Trail Cams

[minman]

I'm starting to get geared up for the fall hunting seasons and am looking at some trail cams. I'd be interested in building some homebrew trail cams. It seems like there was a thread on here a while back and someone mentioned having some experience at building their own. If anyone has any recommendations or links to tutorials for homebrewed cams, I'd be appreciative.

Thanks,

Mitch

 

[dennishoddy]

I don't remember any home-brewed trail cams. I have seen other places on the net where you can build your own, but unless you just into building things(kind of like I am) Its cheaper to buy one.
You can buy cameras now that are just as inexpensive as it would be to build one and they produce better pics, and can do video as well.
I have used them for 10 years or so, starting with the 35MM that you had to get the film developed, to the first 1.2 MP digital cameras that were cloudy, up to the 5mp that are currently offered.

Tried different brands, up to the $500 models that say they are faster, and so on and so on.
My favorite is the Stealthcam. You can get a 5mp for $99 that works great.
If you hunt private ground the flash model is the one you want. It does not spook deer unlike what the high-end mfg say when the flash goes off.
Deer see the flash as lightning or a strobe off a nearby cell tower. If they are not threatened, deer will acustom themselves to about any situation.
If the shutter speed is "supposed to be slower than the high end" model, like they show on tv, turn the camera to a 45 degree angle which keeps the animal in the zone longer, or put out some corn to stop them to get a snack.

The infrared models are great for putting out on public ground where somebody may see the flash but you'll be dissapointed in the quality of the picture at night as its usually in the range of 1.2 mp. Grainy, and sometimes you can't even count the tines.

With IR, you won't get pics like this: