TRAIL CAMERAS

A COUPLE BUCKS THAT ARE ON MY HIT LIST - and 1 weird looking little dude!

stand 2, september 21st

Stand 1, mid september, 2 weeks to go

Late August 2011, one month from opener stand 1

pictures from stand 1 mid aug 2011

early august stand 1

pictures from 2010

TRAIL CAMERAS

WHAT CAMERA DO YOU USE?

For most of us we want our trail cameras to act as an extra set of eyes in the woods when we're not able to be there. With that in mind, I like my scouting cameras to cover a large area as possible, snap photos as fast as they can, and take as many pictures as they can. In essence, I want my cameras to come as close to replacing me in the woods as possible. In order to do that a trail camera must perform well in all of the three of the categories below:

1. Trigger Speed
Trigger speed is defined as the amount of time that elapses between when a camera first detects motion until it captures a photo of what caused that motion. Trigger speeds vary from a lethargic 6 seconds to a lighting fast 1/10th of a second. In order to be effective, a camera should have a trigger speed of no more than 1 second. Trigger speeds in the mid one-second range are acceptable when they are paired with a wide detection zone.
2. Detection Zone
A trail camera's detection zone is the area in which when movement is detected triggers the camera to take a picture. Detection zones vary from short and wide to long and skinny and everything in between. Although you don't hear much about this in manufacturer's advertising, it is the #1 determinant in how many pictures you capture. After all, no matter how fast your trail camera, it really doesn't matter if an animal never enters your camera's detection zone.
3. Recovery time
Recovery time is defined as the minimum amount of time required for a second triggered picture. This should not be confused with the burst mode found on many models where 1 triggering event sets off a series of pictures regardless of whether anything is still in front of the camera. Recovery times vary anywhere from as little as 1/2 second to the industry standard of a full 60 seconds. Being limited to only 1 picture every 60 seconds produces some serious gaps in your scouting capabilities. Just imagine the common scenario of a buck chasing a doe. The doe triggers the camera and if the buck passes in the next 60 seconds, he does so undetected.

So when shopping for your next trail camera look for a model with a wide detection zone, fast trigger & fast recovery time. These key performance features will make or break your next scouting adventure.

MOULTRIE - Game Spy I40 Digital Trail Camera Retail: $219.99

The I-40 Game Spy infrared game camera provides the ultimate outdoor scouting experience. For the outdoors enthusiast that wants a top-of-the-line infrared game camera at an affordable price. Equipped with a quick rapid trigger time, 150-day battery life and no visible white flash you won't miss a shot.

Includes 1GB SD Card *Infrared cameras with no visible white flash *4.0 Mega pixels *Rapid response time captures moving game *150-day battery life *50-ft flash *Easy-read photo strip *Temperature, moon phase, time, date and camera ID on every photo and video *Color day pictures *Day and Night video clips *Laser and IR aim for quick and precise camera set-up
*Multi-shot pictures (up to 3 shots) *Upgradeable software *Weather-resistant, airtight camera housing and seal *Operates on 6 D-cell batteries (sold separately) *Easy to operate LCD menu driven display *Display shows battery life remaining, pictures taken and remaining, and events occurred *Picture Delay, set 1-60 min. *Three picture resolutions (Low, Medium, High) *Two video resolutions (Low and High) *15 secs. between multi-shot pictures *32 MB internal memory *Up to 4 GB with SD card *Includes USB and TV out cable *Includes mounting strap *External power port for optional 12-volt battery support

SPYPOINT IR-B Digital Camera 7mp Retail: $279.99

Spypoint Camera's have several things going for them. They have a wide detection zone, recover quickly, are extremely easy to set-up, take good night photos and take high quality photos. Their trigger time is 1.8 seconds. The exposure time at night is too slow and you may experience some blur in photos where animals are moving relatively quickly. Overall, this is a quality camera for set-ups on bait, feeders and food plots.

Features: *7.0 Megapixels picture qualityInfrared motion triggered *48 infrared LED night-time illumination *Video Resolution: 640 x 480 AVI *Color pictures by day, black and white by night *Date and time printed on each picture *32 MB built-in memory *External memory : SD or SDHC or MMC up to 8GB
*Backlit LCD display *USB and TV-OUT ports (NTSC/PAL) *Adjustable detection sensitivity (5 to 45 ft)
*12-volt and solar panel auxiliary power jack *Rechargeable lithium or 6 x 1.5 volt C batteries *Low battery indicator

MOULTRIE - Game Spy D40 Digital Camera 4mp Retail: $89.99

Moultrie's D-40 digital trail camera is a great game camera to begin monitoring deer patterns on your land. This game camera has all the essential features you need to start taking pictures and tracking game. This 4.0 megapixel digital camera has a quick trigger time, 45-ft flash and 60-day battery life. The D-40 game camera combines affordability and function.

Includes 1GB SD Card *4.0 Mega pixels *Rapid response time captures moving game *60-day battery life *45-ft white flash ensures optimal, viewable shots *Color day and night pictures *Video clips during the day *Imprint time, date and camera ID on every photo or video *Laser and IR aim for quick and precise camera set-up *Multi-shot pictures (up to 3 shots) *Memory card slot - accepts up to 4GB card *Weather-resistant, airtight camera housing and seal *Operates on 6 D-cell batteries (sold separately)