How to hunt a camera?

Many people hear hunting cameras for the first time. Perhaps the first reaction is: How is it hunting?

In fact, hunting a camera does not launch bullets to hit the prey. Instead, it uses passive infrared radiation to capture the target photo or video for the hunter to track and monitor the prey. Currently, hunting cameras are widely used in outdoor hunting in Europe and America.

It is well known that animals and humans have infrared radiation. Infrared radiation is invisible to the naked eye, but infrared radiation can be detected by the PIR of the hunting camera. The passive infrared detector does not emit any energy. It only passively receives and detects infrared radiation from the environment. After the hunting camera enters the working mode, the PIR device works and the camera does not work only enters the standby state. Once the infrared radiation comes in, the PIR sensor generates a sudden electric signal through the optical system focusing, thereby starting the camera to take a photo or video.

What is a trail camera: a dedicated camera for the field

Speaking of trail cameras, perhaps many people have not heard of it. Many digital whites think that the camera is only a digital camera, a SLR.

Closer to home, trail camera, as the name suggests is a special camera designed for hunting in the wild, popularly speaking, you know that this deer is often seen, you will tie this camera to the tree or put it in a place with more vision. For example, after a week, you come back and look at it. You find that the deer is photographed at 4 o'clock every afternoon. You will not be there until 4 o'clock tomorrow.

Hunting the camera automatically starts the camera by temperature sensing. This is the original function of hunting a camera. However, the shooting monitoring function of the hunting camera can also be fully utilized in life. So the application scenarios are:

1. Field detection automatic photography

2. Wild animal infrared camera survey

3. Home security forensics

4. Office anti-theft forensics

5. Small and medium-sized supermarket anti-theft forensics

6. Forestry systems, scientific research, environmental protection, animal outdoor monitoring or field detection

7. Monitoring of key areas such as orchards, rural areas, forest farms, reservoirs and fish ponds

In fact, for the real purpose, different applications require different professional cameras. In order to get the best and most convenient results. For example, a professional aerial camera is used for aerial photography of a drone; a professional sports camera is required for sports; a professional law enforcement recorder is required for on-site forensics; a professional driving recorder is required for on-board recording; Dedicated network surveillance camera; for self-use projection, it is necessary to use a portable mini projector

Three Trail Camera Setups You’ve Probably Never Considered (But Should!)

Mature bucks are spooky. Wary. They don’t suffer fools and your standard trail cam tactics may not be enough to fool an old boy into posing for the camera. To get a big buck in frame, you’ve got to re-conceptualize how and where you use your camera.

It’s pretty much trail camera canon to strap the device onto a tree trunk…which is fine so long as you have sufficient trees in and around the deer’s travel corridor. Whitetail hunters on the western side of Kansas know the challenges associated with deer hunting in the absence of tree, which is why you’ll often find them hunkered down on the ground somewhere…why not setup a trail cam on terra firma too?

So long as it’s braced against falling over, placing your trail camera on the ground could open up a world of possibilities you’d never even considered. You won’t have to worry about a tree or fence post being in proximity, just make sure you’ve got the angle right and a clear field of view for the lens and motion sensor. If there’s a chance of moisture pooling around your camera, place it on a few rocks to keep it from sitting in water.

Let’s go a completely opposite direction now for unorthodox camera placement. Think of the one place you absolutely want to see deer from. The only location where it truly counts for you to know what’s passing by your stand.

Pictures from your treestand will give you a first-person account of what you can expect to see when you’re hunting. Sure, it’ll take a little more effort (be sure to harness in) to setup and check your cards, but the payoff is either confidence in the spot or confirmation that it’s time to cut bait and choose a new location. Be sure to get the angle right since the elevation will likely be so much greater than the path the deer are walking.

​Finally, the somewhere-in-between option from our previous two. Blowdowns and snags in the woods are filled with nooks and crannies seemingly made for tucking a trail camera into. Since most of the limbs will be horizontal, it’s unlikely you’ll be strapping the camera to any of them as you would a tree trunk. Rather, look for spots to wedge your trail camera into that will render a clear picture and avoid false detections from moving branches in frame.

​Remarkable deer call for remarkable tactics. That five year old buck is a completely different animal from the same deer at three. You’ll have to do things differently than the average hunter to get a shot at him, which includes your trail cam strategy. Deploy these techniques and give yourself a better chance at figuring out his world.

THE BIG PICTURE YOUR TRAIL CAMERAS CAN'T TAKE

     A thin strip of oaks spanning 80 yards wide linked two larger timber lots on one of my bowhunting properties. From all accounts, this was the definition of a funnel…but I never got much on my trail cameras there so I avoided hunting it. Deep inside, I always had this gnawing sense that something was wrong, that there ought to be deer moving through there. I neglected my gut feeling for over five years, until one day, on a whim, I walked in with my climber and setup for an “observational” hunt.

     What I saw that evening astonished me.

     I stopped counting does after 20. Multiple young bucks came through, including a 120s class followed by a 140s class buck during sundown. Between bouts of heart-thumping close encounters (I took a doe thatnight) I kicked my own tail for writing off this part of the property for so long. I made a mistake that I’m afraid too many hunters make in that I relied solely on my trail camera for local intel on deer movement.
Wait, an article bashing trail cams on a website that sells trail cameras?!?
   Well, I’m not bashing, but I am cautioning you to avoid the mistake I did. Trail cameras need to be a component of your scouting, not the sole extent of it.

   In this particular instance, deer were coming through the funnelon an angle that took them away from my camera. Had I spun the camera on the tree just a little to the east, I would have caught the deer train years before. I didn’t take the time to really look for trails, or scat. I didn’t sit in my vehicle during the summer with binos glassing the area. Had I done any of those, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time not hunting the spot.

    Most hunters are busy. We’re balancing family, work, and friends with our passion for the outdoors. There’s just nottimeto do it all…and that’s not what I’m suggesting. You probably can’t sit and personally observe every inch of your properties before season, so focus on those areas that seem “bucky” to you. Don’t feel like you have a good sense on what that might be? Invite a more experienced hunter to give you their opinion.

Your trail camera is an important tool, but not the only one in your arsenal. Don’t rely solely on it to give you the big picture of deer movement on your property. That’s your job as a hunter.  

Four Ways You Can Prevent Your Trail Cameras From Getting Stolen

Hunt long enough and it will happen; your trail cam (along with your hard-earned dollars) will walk out of the woods. It’s an unfortunate fact of life, but there are things you can do to minimize the risk of your trail camera disappearing. Here are four simple steps that’ll make it less likely your trail camera goes missing in action.

     1.Mark Your Territory —  This tactic is more of a psychological deterrent than a physical one. Scratching your name and phone number, or writing it in permanent marker in various places (including inside the case) will make a would-be thief think twice about possessing gear so clearly marked as someone else’s (except if your Homer Simpson and your neighbor areNed Flanders).
   2.Out of Sight  —  Humans most easily pick up on objects that are at head height. It’s most natural for us to scan the area around us at that level. Placing trail cams above or below average height makes it less likely they’ll be noticed by a dishonest person walking through your hunting area.

  3.Match the Strap  —  The one component that can be seen on all sides of the tree your trail cam hangs on is the strap. A coal-black one-inch band strapped to a light grey tree trunk might as well be a sign reading, “Take Me.” Keeping a few different colors of straps in your pack will help you match the strap to whatever the camera is being attached to. Black, grey, brown, and olive green are good choices and will cover most of the trees you’ll encounter. ​

   4. Off the Beaten Path  —  Avoid the temptation to post up your camera directly on the main trail. Chances are, it’s not just game that’ll be traveling it. Find a spot a few yards removed from the path that will still offer a clear view for pictures, but obscure the unit from anyone with sticky fingers.  

Trail camera theft is a sad reality in the outdoor world but you can avoid being a victim by following these four simple strategies. Hopefully, the only big and bad thing that shows up in pictures is that ten pointer you’ve been chasing.  

Do Your Trail Camera Pictures Suck?

If so, you’re not alone, and your frustration is not without warrant. It takes time to hang cameras, makes sure they have fresh batteries and SD cards with enough space, not to mention the opportunity cost of not truly knowing what’s walking around your property. If you hang T3s, you want to see what passes in front of them and there are things you can do to help.

Angle of Attack
As great as our cameras are, they’re machines set to work around certain parameters. Creating a scenario where they operate within those parameters will ensure you get the best results. The first parameter is the detection angle. Too many hunters place their game cameras too close and oriented perpendicular to the trail. When the animal finally shows up, the amount of time they are within the detection range is too short to get the subject fully in the frame for a photo.

As a solution, try pushing your camera back a little further off the trail. This widens the effective detection range and gives the sensor more time to react to a moving target. Also, if possible, turn the camera to face the trail at a 45-degree angle. The camera will trigger much earlier and will have more time to capture multiple pictures as the animal approaches or moves away.
Free and Clear
It’s not just people that love our trail cams. Spiders have been known to share that affection and take up residence in front of the lens. You won’t see much of that ten pointers you’ve been targeting with a spider butt in the way, or if the lens has been obstructed by a spider web.
Cut down on insects and spiders making a home out of your T3 by spraying it with a bit of permethrin-based insect repellent. You’ll make the face of your camera less friendly to critters keeping it free and clear and ready to snap clear images. (Just be sure to avoid getting repellent on the lens.)
Blinded by the Light
Sunlight can be your T3’s friend, but it can also be an enemy. Direct sunlight will blow out your pictures by overexposing them, potentially blinding the image sensor from picking up on the subject you intended to capture. In the northern hemisphere, avoid pointing your T3 in a southerly direction. In the southern hemisphere, avoid pointing it to the north. The sun hangs lower in the sky in those directions on those respective hemispheres, pumping too much light directly into the camera. It’s like trying to look into the sun, it’s painful and you can’t see much.

You work too hard hanging and managing your T3s to get images that suck. Help them do their job by setting them up for success using these tips!

Should You Worry About Scent on Your Trail Camera?

It’s a question that can only be answered with another question: “What are you intending to hunt?” From there, we can rule out scenarios where scent won’t matter very much.

If you’re hunting turkeys, that’s a negative Ghost Rider. They could care less about human odors. They may become curious by a reflective surface on your camera, but they won’t spook due to unnatural scents.

For elk, deer, and/or predators, if the location always gets a solid wind from one direction (rare, and no place the author hunts) it won’t matter so much either since the unit will always be downwind.

If you’re on doe patrol or shooting a younger buck, a little human scent may actually serve as a curiosity attractant bringing them in for a close-up photo. Does and young bucks will eventually accept the new device quickly and it will not alter their travel patterns.

In all of these situations, neutralizing unnatural scents on your camera isn’t necessary. Here’s when it will matter.

Bedding areas to deer are sacred and should only be intruded upon if absolutely necessary (like the last day of the season on a property you’ll never hunt again). If you must hang a camera close to a bedroom, do your best to scrub it of human odors.

If your hunting plans include mature bucks or elk of any age, spray your trail camera down. These animals are extremely sensitive to human presence and will go out of their way to avoid any perceived danger. You may even unintentionally force a whitetail buck into a nocturnal pattern, placing him effectively out of your reach.

As with most hunting-related questions, the answer is typical, “That depends.” So is the question about scent and trail cameras. It depends what animal you’re pursuing. Whatever you decide to do, take care to avoid spray on the camera lens, otherwise, you’ll end up with blurry images that won’t tell you much.

Lithium Ion or Alkaline? Does It Really Matter For Your Trail Camera?

When it WhenWhen it comes to hunting the devil is often in the details…and by devil I mean the success of your hunt. The small things can make or break your opportunity. Anyone who’s forgotten their release back at the truck can testify to this. What about a detail like the kind of battery you choose to power your trail camera? Could that matter?    It absolutely could.

Today’s hunter has two main choices when it batteries in their devices, alkaline or lithium. Based on sticker price alone, the answer may seem clear as to which is the better option. AA alkalines run under a dollar a piece while lithiums clock in around $1.70 per battery, but there’s more to performance than price. Here’s why you need to give lithium batteries real consideration before posting your trail cams outdoors.

Service Temperatures
Of special importance for hunters in northern latitudes, lithium batteries outperform their alkaline counterparts in extremely cold temperatures. Late season scouting can be difficult with bucks going nocturnal and only coming out on the fringes of daylight. Outfitting your trail cam with lithiums will keep your camera snapping long after the same unit goes dark with alkalines.

Packing Them In
If you have a large property, then you probably have a number of trail cams…and a whole lot of batteries. The heftier (but less energy dense) alkalines weigh in on average around 23 grams per battery. The more energy dense lithium weighs a diminutive 15 grams per battery. That may not sound like much, but at eight batteries per camera, multiplied by the number of cameras you have, that weight can add up…especially if you have to hike around the property. Lithiums make sense if weight is a consideration for your particular application.

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Service Life
In both low drain (times when your trail cam is simply monitoring for movement or taking a few stills) and high drain scenarios (video mode), lithiums outperform their alkaline counterparts. Where the distinction in service life grows is in the high performance applications. Testing Energizer did on both flavors of batteries showed the power drain time was four times longer for lithiums than it was for alkalines. Low drain performance yielded the same winner, though by a slimmer margin of 25%.

What does all that mean for the hunter wanting to capture images of a trophy buck? More time on post for the camera and less trips into the woods to replace batteries. It only takes one wrong move to send a mature buck bounding for the next county. Lithium batteries allow you to monitor more and check less, leaving less of a human signature in the woods.
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Should you load your trail camera up with lithium ion batteries instead of alkalines? Is the extra cost worth increased performance? For most of us, just on the basis of service life, lithiums are worth the investment. If however, your trail cams only sit for short periods doing episodic work around your property, alkalines may be your best bet.

Four Non-hunting Uses For Your Trail Camera

It’s no secret that the primary function of trail cameras is to help hunters find and pattern game, but what else can they be good for?
A lot, actually, and the applications are only governed by your creativity. Here are a few non-hunting scenarios for your trail cam that may get your creative juices flowing.

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Capturing Natural Processes
The time lapse feature on the Olymbros T3 is perfect for photographing natural events that happen over time. Be sure to get the lighting, framing, and time intervals right for the particular phenomenon you want to record. For starters, you could mount your camera over a bird’s nest and watch the hatchlings develop. Have a reliable honey hole for morel mushrooms? Set your camera to record their magical appearance. Blooming flowers, snow accumulating, and caterpillar metamorphosis are other potential time-lapse subjects.

 Solving Mysteries

Like Bigfoot…or more likely, what’s been getting into your garbage cans at night and spreading trash all around your yard (hopefully not Bigfoot). The neighborhood dogs and cats won’t get off so easy, nor will their owners, when you have photo proof of their nighttime escapades. Since most of these pictures will likely come at night, take a few test photos to ensure the IR flash is sufficient to light up the target area.

The Secret Life of Pets
Ever wonder what Fido does when you leave for work? Does he jump up onto the couch like he’s not supposed to? Does your cat turn on the TV and watch The Price is Right? Find out by setting your T3s around the house in areas of interest. Maybe you’ll have a whole lot of nothing on the cameras, or maybe you’ll find out that you’re pets lead an entirely different life when you’re gone.

Keeping Tabs
If you’ve got even a little property, then you’ve probably experienced a little trespassing. Keep tabs on who (and what) is coming onto your property with T3s setup at entrance points. If possible, aim the cameras low enough to capture the license plate on the vehicle as it rolls up. Also, take extra precautions to conceal the cameras so they’re not noticed (and then stolen) by the individuals. Having clear pictures of trespassers caught in the act can be an invaluable tool to law enforcement as they work to determine who the guilty party is.

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Are there more uses for your T3 trail camera outside the scope of hunting? Sure, but figuring out what they might be is part of the fun…so we’ll leave that up to you.