Public Land trail cams

[KayakEvan]

As others have said definitely hang them high.

I work for Virginia DGIF and we had some issues with people stealing cameras off one of the WMAs that I manage so I hung a dummy camera that was easy to get to and then had another no glow camera aimed at that one that was hung high and and hard to see. Needless to say we ended up catching the guy with a real dumb look on his face.

Really all you can do is keep an honest man honest. If someone wants your camera badly enough they are going to get it. I’ve also heard of guys putting fake antennas on their cameras so people think they are transmitting the pictures as they’re taken. Seems to scare a few more people off.

 

[PastorKen]

I’m thinking about buying a bunch of broken cameras and hanging them up on the way into my favorite spots on public land. It might encourage some hunters to hunt elsewhere. But mostly I like the thought of thieves working to take trash home.

 

[Silvio]

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

I agree with Eric here, hang them high enough that someone wont see it...and any camouflage you can use...when I find a camera in the woods on public land I marknits waypoint..that Intel can help you...but make sure you wave and smile when it takes your pic

 

[IkemanTX]

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

Place them high. I run the DIY screw in mount that everyone has probably seen. I either carry a modified helium with fabric aider, or my EZKut drill with 4 bolts. Usually the 4th bolt is that the same height as the third, to give me a double step. I still place the camera slightly overhead height from the top step, so that puts my camera usually around 12-14 feet.

This does 3 things for me..

1. It gets The camera high enough that I typically will not lose it during a flooding event. 12 feet is sometimes not enough, though.

2. It gets the camera high enough that it is no longer in your field of you as you are scouting through an area. Somebody essentially has to be looking for a camera, or a tree to hunt, while they’re standing within view of my camera to see it in the first place.

3. Gets rid of the strap around the trunk, which I think is the biggest giveaway.


................................................................................All climbing methods, platforms, saddle designs, and/or use of materials possibly mentioned in the post above are not peer reviewed for safety, and should only be used as an example of my own method. Do your own research and testing before becoming confident in any DIY solution to support your life.
-IkemanTx

 

[SomthingOriginal]

Place them high. I run the DIY screw in mount that everyone has probably seen. I either carry a modified helium with fabric aider, or my EZKut drill with 4 bolts. Usually the 4th bolt is that the same height as the third, to give me a double step. I still place the camera slightly overhead height from the top step, so that puts my camera usually around 12-14 feet.

This does 3 things for me..

1. It gets The camera high enough that I typically will not lose it during a flooding event. 12 feet is sometimes not enough, though.

2. It gets the camera high enough that it is no longer in your field of you as you are scouting through an area. Somebody essentially has to be looking for a camera, or a tree to hunt, while they’re standing within view of my camera to see it in the first place.

3. Gets rid of the strap around the trunk, which I think is the biggest giveaway.


................................................................................All climbing methods, platforms, saddle designs, and/or use of materials possibly mentioned in the post above are not peer reviewed for safety, and should only be used as an example of my own method. Do your own research and testing before becoming confident in any DIY solution to support your life.
-IkemanTx

These things are the best $2 you'll ever spend

 

[EricS]

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.

I think cellular cams would work best as a tool to help you decide where to hunt this weekend based on the amount of deer activity around it. Game cameras don’t tell the whole story but having multiple out would tell you which one was seeing the most activity.

 

[dpierce72]

Place them high. I run the DIY screw in mount that everyone has probably seen. I either carry a modified helium with fabric aider, or my EZKut drill with 4 bolts. Usually the 4th bolt is that the same height as the third, to give me a double step. I still place the camera slightly overhead height from the top step, so that puts my camera usually around 12-14 feet.

This does 3 things for me..

1. It gets The camera high enough that I typically will not lose it during a flooding event. 12 feet is sometimes not enough, though.

2. It gets the camera high enough that it is no longer in your field of you as you are scouting through an area. Somebody essentially has to be looking for a camera, or a tree to hunt, while they’re standing within view of my camera to see it in the first place.

3. Gets rid of the strap around the trunk, which I think is the biggest giveaway.


................................................................................All climbing methods, platforms, saddle designs, and/or use of materials possibly mentioned in the post above are not peer reviewed for safety, and should only be used as an example of my own method. Do your own research and testing before becoming confident in any DIY solution to support your life.
-IkemanTx

Just made a BUNCH of these...

 

[ThePennsylvanian]

For me, cameras are only to give me ideas of direction of travel and times of travel. Given my needs, I run cheap cameras. I run 6 tasco 12mp cameras, 3 stealthcams that I got for 30$ at the local Walmart after hunting season. The majority of the cameras I hang are not hung very high but are in some pretty remote areas. I also run some within sight of the road, but this is in an area that I have never seen another person hunt.... one thing to remember is that if the s o b wants your camera there isnt anything that'll stop him from taking it....
P.s. there is only one thief in the world, everyone is just trying to get there stuff back.. lol

 

[Whitetail82]

Put them up high looking down

 

[dblomberg4]

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.

@Swampman I called the DNR last week asking about this and they told me game camera's were fine on state land, but not OK to leave in WMA's. I didn't ask about federal land, but my assumption is that you can hang a cam on federel land here in Minnesota but just like a stand you have to bring it back out with you at the end of your hunt as no gear / stands / etc... can be left on federal land over night.

 

[Swampman]

@Swampman I called the DNR last week asking about this and they told me game camera's were fine on state land, but not OK to leave in WMA's. I didn't ask about federal land, but my assumption is that you can hang a cam on federel land here in Minnesota but just like a stand you have to bring it back out with you at the end of your hunt as no gear / stands / etc... can be left on federal land over night.

Dblomberg4, it sounds like you got the same information I got regarding WMAs and federal land that I got from the game warden I know. I never talked to him about state forest land though. That is good to hear.

 

[MN_Bowhunter4]

That’s my understanding as well. Only allowed on state lands and nothing else. However I do see a quite a few on WMAs and AMAs when I’m out and about.

 

[dblomberg4]

One other thing to note about leaving Game cams on state / public land here in Mn is that you have to have your DNR CR# labeled on the Camera or Game wardens will remove unmarked Cams i'm told. I've never lost a camera on the public land i've hunted, but that land is also about 4 hours north of the cities...

 

[NWPA22]

I always carry 2 climbing sticks and hang them high as well. I had a scrap 2x6 that I cut some wedges out of. I use the wedge to angle them down. As an added benefit in some areas hanging them higher allows the camera to pickup deer farther out of range if it is triggered.

 

[ThomasHemlock]

I work for Virginia DGIF

Damn.... the warden is online now too

 

[ThomasHemlock]

I don't run cameras personally but my hunting buddies do and they just buy cheapies when they go on sale and take the chance. No way I'd hang a high-dollar camera on public.... I don't gamble either, for the same reason.... can't afford it.

 

[KayakEvan]

Damn.... the warden is online now too

Not a warden. I’m a wildlife management area supervisor. I’m the one that maintains the states areas for hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing.

 

[dalton916]

Damn.... the warden is online now too

FacePageTwiGram and deer processors have made the GW’s lazy.