Patterning bucks early in the season is an essential strategy can greatly boost your chances of success when the much-anticipated hunting season kicks off. During this period, bucks tend to follow predictable paths between bedding and feeding areas, which offers an opportunity to understand their habits. With the help of years of experience using 4g hunting cameras over the summer, I have collected useful data that helps decipher these movements, making me more prepared for the season ahead. Though at times it may feel like a game of cat and mouse between my cameras and mature bucks, the trial-and-error process eventually leads to greater success, thanks to my 70MAX Hunting Cellular Cameras doing a lot of the work.

Bucks in the early season are habitual creatures. Their movement follows a predictable cycle, shifting between food, water, and bedding areas. This behavior is largely driven by their need to conserve energy and avoid predators. During the summer, bucks often establish a steady routine within their core areas. Finding these areas can be challenging, as many hunters mistake similar-looking spots for core areas, leading to inaccurate assumptions.

How to Improve Your Odds Using Summer Game Camera Strategies

A major mistake I made in the past when utilizing summer game cameras was relying too heavily on supplemental feeding. I would often set up a feeder stocked with whole corn and a high-protein supplement like Grow Crazy. While the scent and flavor of the feed attract many deer, assuming that this is a core area is a misstep. Once the food runs out, the deer vanish. The better approach is to locate the buck’s core area—where he spends most of his time—and then place your feeder and 70MAX cellular hunting camera nearby. This strategy allows for a more accurate understanding of their travel patterns as the season approaches. But, how exactly do you identify a buck’s core area?

Identifying Core Areas of Bucks

The first key step to patterning early-season bucks is locating their core areas, which usually involves identifying their primary food sources and bedding sites. Bucks tend to bed in cool, secluded areas during the daytime and move to food sources come evening. Setting up temporary observation cameras can help pinpoint where bucks are traveling. Strategically place your cameras along well-used trails between their bedding and feeding spots. Natural funnels, creek crossings, and field edges are areas where bucks frequently move.

Water sources also play a critical role in the summer. In hotter months, bucks rely on water more than ever. Placing cameras near ponds, streams, and other water sources ensures you capture images of bucks visiting these locations consistently.

Lastly, reviewing the images and data from your cameras can help you identify movement patterns. Look for the times when bucks are most active and the routes they take. The camera app makes it much easier to monitor images, allowing you to bypass the need for swapping memory cards to gather photos.

To maximize your odds of capturing summer buck photos, consider these additional strategies for camera placement.

Food Plots and Agricultural Fields: Set up cameras along the edges of food plots or agricultural fields where bucks are likely to feed. These areas provide a steady food source and are excellent spots for capturing deer activity.

Trail Intersections and Natural Funnels: Bucks tend to use the same trails repeatedly. Place cameras at intersections of trails or natural funnels where several trails meet. These high-traffic spots often result in a wealth of photos.

Mineral Sites and Feeders: As I’ve mentioned before, feeders are useful for getting images of bucks. If legal in your area, you might also set up cameras near mineral sites, which are often visited by bucks and can offer insights into their behavior.

Transition Areas: Focus on regions where deer transition between thick cover and open feeding areas. These transition zones are prime locations for capturing deer movements.

Moving Cameras as Bucks Alter Travel Patterns

This is the point where summer game cameras often frustrate many hunters. "I get buck pictures all summer, then they disappear before hunting season begins," is a common complaint from disappointed hunters. As the season progresses, bucks change their travel patterns. You’ll need to move your camera placements accordingly to stay on their trail until hunting season starts.

Monitor Changes in Food Sources: Bucks will shift their feeding patterns as food availability changes. For instance, as acorns begin to fall in the fall, bucks may move from agricultural fields to oak groves. Adjust your cameras to track these shifts.

Rutting Activity: When the pre-rut begins, bucks will expand their range and drastically alter their summer travel routes. Place cameras near scrapes, rub lines, and known doe bedding areas to capture rutting behavior.

Adapt to Pressure: Increased hunting pressure can force bucks to change their routines. If you notice decreased activity at your original camera locations, consider moving your cameras deeper into the woods or to more secluded areas where bucks might retreat.

Why Cellular Hunting Cameras Are Superior for Patterning Mature Bucks

Cellular hunting cameras offer numerous advantages when it comes to patterning mature bucks during the summer. One key benefit is the reduced scent and disturbance. Traditional game cameras require frequent visits to check memory cards, which can leave a scent trail and disrupt the area. In contrast, cellular hunting cameras send images directly to your phone or computer, minimizing human scent and pressure on the bucks.

Another significant advantage of cellular hunting cameras is that they update deer activity seconds after it occurs. This allows you to make timely decisions and adjustments based on the most up-to-date information, greatly increasing your chances of being in the right spot at the right time.

Cellular hunting cameras save time & effort by eliminating the need for constant physical checks. They also reduce human scent in hunting areas, helping you cover more ground & gather data from multiple locations without spooking deer by frequently entering their core areas, which could drive them away permanently.

Patterning early-season bucks with cellular hunting cameras is a highly effective strategy that combines the predictability of deer behavior with the convenience & efficiency of the modern technology. By understanding their travel patterns, strategically placing cameras, adapting to changes throughout the season, you can significantly improve your chances of a successful hunt.