Best Practices to Setup and Attach a Trail Cam???

[rossislider]

I've never set a trail camera out before but have really enjoyed looking over the photos friends have shared with me over the years. I'm thinking about getting and setting a couple out. I'd kind of like to hear from some of you about best practices for setup and attaching to a tree. I read another archived thread about the setup, but it didn't really go into methods for attaching. Wires, bungees, lag bolts with bear boxes, cables, etc., what do you guys do?

 

Side note, I know these things get stolen all the time. That is why I will go into it half expecting it. So I would really prefer to not go down that rabbit hole on this post and have it get ugly, like those threads usually do.

[trphyhntr]

I use the strap it comes with and a cable lock

[Alpinebullwinkle]

One hint I'll share is bears and elk both like to adjust the camera to their own desires. So tilted pictures can be an issue and sometimes issues from wind blowing nearby vegetation which results in an "empty picture". I like to pick a tree that has lots of branches to give lateral support so you only get the directional pictures desired. And make sure there are no flexible bushes nearby where the wind can cause false images.

[tjhunt2]

If I'm in bear country I like to put them in boxes. I lag bolt them to the tree and use a cable lock as well. It keeps the bears from messing with them and will keep out most scumbags. Stay away from well known water catchments and tanks. I don't position mine in sunrise or sunset direction.

 

TJ

[5guyshunting]

I sent some info in a pm to the op,so im not trying to start $hit. Question, are you allowed to put lag bolts into trees. I thought that was a no go for tree stands and every thing else?

[elkaholic]

#1 rule don't face sunrise or sunset unless u like glared out pics ^^^^^^

 

try to angle down if possible - pick a big enough tree that the wind doesn't move / shake camera

 

face camera down or up a game trail straight across shots often get nothin unless you put something to stop the animal

 

clear all branchs weeds grasses that may catch the wind that are within the range of the lenses picture - most people get 11000 pics of branchs or grass moving

 

plain ole tasco - simmons cameras that take AA batterys take great pictures and they are cheaper to buy or lose

[muledeerarea33?]

#1 rule don't face sunrise or sunset unless u like glared out pics ^^^^^^

 

try to angle down if possible - pick a big enough tree that the wind doesn't move / shake camera

 

face camera down or up a game trail straight across shots often get nothin unless you put something to stop the animal

 

clear all branchs weeds grasses that may catch the wind that are within the range of the lenses picture - most people get 11000 pics of branchs or grass moving

 

plain ole tasco - simmons cameras that take AA batterys take great pictures and they are cheaper to buy or lose

what he said and I emphasize removing ALL GRASS AND LIMBS! I've had pictures that I could hardly tell why it was taken. A closer look shows a blade of grass moving an inch or less. Also I've never locked my cameras. Set them up good and no worries.

[trphyhntr]

I always use a lock box, I don't want other people checking my cams like I check theirs....

[rossislider]

I sent some info in a pm to the op,so im not trying to start $hit. Question, are you allowed to put lag bolts into trees. I thought that was a no go for tree stands and every thing else?

I also wondered if this is allowed.

[MT_Sourdough]

I use camo tape on my security boxes and that really helps in hiding them. !" wood screws hold the security box in place and leave no trace when you take it out. Cable locks helps to keep honest people honest.

Salt licks done right with granular mineral salts for cattle work quite well. A good mineral lick in a good location could get as much visitation from critters as a a water hole. During monsoonal rains a salt lick is often more active than water tanks. With a mineral lick, you get lots of pics of the critters with multiple views/angles of antlers. Using a mineral lick will somewhat pattern critters to visit on a regular basis and allows you more opportunity to keep track of antler growth through the summer. Critters are more relaxed at a mineral site than they are at water holes.

Doing a little strategic trail work on the trail leading to your trailcam. Moving branches and other obstructions as well as noisemakers (i.e. dry pine cones) from your trail will bring more visitors and allows you to get in and out quietly while checking your cam site. Animals, especially ones carrying lots of headbone, like to use the path of least resistance. If you put your camera in a densely forested area, making room at right height for easy navigation of big racks through the branches will invite more such visitors to your cam site.

[Viper]

All good tips mentioned above. I use mineral licks in places far away from roads or easy access. Choose natural animal travel routes, like saddles. However, if cattle are in the area, they will dominate the mineral lick and really tear up and polute the area.

Technically, I think the Forest Service has a problem with nails/screws in live trees. If it's an area they won't find then... Just don't use a lag that penetrates too deep. I can usually find a sturdy tree stump, stob, or log. I find the cloth camo tape conceals the best. Definitely use a security box to keep people/animals from tampering.

[elkaholic]

I wouldn't worry to much about cattle - all my cameras on my property for the last 5 yrs have less than 25 pics of cattle at my salt licks and its all on open range ranch subdivision

 

i'm talking 5 cameras taking 10,000 plus pics in a couple months - 9,500 of branchs grass - grass grows and wind can really blow hard- -- the wind will get you -

 

a lot of cameras are way to sensitive-

[Buckwheat893]

As mentioned above, do everything you can to face the cameras away from sunrise/sunset. Grass sucks especially this time of year, trim it as best you can but try to keep it from being noticeably maintained. If possible try to give the camera IR lights a skyline view (night pictures with trees in the background are really hard to decipher) or a fairly "plain" backdrop (the ground). I try to keep my cameras as high off the ground as I can reach, they tend to give the best views when looking downward, plus I've had everything from cattle to deer to raccoons screw with my camera when placed down low. I use the strap it comes with and hide the camera in plain sight, no box, no locks. I run 6 cameras and haven't lost a single one yet, and I've gotten plenty of pictures of people within feet of my cameras and none have noticed them. As far as photo/video settings go, videos will fill up an sd card fast. I keep my cameras on 6 photo burst (max for my cameras) with 5 second delays between bursts. With a 16gb card at 6mp that's over 11k pics before the camera is full. Cheap cameras can be loud, and I have had a couple massive bucks come in, hear the camera, and either see it and never return to the spot again, or hang up just outside of good picture range. The longer you run cameras the more tricks you will find out for yourself and what works for you. It's an addicting little hobby, good luck!