I put out about 5 cameras back where I hunt behind my house in Shawnee National Forest. Keep them out pretty much all yr..except during modern gun season and spring gobbler season when the risk is too high for someone to come across one and take it home with them.
Although, it doesn't' matter to me one way or the other, the cameras haven't helped me one bit in killing a deer. Most likely because I'm too hard headed to hunt the spots I get most of pictures of good bucks. I'll always over think even a picture with a nice buck in a scrape and figure he won't be there, but instead somewhere else and hunt there.
Finally after I've hunted all my best spots I will come back and hunt where I had pics of them..by that time I've nocturnalized them all.
I do get some good pictures with the cams though..especially off a deer carcass after I've boned it out. Eagles, hawks, many, many bobcats..even bobcat fighting a coyote and running it off the carcass.
Since there's no baiting in IL. the cams are kinda like another hunting season, trying to figure the best spots, trails, etc., to get pictures. Haven't been to good at that this season either..only really good buck I got pictures of was in July for the 3rd July in a row and never see him again after I walk in a change the cards..til next July.