How many trail cameras?

[HoofsandWings]

When scouting, how many cameras do you use?
2? 3? or more?
I think I am going to buy stock in a battery manufacturer. Four cameras take 32 batteries.

[vandeman17]

Depends on size of area but I run 3-4. I own more but that’s about what I hang per general area

[emac]

At least 28

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[luckyman]

If you know little about the area it helps to hang more or move them a lot. Once you learn whats in the area and where they hang you only need a couple to monitor. I try to have about 3 good areas. I don't hang any in spots that are loaded with sign. You will be getting a lot of human traffic and you will aready know the animals are there.

[KFhunter]

I tend to really narrow down an area then hang a camera,  I'm old skool and do a lot of track following

[wheels]

got 2 want couple more

[NOCK NOCK]

As others stated, depends on how big of an area you want to cover. I set up around 12ish every year between elk and deer areas, multiple spots for both.

As far as batteries go, I buy the Kirkland brand(Costco will close their doors if I quit running cams) they work just as good as any name brand for a lot less $$. I will fill a 32g card with movies before the batts die. I also leave 2-4 cams out over winter, Oct-April, they all still have live batteries when I pick them up. Some swear by Lithium Ion, prolly work too, but cant justify the price.

[Crunchy]

2-4 is a good number.  For deer I have 2-3 decent spots so that pretty much covers them.  Elk is different because they travel more but I manage with placement on bedding and/or wallows.

[ljsommer]

I have yet to find success (in the literal sense) on a hunt so for me trail cameras are my portal to wildlife, so I run quite a few. I have 14 in total, and they're spread all over the state. I have yet to have one stolen but I've had them messed with, which is frustrating. I am a big fan of wildlife so getting to see pictures is really thrilling.

[MR5x5]

0

[PolarBear]

 

[HoofsandWings]

You two must take very long vacations or live across the street from where you hunt.
For me it is a three hour trip each way, plus my hunting season lasts about 4 days.
Companies I worked for over the years, either had no more than a week in a year for vacation or like the last company there were no vacations. Oh I could take a day or two off, which were unpaid and when I returned, I had a pile of work that had deadlines that I had to meet.

[smithkl42]

I've a total of 9 cameras out at the moment, spread out across three different areas. All of my cameras are cheap, so other than hiding 'em a bit and hanging them in out-of-the-way spots, I don't really take steps to prevent theft. (The cameras only a little more expensive than the locks and boxes would be.) All are within an hour's drive + a 1-2 hour hike, so I try to visit them once every month or two. My kids often seem to have games on Saturday afternoons, so I'll visit one of my spots that morning before their games start.

I'm a newbie at this - coming into my third season, and no success as of yet. But where I'm hanging trail cameras these days seems to be a lot more productive than where I first started, so I'm hoping it helps.

[PolarBear]

You two must take very long vacations or live across the street from where you hunt.
For me it is a three hour trip each way, plus my hunting season lasts about 4 days.
Companies I worked for over the years, either had no more than a week in a year for vacation or like the last company there were no vacations. Oh I could take a day or two off, which were unpaid and when I returned, I had a pile of work that had deadlines that I had to meet.

I usually only have a few weekends to hunt and do so within and hour or so from home.  I don't have time to scout but I do know how to read sign and terrain. 

[branches]

We use to set up 4 cameras in our Elk woods. They were not for the elk they were to see how many people we would see in our Elk woods. We went 8 years before we had somebody show up on a camera. We ended up with just 3 hunters total and one of them just had to mess with a camera. We pulled the cameras and found some Elk in the next basin over so it worked out for us.

[HoofsandWings]

You two must take very long vacations or live across the street from where you hunt.
For me it is a three hour trip each way, plus my hunting season lasts about 4 days.
Companies I worked for over the years, either had no more than a week in a year for vacation or like the last company there were no vacations. Oh I could take a day or two off, which were unpaid and when I returned, I had a pile of work that had deadlines that I had to meet.

I usually only have a few weekends to hunt and do so within and hour or so from home.  I don't have time to scout but I do know how to read sign and terrain.

True. The issue is where. My hunting partner has this one area he loves, but in recent years, the elk don't travel through his area. He knows every rock and bush.  Unfortunately the elk have changed their route.

[bowhunterforever]

20 but there all not out now

[warthog]

don't use them for scouting purposes, just think it's a neat passive hobby.    i like 8 - 20 out at a time.  been tough this year.  darn bears "fixed" 4 of my cams before the end of may.  almost afraid to go check the remaining i have out.  haven't checked in 2 weeks.  maybe tomorrow if it don't rain. 

[Bango skank]

Just set up #35 today.