# Game Camera ??



## IlliniosGal (Jun 3, 2019)

Hi all,

I want to get a game camera to see what moves around on my farm at night.

I would rather not spend much over $150, and would like rechargeable batteries. It does not need wifi to connect to the house, but I would like to be able to copy the pictures off on to the computer.

Mostly this is just for my own entertainment.

Recommendations from those that use and like a good camera would be great.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Make sure it has a fast shutter trigger speed. Mine has a 5 second delay which makes it worthless.


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## IlliniosGal (Jun 3, 2019)

Danaus29 said:


> Make sure it has a fast shutter trigger speed. Mine has a 5 second delay which makes it worthless.


Thank you so much, that never even crossed my mind.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I walk pretty slow but I can walk 50 feet in less than 5 seconds. After a week of trying my camera with it set up right in the path to the shed, I had no pictures of anyone walking toward the shed. There were 3 people walking that path both ways several times a day. We eventually got a Samsung home security camera system. It was expensive but the person who was messing with our mowers no longer comes around.


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## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

I've got about ten of them.
The ones I've found easiest to set up and use are the simple "Wildlife Images" brand you can find at WalMart and many farm stores, price run anywhere from $35-80. Mine use (8) AA batteries and they last for thousands of pictures. Get two SIM cards for every camera so when you check them you pull the old card and put in a blank card. Check the card on your computer when you get home.

Biggest trick is figuring out the instructions and getting them set up properly. Plan on going to pull the card every now and then and bring it back with no pictures at all or two hundred pictures of waving branches. It's a learning experience.
Point them north to minimize the glare at sunrise / sunset. Put some corn or a salt / mineral block in front of them and you will see all kinds of critters.


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## IlliniosGal (Jun 3, 2019)

Hi Fishindude,

Thank you for your recommendations. This camera would be at my home farm, pointed out toward my barn and chicken house and mostly just for my enjoyment. I do not want to draw critters in with feed, just see what wanders through and how regularly.

I know from tracks over the winter I have fox, coyotes, skunks, rabbits, possum and possibly a weasel. 

I have no option to point the camera East, and have no trees in that area to set off the camera.


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## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

IlliniosGal said:


> I have no option to point the camera East, and have no trees in that area to set off the camera.


Game cams should point north if possible.
Where no tree is available to hang them on it's a simple matter of driving a steel fence post and wiring it to the post.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I used a bungie cord to hang mine on a t-post. No matter where you put one, make sure you test the camera before depending on it for pictures. It was during the testing process that I found I can walk out of my camera's shutter trigger range before the shutter activates. I also found out that the flash on the night view is so bright that faces are just a white blob. A couple layers of dark peel and stick window covering helped but you still can't recognize the faces.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

IlliniosGal said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I want to get a game camera to see what moves around on my farm at night.
> 
> ...


I spent a lot of money buying lithium batteries. They work great and last a very long time. I've been told that rechargeable batteries won't work in cameras because the voltage drops too fast. Now I use a rechargeable battery the size of both of my fists.
It was only $30-$40 and will easily pay for itself.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Takes 8 AA batterys, one SD card cost 75.00 at Menards 2018. Batterys useful life last nearly year or 11 months.


















Morning picture camera pointed South East for night pictures really.





















Another camera shot pointed South East but the sun was higher.











You learn to look around and remove things that wave in the slighest breeze when you put the camera up to remove the 1000 pictures of a swaying sappling.


Al


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## IlliniosGal (Jun 3, 2019)

Hi Al,
@alleyyooper, I ended up getting two of the Wildgame Innovations Cloak Pro, they were only $40 each at Walmart and came with batteries. I have been having a lot of fun lately moving the two cameras to various places on the farm and seeing what is moving around. I was happy to see two coyotes visit my garden most nights as they are helping control the rabbit population.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Glad you are happy with the cameras. I would not be to happy with coyotes visiting any where on my property. Once the rabbits are gone then they will take care of any small pets and other barn yard critters.

Al


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## IlliniosGal (Jun 3, 2019)

Al, I don't have any pets, barn cats or the like. My chickens are locked up safe and sound well before dusk and not let out until about 8 am. In all the years I have lived here, which is all my life I have never lost a chicken to coyotes. They keep down the mouse, vole and rabbit population and I am fine with them being here.


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## Wyobuckaroo (Dec 30, 2011)

We have 3 cameras we use a lot here in the bush.. One older Cabelas model, a pair of newer Cabelas cameras.. Near as I can tell all are about the same performance levels.. All work well for the way we use them and my low level of electronic appliance knowledge... Like said all use common memory cards and common battery size... 

The one thing I like is we have an older Leupold card reader. It is nice to change data cards and review pictures right on the spot to see if you need to make adjustments and such.. The only thing bad is the card reader has a dedicated battery and is a kind of pain to keep charged when you need it.. I need to find a newer card reader that takes common batteries.. If such a thing exists.. 

Suggestions ?? 
+++++++
++++++
I would not be to happy with coyotes visiting any where on my property. Once the rabbits are gone then they will take care of any small pets and other barn yard critters.
+++++++
I also can not, do not tolerate a predator like that here on our place.. Unfortunately.. like said it is too short a move for a predator from natural prey to domestic livestock damage.. We have predators here that are a danger to a full grown cow or horse..


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Switch to micro sd cards and use an old cell phone to look at the pictures.


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## Wyobuckaroo (Dec 30, 2011)

Danaus29 said:


> Switch to micro sd cards and use an old cell phone to look at the pictures.


+++++++ OK.... Did not know cards came in "micro" size.. 
Would need more details how to get from camera size card, to micro, and the cell phone is compatible ??


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

All micro sd cards that I have ever bought come with an sd card adapter. You put the micro sd into the adapter and put it into the memory card slot in the game cam. It would only work if your phone has a micro sd slot. The phone should read the micro sd card, it would be in the gallery or the file for the sd card. 

It works about the same as putting the game cam memory card into your computer.

If you use an old smart phone you should be able to use wi-fi to download any program or app you need to read the card if the programs are not compatible.


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## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

I wouldn't mess around with micro cards.
Just keep some spares, so when you check cameras you swap out the card with pics on it for a clean card, then go view pics on your computer at home. I've also got one of those small hand held card viewers, but looking at the pics on a full size computer screen is much better.


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