OT: Inexpensive Trail Cameras

[Dawgg]

The last post I could find about trail cameras was about 3 years ago, so I wanted to ask the Pack about this. I have about 2 wooded acres (on both sides of the creek) and I think I've got trespassers coming through the area across the creek. I want a trail camera for $100 or less to pick up trespassers (and the occasional coyote or bobcat). I think I just want one that takes an SD card. I don't think I want one with cellular and a monthly fee.

Any ideas?

Edit: just decided to tie my wife to a tree and tell me what she saw.

 

[DawgsGoneWild]

If you go with cellular, Moultrie Edge is good. Can get 2 for $149 online from Walmart. Cellular is $9/month. Easiest camera to set up I’ve used

 

[NawlBennyDawg]

I've always used Cuddeback and they are amazing and capture everything with a really good picture, even at night. The only downside is you're going to drop about $150ish on one. You could also get a Muddy and they are about half the price, I don't think they're as good as Cuddeback but if you're looking for a cheaper alternative, they definitely get the job done.

 

[macdaddydawg]

If you are wanting it for security purposes, I would go cellular, that way you know instantly when someone is on your property. Also, if a trespasser sees a camera, they may be inclined to steal it. Cell or not, you will want to go with infrared flash.

I have Tactacam Reveal cell cameras. They work well, are easy to set up and give you the option of ATT or Verizon data. On sale for $99 and the monthly fee is $13 for unlimited pics. I think its $8 a month for 200 pics. Non cell cameras, I have some Moultrie, Spypoint, Hawk, Cuddeback and Muddy. None of them are infrared but honestly, the Muddy were the cheapest and work just as good as the others.

 

[Pilgrimdawg]

My sons keep Moultrie cameras out on our place. During deer season there usually about 5 or 6 of them out at a minimum. If you decide to stop and pee you better look around first. There is a good chance that you are standing in front of a camera. Two of them stay out from July until the following April every year. They are economical and pretty durable. Most of them seem to last from 3 to 5 years and take literally thousands of pictures. They also have a couple of SPYPOINT cameras that sends the photos directly to your phone or computer but there is a monthly subscription service on that one. However it is fun to go through the pictures every morning while drinking coffee. We have had those for 2 years and they are only out during deer season. So far they have worked very well. I don’t know how much they paid for those but I think the monthly fee is just a few bucks a month.

 

[AstroDog]

Are the cell cameras monthly fee for "each" camera or do they charge the same if you bought a pair? Or three?

 

[Marler]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0BS2J272S?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_image&th=1

Just a little over your price but a good camera. Been running these for about 5 years

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

We've caught trespassers on game cams and sheriff's says nothing they can do. Not enough evidence for a conviction. All I can figure is you can't 100% prove the camera was on your property at the time.

 

[ronpolk]

If you go with cellular, Moultrie Edge is good. Can get 2 for $149 online from Walmart. Cellular is $9/month. Easiest camera to set up I’ve used

I have a few of these too. Really like them.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

If you are sadist, buy spypoint, they'll work like a champ for weeks and just "go offline" for no reason and have to be powered down and back on (PITA when you're two hours away). But they are the cheapest. If you buy spyoint and join the insiders club, you can get 250 free pics on every camera.

One note about cellular, make sure the area has a good signal, a poor signal will limit even the best cameras.

Get a cheap trail cam and set it up so it will be in plain view of the trespassers. Hide/Camouflage the cellular camera so the it will catch the trespassers stealing your decoy.

 

[CoastDawg18]

I’ve found tactacam reveal works well and have stuck with it.

Spypoint has been a big disappointment for our lease so it’s the only one I would vote against.

 

[MagnoliaHunter]

The last post I could find about trail cameras was about 3 years ago, so I wanted to ask the Pack about this. I have about 2 wooded acres (on both sides of the creek) and I think I've got trespassers coming through the area across the creek. I want a trail camera for $100 or less to pick up trespassers (and the occasional coyote or bobcat). I think I just want one that takes an SD card. I don't think I want one with cellular and a monthly fee.

Any ideas?

I have used many of the expensive non-cellular cameras. I bought these cheap ones about 2 months ago and so far so good. I see now that they have gone up. They were $39 and now they are $49. I saw several great reviews on youtube about them and decided to give them a try. The pics and vids are pretty good for a cheap camera.

What ever you do, stay away from wildgame innovations for anything electronic. They are garbage.

 

[macdaddydawg]

Are the cell cameras monthly fee for "each" camera or do they charge the same if you bought a pair? Or three?

Fee is per camera but I think the price reduces a couple bucks monthly when you have multiples.

 

[MagnoliaHunter]

If you get a camera, but don't go cellular, mount it higher and angle it downward. That way, it won't walk away like someone mentioned above.

 

[MagnoliaHunter]

We've caught trespassers on game cams and sheriff's says nothing they can do. Not enough evidence for a conviction. All I can figure is you can't 100% prove the camera was on your property at the time.

Wow. We used game camera photos and videos, to convict someone of trespassing and stealing on our property. Not sure why pics couldn't prove it was on your property. The background in the pictures should be proof that it was on your property. Even if it was in the woods, you should be able to take pictures with a normal camera of the location from the same angle to document the location. Sounds like they just didn't want to deal with it or maybe they knew the trespassers.

 

[The Peeper]

We've caught trespassers on game cams and sheriff's says nothing they can do. Not enough evidence for a conviction. All I can figure is you can't 100% prove the camera was on your property at the time.

What makes a game camera different from a convenience store camera or a home security one being used for surveillance? That doesn't sound like a reasonable answer from the sheriff. Starkville PD now asks you if you have exterior cameras to register them with the PD so if something happens nearby maybe they can see something on your cameras. Whether you actually volunteer to do it is another topic for another day but they would use it sounds like.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Starkville PD now asks you if you have exterior cameras to register them with the PD so if something happens nearby maybe they can see something on your cameras.

No thanks comrade.

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

What makes a game camera different from a convenience store camera or a home security one being used for surveillance? That doesn't sound like a reasonable answer from the sheriff. Starkville PD now asks you if you have exterior cameras to register them with the PD so if something happens nearby maybe they can see something on your cameras. Whether you actually volunteer to do it is another topic for another day but they would use it sounds like.

All I can figure is a store interior is fairly recognizable but woods just look like woods and may be harder to prove it's on your land and not somewhere else.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

All I can figure is a store interior is fairly recognizable but woods just look like woods and may be harder to prove it's on your land and not somewhere else.

Most likely lazy LE and/or DA vs LE and/or DA that wants to protect tax payers.

 

[The Peeper]

No thanks comrade.

I totally agree, I'm all about privacy. If one of my neighbors gets robbed and I see the vehicle in my cameras I'll be the first to give it to them. But they (SPD) aren't going to knock on my door and hand me a court order to turn over all of my camera footage for the last month because I signed up for something w/ small print that allows them to do so. Hell they may end up seeing me draining Little Peeper in the back yard or something and decide to share it

 

[Dawgg]

Ok, I think you guys have convinced me to go cellular. I didn't think about theft and the notifications.

I'm looking at the Tactacam Reveals. Do you guys have any advice on the X-Gen 2.0 vs the X-Pro? I was trying to stay at $100, but I could go a little over if it's what I need.

 

[L4MANDW]

Get you a cheap tasco, takes great pics. They like $29. Bring you a light weight extendable latter, 12’ or so. Strap it up, put a lil’ cheap lock cable on it and you good to go. Doesn’t spook the deer as bad shooting pics from that high(although they still hear it click), deters theft x 2 ( height & locked away from would be thieves), and you get great pics. Really affordable. I been running mine this way for years.

 

[L4MANDW]

If you are wanting it for security purposes, I would go cellular, that way you know instantly when someone is on your property. Also, if a trespasser sees a camera, they may be inclined to steal it. Cell or not, you will want to go with infrared flash.

I have Tactacam Reveal cell cameras. They work well, are easy to set up and give you the option of ATT or Verizon data. On sale for $99 and the monthly fee is $13 for unlimited pics. I think its $8 a month for 200 pics. Non cell cameras, I have some Moultrie, Spypoint, Hawk, Cuddeback and Muddy. None of them are infrared but honestly, the Muddy were the cheapest and work just as good as the others.

If you are wanting it for security purposes, I would go cellular, that way you know instantly when someone is on your property. Also, if a trespasser sees a camera, they may be inclined to steal it. Cell or not, you will want to go with infrared flash.

I have Tactacam Reveal cell cameras. They work well, are easy to set up and give you the option of ATT or Verizon data. On sale for $99 and the monthly fee is $13 for unlimited pics. I think its $8 a month for 200 pics. Non cell cameras, I have some Moultrie, Spypoint, Hawk, Cuddeback and Muddy. None of them are infrared but honestly, the Muddy were the cheapest and work just as good as the others.

Cheap Muddy’s about $35 now I tk & work well too. I love the short video mode!

 

[Wytalehntr]

Cheap Muddy’s about $35 now I tk & work well too. I love the short video mode!

LMANDW is right. You can get those Tasco's at Walmart for about $32 and they work well. And they use SD cards. I have 4 and haven't had any problems

 

[RivaDawg]

What is the range on a camera from motion activation and pic?

 

[L4MANDW]

What is the range on a camera from motion activation and pic?

I believe it is 50’ on tasco, not sure about muddy’s…..

Just looked Muddy says 50’+, so about the same.

 

[Wytalehntr]

I believe it is 50’ on tasco, not sure about muddy’s…..

Just looked Muddy says 50’+, so about the same.

The range on the Tasco's is 70 feet.

 

[L4MANDW]

The range on the Tasco's is 70 feet.

OK, bad memory, I thought tasco was 50’. I had to look muddy up. I just started using them last year, wasn’t sure. Should’ve looked tasco up too, lol. txs

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

I run cheap cameras, tasco, wild game and primos (what ever is on sale for $30ish), I don't have many problems with them, probably got a dozen or so. Had some since 2017 and they are still going strong. Best batteries for the money are Amazon AAs. 32 gig SD cards.

 

[RivaDawg]

I run cheap cameras, tasco, wild game and primos (what ever is on sale for $30ish), I don't have many problems with them, probably got a dozen or so. Had some since 2017 and they are still going strong. Best batteries for the money are Amazon AAs. 32 gig SD cards.

Amazon brand batteries? I didn’t know that was a thing.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Amazon brand batteries? I didn’t know that was a thing.

Quality control isn't the best, every once in a while you'll get some weak ones, but overall they are good.

 

[RivaDawg]

Quality control isn't the best, every once in a while you'll get some weak ones, but overall they are good.

Thanks! Price looks worth the risk of a dud every now and then.