Thanks for the welcome to this site. I did not place any cams out due to the distance of the area. It's a minimum 2 hour hike each way.
I do have a cam, and will get another one soon, Next year I will be better prepared and get them out early.
Regardless, I hit this area on opening weekend and I had my 14 year old son go with me to get him outdoors.
We left on Friday, the day before the opener. Hiked in and set up a small tent so forth. We scouted, and found promising signs. That evening we set up the trail cam around a water hole about 300 feet from where we pitched the tent.. Didn't see much activity.
Next morning I came across a good area, following a game trail. The dew on the ground lit the trail up in the early morning dawn. I found numerous fresh piles of deer crap. About mid day my son and I set about on making a blind with branches and shrubs with a shooting lane about 100 yds wide. Nothing cam through. I didn't get my tag filled. Got home forgot to look at the memory card.
I am currently on a project and working nights in Vegas. After working 12 hours I drove home on the 18th and prepared to go for an evening hunt.
I checked the card and had only one pic from the week before. It,s kind of hard to see, but it appears to be a mountain lion right up on my trail cam. This would explain some of the heavy footsteps I heard around the tent while trying to sleep on the eve before the opener. It may also explain why I didn't see a deer, just signs.
I have only been hunting for a few years and have not landed a buck yet. I will keep on trying.
Maybe I'm wrong.
