How To Hide A Game Camera

When you're out in the backcountry in the off-season you'll be looking for some game trails and other great spots to set up a trail camera . A well set up trail camera tin ameliorate your hunting success as well as your understanding of the wildlife in the expanse . If your trail camera is not well hidden then it may not bear much fruit. There is no point putting time, try, and coin into a project if the success is going to exist express.

Trail cameras should blend into their natural surroundings so as to not disturb the deer and other animals that yous are trying to capture. When hunting and interacting with wildlife in general yous must always be aware of the sensitivity of the animals. The slightest changes to their environment are enough to spook. So anyone looking to set up a trail camera should always bear this in mind.

Not only should trail cameras be well hidden from animals they should be subconscious from humans likewise. A camera placed in plain sight tin hands exist noticed and scooped up by someone looking to make a quick buck. Game cameras are expensive devices and many hunters take lost hundreds of dollars worth of technology from thieves. Imagine if yous left your laptop or smartphone out in the forest in plainly sight. You would be lucky if you returned a week later and it was still there.

A person in the forest.

Take your time scouting out the right trail

Before set-up

Earlier you get to the phase where information technology comes to hiding your trail camera you outset need to do some scouting for a good location. Choose a forest or area that you are permitted to hunt in during the open season. If you lot just desire to capture wild fauna footage this shouldn't affair but make sure that you avoid trespassing on private land when scouting. Forested areas tend to be ideal equally trees are ideal hiding spots for trail cameras.

In one case you have chosen an surface area to scout out, take a hike around the area. Keep a keen eye out for game trails while doing and so. You will notice a degree of disruption to the undergrowth that is caused by animals walking over it. Now you need to decide whether or not it is a trail acquired past deer humans or a predator that y'all don't aim to chase. Trails that deer have tread upon are oft disrupted from the touch on of hooves upon them. Whereas ones caused past predators are lighter due to paws spreading the animal's weight out more evenly.

At times the differences betwixt trails caused by deer and ones caused past humans tin can be less obvious. Pay particular attending to the distance between the lines that the anxiety accept made. If y'all imagine a homo's footprints in the snow they tend to be approximately i behind the other. A deer's hoof prints, on the other hand, are more dotted about and spread further apart.

Besides as this, take a conscientious examination of whatever leaves that are lying on the footing. If they seem to be embedded into the basis then it is likely that deer laissez passer over this trail. Their hooves will push the leaves deeper into the basis every bit they power their manner through the undergrowth.

Another way to spot the deviation is to look at the footing surrounding the trail. A trail that'due south been produced by humans is probable to be flatter and more distinct. This is because of the flat soles of shoes and hiking boots creating an impact upon the ground. Deer, on the other hand, will place their feet time and fourth dimension again in the same position due to their muscle retentivity placing them back into the same place when on that route.

Deer will continuously use the same trails for their whole lives. These trails link them between their sleeping areas, water source, and nutrient plots. Many deer even stick to the same trails that the generations before them did. As long equally it leads them to places that aid them in their survival they have no need to alter information technology.

That is ane of the beauties of finding a good game trail. You tin keep returning to the same ane year later on year if at that place are many deer using it – but don't get greedy when it's open season! One time you lot take plant a trail that y'all are fairly certain has been caused by deer it's time to fix a trail camera to prove this.

Some other matter to consider about the potential location is human traffic in the area. The best way to avoid having your trail camera stolen is to place your camera in an area where humans don't tend to trek as well often. You must make a fine balance between a place that is not likely to accept humans walking past yet is besides accessible for yourself. Deeper forest away from footpaths withal non also deep that yous are going to go caught in the thicket is ideal. Also, when you are going to check on your camera make sure you are discreet about it and then that no 1 spots y'all doing information technology and thinks to return to have it once y'all're gone.

Tips to hide your camera, the camera itself

The next thing that you need to make up one's mind is what type of camera is best to keep it hidden. An infrared game camera is an excellent pick equally it is less obvious to both humans and to animals. These are used when there is a lack of direct sunlight in the area that your camera is located in and for some nighttime vision shots when it is after dark. There is no bright wink thus both humans and animals cannot pick up on the photographic camera's presence when they are walking by when there is a lack of low-cal.

There are various types of these cameras. No glow, low glow, and reddish glow. The no glow camera's infrared calorie-free is not visible to humans or to animals so it should be strongly considered since there will be no light at all to give away its position. A low glow camera has a very faint light that comes from it. It is quite unlikely that a thief would notice it simply it can always happen.

The red glows calorie-free is visible to the human eye and information technology can sometimes be obvious. Although they tin requite out better pictures these are best to place in areas where people seldom pass by. Many people actually use this blazon as home security cameras. This is because it is put in plain sight and then that it deters burglars and trespassers from carrying out misdeeds.

Camouflage your game photographic camera

A fiddling chip of effort to place some cover-up on your game camera tin can go a long way in protecting it. There are various types that you tin put on information technology and information technology is a simple still effective way to ensure that your camera stays put.

1 choice for this is to buy a pre-camoflaged game camera. Take a proficient look at the colors on the cover-up design. You demand to be sure that the colors are going to friction match to the terrain that your camera is going to placed in. Before y'all decide on this make sure yous know the color of the trees that it's going to be installed in. A vivid dark-green photographic camera shall be no use if the rest of the foliage is dark dark-brown.

The other option that you have is to create your ain cover-up from the items that are lying around the woods. This has the distinct advantage that the leaves and thicket that you collect will exist of the colors of that area. Now, this can be a delicate job and quite frustrating. It is best to pack some mucilage, tape, and sting for this then you tin can build it in a manner so that it won't fall apart.

Carefully stick or attach various bits of foliage lying around to your game camera. You must be precise with this as to not comprehend your camera's lens or its motion sensor. Any infliction to its line of sight can ruin your whole month'south long trail camera session. Just the slightest infringement over either of these can and volition lead to blurred images or your camera's SD carte being full due to the motion sensor continuously going off.

One thing to bear in listen with your DIY foliage camouflage is that it will change colour. The leaves and moss will die, turning them from green to brown so make sure that this shouldn't have a big impact on it beforehand. I mode to overcome this is past painting camouflage on your game photographic camera yourself at habitation earlier you set out. But ensure get-go that the paint is waterproof and volition take a while before the rain damages information technology. Some other option is to buy plastic plants as these volition always retain their green colors.

Brown trees on green grass.

Apply the tools that nature has provided for you to make a hibernate for your trail photographic camera from the surrounding thicket.

Placing your game camera at a skillful height

The optimum height for a game camera is often around three feet off the footing to capture deer from around their shoulder meridian. This is non the safest area though when information technology comes to potential thieves. If a camera is placed higher than a person's eye level then information technology is much more likely to be safe. People hardly stare to the sky when they are walking, particularly in the forest when you could lose your ground very easily.

If your photographic camera is placed around ten anxiety high this you lot'll be high enough that it is not noticed past the common passerby. It too means that if it is a regular walker who may exist tempted to swipe it that their temptation could subside if it means they take to climb to recollect it. A camera within arms accomplish is much easier to take as there is little to no effort to practise and so. Just make sure that y'all're fit enough and have the right kit to install it at height. We don't want any injuries at present.

Build a box

A box surrounding your camera will not only assist to camouflage it. It will also add together an extra layer of protection from the elements or if it should happen to fall from its elevated position. Not only that but information technology gives you more flexibility about where you lot can place your photographic camera. If good branches to place it upon are scarce then a camera box tin can be nailed upon a tree torso.

These are fairly simple to construct either at home or out in the wood. Now, a bootleg i can be designed to expect like a bird box. The trick with this ane is to leave the camera in plain sight to anyone walking past. All they will see is a bird box that they presume that birds are nesting in.

It's very unlikely that this will be tampered with. A normal passer-past who may be tempted by a game photographic camera sitting at centre level wouldn't even call back about mindlessly destroying a bird box. Even common vandals are very unlikely to destroy information technology. Even though they may damage or steal your game camera, destroying a bird'southward nest and killing its chicks for the sake of it is not something that many people'due south consciences would permit.

A box can also exist constructed to hide the camera further and not to place it in patently sight. Have a wait in the woodland for dead trees from which you can construct a bones box to cover upward your game photographic camera with. Have an onetime tree stump or large bra get and clear out the within. Adjacent, carve out an opening so your photographic camera's lens and movement sensor accept a clear line of sight. Your camera tin be placed inside and and then the tiptop covered so that information technology looks equally camouflaged as possible.

Specifically designed lockboxes can too be purchased every bit a deterrent to thieves. These are not subconscious every bit easily simply are instead designed to be very hard to break into which deters the thieves. These are secured onto the tree body in a way that would require commodities cutters or a hacksaw in order to break in to steal it. Although some people may endeavour their mitt at taking information technology, the majority won't bother trying to interfere with this security system.

Build a dummy camera

If you've had a camera or two stolen or some of your hunting buddies have been alert you about thieves in the area, information technology could be a good idea to try and grab them out. A dummy camera can be purchased for a very cheap price and then placed in an obvious position as to take hold of the thieves attention for them to commit another theft. You should place your existent trail camera in a very discreet location and so as to not give away where the expensive kit is.

When you are next checking on it first look to see if the dummy camera is missing or has been tampered with. If so, bank check your real game camera'southward photos to see if there is evidence of criminal activity and if the faces and habiliment are obvious in the pictures. It'southward now up to you what to practice next. You can either mitt the photos over to the government or you could print out the pictures around the woods so that the thief notices them and is scared off from the surface area. This sort of detective work tin be a lot more than fun than picking up footage from animals!

After all, no i volition e'er doubtable that a game camera is in here, nor will the animals.

Last Verdict:

Setting upwards a game photographic camera and waiting for the results is a long arduous process. You lot must spotter out an area, find a good game trail, gear up your game camera, and check on information technology time and fourth dimension again to run across if it is producing results. To have that photographic camera stolen or obvious to the animals will ruin all of that hard work. It's not merely the price of the photographic camera that matters hither, information technology's the fourth dimension that you've invested into the setting upwards of that would really injure if information technology were to be stolen.

As a hunter caution and patience are your two most important qualities. If you're not cautious on the hunt you lot'll lose the whitetail you're afterwards. If you're not cautious with your game photographic camera you may not go expert footage or worst of all information technology could get stolen. Brand sure you are cautious and follow our tips so as to not become through the hurting of having all of your hard work undone.

Bonus tip: Check out this quick video to assistance you stop making silly mistakes that could affect your footage or even lose it all!