Ask a consistent buck killer when his season really starts and a lot of them will say June. Summer is when you find out which deer made it through winter, which bucks are using your ground, and where they spend the long daylight hours — months before opening day. Trail cameras are how you learn all of that without burning the woods down by walking them.
We sell trail cameras, so take this for what it is — but we also run them on our own ground every summer, and we only stock cameras we'd hang ourselves. Here's how we'd approach summer scouting, and the gear we carry to do it.
Why June and July are the sweet spot
In early summer, bucks are in bachelor groups, antlers are growing, and deer are locked into low-stress feeding patterns. That predictability is gold. A camera over the right spot now will show you the same animals returning day after day, so you can build a roster of shooters and learn their habits before the rut scrambles everything in the fall.
Where to hang cameras in summer
Think food and water, not bedding:
- Field edges and food plots — soybeans, alfalfa, clover, and ag edges pull deer every evening.
- Water sources — ponds, creeks, and stock tanks are magnets in the heat, especially across the southern and Central states.
- Mineral or bait sites where legal — a summer staple that concentrates deer in front of the lens. Check your state's regs first.
- Shaded travel funnels — in triple-digit heat, deer move through shade. Think about shade as much as sign.
Why cellular + solar wins in the heat
The old way — hanging a card-based camera and walking in every two weeks to pull the SD card — does two bad things: it spreads your scent through the area and it's a lot of work in the heat. Cellular cameras send photos straight to your phone, so you never disturb the spot. Solar cellular cameras go a step further and keep themselves charged through the long summer days, so you can hang them in June and not touch them again until season.
The trail cameras we carry — and why
We keep the lineup tight on purpose. Three cameras cover the way most hunters actually scout:
Bushnell Cellucore 20 Dual SIM Solar — the set-and-forget pick
This is the one we hang on a honey hole and forget about. Dual-SIM means it hops to whichever carrier is stronger on your property, and the solar panel means no mid-summer battery runs. If you only put up one premium camera this year, this is the one that earns its keep by never making you walk back in.
Covert WC20 Refurbished Cellular — the cover-more-ground pick
Most hunters don't lose deer because their camera isn't fancy enough — they lose them because they only have one camera. At around $50, the refurbished WC20 lets you put eyes on three pinch points for the price of one premium unit. Refurb keeps it cheap; cellular keeps you out of the woods. That's the math we like.
WC30 Bearsafe Case — cheap insurance
Summer means active bears and curious cattle, and nothing ruins a scouting season like a chewed-up camera on your best trail. A $25 bear-safe case is the kind of small buy that saves you a $150 mistake.
See the full trail-camera lineup →
Camera settings that save batteries (and catch more)
- Run photos or short 10–15 second clips, not long video, to save power and data.
- Use burst mode so you get the buck, not just his tail.
- Set a quiet period during peak midday heat when deer aren't moving.
- Angle the camera north when you can to avoid sun-triggered false images.
Frequently asked questions
When should I put out trail cameras for deer?
June and July are ideal for summer inventory. Deer are patterned and predictable, giving you months of data before the rut.
Are cellular trail cameras worth it?
For summer scouting, yes — they send photos to your phone so you never spook the spot by checking cards. Solar models go all summer without a battery change.
Do I need an expensive camera?
No. A pair of budget cellular cameras around $50 will out-scout a single premium camera, simply because you're covering more ground. Spend up only where you want true set-and-forget convenience.
Bottom line
Run cameras through the summer and you'll head into season with a named list of bucks, their patterns, and your best stands already scouted — while everyone else is still guessing. Do the work in June, and October becomes an open book.
