Last season I bought two brand new trailcams and halfway through season I had one stolen and have been hesitant to put my other one out ever since. I used a python lock that someone obviously used bolt cutters on. Does anyone know of a better way to protect trailcams that are used on public land?
Hunter Bob No.6 provided a great recommendation. I also now invest in trail cams that have codes before you can use it. That way if they steal the camera they won't be able to use it unless they guess the correct code. Putting them higher and out of direct view will help some but ultimately if someone wants it bad enough they are gonna take it. On private land I have used bear boxes with lag bolts in the back. The longer the bolt the better. That might not be a viable action on public land.
My first rule is not to put one out on public land unless I am willing to lose it. I had one out myself, and cable locked it to the tree, and like a dummy lost the keys. Took a heavy duty pair of scissors and cut the camera lose from the cable without much effort. Try to hide them as much as possible. I would use no glow cameras. Don't put them on any clear paths.
There's good suggestions here but the truth is, if someone wants it bad enough they will find a way to get it. Especially when it comes to public land. I say use cheap cams that won't hurt as much if they walk away. Good luck! Blessings.........Pastorjim
I have 12 out on public land right now. Been there for 2 months and no problems yet. Have 3 that I'm sure won't make it through to hunting season due to location. My thought is if they want it they're going take it no matter if it has a cable and lock or not.
LOL!! I still wouldn't buy them! I have one from a few years ago and it sucks! It'll fill a memory card taking pictures of nothing.
I have lost 2 trail cameras as well on public land so I have started taking either my climber stand or a couple of ladder sections for my regular stand with me. This allows me to put the camera out of easy reach of simple minded morons who would rather take something that doesn't belong to them! I typically get anywhere from 8-10 feet off the ground so the cameras are not readily accessible from a standing position on the ground.
Many good recommendations here. I'd also suggest that you get away from using any kind of strap altogether. Nothing gets trail cameras seen like a (typically black or dark colored) horizontal strap around a vertical tree. Hopefully whatever cameras you have are camo themselves. If you are using solid colored or black cameras ugh... I don't know what to tell you. Anyway unless you think that a camo colored python cable is going to save the day... I'd recommend you go the route that I have gone and exclusively start using screw in mounts. The photo below shows one of my homemade mounts (cost about $2 in hardware). Make yourself a couple of these and camo paint them to suit yourself. Then follow advice above and start placing the cameras higher in the trees. You don't want to go any higher than absolutely necessary though because in my experience trail cameras don't perform as well once you get them looking down at very much of an angle. Use the terrain if you can (i.e. put the camera 9ft high in a tree that is somewhat downhill of the area you want it to detect). Just getting rid of the strap and moving the camera out of that zone where people typically see trail cameras (18-48" off the ground) will probably greatly decrease your chances of a camera being seen and they have to see it in order to steal it. Good luck.
Exactly - I had one of their cameras one time that would drain the batteries without ever being turned on. It took me 3 sets of batteries to figure out what was going on. Lesson learned.... if it looks like garbage and feels like garbage and is priced like garbage... it is garbage. Their owners manuals should read 1.) Open package 2.) Throw camera directly into trash 3.) Recycle package to save the environment 4.) Remember what you learned
