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The purpose of a trail camera is to detect motion and take pictures of an area when a person is not there to observe in person. Most of the time, the pictures are not too impressive. Occasionally, a great picture is captured, and many times the pictures are just plain funny.

To capture that rare great picture is the object of placing several cameras around and going out to check them, but it is more entertaining to see the pictures that make a person laugh.

Last year, we had a young four point buck that traveled the farm and could find a camera wherever it was placed. He seemed to love to have his picture taken. We would have a photo of him staring straight into the camera at one location and a half hour later, halfway across the farm he would be on another camera, striking the same pose. All fall, whenever we checked the cameras, we could count on at least one picture of him in any number of locations.

It makes for some interesting pictures when a deer is inches away from the lens. If it is at night, the next picture will be of the same deer twenty feet or so away looking back at the camera, wondering what that bright light was. If it is light enough the flash is not triggered, a person might have several pictures of parts of the same deer. One might show an ear, the next photo of a tongue, coming out to check the foreign object hanging on a tree.

One time I placed a camera on a wooden post at the edge of a timber. The deer trail crossed the fence a few feet away so I felt assured of some good pictures as deer prepared to jump the fence. The most interesting picture we got at that location was of two front legs and the belly of a deer as it jumped right over the top of the camera from behind it. It took a bit of study to figure out exactly what it was we were looking at.

One day when the snow was fairly deep, I noticed an area where the turkeys had been scratching down through the snow and the leaves in search of acorns. This would be a great place to get some turkey pictures. I went back to the house, picked up a camera and a coffee can full of corn. I spread the corn on the snow, set up the camera where I could get a good picture of them feeding, and went away to wait. A few days later I can back to check the results. The entire area was covered with turkey tracks so I knew I had some turkey pictures. Upon review, I did indeed get some good turkey pictures but several pictures showed a bob cat right in front of the camera, watching the turkeys. They were not seeing him at all, and it was probably my fault. I did not see any clues of the untimely demise of the turkey flock, but have never baited again. If the bob cat wants a turkey, he is going to have to play by fair chase rules, just like the rest of us.

On playing back the photos from any camera, I can count on at least one photo of the dogs running through the woods helping us, followed by a picture of my wife and I in the mule. Other than that, a person never can predict what the results might be on a trail camera. It is always interesting and a great way to enjoy the outdoors.[[In-content Ad]]

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