Trail Cameras

Status
Not open for further replies.
This has been a good thread. FYI the Browning Strike Force is on sale right now at Sportsmans Warehouse for $100. It's gotten some great reviews, so I bought one today. We'll see how it it works out.
 
By the way, is there such a thing as a trail camera with proper, directly accessible WIFI? I have very good 18dB omni+MIMO+beamforming access point antennas on the roof of my cabin for maximum coverage and there are at least 2-3 spots within range where I'd like to put cameras. The whole place is surrounded by deer bedding area and trails/tracks, so I'd love to be able to access the cameras through wifi as well as having them save pictures (and video?) directly to a server.

I've had AXIS surveillance cameras for this purpose but the better ones are VERY expensive and require a car battery as an external power source, which they manage to drain in a matter of days.
 
Here's a video I just pulled from a Primos Truth Cam 35 that I bought refurbished from Natchez Shooters. I actually bought several and they're a great deal for the price ($50). I primarily use these to watch for trespassers, so prefer cheap ones that I don't worry too much about losing.

The bear in the video has been causing all sorts of problems with the bee yard and an electric fence hasn't stopped him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC8eO46TQCM&feature=youtu.be
 
I've had a Bushnell 6 mp for two years now, and a trophy cam HD for several months (the HD is one of the older models, last year or the year before). Both work so well, I picked up two more of the HDs. I have other brands, but they are my go to cameras in most situations. Letting you set the field scan time, as opposed to it just going for a few hours at daylight and then again at dusk is a big plus. Haven't had to use their customer service, so no comment on that.

I picked up three Moultrie panoramic 150s last year. I really like the camera, and it does what it says it does. One was dead and the other two were acting up after about 8 months and had to be sent back. Moultrie replaced all three with no fuss. The replacements worked fine up until Thanksgiving week (about three months after I got them). The first one died for unknown causes, but I'm almost positive the cows worked it over...cows do things like that. We got 9 inches of rain in 30hrs a couple days later and the second one drowned (as in, underwater). The third one is working fine. Not sure if I'll pick up new ones this summer or not, guess I'll wait and see how long/well this last one holds up. I really like the concept, and when they are working, they work great. But longevity may be an issue. These are pretty amazing little machines, you're basically buying a computer that you can stick out in the woods for weeks or months on end- I don't expect them to have really long lifespans. But then, if they are dying after 8 months and get replaced for free under warranty...well, 2 years doesn't seem that bad for what you're getting for $150. Like I said, when mine were working, they were fantastic, even if the picture quality wasn't quite as good as the Bushnells.

The Primo's truth cam I got last year is still running strong and is a great camera, and if the new ones have field scan capability, I'd look at those. I picked up a Browning this season (strikeforce, I think). Its not a bad camera, but its not the same picture quality as the Bushnells, but I was paying roughly the same price. I really don't like the proprietary time-lapse software you have to use.

FWIW, I've had a pair of old Wildlife Innovation cameras for several years now, and one of them finally died. They weren't bad, not the best at anything, really kind of just bare bones, but they worked, and did so longer than I had any business expecting.
 
Has anybody tried the Moultrie a5. My local Walmart has one on clearance for $49 and i was just wondering if it would be worth the money as a second camera to my Moultrie M880
Click to expand...

YES, and DO NOT BUY THE A5! It is a terrible camera unless you want a camera that basically acts as a plot watcher camera. I have two and a buddy of mine in Florida has a couple. Regardless of the setting, the slightest movement from anything in their FOV triggers them. You can literally get thousands of pictures that look like time lapse of the day that have zero animals, sometimes at night as well, but not as much.
 
Trail cams

Ok, I finally set up 3 cameras on the same tree angled at about the same place to see what the differences are.
You can see them on the tree at the lower left of the pic. I happened to be 20 feet up the next tree with my crossbow in hand.

I'm going to give it a few days to see what game comes through.
I walked past the cams at about 15yds, 10 yds, 5 yds and close up.
I have the Bushnell Trophy cam HD Bone Collector on top, the Stealth cam in the middle and my older Bushnell Trophy Cam HD on the bottom. I'll collect the SD cards in a couple days and do some comparisons.

1419897554_zps2982f962.jpg
 
27hand said:
alko,

What models if I may ask? I have 2 but they are only a year and another is a few months.
Do you have an idea on how moisture got into them?

Looks like mine seal very well (for now, that is).

I just set out my stealth cam and git a couple 10 sec videos.

I'll do the comparison test after hunting season. Prob in the next week or 2.
Click to expand...
I don't remember what models they were but I never buy cheapest ones. They were working great when they were new. I live in California and excessive moisture/himidity should not be a problem.
 
Double Naught Spy said:
YES, and DO NOT BUY THE A5! It is a terrible camera unless you want a camera that basically acts as a plot watcher camera. I have two and a buddy of mine in Florida has a couple. Regardless of the setting, the slightest movement from anything in their FOV triggers them. You can literally get thousands of pictures that look like time lapse of the day that have zero animals, sometimes at night as well, but not as much.
Click to expand...
I've got a couple of moultries that do nothing but eat through batteries and take worthless pictures. I think they're A5's too.
 
My fiance's grandparents were given a Moultrie A5 and they like it for what they needed it to do and they actually had me buy them another one off of Amazon for $56 shipped.
I use the M880 at I don't have any complaints of it as of right now other than its not the infrared version but that's really not a big deal for me.
 
One thing I noticed on the first video this that the deer obviously knew it was there and kept looking towards the camera.

Were all three turned on at the same time, or alternated?

I'm trying to find something that the deer don't sense. We found the bedding area for two really big bucks, one maybe book class and the other maybe 180+/-. Unfortunately this was a couple weeks after buck season.

I'd like to get the cameras set next Spring so we can be ready for early archery season, but I don't want to spook them out of the area with trail cams. Does may tolerate something like that. A 180 class buck most likely won't.
 
Get an ir camera because that's supposed to keep them from seeing it at night
Click to expand...

Yes and no. Many IR cameras emit a faint cherry glow when they take a picture. Generally, it does not bother the animals. The "blackout" cameras will have invisible (to humans and most animals) or nearly invisible flash.
 
The Cuddeback Blackflash is supposed to be awesome because it's quick trigger time but the downfall of that camera is it doesn't have much range
Click to expand...

This area is maybe a four acre brush island that borders a ditch and is surrounded by excellent farm land. Like to have as much distance as possible as there's no natural funnel to force them thru a defined area

Thanks for the replies
 
Look for options

Moultrie is a common brand so you can fix it or find parts etc.. maybe even a decent warranty. But options should depend on what you are using it for.

With trail cameras batteries have always seemed to be the biggest pain in the but... especially when it gets cold. I wouldn't purchase anything that didn't allow for a battery pack or spare battery attachment or a system that somehow extends the life of the batteries in the first place.

LED lights, auto shut off and battery packs are what is going to keep your camera rolling.

Other options depend on what you want to use the images for... if you want to show people then high resolution and even video are great. If you don't care to show anyone and just want to know what's out there then lower resolution digital photos are fine.
 
The Bushnells and Primos Truthcam all have had fantastic battery life. One ran a full year before it got below 40%, and that's with heavy use. The Moultrie 150s got pretty good life, too, but not as good as the aforementioned. Can't speak to the cold here in FL. All three have pretty good range, though I think the Bushnells edge the others a bit.

If you are putting them out during the spring, it may not matter if the animals notice them much at first (they do tend to notice them at close range, though I think its the tiny noises that get made, not so much the flash). In my experience, most get used to them pretty quick, and I've yet to get a shot of one running away from them. So long as a member of the group doesn't get hurt or chased by something, its amazing what deer will get used to in very short order, including people. And you absolutely want to douse them with scent killer spray. With the Bushnells, you have the timelapse mode that can be set for different times of the day. You might try setting them back from the cover beyond motion trigger range, still close enough to get a decent picture, and just run them really hard near dusk and dawn for a while. They still get triggered by motion in the off times, but the animal will have to be within sensor range. Run them for a while, and if you don't have any luck, change the location.
 
Problem with the cameras is that you can spend $100-$500 on something that may or may not work. And, you've wasted all that time and effort in the process. Nice to get unbiased input

Appreciate all the responses.
 
The one brand that I will never use again is Wildgame innovations.Didn't buy the one I have got as a gift and they didn't keep the slip so I'am stuck with it JUNK
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

jmorris
  • Locked
Trail cameras side by side
Replies
7
Views
543
FL-NC
FL-NC
F
  • Locked
trail cam
Replies
9
Views
313
FL-NC
FL-NC
P
  • Locked
got charged by a black bear today
2
Replies
36
Views
2K
flyboy1788
F
L
  • Locked
6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser, Cast Bullets, Trail Boss Powder?
Replies
2
Views
798
Float Pilot
Float Pilot
CDW4ME
  • Locked
Lets see where the THR is on 10mm vs 45 acp - assume you have both
2 3 4
Replies
90
Views
3K
CDW4ME
CDW4ME
Back
Top