AP file photo by Dr. Scott M. Lieberman / Do hunters gain an unfair advantage from trail cameras, which allow them to see where the deer are even without being in the woods?In Larry McMurtry’s classic novel “Lonesome Dove,” Texas Ranger Woodrow Call tells his contrary friend Gus McCrae: “I swear, Gus, you’d argue with a possum.” Sad to say, but this is how I feel sometimes with today’s hunters and sportsmen.
The favorite topics for arguing lately are the use of crossbows (I can’t believe we are still beating that dead horse), the presence (or not) of mountain lions, and maybe aging bucks on the hoof and whether you should shoot (or not).
A new and wonderful thing to fight about at the barbershop, hardware store and online is the trail camera, and just to make things even better, we now have two categories in that realm.
For years we have had what we may term “regular” trail cams. The camera is set up in the area the hunter wishes to hunt, sometimes with a feeder, sometimes not. The camera is motion activated, and it takes multiple pictures or videos of animals as they pass by or linger in front of the camera. The hunter returns periodically to check the camera, removes the SD card and takes it home to look at on a computer, or looks it over on a small card-reader device in the woods.
In this way, the hunter is keeping tabs as to what is going on in his hunting area, what animals are around and if he has any big bucks present.