- Location
- Calgary, AB
I have never used them before and looking for some advice on choosing a good location to setup. I have a Spypoint Force 11-D and a Simmons.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Trail cams
- Thread starter 444shooter
- Start date
No end of people moaning about stolen ones.barry1974w
Regular
- Location
- Central B.C.
I’m pretty new at the trail cam thing also. I put one on a heavy game trail way back in the bush and added a salt block with good results. Another I also placed way back in the bush in a spot that just looked good to me, there I also added a salt block, this also worked well. I’ve gotten lots of good photos, and so far nobody has stolen my cameras.....
cdn1canhunt
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- southwestern ontario
Trophy rock and a trail cam in the spring through to Oct will get you 100's-1000's of pictures. After velvet sheds, food bait works better. apples, corn etc.... during the rut if you want pictures try scents.
I've used some of the Simmons cams, had 3 and they worked ok for about 2 years then quit working completely. Even for the price they don't offer much for features, i'd stay away unless you get a real good deal. They only hold 4 AA's and seem to die fairly quickly.
I've tried a few Wild Game Innovations cams, They have so far been pretty dependable, my first two are going on 4 years and still going strong, i got two more this year and we'll see how well they last. As far as features/picture quality they are ok at best. You have picture or video mode, quality isn't great, trigger time isn't great, reset time isn't great, but hey, they're still working. With their slow speeds though you need to point them down a trail and have things trigger them coming or going in front of it. If you have it watching side to side on a trail you'll either get pictures of nothing or at best a deers ass as its walked by.
Moultrie Cams, had one this year to test. Quality and features seemed good, but the trigger seemed almost a bit too sensitive. i could probably turn it down, but i've always had hundreds of pictures of trees moving slightly in the wind to sift through to see any animals. They seem decently tough, had it knocked off the tree a few times by a bear without any harm untill the third time it bit through the lens on the camera. It still worked even without the protective lens, but eventually water got in and shut it down. Once i got it home and it dried out for a few days it's back to working order again. i figure if i can replace the protective lens i'll be good to go again.
StealthCam, so far these are my top pick. They've got enough features to make them do what you want them to do, take good quality pictures. Their quickset makes it easy if you don't want a specific setting for trigger times and such. They seem to work very well taking pictures of animals, but not soo many of weeds or trees shifting around. I have only had them for 2 years, so i can't say long term how they will hold up, but so far so good. They also seem pretty consistant for picture quality and features between price levels. I think i have a spread from p18 up to p36 and there's no practical differences in the pictures themselves.
All of them besides the simmons took 8 AA's and i put them out in the summer and they usually last untill hunting season, with the WGI cams seeming to fade away a month or two before the stealthcams.
If it came down to it i wouldn't hesitate on the moultrie or stealth if it was a good deal. WGI would have to be a real good deal for me to get more with their picture/trigger quality, and simmons would have to be practically giving them away for me to waste any more money on them. There are other brands out there, but i haven't tried them, so i can't really compare, and with any brand, they have high and low ends of the spectrum.
I've tried a few Wild Game Innovations cams, They have so far been pretty dependable, my first two are going on 4 years and still going strong, i got two more this year and we'll see how well they last. As far as features/picture quality they are ok at best. You have picture or video mode, quality isn't great, trigger time isn't great, reset time isn't great, but hey, they're still working. With their slow speeds though you need to point them down a trail and have things trigger them coming or going in front of it. If you have it watching side to side on a trail you'll either get pictures of nothing or at best a deers ass as its walked by.
Moultrie Cams, had one this year to test. Quality and features seemed good, but the trigger seemed almost a bit too sensitive. i could probably turn it down, but i've always had hundreds of pictures of trees moving slightly in the wind to sift through to see any animals. They seem decently tough, had it knocked off the tree a few times by a bear without any harm untill the third time it bit through the lens on the camera. It still worked even without the protective lens, but eventually water got in and shut it down. Once i got it home and it dried out for a few days it's back to working order again. i figure if i can replace the protective lens i'll be good to go again.
StealthCam, so far these are my top pick. They've got enough features to make them do what you want them to do, take good quality pictures. Their quickset makes it easy if you don't want a specific setting for trigger times and such. They seem to work very well taking pictures of animals, but not soo many of weeds or trees shifting around. I have only had them for 2 years, so i can't say long term how they will hold up, but so far so good. They also seem pretty consistant for picture quality and features between price levels. I think i have a spread from p18 up to p36 and there's no practical differences in the pictures themselves.
All of them besides the simmons took 8 AA's and i put them out in the summer and they usually last untill hunting season, with the WGI cams seeming to fade away a month or two before the stealthcams.
If it came down to it i wouldn't hesitate on the moultrie or stealth if it was a good deal. WGI would have to be a real good deal for me to get more with their picture/trigger quality, and simmons would have to be practically giving them away for me to waste any more money on them. There are other brands out there, but i haven't tried them, so i can't really compare, and with any brand, they have high and low ends of the spectrum.
303EppsFan
CGN Regular
- Location
- Almonte,Ontario
Ive had one Moultrie which quit about a week after the one year warranty was up. Had 2 Simmons Whitetails I believe which had very slow trigger times and I sold very cheaply. I currently have several Wildgame cameras which while not the top of the market work well enough for my needs. The 8 AA batteries they hold will last several months depending on weather temps and number of exposures.
I generally put my cameras up on private property and don't worry much about theft. I don't buy expensive cameras for that reason as well, minimizes my loss if one gets stolen. My reasoning is by using cheaper cameras I can afford to have more in the woods.
I monitor several trails and often find bucks using they're own routes, not used by does and fawns.
Look for sign, tracks, scat beds etc. Then look for nearby food sources, acorns, crop fields etc.
If you have a feeder or a mineral rock this makes things a lot easier of course.
I generally put my cameras up on private property and don't worry much about theft. I don't buy expensive cameras for that reason as well, minimizes my loss if one gets stolen. My reasoning is by using cheaper cameras I can afford to have more in the woods.
I monitor several trails and often find bucks using they're own routes, not used by does and fawns.
Look for sign, tracks, scat beds etc. Then look for nearby food sources, acorns, crop fields etc.
If you have a feeder or a mineral rock this makes things a lot easier of course.
- Location
- Republic of Alberta
If you look on amazon the bushnell hd14 I think and the spypoint 10d do go on sale for $115 which is quite cheap imo
Jack Robinson
CGN Regular
- Location
- Alberta / Mazatlan
I've currently got 16 Browning cams in various models and have had very good service from them. They use either 6 or 8 AAs depending on model and get excellent battery life. They take either pics or vids with sound. Setup is easy. I recently bought a BTC-4P for around 100 bucks and was very impressed with it.
fivehundredlimited
Regular
- Location
- Muskoka, Ontario
The first trail cam I bought was a Simmons. I had over 50lbs of corn disappear without a picture. The only pictures it took were when a fox attacked the camera. My second trail cam was a Bushnell trophy cam. Has always worked perfect. I've done bought two more and haven't had an issue. All are sensitive enough to be triggered by animals as small as chipmunks and even mice in night mode up to moose. Also they last from May until January on one set of NIMH rechargeables.
patricksbb391
CGN Regular
- Location
- Ottawa & WMU 62
I had Spypoint cameras but had disappointing experience and gave them to a friend. I am now running Stealthcam NG42 (x4) and a lower grade model for the last 2 years. I really like the 42s, they are easy to program, take great images, and I find them really easy to maintain (as in check SD cards, change batteries, etc.) they do come on sale at Canadian Tire once in a while and I will get a few more yet to cover my property better.
I just sent in a Spypoint as it quit quite a while back.
I didn't know it was kah-pewt.
Looked for the fruck'in cord to update the software online.
Then I discovered it needed the SD card formattitted and there is a mind bawgll'in
procedure to update the camera.
Still kah-pewt.
Called Spypoint twice and the length of time awn hold was unspeakable.
Chap said there is only one year warranty on this model where there is actually two years.
We battered back and forth and I told him I was looking at their website with this model spec
page open.
TWO FRICKEN YEARS warranty.
Sent it in and we'll see what happens.
In the mean time, I've got way too much time invested.
Trip to town, two hours driving, fuel, cost of the SD card, the gal at Source trying to go
thru the procedure of updating this thing. (thank you)
Wandered thru Kannuckbuck and saw the Tasco's on sale for $49.95.
Should of taws'd this one in the garbage and bawt one of those for the grief I endured.
Buy cheap and taws'im when they pewk.
I didn't know it was kah-pewt.
Looked for the fruck'in cord to update the software online.
Then I discovered it needed the SD card formattitted and there is a mind bawgll'in
procedure to update the camera.
Still kah-pewt.
Called Spypoint twice and the length of time awn hold was unspeakable.
Chap said there is only one year warranty on this model where there is actually two years.
We battered back and forth and I told him I was looking at their website with this model spec
page open.
TWO FRICKEN YEARS warranty.
Sent it in and we'll see what happens.
In the mean time, I've got way too much time invested.
Trip to town, two hours driving, fuel, cost of the SD card, the gal at Source trying to go
thru the procedure of updating this thing. (thank you)
Wandered thru Kannuckbuck and saw the Tasco's on sale for $49.95.
Should of taws'd this one in the garbage and bawt one of those for the grief I endured.
Buy cheap and taws'im when they pewk.
canadian hunter312
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Brant County
Never use baits and trail cams together as the bait will draw creeping eyes (as in thieves) towards your camera making it easier to spot. Place the trail cams on well used trails a short distance from the bait piles.
Near bedding areas is good to get an idea of the number of deer using the area and for cruising bucks during the rut. Natural funnels are also great spots and if the property is yours you can make funnels even better by felling some trees to guide the deer to where you want them to go for their photo shoot. For mainly buck pics you need to find active scrape locations between bedding and feeding areas (usually along transitions) and place the cam 5 yards or more from the scrapes. If they're close to a main travel corridor you'll get pics of other bucks from different properties passing through looking for receptive does. I've had up to 7 different bucks hit one scrape.
Near bedding areas is good to get an idea of the number of deer using the area and for cruising bucks during the rut. Natural funnels are also great spots and if the property is yours you can make funnels even better by felling some trees to guide the deer to where you want them to go for their photo shoot. For mainly buck pics you need to find active scrape locations between bedding and feeding areas (usually along transitions) and place the cam 5 yards or more from the scrapes. If they're close to a main travel corridor you'll get pics of other bucks from different properties passing through looking for receptive does. I've had up to 7 different bucks hit one scrape.
Butcherbill
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
I’m not looking for hi res pics in a camera, as long as it’s got decent resolution I’m fine with a cheap camera. If it ####s the bed or gets stolen I likely already got my money’s worth out of it, I make it hard enough to steal when I attach it to the tree. If they want to carry around bolt cutters deep in the bush they’re welcome to take them haha.
I bought a cheap Tasco this fall so far completely impressed maybe not greatest picture but reliable.
Own atleast 1 of almost every major maker
Wildgames, some a re battery eaters some are not
Have a Moultrie I am impressed with but it cost 5 times the Tasco so I better be
Spypoints I bought at the same time as the Tasco so far like the tasco better
Bushnell is hit and miss
Own atleast 1 of almost every major maker
Wildgames, some a re battery eaters some are not
Have a Moultrie I am impressed with but it cost 5 times the Tasco so I better be
Spypoints I bought at the same time as the Tasco so far like the tasco better
Bushnell is hit and miss
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
Like business, camera success is location, location, location.
Sometimes an obvious game trail pounded into the ground, is used heavily only a few weeks a year. I have several of those on my place.
Look for fresh tracks, use a long term bait like a salt block.
If you camera has a light that shows when it takes a pic, tape it over. (careful, some have a thing that looks like a light, but it's a light sensor)
Even if that light is in the middle of the flash, you can at least partly block it with a small piece of ductape.
I try to mount my cameras high and aim them down when I can, keeps them out of sight of game.
USE LITHIUM BATTERIES! Can't stress that enough, they will last more than a year in some cameras, 8 months or more in others.
If you look at the trail cam pics sticky, you can see the results of various makes of cameras, many of them put their name on the pic.
Sometimes an obvious game trail pounded into the ground, is used heavily only a few weeks a year. I have several of those on my place.
Look for fresh tracks, use a long term bait like a salt block.
If you camera has a light that shows when it takes a pic, tape it over. (careful, some have a thing that looks like a light, but it's a light sensor)
Even if that light is in the middle of the flash, you can at least partly block it with a small piece of ductape.
I try to mount my cameras high and aim them down when I can, keeps them out of sight of game.
USE LITHIUM BATTERIES! Can't stress that enough, they will last more than a year in some cameras, 8 months or more in others.
If you look at the trail cam pics sticky, you can see the results of various makes of cameras, many of them put their name on the pic.
We've had good results with SPYPOINT. One of our guys had his out from Nov-March, took over 800 pics and was still working at that point. I had one that quit working but just had to REFORMAT the SD card. That required my son to do it though as I'm useless with a computer. Perhaps other guys have had poor results but from the 8-10 units we've tried so far they've all performed quite well. The only thing I'm not pleased with is the max distance they seem to work at is about 20Meters, maybe less. BB
sam menard
CGN Regular
I took the plunge and bought 4 wild game innovation lightsout 16 mb. I put them out at the end of April and they were still going when I checked them in October - over 5000 pictures on each camera! I used the premium Energizer batteries which makes a big difference. The reason that I got so many pictures was I had the interval between shots at 15 seconds. I had the cameras set up over bait and a mineral block. One thing that I found interesting was that I had several instances where I got a single photo of bucks cruising by the bait without stopping. It’s clear that you can miss deer unless it’s in range of the camera. As the rut approached I noticed different bucks show up that weren’t there earlier in the year. I have a photo of one buck at the feed about 5 mins before I showed up. Cool tool!
