# Bullwinkle on CNF



## jbogg (Dec 20, 2020)

Pulled a camera last week that had been soaking for a month way back in on national forest. This rascal is causing me to lose sleep.


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Dec 20, 2020)

Awesome character!  What county, Jbogg?


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## NCHillbilly (Dec 20, 2020)

Man! That is a hoss, and very unique, too.


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## Thunder Head (Dec 20, 2020)

Holy mollie!


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## jbogg (Dec 20, 2020)

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> Awesome character!  What county, Jbogg?



I would have to look it up. I honestly have no idea what county I am in when I am hunting up there.


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## jbogg (Dec 20, 2020)

I knew there was a good deer in this area, but I never owned any cameras until this year. I put the cameras out in mid November and then kept waiting on the right conditions before I hunted that spot and before I knew it the rut was over. Hiked back in there for the first time in a month to pull the camera last week and couldn’t believe what I had on camera. Like Strotherswacker said, I’ve been wearing my boot out kicking my back side ever since.


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Dec 20, 2020)

jbogg said:


> I would have to look it up. I honestly have no idea what county I am in when I am hunting up there.



It's alright man, you don't have to share your secret with us.


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## Sautee Ridgerunner (Dec 20, 2020)

I put you on a buck. Dont you wanna be even stevens?


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## jbogg (Dec 20, 2020)

Sautee Ridgerunner said:


> I put you on a buck. Dont you wanna be even stevens?



Good point, and I appreciate that. He’s up on that mountain. Keep walking uphill until you get to those oak trees.  I’m afraid I can’t be any more specific.


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## mayoung (Dec 20, 2020)

Incredible mass! Did he visit several times through the month?


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## bany (Dec 20, 2020)

Oh man, what a mountain relic!!
Hey I know that spot! Ikidikid....maybe?
hey it’s your turn isn’t it? Or did I miss something this season?


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## Mr Bya Lungshot (Dec 20, 2020)

I guess you meant to hide him in the Bear forum till seasons over?


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## jbogg (Dec 20, 2020)

bany said:


> Oh man, what a mountain relic!!
> Hey I know that spot! Ikidikid....maybe?
> hey it’s your turn isn’t it? Or did I miss something this season?



You didn’t miss a thing. I fired a single warning shot a bear all season and ushered a nice eight point to Sautee Ridge runner. Other than that I feel like I did a lot of hiking.


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## jbogg (Dec 20, 2020)

mayoung said:


> Incredible mass! Did he visit several times through the month?





mayoung said:


> Incredible mass! Did he visit several times through the month?




He visited that scrape twice over a five day period at the end of November. Had the cameras on that scrape for 4 weeks, and in that time I got seven bucks on camera and not a single doe.  Here’s a front angle pic from his nighttime visit.


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## Buckman18 (Dec 20, 2020)

jbogg said:


> I would have to look it up. I honestly have no idea what county I am in when I am hunting up there.



Don't tell 'em! 

I'm thinking not even in GA??


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## Top of Georgia (Dec 20, 2020)

No telling were he went or where he came from and about kicking yourself if you would have been there he would't have been there been there done that killing a buck like that is like getting a limit of walleyes or grouse it can be done but everything got to go your way and he's got to fall in love but one thing about a pic makes you rub bare spots on your head


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## antharper (Dec 20, 2020)

What a buck !


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## Sautee Ridgerunner (Dec 20, 2020)

Thats something my cams are showing too Bogg. I get the same bucks every year but only for about two week periods and then gone and new bucks are in.  Mtn deers are weirdos. 

I only get bucks up there on my scrape cams but on my travel area cams Im betting my buck to doe ratio is 8-10:1


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## twoheartedale (Dec 20, 2020)

I think I know where that is. Thanks.


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## Doug B. (Dec 20, 2020)

jbogg said:


> Good point, and I appreciate that. He’s up on that mountain. Keep walking uphill until you get to those oak trees.  I’m afraid I can’t be any more specific.


That's almost as good as GPS coordinates.  Now we all know where he is ?. 

 I would like to see another picture of him with you holding his head up in the back of the truck!


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## splatek (Dec 20, 2020)

My mountain cam had the same thing
Two week burst then nothing


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## strothershwacker (Dec 20, 2020)

It's a hoss for sure. Every year we get giant deer that show up outta nowhere for a time or two then disappear. Camaras everywhere but no sign of those deer. As though they fell in a well somewhere. I've got a close friend who is an avid mtn hunter. We've had this conversation time and again. His boy kilt a giant old mountain buck on a brow last year chasing a doe. My buddy checked its stomach and to my surprise with acorns everywhere it had 2 acorns and the rest of his belly was full of laurel leaves! That got me to thinking. Most of these mountain bucks live in the laurel thickets on steep sides. I believe most of 'em bed bout halfway. Most of the year they get up and feed without ever leaving cover. They can eat bout anything really. A 4.5-7.5 year old buck is a completely different animal from all other deer. Theres a very small window of opportunity to kill 'em each year. Gotta make hay while the suns shining! Hope you get that rascal jbogg!


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## strothershwacker (Dec 20, 2020)

Notice how gray his snout is. I missed one like that at 23 yards this year after my arrow hit a small limb. I almost cried. All I could do is shake my head, thank God for the chance, nock another arrow & keep sitting.


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## Sautee Ridgerunner (Dec 20, 2020)

That surprises me about them eating laurel. A deer will starve to death with a belly full of that stuff. Very interesting.


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## jbogg (Dec 20, 2020)

strothershwacker said:


> It's a hoss for sure. Every year we get giant deer that show up outta nowhere for a time or two then disappear. Camaras everywhere but no sign of those deer. As though they fell in a well somewhere. I've got a close friend who is an avid mtn hunter. We've had this conversation time and again. His boy kilt a giant old mountain buck on a brow last year chasing a doe. My buddy checked its stomach and to my surprise with acorns everywhere it had 2 acorns and the rest of his belly was full of laurel leaves! That got me to thinking. Most of these mountain bucks live in the laurel thickets on steep sides. I believe most of 'em bed bout halfway. Most of the year they get up and feed without ever leaving cover. They can eat bout anything really. A 4.5-7.5 year old buck is a completely different animal from all other deer. Theres a very small window of opportunity to kill 'em each year. Gotta make hay while the suns shining! Hope you get that rascal jbogg!



That is amazing that his belly was full of laurel leaves during a year with an acorn bonanza.  A buddy of mine commented that the dark horns look like the deer is living in the shade of laurel on the north side of the mountain which is exactly where I got the pictures. They definitely become a different critter at that age.  I’m going to try to get up there at least for another day or two before the season ends on Saturday.


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## ddd-shooter (Dec 20, 2020)

I wouldn't tell a soul if he was even in this state! Lol at least not on here. I've got a few guys I'll share deer with because I know, there's no cheating a deer up on the mountain. If you get him, you earned him, whether it takes one trip or a hundred.

It's amazing how small of an area these big bucks live in and how rarely they ever leave a thicket. I'm convinced most of the time, they get up at two hours past dark, walk a thicket, feed till about two hours before daylight, and bed down. If it wasn't for the rut, I'd bet many would die of old age without ever seeing a human past 3.5 years old.

I hope you get him. Not much time left, but late season they do get hungry.
Man he's a stud. Wow. Thanks for sharing. I don't run cameras but gee whiz I love to see a mountain  buck on camera. I just can't see enough of them.


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## Sautee Ridgerunner (Dec 20, 2020)

Bogg likes inviting competition.


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## Professor (Dec 20, 2020)

Immature reindeer.


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## twoheartedale (Dec 20, 2020)

Sautee Ridgerunner said:


> Bogg likes inviting competition.


He loves his ovaltine.


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## Sautee Ridgerunner (Dec 20, 2020)

And, like me, he drives a dodge strattus.


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## Thunder Head (Dec 20, 2020)

Last year while trying to hack my way out of a new area. I found a absolutely giant hog track, in a small creek next to a big laurel thicket. There were a couple of white oaks that were raining acorns up on the hill. I went back the next morning and spent the whole day on the opposite slope. I could hear a pig poping acorns in the dark. Right about the time i could see him moving he bedded down. I sat there all day and never saw him again. I bumped him while trying to sneak out at dark. He switched zip codes i think.


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## Thunder Head (Dec 20, 2020)

I used to keep a camera in a river bottom at the base of the foothills. Every year i would get pictures of big bucks during the rut. Never had picks at any other time.

This one 2 years in a row. Never a daytime pic.


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## jbogg (Dec 20, 2020)

Thunder Head said:


> I used to keep a camera in a river bottom at the base of the foothills. Every year i would get pictures of big bucks during the rut. Never had picks at any other time.
> 
> This one 2 years in a row. Never a daytime pic.
> 
> View attachment 1056429



What a hoss!  He’s got cauliflower ear from fighting.


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## tree cutter 08 (Dec 20, 2020)

strothershwacker said:


> It's a hoss for sure. Every year we get giant deer that show up outta nowhere for a time or two then disappear. Camaras everywhere but no sign of those deer. As though they fell in a well somewhere. I've got a close friend who is an avid mtn hunter. We've had this conversation time and again. His boy kilt a giant old mountain buck on a brow last year chasing a doe. My buddy checked its stomach and to my surprise with acorns everywhere it had 2 acorns and the rest of his belly was full of laurel leaves! That got me to thinking. Most of these mountain bucks live in the laurel thickets on steep sides. I believe most of 'em bed bout halfway. Most of the year they get up and feed without ever leaving cover. They can eat bout anything really. A 4.5-7.5 year old buck is a completely different animal from all other deer. Theres a very small window of opportunity to kill 'em each year. Gotta make hay while the suns shining! Hope you get that rascal jbogg!


Well said. I always check to see what the bucks I kill have been eating. The old ones never have grass it's always laurel leaves with acorns if there's any. Lots of times it's straight laurel. Outside of the rut, these old bucks don't leave laurel thickets during the day. I'm convinced that some bucks won't even leave a thicket during the day during the rut. Almost got a shot on one a few weeks back as he ran a doe through a gap. The buck needed 2 more steps but instead he stopped his chase and turned back the way he came. Areas with huge vast country of laurel makes it near impossible to kill a old buck. Areas with more hardwoods and less laurel makes them a little easier to hunt . There's a switch that flips when they get 5+


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## bany (Dec 20, 2020)

They say deer spend their life in a 2 mile radius. I think at around 4 these guys are more like a 200 yard radius


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## tree cutter 08 (Dec 20, 2020)

Jbogg I'll be looking for a pic of this buck laying on the ground by the end of the week! Good luck!


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## Thunder Head (Dec 20, 2020)

I read a tracking study a few years ago. Although the mature bucks averaged a 2,000 acre home range. They spent the vast majority of their time in less than 40 acres. Seems like it was 80 or 90%


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## splatek (Dec 21, 2020)

This post is turning into another one of those gems in this forum: I had read in several places that Laurel and Rhodo was actually poisonous to whitetail. The only reason I even searched for articles on that was because I had seen a string of laurel in what seemed like perfect bedding area that looked like it had been browsed. The tip of the tiny branch where the leave extends from looking like the tip of a briar browse. I completely disregarded it, because it was the second day of the season and I was looking for the acorns that the bears were supposedly eating. 

The more I learn, the more I realize that these mountain deer, bucks in particular, will eat just about anything that is green or on a plant. 

@jbogg I really really hope you get this monarch (& cut open his stomach! You have to now!)


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## jbogg (Dec 21, 2020)

Mr Bya Lungshot said:


> I guess you meant to hide him in the Bear forum till seasons over?



That’s an interesting observation, but honestly I never thought twice about where to post this. The bear hunting forum probably needs to be renamed “Mountain Hunting”.  I’ve always said it’s the best little neighborhood on GON.


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## Professor (Dec 21, 2020)

jbogg said:


> That’s an interesting observation, but honestly I never thought twice about where to post this. The bear hunting forum probably needs to be renamed “Mountain Hunting”.  I’ve always said it’s the best little neighborhood on GON.


I agree. We need a mountain hunting forum, but then we already have one. My daughter thought it was weird I posted my buck in the bear forum and not the deer forum, but I explained it to her, and after that, she spent some time reading the threads and I think she understands now. This is a tight bunch of good people that understand how mountain hunting really is different from flat land hunting.


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## NCHillbilly (Dec 21, 2020)

splatek said:


> This post is turning into another one of those gems in this forum: I had read in several places that Laurel and Rhodo was actually poisonous to whitetail. The only reason I even searched for articles on that was because I had seen a string of laurel in what seemed like perfect bedding area that looked like it had been browsed. The tip of the tiny branch where the leave extends from looking like the tip of a briar browse. I completely disregarded it, because it was the second day of the season and I was looking for the acorns that the bears were supposedly eating.
> 
> The more I learn, the more I realize that these mountain deer, bucks in particular, will eat just about anything that is green or on a plant.
> 
> @jbogg I really really hope you get this monarch (& cut open his stomach! You have to now!)


I killed one once that was full of white pine tips. They love buffalo nut and hearts-a-bustin' twigs, too.


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## chrislibby88 (Dec 21, 2020)

jbogg said:


> He visited that scrape twice over a five day period at the end of November. Had the cameras on that scrape for 4 weeks, and in that time I got seven bucks on camera and not a single doe.  Here’s a front angle pic from his nighttime visit.
> View attachment 1056391


Man I would go ahead and mark that week off for next year and be waiting on him, and even if he doesn’t live through it sounds like a real buck hole and I’m sure another monster will visit.


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## chrislibby88 (Dec 21, 2020)

NCHillbilly said:


> I killed one once that was full of white pine tips. They love buffalo nut and hearts-a-bustin' twigs, too.


Yea I feel like those old deer learn to avoid the heavily hunted food sources in daylight and would rather eat pine cones while the sun is shining than get caught out under an oak tree with the does and young deer.


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## Sautee Ridgerunner (Dec 21, 2020)

Ive never spent any time worrying about it until now but Ive known of a bunch of deer getting killed on the exact dates they did similar things the previous year. I think that definitely needs testing here. 

The collar studies lately are showing moon, weather, etc have little to no impact on deer movement, but photoperiod does and it does not change year to year.


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## Cwb19 (Dec 21, 2020)

Beautiful buck jbogg hope you get him love the palmation


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## Raylander (Dec 22, 2020)

That’s a serious buck @jbogg i hope you kill him


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## goshenmountainman (Dec 22, 2020)

I have had several bucks that you could set a clock to, that showed up every year on the exact week. I have had one that has shown up the last six years in a row and I have never figured out where he spends his summer or early fall. He has shown up every year the week of Dec. 12, he reminds me of the one on this post but he is different. He came last year and I got him on cam for a week and he hasn't shown this year, I think he may have gone to see his maker. No one has taken him because everyone around would have heard about it, I don't share pics with many but I showed it to Treecutter a few years back thinking maybe he might get it to. To my knowledge nobody else has ever gotten a pic of him. I put alot of miles in looking for that sucker in the last four years and never laid eyes on him, ever! Had 24 cameras out last year scattered over about a 5 mile square that I knew that sucker had to be in and never got a pic, I did get a number of other ones though and plenty of bear.  Another one came along last year with three beams and I am waiting on his return now, he showed up Christmas day! I have already tagged out and my son has to, so we will just enjoy his pics if he shows up.


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## ddd-shooter (Dec 22, 2020)

jbogg said:


> Pulled a camera last week that had been soaking for a month way back in on national forest. This rascal is causing me to lose sleep.
> View attachment 1056355View attachment 1056356View attachment 1056357


Just realized these are movies. Would love to see the clips on YouTube if that’s even possible! Just saying...lol


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## jbogg (Dec 22, 2020)

goshenmountainman said:


> I have had several bucks that you could set a clock to, that showed up every year on the exact week. I have had one that has shown up the last six years in a row and I have never figured out where he spends his summer or early fall. He has shown up every year the week of Dec. 12, he reminds me of the one on this post but he is different. He came last year and I got him on cam for a week and he hasn't shown this year, I think he may have gone to see his maker. No one has taken him because everyone around would have heard about it, I don't share pics with many but I showed it to Treecutter a few years back thinking maybe he might get it to. To my knowledge nobody else has ever gotten a pic of him. I put alot of miles in looking for that sucker in the last four years and never laid eyes on him, ever! Had 24 cameras out last year scattered over about a 5 mile square that I knew that sucker had to be in and never got a pic, I did get a number of other ones though and plenty of bear.  Another one came along last year with three beams and I am waiting on his return now, he showed up Christmas day! I have already tagged out and my son has to, so we will just enjoy his pics if he shows up.



Hearing your experience is Interesting, and a dose of reality. I am going to invest in some cell cameras after the holidays to see if I can narrow down this bucks  core area.  That said, there is no way I will spend the money on more than five or six cameras so there’s probably got to be some luck involved if I am to find where this one is spending most of his time.  On one hand I don’t want to get completely wrapped up in trying to find just one deer, but man I would love to just lay eyes on him in person one day.


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## jbogg (Dec 22, 2020)

ddd-shooter said:


> Just realized these are movies. Would love to see the clips on YouTube if that’s even possible! Just saying...lol



 I have never been able to figure out how to post a video on here, otherwise I would be happy to.


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## Mr Bya Lungshot (Dec 22, 2020)

jbogg said:


> I have never been able to figure out how to post a video on here, otherwise I would be happy to.


@mguthrie says you need a YouTube account.


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## goshenmountainman (Dec 22, 2020)

jbogg said:


> Hearing your experience is Interesting, and a dose of reality. I am going to invest in some cell cameras after the holidays to see if I can narrow down this bucks  core area.  That said, there is no way I will spend the money on more than five or six cameras so there’s probably got to be some luck involved if I am to find where this one is spending most of his time.  On one hand I don’t want to get completely wrapped up in trying to find just one deer, but man I would love to just lay eyes on him in person one day.


Hunting for that deer has filled my tags every year, even though I never saw him I always found other bucks to hunt. Most of my cams are cheap 28.00 tasco cams from walmart, you loose a few to bears, not to bad on your pocket and they are clear enough to see what your looking at and batteries last about 6 months. Just getting in to the cell cam thing.


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## chrislibby88 (Dec 23, 2020)

Man those deer could be coming from 10 miles away to hit that scrape or they could be living less than a quarter mile from the cams in the most unsuspecting spot, or tucked up in a bluff with no way to get to them. Those old deer get old for a reason, cause nobody can find or figure them out, and they stay nocturnal until that one week in the rut where they have to get out and look for the next doe.

I would be out the week you got pictures of him next year. I would bet money that something unchanging is making that deer move in daylight during that particular week. And if you don’t find him next year I’m sure other bucks are gonna be on their feet for the same reason he was.


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## Sautee Ridgerunner (Dec 23, 2020)

I went from a few mtn cams to more and more and more. I learned so much this year by leaving them out in spots all season. Think I have 11 now but several of those were on a middle ga deer lease. Ill probably have 10 or so in CNF next season. Im running the wildgame terras and theyre extremely reliable and very cheap. 

I bought two wal mart tascos. Neither worked out of the box but I understand they changed some things and are solid cams now. I have some buddies using them this year. They take great pics.


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## Thunder Head (Dec 24, 2020)

jbogg,
 Do you check your videos in the woods?


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## jbogg (Dec 24, 2020)

Thunder Head said:


> jbogg,
> Do you check your videos in the woods?



I do, but several of my spots are so far back in It’s a half a day commitment to go check just one camera. Really hoping to pick up several of those tactacam reveal’s if they ever come back in stock.


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## Mountainbuck (Dec 24, 2020)

jbogg said:


> I do, but several of my spots are so far back in It’s a half a day commitment to go check just one camera. Really hoping to pick up several of those tactacam reveal’s if they ever come back in stock.


Wonder how great the service has to be for the cell cam to work properly? A lot of places I hunt has no service.


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## jbogg (Dec 24, 2020)

Mountainbuck said:


> Wonder how great the service has to be for the cell cam to work properly? A lot of places I hunt has no service.



 That’s the main reason I have held off on buying some until now. I know of several folks that are now using cell cameras up in that country. I think they have built several new cell towers in the past couple of years so service is much better


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## Thunder Head (Dec 24, 2020)

How do you watch the videos in the woods?

If i hunt on the very top of the ridge in one area. I have better signal than i do sitting on my couch in town.


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## splatek (Dec 24, 2020)

You have to be strategic where you place those cell cams in the hills. Test before leaving. Trust me I learned that the hard way.


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## chrislibby88 (Dec 24, 2020)

Mountainbuck said:


> Wonder how great the service has to be for the cell cam to work properly? A lot of places I hunt has no service.


I usually have good service once I’m on the tops of ridges. The mountains usually block service down in the valleys and drainages though. They should work fine up in saddles and high benches.


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## Sautee Ridgerunner (Dec 24, 2020)

Totally depends where you are. Tons of places have zero service no matter how high you are. I just use one of those moultrie card readers that plugs into my phone. Its the size of a matchbook


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