Trail Cameras

Category: gear-optics
Topic keys: trail-cameras, trail-camera, cell-cameras

Current guidance

As of 2026-06-28, the most recent claim on this subject.

The show’s recent guidance centers on deploying trail cameras around July 1, a date Don calls traditional for him and Terry because bucks put out earlier aren’t developed enough to judge accurately, though Don also admitted he deployed some early this season simply for the enjoyment of getting outdoors. Don runs a large cellular network (55 cameras, 22 cellular) across multiple properties, and Terry expects around 57 across three states. Don only seriously hunts a property once camera photos confirm a shooter buck is present. He notes mature bucks often avoid a camera after one detection, yielding just a single photo before they stop returning. He continues favoring Reconyx, saying no other brand comes close in side-by-side picture counts, while also recommending WiseEye as a comparable option this year.

How the guidance evolved (most recent 120 of 384)

• 2023-11-05 Don observed more midday deer movement on his trail cameras yesterday than he had ever seen in a single midday period. 1:35 — Episode #194 - 2nd Target Buck Harvested by Special Guest
• 2023-11-12 Don runs cell trail cameras across three states — Iowa, Illinois, and Ohio — to track deer movement. 3:11 — Episode #195 - Wes Delks Shoots a Giant and Crossbow Controversy
• 2023-11-12 Don’s cameras showed activity shutting off around 8am with no midday movement and no mature buck movement for several days during the lockdown phase. 3:28 — Episode #195 - Wes Delks Shoots a Giant and Crossbow Controversy
• 2023-11-26 Don said his trail cameras show a lot of mature buck cruising activity in the days right after the rut peak. 20:52 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
• 2023-11-26 Don noted some hunters consider trail cameras unethical, yet he uses them himself, showing that ethical standards vary among hunters. 44:32 — Episode #197 - Don’s Grandson Kills His First Buck!
• 2023-12-03 Don’s buck reappeared on trail cameras on two outlying properties after being missing during the rut. 16:29 — Episode 198 - Buck Traveling Long Distances After The Rut
• 2023-12-03 Terry recalled that Don previously experienced a buck named Trump traveling a long distance from home. 23:34 — Episode 198 - Buck Traveling Long Distances After The Rut
• 2023-12-03 Terry described the returning buck’s distinctive unique left beam with a G5, making it unmistakable in photos. 28:08 — Episode 198 - Buck Traveling Long Distances After The Rut
• 2023-12-17 Don says that when he has hunting permission on a property, he’ll deploy enough trail cameras to eventually identify every buck living there. 57:07 — Episode 200 - Journey to 200
• 2024-01-21 Don announced a friend’s company is developing a new trail camera aimed at beating Reconyx on both performance and price, rather than competing on cheapness. 8:45 — Ep. 204 - Hinge Cutting - Don Critiques Specific Projects
• 2024-01-21 Don said he visited the new camera company’s factory, which employs more than 50 people including former military and former NASA engineers. 9:20 — Ep. 204 - Hinge Cutting - Don Critiques Specific Projects
• 2024-01-28 Don pulled two trail cameras left out all year, one with over 25,000 photos on a rope scrape and another with over 17,000 photos near pear trees. 27:01 — Ep# 205 - Don shares trail camera pictures from 2023
• 2024-01-28 Don recommends Reconyx as the best on the market for missing the fewest pictures, despite not being sponsored by the company. 45:15 — Ep# 205 - Don shares trail camera pictures from 2023
• 2024-01-28 Don argues cheaper trail cameras end up costing more long-term since dividing a camera’s lifespan by its cost makes the pricier option actually cheapest. 47:16 — Ep# 205 - Don shares trail camera pictures from 2023
• 2024-02-11 Don has 12 Reconyx cell cameras across properties in Ohio, Illinois, and Iowa, and the single camera on the new Ohio property produces more pictures than the other eleven combined. 39:50 — Episode #207 - Was Don a Hippie?
• 2024-05-05 Don advised that hunters targeting five- and six-year-old bucks should already be noticing those deer standing out at age three. 29:25 — Episode #219 - The Most Important Aspect of Hunting Whitetails
• 2024-05-05 Don explained that quality cameras matter because they can sit soaking on a property for an entire season without being checked, avoiding human intrusion, while still confirming they worked the whole time. 38:04 — Episode #219 - The Most Important Aspect of Hunting Whitetails
• 2024-06-09 Don noted an out-of-state client’s buck was already starting its G4 points in the first week of June, unusually advanced growth. 12:18 — Episode 225 - Big Antlers this Spring Mean Big Decisions this Fall!
• 2024-06-09 Terry recommended waiting until around July 4 to put out trail cameras rather than pressuring properties with early scouting. 18:05 — Episode 225 - Big Antlers this Spring Mean Big Decisions this Fall!
• 2024-06-09 Don noted trail cameras both contribute to losing big bucks and help hunters avoid pressuring their properties since users tend to stay away otherwise. 18:30 — Episode 225 - Big Antlers this Spring Mean Big Decisions this Fall!
• 2024-06-16 Don asserts there is a genuine market for premium, reliable trail cameras despite the industry’s race-to-the-bottom pricing trend. 33:40 — Ep. #226 - Mineral Site Placement and Predator Activity Special Memories of Fathers on Father’s Day
• 2024-06-30 Terry announces that trail camera deployment season is about to begin for the show’s traditional July 4 week. 0:38 — Episode 228 - Is Iowa Really the Best State?
• 2024-06-30 Don usually waits until July 1 to deploy trail cameras but got an early start this week because of his packed schedule. 1:20 — Episode 228 - Is Iowa Really the Best State?
• 2024-06-30 Don closes the episode saying he’s going to go put a couple more trail cameras out. 64:34 — Episode 228 - Is Iowa Really the Best State?
• 2024-07-07 Don has already put up about 25 trail cameras this week as he begins summer camera season. 1:01 — Episode #229 - Final Thoughts on the Buck Named Babe and Cameras are Out!
• 2024-07-07 Terry and two companions hung 28 trail cameras across seven Illinois properties in a single day. 7:21 — Episode #229 - Final Thoughts on the Buck Named Babe and Cameras are Out!
• 2024-07-07 Terry found external battery packs on his trail cameras worked really well last year, so he used many more of them this season. 8:14 — Episode #229 - Final Thoughts on the Buck Named Babe and Cameras are Out!
• 2024-07-07 Terry set up a cell camera and a no-shooting-across-property-lines sign facing a neighbor’s tree stand built right on his property boundary. 57:08 — Episode #229 - Final Thoughts on the Buck Named Babe and Cameras are Out!
• 2024-07-14 Don drove to Iowa and set up a trail camera, hauling a deer block and camera gear through crops and thick cover. 0:50 — Episode 230 - Don says Switchgrass is not the best bedding.
• 2024-07-21 Don reported an unusually high number of fawns this year, both on his trail cameras and around his house. 10:01 — Episode #231 - Timing is Key: When to Plant Fall Plots
• 2024-08-18 Don plans to pick up his grandson Walker and spend the visit checking trail cameras he hasn’t looked at yet. 61:34 — Episode #235 - Is EHD Back in 2024? Bucks Dead in Indiana!
• 2024-09-01 Terry announces the episode will cover moving trail cameras, fall food plots, and seven listener questions. 0:37 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• 2024-09-01 Don observes it becomes more evident every year that bucks are avoiding cell cameras. 10:43 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• 2024-09-01 Don says he has not gotten a single good picture of a good buck from any of his 12 cell cameras this summer. 10:57 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• 2024-09-01 Don states he believes deer can detect cell cameras based on his own experience. 13:06 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• 2024-09-01 Don states he knows without doubt that deer can see the infrared flash of regular non-cell trail cameras. 13:48 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• 2024-09-01 Don describes deer activity stopping suddenly at a hidden spot once he swapped in a cell camera. 14:24 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• 2024-09-01 Don plans to stop using cell cameras on his home farm after this year to further improve his hunting property. 14:35 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• 2024-09-01 Don predicts more listeners will agree that deer can detect cell cameras than disagree. 18:14 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• 2024-09-01 Patrick has long claimed deer can detect cell cameras, and Terry, who used to laugh it off, now thinks Patrick might be right. 18:36 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• 2024-09-01 After switching a proven licking-branch location to a cell camera this year, Don got no good buck pictures there despite years of success with a hidden non-cell camera. 19:27 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• 2024-09-01 Don theorizes that a cell camera itself may act like continual intrusion that deer detect and dislike. 19:52 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• 2024-09-01 Terry admits the cell-camera detection idea is just an unprovable theory with no way to confirm right or wrong. 20:24 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• 2024-09-01 Don says every good buck picture he’s gotten this summer has come from non-cell cameras. 20:32 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• 2024-09-01 Don’s goal is to move his cameras to fall range areas before the bucks themselves shift from summer to fall range. 22:38 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• 2024-09-01 Don says his best buck photos this summer came from a grass waterway with corn on both sides, using a camera staked in the open. 41:01 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• 2024-09-01 Don says he genuinely hopes deer can detect cell cameras, since that would take away a technological advantage over hunters. 64:11 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• 2024-09-01 Don plans to spend his post-travel time searching for deer, moving and checking cameras that haven’t been checked in a while. 65:12 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• 2024-09-08 Don noted he gets far fewer trail-camera photos of certain bucks on cell cameras than on non-cell cameras and wonders whether bucks can somehow detect cell cameras. 1:39 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
• 2024-09-08 Listeners privately told Don that switching a location from a cell camera to a non-cell camera, or vice versa, suddenly changed whether they captured photos of the bucks using that spot. 2:31 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
• 2024-09-08 Terry said he will keep running cell cameras in Kentucky where he uses feed and mineral, despite the concerns raised about cell cameras. 5:00 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
• 2024-09-08 Don said he will never place a cell camera in bedding cover where he expects a mature buck to bed, to avoid running the buck off. 5:39 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
• 2024-09-08 Don plans to keep using cell cameras specifically to monitor for trespassers and dogs so he can address problems instantly. 6:01 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
• 2024-09-08 Don said years of trail-camera history watching a buck grow up are critical to eventually killing that buck once it becomes a mature target. 7:16 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
• 2024-09-08 Don explained he already knows where to hunt on his property and only needs cameras to confirm the target buck is using the area during the right time frame. 7:35 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
• 2024-09-16 Tim Heath found several dead deer in Logan County, Illinois, including one captured on trail camera video looking visibly sick from EHD. 8:29 — Episode #239 - EHD Is Closing in on Don’s Farm!
• 2024-09-16 Don shared his observation that he gets fewer mature buck pictures from cell cameras than from non-cellular trail cameras. 19:05 — Episode #239 - EHD Is Closing in on Don’s Farm!
• 2024-09-16 Don reported that after listener feedback on cell cameras deterring mature bucks, roughly 75% agreed with his observation and 25% disagreed. 19:46 — Episode #239 - EHD Is Closing in on Don’s Farm!
• 2024-09-22 Don is worried he hasn’t seen his number-one target buck or another buck on camera in ten days to two weeks amid EHD concerns. 1:33 — Episode #240 - If Don Was DNR, How He Would Make Illinois Better Than Iowa
• 2024-09-22 Don would run trail cameras on all five public-land areas and hunt whichever one holds the biggest buck rather than avoiding pressure. 41:25 — Episode #240 - If Don Was DNR, How He Would Make Illinois Better Than Iowa
• 2024-09-29 Terry has only gotten trail-camera pictures of fawns over the last three weeks, with no bucks or mature does showing up. 4:34 — Podcast #241 - Don’s Target Buck Revealed - Non-Typical Giant!
• 2024-09-29 Terry is alarmed that coyote pictures on that camera have increased exponentially at the same time deer pictures have dropped off. 4:42 — Podcast #241 - Don’s Target Buck Revealed - Non-Typical Giant!
• 2024-09-29 Don got a poor-quality trail-camera photo early one morning that was still good enough to confirm it was the buck he wants to target this year. 7:00 — Podcast #241 - Don’s Target Buck Revealed - Non-Typical Giant!
• 2024-09-29 Don says most out-of-the-way spots he checks with trail cameras won’t turn up the caliber of mature buck he’s actually looking for. 54:51 — Podcast #241 - Don’s Target Buck Revealed - Non-Typical Giant!
• 2024-10-20 Don said trail camera photos showed a group of young coyotes chasing deer, which explained why deer he saw were spooked and running. 9:21 — Episode #244 - October Lull? Don and Terry See Bucks Moving in Mid October
• 2024-11-03 Don says his cell cameras showed a sharp drop in deer activity during a three-day warm spell, with far fewer photos to delete than usual. 3:24 — Episode #246 - Don Says - Best November Hunting in 50 Years
• 2024-11-03 Don says that running trail cameras starting July 1 is personally as exciting to him as hunting itself. 51:36 — Episode #246 - Don Says - Best November Hunting in 50 Years
• 2024-11-24 Don relayed that Roger once told him a mature buck will walk a hundred yards out of his way to use an open gate rather than jump a fence. 59:42 — Episode #249 - Another Big Archery Buck! Terry Peer and Don Higgins Discuss
• 2024-11-24 Don noted that despite seeing deer and scrapes in his yard almost daily, he has never once seen a buck there in daylight. 60:51 — Episode #249 - Another Big Archery Buck! Terry Peer and Don Higgins Discuss
• 2024-12-08 Joe saw sixteen different bucks come through his Kansas funnel setup this season but never the specific target buck he had pictures of. 23:54 — Episode #251 - Update on Don & Joe Miles Kills 2 Giant Mexico Bucks!
• 2024-12-29 Don runs 12 Reconyx cell cameras, and one particular location consistently produces more pictures than the other eleven combined. 25:21 — Episode #254 - Don Improving Cell Cameral Locations, No-Till Food Plots, and Winter Habitat Projects
• 2024-12-29 Don clarifies that mature bucks still show up on cell cameras, just less frequently than on non-cellular cameras at the same spot. 24:38 — Episode #254 - Don Improving Cell Cameral Locations, No-Till Food Plots, and Winter Habitat Projects
• 2025-02-09 Don invites the caller who criticized his trail camera use to come debate him live at the Thursday podcast. 30:54 — Episode #259 Apple Tree Spacing in Deer Plots
• 2025-03-10 Terry announces that Harold is donating four DC2 trail cameras to be given away to Chasing Giants fans over the trade-show weekend. 6:38 — Episode #263 - Live from the Iowa Deer Classic
• 2025-03-10 Terry announces Harold Monk is donating a DC2 cellular trail camera and SD card to the winner of the best-question contest. 58:59 — Episode #263 - Live from the Iowa Deer Classic
• 2025-03-16 Don nearly lost a trail camera to the flames and retrieved it from a burning pine tree. 3:23 — Episode #264 - Big Rope Scrapes and Big Bucks!
• 2025-03-16 Don is testing WiseEye trail cameras and was very impressed with the accompanying software after a lesson at the Iowa show. 55:56 — Episode #264 - Big Rope Scrapes and Big Bucks!
• 2025-03-30 Don said he’s anxious to get his trail cameras out again even though that season is still months away. 62:56 — Episode #266 Making a Good Stand a Great Stand
• 2025-04-06 Don plans to set up a rope scrape with a hidden trail camera in front of the new blind. 17:43 — Episode #267 - Spring Whitetail Habitat Projects - Is it Go Time?
• 2025-05-18 Terry plans to get his trail cameras and battery packs ready to deploy by the July 4 weekend. 57:44 — Episode #273 - Clover Maintenance and Spring Planting
• 2025-05-25 Don plans to get his trail cameras out over the Fourth of July holiday. 0:35 — #274 - Soil Health: The Foundation of Successful Food Plotting
• 2025-05-25 Don says he only seriously hunts a property once trail camera photos confirm a shooter buck is using it. 53:55 — #274 - Soil Health: The Foundation of Successful Food Plotting
• 2025-06-29 Terry has his out-of-state trail cameras configured to send an immediate notification whenever a person or vehicle appears in the frame. 22:36 — #279 - Live Hot Seat! Don Higgins Faces Tough Questions from Dealers | 2025 RWWP Summit
• 2025-07-06 Terry noted that July 4th weekend marks the start of trail camera deployment for hunters. 7:32 — Episode 280 - Trail Cams, Big Cats, and Camo Drops | Special Guest Joe Miles
• 2025-07-06 Joe planned to spend all of next Saturday and Sunday deploying the rest of his cameras in the swamp to locate a target buck. 8:32 — Episode 280 - Trail Cams, Big Cats, and Camo Drops | Special Guest Joe Miles
• 2025-07-06 Don said July is his favorite month, when he starts putting cameras out around July 1 to gather early intel on deer. 9:38 — Episode 280 - Trail Cams, Big Cats, and Camo Drops | Special Guest Joe Miles
• 2025-07-13 Don noted that this season is his forty-eighth using trail cameras, which he has run continuously since they first came out. 6:36 — Episode #281 - How Don Tracks Giant Bucks Years in Advance
• 2025-07-13 Don reported deploying about 31 of his planned trail cameras during the first five days of July, with roughly 25 more left to place. 2:56 — Episode #281 - How Don Tracks Giant Bucks Years in Advance
• 2025-07-13 Don has discovered through years of camera use that bachelor groups return to the same general areas year after year. 6:40 — Episode #281 - How Don Tracks Giant Bucks Years in Advance
• 2025-07-13 Don plans to seek hunting permission on a property located roughly halfway between two trail-camera locations 4.5 miles apart to intercept a young buck he is tracking. 11:24 — Episode #281 - How Don Tracks Giant Bucks Years in Advance
• 2025-07-13 Don recalled trail-camera photos of a mother and small child hauling a wheelbarrow to steal turnips from his food plot on Christmas Day at noon. 28:54 — Episode #281 - How Don Tracks Giant Bucks Years in Advance
• 2025-07-13 Don closed by urging listeners to get trail cameras out, finalize fall food plot plans, handle weeds, and start practicing with their bows before season arrives. 62:14 — Episode #281 - How Don Tracks Giant Bucks Years in Advance
• 2025-07-20 Don said in side-by-side testing no other trail camera brand has come close to getting even half as many pictures as Reconyx. 18:34 — Thermal Drones, Trail Cameras & Big Buck Strategies | Chasing Giants Podcast #282
• 2025-07-20 Don bought three more WiseEye cameras after impressive side-by-side testing, bringing his total to five. 19:37 — Thermal Drones, Trail Cameras & Big Buck Strategies | Chasing Giants Podcast #282
• 2025-07-27 Don explains the famous Smokey trail-camera video was captured on an Exodus camera back in 2017 when Exodus was still in business. 32:37 — Episode #283 “Best Corn Ever? Don & Terry Reveal 2025 Plot Results + Fall Food Plot Timing Tips”
• 2025-08-31 Don checked several trail cameras on Labor Day weekend before recording to confirm predictions he’d already formed about the season. 0:51 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks
• 2025-08-31 Don observed on his cameras that only one buck had shed velvet so far, which he called about typical for the date. 2:04 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks
• 2025-08-31 Don said he has 55 trail cameras deployed and plans to move about a dozen of them in the next few days. 10:52 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks
• 2025-08-31 Don said he had more bucks on his farm this summer than ever before, unlike typical years when bucks don’t summer there. 24:41 — #288 2025 Buck Forecast: EHD Devastation, Trail Cam Insights & Hard Truths About Trophy Bucks
• 2025-09-07 Terry plans to move trail cameras on his drive back to Kentucky after the Saturday retreat session. 18:52 — Deer Velvet Shedding & Fall Buck Shifts: Don Higgins Responds to Rumors | Chasing Giants Ep. 289
• 2025-09-28 Terry hung trail cameras on the Kentucky timber property and already got pictures of a decent buck. 7:38 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
• 2025-09-28 Terry says a heavy-bodied buck on trail camera at his place needs to be culled. 19:04 — #292 - Public Land Busts, Big Timber Dreams, & Target Bucks
• 2025-10-19 During the hot spell Don’s trail cameras captured only about 80-90 photos overnight, roughly 20% of what a normal night produces. 6:31 — The Magic of Late October | Cold Fronts, Big Bucks & Character in the Woods | Chasing Giants #295
• 2025-11-02 Don runs 55 trail cameras, 22 of them cellular, monitoring numerous properties every day to track deer activity. 7:16 — Barometer Secrets & Rut Forecast for Early November! | Chasing Giants 297
• 2025-11-09 Don’s trail cameras captured fewer overnight deer photos on the unusually warm night than any night in at least two weeks. 4:01 — The Weirdest Rut Ever: Warm Temps, Barometers, and Big Bucks | Chasing Giants Ep #298
• 2025-11-23 Don’s trail cameras showed more daylight buck activity on November 18th and 19th than any other dates this season. 7:10 — EPISODE 300! Don Changes His Mind on the Rut + Drone Debate Heats Up!
• 2025-12-07 Don reports his trail cameras are now getting more than double the pictures they were getting during the rut. 26:32 — Late Season EXPLOSION! Why Giants Are Falling Everywhere | Chasing Giants #302
• 2025-12-14 Don recounts checking his own trail camera photos and confirming the deer a listener shot was the same buck he had mentioned, which had covered significant territory. 38:15 — Episode 303 – Late-Season Deer Movement, Winter Food Strategy & The Future of Big Bucks
• 2025-12-21 Don recommended the WiseEye trail camera, saying it has proven itself as a Reconyx-comparable option this year. 31:10 — When Managing Deer Means Saying NO to Giants | Chasing Giants Podcast #304
• 2026-02-15 Don recounted that a person who photographed him on a public-land trail camera got upset and stole his tree stand and made false allegations to a conservation officer. 42:23 — CWD, One-Buck Limits & The Truth About NDA | Chasing Giants 312
• 2026-03-01 Terry and Don pulled about 22 stands and 30 cell cameras in Illinois. 15:02 — Doubting Thomas, Dealer Event & BIG Scrape Magnet News | Chasing Giants Podcast 314
• 2026-03-01 Don found about five sheds while pulling 23 cameras the previous day. 15:13 — Doubting Thomas, Dealer Event & BIG Scrape Magnet News | Chasing Giants Podcast 314
• 2026-03-29 A client on Don’s northern-most property this trip had captured 22 different bears on a single trail camera. 3:45 — INSANE Bedding Cover + 22 Bears on Camera?! | Chasing Giants #318
• 2026-03-29 Don keeps a handful of trail cameras running year-round on his farm mainly to watch for trespassers and monitor dogs. 38:09 — INSANE Bedding Cover + 22 Bears on Camera?! | Chasing Giants #318
• 2026-05-24 Don observed on trail camera that a younger buck was already forking its G3 tines while an older buck with large bases had barely started brow tines. 21:26 — Why Mature Bucks Go Nocturnal | Chasing Giants Podcast 326
• 2026-06-14 Don notes July 1 is the traditional date he and Terry have always promoted for getting trail cameras out. 8:45 — #329 | Why Don Higgins Gets More Excited About July Than Opening Day
• 2026-06-28 Don explains they promote July 1 for trail cameras because bucks put out earlier aren’t developed enough to judge accurately. 1:05 — Making Good Tree Stands GREAT | Don Higgins’ Best Habitat Tricks + Doubting Thomas Premiere
• 2026-06-28 Don says he had so much negativity in his life recently that he needed to get outdoors and deploy cameras early for enjoyment. 1:32 — Making Good Tree Stands GREAT | Don Higgins’ Best Habitat Tricks + Doubting Thomas Premiere
• 2026-06-28 Don notes mature bucks often avoid cameras once they detect them, so he only gets one photo before they stop returning. 1:59 — Making Good Tree Stands GREAT | Don Higgins’ Best Habitat Tricks + Doubting Thomas Premiere
• 2026-06-28 Terry says he expects to run 57 trail cameras this year across three states. 18:36 — Making Good Tree Stands GREAT | Don Higgins’ Best Habitat Tricks + Doubting Thomas Premiere

Contradictions & open questions

Places where the show’s advice on this subject appears to disagree with itself, either between speakers or over time. Both claims are shown as they were said, with dates. Nothing here is resolved — which one applies is the reader’s call, and the owners’.

• Guidance may have changed: Don states he believes deer can detect cell cameras from his own experience, while Terry in the same episode calls the same idea an unprovable theory with no way to confirm.
  • 2024-09-01 Don states he believes deer can detect cell cameras based on his own experience. 13:06 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
  • 2024-09-01 Terry admits the cell-camera detection idea is just an unprovable theory with no way to confirm right or wrong. 20:24 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
• Guidance may have changed: Don plans to stop using cell cameras on his home farm entirely, while also planning to keep using cell cameras there specifically to monitor trespassers and dogs.
  • 2024-09-01 Don plans to stop using cell cameras on his home farm after this year to further improve his hunting property. 14:35 — Episode 237 - Cell Camera Spooking Mature Deer? Don Thinks Maybe So…
  • 2024-09-08 Don plans to keep using cell cameras specifically to monitor for trespassers and dogs so he can address problems instantly. 6:01 — Episode 238 - 2024 Buck Forecast - MORE GIANTS SHOT THIS YEAR
• Guidance may have changed: Don says no other brand comes within half the pictures of Reconyx, then months later calls WiseEye a Reconyx-comparable option.
  • 2025-07-20 Don said in side-by-side testing no other trail camera brand has come close to getting even half as many pictures as Reconyx. 18:34 — Thermal Drones, Trail Cameras & Big Buck Strategies | Chasing Giants Podcast #282
  • 2025-12-21 Don recommended the WiseEye trail camera, saying it has proven itself as a Reconyx-comparable option this year. 31:10 — When Managing Deer Means Saying NO to Giants | Chasing Giants Podcast #304
• Guidance may have changed: Terry recommends waiting until around July 4 to deploy trail cameras, while Don in the same episode says he usually waits until July 1.
  • 2024-06-09 Terry recommended waiting until around July 4 to put out trail cameras rather than pressuring properties with early scouting. 18:05 — Episode 225 - Big Antlers this Spring Mean Big Decisions this Fall!
  • 2024-06-30 Don usually waits until July 1 to deploy trail cameras but got an early start this week because of his packed schedule. 1:20 — Episode 228 - Is Iowa Really the Best State?

Questions on this topic (60 of 108)

• Clint Cross asks how Don is placing trail cameras this time of year—only on food sources, on travel trails, or another approach. 59:05 — Episode #146 - Late Season Decisions and Tactics
• Terry asked Don to explain his social media post about a trail camera spooking a mature buck. 36:02 — Episode #187 - Do Trail Camera’s Spook Mature Bucks?
• Has Don had a chance to work much on his hunting property yet this offseason? 2:13 — Episode #14 - Don and Terry talk deer during the superbowl…
• Michael asked what to do on 600 newly-accessed acres where bucks are young with poor antlers and there are three or four does per buck. 58:42 — Episode#203 - Post Season Scouting and Project Advice
• Ethan Jansen asked whether Don and Terry have found success hunting a pinch on the downwind side of bedding when the wind is out of the south. 22:53 — Episode #219 - The Most Important Aspect of Hunting Whitetails
• Chase Nicely asked what Don looks for in trail camera placement when trying to locate and pattern a specific target buck. 26:27 — Episode #219 - The Most Important Aspect of Hunting Whitetails
• Terry asks Don to explain his tip about leaving cards in trail cameras until checking them at home. 11:13 — Episode #156 - Looking for a Buck Bed…
• Terry asked how to tell from trail-camera photos whether a buck’s antler tine tips indicate the antlers are done growing or still have more to go. 65:23 — Episode #127 When to Plant Fall Food Plots?
• The listener also asks how Don decides exactly where to set up a trail camera when he finds a small out-of-the-way patch of cover. 41:06 — Episode #154 - Dogs Running Loose on Don’s Farm. HE IS NOT HAPPY!
• What were the weather conditions during the youth hunt? 4:13 — Episode #191 - Babe Out In Daylight - Giant Corn Yields for Food Plotters
• Jesse Decker asks how to differentiate an abnormally large two-year-old buck from an average three-year-old, since body shape is hard to judge. 60:18 — Episode #119 - Memorial Day Tribute and Aging Bucks on Trail Cam Pics
• Terry asks Don whether, while scouting other properties, he’s shifting trail cameras back to food sources or leaving them on scrapes. 10:27 — Episode #10 - December Tips - Scouting for 2020 - Big Announcement from Real World
• Kevin Thayer privately messaged Don asking whether bucks avoiding trail cameras is a learned behavior. 29:05 — Episode #29 - Don previews some HIT LIST and UP-AND-COMER bucks while Terry is chasing a good buck in KY
• Terry asks what Don’s plans are between now and deploying trail cameras into velvet season. 5:57 — Episode #61 - Live from the Midwest Sportsman Show - TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LIVE CROWD
• Brian asks if he can scent his aged rope scrapes now, in July, and hang a camera on them instead of waiting for fall. 37:12 — Episode 230 - Don says Switchgrass is not the best bedding.
• Cody wants to know where the cruising giant bucks that show up during the rut on his property are coming from. 41:16 — Episode 230 - Don says Switchgrass is not the best bedding.
• Terry asked how to build a trail camera site as deliberately as a stand site, given how deer are funneled through certain travel routes on Don’s farm. 22:28 — Episode #176 - Don’s Advice for Battery High Prices
• Terry asked what observers should look for on trail camera photos this time of year to judge how much bigger a buck will still grow. 14:27 — Episode #231 - Timing is Key: When to Plant Fall Plots
• Keaton Mitchell of Mount Vernon, Illinois asked why bucks form bachelor groups of two to three on his trail cameras during late season. 36:17 — INSANE Bedding Cover + 22 Bears on Camera?! | Chasing Giants #318
• What is the best way to age a buck on the hoof with no prior history on him? 14:25 — Episode #258 - Live Podcast from Mt. Hope Ohio
• Lyle Bontrager asks whether previous years’ trail camera history or current in-season data matters most for patterning and killing mature bucks. 37:10 — Episode #171 - Take What a Property Gives You!
• Austin Williams asks whether the ‘same time, same place’ theory applies to bucks reappearing biannually as crops rotate on his farm. 34:53 — Chasing Giants Episode 121 - Residual Herbicide Discussion & Don is Buying a Farm
• Kent Sawyer asks whether Don and Terry use picture or video mode on trail cameras, and if video spooks deer more. 63:13 — Episode #90 - November 7th - WHERE IS THE RUT
• Adam Norton from Ankeny, Iowa asks whether Iowa should ban trail cameras on public land and if there are benefits to doing so. 48:17 — Episode #246 - Don Says - Best November Hunting in 50 Years
• Ryan Norton asks whether Reconyx, once frustrated Don with poor customer support, is now standing behind their product since he now sells them. 31:25 — Episode #123 - How much does Don spend on batteries for trail cameras?
• Terry asks Don how many Energizer lithium batteries he stockpiled before the season started. 2:18 — Episode #123 - How much does Don spend on batteries for trail cameras?
• Zach Hartnagel asked why daylight photos of target bucks increase after Halloween while nighttime photos of those same bucks seem to decrease. 35:09 — Episode #36 Peak Rut Update, Warm Weather, maybe a little election and religion
• How do you decide which bucks are worthy of harvest on new farms before you can build trail-camera history, or when a new buck moves in? 22:43 — Episode #112 - Chasing Giants in the Big North Woods
• Besides hunting less and running more trail cameras, what have you started doing or learned that helps you kill giant bucks? 65:24 — Episode #112 - Chasing Giants in the Big North Woods
• Don asks Terry for advice on a target buck that keeps showing up on trail camera about half an hour after dark. 22:02 — Episode #86 - 17,764 trail cam pics in 25 days - no bait or attractant
• When do you start transitioning cameras from summer locations to fall scrapes and funnels? 39:52 — Episode #80 - Don’s 2021 Buck Forecast
• Nelson Rizzler asked why near-shooter bucks on his public land cameras consistently disappear before reaching maturity. 50:16 — Episode #138 - Hunting the Full Moon
• A friend claims Don only shoots big bucks every year because he watches cell camera footage from his office and rushes out when a booner appears. 67:38 — Episode #95 - Live from Guthrie, KY
• Does Don use TactiCam Reveal cell cameras, and what does he think of them? 72:32 — Episode #95 - Live from Guthrie, KY
• What time of day and weather conditions does Don recommend for checking trail cameras? 104:47 — Episode #95 - Live from Guthrie, KY
• Terry asks Don why he questioned the true story behind a buck photo with the hunter’s face blurred out. 7:34 — Episode #71 - Trail Cam Deployment, Giant Bucks of Social Media Misused, Raffle Closing Soon!
• Chad Dial asks how to get summer velvet buck pictures with no soybean or green fields nearby, only corn and wheat. 40:32 — Episode #71 - Trail Cam Deployment, Giant Bucks of Social Media Misused, Raffle Closing Soon!
• Reese Ealy asks when Don puts trail cameras out and why. 44:40 — Episode #71 - Trail Cam Deployment, Giant Bucks of Social Media Misused, Raffle Closing Soon!
• If trail cameras had never existed, how and when would you scout for a mature buck and go about hunting him? 31:00 — Episode #172 - Don is really worried about EHD in 2023
• Trevor asks how Don would use trail cameras to hunt a mature buck on new property with no prior year’s data. 56:55 — Episode #186 - Disappointing 2023 Buck Forecast
• Luke Burrow asked about trail camera setups, timing, and tips to improve performance. 58:37 — Episode #105 Live from Shipshewana, IN - 2 Episodes in One!
• Terry asks whether Don is putting a few trail cameras out earlier than usual this year because of his camera test. 6:47 — Episode #22 - Special Contest Winner Bryan Medinger and Don has big announcement
• Bryan asks whether Don has a favorite trail camera placement, like pinch points or over food plots. 22:57 — Episode #22 - Special Contest Winner Bryan Medinger and Don has big announcement
• Don asks Terry how he went about picking the cameras for this trail camera test. 1:45 — Episode #55 - 2020 Cell Camera Test - The Truth and probably some Hurt Feelings
• Don asks what specific parameters Terry was testing, such as battery life, trigger speed, or missed photos. 10:22 — Episode #55 - 2020 Cell Camera Test - The Truth and probably some Hurt Feelings
• Don asks whether Terry checked the SD card after his test to see how many pictures were never sent to his phone. 22:21 — Episode #55 - 2020 Cell Camera Test - The Truth and probably some Hurt Feelings
• A seminar attendee, possibly tied to a trail camera company, asked Don what he thinks of cell cameras. 28:58 — Episode #47 - Hunting Ethics, Annual Cycle Of Whitetail, Should we leave Social Media?
• Are you still using BuckView software by Reconyx to manage trail camera pictures, or have you switched systems? 21:28 — #279 - Live Hot Seat! Don Higgins Faces Tough Questions from Dealers | 2025 RWWP Summit
• Zach Zimmerman also asked how sensitive Don is about wind direction when pulling SD cards from his trail cameras. 41:49 — Episode #185 - Bucks are starting to shift - Fall Plots, GET THEM IN
• Ryan Elenbaas asks how Don checks trail cameras without human intrusion, given Don’s view that intrusion is key to killing mature bucks. 44:15 — Episode #68 - Germination, Browse Pressure, When To Spray - DON PICKS IOWA UNIT…
• Terry asks whether waiting until July 1 for trail cameras risks missing bucks that return to their summer range from wintering areas. 33:05 — Episode #261 - Does GMO Traits Reduce Deer Attraction?
• Matthew Montag asks whether they recommend trail camera maintenance in late winter/spring to prevent moisture damage. 47:28 — Episode #153 - What Should Buck Doe Ratio Be?
• Chris Chapman asked if trail cameras hinder hunting’s unknown-factor thrill, and whether Don or Terry would hunt an unfamiliar property without camera intel. 49:36 — Episode #78 - People ask questions but do not like the answers!
• Ron Eddinger asks whether a buck with split brow tines on one side last year could be the same buck now showing split brow tines on the opposite side. 44:01 — Episode #126 - Should we have deer hunting competitions?
• Terry asks Don the theory behind driving loudly with the radio blaring when approaching a trail camera. 62:42 — Episode #54 - Garbage in the hunting industry, tracking an Iowa Giant Whitetail, and special interview with Karen Ward
• Garrett asked how the hosts store and organize trail camera photos, what app they use, and how many photos to keep per deer. 55:57 — Episode #98 - Don’s Trophy Room, Stolen Gun, and New Title Sponsor
• Nathan from Indianapolis asked whether bucks have varying antler growth spurts, and whether a buck trailing another in early June could catch up or surpass it later. 76:56 — Episode 173 - Can you find joy in killing GIANT Bucks?
• Terry asks whether moving cameras from summer field edges and inside corners to rut season means placing them on scrapes or in funnels. 15:24 — Episode #81 - TIPS FOR TRACKING YOUR DEER
• An audience member asked for advice after having trail cameras stolen off his own property. 64:16 — Episode 159 - Captive Deer Breeding… Why Don Got Out
• Billy Ayers also asks if Don has seen bucks rub-urinating and pawing at scrapes as late as February, even with antlers still on. 40:07 — Episode #158 - Is Hunting Contests Hurting the Hunting Industry?

Unofficial fan project. AI-synthesized from public episodes; may contain errors.