Fill me in on game cameras, please.

[Ithaca Gunner]

I don't want one for hunting, I need one to catch a sneaky neighbor who's been vandalizing my property. I've been looking at the Moultrie game spy A-5 2pack for $109 on flea bay. Okay, how do they work? Pick up movement and take a pic? From what I've read they need a card? What's the range they pick up movement and how fast do they fire? I've never messed with one before and know nothing about them. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

[ole 5 hole group]

They are all good but some are a little better than others.

http://www.reconyx.com/shop/Security...ure_Cameras/96

http://www.trailcampro.com/trailcamerareviews.aspx

[Ithaca Gunner]

They are all good but some are a little better than others.

http://www.reconyx.com/shop/Security...ure_Cameras/96

http://www.trailcampro.com/trailcamerareviews.aspx

That was useful information. The Moultrie is off the list mostly because of recovery time. Do these game cameras transmit pictures to a computer, or do you have to retrieve them and download them?

[C. Latch]

The absolute cadillac of the bunch is the reconyx.

I really like cuddebacks for the price versus value. If I wanted one good camera to capture lots of pictures of vandalism, I'd get a reconyx. Be sure and lock it to a tree, or it'll get stolen.

[dragon813gt]

Most of them put the pics on a SD card. You can program most of them to take a pic at a select interval. I ran them this way during the busy hours at dawn and dusk.

Don't be surprised if the vandal steals the cameras. People steal them when they're up for watching game. Someone that is doing something illegal is going to be looking for them unless they are really stupid.

[snowwolfe]

If the vandal comes in at night and the flash triggers when it snaps his picture then you can say goodbye to the camera as well unless you have it high up in a tree that he cant climb

[quilbilly]

We have been using the Primos 35 cams on our property 24/7/365 for about three years. The first is still going strong and the second is 6 months old. Good pics, simple to use. We are on a quiet road and to get to them, a thief has to go through our front yard or swim the creek then brave the stinging nettle pants.

[Ithaca Gunner]

I plan on mounting one high on an outbuilding so as not to be easily stolen, or messed with. The guy is a coward, and has some mental issues, (I know exactly who it is). When confronted, he runs away, but will be back doing as he pleases when he's sure we're not around. We're rural and don't have local police, I called the State Troopers who insist they won't get involved in "civil" matters that may cast a bad image on the department. How much do they think I'm going to take before I do something and suddenly become the bad guy? Maybe a camera will make him run away and not come back, I don't know, as I said he's a coward and won't even face me or the wife to discuss things like men and neighbors. His dad was completely nuts and I see it's been passed down through the genes.


I'm looking for something reasonable cheap in case he would scale the building to get to it, and easy to operate, (I don't know a thing about how they work and what's needed to get the pictures).

[C. Latch]

Do you not have a county sheriff?

[Ithaca Gunner]

Do you not have a county sheriff?

I haven't thought of the sheriff, but I've tried every other avenue including contacting my state rep. to prompt the State police to act. It's worth a try I guess.

[jblee10]

You may be better off with regular security cameras if you can use them. That way the image is recorded inside your home. If the camera is stolen or damaged, you still have the image.

[Ithaca Gunner]

Wonder if anyone makes a motion activated device that sounds like a pump shotgun being racked...

[dbosman]

If your camera uses SD cards, purchase faster cards for faster saving (recovery). Class 10 is readily available and since back to school sales are starting, deals will be available.

This one is a bit pricy, but shopping will get you a 32gig card for under $50.
SanDisk Extreme PRO^® SDHC™/SDXC™ UHS-II Memory Card Provides the Fastest Memory Card Shot Speed and the Highest Video Performance Available

[Col4570]

A simple intruder alarm firing a 12 gauge Black Powder Blank at the ground works to scare trespassers off.Simple to make it consists of a length of say 3/8" round bar with a ring welded about 12" from one end.The ring takes the Cartridge.a heavy piece of round steel with a hole in the centre and a pin at the correct distance on the edge to meet the primer when the weight drops.A small hole is drilled in the Bar to take a cotter pin that will hold the weight up until the cotter is pulled out by the intruder blundering into a thin wire or string.Usualy there is a secondary small rod parallel to the main rod to guide the weight firing pin to the primer.It is essential that the cotter is loose and not pushed in all the way.
There is no danger of injury to anyone since the blank fires into the ground but the effect of say 3 drams of Blackpowder will have a marked phsycological effect on the intruder and will alert the household.

[dbosman]

Perhaps the law has changed since there was a guy selling alerting devices at the last gun show, (same show with the oil filter adapter for solvent catching) but ...
In at least one state, Michigan, a device capable of firing a cartridge or shell of any kind - is a firearm.

[Col4570]

I suppose that the device could be turned on its side and a live Cartridge fitted,but a barrel would be required to avoid the case exploding.The weight would also have to be quickly pushed forwards in order for it to fire.A spring and sear could be included but then we are going into the realms of gunmaking.

[CastingFool]

If you get a camera with an infrared flash, the intruder won't see the flash, but he may spot the small red light.

[bosterr]

If you get a camera with an infrared flash, the intruder won't see the flash, but he may spot the small red light.

My 2 Spypoints seem to only blink the red light when first turned on. perhaps cover the light with duct tape just in case? One thing I wish mine had is faster shutter speed. Anything moving will be blurred enough that you can't count points on a buck.

[dakotashooter2]

I'm not sure how it would work but you could set them up inside a window. At that point he would have to "break and enter" to steal them, possibly leaving fingerprints. Another trick is to set up the second camera to take pictures of the first in case it gets stolen.

[Bullwolf]

We have been using the Primos 35 cams on our property 24/7/365 for about three years. The first is still going strong and the second is 6 months old. Good pics, simple to use. We are on a quiet road and to get to them, a thief has to go through our front yard or swim the creek then brave the stinging nettle pants.

I also use Primos game cams on my property/ranch. I use both the Primos 35 and 46 cameras. Pretty sure I've had the Primos cams up since 2011/2012. I used Wild Game cams for a short while before that, but the Wild Game cameras did not last very long for me.

I have had to replace only one Primos 46 game cam so far. The 35's seem to be hardier. The Primos 35 has slider switches and are a bit easier to set up initially. The LCD driven 46 menu was the part that died on me. If I had to do it over I would stick with all 35 cams I think.

The Primos 46 camera comes with a nice real tree camouflage shell,

The 35 cameras have an all black shell. The shells are easily removable and fit both style cams so you can easily mix and match. I have the older style larger Primos cameras. I have not messed around with the newer small multiple AA battery ones that they are now selling.

Depending on how and where you place them, both styles can be extremely hard to spot. I prefer up high in a tree, as people never tend to look up in my experience. I also use a cable and lock after mounting them to deter potential theft. No one has managed to spot one of my cameras yet to date, without being previously showed where it was located.

Both the Primos 35 and 46 Infra Red cams give off a brief, barely visible dull red flash during darkness and night time IR pictures. You can only spot the flash if it's almost completely dark out, and you happen to be looking right at the camera. Under certain conditions though the dull red light could be a give away.

As previously recommended, use the new faster SD cards with the cams. The recovery time is better, and you don't get things racing past the cameras so often and missed pictures.

I occasionally have to chase away hikers and mountain bicyclists with no brains, and less sense who ignore no trespassing signs and like to hop over locked gates and fences on my ranch.

To put things into perspective I am quite a few miles off the county round, on a privately maintained dirt/mud road that's behind a few locked gates. There is no cellular coverage in my area either. It's pretty much 4 wheel drive access only as well. Yet I still get the occasional weekend warrior who wants to take a stroll in the country from time to time. (in my back yard) I tend to get about 1 of these kind of visits per year on a good year, maybe 2 if I'm not so lucky. It doesn't happen often, but it's sure nice to see the pics if I'm not home.

I initially set up the cams just to take look around and see what was going on, but I found they were also nice to monitor the property and the road when I was not home. You can also easily see if a horse, or some cows get out - that sort of thing.

I have learned quite a bit about whats really moving around the area having the cameras set up. My biggest surprise was finding out how many, and how often that cougars were roaming around undetected.

I had a moron who decided to go backpack/hike up my road, ignoring multiple private property/no trespassing signs and jumping over locked gates early 7AM on a Saturday morning. He was quite surprised to see me after making it all the way up to my cabin. The dogs and I were surprised as well.

I normally chase idiots off, and give them a severe tongue lashing along with a ride back to the county road and threaten to call the Sheriff if I ever see them again. When I come out of the cabin wearing a pistol on my hip, they tend to apologize profusely and start calling me "sir".

Fortunately most people are lazy and are not willing to walk a few miles on an unknown, unmarked dirt road. They also tend to only steal stuff that they can readily carry themselves for a few miles. If they are able to easily drive a vehicle in, you will get many more nuisance visits, and more property will tend to "disappear". I really HATE thieves.

My pay back is when they get stuck in the mud off the county road in the Winter, and are desperate for a tow. I smile and wave innocently as I drive past... Well some of the time anyways. Sadly, I am softhearted enough that I often help pull them out, after informing them that they are trespassing on a private road, on private property of course.




- Bullwolf