The influence of technology on fishing and hunting continues to grow.
For anglers, advances in depth finders, fish finders, radar, sonar, weather applications, light attractors, and satellite GPS give fishermen a significant advantage when casting a line. The face of fishing, once a far more primitive and evenhanded quest, has morphed into something that the storied Old Man and the Sea would never recognize now that technology has intervened.
And while hunters afield might not have quite as many technological gizmos at their disposal as fishermen, technology is also changing the face of that sport as well, particularly when it comes to scouting for game.
Deer hunters used to spend hours upon hours afield scouting for sign, beds, trails, scrapes, and sightings of “shooter” bucks. While many still put in the time and footwork in doing their scouting homework, the advent of trail cameras, also known simply as trail cams or game cams, has simplified and refined those scouting chores. In short, with the aid of a trail camera, a hunter can monitor the movements of game remotely 24/7 and determine placement of tree stands and ambush points accordingly.
Although the history of trail cameras can be traced back to the late 19th century with wildlife photos taken on a crude device with a trip wire set up by nature admirer George Shiras, the use of modern trail cams for scouting by deer hunters is a more recent development as the marketing and sales of ever-more sophisticated devices has grown exponentially.
So now with our archery season here in Wildlife Management Units 5C and 5D well underway and the statewide season set to open right around the corner on Saturday, there’s no better time to employ the use of a trail camera or two to reveal where those trophy bucks are hanging out.
No matter what the make or manufacturer, every trail camera works basically the same way, using motion sensors to detect moving game before snapping a photo or shooting a video to capture images of the animal. Although I already had two older trail cams in my electronic scouting inventory, not long ago I decided to purchase a more contemporary model with a few more bells and whistles, primarily high-definition capabilities and an upgrade to many more megapixels for greater clarity.
When considering the purchase of a new trail cam, hunters should consider these three critical factors:
• The first is the type of flash the camera incorporates. These include white, red, low glow, or no glow features, each with its own advantage or disadvantage.
• The second is trigger speeds and recovery time. Higher trigger speeds and lower recovery times are preferable.
• The third is detection range, namely the maximum distance where the camera sensor picks up motion and takes a photo or video. Depending on how the camera is set up and aimed, 100 feet or so is generally the greatest effective range for most.
The latest innovation for these cameras is a wireless cellular feature where the camera is designed to transmit images directly to your cell phone. While this saves you the time of hiking to the camera whenever you want to retrieve images via the memory card, it also creates an added expense of enrolling in a “cellular game camera plan” which may also limit the number of wireless images you can retrieve. These plans are available through companies including AT&T, Verizon and US Cellular. One drawback here is that the camera normally requires at least 3 bars of reception in the area where you set it up, meaning that it might not work in more remote, rural, wilderness regions.
In my quest for my next trail camera, I found prices ranged anywhere from $60 at the low end to almost $500 at the top, depending on features and quality offered. Since all of my trail camera set-ups are local and just a short hike from my home or truck, I really didn’t need the convenience (or expense) of a wireless cellular model.
In the end I invested in a compact Browning model that boasted great reviews online. It also featured a viewing screen which enables scrolling through the images on site, something my older models didn’t have.
Like almost every other trail camera on the market today, the Browning model boasts a camouflage pattern intended to help it blend with any woodsy background and keep it hidden from potential camera thieves. One unfortunate drawback with any trail cam is a tendency for them to grow legs and walk off. For this reason, it’s critical that the owner position the camera where it is unlikely to be discovered.
And the application of trail cams is not limited to scouting for deer. They can also be used for home security or wildlife photography in general. A few years back, after breasting out a trio of Canada geese, I carried the remains into our woodlot and placed a trail camera aimed at the carcasses to record whatever critters might come to feast on them. Captured images revealed visits by foxes, raccoons, and a red-tailed hawk, but I was disappointed that no coyotes showed up. Camera set-ups can also document nighttime activities by flying squirrels, owls, and even bats.
In the end, trail cameras are both functional and fun. And like Forrest Gump’s legendary box of chocolate, when you review the trail-cam’s memory card, “You never know what you’re gonna’ get.”
Tom Tatum is the outdoors columnist for MediaNews Group. You can reach him at tatumt2@yahoo.com.
