Trail-Cam Tips Please!

[TY175]

I have been looking at prices at Cabelas in USA over buying a trail trail-cameras - the sort that you set and leave and see what comes to a bait or what is moving in an area on a rural property plagued by wily wild dog(s).

Any advice, practical experiences and brands etc and Aus contacts most welcome.

I have a price of around $2-300 in mind, but the customs/GST etc appears to make inport from US expensive.

I worry also about security of the camera and possible tampering by inquisitive bushwalkers and horse-riders etc.

[tomshaw]

from what ive seen mate i dont think you can go past the moultrie i-40 or i-60. know a couple of people that use them and for the price i think they are fairly good. if you dont mind buying from the states http://cgi.ebay.com/MOULTRIE-GAME-SPY-I60-I-60-INFRARED-6-0-DIGITAL-CAMERA-/270574574585?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3eff805bf9

cheers....tom

[Rob - CW]

from what ive seen mate i dont think you can go past the moultrie i-40 or i-60. know a couple of people that use them and for the price i think they are fairly good. if you dont mind buying from the states http://cgi.ebay.com/MOULTRIE-GAME-SPY-I60-I-60-INFRARED-6-0-DIGITAL-CAMERA-/270574574585?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3eff805bf9

cheers....tom

Ditto, the Moultrie's have a really good wrap fro what I have seen and read.

I have a D-40 and I'm very happy with it. The I-40 would definitely be withing your budget (and maybe the I-60) and would be my choice.

[mickgibbo]

I own the i-40 and a reconyx and for the monet the Moultree are hard to beat but there are a lot of good ones out there for the price but cant comment on them.

[TY175]

Thanks people, all info much appreciated.

Eventually I went for a 'Wildview' STC-TGL51R "Infrared Extreme" in the end - it seemed to be best value around in a plain black case.

Cost was $89.00 USD - [before the current slide in our AUD, luckily] - from 'ScopeStop' in Salina, Kansas, USA.

Included was a 1Gig flashcard card and 4 alkaline "C-cell" batteries.

It was evident that most of the trail-cams on offer in my price-range were made from generic parts in China [and like microwaves]a basic model was probably as good as you get without paying $400-$500 - just that the outsides were different. Camo you can apply later of course.

Also it says it does videos at night or day, [without any "flash" to give its position away. As I have a security use for it, concealed, in a shed with motorcycles etc - this may come in handy.]

Very fast postage, well packed and full instructions [$36.00 USD extra of course!]

I would have liked to buy locally, but the cost was high and range was poor.

I can recommend 'ScopeStop' highly for being a good company to deal with via e-Bay.

We will see how we go......

[len]

Scoutguard make a very good compact trail cam

[tomshaw]

Thanks people, all info much appreciated.

Eventually I went for a 'Wildview' STC-TGL51R "Infrared Extreme" in the end - it seemed to be best value around in a plain black case.

Cost was $89.00 USD - [before the current slide in our AUD, luckily] - from 'ScopeStop' in Salina, Kansas, USA.

Included was a 1Gig flashcard card and 4 alkaline "C-cell" batteries.

It was evident that most of the trail-cams on offer in my price-range were made from generic parts in China [and like microwaves]a basic model was probably as good as you get without paying $400-$500 - just that the outsides were different. Camo you can apply later of course.

Also it says it does videos at night or day, [without any "flash" to give its position away. As I have a security use for it, concealed, in a shed with motorcycles etc - this may come in handy.]

Very fast postage, well packed and full instructions [$36.00 USD extra of course!]

I would have liked to buy locally, but the cost was high and range was poor.

I can recommend 'ScopeStop' highly for being a good company to deal with via e-Bay.

We will see how we go......

see how you go with it mate. i have a wildview and i have been having problems with it, and have been told bye someone from another site they do this frequently. they seem to take photos in the day with the infra red on, kinda pisses me off. ill get some pics of a deer coming into say a scrap, then the next batch of photo's which should be him doing his thing are all white. hopefully you wont have the same problem with yours anyway mate. here is a pic of what it does, interesting to see if you get some come up the same.

here is a example of what it does

[shotgunsniper]

We have about 50 trail/game cameras all varieties and the ones that I like best are the Bushnell Trophy Cam's -- Small size , great trigger time , 5 mega pix is more than enough , extra long battery life up to 1 year , and the price is right at aroung $150 US... They have a new model out that is verry similar only it is 8 mega pix it's a little over $200 US.... Until they come out with something better for around that price I will only get the Bushnell Trophy Cams.... I tried to post some of the pics and they are to large I will have to shrink them and edit them in later if I remember...

[shotgunsniper]

I have been looking at prices at Cabelas in USA over buying a trail trail-cameras - the sort that you set and leave and see what comes to a bait or what is moving in an area on a rural property plagued by wily wild dog(s).

Any advice, practical experiences and brands etc and Aus contacts most welcome.

I have a price of around $2-300 in mind, but the customs/GST etc appears to make inport from US expensive.

I worry also about security of the camera and possible tampering by inquisitive bushwalkers and horse-riders etc.

BUSHNELL TROPHY CAM - BEST BUY , DOES A GREAT JOB , LONG BATTERY LIFE , 5 MEGA PIX - $150 us

[TY175]

tomshaw - Mate - I would use your warranty quickly - as there is obviously a problem with your camera.

Did it happen from new?

My supplier gives a good G'tee, but postage back to USA is at your cost - unfortunately.

My 'Wildview' is fine for my purposes [so far]- day or night- if anything it triggers a shot[in both modes] within 30 METRES - not just the '30 feet' claimed. But at this range, moving 25m distant shots with IR at night appear to be partially blurred.

The "LO" 'resolution' is fine for my required quality.

Settings are currently - "Burst" on 1; "AVI" on 15;"Time Out" on 1.

The free extra 1GB flash-card is now fitted as on 'High' resolution as the standard internal card was only good for 10 pix -in daylight! So a flashcard of 1-2 GB is essential in the field as a lot of the shots will obviously be triggered by non-target species/birds etc. If anything it is too sensitive on this feature [EG a hand on the house stair handrail triggered a shot, it took me a while to see what had happened as the pic was all grass except for my fingers/elbow in the upper corner).

Some trouble with IR flash aiming initially. I did not like the mounting strap and have used a loop of coms cord and a bungee strap instead.

The IR flash does trigger a PIR "glow" from it's sensor, unfortunately - otherwise it seems to work very well over my initial two tests at home.

I have found with most Chinese equipment (including all IR in the generic brands - yes - including Bushnell's NV stuff)they seem to use the same components - but different "packaging".

IMO it's just 'badge engineering' really, a bit like the British Car industry in the 1960s!

I am playing with some anti-tampering gear. Case is lockable, but a 'screamer' may be added later - when my wife can find the b---dy thing she never uses anyway....any ideas over this welcome.

Ooroo!

[TY175]

As an addendum.

While this is all new to me it will, of course, be fairly obvious to anyone else(!)that the trailcam flashcard can be taken out and transferred to any camera you have [that has the same sized card] and viewed on it actually whilst in the field.

The trailcam can then be reset immediately after this data/info has been viewed by the hunter.This could perhaps give you 'the edge' on an away hunt.

If a printed/enlarged pic is really needed, the old card will need to be taken back to your home PC with and a new card incerted in the trailcam in situ.

[shotgunsniper]

As an addendum.

While this is all new to me it will, of course, be fairly obvious to anyone else(!)that the trailcam flashcard can be taken out and transferred to any camera you have [that has the same sized card] and viewed on it actually whilst in the field.

The trailcam can then be reset immediately after this data/info has been viewed by the hunter.This could perhaps give you 'the edge' on an away hunt.

If a printed/enlarged pic is really needed, the old card will need to be taken back to your home PC with and a new card incerted in the trailcam in situ.

Some of the viewer's also have storage - when I started geting into trail cams I was given an old Toshiba Satelite Lap Top - I just down loaded and stored erased the card and put it back in the cam... Now I have a better Lap Top and more cameras I have a file for every camera and it's GPS location and a running log on the pic's...Some of the upcoming cameras will be addressable through wifi and you will only need to be within 1/4 mile line of site to address your camera , download to the lap top , and reset the cam... Pretty cool not to disturb the location with scent or noise.... Here is a pic from a Bushnell Trophy Cam

Coues Deer getting a drink!

Edited May 27, 2010 by shotgunsniper

[TY175]

Heck - shotgunsniper- I'm still at the learning stage and still having problems getting my PC to always acknowledge that the new "device' is worth talking to...

I will try again to-nightover the cat-trap (baited - but wedged-up/inoperative for starters).

I'm after a pretty clever moggie (some 3/4 Siamese?) - but I will persevere.

It came through in broad daylight at 7AM last time.

You have to hand it to cats - they are (too) excellent hunters.

[shotgunsniper]

Heck - shotgunsniper- I'm still at the learning stage and still having problems getting my PC to always acknowledge that the new "device' is worth talking to...

I will try again to-nightover the cat-trap (baited - but wedged-up/inoperative for starters).

I'm after a pretty clever moggie (some 3/4 Siamese?) - but I will persevere.

It came through in broad daylight at 7AM last time.T

You have to hand it to cats - they are (too) excellent hunters.

Before the digital trail camera I only used a computer at work to do a spread sheet, make a report or send and receive work related email's . My computer skill increases where driven by the need to manage my cam's and send the pic to friends and clients.... Hell I even wrote a short book... Don't give it up - I will send a pic of some cat's we caught on one of the trail cam's I will have to shrink it and then edit it back into this post - As the Terminator would say " I'll be back".....

Mt Lion's

.8scar 002 - Copy.JPG]

Edited May 27, 2010 by shotgunsniper

[TY175]

Thanks for that shotgunsniper. Most helpful and great pix too!

Now for an admission......Oh dear...... tomshaw's endemic fault predicted with my unit has showed up on my 'WILDVIEW STC-TGL51R' - after only 3 days on day/night trials.

The purchased unit from 'ScopeStop' in USA has been treated like a dozen eggs - but has still had the predicted "IR-flash in daylight problem" show up. It went well for 3 days with good pixs on "low resolution" and at nights it was actually exceeding the manufacturer's stated IR performance/sensitivity. Then it went BUNG very quickly!I cannot decide why.

[but thank goodness this showed up in the trial-period at my home and not on our forthcoming trip to NE tablelamds for fallow deer with the club! My name would have been mud and all trail-cams would be ridiculed by acerbic-tongued traditional members of the group, who are already anti-technology in all hunting.]

I have 10 days left on the stated warranty and I have also notified the ScopeStop people in USA by e-mail last night.

It will go back (at my expense)- but I am now not so confident over this brand.

I wonder if I cam pay extra $$ and get another brand (as advised above)and move to something that is more serviceable?

I will keep you all informed over the outcome and customer service etc - but PLEASE keep your advice coming - I am still positive about trail-cams despite my one bad experience so far.....

I will await until Monday in USA and then follow it up again, if needed.

I guess electronic things do tend to fail quickly, if atall......sigh....

[shotgunsniper]

Thanks for that shotgunsniper. Most helpful and great pix too!

Now for an admission......Oh dear...... tomshaw's endemic fault predicted with my unit has showed up on my 'WILDVIEW STC-TGL51R' - after only 3 days on day/night trials.

The purchased unit from 'ScopeStop' in USA has been treated like a dozen eggs - but has still had the predicted "IR-flash in daylight problem" show up. It went well for 3 days with good pixs on "low resolution" and at nights it was actually exceeding the manufacturer's stated IR performance/sensitivity. Then it went BUNG very quickly!I cannot decide why.

[but thank goodness this showed up in the trial-period at my home and not on our forthcoming trip to NE tablelamds for fallow deer with the club! My name would have been mud and all trail-cams would be ridiculed by acerbic-tongued traditional members of the group, who are already anti-technology in all hunting.]

I have 10 days left on the stated warranty and I have also notified the ScopeStop people in USA by e-mail last night.

It will go back (at my expense)- but I am now not so confident over this brand.

I wonder if I cam pay extra $ and get another brand (as advised above)and move to something that is more serviceable?

I will keep you all informed over the outcome and customer service etc - but PLEASE keep your advice coming - I am still positive about trail-cams despite my one bad experience so far.....

I will await until Monday in USA and then follow it up again, if needed.

I guess electronic things do tend to fail quickly, if atall......sigh....

We have had great success with the Bushnell Trophy Cams Google Wildlife Callers.com and check out the store I believe they have them at reasonable price.....Sorry to hear of your difficulties.... Monday is a National holiday - Memorial Day - it is the day we honor our fallen soldiers...

[TY175]

OK - thanks shotgunsniper for the tips - so I'll make that Tues for you and Wed for us, for ,my follow-up contact.

I have about $180AUD invested overall (so far] in this camera project and so I will try and get 'ScopesStop' from Salina KS to help me over the problem.I fully realise it is not their problem as regards the WILDVIEW IR camera defect/design fault. It will certainly blow my budget out a fair bit with the return postage to USA of course.

But my experience so far since 1994 of US firms regarding all ordering hunting/shooting/reloading/lead-casting supplies etc is they are really bonza to deal with; unless of course you try and get a "federally prohibited item"...[my last failure in this category was a refusal to ship a little black neoprene-rubber cover for my Eotech sight on my Rem7600 in .308 - some crazy Government thinking in there somewhere!Taliban beware!]

Maybe I will re-order your advised trailcam unit if 'ScopeStop' give me a credit-note or even a refund. If not, I am dubious about having another 'Wildview' - once bitten - twice shy...oh well...

[sorry - bonza=good].

[shotgunsniper]

I have an associate in Georgia who bought a string of Wild Views and had the same problems....We have had Mouletree, Cuddyback,Stealth and some other I cant remember, of all the Trophy Cams have turned out to be the best work horses - The Cuddybacks were OK but the battery life sucked and they cost x2 more than a Trophy Cam..

[TY175]

I have an associate in Georgia who bought a string of Wild Views and had the same problems....We have had Mouletree, Cuddyback,Stealth and some other I cant remember, of all the Trophy Cams have turned out to be the best work horses - The Cuddybacks were OK but the battery life sucked and they cost x2 more than a Trophy Cam..

Thanks for all that info SGS. Maybe Bushnell or Monaltrie next time?

It is now Wednesday here and still no reply regarding warranty matters from 'ScopeSpot' in the USA......Hmmm, maybe give them a bit longer?

[TY175]

Scopestop's Scott Jones has replied, apparently their e-bay mail is clogged and my message was only processed Thursday [there]due to Memorial Day Pub Hol etc.

They have offered to pay my postage to them (only $23.00 AUD)and they will give a full credit for the 'Wildview IR Extreme' on any trailcam of my choice.

I will now up-grade to a Bushnell 'TrophyCam' abt $150USD in plain black and pay the extra $50.00 USD. Plus (sigh) return postage and Fed fees of around $36.00.

I guess it is all a learning experience.......hope I finally get something that works. Love the small size of the TrophyCam!

Pesky Cat seen twice since - but it has totally ignored my baited [and now hair-triggered] cage-trap.

I've got no camera to see what happened though!

Let you know what happens.