- Feb 17, 2022
How Many Trail Cameras Do You Need?


Food
If you have deer and turkey on your property, they are going to have to eat each day. So, let’s first think about where these animals are feeding to help decide the number of cameras. If you plant food plots where you hunt, then consider at least one camera per plot to see when and what time animals are accessing this food source. If you have plots that are several acres in size where animals can enter at varies locations, then you might consider two or more cameras per plot. Likewise, if you are running feeders then consider one camera per feeder. Also keep in mind seasonal food sources, such as acorns, persimmons, fruit trees, agricultural fields, etc.? If these food sources are present on your property, then you’ll want to have a few cameras available to place when these spots start to pull in deer and other target species. The more property you have with seasonal food sources, then the more cameras you’ll need to monitor activity in and around them.
Water
Water is another daily resource that deer and turkey will need. If you have a pond, creek or some other type of water source on your property, then do some scouting and look for tracks and sign where animals are utilizing it to drink. In areas with the highest concentration of sign hang a camera to see when and what animals are coming and going.
Cover

Travel Corridors
Travel corridors can be difficult to locate in large, forested areas but easier to find in agricultural spaces. Either way, look for terrain or tree lines that connect bedding cover and feeding areas or water holes. Travel corridors can also be a saddle in a ridge that makes it easier to cross over. Use the interactive map feature in your Moultrie Mobile app to locate pinch points and treelines that connect two large blocks of cover as well. When you investigate these locations look for rubs, scrapes and trails. If there is good sign on any of these locations, then place a trail camera to see what’s passing through.
New Rubs and Scrapes

Mock Scrapes
Another great spot to capture deer activity is on mock scrapes. Create a mock scrape in travel corridors or feeding areas to entice local bucks to use it and mark their own territory. Mock scrapes can be created in late summer to get bucks using them early and often. Map out your property and choose a few top locations to try and get inventory on as many bucks as you can.
As you can see, there is no magic number to how many cameras you should use. However, think about how many acres you have, how many travel corridors are there and where are the deer moving to and from. Then place as many cameras as needed to map out a game plan to successfully harvest deer where you hunt.