doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 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

Google is your friend for all of this and more. The answers to your questions depend on many things, and answers are not simple or short.

They've certainly changed a lot through the years. The early ones used 35mm film, which of course limited you to 36 pics per roll. So you wouldn't quickly take 36 quick pics of doe standing there 10 yards in from of the camera strapped to a tree and eating from your corn pile, you'd set them to only take a pic on 3-5 minute intervals. Night pics would use a flash. Taking a roll of of film to get it processed into pics was always exciting as you hoped a big buck had come by, but more often than not, you'd get 36 pics of does. It was nice when Walmart adopted a policy of only making you pay for pics you liked and wanted to keep---saved a lot of money as you said you didn't want all the doe pics.
Later the cameras went digital and soon had night vision. Some could take a pic every 5 or fewer seconds and could hold 5,000 pics on a memory card.
Next came the camera that could send a pic to an app that you could access on your cell phone. Of course the camera needed to be set up in a spot that had cell coverage. The app will notify you when a pic has been received, so that's pretty cool.
All of these cameras are very weather proof and the batteries have a reasonably long life, especially considering that you'll get way more pictures by putting out corn, though they are great to use by having them near a buck's scrape. How long the batteries last is largely a function of how many pics the cameras take, and how long you set the intervals between pics to be will have a big impact on that.

One thing to think about that leaving a trail cam on public ground is like leaving your rifle on a stump and expecting it to be there the next day. Some people think that hanging a trail cam on a tree is no different than leaving a beer can under your stand, just trash in the wood to be removed.

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

Yes, and i thought about that. A pal told me that there are some that send a tone, similar to the Low-Jack feature on expensive cars, whenever it is moved, back to a base location computer pad, to forestall theft or vandalism. And what is a "Sim"Card and how does it work with a trail camera, pls. RWTF

So much depends on what you're trying to do, the quality if pics you want, and if you want to run multiple cameras over an area and not just one. If you need multiple, a system that works together that will allow a single unit to handle the transmitting back to your phone will be highly cost-effective since you'll only need one cell service account.
You can buy some really base models with modest photo capabilities or you can get others that take really nice stuff. Sort of depends on if you're approaching all this with any sort of budget limitations. If you're only looking for the best stuff, there are suggestions; if you're looking for bargain basement, there are others.

There's a Cuddeback that will let you set up as many as 24 different cameras on a network. Reconyx has long been one of the superior makers and allows you to get some video as as well as photos. Spypoint is a low-priced option that works for a lot of people that don't want to tie up much money in the effort.

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

A trail camera that is left on my land without my permission will be about as welcome as a tree stand that was set up without permission. In other words, it probably won't be there after I find it. Of course, some of my Amish Dutch neighbors who have no respect for seasons, bag limits, or trespassing laws have made me less tolerant about these things than I once was.

I also feel it is rather lazy to make use of trail cameras, instead of personally putting time and effort in the woods to do pre-season scouting. Why not go one step further, and use camera equipped drones to find and kill your deer?

I have four Bushnells on our place. All about the same version so they all program the same way. Bought from Amazon over a couple of years for about $99-$150 each I think. Three are "low glow" and one is "no glow". I can almost see the low glow at night or at least I think I can. All the animals see it or hear it because they all (deer, turkeys, fox, owls, etc) will look at it, smell it, touch it. I can't tell any difference with the no glow. All use the small SIM card. I swap them out. I use an adapter to connect to the USB port and download on my laptop. Everready lithium AA batteries last about a year. get a cheap battery checker - rare that more than one battery at a time is bad.

they are lots of fun. I've seen an otter and gopher tortoise in addition to the usual deer, fox, coyote, bobcat, squirrel, raccoon, etc etc

what is a "SIM" card and how does itwork?? RWTF

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.

thumbnail size "SD Card". Flat plastic holds a bunch of memory. They were used in cameras. go to Amazon and look up Bushnell Game camera. I picked "Bushnell Trophy Cam Trail Camera, Brown". its $139.49 today. I'm sure there are better, cheaper, etc. its just what I have and worked ok for me. Scroll down and there are "Frequently bought together" that adds two SD cards to the deal (less than $9 each). Then look up " SD card reader". there are a bunch of them. Less than $20. Either USB connection so you can download to a laptop or get one with a lightning connector to download to a iPhone.

it takes a while to program and use the first couple of times. I'm 65, I had to read the instructions a couple of times! Before he passed my 82 yr old FIL had the hang of it and really enjoyed them.

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!)

I took one to Tanzania in 2008; first time my PH had used one there. Amazing how beneficial it was then. I left it behind when I came home. All the guys use them there now.

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.

Great pic, spring. Did you get that leopard?

Thanks- there's hope for me, I'm 80 and still very active- Just not a "techie" I guess. 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.

Yeah, reminds me of the tale of the treed leopard and the "finishing" with a Model 12-12 ga. in Hemingway's "True At First Light".. RWTF

I also bought Bushnells, because they are capable, simple and not too expensive to leave out. Mine are low glow, use SD memory cards, no WiFi or Bluetooth. Resolution is adequate for my use, but there are better cameras for more money. Get an SD card reader for your cell phone, or a stand alone reader so that you can check the cards out in the field. Keep an eye on sales from CameraLand in NYC and on the Camofire website. CamoFire usually runs trail cams every week on TrailCam Tuesday.

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.

Thanks to one and all for the great detailed info- Father's Day awaits, so we shall see what the gals come up with for Y.T. I can always use another DeWalt Cordless tool-- RWTF

I shoot everyone I come across....

Can we get Biden and his B.B. Veep down your way soon for a "fact-finding" excursion. How about some co-ordinates Joseph Mon ami sans maison?? Le Reynard!! Of course, I speak in jest. You may be a bit "off balance at times, but not crazy enough to harm folks, right?? RWTF

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.