I run 10 - 12 trail cams on about 2000 acres of public land every year. To date, I haven't had one stolen (touch wood!). I have actually captured other people/hunters on a few trail cams, but they were the honest type I guess. Generally speaking, my trail cams are a long way from access roads/trails or located in thick cover where pretty much no one (other then me) goes. The advice to set your trail camera on an angle looking down a trail is good advice. This gives even cameras with slow "wake up" time a chance to capture images. I haven't had an issue with any specific brand - they've all worked pretty well. I typically buy cheaper trail cams ($75 - 150) in order to be able to cover more ground and not feel as badly if one is stolen or chomped by a bear.
school me on trail cams
- Thread starter Suther
- Start date
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
Any red light is an issue. Animals react to light, perhaps seeing it as a predator. If you go out to your cams in low light, you can see it for yourself. Many have a red led in the middle of the flash array. It lights up the whole damned screen when it glows.
In my experience, local does will eventually adjust to the light. Bucks being bucks are far more nervous. But I have one buck that i have watched grow up on camera from a fawn. The doe educated him to the salt block and the light I guess. Here, I typically get one shot of a buck, then he's gone, doesn't stay 'round after the first pic as the does do.
Yeah I know what you mean. I've seen it when playing around in the back yard. Got some raccoons on it the other night, there was two otherwise I wouldn't have seen them the camera caught only a blur leaving the screen for the first one with the second coon right behind it. (was on video mode). The wake up is definitely on the slow side, but for $30 I can't really complain.
Make sure the cam is secured tight enough as animals will try to eat it and move it. Picked up some pictures yesterday from a camera way back in there. It was knocked off square but still got some decent shots.
Very nice. I'm going to have to find a place or two to set mine up and just let it run for a few days....
elimsprint
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Kelowna, BC
I don't think it's the red light that makes them nervous, they live with fireflys, lightning and reflected light. I think it's the sound of the shutter. Some cams are very noisy, my cheap Tasco's for instance, and the animals are always looking at them for the second and third shots. I set my cams for multiple shot bursts and if I get them with the first shot they are usually not staring at the camera but they are for the second and third shots. The Tasco's do not have a red LED, only the infrared flash. On my more expensive cameras (Primos and Bushnell), which sound much quieter to me and also set for multiple shots, the animals walk right by most of the time and they all have the red LED's in front. The Primos LED is really bright yet they are hardly ever looking at it for the second and third shots. Just my guess.
cdn1canhunt
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- southwestern ontario
My experience with all trail cams I have used. Test them at home they are often slow to " wake up" , use good batteries is key, make sure the SD card works in the camera some don't, set up about 36"off the ground, face them away from the setting or rising sun and it's always a good idea bait the cam site if you want better pictures. If theft is an issue setting them high helps them go unnoticed.
Trophy rocks work great in my area for bait and the deer spend a good amount of time in front of the cam and they last a long time so I get lots of pictures but use what you like. Apples, carrots, peanut butter, corn, salt, molasses or scent etc. Oh ya a note about using food based Bait like corn you will get a lot of non target animals, raccoons come to mind and they eat all your bait quickly. You can trail set cams but I have had so so results with that just getting a noses or tails many times.
Best time to set up cam over salt or minerals is April to September. They barely seem to hit the site after they shed velvet. Food based bait works best all fall and winter.
Game cams are awesome like Christmas morning every card check.
PS : if you have a small digital camera they will work as a card reader to view pictures. JUST DON'T USE THEM TO CLEAR THE PICTURES OR THE WILL RE-FORMAT THE SD CARD. you put the card back in the trail cam and next card pull you will not have pictures and get messages like "card unreadable" or " you must re-format SD card" don't ask me how I know this.
Trophy rocks work great in my area for bait and the deer spend a good amount of time in front of the cam and they last a long time so I get lots of pictures but use what you like. Apples, carrots, peanut butter, corn, salt, molasses or scent etc. Oh ya a note about using food based Bait like corn you will get a lot of non target animals, raccoons come to mind and they eat all your bait quickly. You can trail set cams but I have had so so results with that just getting a noses or tails many times.
Best time to set up cam over salt or minerals is April to September. They barely seem to hit the site after they shed velvet. Food based bait works best all fall and winter.
Game cams are awesome like Christmas morning every card check.
PS : if you have a small digital camera they will work as a card reader to view pictures. JUST DON'T USE THEM TO CLEAR THE PICTURES OR THE WILL RE-FORMAT THE SD CARD. you put the card back in the trail cam and next card pull you will not have pictures and get messages like "card unreadable" or " you must re-format SD card" don't ask me how I know this.
I agree with this. Lots of night time predator hunters use red light as they don't scare the animals.
Deer don't see red very well, right? That's why we can wear hunter orange without spooking everything, their vision is strong at lower wavelengths (blues) but sucks at higher wavelengths (reds and oranges) because they only have two sets of cones in their eyes (or was it rods?) whereas we have 3...?
