David Petersen wrote: :shock:Great stuff, BT! But my vote for your best pic goes to the vertical bunny.

My own favorite trail cam pic is a mother bear lying on her back in a shallow spring pool while nursing one cub, and a second cub playing nearby. Another two-shot sequence shotw a “fat” bear approaching the same pool, and a very wet and suddenly very skinny bear emerging. And then there are the three mountain lions on an elk gutpile. A few years ago, I think it was Dr. Ashby who sent around a series of pictures taken over a metal stock tank down in TX, with every wild animal imaginable drinking from it, all night IR shots, with the punch line being several very thirsty illegal immigrants. Just wonderful photo tools, these cams, off season, though I feel strongly that if used to try and “improve” hunting they accomplish the opposite. We always must fight the urge to take shortcuts, as trad bowhunting is all about the increasingly rare joys of doing stuff the hard way, the old way, the utterly honorable way. Otherwise, I love them and have a second cam on the way.

But then, especially if using visual flash, are we innocently doing harm to the critters we love to photograph “nonconsumptively”? Good question that I’ve not yet allowed myself to think hard about. 😯

Keep the pictures coming, guys/gals, though we’re now seriously challenged to outdo these really great shots by Bucky, who got a big headstart on the rest of us.

I’m very new to the traditional game. Only one deer and a couple of armadillos under my belt with my recurve. But I love the woods and the creatures that reside there deeply!

I honestly love getting pictures of wildlife! It’s nice to know if there is a nice buck near the area I’m hunting, but I know that long before a picture is downloaded to my computer. Rubs lines and big tracks are usually the giveways.:wink:

Answering the flash question you are pondering, after years and years of getting pictures of game, I honestly don’t think it does them any harm. Deer are interesting creatures.

Each animal has his/her own personality and will react differently to a camera. Some deer are “hollywood” deer and seem to love the added attention and flash. They’ll stay there and burn a set of batteries on a camera.

Other deer are very shy. One picture and poof…. They’re gone.. Maybe a picture here and there and that is it..

Here are some interesting pics of 2 bucks, I’m guessing at the time were in the 2.5yr old range. I saw both that season and let both go about their business.

It’s a classic 2 bucks meeting one another and squaring off during the pre-rut sequence of pictures.

The more typical 8pt in the pictures stayed around for 2 more years and grew into a spectacular Ga buck. I’d only get pics of him in years after in the summer.

Me too Sean!!

Should find out next month if I was drawn or not for that hunt!

I’ve got a spot on the club that I’m ready to have a all day sit waiting on that bird to walk through with my recurve in hand.:wink: I might even make him gobble a time or two before I send an arrow over the top of his back..:D:D