trail cameras
Whitetail Deer
I want to purchase my first trail camera. what is a good model and what do I look for? What does 8-MP mean?
Mega pixel. I don't like MPs much higher then 4 or 5, and will always set it lower if they let you. The files are too large and you aren't blowing these photos up for printing, so anything above 5 is useless.
Bushnells have worked very well for us. Even the cheaper Walmart ones. Long battery life and good pics.
I got a 2013 model Moultrie M880 this spring. It had problems and Moultrie replaced it with a 2014 model. I think the 2014 model is even better than the 2013 model. This makes three moultries that I am happy with.
Covert trail cams are great. I've tried several others, most of them more expensive and always had problems of some sort. No issues with the Coverts and the cheaper models are less than $100.
You can read the reviews here:
I have tried many different models and have settled on the Cuddeback Attack IR as my cam of choice. Have run 10 of them for 2 seasons now in my bear and deer guiding outfits. Highly recommend them for ease of use, good quality pics, battery life and reliability.
Just replaced my stealthcams with Coverts...had a hard time with Stealthcams. Almost to the point of taking a baseball bat to them...still considering it actually.
The Covert MP-8 is a solid and economical camera. Batteries last forever, can take thousands of pics on same set over several months.
I have 2 of the Red 40. Longer flash(but adjustable) range than the MP8 but basically the same as the MP8.
I am going to get 2 of the MP-8s after the first of the year.
Also, I think both the cameras I referenced above have video capabilites.
I like the large mega pixel feature. If you get a buck in the distance...you can zoom the image up without as much blurring.
The coverts can be set to delete the oldest pic if you run out of space on a card. If you check it regularly (once every week or two) and clear it...you should have no problems. SD cards have TONS of storage.
Lastly, Coverts are easy to use.
GR Heads Up Decoy
I've had the best luck with Bushnells, especially battery life which seems to go forever! Worst luck with Moultries as I've never owned one where the digital display works for more than 6 months, rendering them useless in my mind if I can't program them. Haven't tried Browning, but have heard good reports on them.
I have tried lots of the models, an now all I use is spypoint an Browning trail cams work the best for good battery life in them even in cold.
I have had two Moultries. They both crapped the bed a little over the one year warranty. I did not have any luck with their customer support. I will not buy from them again. I have had luck with Stealth Cams. If I were to buy anymore I would go with Bushnell. I have heard good things about quality and customer service.
If you can find a Browning Range Ops 6mp (BTC=1) its by far the best bang for the buck. The 2013 version is rated higher than the 2014 Browning Range Ops XR. If you are diligent and look on ebay, amazon or walmart.com, you can find one within the $75-$90 range.
If you want to know more about trailcams and what to look for and what suits you best, goto TrailCamPro.com website (attached supporting link). They are an independent site that tests, rates and ranks all trailcams arbitrarily.
For the record so far the Bushnell trophy cam is the best camera I have ever owned. Just bought a Moultrie M880 complete junk I will never buy another Moultrie.
I have a Moultrie M80 and have been really disappointed. Unless the deer is standing perfectly still, the pictures are blurry. Daylight pictures are marginal and night pictures are awful. Video mode is better, but why burn battery just because the picture sucks??
I have two Moultrie M80 cameras and think they are great! Night pics are ok, but day pics are awesome! Great battery life! I've been running them for 3 years, 6 months a year, with no problems at all.
A lot of good cameras out there. if you want a good one that last but not cheap reconyx but worth it.
Someone on here was describing the qualities of the Browning cameras a while back. I called the Browning number for tech advice and was very satisfied with the service they provide. I hung up and bought my very first camera, a Strike Force. Programming and settings were an exercise in simplicity. I love how small this unit is and it hides easily. I plan to buy at least 3 more.
I had a Moultrie. It wasn't long before it would take pictures but wouldn't allow me to view them or send them to my computer.
Recently I bought a Stealth Cam E28. Garbage! It died in 1 day. So I accepted a replacement from the dealer. Died in one week. I took a 3rd one and have it out now but I think there's better than a 50% chance... after reading reviews, that it will be shot when I go check it. I emailed their customer service 3 days ago and still no reply.
Back to the old drawing board.
++Kevin Dill,
I purchased two Browning Strike Force cams this summer and they have been doing everything right. Only six batteries with exceptional life, .067 shutter speed and over the top photos. Occasionally I get some minor blur on night time still shots when there is movement but very rare. These are two of the best cams I have ever owned! $129.00 on Ebay.
The thing with trail cameras is, that by and large, it's hit and miss. The quality control, or lack thereof, (most are made in China), the elements and the animals (bears) all contribute to inconsistency in durability and reliability.
Having said that, I would focus on features and cost, rather than make and model. Go with a small-ish camera if you're gonna be doing a lot of hiking. Go with AA batteries that last a long time if your hunting ground(s) are far away. Will you be buying multiple cameras, or just one…? Cost might be a factor if you've got lots of cameras out there, or if it's on public land (theft is always a possibility).
I had a Primos Truth Cam 35 that was bomb-proof (until it got stolen), but I could never rely on the other models of Primos. Moultries have been inconsistent for me. Recently the Browning models have been good to me.
Eventually they're gonna crap out, get stolen or perform inconsistently, so look for deals and buy wisely. Good luck.
As far as stolen goes I have as much money in prevention as I do the cameras. Security boxes lag bolted to the trees. Pad lock on the boxes and Python Cable locks through the box and around the tree.
I have never had any luck with the Cuddeback's. I have had them fail right out of the box, I still own two, but if I use the video, it will take black videos the entire night and kill the batteries. I have 3 Reconyx cameras and are hands down, the best and fastest cam's I have ever used.
Here's a night pic from both:
The Cudde's end up with these lines in the night photos after about a month. I have had a total of 5 after returning them. There is a reason some sights are not allowed to talk about them IMO. 
The Cudde's I use occasionally get the lines you speak of when batteries low in extreme cold but pic quality is not important to me. I need them to work reliably and so far the Attacks have been stellar.
On the advice of this board I went to trailcampro.com and bought the Browning Strike force (4 of them). Been very satisfied with the quality of the pictures, the battery life and the ease of programming.
Covert Day, this is the MP6 $150 or less.
More Covert MP6 night action
I've tried many cameras and keep going back to the cuddes. I have been running 6 of the Cuddeback E2 cams and they have performed great. Nice clear pics and great battery life. I also have 4 of the Covert code black 3G cellular cameras. Great concept, but have had nothing but trouble. Most problems were AT&T related. They were on 3 different properties with strong service. Giving the Covert red 40 a try since they fit in the same bear boxes as the code blacks I have. Tried 2 of the Browning Strike Force cams. Decent pictures and good battery life. Only issue I had with the Brownings is that I could not view the pics on my Kodak digital camera. They had to be viewed on a computer. Not to convenient when hunting a property 10 hours away.
Falcon, I got an OTG Smart Micro USB Adapter SD/TF Card Reader For Phone Samsung Galaxy that plugs into my Samsung Galaxy 5s for $1.01 + free shipping. I'm sure they have them for other smartphones.
I wish I had bought it a while ago. I can view all pics and videos on my smartphone right in the field/stand. I use Browning & Bushnell trailcams and it reads both of their cards.
I got the reader from China. It took about 3+ weeks to get delivered but I was so impressed, I bought 5 more to give to friends and have a back up.
Attached supporting link.
