Stolen Game Cameras

caver · Oct 4, 2020

I recall someone in here posting pictures of a camera he had mounted way up in a tree pointing almost down. He got good pictures of the trespassers. I like the bait camera idea as that is what I would do. Maybe buy some realistic looking fake snakes and throw them on the ground nearby

5030 · Oct 4, 2020

plowhog said:
I looked into this issue a while ago. One recommendation was a good one. Place the camera much higher than someone can reach. A persons field of view commonly scans at eye level, or below. So if it is 12' up a tree that is good. My cameras require me to use a ladder to reach them.

Best reply and what I also do. I put them up at least 10 feet with a wooden wedge on the backside to aim them downward. Never had one pilfered.

shooterdon · Oct 4, 2020

You mean you cannot set up a blind and shoot them???

Our hunt camp runs about 10 cameras. Many are the cell phone type. Never had a problem yet. One of the guys I know sets up cameras on state land and he has had one stolen.

strantor · Oct 4, 2020

There are a number of GPS tracking solutions on the market now, some with their own internal cellular connectivity, and some with footprints so small they can be on a keyring. I have not used any of them but I have looked into it. Try searching GPS tool tracking, GPS pet locator, etc. Maybe you can find something small enough to fit inside a game cam; open it up, embed inside where it can't be seen. The culprit will be surprised to have you knock on their door and display an image of their red-handedness in walking straight home with your game cam in hand.

YLee Kioti · Oct 4, 2020

White Feather had a solution for something like this....in his book he writes of how he would carry skunk juice.
Anytime a NVA patrol got too close for comfort he would release a little bit of it and it would redirect the patrol, quite clever for that era.

So, maybe a bit of deer urine or skunk juice set to 'spill' on a well wrapped (saran wrap) camera may discourage the trespasser.
Who knows, you may even encounter a casual conversation in a local store of how someone got 'sprayed'.....

That's my legal approach....no need in considering other avenues.....

bcp · Oct 4, 2020

I would like to see game cameras with a remote lens on a long, flexible wire. Cover the main unit with leaves. The lens on the wire looks just like every other twig or brush stem.

Bruce

Tinhack · Oct 4, 2020

What's a NVA patrol?

5030 · Oct 4, 2020

shooterdon said:
You mean you cannot set up a blind and shoot them???

Our hunt camp runs about 10 cameras. Many are the cell phone type. Never had a problem yet. One of the guys I know sets up cameras on state land and he has had one stolen.

I do believe it's illegal on state land in Michigan.

morris lipham · Oct 4, 2020

bcp said:
I would like to see game cameras with a remote lens on a long, flexible wire. Cover the main unit with leaves. The lens on the wire looks just like every other twig or brush stem.

Bruce

Several years ago I had a night hunter visiting my farm, I called game wardens and they talked about a groundhog camera they had they buried in the ground and a very small camera the size of lipstick they would conceal. They are commonly used by drug enforcement watching pot growers... I now have about a dozen cell cameras I run year round since I live 70 miles away from my farm. I use higher end Spypoint Link Dark cams. You get 100 free pics a month on each cam. I only buy more pictures during deer season when I set up feeders when I can get thousands of pics a month, can get unlimited pics for $15 per month or $10 per month yearly. I have all my cams in lock boxes with circle locks and locking cables. I also put some Cams 10-12 high on a tree, I have cams set to send a pic immediately to my phone.