We are looking to buy a Game Trail Camera--Advice please!

[VonFatman]

Does anyone have experience with game-trail cameras?

My wife and I want to buy one, but first we thought it best to ask around to see which "flavor(s)" are best liked.

Some of our thoughts:
+We think a digital camera would be best for us.

+We do not know what features are key????

+We think we might spend $250.00 +/-

+What do you think about the infra-red flash vs. traditional white light flash?? We think the "invisible" flash might be good should our camera encounter a trespasser sneaking in or out of our farm...our thinking is that should the trespasser be "flashed" he/she would no doubt attempt to destroy/steal the camera.

+What about locking the camera to a tree? Is it worth the effort?

+Are there particular brands that shine above others?

Thank you!

Bob

 

[joebogey]

Check these folks out... They can tell you just about anything you'd wanna know about game cams and then some.
http://realdealhuntingchat.invisionzone.com/

 

[VonFatman]

joebogey,
Perfect! Thank you very much!!

Bob

 

[Blackfork]

Game Cams

I have two. Let me recommend digital, digital, digital, digital. Do you want 36 shots that you have to take to Walmart or 610 shots that don't cost anything?

I use rechargeable batteries and don't bother with locks and cables. Those cables can be cut with a pocketknife. Not worth the trouble. I have two Moultries. One is great but the later, cheaper 100.00 Walmart model 100 is no good. It just limps along. I exchanged it, then sent it to Moultrie. It's not any better.

Get the 150.00 Moultrie. Once you learn an operating system and have the cards and rechargeable batts, you are going to want to keep them all the same.

I'm having so much fun compiling a notebook and computer file of all the deer and animals in the bottom that I am thinking of getting three cams. I swap cards nearly every day. One is on an old scrape that seems to stay a good place and the other is on a corn feeder I run. They are about 200 yards apart. I feed the data into the computer with a card reader. I might add a third at the creek crossing.

 

[VonFatman]

Thank you Blackfork! I appreciate the first-hand advise.

Good luck with your third camera.

Bob

 

[redneck2]

I had a cheapie 35mm that I got thru Cheaper Than Dirt. I had lots of pictures of brush and trees, but only 3 or 4 deer out of over 100 pictures. Sent it back.

The Dunhams here had digitals on sale this fall for 1/2 price. $299 unit was $149.

 

[Lambo119]

We have eight various camera's out on the land I bow hunt on. Definitely go digital you wont regret it. Have had the best luck with the Cuddeback cameras. They seem to take the best photos with less false exposures. Usually pricey but worth it.

 

[spectr17]

Here's a couple more game cam forums to look for help and ideas

http://pixcontroller.com/forums/
http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/index.php?showforum=50
http://www.chasingame.com/forum/index.php

 

[VonFatman]

Thanks for the suggestions and links. Very good!

Bob

 

[jmorris]

I had a 35mm along time ago, cost too much to run and you had to wait until “next time” to see what had been there. I built a digital game camera after that (they didn’t exist at the time) and it worked much better but you still only see what had been there. I now use motion activated radios that play back a prerecorded message from a digital voice recorder. Now I know when and where game is while I’m there and the camera tells me what has been there recently. Face the motion detector away from the rising/setting sun. Mount the camera to something ridged, your camera can’t tell the difference between it moving or something else. If you mount it to a tree, cut away close limbs/leaves.

 

[ballisticbill]

Don't buy any digital game camera that is run on AA batteries. They last about 3 day's