can cause harm.

We like to give established Imperial Whitetail Clover plots a boost just before hunting season. On a dry day sometime in August or September we’ll broadcast 300lbs of 0-20-20 fertilizer into all our Imperial clover plots. Not only does this help them going into the fall but it keeps the soil more fertile and helps with next spring’s new growth.

If you are looking for a good perennial food plot that will provide lots of forage and adequate nutrition for deer and turkey, in our opinion you can’t go wrong with Imperial Whitetail Clover.

References: Whitetail Institute

Related Articles: Planting Clover for a Food Plot, Planting Clover in Your Driving Lanes

Both mineral supplements and deer attractants serve two very different, yet specific purposes when it comes to your average deer hunter’s concerns. One provides minerals that can be beneficial to a deer’s overall health while the other is simply used to lure deer to a specific area but provides little nutritional value. Knowing the difference between pure mineral supplements and a deer attractant can help you decide which will best suit your needs.

Deer Attractants

Most deer licks or deer attractants are either sweet or salt based. Salt, also called sodium or sodium chloride has almost no nutritional value to deer by itself. Salt is commonly used in mineral supplements as an attractant, but in high amounts acts as a limiter meaning deer will only consume so much of it. Unfortunately, this also limits the deer’s intake of much needed minerals.

Salt licks and so called mineral supplements that contain 30% or more salt are technically more of an attractant than a pure mineral supplement. It’s unfortunate that some products are sold as a “mineral supplement” claiming to increase antler growth yet a little detective work reveals the product is mostly salt. Sure they may contain some trace minerals but if they contain a high amount of salt they won’t give the deer the full benefit a pure mineral supplement would. Read the label before buying!

Sweet deer attractants normally contain corn, sugars, molasses or a combination of each. But like salt, sweets provide little nutritional value to the deer. It’s like giving candy to a kid,  he’d sure as heck eat it for dinner if you let him, but we both know there is zero nutritional benefit.

Although deer attractants may not top the nutritional charts they do have a place in the deer hunter’s world. They work great to lure or bait  deer into a specific area. This strategy can be used for hunting purposes where legal. We use attractants like Trophy Rock or Lucky Buck during the off season to lure deer in front of our trail cameras which is extremely effective.

Deer Mineral Supplements

Deer mineral supplements contain both macro minerals and trace minerals in very specific amounts which can have great benefits to a deer’s health and well-being. For the average deer hunter, the one main benefit is to help bucks grow bigger racks.

But a sufficient diet of minerals has proven to help deer in many ways such as bone and antler growth, tissue growth, metabolism, energy, muscle contraction, enzyme and hormone function, digestion, lactation, cellular balance and hundreds of other benefits crucial to a healthy life.

A good deer mineral supplement should contain the 5 main macro minerals – calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. You can see sodium (salt) is listed and is needed in the deer’s diet but not in high amounts.

A deer supplement will also contain trace minerals that together are just as vital as the macro group. Trace minerals include zinc, copper, manganese, iodine, selenium, and cobalt.

When you consider the fact that a hardened antler is a little more than 50% pure mineral you can begin to understand the benefits of deer mineral supplementing. The best time of year to set up a few deer mineral sites is in early spring. You want to help the deer to replenish body weight and health after a long winter.

Continue using mineral sites clear through the antler growing season and into the fall. In a perfect world you should use mineral supplements year round but your budget or certain hunting laws may prevent that.

Both deer attractants and mineral supplements serve a purpose. Decide what your goals are – either to attract deer or to provide nutrition. Then before buying be sure to read the nutritional label so you know for sure what you are feeding the deer.

Would you like to win the bow sight that won Bowhunting World’s Readers’ Choice award for “movable sight of the year” for 9 straight years? You can register to win an HHA Sports Optimizer Lite Series bow sight (model OL-5519). The Lite Series sights are constructed of 100% machined aluminum. They feature the green sight ring and totally tool-less micro windage adjustment system.

Lite Series Features

• Weight: 9 oz.
• 1 5/8″ sight housing
• 5′ of fiber optic for bright pin illumination
• A.R.M.O.R Pin Technology
• Accepts the lens Kit B and HHA Blue Burst Lights (sold separately)
• Exclusive mechanical rheostat feature adjusts pin brightness in seconds

All the Optimizer Series Sights include HHA Sports exclusive patented EZ-Tape selection system. There are 52 different computer designed yardage tapes included out to 80 yards to accommodate faster bows. Simpy sight in at 20 and 60 yards. A foolproof sight in tape assures the correct tape selection for any bow speed, draw length or shooting style. The yardage tapes are accurate within 1/4″ point of impact.

How to Win

Entry into the drawing is easy! To win an Optimizer Lite Series bow sight go to our Facebook page and click on the “Giveaway” tab and confirm that you  are fan, that’s it! There will only be one lucky winner. The deadline for the drawing is March 27, 2013 at 12:00 a.m. Only one entry per person.

It’s our way of saying thank you for being a fan of Trophy Hunting Obsession. Good luck to all who enter!

Disclaimer

See the full terms and conditions on the contest page. HHA Sports is not affiliated with this contest in anyway other than graciously supplying the Optimizer bow sight.  This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook.

The use of game trial cameras has grown significantly. From patterning and scoring bucks to watching food plots and seeing if that buck survived the season, you can’t go wrong using a trail camera. To be honest, our trail cameras are like smart phones – I don’t know how we ever got along without them.

A couple of years ago, instead of pulling our cameras after the deer season we decided to leave them out. It not only gave us something to do all winter by checking thousands of images but it was really pretty insightful. What we learned is that we had a lot more predators and scavengers than we realized.

Although we have yet to capture a bobcat on camera we did start seeing a lot of coyotes. We also captured many images of opossums and raccoons, which can find and destroy an entire nest of turkey eggs in one night. Our trail cameras also helped us to catch a trespassing rabbit hunter red handed – although he denied it until we showed him the pictures. Can you say busted!

Lure Them In

To get started with this unique trail camera setup you first have to put out some bait. We like using dead deer that we find on the property or alongside the road. Just check with your local DNR first before picking up dead deer that aren’t on your property. We’ve also been known to keep late season gut piles and carcasses safe in the walk-in freezer until it was time to use as bait.

Choose Your Weapon

The one downside to using trail cameras in the winter is battery life. We’ve heard a lot of claims that the bigger the battery size the better but in our experience, we have had descent luck using a Reconyx camera with 12 NiMH rechargeable AA batteries. You’ll just have to experiment to see what works best for you.

Unlike using cameras during deer season, you can check them more often during winter. We normally check ours a couple times per week. We jump on the UTV with freshly charged batteries, a stack of clean memory cards and fresh bait if needed.

Setting the Stage

We have learned a few trail camera tips for predators. First, choose a spot where predators will feel comfortable. Although most of your pictures will occur at night, we have had some good daytime images by placing the bait in a more secluded area.

We secure the bait so larger predators don’t drag it out of camera view. We use large ground stakes and some rope to keep bait in place. A 12″ pieces of rebar heated with a torch on one end so you can bend it into a hook makes a nice ground stake. You can also secure the bait to a tree, fence post, or stump.

If using a carcass as bait, position it with its back towards the camera. Predators will begin eating the stomach first which puts them facing the camera for the money shot – say cheese!

Some predators can be camera shy especially with noisy or flashing cameras. Place the game camera back far enough or higher up and pointing down so animals aren’t as skittish. We like the Reconyx cameras because they use infrared flash and make almost no noise when snapping images.

Trail cameras can certainly be used for more than just deer and turkey. They help you keep an eye on your property and can give you a pretty good indication of the predators in your area. Not to mention you will also get some pretty neat images to share with others.

There are 3 certainties when it comes to spring turkey hunting season – it’s short, it’s exciting, and there is no guarantee you’ll get a shot at a gobbler. To help you be a more successful turkey hunter, we’ve put together some turkey hunting tips straight from the mouths of veteran turkey hunters that have killed more long beards than most of us have seen.

1. Don’t call too much. Turkey calling definitely works but you don’t want to mimic a bunch of toddlers with noise makers at a birthday party. When trying to locate a gobbler, make a couple gentle hen calls then wait. Though there are exceptions that we’ll get into later, most of the time too much calling will spook birds.

2. Hunt the edges of fields. Turkey will often travel the edges of woods and open fields or meadows. Edges allow birds to see a long distance while searching for food and other birds while still being close to cover. You’ll do well to set up just inside a field edge where you are hidden and can see a good distance as well.

3. I am told this trick can almost be like cheating. Once a gobbler flies out of his roost in the morning he will normally walk away, but 9 times out of 10 he will be back. Before leaving the area completely, a tom will swing back by his roosting tree to check if any other birds are in the area. Watch for a tom to leave the area once he has flown down then move into position and prepare for an ambush.

4. Watch where that big gobbler roosts at night. If you can pinpoint where a gobbler has roosted you have the advantage. Slip into position early the next morning and be the first hen the old boy hears.

5. When a reluctant tom is gobbling out of sight try mimicking a yelping hen leaving the area. Do this by walking in several small circles before walking about 30 yards away from the tom all while yelping. Then stop calling and quickly move towards the tom. Close the distance as much as possible without getting busted, set up and wait. He will think the hen has moved off and will move in to stay close to her.

6. A regular ground blind is great to hunt from but if you are leery of an old tom being too smart, try using a more concealed goose blind that you lay down in. Some toms like to stay out in the open field and are reluctant to come near the edges or respond to calls. Beat him to the field in the morning and surprise him from a goose blind.

7. Make your decoy more realistic. The plastic decoys can work but they don’t have the reflection and shiny look that a real bird does. Cape a freshly killed turkey and dry it out for several weeks using Borax. Then attach the dry skin to a turkey decoy using adhesive. This works well for hens, jakes, or tom decoys. Use a real tail fan for a strutting tom decoy.

8. Become a puppet master. Use a decoy stake that will allow for natural movement of your turkey decoy. Attach a string to your decoy and give it some realistic action. This will drive a tom crazy. Be prepared, your moving decoy may get its ass kicked by an aggressive gobbler.

9. Take action now on a nervous gobbler. If a tom is in range but you haven’t gotten into perfect position yet, keep an eye on him. If he begins to act nervous like he could bolt any second you need to risk being busted to get your bead on him. Move slowly but hurry up if that makes sense. Even if the gobbler spots you, you’ll still have a couple of seconds to make the shot. Don’t hesitate – fire as soon as the bead is on his head.

Follow these and our other proven turkey hunting tips this season to put yourself in a position to bag a record sized gobbler.

Related Articles: 10 Spring Turkey Hunting Tips, 6 Turkey Hunting Tips You Should Know, Turkey Hunting Camo Mistakes

There is no arguing that clover can make a great food plot for both deer and turkey. It is called the universal food source for wildlife because it can be established in most parts of the country. It is fairly inexpensive compared to other types of food plots and with so many varieties of clover you can always find one to do moderately well in most soil conditions.

The most common types of clover planted for food plots are Alsike, Arrowleaf, Crimson, Kura, Ladino, Durana White, Red, and Subterranean.

So Why Plant Clover Lanes?

There are several good reasons to pave your roads in clover. Weed growth is normally minimal from using the lanes which is a good thing and the deer frequent the lanes to travel and can always use the extra nutrition.

We started doing it because we didn’t have a great area to plant a clover food plot. Most of the good areas were reserved for soybeans and different brassica plots. So to use up space that was already being used anyway we decided to plant a mix of clovers in our driving lanes.

Even if you don’t have many lanes now, you can benefit from making a few for easier access around your property and then plant them in clover.

Weeds, Soil Condition, and Planting

We started in early spring by mowing all the lanes and working them up with a disc. We waited a few weeks for new weed growth then nuked the area with herbicide. We worked the ground again and sprayed a second time just to be sure.

After getting a soil test we applied the correct amounts of fertilizer and lime to get the pH level to 6.0 – 6.5. Because clover is a legume it does not require much nitrogen.

You can use a drill to plant clover at a depth of 1/4″ deep. The advantage of a drill is one pass and you are done and it preserves what little moisture may be in the soil.

We prefer to disc the soil, pack using a cultipacker, broadcast the seed, and then pack again. We have always had good luck doing it this way.

We used a mix of red, white, and ladino clovers. Once the clover was a few inches tall we sprayed Slay to kill off competing broadleaf weeds and Arrest to kill the grasses. After that the clover took over.

Clover Lane Maintenance

We normally mow a couple of times a year once the clover reaches 6-8 inches and only when it has had plenty of moisture. You never want to mow clover that is lacking moisture and already stressed. To really boost initial clover growth we spread some 0-20-20 on the clover after we mowed the first time.

Some of our lanes are more used than others but the clover holds up pretty well for being driven and walked on. The deer and turkey frequent the lanes more than before and it gives them something to munch on while traveling across the property. The deer feed in the clover lanes even during daylight hours because the lanes are narrow and they are always a few steps away from safe cover.

Planting clover food plots in your lanes is a great way to use up space that is already being used and to spread a buffet of clover all over your property. Once the clover becomes established, the lanes are easier to maintain than before and the lush green lanes all over the property look pretty awesome.

The troubling wave of attacks on our Second Amendment Right is certainly unsettling. With every disturbing gun crime that is committed the fight against guns only grows stronger. Like most hunters, sport shooters, gun enthusiasts, and responsible gun owners we are deeply saddened when these senseless brutalities occur. But we also strongly believe that guns in general are not the problem and we must stand up and protect our rights just as our forefathers did.

It has been the decision of Reed Exhibitions, the promoter of the Eastern Sports and Outdoors Show (ESOS) near Harrisburg, PA to ban the display or sale of any magazine that holds more than 10 rounds and all semi-automatic weapons at the show.

This is the official announcement off their website:

“As a hunting-focused event, we welcome exhibitors who wish to showcase products and firearms that serve the traditional needs of the sport. Clearly, we strongly support the 2nd Amendment. However, this year we have made the decision not to include certain products that in the current climate may attract negative attention that would distract from the strong focus on hunting and fishing at this family-oriented event and possibly disrupt the broader positive experience of our guests.”

This decision clearly roots from the recent school shooting in Newtown, CT that claimed the lives of 20 children and 6 women which refueled the gun control debate.

Despite being Pennsylvania’s largest outdoor sports show, many vendors feel like the ESOS and its promoter have raised a hypocritical boot and kicked sportsmen square in the nuts. In support of the 2nd Amendment many vendors are withdrawing from the show following the announcement.

Cabelas, the event’s major sponsor, announced that it would not participate at the show held February 2-10, 2013 at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, PA.

A post from Cabelas facebook page:

“Due to recent changes made by Reed Exhibitions regarding the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show, Cabela’s will no longer sponsor this year’s event. After careful consideration regarding Cabela’s business practices, and the feelings of our customers, Cabela’s will, unfortunately, not have a presence at the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show.”

Other participants dropping from the show include Bowhunting.com, Kinsey’s Outdoors, Lancaster Archery Supply, and Trop Elite Equipment to name a few and the list continues to grow. Michael Waddell posted “me nor any of the BC team will be at the Eastern Sports Show in PA this year.” Lee Lakosky said in an interview with deer and deer hunting, “We can’t support a show that doesn’t completely support the Second Amendment.” Pat Reeve, co-host of Driven TV also released a statement saying, “All of us (TV people) have banded together and are supporting each other in the decision to back out of the Eastern Sports Show.” Add to the list of dropouts Jim and Eva Shockey and TV personality Larry Weishuhn.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) presented its own statement saying it “strongly disagrees” with the decision to ban “modern sporting rifles” from the show. They go on to say the decision “has come as a surprise and concern.” Adding that they “encourage all attendees to stand and fight for the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens and not cower from our principles in the face of media pressure. We urge you to follow the NRA and the outdoor industry’s lead by voicing your displeasure with Reed Exhibitions both before and during the show, and encourage them to reconsider their position.”

We here at THO support our right to keep and bear arms. It’s unknown if Reed Exhibitions predicted causing such an uproar but we feel it was a spineless decision made in the face of media pressure. They are clearly hypocritical saying they, “strongly support the 2nd Amendment.” We need strong supporters to stand up and fight, not those trying to play both sides. Either you believe in your gun rights or you surrender them. Playing neutral and trying to please everyone is not the kind of stance that will keep America the great country that it is.

Thanks for reading and God Bless America!