Trail Cam dvise needed

[Gutpile]

I'm thinking about picking up a trail cam but which brand/s should I consider? What types of options should I consider?

PS I wont spend more than $150.00. To scared It'd get stolen so a more expensive model is out of the question.

Thanks

[Gobble]

If you don't want to spend alot I was just at Walmart in Bonney Lake and I saw that they had one that take SD cards and it was only $49. Can't beat the price! Do'nt know how it works though but was thinking about picking one up myself

[Gutpile]

The real cheep stuff concerns me too. Everytime I've bought something real cheap I've regretted it.

[Gobble]

I'm going to give it a try, I can't see spending $100-150 to have some *censored* steal it from me 

[shanevg]

I don't have one yet but I have put in a bunch of research.  I am in the same boat as you, I am not going to put it on my property so I don't want an expensive one that could get stolen.  My research has pointed me to the Bushnell Trail Sentry Digital Scouting Camera ($100 at Cabelas.)  After reading a number of reviews and talking to a number of people, I have been told that this is the best camera you can get for under $300.  The Cabelas one has a camo one with night vision in the bargain cave on sale from $250 for a $150, so that might be a good option.  This will definitely be the first trail camera that I get.  Hope this helps.

[Skyvalhunter]

check out its reviews on Cabelas

[Gutpile]

Nobody owns a trailcam?

[Skyvalhunter]

Lots of people own them but don't spend that little of an amount. Get what you pay for. Either the batteries go dead or you have to send it back in. Might as well just go with a cheap stealth 35mm if you dont want to spend much.

[lee]

Hi,
I recently purchased a Moultrie i40 and used it for the first time last week. Now I'm no camera expert by any stretch of the imagination but it works OK for what I need it to. It takes color pic's in day light and it "see's in the dark" for night time pic's.

Lee

[Gutpile]

Lots of people own them but don't spend that little of an amount. Get what you pay for. Either the batteries go dead or you have to send it back in. Might as well just go with a cheap stealth 35mm if you dont want to spend much.

I was afraid of that. Thats actually the advise I was looking for. How much do you have to spend to get a reliable system? I've read that batteries die, they take pics of shadows, the sun, etc. So whats the minimum in your opinion to get a decent one?

[Skyvalhunter]

Well Moultrie seems like a good deal. As you have seen some guys suggest the I40. When inquiring about what trail cam Tmike used because he had posted nice pictures, and the battery lasted a long time he suggested the I60($299). I have 4 Stealth cams 2 digital and 2 35mm. The pictures are ok not real clear but decent enough to see what game is in the area. I have the external 12v battery so it lasts quite a while. You know the hassle with 35mm in that you have to take the film in and you might only get a couple pics on a roll. So go digital. If you type in Trail Cams review there is a website that reviews them all pretty much. Also go to Cabelas look up the trailcams and read the different reviews. I did buy a couple of mine on ebay and save some money. Sorry I couldn't help more.

[tmike]

The i60 takes great photos and I've had the same 6 batteries in it since December and still have 42% life in them after continuous use. I'm using mine in the back yard so no worries on getting it stolen. For hunting or scouting i like coonhounds D40 for 99$. Those pictures are all you need to know what's there. The i60 is the first and only trail camera I've owned so take my advice with a grain of salt.

[LongTatLaw]

oh...we always do Tmike

but urs takes nice pics bro!

[bowhuntin]

I would suggest to definitely go with one that has a digital camera, you can buy a 2GB SD card for like 20 bucks at Fred Meyers. I first bought a 35mm trail camera and was really disappointed. For one, you have to have the film developed, it didn't take real good pictures, was slow to trigger some time(but it really depends on how you position your trail camera when you put it on a tree to maximize the ability for the camera to get the animal on film) and the fact that the batteries died really quickly. A little over a year ago I purchased a stealth cam, it has a screen on it so you can look at what you got when you check your camera, it takes good pictures IMO and it has excellent battery life. The batteries lasted a 2 months plus when I first put it up during the winter. The only problem with the stealth cams is that they can be a little slow to trigger some times so you need to angle the camera so it maximizes the amount of time the animal is in the cameras view. I don't remember the model I have, but it is out of the price range that you listed. Cabelas offers some in your price range and I think the only difference on some of them is that they don't have the screen where you can see the pictures that your camera has taken. That is pretty simple to fix though just by to SD cards and bring a digital camera with you when you go to check your camera. I have never had a problem with anyone messing with my camera or even seen boot tracks, but I would not put it up during hunting season. I always put it up during the summer, spring and winter when there aren't many people wandering around the woods. I will post some pictures so you can see the quality of picture the stealth cam takes.

[bowhuntin]

Here are some pictures from my trail camera taken last summer. Sorry about the size of the picture, but I don't have my camera here with the SD card so I had to copy them from my profile.