Trail cams?

[SoonerATC]

So I imagine they're like typical digital cameras...you just remove the memory card and pop it into your computer to view the pictures?

 

[sesh]

I've had pi$$ poor luck with the stealth cams and the wildviews. It may just be bad luck because I know a lot of folks are real happy with the stealths, but one of the stealth cams and a wildview just up and quit working on me, can't figure out why. The other stealth works okay when it works but there will be times that I go in to check it and it will have nothing on it even if there's fresh sign all over the place, then other times it works flawlessly.
I put some coin out on a Bushnell Trophy Cam this past fall and that thing has worked great. Tons of pictures, very few of nothing, good quality, and compact. I can stick it in the pocket of my cargo's and forget it's there when moving it around. I'm going to buy at least one more before next fall.
The other one's I've heard good things about are the Scoutguard's which I think are sold under the Covert brand name now. Right around the $200 range and nice and compact like the Bushnell. I may try one of them out this year as well.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

So I imagine they're like typical digital cameras...you just remove the memory card and pop it into your computer to view the pictures?

Yes, you can swap memory cards. Some companies are selling a viewer if you can't wait till you get home to view.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

I got a cuddeback recently and put it over a feeder, the coons ripped the feeder up and spilled everything but I got no photos of this. I got only one photo of deer over about 6 weeks and am worried that it may not be working correctly. I did get 2 pics of a hawk in mid flight and an owl at night in flight so that did seem to be working good. Maybe the deer just weren't traveling there? Does anyone have any suggestions on other cams around 100 to 150 dollars, I need several and don't have enough for all cuddes. Thanks.

How is the camera mounted and is it angled at all to the ground? I put mine about 6 foot high and and put a stick or block of wood behind it to angle it toward the ground. It helps to trigger it if the sensor has a solid background. The block I use is a piece of 1x2 trimmed to a 4" length.

 

[patrickcudd]

I like Cuddeback's because I'm a Cuddeback!

That being said I've only owned one that I used in my houses that were under construction during the copper boom. I never caught any thieves, but it took great pictures.

I chose it due to the IR flash in lieu of a flash moldel that thieves would steal also.

 

[shootermcgavin]

I have three of the stealth cams with the flash, not the infra red.
Also have one hi dollar cuddyback with the IR, and it sucks, and sits in my shop while the stealth cams continue to take pics one after another.

The buttons that are used to program the cuddy back fell off mid season the first year, and the 1.2MP Ir is so out of focus that you can't count the points.

Here is my take on trail cams.
On public ground, I would recomend the IR's as they can be located by the flash and stolen.
On private ground, use the flash as they give much greater detail and no matter what the manufactures say, the flash does not startle any animal any more than a flash of lightning or headlights from a nearby road. I have hundreds of pics of deer and other animals in sequential pics that don't pay any attention to it, and some in the next pic will have their face right in front of the trail cam as they are courious about it.

[Broken External Image]

haha. I like the mouse running across.

 

[dennishoddy]

I wondered if anybody was going to see that. Good eye!

 

[shootermcgavin]

I wondered if anybody was going to see that. Good eye!

It was the shadow being cast by it that caught my attention actually, then I looked closer to see what was casting it...

 

[tjones96761]

Yes, you can swap memory cards. Some companies are selling a viewer if you can't wait till you get home to view.

I just use my digital camera. you can't see every little detail, but enough to know if you need adjust/relocate before you get all the way home.

I don't think IR flash is any less visible than regular flash, as far as someone finding your camera and stealing it. maybe it's just the moultrees, but it lights up everything red for 3-5 seconds. not an instantaneous flash, more like it ramps up to full brightness then ramps back down.

a computer geek friend of mine told me the cheaper ones don't have capacitors, that's why they eat batteries faster than the more expensive ones. also almost all of them use a timer to "go to sleep" when there is no activity, and the cheaper ones use a slower, cheaper processor chip so it takes them longer to wake up. I guess it depends where you are setting up. I always have mine over a mineral lick or feeder, so I don't need a quick trigger. if it's on a trail it probably needs to be pretty quick.

 

[notime]

looks like it may be between the flash moultrie and the flash stealth, it looks like the moultrie doesn't have the burst mode. How helpful is that feature?