Trail cams.... quality or quantity

[270wininnewcastle]

I'm a new hunter ( been hunting big game for about 4 years). I'm strongly considering buying some trail cams. My questions is, is this an instance where you think quantity is more important than quality?

 

[CorbLand]

Depends on what you are looking to do with the cameras.

If you just want to know that animals are in the area, then cheaper ones will probably suit.

If you want to know exactly what the animal has and scores, then quality would probably be better for you.

Lots of good cameras out there for 50-100 bucks and if you watch, you can find them on sale for 35 bucks.

 

[BBob]

A strategy I know several around here had were some high quality but the majority of lower cost. If they found something of interest with the low quality they might swap out to a high quality for better video and images. I found some of the low cost Toguard cameras worked pretty well. There's threads on low cost cameras if you look.

 

[Ross]

Find the middle line for you for me that is a cam around $100…I get sufficient quality of pics and housing along with durability….nothing sucks more than putting cams out and you get nothing…I have a few cams over a decade old staying out all year still going…no cell service in my areas so I don’t look for any of those…also I like housing that make it easy to run a cable through them

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

The previous posts are spot on from a guidance perspective.

Do account for damage and theft. I've had cameras stolen. I've had cameras damaged. Had a single bear
destroy all of my cameras in one area on the same day.

I'd look at potentially buying used since cameras are no longer allowed in AZ and UT.

 

[270wininnewcastle]

Depends on what you are looking to do with the cameras.

If you just want to know that animals are in the area, then cheaper ones will probably suit.

If you want to know exactly what the animal has and scores, then quality would probably be better for you.

Lots of good cameras out there for 50-100 bucks and if you watch, you can find them on sale for 35 bucks.

This makes sense, I'm not really looking for a specific animals or class of animal. More so looking to see if bucks/bears are in the area etc I could probably get away with the cheaper ones.

 

[CorbLand]

I have had good luck with these

Muddy Outdoors Pro-Cam 14MP Trail Camera

The MTC100K Combo features a 14 Megapixel camera with an 60ft detection range.

www.sportsmans.com

BBob described what I do. Have about three times the number of cheap cameras as I do expensive ones. Use the cheap ones to spam and use the more expensive ones if I need better quality. I also use the more expensive ones farther back and more secluded areas. Less likely to get stolen and nothing is worse then hiking 7 miles to not have a camera work.

Used is a solid option too. Watch eBay.

 

[270wininnewcastle]

A strategy I know several around here had were some high quality but the majority of lower cost. If they found something of interest with the low quality they might swap out to a high quality for better video and images. I found some of the low cost Toguard cameras worked pretty well. There's threads on low cost cameras if you look.

this is a good idea, thanks!

 

[CorbLand]

I'd look at potentially buying used since cameras are no longer allowed in AZ and UT.

Utah has a season like Nevada now. Cameras were not banned like all the social media posts like to make you think.

 

[Voyageur]

This makes sense, I'm not really looking for a specific animals or class of animal. More so looking to see if bucks/bears are in the area etc I could probably get away with the cheaper ones.

Based on this info I agree that the cheaper ones would do the job for you. FWIW the last 3 or 4 cameras I've purchased have been the sub $30 Tasco cameras from Walmart. They take pictures and that's all I want them to do.

 

[BBob]

I'd look at potentially buying used since cameras are no longer allowed in AZ and UT.

^^^For sure. I haven't got around to it but I (and I'm sure many others) will post them up for sale eventually. I'm still in bummed mode and not ready to acknowledge the reality and pain of all that $$$ I can't use anymore sitting in the box on the shelf

 

[SneakyThunderCat]

I have had good luck with these

Muddy Outdoors Pro-Cam 14MP Trail Camera

The MTC100K Combo features a 14 Megapixel camera with an 60ft detection range.

www.sportsmans.com

x2 for these cams. Picked up 4 of them on sale for $20 apiece at fleet farm last year, and was tickled pink at how well they worked for the price.

 

[TheGDog]

RE: Quality vs Quantity - I would only say make sure to get one where the Trigger speed is nice and low. Lotta times when the prices get better the trigger speeds increase.

In general, you wanna be placing them such that the subject will stay in frame for a long time. In other words, if you place the cam such that it'll only snap a pic when something is standing broadside and walking past.... that trigger speed will become important, since the window of opportunity for snapping the pic becomes smaller, time-wise. So instead of placing the cam shooting "across" the trail line they walk by on... you should try to engineer it so the cam is pointing down along the path the trail goes along, to increase chances of getting a good picture.


And... if you have the problem where that whole area where the cam will be is overgrown, and so lotsa vegetation to waive in front of the cam when the wind picks back up... If you don't want 4099 pics of stupid nothingness, and... if you don't want to be bothered with chopping away various branches which can trigger the cam to fire a bunch of times at nothing....

Then... the other thing you can do on some of the cams is set'em up to fire every XX seconds. Sometimes this method can help you catch animals that aren't passing-by the cam close enough to trigger it too.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Utah has a season like Nevada now. Cameras were not banned like all the social media posts like to make you think.

Cool. But the overall point still stands. Should be plenty up for sale at least from AZ.

 

[Dgk30]

I’ve had good luck with wild game innovations cams. If you hit them on a sale they are very reasonable and shoot clear pics. I also will couple them with the SPYPOINT cell link adapter to turn them into cell cams (assuming. cell cams are legal where you live). I go the quantity over quality, I’m not going with the absolute cheapest cam but reasonable enough that I get good pics and if someone yanks it off a tree I’m not out a ton of money.