Setting Up the Camera

[Red Rabbit]

What are your tips and how-to's setting up the trail cams?

Height off ground, NESW direction, distance from trail, salt or water?

Delay time between shots, 1,2, or 3 in sequence? Length of video?

[CouesWhitetail]

Height off the ground of course depends on the site and your target critters. I like the Covert 1 cams because you can just set them on the ground by a trail or water. They have enough wide angle lens to capture critters well. But sometimes I put them up in a tree angled down. Usually not more than 5 feet up.

 

As far as direction, I don't really worry about it like everyone else seems to. Obviously the sun is more of a concern if you are in a wide open area, but if it's thick forest or brush, it's doesn't really matter as much. I worry more about how the animal is going to approach the area and I try to set it up so I get a good view of the animal and allow it more time in front of the camera. If you can angle it so it's not just perpendicular to a trail, but at more of a 45 degree angle, then you give the animal more time in the camera view area as it approaches the camera.

 

 

For photos I use a 3 shot photo burst with a delay of about 20 seconds between triggers. With a 2 GB card you don't really have to worry about space and I like the ability to get as many pics of the animal as possible. Now if there are cows in the area, I would set the delay much longer, but I try and avoid areas with cows anyway.

 

For video, I like 20 second or so for the clips and again maybe 20 seconds delay. I used to set it for longer video (1 min), but if you get a skunk or rabbit or something hopping through then you get 5 secs of action and then 55 seconds nothing. You could do 10 sec videos too, it really depends on how long you think the animal is going to be there and what you want to see. If you have salt or feed or something then the animal might be in the view longer and you can judge the buck better by giving him time to turn his head or lower it or whatever during your video.

 

Another thing to think about with video is if your target animal runs in herds or not. If you use a short video sequence (10 sec) and a longer delay (1 min or more) you might miss animals that are in that group but not in the lead. Javelina would be a good example for that.

 

 

I use some scent eliminator wipes to wipe my hands and the camera. Not sure it helps, but perhaps keeps bears from grabbing the cam.

 

Amanda

[Rio]

When possible, I try to set them up about 6ft off the ground angled down slightly to try and get critters up close as well as a way's out. I try to point my cameras north to north east as much as possible to avoid sunrise/sunset triggers. I like lots of pictures, so I typically go with no delay between picture burst, and I typically set them up for 3 picture burst at a time. I also try to set the camera up in a way that most of the aninals will be caught coming to the camera or going away vs having the camere set up where the animals will walk left to right in front of the camera, this is particularly important for slow trigger speeds, say 1 second or longer, or with cameras that take more then a second between pictures.

 

A bit of more information, I will not place a camera unless I can use a bear box and a python cable for security. This will deter most folks from trying to run off with them, but as has been said many times, if they want it they'll take it. I'm also in the process of camo painting my bear boxes so that they blend into the surroundings a little better.

[DesertBull]

1. Use top quality batteries.

2. Use as big of a memory card as your cam will take. Cards are cheap now.

3. Wear rubber gloves and try not to spread your scent all over the area. Get in and out as fast as possible.

4. take some tree steps with you. Get your cam up about 10' high. very unlikley that someone will see it up there and if they do, they probably won't be able to reach it. Hide the steps nearby so that you can use them to service your camera.

5. a little peanut butter on a tree or bush, in front of your cam, will get the animal to stop for a moment and give your camera a chance to snap off some good close ups.

[PhxHunt]

Great thread...good info.

[youngbuck]

i face north when possible for washed out pics

 

i place my cam about 18" off the ground, sometimes over 6ft angling down if the elk are chewin on it

 

i try and get alot of open ground in the background of the pics to help with false triggers and i see more critters

 

Interstate brand C batteries outlast everything else in that size ive ever tried (good thing i order them at the hardware store i work at, they are hard to find) their AA's are comparable to other top brands

 

locks only keep honest people honest

 

flashes waste battery, use them only if you need them.

 

flashes are a huge give away if its close to a road or a slope facing a road.

 

slower triggering cams are best on a trail if placed almost parallel to the trail with multiple pics per trigger

 

make your batteries your limiting factor, not your sd cards.

 

Always have spare cards

 

it helps if your regular camera takes the same cards as your trial cams for a card reader

 

elk seem to chew on new cameras, must be the smell, not sure if its mine or the plasic's

 

clear any weeds that might sway in the breeze.

 

chasingame.com is a great recorce for info and reviews, lots of knowlegable people over there.

 

My preferances for my cams

Wildviews: 3/2 pics every minute, flash depends on location and how often i check it

Scoutguard or the new coverts i would assume to be similar. 2 pics every 20 seconds.

 

[pwrguy]

That is funny about elk liking the smell of new camera's. I will see if I can attach a picture or 2. The camera was not exactly new but that sucker sure saw something that he liked or liked the smell of. He bent the bracket and managed to get mud all over the face of the camera. I guess I need to get some of those scent eliminator wipes

[Guest RutNHard]

Most importantly make sure you wipe your scent off or your cameras or they could end up like mine all eatin up. The moultrie I 40 is a great camera which I use. I have not used the Coverts but I think I will give them a shot soon. Make sure there are no hanging branches nearby or you will get hundreds of pics with leaves or weeds. Good Luck!!

[EAS]

everyone has listed some great ways to setup your trail-cams. I like seeing whats moving in my hunting areas so I like to use trail-cams all year long. one thing I do after I get the cam in a position that I like, is pick a few spots in the cam range and get some shots of myself standing at different distances from the camera. this helps me gage the size of what I will be viewing later. I also like to see the first few pics snapped to be sure the count is on and working before I walk away from it for 3 months.

 

remember to keep your camera out of sight as much as possible from people that may hike when scouting... I've lost a few cameras... it only takes one A-hole hunters that doesn't have any respect for you to miss out on several months of photos...

 

 

[hntnIwlgo]

I finally received a game camera for Christmas!!! My husband kept saying "It will just get stolen." But my mother-in-law came through for me. I can't wait to take it out. I was pleased to find and read over the information above and found it to be very helpful. Being that the above info is 2-3 years ago I would like to know if anyone has anything to add. My camera is a Micro Infrared Digital Scouting Camera. I am a newbie with a game camera. I plan to go out tomorrow to purchase a couple of SD Cards, SD card reader, box and lock. Anything else I need? Any suggestions on type of box and lock to get? If you have any more ideas on set up to add to the above info I'd appreciate that info too.

[AZLance]

3 - 5 burst photos

1 sec pic interval

No delay between activations

Face the camera north when possible, eliminates glare off of the camera, so others won't find it.

Get a can of carpet adhesive, cover the lens, flash, and motion sensor with masking tape, spray the front of the camera and camouflage with local leaves, dirt, bark.

Avoid water holes, springs, or tanks that are marked on maps.

[bow.hunter8971]

Don't forget to mark it on your Gps if you have one

[rschaumb]

In the forest it's easy to mount a trail cam but I've had issues in the desert where there aren't trees with trunks to really strap it to. I've tried a small tripod and just sat it on the ground and piled up rocks/dirt/grass around the base to keep it steady and camouflage it. I've also taken out metal rods and hammered them in the ground to strap it to but they were a little shaky in the wind. Any advice from you desert hunters? Also there's not much to strap/lock them to out there either. I've just tried to hide it and put them where I don't think people hike much. Thanks for your input.

[photofool]

Elk are attracted to the little red light and they will tear down your camera if they can reach it

[hntnIwlgo]

Ok, I just bought a new Bushnell camera. Quite different from my other camera. The one major thing is that the ON/OFFbutton is "inside the door" of the camera. My other camera has it on the outside of the camera. I'm not real quick at setting up the camera, getting the cable through the lock box (nightmare) & around the tree but I get it done after a long while. Been known to look at it once I get it up and not liking it and once again have to struggle with the darn cable and box getting if loose and resetting the camera. Once the camera is set the way I want it I THEN push ON button on the outside of the camera. So on my new camera it looks like I'll have to turn the camera on before I set it in the lock box, before I pull the darn cable through the lock box and before I get it on a tree. I'm figuring by the time I do all that I will have used up all the pictures with all the movement I did in just getting it up. Can someone tell me how they set up their camera when the ON button is inside the camera door? Or tell me what you know about setting up cameras that I obviously don't? Some photos showing me your set up with the cables to lock it in place may be helpful. I thank you in advance.