Trail cameras on public land. what's your take

[Schemeecho]

Ok, so let me ask a more than likely question. What is your opinion on setting up trail cameras on public? I have a few concerns. The biggest, being I feel it's more likely to get stolen. I don't want to invest 100's of dollars just to have some jerk take something that' not theirs. FYI I hate a thief. I guess I can buy a few cheap one from walmart for like 30 bucks each, maybe I'll lose one or two. I was thinking I could place them higher in a tree and a little more out of sight but then I run the risk of deer not being in range of the camera.I know I can buy locks for them and I'm sure I can camo and conceal them a bit. So what do you all think?

 

[GreginPA]

I have 4 cameras on public land right now and one of them has been in the same spot for 2 years. They are all two sticks high and also locked with python cables. I have had people notice them but so far nobody has attempted to take one.

I cut some 2x4 pieces into angles to help aim the camera down.

 

[raisins]

Ok, so let me ask a more than likely question. What is your opinion on setting up trail cameras on public? I have a few concerns. The biggest, being I feel it's more likely to get stolen. I don't want to invest 100's of dollars just to have some jerk take something that' not theirs. FYI I hate a thief. I guess I can buy a few cheap one from walmart for like 30 bucks each, maybe I'll lose one or two. I was thinking I could place them higher in a tree and a little more out of sight but then I run the risk of deer not being in range of the camera.I know I can buy locks for them and I'm sure I can camo and conceal them a bit. So what do you all think?

I do this on public (cheap cameras, elevated, angled down with a wood door stop).

Camo your camera and your door stop and drill a hole in the door stop. Use regular and elastic paracord to position the thing like 8 or more feet up.

You'll see the deer just fine and other hunters walk right by them.

Black bear will sometimes climb to investigate, so skinny trees are best.

 

[Schemeecho]

I have 4 cameras on public land right now and one of them has been in the same spot for 2 years. They are all two sticks high and also locked with python cables. I have had people notice them but so far nobody has attempted to take one.

I cut some 2x4 pieces into angles to help aim the camera down.

Thanks for the info

 

[Schemeecho]

I do this on public (cheap cameras, elevated, angled down with a wood door stop).

Camo your camera and your door stop and drill a hole in the door stop. Use regular and elastic paracord to position the thing like 8 or more feet up.

You'll see the deer just fine and other hunters walk right by them.

Black bear will sometimes climb to investigate, so skinny trees are best.

Thanks for the info brother.

 

[Schemeecho]

@raisins what Angle works best for the camera? What I mean by this is what angle for the best filed of view

 

[therooster240g]

I had some out and people put the sd cards. If you can keep them locked and out of reach, it can be helpful.

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[raisins]

@raisins what Angle works best for the camera? What I mean by this is what angle for the best filed of view

The measured side in pic is 4.5" (if tape held tight) and the shortest side is 2.25" (this was made out of 2X4). I made a bunch and shot for a 30-60-90 triangle, but the smallest angle on the one shown is 26.57 degrees (based upon measured sides and trig). Another one might be exactly 30, who knows, I was working fast. You can mount the door stop to the tree either 30 degrees or 60 degrees angle down, but I always use the 30 degree side down.

Camo elastic paracord goes through the hole in the door stop and used to lash to tree. The cam is then lashed to the tree and to the door stop (through the hole) with same elastic cord (Sgt Knots at amazon). At any height from 8 to 12 feet, I have always been able to move the camera on that door stop to find the correct angle. On the 30 degree side, you can achieve 0 to 30 degrees by sliding cam off or on door stop. If you need over 30 degrees, then rotate to 60 degree side and move cam to find angle, or put a stick behind the camera when on 30 degree side.

I hit that with some brown paint and then sponged it a bit to look more like bark.

 

[KYHunter]

Take a climbing stick and hang em high

 

[Art_Vandelay]

Use trapping wire instead of the straps. A 1” band around a tree catches my eye way before the actual camera does. I put em about 9-10’ high. Most importantly don’t put them in obvious or high traffic spots. I’ve found many pointed at logging roads, old 4wheeler paths, and open oak flats. that’s just asking for one to get stolen. I’ve kept 4-8 out on public land from April to mid November since 2014. I’ve never had a card or camera stolen. Good luck!

 

[Apex7]

I put my trail cameras up about 12 feet . I also use a sticker on my camera from Sportmans Shield . Here's what they look like go to their web site.

 

[Apex7]

This is what I used in the past before I found Sportmans shield.

 

[Jpdarby2]

I run the cheap tasco cameras from walmart, put in a SD card from eBay and fill it with Sam's Club batteries. This keeps the cost of my trail cameras down low so if someone takes them I don't cry too much. I don't use climbing sticks I just hunt where others wont and I've yet to have one stolen. I know some guys who run cell cameras on public but I think that's asking for a broken heart at some point. My cameras wont give you the best photo quality but they don't give me anything to worry about.

 

[jakev383]

I usually keep a 3-4 cams on public, and 1-2 cell cams. Like others have mentioned, I put them up higher at 8-10 feet. I also removed the strap and use some cheap camo paracord I pick up at a local store. And I don't use expensive cams either - $40-50 for the regular cams off Amazon, and cheaper cell cams which were $100/ea. Would it suck if they were stolen? Sure. But I would be more inclined to find someone if they stole a Cuddleback system vs a $40 cam off Amazon Karma will still get them at some point.
I have not had any stolen, but my cams have only been noticed on 2-3 occasions when I'd mounted them lower. I'm also usually deeper in the woods since that's where the deer are at
I use a piece of angle cut wood like GreginPA if I remember to bring one, otherwise I use a piece of stick from the ground and try to make it not stick out further than the camera if I can.
On the paracord side, I used to use timber hitches or trucker's hitches to cinch it to the tree. This year I switched to some hammock gear:

Line Lock Hook for 1.5 to 2.5mm Cord | Camping Hardware

This hardware works great with 1.5 to 2.5mm cord. This works just like the LineLoc 3 but has a hook the connection point.

dutchwaregear.com

I tie a bowline loop on one side of the paracord, then run the paracord though the camera where the strap normally would go. I place a line-lock on the other end so when I wrap it around the tree I hook the line-lock to the bowline loop and can cinch it down faster. I roll up the excess paracord and tuck it behind the camera so it's not swaying in the wind.

 

[ThereWillBeSpuds]

What are yalls thoughts on checking other people's cards? Obviously not taking the card with you or deleting things, but just seeing what's on there.

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[philsanchez76]

Ok, so let me ask a more than likely question. What is your opinion on setting up trail cameras on public? I have a few concerns. The biggest, being I feel it's more likely to get stolen. I don't want to invest 100's of dollars just to have some jerk take something that' not theirs. FYI I hate a thief. I guess I can buy a few cheap one from walmart for like 30 bucks each, maybe I'll lose one or two. I was thinking I could place them higher in a tree and a little more out of sight but then I run the risk of deer not being in range of the camera.I know I can buy locks for them and I'm sure I can camo and conceal them a bit. So what do you all think?

I have 11 total cameras, cheapos and some cellular, and they all reside on public here in TN all year long (I leave em up in the off season too cuz I end up getting great pics during turkey season). I keep the cell cams python locked. Over the last 3 years none have gotten stolen but I do hang them all at least 10 feet in the air pointed down usually at a trail intersection or a community scrape. Only ever had a memory card stolen. That was my fault cuz I hung that one low enough for someone to reach. He likely would have stolen cam too but luckily it was python locked. I want cams in spots where people don't go. If I get a hunter or hiker on camera I move it immediately cuz I don't want to hunt in that area anyway. It's nice on private land to be able to do field edge scrapes etc, but you just have to get away from that completely on public.

 

[philsanchez76]

What are yalls thoughts on checking other people's cards? Obviously not taking the card with you or deleting things, but just seeing what's on there.

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If I really wanted to know what deer were in that area, I'd just set up my own cam somewhere around. I would feel sleazy checking another mans card. Like a peeping tom or something.

 

[raisins]

What are yalls thoughts on checking other people's cards? Obviously not taking the card with you or deleting things, but just seeing what's on there.

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Do that enough, and one day someone's going to be able to tell that you did that based on the pics. If he is a hot head, it might not be a good day.

Edit: For example, the cam takes a pic of your face. Then the cam is triggered again to take a picture because you jostled it to get the card (you can tell, it will be a slightly moved and blurry pic....camera doesn't know if the something moved or if it moved in relation to it by being jostled). You'd have to delete photos then to cover your tracks and carefully put everything back. Or maybe they have another cam pointed near that cam and they are watching you that way. Do it enough times, and you'll get caught.

 

[jakev383]

What are yalls thoughts on checking other people's cards? Obviously not taking the card with you or deleting things, but just seeing what's on there.

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Personally? For me it would be the same as borrowing your underwear - not something I would do. I would not like doing it to me either. I'm putting in the work and watching that area; if you think it's somewhere you want to hunt as well then at least put up your own cams a little further out.
I only have one buddy, who I scout with a dozen times a year, who could check my cards and it wouldn't bother me.

 

[Weldabeast]

If I knew somebody touching my camera I definitely going to confront and depending on how that interaction goes I may punch that person....be about the same as someone opening up an unlocked car door and snooping around but not stealing anything

I used to have cameras out all the time but I have really slowed down. Maybe I have bad luck with them but if I have a camera last a year I'm happy. I've had nothing but problems with them. Moisture mainly. I put my cameras up 10-12 feet and as far as I can tell no person ever noticed. I'll find a pine.cone to use as the wedge to get the right angle to the ground.