Trail Cameras - uses, recommendations, experiences?

[DRM]

I got my first one back around Thanksgiving, #4 comes my way this weekend.

Anyone else use them, a lot? I am starting to see how they are kind of addicting in their own way... I mean, I've always been a picture taker, so I guess it's a natural addition once I got into hunting.

I picked up a new Wildgame 4.0megapixel camera to get started, then two Bushnell 5.0 non-IR used cameras, and will be getting another slighlly used Stealth Cam IR camera as well.

For me, it's been a nice way to start learning when and where various game is traveling across the properties, to help me learn more about patterning the animals for hunting purposes.

So far I am sticking to the lower end of the camera price spectrums, I just can't bring myself to spend $250+ on some of the nicer camera's when all of my sub $100 cams seem to be doing ok for my needs.

Anyone else use them? What are you using, how are you using them, and what are your results? Maybe we need a "Trail Camera Pics" thread too

[HighHooder]

my friends uncle got this picture a couple of weeks ago, of this cougar with a kill in it's... oh, nevermind

[InDaRed2]

Cuddeback all the way. We have 3. Two Moultrie's and a Cuddeback. The Moultrie's seem to always be taking pictures of nothing. The picture is a little better but the trigger sucks compared to the Cuddeback. We just put ours back out with some fresh batteries and are waiting for the pics to come...

We usually put them out along well used trails or over corn feeders.

I think we already have a trail cam pics thread too...

Edit: here it is but it was started a couple years ago. Maybe we should start a new one?

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=814254

[DRM]

I have had my 3 out since last Saturday morning, going to go check them this evening or in the morning and see if I got anything.

[300sniper]

instead of of starting a new thread, i'll bring this one back up.

i want to get a trail camera to put on my property. a mountain lion has been hanging around eating deer and it got one of my neighbor's goats the other night. i have goats too so i want to see if it comes around. i'd also like to get some pictures of the deer and other critters hanging around. most of the pictures would be at night time. it will be placed about 200 yards from the house so checking it often isn't a big deal but i would like a decent battery life. i'm not sure what other things i need to know to pick out a trail camera.

work being slow these days, i'm pretty broke. i do have a $100 cabela's gift card. i'd like to keep the camera close to that. i'll spend up to $150 if i have to.

[mtnkid85]

Here is another question to Ive had about game cameras.

Is there a camera that can be taken out, left, and programed to take a single picture at a set time everyday?

Seems pretty simple but the little bit of looking around Ive done- doesnt seem like its a popular option.

[DRM]

Originally Posted by 300sniper

instead of of starting a new thread, i'll bring this one back up.

i want to get a trail camera to put on my property. a mountain lion has been hanging around eating deer and it got one of my neighbor's goats the other night. i have goats too so i want to see if it comes around. i'd also like to get some pictures of the deer and other critters hanging around. most of the pictures would be at night time. it will be placed about 200 yards from the house so checking it often isn't a big deal but i would like a decent battery life. i'm not sure what other things i need to know to pick out a trail camera.

work being slow these days, i'm pretty broke. i do have a $100 cabela's gift card. i'd like to keep the camera close to that. i'll spend up to $150 if i have to.

Kinda late, but there are dozens of decent cameras on the market that fall into your price range. I know WildGame Innovations advertises they have 7 models all for $100 or less. I just picked up some 1.3mp WildGame cams from Wal*Mart yesterday for $35 each (more on that later)

Many of them advertise "batteries last up to a year" - but I don't put much faith in that myself unless they are non-flash and like one pic a day.

Also - most cams have external battery ports to get the really long life.

Originally Posted by mtnkid85

Here is another question to Ive had about game cameras.

Is there a camera that can be taken out, left, and programed to take a single picture at a set time everyday?

Seems pretty simple but the little bit of looking around Ive done- doesnt seem like its a popular option.

I haven't seen that feature yet either, sorry.



BTW, I got 2 more cams because my StealthCam is on the fritz and I guess I am gonna retire it.

I picked up the low-res WildGame cams because of their price. I'm not all that worried about image quality, since these will be used 100% for game tracking/patterning. For that use - I don't have to count the animal's eyelashes - I just need to know when and where they are.

I haven't used any of the high $$$$ cams yet - but from what I can tell what you really pay for is the better IR flash and faster trigger time.

[chzbrgr]

I'm getting away from the trail cams this year. We had a couple of nice bucks on our property last year that I saw a couple of times in velvet before I put the camera up, once we got a picture of them looking spooked we never saw them again. Coincedence? While hunting I witnessed 2 different deer walk off a trail around the camera and right back on the trail.

As much as I like pulling the pics from a trail cam, they're staying out of my zone this year.

[DRM]

Originally Posted by chzbrgr

I'm getting away from the trail cams this year. We had a couple of nice bucks on our property last year that I saw a couple of times in velvet before I put the camera up, once we got a picture of them looking spooked we never saw them again. Coincedence? While hunting I witnessed 2 different deer walk off a trail around the camera and right back on the trail.

As much as I like pulling the pics from a trail cam, they're staying out of my zone this year.

Are you using flash style or IR? It's just a plastic box - there's something else spooking them, such as scent, etc.

[chzbrgr]

IRs. Don't think it's scent because other deer walk right by. There may be a slight click that gets their attention and then they see the IR glow on the second pic set for 15 seconds later?

This one definately got spooked and never saw him again.

[DRM]

Might be the click - which is again one of those fatures that varies with price. My cheap WildGame cams are audibly loud, the more expensive one and all the rest of mine are pretty much silent.

[chzbrgr]

That pic is from a 2-3 year old Cuddeback. I put out one of the cheaper ones last year also, a bushnell I think, didn't get much on that one so it's hard to comment. It just told me that was where I didn't want to be.

[DRM]

Originally Posted by chzbrgr

That pic is from a 2-3 year old Cuddeback. I put out one of the cheaper ones last year also, a bushnell I think, didn't get much on that one so it's hard to comment. It just told me that was where I didn't want to be.

Hm... odd, and I can understand your reservations.

I had a camera weeks earlier at the *exact* spot I took a 9 pt last year - and all I ever got on the camera was does and small bucks... go figure :shrug: