Looking for Game Cam recommendations -

[Mtn Laurel]

We're interested in getting a game cam for our coop and back yard. Anyone have any recommendations of what features we should be looking for, what type/brand is best, where would be the best spot to purchase one?

Game Cam would be used for back yard and coop area. We're in a wooded region and know we have predators but our hens have been lucky so far. [Knocking on wood here] Would just like to know what's been setting our dogs - a lab and a coonhound - off every night.

Somethin' is lurkin' in them thar' woods!

 

[wolfglen]

I've had a couple and not really cared that much for any of them, I guess that I've been spoiled by using my Canon Mark II for wildlife photography.

One thing to check before actually purchasing any of them, be sure that it comes with a card in it! If a company is too cheap to give you a card when you spend your good money with them, then you probably can't count on them caring about anything else as far as quality. It 's a real pain to drive 30 miles one way, get home and find that you have to go back to the store to buy a card to make it work. A digital camera being sold without a card is like a salesman selling you a car and then you finding out that you don't get tires with it!

 

[War Chicken]

Moultrie Panoramic 150. It has 3 sensors and a swiveling camera to cover 150 deg which I think is a lot better for surveillance duty. So far, people seem very satisfied with it. I have two Bushnells and I don't consider to be good values. It seems you can buy the top of the line Moultrie for the price of a mid-range Bushnell. Perhaps it's because Moultrie doesn't appear to attempt to control retail prices, allowing competition to do its thing.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Thank you both for the input. My son has a friend who's a hunter and has a game cam so will get his input, too. We're looking for something not too terribly expensive but will give us a clue as to what's going on in the dark that has our dogs so riled up and may be a threat to our girls.

Appreciate your help!

 

[wolfglen]

I also do periodic checks on my property at night with an infra red spotting scope I bought years ago, It's not a state of the art one, just a military surplus one, but it picks up predators at night without warning them as a regular white light would do.

I had a bobcat that was menacing my birds one day and had to do battle with him with a shovel. I now carry my old off duty snub nosed .38 with me when I'm out in the back.

 

[The Lazy L]

...before actually purchasing any of them, be sure that it comes with a card in it! If a company is too cheap to give you a card when you spend your good money with them, then you probably can't count on them caring about anything else as far as quality. It 's a real pain to drive 30 miles one way, get home and find that you have to go back to the store to buy a card to make it work. A digital camera being sold without a card is like a salesman selling you a car and then you finding out that you don't get tires with it!

That's why I read the package description to see what is included before I buy and leave the store.

 

[The Lazy L]

We're interested in getting a game cam for our coop and back yard. Anyone have any recommendations of what features we should be looking for, ...

IMHO a black LED is best because it practically unseen when it flashes. I was leaning towards a Bushnell before my problem acquired a severe case of lead poisoning.

 

[wolfglen]

Some of them don't even mention it on the package,

 

[War Chicken]

I haven't heard of any trail cameras coming with a memory card. Even Canon DSLRs don't come with them unless the retailer tries to make up a kit including a lame tripod and cleaning kit.

I'd rather just use a card I already have rather than paying $20 for one.

 

[Wrooster]

I borrowed one and was underwhelmed. The biggest problem was that it would do pictures on fixed intervals or motion-triggered. However, it had a long interval (30 seconds, I think) between motion-triggered pictures. It took a bunch of experimenting with it to figure out what it really did. Don't remember what kind it was but I'd say read the feature descriptions carefully. This one had a small internal memory and would take a card..

I've used a cheap ($15 or so) driveway alarm from Harbor Freight to tell me when to take the gun and get out there when I knew a raccoon was hanging around. It sounds like you already have an alarm of sorts but it worked well. I've also used it to tell me when to empty out a trap.