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Thread: Trail Cam - What are your setting

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
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    103

    Trail Cam - What are your setting

    Hello Fellow Hunters,

    Just got into game cams this year. I found a nice area that i have placed cams early this summer. I have been back to review the pics and there are some good deer in the area. Currently, I have the cameras to take 3 to 5 consecutive pics and the delay is quite short. Since I have been able to check them frequently, I have been able to pull the pics and replace the battery. My concern is during the winter. The cameras will be there probably from Dec to late March /April or when I get in there with the snow. I know that lithium batteries are better for over the winter and cold weather but what are your preferred settings? Picture or video or time lapse, 1 picture at a time or multiple, short delay or longer, low res vs high res, motion sensor sensitivity?

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Posts
    599

    Re: Trail Cam - What are your setting

    Lithium batteries for sure. Once you run video, you won’t go back to the picture setting. It’s amazing how much more is captured between the two.
    "The farther one gets into the wilderness, the greater is the attraction of its lonely freedom."

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
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    Re: Trail Cam - What are your setting

    Definitely keep with lithium’s, I’m married to the external battery box’s tho. The external paired with lithium’s, I got a whole year once on picture mode, 2600 photos and was still running.

    My newest cam, takes snap shots and video at the same time, I just got it this spring tho, so I’m not sure how long it would go before a battery change. Video is certainly a lot more interesting to look at imo.

    If im set up on feed or a lick, I usually go 10 minute delay. In a place where animals are just walking by, I will have it on a minute or two delay.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Posts
    33

    Re: Trail Cam - What are your setting

    My cameras get fresh batteries once a year and they are typically out from March until October , leave it running on 30 second clips , check them once a month, pull the images and back up they go. Never have I run out of battery life. This year I’m leaving them up all winter so the true test begins. On video I have captured some bears doing to hilarious stuff.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
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    Surrounded by Socialists
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    7,931

    Re: Trail Cam - What are your setting

    To answer your question, like HighCountry said, once you try video mode you'll never go back; unless you have a really old cheap camera that takes hard to watch videos. Videos do use more battery power though.

    I run mine 24/7 365. Always use Lithiums for sure. In most of my cameras, the lithiums still have juice in them when I check them in April/May. But I've had a few cameras not last the whole winter with lithiums in them. But the caveat is those cameras were on salt piles and getting tons of action all the time well into the winter, and I had my video clips set for 1 minute - too much power being used and the batteries were dead as of January.

    Another thing to consider is memory card size. If you are placing your camera on a very active spot and you plan on getting tons of action, make sure to use a 32GB memory card at least. Just this past weekend I went and checked out a camera I put out right on top of a giant well used Blacktail bed in early May. It took the buck 5 days to come back to the bed, but once he did he was there pretty much every day and most days twice per day. Man was it exciting to confirm that buck bed. However, I set the camera on 30 second clips and when I went and checked it last weekend the batteries still had 1/4 juice left, but the 8gb memory card I had was full! And the cheap camera wasn't capable of overwriting older videos. So when I looked through the videos, the memory card was full by the end of May, and I did not get any further videos of that bed in all of June, July or most of August for f_ck sakes. But the bed is still active and so are the trails leading in and out of it.

    So to sum up, definitely get the best camera(s) you can afford, with the fastest trigger speeds, that have no flash (preferably), that can filter out background noise to avoid false triggers, and have a far range. Definitely use Lithium batteries and if you're setting the camera up on a salt pile or a bed make sure to use a 32gb memory card. Use video mode for sure, but set your videos for 15 second - 30 second clips only; anything longer than that is a waste of battery power.

    Be warned - trail cameras are addictive. There's nothing cooler than watching wildlife in their own element undisturbed at peace. You will want to check them often - DON'T BE THAT GUY. You'll get more action if you stay out of your area.

    Good luck!
    "It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority." - Benjamin Franklin

    "The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it" - George Orwell

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Peace Country
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    Re: Trail Cam - What are your setting

    I use to roll with video mode. But when you got over a thousand videos to sift it gets old quick. For me anyways. I have now went to picture mode, way quicker to check for me using my iPhone

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Posts
    327

    Re: Trail Cam - What are your setting

    I'm with Rackstar, I use the picture mode so I can just bring a card reader for my phone, download pictures on the spot and move on. Video is more interesting to watch, but I don't think I'm missing much with multiple pics on a short delay. And I can save all of my pictures to the cloud and access from anywhere.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Langley
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    6,032

    Re: Trail Cam - What are your setting

    It goes against logic, but I have always had a better battery life from alkaline over the winter than Lithium. In theory the should last longer and the alkaline should freeze, but after a couple years of running lithium I went back to alkaline because the lithiums would drain fast in the cold. Maybe some lithiums are just junk. I'm not sure. I know my phone and tablets drain fast in the cold too. Temps are typically -10 to -20 where I soak them. They'll last from November to August no problem, even after recording 600-800 30s videos.

    I like video mode, but mainly just because I enjoy watching wildlife and I can edit together highlights. Pics are more practical if you just want to know what's around. You'll miss a little bit (ie: might never see that opposite antler or that bear chasing the bobcat and having a couple shots of something mostly out of frame will leave you with questions) but you'll still have a good idea what is around.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    East Kootenays
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    9,143

    Re: Trail Cam - What are your setting

    I put mine out mid june with a bunch of salt.. monitor it every couple weeks..

    Had it on 3 shot burst and it was filling a 32gb card so toned it down to 1 shot, 5 second delay.. usually pull it jyst before the end of elk season.. not a bone hunter, so dont care if there is a bruiser wt in the area. I just road hunt near home and smoke the first easy buck i see
    "It's not the kill, but the thrill of the chase" - Deep Purple

    "Lord knows I'm a Voodoo chile" - SRV (RIP 8-27-90)

    "Know your Land, Know your Prey" - Mantracker

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  11. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    628

    Re: Trail Cam - What are your setting

    The new Browning Strike Force cams allow cards up to 512gb - this is a real nice improvement if you like video and can’t check them all the time.
    The World is run by those that show up.

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