Trail camera help Unit 51 elk

[lovehunting]

Guys looking for a reasonable trail camera, I Would like to buy two of them. I have a bow hunt in unit 51 Elk second season and need them for scouting. Please recommend what has been good for you, and when do you usually set them up? Thanks for the help.

Jack

 

[iccyman001]

LAST EDITED ON May-11-16 AT 09:22AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON May-11-16 AT 09:20?AM (MST)

I currently use three Moultrie 880is, one Moultrie 990, a Moultrie trace, and a covert 6MP camera. I also plan on picking up two browning cameras this year.

Trail cameras are just like every other debate: I.E Ford, chevy, dodge. Or Hoyt, Mathews, Bowtech.

I will however say I would not buy wild life innovation cameras.

I usually set them up over water, wallows, or highly traveled areas.
I try my best to put them up in a tree facing down.
It prevents people from seeing them and the bears from playing with them.

 

[iccyman001]

Example:

This camera was hung in Unit X about 16 feet up in a tree.




This camera was hunt in Unit XX and was lower due to trees available. It was located on a highly traveled area.





Just make sure you clear out sticks, brush and branches near the camera. You don't want stuff setting it off.

 

[Trad Bow 1979]

I don't know what your spending range but you don't have to spend a lot to get a good camera. I use mostly Moultrie Trace Premise cams and I have one Stealth Cam. I personally like the Moultrie Trace the best. There are a few things to look for in comparison to other cameras.

1. mega pixels. Most cameras offered have a 5 or 8 mega pixel range. I don't think your out to take a portrait to hang on the wall so I think 5 or 8 is fine for you. Just something to consider since the more mega pixels you have the more memory it takes up on your SD card.

2. Range for detection. Remember that flash range and detection range are not the same thing. You will see some cameras that advertise a 100 ft flash range. What you want to pay attention to is how far out the sensor will detect movement. Try to find one that has a 60 ft detection range.

3. Look at what type of flash it has for night time. Even ones that have an IR flash can be seen at night. It is usually light red flash, this is usually labeled as "Low Glow". If you got the money find something that says "No GLow".

As I mentioned I mostly use the Moultrie Trace Premise. Its reasonably priced for what you get. You can select 4 or 8 mega pixel. Has a detection range of 60 ft. The flash on it is a low glow which the elk don't seem to mind at all. I will mention though that it has startled some deer. Most cameras may make a slight click when they "wake up". That is the only draw back I have on that camera. The inter face is very user friendly and its a good brand.

Don't just go and buy the cheapest thing you can find with a 1 out of 5 star rating. There is no reason to buy batteries, SD card, and go through the trouble of setting it up if its a piece of junk. Look a lot at the stealth cams, and Moultrie brands. Those two brands have cameras that come in different price ranges, but regardless how much or little you spend on them they will work.

 

[lovehunting]

Iccyman,

SD card size? how long can i leave it in the field with a 16m sd card? Thanks so much for your help.

Jack

 

[iccyman001]

>Iccyman,
>
>SD card size? how long
>can i leave it in
>the field with a 16m
>sd card? Thanks so
>much for your help.
>
>Jack

I usually run 8, 16, or 32M sd cards.
There are different settings on your cameras and you can adjust what megapixel size you want it to take. You don't NEED the top quality one.

I think I usually run my cameras at 4 or 6mp and can get over 10000 pictures on a card. Unless you have branches or grass blowing in front of your camera, you will never worry about it having to fill up.

I'll check numbers when I get home, but I believe it's close to:

8m sd card gets 9999 pictures
16m was over 14K
and I don't even remember on the 32.

Some cameras also wont allow more than 10000 to be stored, but again..... you'll never have 10K pictures unless something went wrong. Or extremely right..... aka more elk than you can ever imagine

 

[tomvern85]

I have 3 cameras a wildgame innovations, a moultrie and a cuddeback. None are top of the line and all work good. The cuddeback has a 1 second delay between pica and the other two have a 10 second delay. I like the cuddeback the best but it was the most expensive at $150. I use 4gb cards and have a picture viewer that I take into the field with a 16gb card to transfer them all to.

 

[lovehunting]

Guys this is great info!! thank you so much What month do you set your cameras out for a September Bow Hunt. Need all the advantages I Can get as this is a new unit to me 51 I mostly hunt unit 52.


Jack

 

[iccyman001]

Here are some examples of the cameras I have:

Moultrie trace:

Covert camera:

day

night

Moultrie 880

day

night

Moultrie 990

day

night

 

[iccyman001]

>Guys this is great info!! thank
>you so much What month
>do you set your cameras
>out for a September Bow
>Hunt. Need all the
>advantages I Can get as
>this is a new unit
>to me 51 I mostly
>hunt unit 52.
>
>
>Jack


I start mid May.
It's fairly early, but I really enjoy trail camera pictures, watching them grow, and seeing the type of bulls and bears that are in the area.

 

[lovehunting]

Iccman,

those are very cool pics!! I think from your help and some research I am going to go with Moultrie 880i I am going to start with 2 of them. Where if I may ask did you purchase yours?

Jack

 

[tomvern85]

I plan on setting mine out the end of the month. Usually set em out in May

 

[Trad Bow 1979]

Ebay and walmart online are great places. I got my Moultries from ebay, and paid less than half of what they were on Amazon. I got my Stealth cam from walmart online and saved a ton too.

 

[iccyman001]

I've always looked for deals.


Sometimes they are cheap on Cabelas, sometimes they are cheap on Midwayusa, sometimes smaller outfitter stores will have them on sale.

I will point two things out.
I own 1 2013 model and two of the 2014 models of 880s. More people were happy with the 13 models and ran into issues with the 14. I have run mine now for two seasons and had no issues.


The covert camera pictures I posted were from this one.


http://www.midwayusa.com/product/288318/covert-mpe6-infrared-game-camera-6-mp-brown

It's on sale right now. It's a fairly easy camera to use and takes decent pictures.



I prefer the 880, but for the price and outcome, this isn't bad.


Let me post some more pictures of the covert.

Also, here is a video from my covert.

 

[lovehunting]

Great info guys thank you for all of your help!!
Now to spend the time in the woods getting to know the lay of the land. Good luck to all and be safe!!

Jack

 

[iccyman001]

>I plan on setting mine out
>the end of the month.
>Usually set em out in
>May


I think it's a great time to put them out.
Antler growth is start for most, but some are WELL on their way.....
June 5th of last year I had two monsters already working on their backs at that time.

I wish I would have seen them in the woods...

 

[iccyman001]

Jack,

this post is gonna look like an E-brag and it partially is, but it also really shows the capabilities of these cameras.


First one isn't anything too wild except my cameras catching an USAF C-17 doing a low level.

This next series was the partial E-brag (sorry, I am really pumped about these pictures)

I am not proud of that shot (spined the deer with my bow) but I had a big history with that deer and chased him all year. I've never hunted so hard for an animal.

Well, not only did I get him, but I shot him on camera....
You can see me in the background.

 

[BUGLEnmIN]

Icy, is that in new Mexico thats a nice white tail. I got white tail on camera .

 

[ixsolracxi]

awesome pics there iccy! great buck!

 

[Trad Bow 1979]

the C17 pic trumps all pics ever, including the fake Bigfoot pics I saw online LOL

 

[iccyman001]

>awesome pics there iccy! great buck!
>


Thank you!


>Icy, is that in new Mexico
>thats a nice white tail.
>I got white tail on
>camera .


This deer was taken in Oklahoma.
I also caught a whitetail in a NM unit that you would never guess they were there. A GNARLY buck and a doe.

 

[iccyman001]

LAST EDITED ON May-11-16 AT 12:16PM (MST)[p]Another tip for you, Jack.
ALWAYS check your pictures.....


I was about to delete this picture because of the sun, but look closer....

zoom in....

If you guys cant tell, I really enjoy trail cameras.
I also know you Western guys are used to monster muleys, but if this whitetail doesn't get you excited, then you are crazy!

 

[live4muleys]

To me trigger speed is a big thing. Don't just want the butt of all the animals walking through.

 

[Wailing4Wapiti]

A big thing to consider if you are putting up cameras in 51 is lots of stuff gets stolen in 51. A few years ago guys even had their elk heads stolen from their camp. Unfortunately that is an area I would be especially careful with what you leave out and about. Definitely use a good lock system and if I were doing it, I would take climbing sticks with me and put cameras 12' or higher so that they are less inviting to thieves.


Game cameras can be a blast. However, they are also probably more helpful for guys on the first hunt then the second. Second hunt the rut and hunting pressure has the elk moving a bunch and out of their summer patterns. However, still nice to know about a bruiser or two in the area.

Good luck. Avoid the crowded places in 51 (Trout Lakes, Burns, Canjilon Lakes) and you should do well.

 

[iccyman001]

>A big thing to consider if
>you are putting up cameras
>in 51 is lots of
>stuff gets stolen in 51.
> A few years ago
>guys even had their elk
>heads stolen from their camp.
> Unfortunately that is an
>area I would be especially
>careful with what you leave
>out and about. Definitely
>use a good lock system
>and if I were doing
>it, I would take climbing
>sticks with me and put
>cameras 12' or higher so
>that they are less inviting
>to thieves.
>
>
>Game cameras can be a blast.
> However, they are also
>probably more helpful for guys
>on the first hunt then
>the second. Second hunt
>the rut and hunting pressure
>has the elk moving a
>bunch and out of their
>summer patterns. However, still
>nice to know about a
>bruiser or two in the
>area.
>
>Good luck. Avoid the crowded
>places in 51 (Trout Lakes,
>Burns, Canjilon Lakes) and you
>should do well.




I usually pull my cameras a few days before the hunt and will place them up in trees around my camp.

That way if anything ever happens then I will have pictures. I know it seems like along shot, but it only takes a few bad apples to ruin an area and most of the locals or law enforcement know who they are.
So it's definitely not a bad option to set one up.

 

[sagebrush]

LAST EDITED ON May-11-16 AT 02:50PM (MST)[p]I have two Moutries and was very pleased with their performance but both only lasted a few years before the displays went south. I figured if cameras were going to have a short life, I would spend less and bought a couple Wildgame Innovations. They are still going strong after 5 years and I now own 6. I also bought steel security boxes, cable locks for the tree and padlocks for the boxes.

Here are some comparisons:

With a Moultrie

With a WGI from the same tree two years later

A different WGI

This bull triggered the camera at a measured 40 yards

A sample during the dark

I'm pretty well sold on WGI. They use AA batteries, same as my GPS, headlamp and digital camera. I have cameras out for 2 months with over 800 pictures and still had battery left.

I always try to set my cameras facing south to north to avoid sun glare.


"You can fly a helicopter to the top of Everest and say you've been there. The problem with that is you were an a$$hole when you started and you're still an a$$hole when you get back.
Its the climb that makes you a different person". - Yvon Chouinard

 

[Trad Bow 1979]

I remember hearing about those elk heads that got stolen a few years back. This year forest service guys told us to watch what we leave out at camp. A few years ago I was hunting 51 and a jeep from the camp next to us got stolen and recovered the same night in Espanola. It really sucks that you gotta worry about that kind of BS while hunting.

 

[iccyman001]

Sagebrush's post just gave me elk fever.......

 

[tomvern85]

Ugh still 4 months away

 

[tomvern85]

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos3/2119image.jpeg


http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos3/7794image.jpeg

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos3/3075image.jpeg

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos3/5954image.jpeg

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos3/8109image.jpeg


Here's a few of the hudreds of pics I got last year including the big boy that got away that I never actually saw lol

 

[vthokee]

There is some great info here to help you out. I started running 3 Browning Cams and I have two Cuddebacks as well. I really like the browning cams and you can usually pic them up on sale between 69-89 if you watch the sales. Like most have said good batteries, clear branches and get a bigger memory card than you think you might need. All these pics everyone has posted has me pumped to get my cameras out and start getting pics.

 

[lovehunting]

Guys you really got me pumped up with those pics!! Can't wait for my mountrie 880i to come in ordered them yesterday, thanks for all of the help I will post up some pics when I get them.

Jack

 

[kykiller]

Ive got about four Reconyx trail cameras and they are the best,no doubt!!! but they are not cheap and i only use them on private land.The best way to pick out a trail cam is to go to Trailcampro.com and they review each trail camera and rate them from best to worst.There are some really good cameras that they tested under $200,and i think they rated the new bushnell aggessors real high and also the new brownings very well for under $200.Anyways check out Trailcampro.com and they are the bible of trail cameras

 

[Trad Bow 1979]

Here are some pics of mine. I enjoy seeing some of the close encounter ones too. You can see in one of the pics the bull is in the process of scraping off his velvet. Its cool seeing when they transition from velvet to hard horns.

 

[iccyman001]

>Here are some pics of mine.
>I enjoy seeing some of
>the close encounter ones too.
>You can see in one
>of the pics the bull
>is in the process of
>scraping off his velvet. Its
>cool seeing when they transition
>from velvet to hard horns.
>
>
>
>

>
>

>
>

>
>

I agree, it's neat to see the hard bone coming through.

 

[bobby]

here is my advice on trail cams in 51 ... its a great unit but dont hang them . The will grow legs and dissapear that area is notorious for theft . I cant tell you how much ##### ive had stolen from em in that unit. its a great hunt but personally from exp i wouldn't leave anything up there to be honest. even during the hunt put everything away and lock it all up EVERYTHING

 

[ixsolracxi]

>here is my advice on trail
>cams in 51 ... its
>a great unit but dont
>hang them . The will
>grow legs and dissapear that
>area is notorious for theft
>. I cant tell you
>how much ##### ive had
>stolen from em in that
>unit. its a great hunt
>but personally from exp i
>wouldn't leave anything up there
>to be honest. even during
>the hunt put everything away
>and lock it all up
> EVERYTHING

Given the information above and that 52 is a neighboring unit, is there as much theft in 52? After reading this thread i am looking into some cameras to put in 52.

 

[lovehunting]

Bobby,

What part of the unit are you referring too? I am looking at hunting the north east part of the unit..

Jack

 

[lovehunting]

ixsolracxi,

I have hunted 52 many times and have never had a problem..

Jack

 

[ixsolracxi]

lovehunting, thanks for that information...from where did you finally purchase your cameras? I am waiting on an offer i submitted on ebay for two moultrie A-20i's...hoping he says yes...

 

[Trad Bow 1979]

LAST EDITED ON May-16-16 AT 07:08PM (MST)[p]
Hey man, you cams will be fine. Don't put them right on a water hole that is seen from a forest road. If your camera is tan colored don't hang it on a white aspen looking over a trail just off the forest road. Be picky on where you hang them, conceal them. I use realtree xtra camo tape to help mine blend in. Low life's don't walk a mile into the woods studying trees looking for cameras. I ran my cameras all summer through September in 51, I got one pic of one rancher on a horse. He never saw my camera. Secure your camp site and vehicles, your cams will be fine. Just put some thought into your spots you hang them from.

 

[lovehunting]

I bought to 880i from Walmart