Set-ups Lessons Learned

[Tracker12]

Ok I know there are some real guru's out there that have been using the trail cams with great success. Lets help t newbies out there with some lessons learned in deploying the cams in the field or how you get good pics. Like trying not to face the cam east and west for the sun to effect the quality. What height do you like to use. How do you use bait to get pics. You get the idea.

[foxtail]

Each cam is going to be a little different.

You have to experiment a bit when you get one.

You can place a bit of corn or other feed on the ground in front of your cam and determine the best distance to have your cam at.

Also, open areas will have different effective flash ranges from more closed in areas.

Always try to make sure that your cam is mounted above the high water mark any time there is a chance of flood. Chance of flood means any place the water has ever gotten to the height you are looking at. Winter time has the lowest chances of a flood in any given area, but you can't entirely rule it out. Floods can occur in the summer too.

Get rechargeable batteries and a charger if you can. If you have the option of using a solar panel also, do so.

Set the date on the cam, even if it is a pain in the ass. You may not think it matters, but if you end up with a pic of something extraordinary, the time stamp may be worth its weight in gold. (Tresspassers, hot skinny dippers, 45 point buck,ect)

Keep your mouth shut about where you have cams.

One cam on a property is nice, two is great, three is awesome, more and you are going to see just about everything that happens there.

Digital is the way to go. Film is outdated and expensive to use. If you accidently end up with a film cam, use it as a decoy or in high risk places to find your thieves. Just don't get film cams.

Cheap batteries are garbage in these things. If you have to use store bought batteries, get the good ones like Energiser or Duracell.

Try not to point the cam at the rising or setting sun. Bring a compass if you have to.

The perfect spot will never have the right tree to hang on. The perfect tree will never be in the right spot.

[foxtail]

Another thing.

Save your reciept on all trail cams.

If you do not have the reciept, you are not going to get any help from the manufacturer.

It does not matter if the cam is 2 days old. No receipt, you are SoL.

Moultrie has good cdams, but the customer service sucks

[buckshot164]

Forgetting to put in a memory card, Putting in a full memory card, forgetting to turn it on, not turning off the lcd, Walking 3 miles and realizing you didn`t bring batteries. I can`t find my camera. Where did I put them all. You do this long enough you will do some stupid things.

[MOvenatic]

I don't own one, but these are few things I remember from an article I read on trailcams.

Have more than one memory card for each camera.

Have separate bags for empty memory cards and full memory cards. Mark these bags so there is no confusion.

Same thing for batteries.

Set the camera higher in a tree at an angle. Kind of a looking down look at what walks by plus with the flash going off up there, it will seem more like lighting. Plus it might be harder for theives to get if it's high enough.

[Tracker12]

Buckshot
You are right on. I have forgot more crap than I can rememeber. For getting to turn it on, no batteries of card are another. I have more fun with my cams than I have had with the bow.

[Punch_Free4L]

Just curious....how many of you put out trail cams without locking them and just hope for the best?

[wideerguy9]

I have never even thought about locking my cameras up when they are out, I am on private land and trust all my neighbors. I put my cameras out in the open where everyone that walks within 100 yards of it can see it and have never had a problem, depends on what type of land you are putting them on and what your neighbors are like.

[OKhunter]

Make sure that there is nothing that can move in front of the camera if the wind blows. Last time I checked my camera I had over 300 pictures of the grass.

[buckshot164]

I had 2 cameras this year that were crushed by bears. The first one I did not have locked and he knocked it to the graound. It took 365 pictures until it filled up with water destoyed the camera and board. I had another that a bear bit through the fresnel and that one broke the camera to.

[Ringy]

I've tried the high up in a tree thing and now put them about knee high. When they are up high looking down, deer have to step into a spot for them to trigger and aiming is very critical. When they are down low, deer step through a "beam" and aiming is less critical. I get many more pics by mounting them low. I think after deer have had a few pics taken of them, the flash is no bother to them.

[foxtail]

Just curious....how many of you put out trail cams without locking them and just hope for the best?

If some piece of crap wants to steal your cam, he is going to whether you have it log chained in a box or completely unsecured.

I have little signs that state the fact that there is a security code which has to be entered every time you change the batteries and that the cam is useless to them without the code.

These small signs are pinned to the tree or taped on the cam.

I also have a set of signs which informs them that if they are going to steal one of my cams, they had better get them all. I probably won't fool with tresspassing charges, but will go to a lot of trouble to press theft charges.

[fmb]

I always walk in front of my cams and make sure they take my pic before I leave em, that way I know its on :)

locks only keep honest people honest, if someone is gonna come back with a tool to get your cam they will probably bring the right tool for the job, even if its a chainsaw.

In cool weather dont aim it a green stuff in the sun, when the green stuff warms it can cause your cam to take a pic

Good Thread here!

[Tracker12]

I always use a phyton lock on my cams and have yet to loose one. I do figure at some point someone will either steal one or destroy it. Shame but part of doing business. Recently, I have been using the cam to get other wildlife. We recently tied a deer carcus to a tree and placed a cam on it. Neat to watch all the different animals and birds that come in for a snack.

[buckshot164]

When it is hot wear snake boots. I had 2 python locks cut off the tree this year. They went up to them in a 4 wheeler on state gamelands.

[Brad Deffenbaug]

It's fun to share the photos with your friends and hunting buddies and I've educated a lot of people about hunting while showing them pictures of game on my cameras. But, when I'm setting or checking cameras, I do it alone and I do it out of sight. I don't park in the same place on a regular basis, approach my camera sites from the same way each time or allow myself to be patterned by the animals or people.

When I carry my camera to a site, I keep it out of sight in my backpack and ready to go so all I have to do it hang it. Sometimes I'll even "prep" the site before I take the camera in to hang it. I don't want to spend a lot of time at a camera location because I don't want people to get curious or spook the game that I want to photograph. I'm in and out.

I believe in the good in my fellow man, but I sure ain't going to tempt him if I can help it.

Shadow Man

[Punch_Free4L]

It's fun to share the photos with your friends and hunting buddies and I've educated a lot of people about hunting while showing them pictures of game on my cameras. But, when I'm setting or checking cameras, I do it alone and I do it out of sight. I don't park in the same place on a regular basis, approach my camera sites from the same way each time or allow myself to be patterned by the animals or people.

When I carry my camera to a site, I keep it out of sight in my backpack and ready to go so all I have to do it hang it. Sometimes I'll even "prep" the site before I take the camera in to hang it. I don't want to spend a lot of time at a camera location because I don't want people to get curious or spook the game that I want to photograph. I'm in and out.

I believe in the good in my fellow man, but I sure ain't going to tempt him if I can help it.

Shadow Man

Exactly!!!