Trail Camera Questions...???

[woodchucker]

I'm looking to buy a couple new trail cameras for around the house. We have a couple of apple trees that are heavy with apples, and i'd like to put a camera under them. A couple years ago, I bought 6 Muddy cameras, and set them up around the property, and we got lots of pictures. Last year, only 2 of the cameras were working reliably, but we got some good pictures. We also got many pictures of a huge 9 pointer, that was completely nocturnal. We continued to get pictures of him through the rifle and late muzzle loader seasons. A couple weeks after deer season, a neighbor saw him on the hill, across the road. He still had his rack.

Now I'm the first to admit that I'm a technological imbusile!!
I would like to get a couple of those cameras that send the pictures right to your smart phone.
(BTW, the smart phone is WAY smarter than me!!)

I know absolutely nothing about them, or if they will even work? Cell service is poor at best.
We have WiFi at the house, but I'm not sure how far away from the house it will work?
The 2 cameras will be within 200yds of the house, if that helps? Any suggestions as to makes and models would be greatly appreciated!! Can any of my brothers and sisters help a dummy out??

[Trenton G.]

I have a couple of the Tactacam cellular cameras and really like them. I used them quite a bit in the U.P. in areas that I got very poor service, and they still sent pictures. I know there are several other cell cameras on the market nowadays, but tactacam really does have a good product and they're very straight forward to use. The setup instructions are easy to follow and come in a little booklet with the camera.

I also like being able to set them out in areas to know what's there without having to walk in and potentially mess up an area by checking the cards. I also found them very useful while bear hunting since I never had to touch my camera, otherwise I could be leaving scent on it and attracting unwanted attention from the bears.

[Bigriver]

Browning cameras are the most idiot proof, reliable cameras I have used. I have 15 to 20 cameras out every year and they are fool proof IMO.

[dnovo]

I don't have any of the cell cameras but know a couple guys with them One has Tactacam and is pleased with it. The other just put up a Moultrie they he likes.
As for me I have about 6 or 8 of the Browning regular ones and they are great

[Flingblade]

Based on recommendations I received I just bought a Tactacam Reveal 3.0 at Bass Pro.  I called their customer service from the store and actually talked to a live person that was able to answer my questions fairly quickly so I can't give a review on the camera yet but their customer service is very good.  We are building a house so I plan to set it up for security at the build site and then use it at LTR next year.  With any cell cam you will have to purchase a monthly service plan, but they are fairly inexpensive.

[arrow30]

TACTICAM !...
 i have one as a security cam on my place, its been running nonstop for a year. 55 $ a year for getting pics sent to your phone.(250 pics per month) you get one pic in the morning and one pic in the evening, just the camera checking in to let you know its working. i have mine set to video.
   im an hour and a half away from my place , so if i get a notification and see a person there i call relatives just down the road and they show up packing iron.
 back to the camera itself.. lithium batts are very costly, so i invested in one of the solar battery packs and it kept sending pics even when the batts in camera were empty. im getting another one just so i can get a different angle on the place, i have other cameras but they have to be checked manually. i have them mounted 15-20 foot up in trees.
(if you go over 250 pics in a month they charge 5$ for another 250 pics on that month.(overage protection)

here is one of many videos that shows setup..https://youtu.be/GuDnhrUWs5A?si=8TyhUNPd-La9gtXN

[kenboonejr]

Man I don't know why Cuddeback cameras don't get more love.  They are absolute perfect for your environment.  I have been running Cuddeback's for at least 5 years now if not more.  I had one camera replaced under warranty, out of 6 cameras.

Cuddeback's have a feature that just about every other camera out there does not have and that is CuddeLink.  So the deal is that all the camera's form a wireless network amongst each other. One of the cameras is set as the "home" camera.  When all of the other cameras take pics, they send a smaller, lesser quality thumbnail image to the home camera. 

You only have to check one camera, to get pics off of all your cameras.  Best of all, I don't have to pay a cellular charge for each camera either.  Now that home camera could be cellular if you wanted it to, but again it would only need to be on one camera.

In my case, I have a feeder in my backyard with my home camera pointing at that.  It is right behind my pool and so the deer are used to us being in the area.  I just walk out back swap the cards on that camera and am able to see what is going on over my entire property with all 6 cameras.

Sure the pics on the other 5 camera aren't as high resolution, but they are good enough that I can tell what is out there and where I want to be hunting.

[Jack Denbow]

What Bigriver said. Barry Wensel told me Browning Strike Force.

[BigJim]

I have gone through a bunch of cameras over the years and have narrowed it down to a couple that I sell .. only because I have confidence in those cameras.

spypoint -- No Go!
Cuddeback -- absolutely no go!!
bushnell -- no!
wild game innovations -- no!

Cameras that I sell because I would buy them again.. Reconyx-- expensive, but send pictures every time! five year warranty and the batteries last twice as long as any camera I have ever used.. best of the best, but you pay for it.
Spartan -- a very good camera that has good battery life and send good pictures. Very affordable
BigJim

[kenboonejr]

Cuddeback -- absolutely no go!!

Hey BigJim, curious as to why you came to that conclusion with Cuddeback.  I have been running them for years using Cuddelink and my experience has been amazing with them.  The technology they have with Cuddelink was a total game changer for me.  Only have to check one camera to see the pics from all 6 and not have to pay a cellular fee for that.   I had to have one replaced in like 5 years or more and run 6 of them continuously.

So just really wondering what your experience was with them that brought you to that conclusion.

[jonsimoneau]

Reconyx are absolutely the best cameras out there.  They will last many years.  10 or more, and they miss very few pictures.  I gave up on all other cameras.  I would rather have 1 reconyx cam than 3 cheap ones. 

[bswear]

Personally I wish the DNR would outlaw cameras.