Best Trail Camera

[pushbush]

Looking to purchase some Trail Cameras.

What’s everyone’s preference or goto Camera.

Lots to choose from out there !

[Bustercluck]

I posted about this awhile ago. The consensus I received was “buy cheap and buy lots”

[mjplewak]

Check out some of the ones Amazon has to offer from China. The brands are named funny (ie: CAM-PARK), but I have bought several for under $60 and they're better then the big brands for under $200. Easier on batteries with good features, without sacrificing image quality. Also if a bear attacks it (been there), you won't feel so bad. Also left mine all year under a tree canopy on the coast and it lived...


https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09JSVQ8QT/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_TD7AGC3NJ52A2HVGJQS6

[Skull Hunter]

I've had a few over the years, bushnell, browning, stealthcam, and the cheap chinese ones.

My favourites, and the ones that lasted the longest were the Bushnells. Finally one of them bit the bullet this year after an elk flipped it upside down and water got in, but the other is still going strong. The browning was ok, and is still taking video during the day, but no longer takes video at night it seems, disappointed as I've only had it about four years.

I find the cheap stealthcams that I've had the most difficult to set up. Not that they're difficult just not as straight forward.

The chinese cams take good quality video, but I find the sensors not as sensitive as the others. They're ok if you're set up pretty close to your trigger point, but if you're far off I don't think they capture all of the wildlife. Also, although I've only left them out for one winter so far, I find they don't seem to do as well as the others in extreme cold. The other issue I have with them is that the ones I have use Microsd cards, and the card slot is difficult to acccess. Makes changing sd cards annoying, but I guess this is a minor gripe.

I too am in the market for a couple new cams. I'll probably end up buying a few cheap amazon cams as I'm not as worried about them getting stolen, or the multipacks that go on sale from Canadian tire from time to time.

[DannyO]

I agree that the video is great on the cheaper cameras but the trigger speed is poor. I personally will continue to by cheap ones…especially when I had 5 stolen this year.

[elker]

SPYPOINT® FORCE DARK 12mpbest trigger speed
very clear videos or photos
discontinued, too bad

[nedarb2]

I like moultrie and browning. Don’t buy cheap ones. I have about 2 dozen cams out and I’ve set more expensive cams beside cheap ones and they get way more animal photos. Cheap ones miss a lot of animals period.
I have 2 Chinese ones. Good quality pics but they get replaced semi regularly for suddenly not working for no reason..
I started out with “lots of cheap” but I won’t buy any cheap cams anymore. Ide rather have 2 expensive cams than 5 cheap cams that miss animals. Stick with 18mp +

[Redthies]

SPYPOINT® FORCE DARK 12mp

best trigger speed
very clear videos or photos



discontinued, too bad

So your post is pointless...

[Harvest the Land]

Tried most of them over the years. Trigger speed and no flash/no glow, as well as battery life should be your most important considerations. Bushnell is the brand that checks all those boxes and pretty much the only brand I look for now. Not too expensive and they're reliable and dependable. Got one Bushnell that's been running year round on the same tree for a little over 5 years now and its still as good as new. I've only had one that I had to return and got it exchanged for a new one.

The reason I don't get any of the Amazon ones is because I have yet to find any security boxes for those cameras. Every single camera I've ever put up has gotten chewed on by a bear at some point, and if I didn't have the security box to protect it, well I'd be out a LOT of money. Make sure to get the security box.

For Cellular Cameras the Spypoint's work great because you don't need to sign up for any kind of phone plan to activate and use them. But, its only a matter of time before the socialist powers at be decide to ban all cell cams permanently. And if we're being honest, many of those same folks (and many of our fellow hunters on HBC) would like to see all trail cameras banned permanently, and I would hazard a guess that all trail cameras will be banned for use by hunters in the next 5-10 years if these folks get their way. (so you might not want to break the bank on a bunch of cameras that you might not be able to use in the future)

Good luck. And be warned - checking trail cams is addictive

[MOWITCH SLAYER]

I run seven cameras from May till October. all my cameras are around $150 . most have been glued back together , bears seem to love to play with them. my seven cameras all seem to take good pictures and i really don't have a favorite. if i had to pick one it would be stealth cam next to premos. Every year i have to replace about three cameras because of the bears . I get lots of pictures of the inside of a bears mouth. lol. I guess it all depends on how much u want to spend on replacing cameras. I have started building little boxes out of plywood that my camera can sit in , it has helped alot. its a great hobby and every year I get thousands of pictures ..have fun and good luck

[BCHunterFSJ]

I finally saved up enough pennies and bought the most expensive Browning camera.
The very first time I put it up it got eaten by a bear! It is now held together by Gorilla Glue...

[caddisguy]

I stick with Bushnell, Browning and Stealth Cam for the most part these days.

For a couple years (last couple years) I experimented with the cheap Chinese cams off Amazon. They seemed like a great deal. $60-80 for cams with insane specs.

What I found was most of the cams have the same internals. Essentially the same cameras, they just re-brand them once the negative reviews start to topple the fake ones and the "just bought it haven't ran it in the weather for more than a week" 5 star ratings.

I've tried 7 of them and none are without serious problems. Here's the common issues these cameras commonly face:

- 4 of them had water ingress

- 3 experienced SD card connection problems (tried many cards and adapters) sometimes you would need to re-insert it a few times before it will detect the card. When it does detect the card, it will film for a day or two and lose contact with the card again.

- Software crashing. Often come back to the cams and they are just unresponsive, and you need to "turn it off and on again"

- Cards filled up with false positives. This occurred on two cameras. They would act normal for a few days and then film almost continually. No wind, rain or bugs that would cause the camera to trigger. Even with sensitivity set to low and long delay between captures set, same deal.

- Time floating on 2 of the cameras. Some will have the correct date, then all of a sudden next video is 1960, next video is 2025, etc.

So essentially I spend about $600-700 on the China stuff. Obviously didn't expect them all to be problem free or anything, but did not expect all of them to have one or more deal breaker issues that would result in lost / missed footage.

We spend a huge amount of effort hiking into places, rigging these cams, insane amount on batteries and such. Checking cam footage, I feel like a little kid on Christmas with the surprises those cards might hold, but to hike for hours to check those cards I've been dreaming about for weeks, just to get burned again and again because I was tempted by a "good deal".

Lesson learned. I'll stick with companies / brands that don't come and go and change their name every few months (for "reasons")

The big names aren't always trouble free. I find the Stealth cams never have the video specs they claim, and the LED's often wear down after a couple years. Still feel like I get my $$$ worth.

The Bushnell and Browning were gifts from my work and family and in the $300 range. Nervous to stick that kinda dough on a tree and walk away (which is something that makes the China-direct cams seem tempting) ... those bad boys have been running strong about 5 years now without a hiccup. And so far the only cam I ever had go missing was an old Simmons Whitetail... claw marks all over the tree where it was. Another was damaged by a bear.

I think a mix of a few Stealthcam and a couple Bushnell / Browning cams is they way to go if you want to run say 5-7 cams.

[HighCountryBC]

I posted about this awhile ago. The consensus I received was “buy cheap and buy lots”

I run upwards of 15 cameras year round as do several of my partners. Ourea and his gang run even more than that. We would all agree that is very poor advice. You really have no idea just how much you'll miss compared to a quality camera.

Personally, I'd stick with the Browning (pro models) or Bushnells. Amazing trigger speed and quality playback. I run a couple Reconyx Hyperfire as well and they are the cream of the crop but at that price they just aren't economical.

[REMINGTON JIM]

SPYPOINT® FORCE DARK 12mp

best trigger speed
very clear videos or photos
discontinued, too bad

yea they must have being good Now discontinued :tongue: Lol. RJ

[pushbush]

Thanks for the comments guys, anyone see any good deals anywhere?

[fozzy]

Also interested is getting some more trail cams. Good thread.


I bought a Uway cam from wholesale sports before they closed along with the steel box to protect it. A bear gave it a munch but that didn't stop it from working. One year i had it out watching a water hole that had water through the hot summer. It also rained a ton on the island and it filled about 1/3 full with water which ruined it. I sent it back and they sent me a new one. It seems they are no longer around.
I did get some nice pictures this year of some whitetails with it.

[Sitkaspruce]

For me, Browning for video and the cheaper ones for pictures.

I have a few Stealthcams, G45 models, and they are OK, but not great in either department. One complaint is the I can only get 250 10 second videos on a 32 gig card, yet I can get 550 on the same card and settings on the Brownings. Plus Brownings can use up to a 512 g card, which means I can get over 8800 videos on a single card, not that I need that much. I run 64g cards on all Brownings.

I have an Amazon cam that actually does well; the only complaint is the micro SD card, its tough install it at the best of times and sometimes I get video that plays for 7 seconds, then freezes for the last 3.

Cheapies that work for me are; Tasco 8mp (one crapped out the but the other keeps taking great photos), Simmons Prohunter and the new Primos Autopilot.

I am in the process of building external power systems for all my Brownings and using Lithium 12v batteries. Should give me all season power, although I will only run them after the bears go to bed. Tough finding AA lithiums in Canada right now and don't cost $2 or more a battery.

Cheers

SS

[CReever]

I run 10 Bushnell, 4 Stealthcam, and 4 Spypoint cameras. The Bushnell cameras are almost 10 years old now and have yet to fail me. The Stealthcam and Spypoint cameras are good but have their downsides.

Trailcam tips: (side notes to the original post question).

- Bear/Security boxes act as insurance with more expensive cameras in bear areas. Grizzly bears have mauled the housing many times on my cameras so that the strap and python lock are rendered useless. Now I have to use bear boxes regardless.

- Lithium AA batteries are a must! My Spypoint cameras can get 12-18 months battery life on one set. The Bushnell's get 12 months depending on usage. Stealthcam gets 8 plus months.

- If you like getting pictures versus videos from trail camera scouting, adjust the settings on the camera so that the camera isn't taking pictures of the highest megapixel resolution. For example, if the camera can take 14mp photos but has a 8mp setting choose the 8mp setting to maximize space on the memory card. This also helps with battery life on mineral licks and bait piles where your camera may be triggering 10,000 - 20,000 photos.

- Position your cameras North or South to reduce glare and poor quality photos. Depending on the situation facing the camera slightly downward and higher up on the tree can be beneficial with a bait or mineral lick setup.

[2chodi]

A couple of points:

My Browning camera would not take photos or videos at night with Alkaline AA Batteries - switched to Lithium and all is good.

The sensors on these trail cams can't do , 8, 12, 20 etc megapixel images natively, so if you are using the higher resolution settings, you are relying of software magic — some cameras do this better than others.

I see that the Muddy 2 packs at a pretty good price (watch for sales) get reasonable reviews, but I have no personal experience.

[2chodi]

I finally saved up enough pennies and bought the most expensive Browning camera.
The very first time I put it up it got eaten by a bear! It is now held together by Gorilla Glue...

Yo might try contacting Browning to see if they can provide a new case. I had a bear take after a Bushnell camera years ago and they sent me a case for free from a camera that had been returned to them because it was defective.

[ghunter4x4]

Also interested is getting some more trail cams. Good thread.


I bought a Uway cam from wholesale sports before they closed along with the steel box to protect it. A bear gave it a munch but that didn't stop it from working. One year i had it out watching a water hole that had water through the hot summer. It also rained a ton on the island and it filled about 1/3 full with water which ruined it. I sent it back and they sent me a new one. It seems they are no longer around.
I did get some nice pictures this year of some whitetails with it.

UWay was bought out by RidgeTec. I have three of them currently and have never an issue. ( Yet) Going on 3 years now and I never take them out, just change SD cards and batteries

[BCHunterFSJ]

Yo might try contacting Browning to see if they can provide a new case. I had a bear take after a Bushnell camera years ago and they sent me a case for free from a camera that had been returned to them because it was defective.

Thanks; will try !

[todbartell]

SPYPOINT® FORCE DARK 12mp

best trigger speed
very clear videos or photos
discontinued, too bad

the Spypoint Force Pro is a real good one

https://i.imgur.com/ty9RPTa.jpg?1

I also really like the Bushnell CORE s4K camera

[caddisguy]

Yo might try contacting Browning to see if they can provide a new case. I had a bear take after a Bushnell camera years ago and they sent me a case for free from a camera that had been returned to them because it was defective.

That's amazing! Great hearing stories like that. I had a few companies send me replacement stuff free to componsate for pure negligence on my part lol ... it goes a long way.

Maybe I'll make my next camera another Browning. Been really happy with mine after quite a few years all year round.

[boilerroom]

Great thread - really appreciate hearing 1st hand experiences. I'm also looking at running a couple of cameras and won't be able to check them very often.

Hearing about how the cameras can be bear appetizers and also get stolen, I'm wondering if anyone has used a SPYHIGH mounting system, which looks like it could get a trailcam away from trouble: https://www.spyhighmounts.com/

[huntingfamily]

I've been running the upper level Bushnell and Browning trail cams the last few years on private property. Tried one Stealth Cam and won't be using again.
Best one for me so far is the Bushnell Core DS-4K cams.
https://www.bushnell.com/trail-cameras/standard-trail-cameras/core-ds-4k-no-glow-trail-camera/PB-119987C.html

[Sitkaspruce]

Great thread - really appreciate hearing 1st hand experiences. I'm also looking at running a couple of cameras and won't be able to check them very often.

Hearing about how the cameras can be bear appetizers and also get stolen, I'm wondering if anyone has used a SPYHIGH mounting system, which looks like it could get a trailcam away from trouble: https://www.spyhighmounts.com/

That seems like a lot of work. I put most of my cameras up in a tree looking down at an angle. I build my own mounts using this system

https://www.deerassociation.com/build-diy-trail-camera-mount/

I have a three rung section of a tree climbing system and use that to put the mount in the tree. I then pile a crap of stuff at the base and up the tree to keep the bears away. Seems to work so far. I put them over salt licks, so they work well for me, much better than 3' off the ground. Keeps the bears, moose and elk from bothering them.

Downfall to angling it down is smaller field of view and you wont pick up animals in the peripheral of the site. It works well on trails, but again, depending on the detection length and trigger time, you might get the animal 60" away and can't see it that well, or you just get the ass as it walks away or the blurred out face if too close.

Just ordered another two Brownings for $100 off each, plus the ammo boxes for my battery builds this winter.

Cheers

SS

[boilerroom]

Thanks SS. I really appreciate your input. I thought about a tree climbing ladder as well but since I don't have one I was thinking the SKYHIGH mounting system might be the ticket.

The DIY mount in the link you shared looks like a great system - I'm also thinking of a higher mount to avoid the wildlife and thieves.

It seems the most popular responses are for Brownings and Bushnells - I'm thinking one of each to start to see how I like them. Can you please tell me which Brownings you just bought?

[HighCountryBC]

Thanks SS. I really appreciate your input. I thought about a tree climbing ladder as well but since I don't have one I was thinking the SKYHIGH mounting system might be the ticket.

The DIY mount in the link you shared looks like a great system - I'm also thinking of a higher mount to avoid the wildlife and thieves.

It seems the most popular responses are for Brownings and Bushnells - I'm thinking one of each to start to see how I like them. Can you please tell me which Brownings you just bought?

When it comes to Browning cameras, you'll find the most consistency and quality out of their "Pro" models versus the "HD Max". I run about a dozen of these cameras (various models) and they hit everything from trigger speed to video quality and consistency.

[bconthefly]

There are some Brownings on sale at Cabelas for $100 off right now - might be what was being referred to above.

I ran a couple of the Cabelas Gen 3 Outfitters this year and was happy with them. I found the integral LCD screen very handy for set up and quickly checking on what had been snapped.

[boilerroom]

When it comes to Browning cameras, you'll find the most consistency and quality out of their "Pro" models versus the "HD Max". I run about a dozen of these cameras (various models) and they hit everything from trigger speed to video quality and consistency.

Thanks HCBC, kind of confused because I don't see the Pro on sale for $100 off (your previous post).


There are some Brownings on sale at Cabelas for $100 off right now - might be what was being referred to above.

I ran a couple of the Cabelas Gen 3 Outfitters this year and was happy with them. I found the integral LCD screen very handy for set up and quickly checking on what had been snapped.

Thanks onthefly, I saw those as well and think I better pull the trigger on a couple of them.

[high horse Hal]

?? Stealthcam Browtine ??
on sale, likely a clearance of old models
claims 80 ft detection and ir , that seems like a stretch maybe?
other cams I've had are lucky to get 40 ft

[high horse Hal]

............ I put most of my cameras up in a tree looking down at an angle..............
I have a three rung section of a tree climbing system and use that to put the mount in the tree..............

Downfall to angling it down is smaller field of view and you wont pick up animals in the peripheral of the site. It works well on trails, but again, depending on the detection length and trigger time, you might get the animal 60" away and can't see it that well, or you just get the ass as it walks away or the blurred out face if too close.

Just ordered another two Brownings for $100 off each, plus the ammo boxes for my battery builds this winter.

have you a system for aiming properly for the best down-the-trail-shots?

also do you need more battery than lithiums provide? pics or video?

[caddisguy]

I have been playing around with another cheapo brand, "GardePro A3". They run about $100 on Amazon.

I ordered 2 of them earlier in May. After running them for a few weeks without any major issue/glitches, seemed promising to me and I liked the video quality and sound for the most part. Could hear the bears breathing and chewing away. The sound does glitch once in a while (usually a second or two into each video there is a spike of "noise", like a woosh sound for about a 10th of a second)

Ordered 2 more towards the end of May. Both seem good as the first two.

I won't give any model of cams a thumbs up until I have run them year round in everything from 30C to -15C, heavy rains, etc without issue, but these do seem promising for a cheap no name brand if anyone feels like a little experimenting/gambling. Given how these "brands" pop up and disappear, tough to say they will still be available in the form they are now after the 1 year review is in.

So far I have found the detection and trigger to be excellent, no unexplainable false positives, no water ingress (they have seen some decent rain), no loss of connectivity with SD card, no software crashing, no time drift, great battery efficiency (hundreds of 30s videos and batteries still test like new) great video format (quality is great yet file size is small), nice menu system and photo/video preview ... low profile glow at night, can barely see the glow even if you are staring right at it.

Complaints? The brief woosh sound at the start of some videos, the latches on two of them don't latch down as tight as the other two, easy fix if it was an issue, but they seal fine, button presses are bit loud (hollow click, fairly common) if you have to have to mess with it while actively hunting (plus side is the latch clicks are more quiet and easier to suppress by operating them slowly)

That's it really, full preliminary review. Will see if there are any malfunctions or LED burnout/dim after a year of service, for now seems very promising. Most cheapo brands start showing their glitches within the first 2-3 weeks, so I'm cautiously optimistic.

For video samples from these cams, search "caddisguy" on YouTube and check out the last 2 or 3 "bear hunting" videos from May/June this year.

[shadowhunter]

Picked up the “Muddy” 2 pack at cabelas abby for 99$ , seems like a good price!

Anyone have them, wondering what I should expect. Seem like a deal!

[Sitkaspruce]

have you a system for aiming properly for the best down-the-trail-shots?

also do you need more battery than lithiums provide? pics or video?

I use the Brownings that have the small screen and use my pack with a white salt bag as my target. If I use a camera that doesn't have the screen, I just place and adjust by going back and forth from tree to area I want covered. Take little time.

The Brownings will run approx. 3600 10 sec video's on AA Lithiums during the summer. Winter is approx. 2600 videos. The Stealthcams vary depending on the models. The white flash will get approx. 2000 videos and the black flash will be around 1500. The Stealthcams are battery and SD card hogs on video, great on photos though. Bushnells are great all around for battery life.

I have everything for separate battery power for 4 cameras, just waiting for bears to go to bed. They will destroy the set up.

Cheers

SS