Best camera to conduct deer survey
- Thread starter TreeDaddy
- Start date
I am using a combination of cuddelink where I have that system set up and Browning strikeforce. The thing I would say about using cell cams for that purpose - the pictures that get sent to you are generally a small file size to enable sending by text or email. They may not have enough detail in the text pictures to differentiate between different deer. Generally, the texting cameras will have a much higher quality picture on the card in the camera that you can use if you want more detail. I set my cameras for a two shot burst - every ten minutes. Less time between pictures - at my place - can really result in a ton of pictures - and not any more unique deer. I set four feed locations for ten days. I will set my own multiplication factor based upon a herd of deer I know very well near my house. For example, last year, my initial results at my survey spot showed a total of four does - but I knew I had six does there - because I saw them in a group every other day - so I changed my multiplication factor for the does to 1.5.
First and foremost - you need to understand a camera survey is best at showing trends in your deer herd over time. It is a fair indicator of buck:doe ratios - especially if you know your deer herd to come up with accurate multiplication factors suited to your particular herd. I have had quite a problem with fawns - in that I typically have some fawns that fall in love with a bait site. That same group of six does last year had one fawn between them by camera survey time in September - yet that fawn spent so much time on the bait site - the computed doe fawn ratio from the survey was 1: .5. It should have been 1: .16. I dont feel good about adjusting fawn multiplication factors because it could vary so much from one bait site to another - so the trend in fawn numbers is a more valuable indicator for me.
First and foremost - you need to understand a camera survey is best at showing trends in your deer herd over time. It is a fair indicator of buck:doe ratios - especially if you know your deer herd to come up with accurate multiplication factors suited to your particular herd. I have had quite a problem with fawns - in that I typically have some fawns that fall in love with a bait site. That same group of six does last year had one fawn between them by camera survey time in September - yet that fawn spent so much time on the bait site - the computed doe fawn ratio from the survey was 1: .5. It should have been 1: .16. I dont feel good about adjusting fawn multiplication factors because it could vary so much from one bait site to another - so the trend in fawn numbers is a more valuable indicator for me.
Bassattackr
5 year old buck +
If you don’t want to miss a lot I wouldn’t use cellular.
If you don’t want to miss anything at all go Reconyx.
Just saying Bill..
If you don’t want to miss anything at all go Reconyx.
Just saying Bill..
I cant disagree. My tactacams I use for hog hunting will sure miss some pictures. Reconyx are for sure top of the line - if you can afford them. I run about 20 cams and just cant do it. Never had a $100 Browning make it through a flood - never had a $500 reconyx make it either. It sure hurts a lot mor though.If you don’t want to miss a lot I wouldn’t use cellular.
If you don’t want to miss anything at all go Reconyx.
Just saying Bill..
The important thing is picture clarity - especially at night - so you can tell the difference between the bucks
MRBB
5 year old buck +
IMO< if your trying to do a survey on deer numbers, maybe you should be looking at a drone, and Not a trail camera
I have been running trail cams' since the late 90's, and I can tell you EVERY yr I have certain deer that are on properties we see with out EYE"S often, yet NEVER ever get a single trail cam picture of them
not to mention other deer that show up out of the blue
having a drone(and I ain't a huge fan of them either as I view them as privacy problems)
but having a drone can get you to view your whole property at different hour of the day and pending what the drone has(some have IR and like night vision abilities) they can view the whole land and even bordering lands, getting you more accurate counts
but keep in mind deer density numbers on any section of land change as food sources and weather happens! and even just from day time to night time hours!
managed one farm that held almost ZERO deer in the day time, NONE bedded or stayed on the land! over browsed and little cover, yet come dark,
it was nothing to count a 100 plus in a field! eating, and many came from well over a mile away to do so!
ALSO,a FYI< for yrs I used to run both high end trail camera's as well as cheap models, and have seen the ALL miss things that walked past the camera's(very easy to to see tracks in fresh snow, and check cam and NOTHING on it, don;t care if a 40 dollar camera or 700 dollar one, had them all miss things)
I started placing 2-3-4 camera's covering the same area, many times on same tree or set up so right next to each other to TRY And capture the same things passing by!
and you;'d be surprised how many camera's miss things other gets , or all miss things!
thus, why I say, if your trying to count deer numbers, nothing beats a drone IMO you can fly and see live view and count!
I have been running trail cams' since the late 90's, and I can tell you EVERY yr I have certain deer that are on properties we see with out EYE"S often, yet NEVER ever get a single trail cam picture of them
not to mention other deer that show up out of the blue
having a drone(and I ain't a huge fan of them either as I view them as privacy problems)
but having a drone can get you to view your whole property at different hour of the day and pending what the drone has(some have IR and like night vision abilities) they can view the whole land and even bordering lands, getting you more accurate counts
but keep in mind deer density numbers on any section of land change as food sources and weather happens! and even just from day time to night time hours!
managed one farm that held almost ZERO deer in the day time, NONE bedded or stayed on the land! over browsed and little cover, yet come dark,
it was nothing to count a 100 plus in a field! eating, and many came from well over a mile away to do so!
ALSO,a FYI< for yrs I used to run both high end trail camera's as well as cheap models, and have seen the ALL miss things that walked past the camera's(very easy to to see tracks in fresh snow, and check cam and NOTHING on it, don;t care if a 40 dollar camera or 700 dollar one, had them all miss things)
I started placing 2-3-4 camera's covering the same area, many times on same tree or set up so right next to each other to TRY And capture the same things passing by!
and you;'d be surprised how many camera's miss things other gets , or all miss things!
thus, why I say, if your trying to count deer numbers, nothing beats a drone IMO you can fly and see live view and count!
MRBB
5 year old buck +
you may enjoy this pic, its from a while ago, but had a major flood, this camera was UP hill from a pond about 50 ft away and about 12 ft in elevation above ponds normal level! never would have imagined water getting to it!
food plots were on other side of pong, and stream and creek surrounded it!
deer were determined to get to food plot, but couldn;t swim across the stream and creek due to how fast water was flowing, so they swam across pond to get food!
I checked camera that morning after most rain fell, using a BOAT to get to camera, it was about 6 inches above the water level
so, JUST saved it , as more rain came and would have been under water
I did loose a few camera's too, but?? as they say, Crap happens , and fully agree, its way easier to digest a cheaper hit than a more costly one
Attachments
Similar threads
