Do game cameras spook deer?

Mike Hanback’s blog posting on April 30, 2008, poses an interesting question about whether or not trail cameras spook deer. The subject seems to be a hot topic these days and opinions differ. Some hunters have had negative experiences using flash game cameras. On the other hand, Moultrie receives hundreds of pictures and stories from hunters each year capturing the same big buck on a flash camera time after time. Case in point, there have been many instances when a flash camera is set up to take a “burst” series of shots (Moultrie Game Spy cameras can be programmed to take three in a row) and the deer will turn to look toward the flash. However, the deer remain in the same spot unbothered by the flash, and are photographed returning to the camera’s location days and weeks later.

It is true when a series of pictures is taken by the infrared game cameras, not as much attention is drawn since the infrared flash is virtually undetectable. While there is always the possibility that a “worry buck” may be spooked by a game camera, it is evident that the benefits of using a game camera far outweigh the negative. We receive countless stories from hunters that were able to fill their tags with a trophy buck due to the information that has been provided by these great tools. We would love to hear your opinions on using game cameras. Let us know what you think by posting a comment.