Trail Cameras: Recommendations for, pictures/videos from, and any comments about

[Glenn MacGrady]

We've touched on this in the past, but I'm interested in getting more info and experience about trail cameras. Both at home or on canoe trips. Also, any recommendations as to brand/models to buy, as well as how and where to mount them. Of course, we all would like to see any pictures or videos you have taken with your trail cameras.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Trailcampro.com is a good place to start. They test, rate, and sell cams. Sometimes they give a slightly better warranty on cams they sell than the factory warranty.
I have a love hate relationship with trail cameras. They are great when they aren't malfunctioning but it's so aggravating when cameras false trigger and you get hundreds, or even thousands of pics of a leaf blowing or shadows changing due to bright sun.
Seems like the detection range on most of the current cams is around 100 feet but you'll want the cam to take pics in the 10 to 20 foot range. Yeah, you can get pics at a hundred feet but the subject will be a tiny speck.
Most cams take videos but I seldom use that function because it takes so long to sort thru several hundred 10 second videos. My cams are normally checked every few weeks and a few thousand pics are common. I can look at, edit, delete, etc a thousand pics a lot faster than 100 videos.
Alkaline batteries are okay in warmer weather and if the cam is checked reasonably often. But in cold weather lithium work better. And lithium batts won't leak like an alkaline can. You can destroy a cam from the inside due to leaky batteries so don't leave alkaline powered cams unattended for long periods of time.
One thing about lithium is the camera's battery gage doesn't accurately read them. The cam will show 100% charge when in reality the battery is almost dead. Lithium go from working to done and the gage would have shown 100% so I usually change lithium batteries after a few thousand pics.
I can share some pics later.

 

[Robin]

I have a Reveal X trail camera that my sons suggested, it can be tied to your cell phone for instant notification. I have it out back in my woodlot just for fun, no one hunts there. Lots of deer, turkeys, crows etc. actually so many that I turned the cell phone notifications off and now just check the card periodically.
Here’s the most interesting shot to date, a curious blue bird.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Setting the camera on a natural scrape, or a mock scrape, bait pile, or other point of interest will produce more pics.
This camera was placed about 10-15 feet from the scrape.



This buck was within 6 feet of the camera. If the critter is standing still, it'll produce clearer pics.



Badger in low light of daybreak. Most cams struggle to take clear pics when in darkness or low light, especially if the animal was moving.



Red-tailed hawk.



Bobcat. The cat was roughly 15 yards away.



Redtail??

 

[ppine]

Last fall I went to one of my favorite lakes to camp. All of the campgrounds were closed. I just camped next to a closed campground.
The only people I met were a few foresters and some wildlife biologists. The biologists were putting out and checking trail cameras far and wide. I asked them what the main critters were that showed up on their cams. "Lions, bears and wolves" was their reply. I thought they might be kidding at first. We talked about the Lassen Pack near Lassen NP in norther CA. We were only about 50 miles from there. I visited the Park recently before the fire this summer.

A few summers ago I took a nap in the woods with my dog and woke up surrounded by a flock of wild turkeys. They have only shown up in the last few years.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Here are a few more. Sometimes you get lucky and the subject is centered and reasonably clear.



I'm guessing this is a turkey vulture? Wedon't have any hawks around here that are this dark colored. Maybe an immature bald eagle?? Unlikely but possible.


Coyote at 15 yards. (note: incorrect time stamp).



This is pretty typical of a nighttime pic. Not very sharp and often under illuminated around the edges and over illuminated in the center.
Note the time stamp is incorrect. It's an issue I've had with some cams...they don't always retain the correct time or date.



This is very typical of a night time pic. If the critter is moving, the pic will probably be a bit blurry. This buck was ~18 yards from the camera, which was elevated about 12 feet. Hanging cams high won't be noticed by animals that are camera shy. No doubt that some animals notice cams when hung low and some are quite shy.

 

[jdeerfoot]

Interesting thread - keep the photos coming.

 

[Robin]

Sometimes when you have an attractment like a deer block, it attracts crows,

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Setting the camera on a natural scrape, or a mock scrape

deer block

Learning things already. I'd never heard of these things before. Not being a hunter or a trail camera user or a deer-o-phile, I've mostly considered the overpopulation of deer on my 11 acres to be pests, not animals I want to attract. I suppose I'd change my attitude if I get some cameras.

Can these cameras, if positioned far from the house, somehow automatically send the images through the air to a computer or phone in the house, or do you have to physically access the camera to offload the images?

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Learning things already. I'd never heard of these things before. Not being a hunter or a trail camera user or a deer-o-phile, I've mostly considered the overpopulation of deer on my 11 acres to be pests, not animals I want to attract. I suppose I'd change my attitude if I get some cameras.

Can these cameras, if positioned far from the house, somehow automatically send the images through the air to a computer or phone in the house, or do you have to physically access the camera to offload the images?

There are cellular cameras which do send images to your phone or computer.
When they 1st came out you needed to pay for an account thru a cell carrier and they charged based on how many pics your camera sent. The bill could be pricey if your camera saw a lot of action.
But I believe it's not as expensive as it used to be but I don't own any cell cams so this is better addressed by somebody who has them.

Be aware, camera thieves are out there. I've had only 1 stolen over the last 15 years but I have heard of it being a much bigger issue for some people.
How, and where you hang them should be taken into consideration.

 

[Robin]

My Reveal X camera can be set up to send pictures to your cell phone, there is an app that explains the fees. You can set up your camera to delay the frequency of images so when a group of deer comes in you don’t get a ton of pictures of them. I think the monthly fee is $5 and up, if you have a lot of critters your monthly allotment of pictures runs out fast.

 

[Robin]

Here are some pictures from one of my sons collections, all on Connecticut public land open to hunting (no moose or bear hunting)

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Here are some pictures from one of my sons collections, all on Connecticut public land open to hunting (no moose or bear hunting)

I never knew there were moose in Connecticut. I've have seen bear on my property. Those pictures aren't from Maine?

 

[Robin]

I never knew there were moose in Connecticut. I've have seen bear on my property. Those pictures aren't from Maine?

All these are from Connecticut, there are a lot of moose near Hartland on the MDC (water company) land around Colebroke Reservoir, even breaking cows with calf’s. Also out around Canaan and Falls Village.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

All these are from Connecticut, there are a lot of moose near Hartland on the MDC (water company) land around Colebroke Reservoir, even breaking cows with calf’s. Also out around Canaan and Falls Village.

So, I'm learning even more from this thread.

Moose

Fact sheet about the Moose produced by the Connecticut DEEP Wildlife Division.

portal.ct.gov

 

[ppine]

Many large mammals in North America are quietly expanding their ranges back closer to where they were originally. They largely go unnoticed.
The pronghorn antelope are back in the range behind my house here in Nevada. We have increasing wild sheep populations, the most of any State except Alaska. There is now a huntable moose population in northeast Elko Co up near the Idaho border believe it or not. Large scale fires have converted some sagebrush lands back to grasslands. The fires in the Jarbidge Wilderness area have greatly increased the forage for antelope, mule deer and elk and now apparently for moose. We have documented sightings of wolf packs in the same area. The statewide elk population is around 25,000 animals.

 

[Seeker]

+1 for Trailcampro.com. Good folks. I've gotten a couple Browning from them that I really like.

I set them up in the woods behind my house and swap cards every couple days... all kinds of interesting stuff... some birds, neighborhood cats, etc... but mostly foxes, deer, raccoons, possums, and a few turkeys on occasion. Weirdest thing was a toad, and another time a snake.

 

[Alan Gage]

I went to a local fleet/farm store that had a lot of trail cams and picked one in the mid price range that didn't offer any of the features I didn't want (cell connectivity, wi-fi, etc). No complaints.

This thread just reminded me that I have an SD card from my trail cam in my pocket that I haven't checked yet.
Let me see what we've got.....yep.....no surprises there:

 

[Allegheny Tom]

I went to a local fleet/farm store that had a lot of trail cams and picked one in the mid price range that didn't offer any of the features I didn't want (cell connectivity, wi-fi, etc). No complaints.

This thread just reminded me that I have an SD card from my trail cam in my pocket that I haven't checked yet.
Let me see what we've got.....yep.....no surprises there:


View attachment 143349

Most trail cams work best with class10 SD cards.
A tip I got from the guys at TrailCamPro as to always use the camera to delete/foremat the card. They said MAC computers sometimes leave "traces" of data which can effect the performance.

 

[Gamma1214]

I'll have to start taking a trail cam on trips. It might be interesting to see what comes into camp at night.