Trail cams.........need a recommendation

[elkaholic_bc]

I've had pretty good luck with Cabelas cheapest camera. Well, until the bear ate it....

That right there is the main reason I put every camera of mine in a metal bear box. I mean its also to stop people from stealing but the biggest threat really is the bears! For the $30 or less they cost its well worth it.

 

[Broken Compass]

I'm not as experience as most on this so take it for what it's worth.
Seems like if you aren't concerned with cost reconix is the way to go. If you're on a budget Brownings seem most popular.
I've never seen the need for high quality photos in a trail cam. Generally used to see what is there.
Also I've had a camera stolen that was in a locked box screwed to a tree so boxes aren't guaranteed to stop theft.

I also don't think I would hesitate to buy a refurb from camofire. Chances are it's been tested to work more than one straight out of the factory.



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[elkaholic_bc]

I'm not as experience as most on this so take it for what it's worth.
Seems like if you aren't concerned with cost reconix is the way to go. If you're on a budget Brownings seem most popular.
I've never seen the need for high quality photos in a trail cam. Generally used to see what is there.
Also I've had a camera stolen that was in a locked box screwed to a tree so boxes aren't guaranteed to stop theft.

I also don't think I would hesitate to buy a refurb from camofire. Chances are it's been tested to work more than one straight out of the factory.



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I agree with the lock boxes don't always stop theft, as I have had two stolen that had lock boxes bolted to trees as well. There is really no real way to stop theft. But the box with lock on it should stop 95% of people and 100% of bears. I personally am usually more worried about bears eating the cam. Most people are good folks and leave it be, but making it just that much harder to swipe will stop most.

Just my thoughts anyways.

 

[slick trick]

run nothing but Primos have the best luck and there service center is great. They or the post office lost one of mine they sent me a whole new camera and it was a up grade of what I had.

 

[HondoArcher]

Picture viewers are nice but add a lot to the cost of the camera. Also they eat batteries when you want to view the pictures. Now I just take my Samsung tablet with me when I go to check the cams. I have found you can purchase a mini usb to SD card reader so you can use your phone without taking it apart to swap out the SD card. Amazon has several. Here is a review of some of the cameras that I have purchased in the past. It is mostly a review of the Browning Spec Opts 10Mp camera that has a viewer in it. They don't sell this model any more. The Spec ops version that they have out now is missing the viewer. If you look around my YouTube channel you can see the results of the cameras in action. [video=youtube;_slkthJotvo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_slkthJotvo[/video]
I would agree that the Wildgame cameras are not the best. The ones that I have still work and produce decent quality video but they are heavy and the buttons and viewer screen is exposed. They change their model numbers a lot and the electronics inside are very cheep and will often fail.

Elk seem to be able to sense the cameras and will bite, chew, and lick them. Easily 50 percent of the cameras that I hang will be ripped off the tree if I hang them where they can be reached. Bears will do the same. When possible I hang my cameras 8 feet off the ground and point them down. This isn't always possible but it saves them from all that wear and tear. So far the best cameras that I have are from Bushnell even if there are things I don't like about them (battery retention system, menu system). They record good video and audio and I have had them the longest. They are pricey though. I watch the sales religiously and buy them when the price is right. The Brownings have been good so far but I have only had them one season. I bought 2 of the new Bushnell Trophy Cam HD Aggressor cameras this year but haven't used them yet.

Lastly. I only use rechargeable batteries in my cameras. I found EBL AA Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries on Amazon and they are my favorites. I also use the Energizer Rapid Battery Charger. It has a car adapter and can charge batteries in 15 minutes. They run for about $40.00 each if you can find them but are well worth the cost (check Office Super Savers online store). I bought my first one at Home Depot.

Hopefully this has been helpful. Good luck on your adventures.

 

[Forestryguy]

Found this thread while looking something else up.I have not had any real issues with the Wild Game 8mp with IR flash. You do not get great flash range, advertised at 50 yds. I would say it starts to filter out at 35 yds. Simple to use and I have had them out from July through January and only quite working for a few days when it was -25 to -35 out. I can find them for $60 -$80. If one gets stolen or destroyed I do not feel all that bad about it. I do run Lithium batteries in mine.

 

[Haroldhunter]

I recommend Stealth cam g42 no glo, a compact size, true no glow, excellent clarity, trigger speed & battery life. I've had mine out for 9 months with perfect results. I've had a few brands of these cameras. Stealth is playing with the big boys now. You should read the reviews and comparison on www.trailcameraexpert.com before choosing one.

 

[worx53]

I have 4 bushnells now and best cameras ive ever had. 4 years running and no issues at all- great trigger speed and 5mp pics. I bought a used bushnell from a guy on here last fall and didn't use until 2 weeks ago and the pics are all blurry. dude had to know it was junk and I cant find the messaging I had with him. I have had poor results with a Moultrie and a cuddeback.

 

[mtfallon]

I run spy points ($100 cams they don't make the model anymore) and cheaper Stealth P12. The spy points are nicer and one of the biggest differences between cheap/expensive cams is trigger speed! If you have a slow camera you need to put it facing dow na trail rather then across or you may be a lot of deer butts! The nicer cams do seem to take more pics in the same spots so I'm wondering how many pics the P12 is missing but for public land it does the trick. I just ordered 3 from jet.com for under $60 each. They have pretty good deals on trail cams and although this was my first order from them, they shipped really quick! 15% off for new customers as well fwiw.

 

[kicker338]

I've been kicking this trail cam for awhile, haven't got one yet so spent some time at cabalas talking to an employee I
know there about them. He said with the exception of browing,cuddyback and cabalas brand they get a number of returns
with problems from all the other brands they sell. Said that since he's worked there, for a number of yrs. they have
only had 3 or 4 browning cams returned, about the same for cuddyback. Said about the same for cabalas brand too,
didn't know who makes them but said they sure were reliable, and he doesn't own one either, has browning lol.

 

[rbljack]

ive been looking at this option myself. I have been eyeing up the newest version of the Bushnell Agressor WIRELESS verion which can send pics to the cell phones or send them to an email address. This would be handy for our spot over in NM which we cant drive to every other weekend to check pics, etc. It would also come in real handy for setting our hog traps locally, and then we would receive a text/pic when we got hogs in the traps.

The downside is that there is a monthly data fee on top of the 400 dollar up front purchase. data fees start at 9.99 a month, and move up from there. The other great thing about this set up is that you can communicate with the camera and make changes to the settings remotely, while monitoring battery life, mem card storage space, etc.....

decisions decisions....

 

[J563]

Big fan of Moultrie 990-i 's , battery life is awesome w/ Energizer Lithium's, great pics too at $99 each.
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[rbljack]

Update...I made the purchase on the newest version of the wireless Agressor Bushnel Trail Cam...We have a scout trip planned soon, so hopefully I can get this thing in place and start receiving pics via text and email. The signal strength up on the mountain SHOULD be good enough based on the fact that my buddy has AT&T cell service, and the reception is pretty good to his phone. We were able to text back and forth (I'm on Verizon, and he has the ATT) during most of our outings while scouting and hunting last year. I have a location in mind already, so hopefully the signal strength will be sufficient!

Time will tell, but I am excited to give this new technology a try. I will post up more info and my experiences with the unit as the scout season continues. Initial set up (assuming the camera comes in soon) will be sometime in the next few weeks. then we have a return trip in October, and the actual hunt in Nov. The hunt location is about 6 hours from us, so IF this technology works...it will be nice to see what passes by the camera in NM while im stuck here in Texas...LOL

 

[razorsharptokill]

I lock mine up AND put them out of reach so at least they will have to work for them.