Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 25

Thread: What trail cams do you like

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Brickerville (Lititz), PA
    Posts
    1,645

    What trail cams do you like

    So I am thinking about getting my first trail cam to run on some public ground. I want to start running the cam with my 3.5 year old daughter since she has show a lot of interest when we have been out scouting. Since this is going on public ground I am trying to get into this cheap to start since I figure the cam will eventually grow legs. So what do you like in the $60 or less range.
    “I don't partake in assembly-line convenience. I don't say that killing things is bad while I hire people to kill things for me.” ~ Ted Nugent

  2. #2
    Senior Member mrbb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    northeast PA
    Posts
    5,925
    60 bucks or less range is a not so easy to get quality cam, unless on a BIG sale or blow out(outdated models)
    I have had a few wildgame inovations cams that were dirt cheep that worked good for 2-3 yrs then well, died

    BUT NOT all of there cam's have been worth having
    I got a few free one's off them, last spring, and they are worthless, in anything but day time, there flash has a ranbge of about 3 ft at night, and NOT kidding

    IF you want the cam, I'll give it to you for free
    again works well in day time, but worthless at night

    there Blade like models have been good to me for the price(wally world after season for like 45 bucks) good trigger speed/wake up time and long battery life, I run my cam's 24/7/365
    CUddy backs have been my longest lasting camera's
    best trigger speed and get the fewest pic's pf NOTHING, or pic's I cannot tell what I got
    but there seldom under a 100 bucks
    battery life is NOT the best, but rather buy more batteries than miss things or get a LOT of pic's of nothing!

    I'd suggest trying to stay above 6mp too at a min, for decent pic's

    I have to think right now a LOT of cam's are on sale, so good luck
    smaller cam's seem to blend in better too, less likely to grow legs maybe

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Brickerville (Lititz), PA
    Posts
    1,645
    Thanks MRBB. I will take you up on the offer for the marginal cam that you have. At least let me pay for shipping. As for the price range I am not crazy about spending a lot just yet. I do have a feeling this will get addicting and I will be willing to invest more in the future but right now I am doing it to get/keep my daughter interested. It does have a fringe benefit for me as well.
    “I don't partake in assembly-line convenience. I don't say that killing things is bad while I hire people to kill things for me.” ~ Ted Nugent

  4. #4
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    3
    We recently received pretty cool cameras in our shop (check them here), didn't get much time to test them but the Bushnell® Trophy 8.0 Megapixel LED HD Camera seems to be the best in top class so far.
    If we speak about the middle price range my choice would be a Browning® BTC5 - Strike Force Sub Micro Cam

  5. #5
    Senior Member mrbb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    northeast PA
    Posts
    5,925
    Quote Originally Posted by nomad_archer View Post
    Thanks MRBB. I will take you up on the offer for the marginal cam that you have. At least let me pay for shipping. As for the price range I am not crazy about spending a lot just yet. I do have a feeling this will get addicting and I will be willing to invest more in the future but right now I am doing it to get/keep my daughter interested. It does have a fringe benefit for me as well.
    PM me a shipping address, and will call it a Xmas gift for your daughter, tell her its form Santa Lol
    or what ever you like,
    when you get closer . 100 dollar range, better options show up, and yes cams are very addicting. I got my first one back in the late 90's, 35 mm film cams, and cannot tell you how much money I spent on 1 hour developing Lol
    I still have the camcan and it still works, was made by NON Typical, who sold to cuddy back, now.
    and maybe why I am partial to there cams, always worked great lasted long, fastest triggers, andthat's a huge key. Missing pic's sucks.
    I used to stack two cams on top of another to see what one's got more or better pic's, cuddy backs always won.
    plus I'm still a big fan of real flash cams, for color night time pic's.
    and when legal/allowed, the cuddy back metal box are the only OEM box that works to protect both cam and LOCK,
    a huge deal to me, as I had a ton of issues with trespassers.
    Lots of good cams out there today.
    Reconix, is the top of line IMO, and there price tag reflects it Lol

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Brickerville (Lititz), PA
    Posts
    1,645
    Thanks mrbb. You have a PM. I can only imagine how much you spent on 1 hour photo development considering how many cams you still run today.
    “I don't partake in assembly-line convenience. I don't say that killing things is bad while I hire people to kill things for me.” ~ Ted Nugent

  7. #7
    Senior Member mrbb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    northeast PA
    Posts
    5,925
    Quote Originally Posted by nomad_archer View Post
    Thanks mrbb. You have a PM. I can only imagine how much you spent on 1 hour photo development considering how many cams you still run today.
    when I first got into cam's
    I had 4 , 35 mm ones running 24/7 and only got 36 pic s and then full
    I had them on a farm 100 mile round trip and was checking them every other day, and always had a full roll's of film
    the farmer I had them on always wanted copies of the pic's so, was always double prints too, on 1 hr

    this is NO lie, a friend of mine once asked me for some deer pictures, she lived in LAS Vegas at the time
    I said HOW many you want
    she said I could never send her enough, as she loved looking at them
    SO< I mailed her a box that weight just under 80 lbs worth
    got a phone call when she got the box, saying she didn't want any more LOL
    and I had a LOT left
    between the film the developing and the gas and driving, it would scare me I think if I tried to add up what I spent over 3 yrs of doing this
    BUT again, almost 20 yrs later that first cam still works, I have YET to have any other camera last even close to the old 35 mm's and mine stayed out 24/7/365, went on trips across the USA with me too
    but I do admit digital cam's have paved the road to saving me a TON of money, BUT I do think what I saved on film, I spent buying extra cam's, and then had SO many stolen over the yrs

    there a fun hobby , as you just never know what you will get on one,
    and that to me is the best part, as every time you look at a SD card, its amazing what I have captured over the yrs
    I just wish more folks didn';t feel the need to steal them

    the other issue with trail cam's
    is the makers keep changing models yr after yr, so, if you BUY one NOW you like , come next yr that model will NOT be out there
    and every cam has flaws

    when you find one you like, BUY two LOL

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Brickerville (Lititz), PA
    Posts
    1,645
    I will buy two when I find what I like. Plus for me I don't usually see a lot of bucks when I hunt for whatever reason. I get into sub legal bucks and does pretty regularly. So I am hoping to use the cam to help me improve how I choose my hunting spots. I get into does pretty easily but it would be nice to figure out where to look for bucks or at least some high probability areas. I plan to move the cam every two weeks as to not be predictable on the public ground. I really hope to learn something new and to find some new hunting spots.
    “I don't partake in assembly-line convenience. I don't say that killing things is bad while I hire people to kill things for me.” ~ Ted Nugent

  9. #9
    Senior Member mrbb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    northeast PA
    Posts
    5,925
    moving cams can be both good and bad
    the main thing I feel is, , in BIG woods like you hunt,
    deer move as the food does
    so seeing bucks in a spot all summer, normally doesn't mean there , there come hunting season, or as soon as any mask crops starts to fall
    Up at my hunting camp on some large tracts of public lands(50,000 acres like)
    we find they move and bed almost at random
    its like where ever they were eating THAT day, they bed near by
    and then next night some where else
    DO real pure bedding areas or feeding area;s
    they simply stay where they find food and then where a good cover/escape route is

    we kill the most deer hunting between cover and food
    or on route after YRS we found deer use as run away paths when pressure starts
    but these places are SO unpredictable, due to it all comes down to who shows up when and from what direction
    Big woods is a LOT of luck IMO LOL
    as deer per sq mile is very low, and the same like foods can be almost any where

    weather and playing the sun, if COLD or HOT< can help on bedding spots
    water sources have a big draw if NOT many, but up our way small springs and creeks are all over, same with a lot of smaller swamps and ponds
    so water is every where LOL
    but it does help find GOOD trails where they cross, and about water you normally have fresh growth all the time, so better browse
    always have goo luck placing cam's near water crossing, just back up from it some, as , hikers and such follow water ways and might stumble onto cam's on you?

    another thing I found on trail cam's is this
    for every cam you have , have TWO sd cards JUST for each card, mixing up sd cards from one cam to another, even if same like card or cam
    seems to screw with them
    its like they connect with ONE card, and NOT using same card in each cam over and over, they go bonkers faster
    I number my cam's and then sd cards for THAT cam( a "A" and :B" sd card for each cam I have
    as got tired of having issues with a cam, that would work one day then screw up next time and then work again
    since I started using SET SD cards for each cam, I have had a LOT less cam's go screwy on there own

    I also find NOT using solid color bungee cords helps them NOT stick out, as solid lines on tree's stand out,as to broken up colors on them
    camo spray paint or cloth camo tape helps

    I also try and camo my cam's with NON glare spray paint too

    last but not least, since your a PA guy
    watch scent control when placing/checking cam's
    a BEAR WILL< smell if you just ate a cheese burger and then handled a cam, from scent transfer
    and then the NOISE of a camera taking a pic, can be too much for a bear to understand
    and like MOST things there NOT sure of, they like to stick things in there mouth and taste them
    and they can crunch a cam pretty easy, there just WAY curious critters at times, and don't know there own strength

    I keep a pair of Mechanic's wear gloves in a scent bag, and wear when handling cam's
    , that or rubber gloves
    only lost on cam in the past 10+ yrs to a bear since doing so, and trust me I have a LOT of bears in my area,back yard
    and keep 3 cams in my yard alone 24/7
    and NO issue's ever on them
    16 different bears here in my yard this yr, and from about MAY till Dec , I have one or more in my yard 4-5 days a week it seems HAHA
    so, a bears nose is better than a deer's, so if I'm beating there nose, deer don't stand a chance LOL personally I think MOST deer hear the cam more than smell them

  10. #10
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Brickerville (Lititz), PA
    Posts
    1,645
    The good thing is I will be running these close to home on some of the public land in Lancaster/Lebanon counties. So not what I would call big woods any more. Lots of cover smaller wood lots. But still pretty big chunks of woods. Lots of food between the mast and cultivated fields.
    “I don't partake in assembly-line convenience. I don't say that killing things is bad while I hire people to kill things for me.” ~ Ted Nugent

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •