Public Land trail cams

[jabraham63]

You fellas that run cams on public, what’s your best advice to keep the thieves off of them?

 

[firehunter]

Pray and hope an ******* don't mess with it. I put a cable lock on it and use the best cheaper camera I can so it is not as bad if it gets stolen or trashed.

 

[EricS]

Hang them high and hope for the best. I run 28 dollar tasco 8mp cameras. They only last a couple years but I can have 4 stolen for the price of one good cam. I really want a few cellular cams to hang in July and let them go until post season scouting but I can’t bring myself to do it.

 

[ofor]

I haven’t found anything fool proof but these tips are a little deterrent.

1. Hang them at least a stick high pointed down so they aren’t reachable from the ground
2. Lock it with a good cable lock
3. Don’t leave it out in one spot too long
4. Hang it way back where no one goes
5. Use cheap cameras so it doesn’t sting so bad if one does get stolen
6. Conceal it’s best as possible
7. Label them with a warning that it is a natural resource agency camera and tampering with it is a federal offense. Might just be enough of a deterrent for the stupid thief to leave it alone.

I’ve been lucky so far. Did have 1 cable lock that someone tried to hack through with a knife. I moved it to a different location next time I checked it before they could come back with a cable cutter.

 

[jabraham63]

Hang them high and hope for the best. I run 28 dollar tasco 8mp cameras. They only last a couple years but I can have 4 stolen for the price of one good cam. I really want a few cellular cams to hang in July and let them go until post season scouting but I can’t bring myself to do it.

I just bought two of the spypoint micros for that! Hoping for the best!

 

[Country]

I wish it were legal to set boobie trap cameras with a fatal outcome.

 

[Bowhunter05]

I hang them high now and camouflage them up so it’s hard for me to see it then hope it’s still there when I return

 

[Sipsey]

I use time lapse placed in the tree I plan to hunt at 18-20’

 

[Wasp]

This wasn't my idea but I thought it was genius. Lag bolt these into a large tree and pad lock it. They are not completely tamper resistant but it is pretty good. For $7 at Home Depot + styrofoam you have laying around.

 

[Patriot]

I have had two stolen in the last two weeks. I’ve hung cameras for three full years without a single theft. I am super pisst. I have thought about leaving a message on them that says “there is another camera on you right now and you will never find it. But you will find video of this on the local news, so leave this camera alone unless you want to embarrass yourself and your family for a $50 camera”.

I like ofor’s idea of stating it is federal agency property better. Much simpler and I’m sure it is way more effective. Brilliant idea.

 

[fbwguy]

This wasn't my idea but I thought it was genius. Lag bolt these into a large tree and pad lock it. They are not completely tamper resistant but it is pretty good. For $7 at Home Depot + styrofoam you have laying around.

I built several of these. It is more difficult to access and check the card, but worth it. It’s not completely fool proof, but definitely more secure and a deterrent

 

[Swampman]

It's illegal to hang cameras on public land in Minnesota so I don't do it. I know a game warden that has removed several cameras from public land. I am guessing those people think someone stole their cameras but if they report it to the game warden they will be the ones getting into trouble.

 

[philsanchez76]

I take the risk and hang cell cams on public. But I most always do 12 ft high and it's always pretty deep in. If I see a human show up on the cam, I move it that day. It's only happened in two spots so far. For me its worth the risk to be confident I am on some deer.

 

[jabraham63]

I take the risk and hang cell cams on public. But I most always do 12 ft high and it's always pretty deep in. If I see a human show up on the cam, I move it that day. It's only happened in two spots so far. For me its worth the risk to be confident I am on some deer.

This is my plan! As soon as I get a picture of another person, it’s time to move it!

 

[baz77]

I just try to hide the camera best as possible ...don’t use the strap but some kind of trial cam mount. I will also make some of those embossed labels and put something to the effect of “Property of the Ohio Division of Wildlife, GPS device equipped” I’ve only lost 1 since doing this.

 

[Lacky]

My advice is move to Idaho. We have so much public land per hunter nobody probably even sees them. Never had one messed with, only ever saw a person on one once. They were picking huckleberries.

(I hope I didn't jinx myself)

 

[Rusty602]

I use cable locks and put them pretty deep. At the end of the day its a risk and if someone really wants it they can get it. The lock just keeps the honest people honest.

 

[SomthingOriginal]

In summer I've never had a problem hanging cheap cameras high. Early season I'll pull them as I hunt, get them all out before rifle season when the woods fill up. After rifle I start putting them back out.

 

[Apex7]

I hang mine about 12 feet off the ground. That helps.

 

[BCHunter]

I really want a few cellular cams to hang in July and let them go until post season scouting but I can’t bring myself to do it.

I did that last year... tons of activity with deer and racoons, but I set it on video mode... the card filled up by the end of September. haha, there were 2 deer beds in the snow in front of it when I picked it up at the end of December.