Real world trail camera recommendations

[gregr]

I want to find a good trail camera. I believe that trail cams today are incredibly wonderful devices that are capable of a LOT, but I don`t want one that sends photos to my phone or computer. Likewise, I don`t want a cheapie camera that won`t last, doesn`t provide decent photo`s or videos. I`m not looking to spend $30, but not willing to spend $150 either. What is a really good, solid trail camera that you personally have experience with, that is between$65 and $100, that offers great quality photos and videos, that is durable and reliable.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I know you said you didn’t care anything about a camera that sends them to your phone/computer buuttt….

I just bought a couple of these to try out. I’ve only had them up for about 6 weeks now and for the price, I’m happy. Yeah, there’s the issue of a monthly subscription if you want them to send them to the app but for the convenience, I‘m really liking them. I can’t vouch for the reliability so far as they’re still relatively new but the pictures are OK, nothing spectacular (but they were only $69).

Muddy Manifest 2.0 Cellular AT&T Trail Camera 16 MP Combo

The Muddy Manifest combo contains the new Manifest 2.0 Wireless Camera and everything you need you get started. The Manifest 2.0 cameras are not only...

www.midwayusa.com

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I know you said you didn’t care anything about a camera that sends them to your phone/computer buuttt….

I just bought a couple of these to try out. I’ve only had them up for about 6 weeks now and for the price, I’m happy. Yeah, there’s the issue of a monthly subscription if you want them to send them to the app but for the convenience, I‘m really liking them. I can’t vouch for the reliability so far as they’re still relatively new but the pictures are OK, nothing spectacular (but they were only $69).

Muddy Manifest 2.0 Cellular AT&T Trail Camera 16 MP Combo

The Muddy Manifest combo contains the new Manifest 2.0 Wireless Camera and everything you need you get started. The Manifest 2.0 cameras are not only...

www.midwayusa.com

Here’s an example photo:

 

[BJHay]

I'll be watching this thread. I've bought 6 or 7 different cameras in the last few years and have been disappointed by all of them. The last good camera I has was Primos 35.

 

[gregr]

I know you said you didn’t care anything about a camera that sends them to your phone/computer buuttt….

I just bought a couple of these to try out. I’ve only had them up for about 6 weeks now and for the price, I’m happy. Yeah, there’s the issue of a monthly subscription if you want them to send them to the app but for the convenience, I‘m really liking them. I can’t vouch for the reliability so far as they’re still relatively new but the pictures are OK, nothing spectacular (but they were only $69).

Muddy Manifest 2.0 Cellular AT&T Trail Camera 16 MP Combo

The Muddy Manifest combo contains the new Manifest 2.0 Wireless Camera and everything you need you get started. The Manifest 2.0 cameras are not only...

www.midwayusa.com

Hi, and thanks for the reply and recommendation. There are primarily 2 reasons I`m not looking for the trail cam that sends the photo`s to my phone or computer: As you stated, I don`t want to pay the additional charges, and, I don`t want to pay the extra money for the camera that has the built in feature I don`t intend to use, that`s wasted money in my mind. But the picture you posted is a great photo.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Hi, and thanks for the reply and recommendation. There are primarily 2 reasons I`m not looking for the trail cam that sends the photo`s to my phone or computer: As you stated, I don`t want to pay the additional charges, and, I don`t want to pay the extra money for the camera that has the built in feature I don`t intend to use, that`s wasted money in my mind. But the picture you posted is a great photo.

Understood. I was not interested in these until a friend of a friend clued me into them. That, and I knew that my previous experience of not getting out to collect the photos from memory cards for extended periods made those cameras less useful.

I’m not so much trying to talk you not something you’re simply not interested in as I am providing insight to others that might read this thread.

 

[indyjohn]

Wildgame Innovations bought two 2 years ago.
Amazon product ASIN B092RF9SK6
Runs on 8 AA batteries and 1 SD card. I set them to 2 second delay, medium resolution, 15 sec video (or still frames). I get more than 60 videos on 1 set of batteries.





I've been very pleased.

 

[J Galt]

The resolution they advertise is a lie. I bought and returned ~6 before I figured out they all GREATLY exaggerate the resolution.

When I looked at the resolution on the box and compared it against the photo size / resolution, it was not even close.

 

[cg21]

I thought I didn’t want pictures sent to my phone…. Then we got cuddelink because one of our houses was broken into ……… we have since resolved that issue so they retired to deer cams… and wow is it nice not going out and getting sim cards not stinking up your spot or bumping your deer. do t get the ones that take double as batteries though they eat batteries for breakfast the d ones are better

 

[two70]

I thought I didn’t want pictures sent to my phone…. Then we got cuddelink because one of our houses was broken into ……… we have since resolved that issue so they retired to deer cams… and wow is it nice not going out and getting sim cards not stinking up your spot or bumping your deer. do t get the ones that take double as batteries though they eat batteries for breakfast the d ones are better

IMO, if someone is going to run multiple cams then they are crazy not to use the Cuddelink system. With up to 24 cameras daisy chained to one cell cam (with one cell fee of about $15-$20 per month) or to one home camera located where it can be easily checked without disturbing your hunting area, nothing else is even close.

Gregr, if you can find a used Cuddeback C or E series in good shape, it should be in that price range. It's an easy to program cam that gives you 6+ months of battery life on 8 AA batteries and has fast enough trigger speed to make it useful on trails. Battery life is the one of the most important features if not the most important features. Things have improved but it is still easy to save $$ on a camera only to spend $$$ on batteries trying to keep it running. Trigger speed is another important feature and while a slower trigger speed can often be mitigated by smarter camera placement, some cameras are all but useless for anything but scrape or food pile placement.

 

[cg21]

I have a used home base cuddelink if anyone is looking lol because I switched to the cell phone base so I could get closer to real time. Even though it still takes around 30 minutes to receive the text/email. It’s also nice you get a camera report daily and tells you which one needs batteries etc.

 

[two70]

I have a used home base cuddelink if anyone is looking lol because I switched to the cell phone base so I could get closer to real time. Even though it still takes around 30 minutes to receive the text/email. It’s also nice you get a camera report daily and tells you which one needs batteries etc.

The first year I used the Cuddelink cams I often received photos as quick as 5-10 minutes and occasionally within the minute. After a few updates it is not closer to 30 minutes with the occasional arriving within 5-10 minutes of being taken. Of course this is all depending upon camera placement within the chain.

 

[gregr]

IMO, if someone is going to run multiple cams then they are crazy not to use the Cuddelink system. With up to 24 cameras daisy chained to one cell cam (with one cell fee of about $15-$20 per month) or to one home camera located where it can be easily checked without disturbing your hunting area, nothing else is even close.

Gregr, if you can find a used Cuddeback C or E series in good shape, it should be in that price range. It's an easy to program cam that gives you 6+ months of battery life on 8 AA batteries and has fast enough trigger speed to make it useful on trails. Battery life is the one of the most important features if not the most important features. Things have improved but it is still easy to save $$ on a camera only to spend $$$ on batteries trying to keep it running. Trigger speed is another important feature and while a slower trigger speed can often be mitigated by smarter camera placement, some cameras are all but useless for anything but scrape or food pile placement.

While I really appreciate your enthusiasm, these systems just aren`t for everyone, and they`re just not for me. I`m as avid and obsessed a deer hunter as anyone, but not everyone has the financial resources to pay for the service to have the notification and camera photos sent to their phones and computers.
And thank you for the information about trigger speed and battery life, those are two great points that only an experienced user would have, and I appreciate you sharing that.
I`m still searching for a really good brand and model of trail cam that will have a great trigger speed and battery life, that I can afford. And just for informational purposes, I`ve sadly lost access to every place I have to deer hunt, but for one TINY farm, which only consists of an upper and a lower crop field. Deer don`t bed here, and it`s only used, obviously, as a transition area as they travel to bed or to feed. So for now, the trail cam I come up with will just be used to get photos of deer walking along the field edge in the upper field where my ladderstand is. I`m not unappreciative in the least, so this isn`t a gripe, but this is a very marginal deer hunting spot just due to the layout of the property. I`ve killed deer here before, and killed my biggest ever buck here, but it`s very, very hit and miss here. Feast or famine as they say. Nevertheless, I want a trail cam that will work here, but would also work in a much more complex situation and area.

 

[two70]

While I really appreciate your enthusiasm, these systems just aren`t for everyone, and they`re just not for me. I`m as avid and obsessed a deer hunter as anyone, but not everyone has the financial resources to pay for the service to have the notification and camera photos sent to their phones and computers.
And thank you for the information about trigger speed and battery life, those are two great points that only an experienced user would have, and I appreciate you sharing that.
I`m still searching for a really good brand and model of trail cam that will have a great trigger speed and battery life, that I can afford. And just for informational purposes, I`ve sadly lost access to every place I have to deer hunt, but for one TINY farm, which only consists of an upper and a lower crop field. Deer don`t bed here, and it`s only used, obviously, as a transition area as they travel to bed or to feed. So for now, the trail cam I come up with will just be used to get photos of deer walking along the field edge in the upper field where my ladderstand is. I`m not unappreciative in the least, so this isn`t a gripe, but this is a very marginal deer hunting spot just due to the layout of the property. I`ve killed deer here before, and killed my biggest ever buck here, but it`s very, very hit and miss here. Feast or famine as they say. Nevertheless, I want a trail cam that will work here, but would also work in a much more complex situation and area.

To be clear, my first paragraph was solely a response to the quoted text. The second was to your questions.

IMO, your situation is more complicated than many. Other than positioning the camera so that it faces directly down the trail or at least sharply quartered to it, there's not a whole lot you can do in that situation to increase the amount of time the deer are in front of the camera to compensate for a slow trigger speed. Here's a link to a site with trail cam tests and review that might by helpful. I've only skimmed it but it seems like there is some good info there, although I'd advise you to figure out what features are most important to you instead of simply taking their criteria at face value.

 

[gregr]

To be clear, my first paragraph was solely a response to the quoted text. The second was to your questions.

IMO, your situation is more complicated than many. Other than positioning the camera so that it faces directly down the trail or at least sharply quartered to it, there's not a whole lot you can do in that situation to increase the amount of time the deer are in front of the camera to compensate for a slow trigger speed. Here's a link to a site with trail cam tests and review that might by helpful. I've only skimmed it but it seems like there is some good info there, although I'd advise you to figure out what features are most important to you instead of simply taking their criteria at face value.

looking forward to that link.

 

[two70]

looking forward to that link.

It's there, just click on the word link.

Also, I forgot to add that I would highly recommend a camera with IR flash and video capabilities. Videos often provide a lot more information than still photos.

 

[gregr]

I wondered what you all think of these two offers:

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/browning-strike-force-hd-pro-x-game-camera?ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=Cabelas%7CShopping%7CSmart%7CHunting%7CHunting%7CNAud%7CTopPerf%7CNMT&gclid=CjwKCAjwwL6aBhBlEiwADycBIFoOib2srkOWhGfxrgGtrbcm0tRJZtkaoRVF8VXeJVv9N-S5NG8MRhoCKm0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Or:

Browning Strike Force Full HD Package

The Browning Strike Force Full HD game camera has a red glow IR and takes solid pictures. Order this awesome trail camera model BTC-5FHD at Trailcampro.

www.trailcampro.com

Has anybody ever heard of the Trailcam Pro website? I`m highly suspicious of a website I haven`t used or heard of before, and especially a package deal this good. I called and spoke to someone at the number they list and it`s sounds legitimate?

 

[DapperDan]

Check out camofire.com, if you subscribe they have daily deals on hunting/camping/outdoor gear, clothing, etc. Tuesdays are always trail cam Tuesday and they have refurbished as well as new cameras. Most makes and models. I’ve had great luck with a refurbished stealthcam I purchased from them, I think around $60. Works just as well as new bought models from bass pro etc. I run 5-6 cameras and it’s one of the better cameras I have

 

[Tryin']

I wondered what you all think of these two offers:

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/browning-strike-force-hd-pro-x-game-camera?ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=Cabelas%7CShopping%7CSmart%7CHunting%7CHunting%7CNAud%7CTopPerf%7CNMT&gclid=CjwKCAjwwL6aBhBlEiwADycBIFoOib2srkOWhGfxrgGtrbcm0tRJZtkaoRVF8VXeJVv9N-S5NG8MRhoCKm0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Or:

Browning Strike Force Full HD Package

The Browning Strike Force Full HD game camera has a red glow IR and takes solid pictures. Order this awesome trail camera model BTC-5FHD at Trailcampro.

www.trailcampro.com

Has anybody ever heard of the Trailcam Pro website? I`m highly suspicious of a website I haven`t used or heard of before, and especially a package deal this good. I called and spoke to someone at the number they list and it`s sounds legitimate?

I have that Browning. It has been a good camera, and I put 6 months on the batteries. Buy good batteries like Energizer lithium. Cameras and cold EAT cheap batteries. Here are some photos:

 

[two70]

I wonderedi what you all think of these two offers:

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/browning-strike-force-hd-pro-x-game-camera?ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=Cabelas%7CShopping%7CSmart%7CHunting%7CHunting%7CNAud%7CTopPerf%7CNMT&gclid=CjwKCAjwwL6aBhBlEiwADycBIFoOib2srkOWhGfxrgGtrbcm0tRJZtkaoRVF8VXeJVv9N-S5NG8MRhoCKm0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Or:

Browning Strike Force Full HD Package

The Browning Strike Force Full HD game camera has a red glow IR and takes solid pictures. Order this awesome trail camera model BTC-5FHD at Trailcampro.

www.trailcampro.com

Has anybody ever heard of the Trailcam Pro website? I`m highly suspicious of a website I haven`t used or heard of before, and especially a package deal this good. I called and spoke to someone at the number they list and it`s sounds legitimate?

I've never bought anything from them so I can't say for sure but they have been around for a number of years.

If that is a good price for the camera, then that is a good deal. The SD card and batteries don't add much to the value, IMO. Amazon has 32 Gig SD cards for less than $10 a piece.

With only one camera to feed I'd invest in two sets of rechargeable batteries for it and a charger as soon as you can.