Trail Camera Photography Tip

My pal Smokey Joe is a technology guy so I asked him about a vexing issue I was experiencing.

Seems as I was making the rounds of the four trail cameras swapping out SD cards I noticed that periodically a camera would flash an alert NO SD CARD.  And I would have just installed a freshly erased and formatted SD card.

Or I would return home and place an SD card in a card reader and there would be nothing on it.  In fact the card reader would indicate there wasn't even a card in the clot.  Nothing!
 
A wholly frustrating experience that was slow to arrive and increasingly problematic.

So I asked Smokey - Is it possible for an SD care to wear out?  I've been experiencing issues where the cameras are indicating there isn't an SD card installed when in-fact there is one and sometimes the card reader tells me there's nothing in the reader.  What gives?

After explaining my routine of downloading any decent pictures, wiping the disk and formatting it Smokey Joe tells me - Yup.  SD cards do wear-out.  You shouldn't format the disks.  It will degrade them and shorten their useful life. 

Go figure.  The failed disks have been discarded and four more replacement disks introduced to the line-up.  

Good think they've come down in price.

Learn more about this here.

What's Happening on the Active Scrape?

Locating the trail camera over an active scrape has produced any number of deer pictures. A Couple of days ago I sweetened the deal by sprinkling some Doe In Rut deer urine nearby.

Smelly stuff.  Blech!

Will be checking it at the end of the week to see who's been visiting.

click on image to enlarge

Hunter Selfies

Last Sunday the girls and I made the rounds of the trail cameras and swapped-out the old SD cards with brand-new SD cards.  More about that later this week.

All I have to say iis it is wet, wet, wet.  Standing water everywhere.  Trail flooded, creek running full bore, mud season done come early this year.

Back at the ranch I downloaded photos from the working SD cards and behold - some selfies of some very wet bow hunters last weekend.

In descending order:  Smokey Joe, Braumeister (outfitted in a ghillie suit) and me...

 click on images to enlarge

 

Elusive Buck

click on image to enlarge

The buck in the picture above was observed on a couple of occasions last weekend by both Braumeister and me.

A big eight pointer he's been frequently the area where an active scrape is located and rutting his stuff.

Brau observed him thrashing some trees with his antlers and generally acting life he was full of himself.  And I was lurking in a ground blind when I heard a grunt from my left.  Followed by another grunt.  Peeking thru a crack in the window I observed him doing the same thing.  So taking my grunt tube I grunted back.  I mentally willed him to step into the main trail within range of my bow.

Nothing doing.  Braumeister had the same experience a day earlier.

A totally elusive buck.  Nice one too...

Tools of the Trade

Deer hunter's tools of the trade.

Camouflage for concealment.  An estrus bleat call.  And a death-dealing crossbow...

The Rut - Part 3

From the trail camera situated over an active scrape are these photos.

A nice looking buck.  And some nice looking Labrador retrievers...

 

click on images to enlarge

Hunter's Helper

When out seeking deer this time of year the skilled hunter takes great pains to be scent free.  Showers  are taken with scent-free soap, clothing is laundered in scent-free detergeant.  Deer pee is used as an attractant.

I figure if a guy is going to drink beer it doesn't hurt to drink Doe In Heat lager from O'so Brewing company...

Learn more about O'so Brewery here.