Trail cameras for wildlife photographers

Trail Cameras
R. Dodge Woodson

I looked into trail cameras recently. My son wanted on to monitor our woods with, and I thought it might put a new spin on my wildlife photography. No, I am not suggesting that anyone use trail cameras to capture wildlife photos for sale or display. The pictures you get, however, can put you in the right area with your wildlife gear.
Much of the time spent afield by wildlife photographers to establish details on their intended subjects. Granted, kicking around the woods is a great way to spend a day. But, if you have limited time and need some specific wildlife images, a trail camera can be a big help.
Let’s use my land as an example. I have well over 100 acres for critters to live in. Where are they? What watering locations are they using? Is there a particular area where they are feeding? All of these questions can be answered with the application of good woodsman skills, but a trail camera can tell you more in less time.
Let’s say that I know a large whitetail buck is walking a particular old woods road. His tracks show me where he likes to get his water from. I can estimate his weight from the depression depth of the tracks, but how big are the antlers? Try figuring that one out with basic tracking and hunting skills.
A trail camera can capture a picture of my wandering buck and I will be able to see precisely how many points can be counted on the animal’s rack. Ah, how could it get any better than this? Well, believe it or not, it can.
Imagine that you are in your office making deals. As you talk on the speaker phone, read some briefs, and toy with your computer, you are shaken back to attention by a passing bear. What? A bear at your office? Not quite. The bear is on a live feed on your computer monitor. That’s right, your trail camera has a video feed and has locked onto a strolling bear. The trail cam sends a signal to a modem. Then the modem uses a cellular connection to send the video footage to your computer. You are talking about selling a hotel and watching a bear walk along your favorite game trail at the same time.
Okay, enough of setting the stage. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of trail cameras. Our goal here is to look at them as tools for wildlife photographers who have limited time to spend in the field.

How Many Megapixels?
What kind of quality can you expect from the various types of trail cameras? Each camera has its own features and benefits. Price is usually a factor in quality, and there is no exception here. If you want to spend top dollar, around $380, you can get a camera with a 7 mp rating. Want more? Spend $650 and you can get high definition. On the low end, you can spend $90 for a camera with 2 mp. The surveillance systems give 1.3 mp for $600. A still camera that provides 1.3 mp is $450. From what other owners have told me, cameras with 4 megapixels get the job done well and more megapixels does better. No surprise there.

How Tough?
How tough does a trail camera have to be? The quality of the lens is always important, as is the overall performance of a camera. Trail cameras are forced to endure some tough times. They get rained on, caught in high winds, bounced around, and worse. Look for a camera with a solid encasement.
One complaint I have heard of often is the attachment system between some cameras and their source of stability, which is usually a tree. Many users have experienced broken straps. I suggest that you look each camera you are considering over closely to see that their means of attachment will be dependable. You don’t want a $400 camera falling into a trail only to be walked on by a moose.

Won’t Someone Steal The Camera?
It could happen. Containers are made to protect cameras from pawing bears and such, but I doubt that any of the protection against humans would be effective. The best means of security is concealment. Get creative with some natural cover and make the camera housing melt into the background.

What’s The Difference Between IR Cameras and cameras with Flashes?
Price is the first difference that you may notice. It is common for cameras with white flash to cost less than infrared (IR) flash. The reason is simple. When a common flash fires, animals can see the light. When an IR flash fires, the beam is not visible to the animal. Smart, old animals will quickly learn to avoid areas that flash at them.
The distance that a flash covers varies greatly with trail cameras. An average distance is probably 35-40 feet. Some only reach out to 20 feet and others go out to 60 feet. The one I ordered covers 50 feet with an IR flash.

What Else Should I Look For In The Comparison Of Trail Cameras?
When I started looking for a good trail camera I figured it couldn’t be too tough for a pro photographer to pick out a viable camera. Let me tell you, trail cameras are not as easy to decide on as a Canon 5D MarkII.
My quest took me to 25 different trail cameras. Of these, there were 10 different brands. I had my work cut out for me. A lot of information was available through Internet searches. The best overall comparison I found for trail cameras was at Cabelas, www.cabelas.com. Check out the list below to see some other features to consider when buying a trail camera:

• Power Source
• How Many Batteries Are Needed?
• Does The Unit Offer Video Options?
• Can The Camera Be Powered By A Solar Panel?
• Does The Camera Have Built-In Memory? If so, how much? (16-32 mb is common).
• Will I Have A Viewer Built Into The Camera?
• What Is the Unit’s Memory Card Capacity?
• How Fast Can The Camera Fire?
• How Many Bursts Can The Camera Shoot?
• At What Temperature Ranges Can The Camera Function?
• What Do You Get As A Warranty?
• And, Of Course, How Much Does The Camera Cost?

There You Have It.
Well, there you have it. You can spend less than $100 or more than $700 for a camera. There are a few good ones available for less than $200. Until you start spending upwards of $225, don’t expect a lot of bells and whistles or long-term toughness.
I spent a lot of time compiling all of this information is my search for a suitable trail camera. Hopefully, you will find the data useful. If you enjoy wildlife photography, a trail camera might be your best next investment
RDW
www.wpomembers.com
www.rdodgewoodson.net
Life is good when seen through a Canon® L lens.