Trail Camera Advise

[Kumacub]

This was my second year hunting. I have asked for advice and many have mentioned trail cameras on top of scouting in the off seasons. Which trail cameras would you recommend for areas without cell service, mounting options, general tips, Do's and don'ts, etc. Any and all advice for trail cameras would be appreciated. Hopefully I'll have a success story and pictures to share next year. Thank you everyone who have reached out before.

[birdshooter1189]

I recently got some TACTACAM cell cameras and I'm loving them so far. But I see you said non-cell area.  I've run non-cell cams for several years and have learned a few things....

Mounting options:  I usually just use the included strap to wrap around a tree.  Sometimes I have to wedge a brange or pinecone behind part of the camera to get it to face the direction and angle that I want it to.

When possible, place the camera on the north side of a tree, pointing north. This minimizes sun glare in photos, it minimizes false photos from moving shadows (some cameras are more sensitive to this than others).  Also, where I'm at, most of our rain blows in from the south-west.  Mounting cameras on the north side of trees minimizes the rain they are exposed to.  Even though nearly all game cams say they are waterproof.....eventually water finds a way in.

I usually get the best photos if the camera is at eye level with game animals, (chest or waist high on me), pointed slightly downward.  I try to set the camera at roughly a 45 degree angle into a game trail, so that it will be capturing photos of animals about 5-15 feet from the camera.  Do note that mounting this way makes it easy to spot by humans also.  So only set it up like this if you are pretty confident people won't find it and mess with it.

If it's in a place where people will likely pass through, try to mount it higher up in a tree, or on a tree further back from the trail with other trees closer nearby (so that the camera isn't the closest thing sticking out beside the trail, tuck sticks around it for camoflage, etc.

Some cameras work well with AA batteries, others will drain them quick.  Depending on how often you will be checking your cameras, consider getting lithium battery packs, or solar chargers, or a motorcycle sized battery pack with a wire and plug to the camera (I'm told this setup can last 8+ months on a charge)

[NOCK NOCK]

Good info  except dont just use the strap. Bears and elk LOVE to mess with cameras, using just a strap is asking for the cam to be spun around the tree by a critter, or even worse, chewed on or ripped off the tree(IMO this explains a large portion of "stolen" cameras)

Yes there are Dbags that will steal them. I have been running 5-12 cams a year for 10+ years and have never had 1 stolen. KOW.

[MIKEXRAY]

I've had great luck with Browning trail cameras, bought a three pack 6 years ago and not one issue. Always use a bear / security metal box. I hunt far up a ridge, not many people but what I do is make a two step ladder with limbs & tie wraps.  I mount my camera about 8 ft up with a stick at the top / back of the box to point it downward. I stash my little ladder under a nearby bush using it all season to check the pictures. Another good idea is to knock down the knee high weeds or whatever is in the picture that will give u false alarms. Good luck and have fun. And yes at the end of hunting season I take my ladder apart & pack my tie wraps back down the mountain lol.

[cody21]

For non cell cams I’ve mostly used stealthcams.

We use a climbing stick or pegs to hang them 8-10 feet off the ground with a camera mount instead of a strap. It screws into the tree and then into the bottom of your camera and you can angle it down (camofire has them every week). It provides a nice overhead view and it also prevents bear and elk from knocking them down or breaking them. Most people that come by them won’t steal them but it has happened to me, family, and friends before.

If you don’t want to carry a climbing stick or pegs, straps at eye level work great too! I know plenty of guys that still run straps and the vast majority of the time it will be totally fine. It just sucks when you hike super far and then go to check it after a few months and an elk or something else knocked it over or broke it 3 days after you put it out.

Definitely consider the sun and its glare as mentioned above.

It helps to put out some salt or a trophy rock. However, if there is cattle in the area, DO NOT bait it over the summer. They will fill up the SD card quickly and the camera will die.


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[Birdguy]

Have run non cell cams for close to 20 years starting with the big 8D cell battery ones that lasted a month to the current models that last many months on 8AAs. Most our cam use has been on our property for keeping an eye in the local critters as well as security on the place and our cabin. I do use them around the house from time to time to see who is pulling up to our gate, or watching the bird pens or just to see when the deer, bear, coyotes and raccoons are active.

There is lots of good info above, I'll add a few. 

Grass or a branch that blows into the view of the camera can put a ton of pics on your camera in no time.
Location with direct sun can and likely will be an issue if not considered.
Bait is great but be sure it is mostly used by your target critter (a bear will eat a bag of wet cob in a day!)
Apples are great but not when range cows are around, bears love them too and 10 gallons goes really quick.
Get the biggest SD card your camera can take, extra pics can be deleted but missed pic can never be captured!
All our cams are at least out of normal mans reach, the cone or branch behind the cam for aim is cheap and works great.
NEVER eat bacon before putting up cams or swapping cards (bears love bacon grease) cams disappear, lol.
Natural travel paths have been better for us than random camera placing.
always double check the new SD card is installed and battery has enough juice.
Cold weather will burn batteries faster!
Ensure the seal is good around the battery pack as moisture helps corrosion.
Clean the lens on the cam now and then, recommend something scent free.
If your cam is not where you left it look around really well, may have removed by and animal (see bacon grease comment)
TEST EVERY CAM AROUND THE HOUSE BEFORE TAKING TO THE WOODS!

We have had great luck with Moultrie, Bushnell and Browning cams. Not a fan of Stealth cams but they are a great deal if theft is a concern.