First time trail cam setup

[pnwsteelheader]

Just purchased a couple Browning trail cams, non-cell service as the area they’ll be set in won’t have coverage.

I’ll be targeting mountain Blacktail in Washington state. Elevations greater than 3500 or so.

Was wondering if anyone could provide some tips for setting them up in the thick timber as I’m brand new to this. Some friends have advised me on obvious things like avoiding a shot with a branch that frequently moves in the wind, etc. I’ve identified some obvious game trails and bedding spots, would it be best to film a high usage spot like a game trail, or specific spots where they may be bedding?

Do I want the cams set up with a small area in view to somewhat eliminate false triggers from bushes/branches moving in the wind? Or more of a broad area like a bench in the steep alpine slopes where there may be multiple deer moving through, but also more background noise that may trigger the camera.

Would appreciate anyone’s help. Brand new to this and understand time in the woods and experience is the best teacher, but hoping for a few tips as well.

 

[Benchleg Hunter]

I try to always keep mine pointed north if possible to eliminate any glare.
I also like to keep my SD card reader with me when setting them up. I'll turn the camera on and walk in front of it to make sure it's working and to take a picture. I'll check it there and a lot of times it shows me something really obvious I need to change.
As far as a small area vs big area, really just depends. The more area captured the better unless the pics are just going to be 100 pics of trees blowing in the wind for 1 deer picture. If I can capture a big area that doesn't have a lot of moving foliage I definitely would. More area captured is more chances you'll see a buck.
Also putting a small stick as a shim behind the camera keeps them pointed down and not looking at too many branches.
Just beware, trail cameras can become a bit addicting haha.

 

[pnwsteelheader]

I try to always keep mine pointed north if possible to eliminate any glare.
I also like to keep my SD card reader with me when setting them up. I'll turn the camera on and walk in front of it to make sure it's working and to take a picture. I'll check it there and a lot of times it shows me something really obvious I need to change.
As far as a small area vs big area, really just depends. The more area captured the better unless the pics are just going to be 100 pics of trees blowing in the wind for 1 deer picture. If I can capture a big area that doesn't have a lot of moving foliage I definitely would. More area captured is more chances you'll see a buck.
Also putting a small stick as a shim behind the camera keeps them pointed down and not looking at too many branches.
Just beware, trail cameras can become a bit addicting haha.

Awesome tip regarding angling the cam downward with a stick. Luckily, my cams have a screen so I should be able to verify the frame before leaving it for several months.

I can imagine it’ll become addicting. Probably feels like Christmas morning every time you make the trek to check it out. Hopefully a big ole buck and not a lump of coal.

 

[ElDiablito]

I run quite a few Brownings. Great cameras. Good tips from Benchleg.

I always set choke points - trails and water holes. Biggest thing is don’t have any grass or twigs in front of the camera that will give you false triggers, if at all possible. (I just spent an hour this morning going though over 20k wind pics.) Do yourself a favor and ditch the tree mounting straps and make some of these:

 

[pnwsteelheader]

I run quite a few Brownings. Great cameras. Good tips from Benchleg.

I always set choke points - trails and water holes. Biggest thing is don’t have any grass or twigs in front of the camera that will give you false triggers, if at all possible. (I just spent an hour this morning going though over 20k wind pics.) Do yourself a favor and ditch the tree mounting straps and make some of these:

Those look pretty nifty. Gonna have to give em a try. Looks like they’ll work just fine with a security cable too.

 

[CorbLand]

Go on eBay and get one of the green lasers with a flat back. You can put the back up against your camera and turn the laser on. It will give you a good idea of where the camera is pointed.

 

[Remnv89]

I run quite a few Brownings. Great cameras. Good tips from Benchleg.

I always set choke points - trails and water holes. Biggest thing is don’t have any grass or twigs in front of the camera that will give you false triggers, if at all possible. (I just spent an hour this morning going though over 20k wind pics.) Do yourself a favor and ditch the tree mounting straps and make some of these:

these are slick I will be making a few of these!

 

[riversidejeep]

I've found that it's a good idea to mount your cameras up as high in a tree as feasible as bears are attracted to them like honey. I don't know if its the human scent or the noise of the shutter. Try to point them so they look up or down the trail instead of 90 degrees and you'll have a much better chance of good photo's.

 

[pnwsteelheader]

Thanks for the input everyone. Will be going up next weekend for a couple nights and checking SD cards while I’m up there. Will post pics if I’ve captured anything worthwhile.

 

[Bugaboo]

Another trick for making sure the camera is pointed right I used is to turn the “selfie” camera on on your phone and hold it tight to the front of your cam and you can see what it captures. Worked pretty good for me!

 

[jonesn3]

The last few years I was using the HME screw-in mounts. Those are nice, but spendy compared to the DIY mounts shown in the video ($9-10 vs. ~$5 each). The HME option seemed to stick out away from the tree quite a bit more than the homemade version, especially when you put the camera high and have a decent downward angle facing the trail and out/away from the tree. For those reasons I’m using homemade mounts more and more. I like to carry treestand climbing screw-in pegs with me during scouting season to place cameras higher than the average bear or human is willing to reach/climb.