Trail camera flash spooking deer?

[regenscheid]

I recently bought a game spy trail cam and I have been hearing alot about trail camera flashes spooking deer. I set my camera up in my back yard in an area where I see deer consistently and watched it for a while as it got dark. I saw a deer coming out and as it walked in front of the camera I was sure that the flash was going to scare the deer. To my surprise, it didnt phase the deer at all. Since then I have watched dozens of different deer walk in front of the camera and stay completely calm as the bright flash lights up the area. Now my question for all of you is, do you think that the whole infrared trail cam revolution is only hype? has anyone had any problems with the flash spooking deer?

[Spinach]

I think it has a lot to do with what type of area the camera is placed. I know that a camera in our hunting area doesn't startle the deer because they are used to headlights, streetlights, noise, dogs and kids. I call our deer "city deer" they just get used to that type of stuff in the woods and closer to the house is even less startling to them.

Also, this time of year is a lot different than November and the rut, just about anything will startle them in Nov/Dec.

What type of area is your camera placed in? City or country?

[Cody Gruchow]

like pat said it depends on the area, i have one stealth cam that i just bought and was playing with it trying to figure out how to set everything and the flash went off in my left eye and ill tell you i jumped just about 5 feet in the air, but i have had a few problems with deer that are easily spooked, other than that no real problems. i also have a older stealth cam that takes 35mm film and i do not like this camera at all, because when it goes off and cycles another shot its louder than 

[mcgarth]

lighting doesnt spook the deer out of the woods.so the camera flash in my mind wont either. i have multiple pictures of the same deer 3 minutes apart at night and some were nice bucks.I.R is good if you dont want trespassers to see your camera at night. i have somewhere around 10 digital cameras also 2 that are I.R its fun walking in the woods at night with freinds and telling them to smile for the camera

[wildlifeminnesota]

 No I have had no problems with the light they depend on their nose and ears not a quick flash of light. Deer are smarter then you think. In fact deer are more curious then you think and it does not matter if you are in the deepen woods these deer will be more curious then the one close to town but it will not scare them off because of there nose and ears sense they do depend on three thing EARS NOSE and EYE and the eye are more apt to be fool them and then the ears can also fool them next are there nose. Nose dose not fell them. Seeing some thing that out of place make them so curious is when they want to check it out and see if the nose will tell them to run or not to run.
                                                                                                    This is how I Think on this!     

[Tami]

Question
Deer get used to dog barking, and they after a bit will come into the yard,  wont they just get used to the flash as well and just come in, as they get used to it?

[wildlifeminnesota]

 Yes the flash it self dose not disturb them at all. they mine come and check it out. 

[Spinach]

I do not agree with that at all. Generally speaking, deer that are in the country are so cautious that they will shy away from anything unusual in the woods. If its not supposed to be there, then they will change there patterns for a while.

City deer are much different in my opinion and will not be spooked as easy because they have experienced a lot more and have been around humans and everyday life.

I really do believe that a camera flash will spook deer in the country but not so much in the city. Not saying that either area will not have an over or under cautious deer though.

[Super Star!]

well ill post my findings on this topic and if you want proff ill post it.

I have put the infered cameras out in the thick woods and the flash ones to my surprice the infered one spooked more deer than it took pictures of. want proff of this put yours on video mode one time and you will see what im talking about. the 15 second glow is what scares them. a quick flash is nothing most the time goes unoticed from what i have seen. i have picture of some pritty big buck that keep comeing back flash after flash. in my findings save your money and stay away from the infered ones plus there pictures are junk when they are in black and white...  just my findings.... peace ss

[Super Star!]

o yeah one more thing pat you do have a great point on city deer and country deer.

[tripnchip]

Pat, I am going to disagree with you for the sake of doing it. Now I think me you and a few others should get goverment built cabins on  remote lakes and grants for unlimited amount of time to do a indepth study on this.Of coarse these lakes and cabins will have to be connected by atv trails at least so we can do a true study on the effects of mortized travel also.lol

[Cody Gruchow]

yea and SS knows what he is talking about, lol, a flash really dont bother them, i have the video optinon on all but 2 of my cams one camera i would throw away because i think its absoulte junk, its the wildview or whatever is an off make of stealth cam and my opinion they are   i think the memory card i put in there cost more than the camera did lol  

[wildlifeminnesota]

I have see people shot at a deer and the deer stand there and put this nose to the wind.I also have taken photographs with the flash on and it is so qicke that they do not know where it came from.

[deadeye]

Pat, looks like a couple of us have a different opinion here.  From my expierence, "my" deer are much more spooky in the spring than in the fall.  Maybe it's because we have been around them during August and September but in the fall it's not uncommon to walk or drive past them when they are in a field.  If you try that now, they bolt the minute they see you.   It's a lot harder to get close now, than in the fall.   I don't know about deer in general but that's how "my" deer react.   

[Spinach]

I do agree with that deadeye........

I'd relate that to having more people in the woods from May-November, lots of hunters, hikers, kids, dogs, etc....... We push the deer around enough that they tend to be less spooked and have no choice but to tolerate more because they know that if they go over the next hill, there will be another possible confrontation. They know that the area they are in could be safer than the unknown type of thing.

Also, right now there is a lot less cover for them, corn is out, woods are bare from leaves and the escape paths are very limited. During the summer or fall, they know they have an escape path and will be more curious than they are now.

Not to mention the fact that the females are pregnant and getting ready to give birth in May or June, causing them to be a lot more cautious of there surroundings.

I'm no expert on the subject, it's only my observation and opinion.

[Mayfly]

All right...Let me straighten this out.

I used a trail cam a ton last year and actually watched it as deer ate out of my feeder. The camera made all the deer at the feeder much more cautious coming in. I'm guessing that maybe had something to do with the scent I left behind. Now when the light got low and the flash started going off it startled the deer. Heck, it also startled them when it was light out and no flash! Did it scare them? I like the word startle better because eventually they would come in after that corn and they would get comfortable.

Here is a pic with a startled deer. It was light out and it still spooked him:



This camera barely makes any noise. It is the Moulrie 4.0. I guess it makes enough noise because they knew it was there. Now these deer are also metro deer and it spooks them so what Pat said about "metro" deer is being dissproved right here. Is that a word?? Anyways, I don't believe for a minute that deer are not spooked, startled, curious or unaware of these cameras. Different deer do act different though so I don't think we can generalize.

Here is another interesting thing I noticed. Anytime one of my monsters would come in all I would get is a shot of them staring right at the camera and then one of them either gone or walking away. They did not stick around to let that flash go off again. I think I was set on 5 minute delalys with 2 shot bursts. So...The deer that you want to shoot are acting completely different than the younger bucks and does who push and push and finally find a comfort zone with the flash.

All this behavior was the same no matter where I fed them and put the camera. In the woods, on the edge of the woods and in my front yard.

This guy would not come in and eat....but you would always get pic of him like this in the distance looking right at the camera.
 



And this guy looking right at the camera..next shot he is gone!


Same with this guy. Never would stick around to get another shot.



Does a flash scare the deer? I guess the answer is yes and no. If you are hunting a giant trophy deer I know I would not put a camera in his bedroom. I would be more apt to put a cuddeback in there just because of what I have read and heard from other but my moulrie is not going in there.

Also, when placing these cameras use scent control and protection! I was talking to Superstar about this and he takes a lot of pictures of big deer and has had a lot of experience. Another thing he does is puts a lot of his cameras in bear safe boxes. Maybe this is also containg and noises better as well. I will let him chime in on this if he wishes.
 
Thats all for now..

[wildlifeminnesota]

I do agree with that deadeye........

I'd relate that to having more people in the woods from May-November, lots of hunters, hikers, kids, dogs, etc....... We push the deer around enough that they tend to be less spooked and have no choice but to tolerate more because they know that if they go over the next hill, there will be another possible confrontation. They know that the area they are in could be safer than the unknown type of thing.

Also, right now there is a lot less cover for them, corn is out, woods are bare from leaves and the escape paths are very limited. During the summer or fall, they know they have an escape path and will be more curious than they are now.

Not to mention the fact that the females are pregnant and getting ready to give birth in May or June, causing them to be a lot more cautious of there surroundings.

I'm no expert on the subject, it's only my observation and opinion.

I do agree with you on this. That is what this site is all about is are opinion and info and sharing thing to make this place on earth a better place for us all. This why I sill here and This is why MNO will be # 1 form.