Tips and Tricks for better trail cam photos

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BackWoodsHunter
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Tips and Tricks for better trail cam photos

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Mon Jan 31, 2011 3:39 pm

Wondering what everyone does to get the best quality, range and pictures of their targets? I figured I'd get a thread started and others could add too it.

-In the first cam we ever got I read the owners manual and it insisted do not point the camera to the west. I assume its because the deer move most just before dark and a west facing camera could have some pictures that get messed up by setting sun.

-I've also noticed that placing the camera a little higher on the tree with a downward angle takes decent pictures than one facing straight forward. You capture more images that would sometimes be missed if the critter that trips the trigger is small and passes under the range of view for the picture.

-Keeping fresh batteries in the camera is a must. The Stealth Cam we have takes a lot of black pictures when the batteries get low because it is slow powering up the flash. I have a few infrared cams now and I think they are easier to power up. Definitely the way of the future for trail cam users.

What do you guys do to get the most of your camera pictures?


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Re: Tips and Tricks for better trail cam photos

Unread postby Wrinkleneck » Tue Feb 01, 2011 4:29 am

I really only use my cameras at a feeding source now. This way I can get a good look at what is hanging in my area without leaving my scent all over the woods. Really no tricks for food source other than I like the infrared cameras best.
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Re: Tips and Tricks for better trail cam photos

Unread postby wappkid » Tue Feb 01, 2011 4:56 am

I have been using my cameras wrong this whole time. I think I am only going to use them to take Inventory. And maybe a couple of trails here and there.But's about the extent of it.I think those new Day 6 plotwatchers would be more useful than trail cams for actual real time daylight scouting.
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Re: Tips and Tricks for better trail cam photos

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Tue Feb 01, 2011 5:06 am

I was thinking of doing something similar to the plotwatchers and disabling the flash on my flash cameras and only using them to monitor day time movement. I am fully convinced the flash scares deer. Not to mention the night time pictures on trails and stuff we end up getting a lot of rump pictures of deer passing by. The trigger speed isn't the greatest but i think powering up the flash affects the speed as well. We are putting in some better plots this year so I hope that will give me better opportunities for setting cams in good spots.
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Re: Tips and Tricks for better trail cam photos

Unread postby dreaming bucks » Tue Feb 01, 2011 7:10 am

I am changing it up this year also.... No more putting cams right up in the woods where I hunt, keeping them only out at food sources. I was in the woods way too many times last year changing out cards and batteries. Going to try to get all of my woods work done early in April and May, and then stay the out of there till opening weekend of bow season. Can't wait !
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Re: Tips and Tricks for better trail cam photos

Unread postby Indianahunter » Tue Feb 01, 2011 4:19 pm

I really like having the camera 10-12 ft up and facing downward about 45 degrees. The Reconyx cam detects out to 100 ft and the time lapse feature allows us to see all the way to the horizon. Of course you don't get the nice close up pics like you see everywhere but it is easy enough to zoom in if you need a closer look and with todays camera resolutions it really isn't a problem. What we like about this is that we can stay back 30 or 40 yards with an ultra wide detection zone and get the best comprehensive look of travel patterns. We have been primarily sticking to food sources, but this method seems to work well at creek crossings and travel corridors as well and keeps your scent well enough away from their travel route.
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Re: Tips and Tricks for better trail cam photos

Unread postby Indianahunter » Tue Feb 01, 2011 4:23 pm

Oh yeah and we also discovered that if there is brush or something that possibly could trigger the camera falsely... it will. Make sure your camera sight is clear. Sounds stupid, but we have had a ton of pictures of a branch :roll:
Oh yeah and don't put your camera in a tree less than 4" in diameter because when your little tree blows around you will get a slide show that will make you sick. :lol:
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Re: Tips and Tricks for better trail cam photos

Unread postby dan » Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:27 am

BUMP
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Re: Tips and Tricks for better trail cam photos

Unread postby Swampthing » Thu Mar 08, 2012 3:33 pm

I really miss the old Black Box Moultries they had a built in laser. It made it very easy to position your camera exactly where you want it. I've resorted to just doing a trial run by walking past my cam where i'm suspecting game to travel. It's a little time consuming but better than the alternative.
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Re: Tips and Tricks for better trail cam photos

Unread postby cornfedkiller » Thu Mar 08, 2012 3:52 pm

Swampthing wrote:I really miss the old Black Box Moultries they had a built in laser. It made it very easy to position your camera exactly where you want it. I've resorted to just doing a trial run by walking past my cam where i'm suspecting game to travel. It's a little time consuming but better than the alternative.


Cant say I miss those cams at all, but that laser feature was really slick!!

For any of the Bushnell Trophy Cam users that dont know, if you put your cam on SETUP, then close it, there will be one LED light that lights up when you are in the detection zone. You can do a little walking around and watching for the light and you will easily see where it will take pics of something.
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Re: Tips and Tricks for better trail cam photos

Unread postby Southern Man » Fri Mar 09, 2012 6:03 am

Swampthing wrote:I really miss the old Black Box Moultries they had a built in laser. It made it very easy to position your camera exactly where you want it. I've resorted to just doing a trial run by walking past my cam where i'm suspecting game to travel. It's a little time consuming but better than the alternative.


I still have one of those. The picture quality isn't as good as the newer cameras but hey, it still works good.
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Re: Tips and Tricks for better trail cam photos

Unread postby Swampthing » Fri Mar 09, 2012 7:10 am

Yes, they were always pretty dependable. Hard to screw up. One time I went to go check a camera early in the a.m. still pretty dark out. I saw this strange red light gleaming across the field. Here I find out that I left the laser on. It was stretching out across the field pretty good.

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Re: Tips and Tricks for better trail cam photos

Unread postby jlh42581 » Fri Mar 09, 2012 7:52 am

True quality only comes from a homebrew with a consumer model cam inside. Nothing can match that quality.
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Re: Tips and Tricks for better trail cam photos

Unread postby blackwolf » Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:51 am

I like to use mine June thru Sep over mineral blocks (where legal) to geta general idea of bucks in the area and is very interesting. I will put out 4 this Spring and batteries and card will last till I pull them in Sep. Always get a couple wolves, lots of does and fawns. The big bucks usually show up on my cameras late July or August. Not sure why this is?
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Re: Tips and Tricks for better trail cam photos

Unread postby Wrinkleneck » Fri Mar 09, 2012 3:53 pm

blackwolf wrote:I like to use mine June thru Sep over mineral blocks (where legal) to geta general idea of bucks in the area and is very interesting. I will put out 4 this Spring and batteries and card will last till I pull them in Sep. Always get a couple wolves, lots of does and fawns. The big bucks usually show up on my cameras late July or August. Not sure why this is?



X2
I get my best inventory over my Lucky Buck mineral site also and only check the cam when I'm already there to freshen the site up!! hands down the best way to get your invetory thats for sure. I also like to run one camera on the local "hot" food source to see what deer come from what area.


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