Proper Trail Camera Deployment

Trail cameras have been around for a long time now. Most every hunter has one and would consider themselves experts when it comes to using them. However, through the years, some hunters have become a bit lazy when it comes to setting out a camera. They choose the easiest tree and strap the cam up waist high and turn it on. While this method could work to an extent on some brands, it’s not what was originally learned. Just like with every male being, the instructions on how to set up a trail camera have been tossed out the window. Is setting up a camera “just right” all that important though? We believe so. Here’s why: we see thousands of setups, field thousands of phone calls, and have become well-versed in set up in the last 4 years. If you want maximum performance out of your SmartCam or any trail camera, you need to learn how to set them up correctly. You’re putting a camera with infrared lights and motion sensors running on batteries out in extreme elements. So yes, we believe it’s very important to learn how to set up a trail camera correctly. In this article, we will reintroduce the instructions on how to set up a trail camera (specifically for our SmartCams).

The simplest steps of setting up a trail camera are inserting batteries and an SD card. We recommend using external power, but if you plan to use AA batteries, we recommend lithium AA batteries. However, with our SmartCams, we highly suggest using an external power source (12v battery or Solar Panel) as cell cameras are very power-hungry. What’s the point of having a cell cam if you’re out changing batteries in them every other week? When choosing an SD card, we recommend using a 32GB, Class 10 SD card. We have our own WiseEye SD cards, but you can find these cards pretty much anywhere as well. We’re not going to go through the step-by-step process of registering your SmartCam in this article. You can find that HERE. After following the process of setting up your SmartCam, it’s ready for field use.

When selecting a location for your camera, there are a few things to consider. Will the camera be in a field or in the woods? Will it be placed on a trail or in front of a food source? The answer to these questions will help determine your settings for the camera. For instance, if you are placing your camera in the woods on a deer trail, having your delay setting as low as possible with burst mode will be the best option for that scenario. This way you can catch deer that are passing through quickly. Do you anticipate the target motion coming from the front or back of the cam? Is left to right better? We think left to right or right to left has a better shot of triggering the motion detector. Especially if a buck is chasing a doe. However, if you plan to place the camera on a field by a food source, choosing a longer delay time (1-5 min) with a time-lapse of every hour is a good option. This way you’re not getting hundreds of images of a doe feeding and, the time-lapse every hour can see if deer are feeding out further than the camera can detect. Another thing to consider is which way the camera will be facing. Facing the camera East or West can cause washed-out images as the sun will be directly facing the camera at sunrise or sunset. Washout can also happen in the woods by limbs, trees, or vegetation reflecting the infrared light. So be sure to clear out any obstructions in front of the camera.