Which trail camera to buy?

[fleener]

I need to buy new ones again this year. I seem to be able to only get two years out of any camera.

Anyone having better luck then I am? What brand? What model? I am not looking for one that sends a picture via cell.


Thanks

Fleener

 

[Zonie]

You might get more answers over on our sister Forum, Modern Muzzleloaders.
They seem to be a lot more "into" using modern things for hunting.

Here's a link to their site.

https://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/

 

[Dave Marsh]

I have three Moultrie cameras I have used for at least 6 years. Easy to use and take good pictures during the day and fairly good ones at night. I think they were $59.99 when I bought them.

 

[Spikebuck]

When I was on a lease, we ran 30+ cameras over the 800 acres. They were in the woods from May through December in all kinds of weather. We did not have expensive top-end cameras that cost hundreds of dollars....most were in the $100 give or take $25 range. I had the best luck with Moultrie's. I have only had one of around 20 that I have go bad (I had cameras in other locations besides the lease) and I've used them since 2013. Browning's were good as well, but I believe they were made by Moultrie as they looked identical and had the same functions. The worst, by far, were StealthCam. Perhaps they are better now, but they ate batteries like there was no tomorrow and they didn't last at all.

 

[Mulebrain]

You might get more answers over on our sister Forum, Modern Muzzleloaders.
They seem to be a lot more "into" using modern things for hunting.

Here's a link to their site.

https://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/

I aint clicking on that! LOL

 

[Dave Marsh]

I'm with Spikebuck. I had Stealthcams before the Moultries. Ate batteries and lasted a year or two before they died.

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

My $35.00 Wildgame cameras have lasted 3 or 4 years and going strong.

 

[SDSmlf]

Have been disappointed with multiple Cuddeback cameras. Latest had two purchased at the same time that would just fill memory card in less than a day every so often. Customer service pointed out the cameras had maxed out the photograph counters so were out of warranty.... even though I explained the cameras were filling memory cards by themselves. Offered 50% off MSRP on new Cuddlebacks. Passed on offer. Have got 3-4 years out of inexpensive Moultries, but believe I need to get some with totally invisible flashes. Too many frightened deer in the headlights photographs taken at night with infrared and white light flashes.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

I only have one, but it’s been going strong for a year so far, and it’s a nice hunting tool... Not gonna take magazine quality pics, but will capture pics day and night to let you know what’s out there. It’s a SPYPOINT Micro. They go on sale for right around $100 every so often if you’re looking for them, but usually closer to $150 +/-. I bought the one for the Verizon network because the area where it’s located has good service with them, but they also sell an ATT version too. In fact, I think they released a version that can use both towers now, but of course, more cash for that one too..

 

[Brokennock]

I only have one, but it’s been going strong for a year so far, and it’s a nice hunting tool... Not gonna take magazine quality pics, but will capture pics day and night to let you know what’s out there. It’s a SPYPOINT Micro. They go on sale for right around $100 every so often if you’re looking for them, but usually closer to $150 +/-. I bought the one for the Verizon network because the area where it’s located has good service with them, but they also sell an ATT version too. In fact, I think they released a version that can use both towers now, but of course, more cash for that one too..

You have to put the camera on your Verizon plan to access it from your phone though, right?
What does that cost.

 

[IROCZ]

I'm looking into buying game cameras, thanks for the thread.

 

[fleener]

My Bushnells have lasted the longest. My Moultries are not doing so well. I did have some Browning's that lasted quite a while. The Bushnells are easy on the batteries.

Fleener

 

[James Kopp]

You get what you pay for...is an adage that you hear all the time... However I DO NOT think it applies with trail cameras.. I have had many of the year and the best ones seem to be in the $39-$75 dollar range. Amazon seems to have daily deals with Cams all the time. I have had Moultrie, StealthCAM, Browning, Wildgame and the list goes on...I tend to be rather brutal on them and they pretty much stay outside in the woods 24/7 365....with that type of abuse there is about a three year life on each one... I typically look for the faster trigger speeds and pic quality... They have proved very reliable and provide great pictures.. My personal Favs are the StealthCAMS.. they seems to be the best ..

Also how and where you position the camera can also add or decrease to its outdoor life. Any hooo that my two cents..

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

I have had Moultrie, Bushnell, and Browning over the years. Moultrie lasted a year or so and then lost day/date function. Okay but not great pictures. Bushnell has the best pictures, but 50% of them lost day/date function after two years. Browning has poor image quality, and also 50% lost day/date function. The cameras still work, but don't do much for patterning if you don't know when the pictures are taken. I have settled on using one fully functioning camera teamed with one without the full program, and using the light/weather to correlate the images.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[TarponStalker]

I have several cameras. My favorite is the Browning. I saw the reviews on trailcampro.com and bought one from them. It’s worked for 6 years now.
I also have a Bushnell that’s older than the Browning. It’s nothing fancy but works great.
my least favorite is Wildgane Innovations. I have friends that like them but I’ve never had good luck with anything they make.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

You have to put the camera on your Verizon plan to access it from your phone though, right?
What does that cost.

Nope. This is a huge misconception. Your cellular trail cam is not at all linked to your cell phone. The camera will be handled by whichever carrier you want, based on what their service is like in the areas you hunt, abd it doesn’t matter if it’s the same or diff from your cell phone.

Then you pay for your camera’s data plan though Spypoint. I never send a payment to Verizon and my phone is not with them either.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Nope. This is a huge misconception. Your cellular trail cam is not at all linked to your cell phone. The camera will be handled by whichever carrier you want, based on what their service is like in the areas you hunt, abd it doesn’t matter if it’s the same or diff from your cell phone.

Then you pay for your camera’s data plan though Spypoint. I never send a payment to Verizon and my phone is not with them either.

So.. let me explain that these cellular trail camera send their pictures (via cell towers) to a cloud-based server that is managed by the Camera company. In my case—Spypoint.

The owner can access those pictures by setting up their account and using a computer if you want, or a cell phone /tablet App if you prefer that. I use both. I check my pics on my cell phone, or my iPad. Occasionally I check using my computer. The point is that the way you view your pictures (or adjust camera settings) is through either a webpage or a smartphone app. It has nothing to do with how the pictures get from the camera to their cloud service.

 

[michael mcghee]

have 3 wildgame camera's. two has been out all year for the last 3-4 years maybe longer never had any problems with them.. still take good pictures ... my first one takes d- batteries ... other 2 takes AA batteries

 

[Spikebuck]

I need to get some with totally invisible flashes. Too many frightened deer in the headlights photographs taken at night with infrared and white light flashes.

I had a couple of the "invisible flash" cameras and was extremely disappointed. The night time quality was so dark the pics were virtually unusable.

The Wenzel brothers suggest putting "white flash" cameras up a little higher than a deer's head would be and aiming down. Their theory is that the deer think the flash is lightning. In any case, it's not right in their face. On one of their videos, they have a 170's class B&C buck stand there while he gets his picture taken with a white flash camera 33 times. He did flinch a bit once in a while, but it didn't seem to spook him.

 

[SemperFiHunter]

MoultrieMobile for me.

Caught this little doe either levitating or being abducted by aliens, heh!
SFH