doublegunshop.com - home Forums Thread Like Summary - Trail cameras-- what's the scoop

Thinking about using them for turkey and deer-how do they work? Are they like security cameras? How do you get the pictures relayed back to your computer, or do you have to remove the film and then run the card or chip into your computer. Do you need 2, like with walkie-talkies, or will a single tree mounted in a traffic lane work. How weatherproof are they, and how long do the batteries usually last. what's the best way to mount them? Any brand recommendations? Best place to buy one? Thanks- RWTF

Yes, it all worked out. A camera lets you easily determine if it's a big male or not that you've run across.

Let's get back to "What should he buy, and why".

Game camera legalities have changed over the past year or two from total ban of the use of cellular accessible ones to partial bans during the hunting season. I think MI is okay on both counts with no bans. Gil

Wildlife biologists use large arrays of cameras for research and tend to favor Reconyx units for their reliability, durability, and high quality. They are pricey but a lot of the cheaper ones don't last very long.

I now use Spypoint cellular cameras with solar power. they run about $175 each. the monthly plans aren't expensive and you can do long term subscriptions or monthly. You get 100 photos a month free.
if you have cell coverage you get photos sent direct to your phone and or computer.

i like to just see whats on my property. I hunt the same stand every year, all season. not used to check when they arrive, just see whats on property.
and I see if someone who isn't supposed to be there is there!!!

the cellular allows you to see photos without going in and disturbing the area.

amazing the critters you see when you have camera set up. Deer, bears, fox, coyotes, racoons, turkeys, rabbits. and amazing number of bucks that are purely nocturnal!!
i have several real nice bucks on camera that i never see during the season and i hunt pretty much everyday (when I dont fall asleep!)

Trail cams are useful for all sorts of things. That are lockable, so they can be locked to a tree. If someone wants to steal it badly enough they can, with the help of an oxygen-acetylene setup, a chain saw, or a rechargeable side cutter/grinder. But, they can be hidden so well that a crook would almost never see them anyway. I've used them for keeping loggers honest when they report the number of loads they hauled off my place, security around remote sites, even trying to determine what time an armadillo was tearing up my lawn at night. My friend put a thief in prison, with the help of one, who broke into his Mom's house and stole the air conditioner.

Dbh1956, those gopher tortoises are unique creatures. They live in a certain habitat that exists in areas near me, and I have "run into" them occasionally over the years. I once picked a tick off a big tortoise's nose, which it obviously could not get off itself. It was interesting trying to hold that big sucker still with one hand, sitting straddling it's back, while trying to get that tick off without getting bitten. Very interesting creatures that live in a unique habitat with some other rare species. Panthers are "caught" on camera around here too, and not rarely.

I have two older ones that I haven't had need to set up in years. I don't know the generic brand name, but when a brother inlaw was visiting almost three years ago, he bought a thirty-five dollar sale trail cam from a local store. I think it had some twelve mega pixal rating and he runs it at a lower mid level. His wife called my wife, her sister, and had her pick up three more.

He uses the four cheapie cams on a smallish whitetail woods lot year round in the midwest. So far, they work perfectly and are basically disposable if they give up. It's easy for him to stick the SD card in a laptop and screen many dozens of pictures at a time and scroll through pages in just a couple of minutes. For small scale use, it doesn't seem worth going pricier. I'm just not much of a big game hunter, but I would agree with some of the other comments, hide it well, It'll pick up two legged surprises.

Of course you do. Because you are basically a self-centered jerk who thinks nothing of destroying other's property. Is this surprising to anyone? No.