Do you really need an infared camera?

[Tom2008]

This comes up a lot at work so I thought I would try to get an opinion on what you all have to say about IR and Flash. Personally I tell people that there is no point in spending the extra money if your not worried about anyone seeing the flash. The animals are definatley not spooked by it and I have proof of that. My record for pictures in one night is 220. Not one deer ran away. In fact I'm watching the flash go off right now and it has been for last 20 minutes. Yes infared can be useful in a situation if you have someone tresspassing on your land at night. Otherwise I don't see the point in spending the extra money. What are all of your thoughts on this issue?

[wtnhunt]

Do not nor have I ever had or used in IR cam. We get quite a few pics, and I have seen deer spook, and also seen deer not spook from flashes. Think it really depends on the deer, but for the most part dont think IR would be a selling point for me unless I was trying to catch trespassers.

[QDMAworks4me]

We have a few Moultrie I-40 cameras and I walked in front of it the other night to see what the deer see and it is a rectangle about 2 inches by four inches which flashes red. I think that a white flash camera would scare deer away (not everytimebut eventually), just think about it if it was really dark out and all the sudden you walk by the same tree it always gets really bright, I would stop walking by that tree. I knew where the camera was on the tree and I could hardly see it. I personally would not buy any camera except an infared, but that is just me

[NY_Bowhunter14]

i see no point in buying an IR camera, i have my Cuddeback set out not 20 yards from my house and the same 5 deer show up every single night... more than once a night too... i dont believe that the camera scares them, infact it scares me more than it does them...

[HuntingInMaine]

We have four cameras and one of them is IR. We get just as many pics on the three flash ones as we do on the IR one. I think the flash pics turn out better and we wouldn't waste the extra money on another IR.

[toddyboman]

This could be a topic just like whats better Chevy or Ford or Dodge.....

I too have lots of camera in the woods....and have watched the same deer come back time and time again and not be spooked from the flash.... I have also watched some deer spook from the flash....So I think it depends on the deer if they flash spooks them or not....

NOW lets talk about BUCKS.....mainly MATURE Bucks....I don't care about the size of his rack but those big ol bodied Mature Bucks that are OLD and WISE!!

How many get lots of pictures of MATURE bucks from the same camera site time and time again......
Personally I get a few Mature bucks on flash cameras....only a couple have came to the same spot time and time again....in my observation its a few pictures and then no more from that particualar site....SO I do think the MATURE Bucks remember that flash and avoid it


But again EACH deer is different and the flash effect him/her differntly

[wtnhunt]

How many get lots of pictures of MATURE bucks from the same camera site time and time again......

Only mature buck I have ever killed that I got trail cam pics of before was in 2003. That cam was a stealth cam, and I got a couple rolls of film where there was a good portion of pics of that deer on those rolls, probably in the neighborhood of 40-50 pics of that one deer over about a week and a half. All but one or two were at night, the flash did not seem to bother him one bit.

Really have not gotten all that many pics of mature bucks since then at that spot, most have been on trails around the rut, kind of inconclusive results.

[Tom2008]

I'm sure that Clay can speak for the flash not bothering some big bucks too often. Remember Leroy and the double drop tine buck? I remember him having tons of pictures of Leroy and tons of Double Drop that he didn't show till after he got the deer.

[toddyboman]

I'm sure that Clay can speak for the flash not bothering some big bucks too often. Remember Leroy and the double drop tine buck? I remember him having tons of pictures of Leroy and tons of Double Drop that he didn't show till after he got the deer.

Very True. Clay has posted several big mature bucks with his Leaf River cameras that have a regular flash.

nemodeerhuntersneighbor has posted LOTS of mature bucks lately too of regular flash cameras and mature bucks.

KMMT (Mike) has posted some big ol mature bucks with his cuddeback cameras.

Several members have posted pictures of bucks using flash cameras I know it happens but I would be curious to see a study on infrared vs regular flash cameras and Mature Deer

[kraabel2003]

switched to ir this year and Im getting alot more deer and big bucks with this camera, I have seen deer spook and not spook from a flash. Depends on deer.

[KTMMIKE]

Do not nor have I ever had or used in IR cam. We get quite a few pics, and I have seen deer spook, and also seen deer not spook from flashes. Think it really depends on the deer, but for the most part dont think IR would be a selling point for me unless I was trying to catch trespassers.

I pretty much agree with the above statement from William with the exception that I do use both IR cams and flash cams. The cool thing about IR cams is the option to do night vidoes. I really like that feature.

[Ripper]

switched to ir this year and Im getting alot more deer and big bucks with this camera, I have seen deer spook and not spook from a flash. Depends on deer.

This is to the point exactly. I too have seen deer spook and not spook. For those that spook, I prefer to have an IR. More importantly because I place my cameras near my hunting stands. For that one buck of 100 that spooks and never returns to that spot, I have swithed to IR.