When Bucks Go Missing

Gone are the days when deer hunters could only dream of the number and size of bucks using their properties. Today, they can go afield armed with photographic evidence of nearly every buck in their hunting area. Of course, I’m referring to the use of game cameras – perhaps the greatest deer hunting and management tool ever created. When used properly, they allow individual bucks to be targeted for harvest and provide valuable management information including buck age structure, herd sex ratio, fawn recruitment, and population density.

However, despite their obvious benefits, game cameras also can lead to significant frustration. Each year, camera enthusiasts across the...