| Trail Camera Devices: Trail Cams are designed to use | | | | find a camera with an external battery pack. You will |
| infrared sensors to detect movement and initiate the | | | | also want to use a camera that has an infrared flash; |
| capturing of an image by a camera. They use a | | | | they use much less power, they will shoot faster and |
| beam to detect the presence of a moving animal. | | | | they will not spook the animals that you are trying to |
| The sensor beam sets off the camera to take a | | | | capture. |
| shot and later you retrieve the equipment and you | | | | You will want to find a camera that has a suitable |
| can see just what animals where there and how | | | | amount of definition for your photos. Obviously, the |
| many of them were there. The technology has | | | | higher resolution cameras will cost more, but the |
| improved greatly over the last few years, and in fact | | | | difference is not that much considering the difference |
| to some hunters the hunting has almost become | | | | in the picture quality. The resolution of a camera is |
| secondary to the photography. The excitement of | | | | measured in megapixels. If you check your |
| viewing the images can really make this a fun hobby. | | | | conventional camera it will say how many megapixels |
| Choosing a trail cam is not as easy as it seems. | | | | it uses. Most of the ones that people carry now are |
| There are many out there on the market, and which | | | | about 6 or 7 megapixels. Only a few years ago 2 or |
| one is right for you will depend on the type of | | | | 3 megapixel cameras were the standard. In trail |
| photography you are doing and especially on the | | | | cams, you can now get cameras that take up to 6 |
| location you are using. One piece of advice that is | | | | or 7 megapixels as well, and when you see the |
| useful to anyone that is intending on taking trail | | | | quality of the shots you will probably find that the |
| pictures is that you cannot and should not use a | | | | additional cash outlay was well worth it. The prices go |
| conventional camera to do it. They are not designed | | | | from very cheap up to about $700. Don't cheap out |
| for it and just will not last or give you the results you | | | | too much; you often get what you pay for in these |
| want. Save these cameras for your family and your | | | | cases, and in fact paying a little more is more of a |
| vacation or barbeque and get a dedicated trail | | | | bargain in terms of capability. |
| camera for the best results. | | | | If you have not yet added a trail cam to your |
| Features to Look For | | | | equipment lineup, consider looking at them. There is a |
| Since you are likely to be leaving your trail camera | | | | reason that so many hunters use them and have also |
| setup out there for a long while without being able to | | | | turned into avid photographers as a result. Take the |
| check on it, battery life is a big factor. There are a | | | | time to research what will work best for you and |
| few things that can improve your battery life; you | | | | ask people that use one already what they like and |
| can hook up a 12 volt battery your setup or you can | | | | don't like about their camera. |