Best game camera for the $$$

[TeacherMan]

I'm wanting to get a few new game cams coming up but don't want to spend $400 ea. I was looking at the Moultrie 6.0 IR for around $150 at cabelas. Any other suggestions in that price range?

[bobcat]

Wait till January if you can. The new 2013 models will be coming out and there will be some great deals on the old models. Happens every year. There will probably be some great cameras for $50 to $60. (Which is all I have ever spent on any of the trail cams I own)

[TeacherMan]

Wait till January if you can. The new 2013 models will be coming out and there will be some great deals on the old models. Happens every year. There will probably be some great cameras for $50 to $60. (Which is all I have ever spent on any of the trail cams I own)

that be really great! No real rush just starting to think about it. I'd like to get 6 or so.

[pd]

Hey, TeacherMan,

I spent quite a lot of time recently doing my homework, and finally purchased my first camera.  I, too, did not want to spend too much for a camera, especially given the risk of theft.  I found the reviews on this website to be very helpful.  http://www.trailcampro.com/trailcamerareviews.aspx

Good luck.

[JLS]

Wait till January if you can. The new 2013 models will be coming out and there will be some great deals on the old models. Happens every year. There will probably be some great cameras for $50 to $60. (Which is all I have ever spent on any of the trail cams I own)

Where do you recommend looking?

[bobcat]

Amazon, Wal Mart (online), Wing Supply, and Cabelas might even have some good deals.

[bobcat]

The DLC Covert "Red 40" is getting the best reviews right now that I've seen. It would be one to look at for sure. It's $150 which is way more than I would spend on a camera, but if that's in your budget, it's probably the best camera in that price range.

http://www.wingsupply.com/red40/dlc-covert-scouting-cameras-extreme-red-40-scouting-camera/

[coop2424]

Really depends what you want out of the camera since some are better at one thing while not so good at other features.  The battery life of trophy cam bushnells is what made me go that route. Not the fastest trigger speed so some pics are blurry but usually can make the pics out other than that has been a great cam.  I paid $129 for the 8mp version.  Have ran 3 trophy cams since June getting on average 500-1000 pics a week and still have not had to change any of the batteries. The batteries I am running cost me $3 at lowes for 30 no name batteries so I have spent $3 all year on batteries since June on my cameras.  I have not tried any other of the newer cams other than these so cant talk to those but there is some great cams out there.  I might pick one of the m-100 or m-60 up to try them out.

[Heredoggydoggy]

Really depends what you want out of the camera since some are better at one thing while not so good at other features.  The battery life of trophy cam bushnells is what made me go that route. Not the fastest trigger speed so some pics are blurry but usually can make the pics out other than that has been a great cam.  I paid $129 for the 8mp version.  Have ran 3 trophy cams since June getting on average 500-1000 pics a week and still have not had to change any of the batteries. The batteries I am running cost me $3 at lowes for 30 no name batteries so I have spent $3 all year on batteries since June on my cameras.  I have not tried any other of the newer cams other than these so cant talk to those but there is some great cams out there.  I might pick one of the m-100 or m-60 up to try them out.

I'm going for battery life on my next camera.  I have a Wildgame that I bought on sale for $65 with SD Card.  Takes good pictures, but eats up the batteries in less than a month, and half that in cold weather.  The Moultries get good revews, albiet a bit spendy.

[montanasoldier]

check the walmart clearance isle a few weeks after the hunting season has endded i picked up mine for 45 bucks

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Moutrie here!!!  The new little ones are easy, quick and AA
Lithium batteries last loooooong time!

[cem3434]

I have had pretty good luck with my refurbished Primos Truth 60 cameras.  For the price, you might want to try one of these out.  They have the same warranty as the new cameras.  We have 4 Truth 60's and they have all appeared to be new when we received them and we havent had any issues so far. 

http://www.natchezss.com/index.cfm#q%3Drefurbished%2520camera

[grundy53]

I run moultrie M-80's and love them.

[bullcanyon]

  m80 is the cam to get. What ever you get. Make sure it takes AA batteries.

[Heredoggydoggy]

m80 is the cam to get. What ever you get. Make sure it takes AA batteries.

   Especially the part about the AA batteries!  My Wildgame takes C batteries, and they don't last worth a darn.

[bullcanyon]

Check Ebay for camera and case combo deals. The bear box is a must.

[huntnnw]

Wait till January if you can. The new 2013 models will be coming out and there will be some great deals on the old models. Happens every year. There will probably be some great cameras for $50 to $60. (Which is all I have ever spent on any of the trail cams I own)

  Keep an aye out on Amazon

[Seabass]

I have both Bushnell and Wildgame cameras. I have 2 different models of the Wildgame camera. The Micro Red 3 and 5. All of them take AAA batteries. I have had good luck with both but my Wildgame cameras take better pics and were significantly cheaper.

[oldleclercrd]

Moultrie m-80. I have a few and take anywhere from 8,000-12,000 pics in a year with no problems. You might get a great deal with other cameras, but if the other cameras take anything other then AA, you will lose the money you saved in a hurry.

[Seabass]

I have both Bushnell and Wildgame cameras. I have 2 different models of the Wildgame camera. The Micro Red 3 and 5. All of them take AAA batteries. I have had good luck with both but my Wildgame cameras take better pics and were significantly cheaper.

I apologize I meant AA batteries.

[Alan K]

Last year they had these, except with a camo body rather than black, for $50 each!

http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Game-Innovations-Infrared-6-0-Megapixel/dp/B007MX0IPK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355712236&sr=8-1&keywords=wild+game+innovations

I bought 10x of them, and they've been great.  They take the AA's.  They have good battery life relative to just about all cameras, but still not as long of life as the Bushnell Trophy Cams.  I'd much prefer to have an arsenal of trophy cams. 

For me, I now go for as many mid range cameras as I can afford rather than a ton of cheapies or a few high enders.

[huntnnw]

all my cams work great as I use alot of different brands in the spring summer and early fall. The one thing i noticed with ALL of my cams is cold weather effects the trigger on ALL of these cams. I have tested them all and payed close attention to them in the field when hunting by one. I make notes as when deer are in front of the cams and times and how long they are there. None of the cams take pics as they should in cold weather. It has something to do with their body heat, cause all my cams work perfect on me when I walk by and up to them take pics every time. I watched a spike feed for 20 min 10 ft from a cam last week..it took 3 pics this happens to all my cams..and if they just blow by real quick sometimes no pics. I have yet to find a great cold weather cam

[deaner]

i havent exactly used a wide range of cameras, but trailcampro.com has bushnell xps for about 150 and im very happy with them.  also have available lockboxes.  buy the camera, lockbox, and the masterlock python cable and nobody will steal it short of cutting down the tree.  i tried the $100 bushnells from walmart and get way too many blurry pics on them.  slower shutter speed

[turkeyfeather]

I agree with others. I have tried several different brands and for around the price your talking the Bushnell Trophy cam is by far the best. Just the battery life alone saves you a ton of money. I ended up selling the others that I have and bought a couple more of these.

[huntnnw]

any of the cams on dbl A batts have long battery life..I wont agree with the Bushnell cam.. I have some and they are absolutely horrendous in cold weather and not battery life either

[turkeyfeather]

any of the cams on dbl A batts have long battery life..I wont agree with the Bushnell cam.. I have some and they are absolutely horrendous in cold weather and not battery life either

Really, that's suprising. What problems did you have? I have a buddy that got one as well, so we have 4 between us and never had an issue.

[huntnnw]

Most seem to think all there cams work great..I was one of them..come and check it after a week and theres pics everyday...all seems well I thought.I started paying close attention to them, if your in a stand and see a deer in front of them make a note how long, time what was the cam setting on then check the card. Even my best working cams I thought this year were actually working till I sat in my stand and had a deer in front of it and the same ole crap... sporadic pics . Mind u this stuff only happens in the late season here November-January..summer they work perfect all of them. I have noticed human presence in front of the cams they all work flawless in cold weather.

last year I set up 3 different brands of cams in November on the same tree in the same direction on the same photo settings...every cam had different pics on it that 1 cam didnt have..they varied 100-300 pic count difference! now just imagine if u had just the 1 cam and thinking it worked great cause u saw pics everyday..just think of what you missed and would it have altered your hunt? cause it only takes a pic or 2 to make that decision to sit there or not. I am skeptical now and hang 2 at places  know i have a shooter to be positive that he was in the area.

[huntnnw]

this year I averaged 1100 pics at a spot over 7 days for 3 weeks with my wildgame innovation cam..I hung my Bushnell trophy cam..same settings over 7 days 156 pics! 

[turkeyfeather]

That's good info.  Nice job on the research, I will have to try putting multiple cams in the same area and see what I may be missing.

[huntnnw]

something to do with the deer insulation in cold weather, cause its really sporadic..I even had moose in front of them doing the same deal!! People put out more heat than a deer and I think its why my cams always work on me when walking in and out everytime

[oldleclercrd]

I noticed the same thing when I was sitting in my stand. I would have a deer visit for some time and end up with only a few pics. The same camera was flawless in the summer. Like huntnnw said, one or two pics can make all the difference. During the rut that buck might just walk right through real quickly checking scents, and if your camera was being slow you may miss him and never realize he was ever even there.

[huntnnw]

   Alot of us rely on those pics to make a decision on where u sit..I have become careful on that now

[huntingfool7]

this year I averaged 1100 pics at a spot over 7 days for 3 weeks with my wildgame innovation cam..I hung my Bushnell trophy cam..same settings over 7 days 156 pics! 

This is interesting,which models?