Thread: Trail Cameras

Originally Posted by 101RRS

I would like to find out what is going on afterdark in and around my place - ie possums, bats, cats, snakes, lizards etc so I thought I would investigate getting a "trail camera".

They seem to range in price from about $70 to $400 but I know very little about them.

So I need one that is motion sensitive (for small animals), doesn't to have large memory or battery life as I can check it regularly - doesn't need to be 4K but at least HD would be good - oh and within reason cheap as possible.

So for those who know about these things and recommendations on what might work.

Thanks

Garry

I don't know much about them either, but I have been using a security cam located inside my ceiling to try and track possums. It's ok, but not great, so i have been considering something from this lineup. The wifi would be my pref.
Hunting camera - K&F Concept

I have used one for a while now to keep an eye on my wind monitoring towers and equipment in the past and in other locations to see if I can put a face to footprints I find.

I use a Moultrie M. Considered entry level mid level trail camera. Have looked at higher spec ones but I still only have just the one.

Placement is critical. Watch out for wind and moving branches. You will simply get a lot of pictures of trees moving.

Make sure that if the animal is quick moving, you get one that can take a high rate of photos. You say you can check it regularly so battery life should not be an issue to be concerned about with higher rate of photography. I find batteries last me about a week to two weeks depending on how much wind...

Some can take high def video. I have tried this once and it used all my card in a quick time filming the wind blowing branches. It was a good rainstorm though. See first point

Avoid facing the camera into the rising or setting sun.

Use the type of memory card recommended by the manufacturer. I wasted money on high speed cards when the camera is not capable of using them. Moultrie recommended normal speed cards.

Check the range (distance) of motion sensing and place accordingly inside of that. I tried placing on the edge of the range for security purposes thinking more was better but the further you are away the more the photos turn into landscapes rather than people shots. Closer is better.

Make sure you get a suitable trigger time for the camera to activate after motion has been detected. Trigger time is critical if the target is moving perpendicular to the camera.

Get as high a resolution of camera as you can afford. Clarity of night photos is awesome for facial recognition from mine but higher would have been better at times for my use.

If you are not using these as security you may not need one but I am also thinking of critters that chew things. I have a manufacturers steel security lock box for mine. For me it is securing to the tree by screws and piece of mind my camera cannot be cut off and taken away. For you something like this might stop things chewing something new in their back yard.

For security you can also get some cameras made for using the Master Lock Python locking cables in smaller 8mm diameter. Bunnings sell the bigger cables in their range but the smaller diameter cable is needed for the back of the cameras with this feature. If you didn't want to go steel lock box but still wanted some security.

Good luck.

I've got a couple of the Aldi ones of different generations that I have in trees at the farm. They have allowed us to identify dogs attacking our sheep. Agree with everything Windsock has said. The biggest Issue I have is remembering to check the batteries and SD card on a regular basis. Most seem to have a capability to plug in power and if you are not trying to keep them discreet a mounting position that is easy to get to is an advantage.

Regards,
Tote

Thanks for the advice - tips are great.

I have a cat and possum problem - the cats knock off at least one native pigeon a week and the possums have killed a few parrot chicks in my nest box - I still dont know how the possum gets into the nest box given where its located - the jump to get in is a major leap even for a possum.

I found him in there last week and thought I would use an old dash cam to see how he gets in and out but I thought the opportunity to catch him was there - so I locked him in and took him down to the river and let him go.

I have been in this house for 20 years and always had a healthy population of possums and never had an issue. The exception was this particular possum who seems a bit smarter than the others - found his way into the garage and the nest box when none of the others ever did.

Now that he has gone, a new one will move into his own territory in a few weeks so I am hoping the new one is as stoopid as the ones I have had before and does not learn the tricks of the one I have just removed.

So looking to see whose cats are killing the birds and what the inevitable new possum gets up too.

I could just put a cat trap out but I will see who culprit is. My neighbour has a cat trap and has caught them before and takes them to the local pound where the owner has to pay to get them back - what works better is that he does a letter drop before hand indicating he is going to set up a trap in the backyard and all cats will go to the pound - magically the cats stop appearing in his yard after the letter drop, and he no longer has to actually put the trap out.

Possum.jpg

That's a big old buck. We have a possum problem over in NZ also, though our remedy doesn't involve 'that' kind of relocation.

Encountered many a problem buck in my bush days. The doe seems to be placid and docile whereas the bucks seem to go looking for trouble.

I have seen bucks jump huge distances seemingly fearless of the consequences but the little buggers are brutish tough if it goes wrong for them.

I had a rough and tumble old collie heading dog called the Skipper, and one day we were working on a fence line neighbouring some bush and he roused a possum out from the bush side of the fence. As the possum crossed under the bottom wire of the fence into the farm side, the dog pushed his head through the second or third wire from the bottom and grabbed the possum by the back leg. The possum turned around and rushed back under the bottom wire of the fence towards the bush and found himself stuck with the dog holding his leg. The buck possum grabbed a big mouthful of the dogs hind leg. They were locked like that for what seems a long time with me rolling around laughing as the two of them howled and growled and yelped and cackled at one another through clinched teeth. Crikey I still remember the determined savagery of each of them as neither would let the other go.

To catch a jumping buck get a 0.3 second trigger on the camera otherwise you'd photograph thin air.

Originally Posted by windsock

That's a big old buck.

So you spotted the huge gonads .

I've been using one overlooking my front gate for several months. It came from Jaycar, I don't have the model here as I am away at the moment.

It has been OK, no suspicious activity, got a waving branch (now cut off the one in the field of view), otherwise mostly roos and the odd bird. No unexplained visitors so far.

Look up Wyze. Get the outdoor unit.