We have some pretty cool woodland trails cut thru the LNP project and know that the deer use them frequently. Not sure about other critters, but I think it's time to find out.
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There are SO many different game and trail cameras out there. Of course, I want to keep it cheap. I hope and expect to get a decent still photo trail cam for around $50 (???)
What are the pro's and con's of these things? I also expect to have wandering trespassers, and if they appear on media they will likely either blast it or swipe it. How do you mitigate that possibility? Are there trail cams that are so tiny that they can be hidden inside a dead tree trunk...or something like that? Also, I assume that I would not want the "flash" feature to function for fear of exposing it's presence. Are there units that have adjustable exposure to photograph in dusky areas without the use of flash?

We just got a StealthCam Prowler, on sale for $349 at Cabela's with an additional $50 rebate, more for the "wandering trespassers" aspect of photo taking, but I haven't had time to play with it yet. We were looking for a camera with decent IR flash and photo taking (which hopefully this will have) to try and keep it undetectable by said trespassers.

We need to figure out exactly where we want to place it for the best picture taking and the lowest obtrusividity (gee, Firefox says that's not a real word!).

Brettski, I have tried many of the "cheap" trail cameras & ended up with a Cuddeback Digital(not cheap).. Mine is a flash, but they make some infra red non-flash types..du

I bought a Moultrie Game Spy D-40 at BPS on sale for $69.99 a couple of months ago and it has performed quite well for a cheap game cam. I used it to confirm the existence of my resident 9-10 foot alligator. You might want to check it out. I figured if it got stolen, I did not have much invested in it.

I've also got a Moultrie, I'm just not sure what model. It is a 4-Megapixel that uses 6 d-cells. I paid just under $100 for it at Gander Mountain last year. I did have to add memory to it, but I had a 512 MB CompactFlash laying around. It will hold a couple of hundred full resolution (2336x1752 pixel) photos. It can also take short videos, but I've never played with that feature.

I also have two older 35mm StealthCams which I don't use anymore because of the film and because they really eat batteries.

The Moultrie doesn't have anywhere near the photo quality I'd like to have, but it does work pretty well. The flash can be turned off. It can be aimed. It can be used with an external battery pack or 6 internal D-Cells which last me at least two months. A lot of my pictures use flash, and I have it set to take three consecutive photos when first tripped.

Here are some samples of what I've gotten with it:

I have a Moultrie and a Cuddebak.

The Cuddebak takes pictures.

When I set the Moultrie, I have no idea whether it is going to work. However, I once got over 400 pictures of a deer feeder on a really windy day. After owning it 2 years, I brought it home yesterday and am playing with it again.

Bret, $50 and good game camera are antonyms. This is a case where cheap ain't good and good ain't cheap.

Brettski.. I would not recommend anything but a digital style trail camera. I have a TV at the cabin, so bought an inexpensive card reader(like Sandisk) and can go to camera,pull out the memory, then look at,delete,etc the new pictures while I'm there. I keep a second memory card, so I can take one home & load the pics on my computer.. I'm sure there are other ways, like some cameras have a screen on them(but have read bad things about them), but this works great. These cameras are going to a higher pixel, but not coming down in price much..here are 2 pics one daylight & one at nite..du

agree with digital comment. Much like feeder you get what you pay for. BTW I have tried out 8 brands and cudde back is the best, but..Recently started tyring Moultrie I-40 and love it. We sell moultrie cameras btw if anyone is interested. The I-40 takes great pics and IR technology is where things are going. We sold several of these at $190 vs. $230 in most stores.

Ken/catmandoo,

Is that an interloper in your last photo?

If it is, he caught him red handed!

I gotta get me one of those. You never know what goes on without one. Problem is, how do you hide it?

For security, mount it up in a tree. Use one of the no flash, IR ones.

I just purchased a cam called Snap Shot Snipper... Kinda of expensive but will worth the money...

http://www.snapshotsniper.com/Features.htm

It uses a digital camera that can be removed and used anywhere just like a normal camera.

Check out the link...

Tried them all, Stealthcam, Wildview, the Moultrie I-40 worked great until it stopped, the Cuddeback was probably my most reliable, going on 3 years with one. I exchanged the Moultrie for a Leaf River IR, the Cabela's employee just laughed when I brought it in. The Leaf river is definitely the most secure of any camera I've seen. You can thread a cable like a Python lock around a tree to the mounting hardware and secure the front with locks. So far, the the pics are comparable to the Cuddeback.

http://www.chasingame.com does a decent job of evaluating some of the cams

Mike, I've also tried a bunch of them and the Cuddeback has been the best of a sorry lot. I'm still trying to figure out how to set up the Moultrie. When I walk away from it, I never really know whether it's going to work.

DD, I thought the Moultrie I-40 was the one when I first bought it, great battery life and great photos. But, it started dropping the date/time, then started missing pics. I returned it because the display would no longer work. There is a software update on the Moultries, but for me it was a short term fix. The cheaper Moultrie, around $100 was a great buy as well, it still takes great pics but drops the date/time.

The Cuddeback is still working like a champ, I'm real interested to see what the Leaf River does over time. I have a trespassing issue and bought the LR because you'd have to take the tree down before you could steal the camera.

Hope ya'll have a good deer season, I have two really nice deer caught on film,hopefully they won't be poached or spotlighted before one of my kids has a shot at them.

Some recent discussion on game cam's prompted me to bring this thread back for review.
No....we haven't gotten one yet, but it's buried somewhere in the budget.

We have some different ones. This is the most recent. I'd classify it as ok; but not perfect.

http://www.predatortrailcams.com/

ok posted on another thread but will put it here now

For me persoanlly there are a few important features;
does it work consistently
easy to use
battery life
quality of picture
infared (better)
longevity
The Moultrie I40 is my best seller, $180 for PB clients btw and come with 1 gb card. I also sell good many cuddebacks and new bushnell camera (it is tiny and uses AA batteries that last). I have been trying out the Wildgame innnovation camera to see if I got a cheaper option that works well. Good luck and I suggest reading reviews of the cameras as well.

Greg,

Hate to say anything bad about a product that someone sells but has the I-40 display issues been fix. My LED went out last year and I got it back to Moultrie 1 day before the warrentee expired and the replacement one (last year) is starting to go. I hate to have to replace this every year.

I've used that site for evaluating trail cams, and both of the trail cams that I've purchased have the same + and - that they have noted in their reviews. Maybe not at first, but over time the problems have shown up.

I think trail cams are a lot like computers. The technology is changing so fast that after a year or so they are outdated compared to what is on the market.

How many trail cams are still in use after being out in the field for 2 years straight?? Should they be looked at as having a one or 2 year lifespan?

My I-40 was only in the field for 3 months, then in the house for the off-season. When fired up for the next year (after the warranty ran out) the display was illegible, but the camera still worked. I used it that way for the next year, and neglected to send it in during the off season. I put it out in the field this year, (2 days ago) and don't know if it's working properly. I did get some pics, but no animals.

From what my experience has been, finding a camera that has a very fast "wake-up" time and super fast trigger time is the most critical aspect of the camera. If the trigger time is slow, then the animal will have time to walk out of the cameras' view before the shutter is tripped.

lassig, I apologize I have only sold them for a little over a year. I sold only Moultrie and I did not notice the issue but then scott metnioned it and had another so now your three. I have not spoken to Moultrie about this issue but stinks to hear it.

This summer got lined up for wholesale hunting supplies, amo, archery, etc. so started selling other cameras. I know few years ago I spent way more money on a cuddeback than other apst cameras which I loved but then it went bad and had to pay $115 for repairs or $125 for new 'capture" model. I choose that route. I sold a couple of leaf rivers this summer and customer had issues right out of the box.

That chasingame website has good things to say about the Reconyx.
But for now, I'm sticking with the I-40. I pulled the card from it and while there were deer prints in front of the camera, no pics were taken. I moved teh camera and will see if it takes any tonight. If not, then it'll be sent in for repairs. I like the laser aiming guide that it has better than the other brands that have you walk past the front of the camera and see if it triggers.

I agree, the laser aiming feature is a favorite of mine...

My I-40 has taken over 8,000 pics this year and very few of them where blank pictures, so it is taking pictures. Jist getting very hard to read the display. I pulled the cameras last weekend, I don't like them out during hunting season. Just don't want the extra activity on the property dealing with them. They will go back out in Feb to start seeing who servive the hunting season and winter. I am hoping the display is working enough then to us it.

I will say this camera has great battery life, only used 2 sets of batteries for 6 months of operation.

funny scott got several clients complaining about reconyx. Just this year troubel with moultire, wildgame, cuddeback, leaf river. So far no compliants on this one from ones sold. Online like all cameras godo and bad reviews. Leaning toward buying it on my next purchase. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores...tems#itemDetail

Hmm, old thread revisited with same problems.

The Leaf river was exceptional, until it stopped. I'm trying the Bushnell Trophy camera for no particular reason other than it's small and supposed great battery life. I'll report back the results. My cheap Moultrie is still my most relaible camera.

fyi, Cabelas now has a 60 day limit fo refunds/returns on trail cam's.

Bought two of the Stealth Cam Sniper Pro and they work great. 8.0 megapixels and 2gb of storage. Plenty for my use, and the 8.0 megapicel has awesome resolution. Check it out in the Cabelas catelog. I paid $149. each, and would do it again if I were still looking.

One of the Bushnell "Trophy" cams has been returned, the only pic it took was of my hand approximately 3 foot away while I was turning it off. The other Bushnell is working well for now, any new Cuddeback buyers, thinking of going that route now.

Any recent input on the Bushnell Trophy Cam???
Thanks in advance.

We run 2 Bushnell trophy cam's in video mode year round and they have not failed after 2 yrs. The size and quality of the SD card does make a difference though. 2 G is all you need. Excellent quality videos you can check out on u tube bakersacranch channel.

Correction: bakersacresranch

I love my bushnell cam! Good pic and vid for the money.

Love bushnell cams.. Best I've owned out of moultrie, cuddie, stealthcam and wildgame innovation.. Wouldn't ever buy anything different from now on..

The Bushnell Trophy Cam is the best trail camera for the money - period. I've tried cheaper ones and they always end up having major problems.
I'll put it this way - I've got 10 Bushnell Trophy Cams, and I don't have that many because they suck.
I've only had issues with 2 or 3 of them, but that's years of exposure to the elements and exhaustive use (thousands of pictures). And all I need to do send them to Bushnell and they'll repair them as good as new.
This year I bought a couple of the "basic" 8MP Trophy Cams from B&H Photo (online) for $139 - free shipping. The price goes up for the HD, black flash, etc. versions.

If you want absolute perfection and flawless performance, you'll have to shell out $550 for a Reconyx. Make no mistake, I'd love to have a Reconyx but unfortunately I ain't rollin' in Benjamins.

I've been extremely satisfied with my Bushnell Trophy Cams. I doubt you'll find a better camera anywhere close to that price.

*FYI: Don't get the Bushnells cameras they sell at Walmart - they aren't the same. Only get the models in the "Bushnell Trophy Cam" line. I haven't been able to find them in any local stores, but maybe that's b/c I live in the boondocks.

Good Luck!

This website has full reviews. I will say cuddyback has the worse customer service ever! I'm using a moultrie M100 right now. I like it.
http://www.chasingame.com/

In my experience, Stealth Cam is worse than Cuddie. Returned 2 cameras at the same time, one to each company. Cuddie was back in 2 weeks, Stealth Cam took a month and it didn't work. Returned in and it was another month before a camera showed up from them.

I've had good luck with my Trophy. Sometimes the pics are dark and that's a pretty common complaint. Got another Covert that's been good, but picture quality not as good as the Trophy.

New Covert Special Ops Code Black due in on Monday. It will be my first wireless cam. Looking forward to seeing how that one works out. No more driving 60 miles R/T to see what's on the camera.

-RFL

At one time Cudde made the best of the cams. Now, they don't even make a very good one.

A few years ago I was on a quest for a good trail cam. I could not afford the American made brands. I really want a reconex. Here are a few pics from the camers.
Moultrie d55IR. This camera took good pick but had poor range.

This is the Cuddeback. It took decent pictures but I started getting white specks in my pictures.

I contacted customer service. Waited on hold for 45 minutes and gave it up. Thank god for cabellas kick ass return policy. I then decided to try the primos line up.
Primos truth cam.

the truth cam by far took the best pictures. Just one problem. It made a pretty load click each time a picture was taken. I would have one good pic of deer and two more of them high tailing it out of there. Back to cabellas it went. I finally settled on the moultrie M100. It's works pretty good. Every once in while you have to drop battery pack to reset it.

Can't seem to find a pic on my iPad from night time but found video.
[img]http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa477/jwwann/PICT0740.mp4[/img]
[img]http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa477/jwwann/PICT0062.mp4[/img]

Jwwann:

In looking at the pics I have a few questions.

1) when you say the Moultrie had poor range, do you mean sensing range or IR flash range?

2) I found that the response time at Cuddie depends on time of the year. I wish that they'd staff the lines with more people during the busy time of the year (i.e. hunting season). The deer is washed out because of how close it is to the camera. If it was further away, it wouldn't be so white. I think the white spots are dust on the inside of the lens.

Look at the tree in the background and see how it's illuminated in the 3 pics. I realize the first pic it's still partially light out.

VERY nice deer BTW!

I'd really like to run the cameras in video mode, but I want the date/time stamp on the images more. Now if someone would come up with a way to put that in the video mode, I'd get it in a heartbeat.

The sensing range was the problem with moultrie d55ir. The cudde worked great and I loved it till I tried getting customer service. The problem with the white specs was only on about half the pics. The moultrie I have now in video mode will snap a pic with date time then record the video then snap another pic. I like it. It would be nice if the video was time stamped though.

Well I got my butt off couch and went back to the dinosaur. Man I've about forgot how to use that thing. Here some pictures showing how the time stamp works on M100.

[img]http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa477/jwwann/PICT0004.mp4[/img]

For some reason photobucket will only let me do 5 sec videos.

I second the Bushnell. I bought my first one in Sept for about $140 (sorry, don't know model) and used through February. It took about 4000 good pictures (mixed day/night) and I never had to change the AA batteries.

I've recently used the Wildgame (only lasted 2 weeks) and a couple of Moultries that lastes about 1 year each before the Busnhell.