I have a Cuddeback no flash, a cheap Wildview and a Remington Ghost trail cam. The latter 2 were about $50 a piece, I'll hang them anywhere...locked to the tree. The Cuddeback ends up getting placed in places that I feel are more secure (theft wise) even if its not the best place to get pics. Am I alone in this line of thinking? I think I'm still gun shy about getting a Moultrie stolen a couple of years ago....within 200 yards of my house.
I've gotten to the point that I will not leave anything in the woods that I'm not afraid to part with. That means that I don't buy $400 trail cameras or leave nice hang ons in trees. The gear that I do leave in the woods may not be the best that money can buy, but I sleep better at night knowing that if something gets stolen it's not like I just lost 2 weeks of day care money. I still lock everything up also.
There are alot of dirtbags out there...One of them stole a Moultrie I had out this year. What a &h*t-bag!!!!
I hang cams where I want them, but the placement in the area is key to not having them stolen.....that and converting to RARELY using straps. That black strap wrapping around a tree sticks out like a sore thumb and is usually what people see first. I use the Tree 60 mount that screws into trees to avoid this scenario. No straps + more adjustibility. The cables/boxes are more for making US feel secure rather than the camera being secure. If a theft wants it bad enough, he can have it rather easily regardless what precautions we take. My biggest fear when hanging a lot of cams is WATER more than people...I hunt a lot of lowland areas that flood out easily. Cameras are weatherproof, but sure as heck aren't submersible proof for a week on end.
My Reconyx with a 2 gig memory card, batteries, and the python lock set me back a pretty penny so I am careful about where I set it up. I don't worry so much about the location but rather how well it is hidden. I don't want to have $650 hanging on a tree in the wide open. I love grown up fence rows as I can hide the camera in the brush and I find myself walking past it when I know its there. With that said, I do have one spot that I will not set the camera up at... 2 stealth cams, 2 treestands, 3 moulties, and a Cuddeback stolen between my two buddies and I.
