# Trail-Cam security



## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

So I've never put up a trail cam on Public land. Are there major security issues with doing so? Will I have some Idiot run off with it or shoot it? What precautions can I take?


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

I've never had a problem with people messing with my cams. Although most of the time my cameras aren't anywhere close to a major trail and are pretty well hidden. It's definitely fun to see what's wandering around the spots you want to hunt.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

You put one out even with cable locks and boxes and you take the risk of coming back to nothing left on the tree. Also check where you are placing them weather US Forest or BLM land. A Forest Service or BLM worker just may pick it up for you.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

One relevant point not often mentioned by those victimized of theft is how long they have left them out. I have seen some hanging from a tree, from a cow messing with it most likely, in June and it still there in the same condition and spot in October. I can see how someone may assume that to have been abandoned property and taken it, I certainly did not, but I think that may be a factor in how some of them have gone missing.


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

Thanks everybody. What if I were to leave a note in or on the camera explaining who it belongs to and what its doing there, that way if any kind hearted people find it, they know what to do; leave it alone. I don't know, any other suggestions on this subject?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

You leave something in the woods and you take your chances on it not being there when you return. 

Would you leave a rifle hanging in a tree for a month and expect it to actually be there when you returned a month later?


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

outdoorser said:


> Thanks everybody. What if I were to leave a note in or on the camera explaining who it belongs to and what its doing there, that way if any kind hearted people find it, they know what to do; leave it alone. I don't know, any other suggestions on this subject?


I leave my business card in mine, I dont know if it would do any good, but at least they no longer have the excuse of thinking it is abandoned. If nothing else, it keeps the honest people honest. They can then correspond with me about sharing pics and such.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I am not familiar with trail cameras, so would it be easy for someone to just take the SD card? Do the cameras lock so people can't steal the cards?


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

Fowlmouth said:


> I am not familiar with trail cameras, so would it be easy for someone to just take the SD card? Do the cameras lock so people can't steal the cards?


Yes they have a place you can put a lock on them. But if anybody had bad intentions, I think they'd just take the entire cam.


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

Fowlmouth said:


> I am not familiar with trail cameras, so would it be easy for someone to just take the SD card? Do the cameras lock so people can't steal the cards?


It would be pretty easy on most cameras. I don't lock mine up, all you would have to do is open the cam and pop out the card. They make lock boxes, but if someone wants to steal or damage the cam, the boxes wouldn't really stop them, and most people I know don't lock their cams.


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

Critter said:


> You leave something in the woods and you take your chances on it not being there when you return.
> 
> Would you leave a rifle hanging in a tree for a month and expect it to actually be there when you returned a month later?


I understand the sentiment here, and agree that by leaving a cam you assume a certain risk, but that's not really an accurate comparison.

I leave trail cams to watch an area while I'm not able to be there and to see cool things like a doe with wet twin fawns or a newborn calf elk, in addition to looking at the bucks and bulls. Point being, I'm not just randomly, without purpose tossing personal property in the tree and hoping for the best. There is a purpose behind it that I feel like most hunters at least respect, whether they use them themselves or not.

There is no purpose to leaving a rifle hanging in a tree. Unless you know of a deer or elk that has a death wish and has figured out how to pull the trigger.


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

I use CamLock boxes mainly so the elk and bears don't ruin my investment. I had a bull break my very first cam while rubbing his antlers on it. The steel box has protected my current cams very well since then. It is a huge pain when you are hiking in with 3 cams with 3 steel lock boxes and 3 python locks.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Kwalk3 said:


> I understand the sentiment here, and agree that by leaving a cam you assume a certain risk, but that's not really an accurate comparison.
> 
> I leave trail cams to watch an area while I'm not able to be there and to see cool things like a doe with wet twin fawns or a newborn calf elk, in addition to looking at the bucks and bulls. Point being, I'm not just randomly, without purpose tossing personal property in the tree and hoping for the best. There is a purpose behind it that I feel like most hunters at least respect, whether they use them themselves or not.
> 
> There is no purpose to leaving a rifle hanging in a tree. Unless you know of a deer or elk that has a death wish and has figured out how to pull the trigger.


The point that I was trying to make is that after a certain amount of hours which I believe is 72 they are considered abandoned property by the Forest Service and BLM and can be picked up by anyone that comes across them. It is hit or miss when you leave them out in the woods as to if they will be there when you come back to pick them up.

Do a search on the forums here and you will find quite a few threads about trail camera that are missing or gone when the owner came back to pick it up, that along with tree stands and I believe that last year a fold up blind came up missing.


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

Critter said:


> The point that I was trying to make is that after a certain amount of hours which I believe is 72 they are considered abandoned property by the Forest Service and BLM and can be picked up by anyone that comes across them. It is hit or miss when you leave them out in the woods as to if they will be there when you come back to pick them up.
> 
> Do a search on the forums here and you will find quite a few threads about trail camera that are missing or gone when the owner came back to pick it up, that along with tree stands and I believe that last year a fold up blind came up missing.


I agree. I understand the risk associated with it, but would still probably be a little aggravated if it came up missing. But definitely I am taking a risk


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

I placed one this weekend. 

I had it in a camouflaged CamLock box, python locked to a tree. Of course, I hope it is still there and still intact next time I visit. If it isn't then lesson learned.

I don't worry about hunters as much as I do kids or random people. I'd like to think that a fellow hunter would demonstrate the same courtesy during the summer as I believe you should during the hunt.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

I haven't used trail cams yet, but really have nothing against them. I think the argument in regards to the trail cams being considered abandoned is asinine. Its not like someone is going to strap a +$100 camera to a tree and forget about it. Its someones personal property and if you steal it or damage it your just being a d*ckhead. You don't like the idea of them....then don't use them...but don't go and trash someone else's stuff....to only claim its abandoned or whatever reason you need to validate being an azz. If you have a burning desire to haul stuff out of the woods, pick up a bag or two of trash and feel good about it. Someone posts one up on your favorite PUBLIC watering hole...guess it wasn't so secret....and its probably best you find a new one!

Critter...if I found someone's rifle hanging in a tree....I wouldn't steal it...I'd do my best to find out who it belonged to...cuz thats what you do.


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## klbzdad (Apr 3, 2012)

I've only ever had one stolen because of my security system, placement considerations, and while scouting places to hunt I observe human traffic to a particular area as well. Try placing your cams so that humans don't naturally look for them. If a human can see them, the animals can definitely see them and even camo covered cameras posted on a tree will stand out to mature animals that frequent the area. We refer many times to being in their "house". Well, if someone put a camera up on your wall, how would you react? Bump a mature buck or bull just once with a poorly placed camera and you won't see them on that camera again. Other considerations:

-angle of the sunrise and sunset
-PIR settings and angle of terrain 
-amount of moving forage, branches, even birds that can trigger camera
-proximity to obvious landmarks like water holes, guzzlers, streams, camps
-predator population

Just to name a few. I prep the mineral site in November before the snow flies so that during and after snowmelt you end up with a more natural mineral site with next to zero predatory cues to chase off experienced animals. I don't use the steel boxes although I understand why they are attractive and in most cases a great deterrent, but I have found they increase the heat of your camera which effects battery life and PIR reach not to mention that if someone wants your camera or wants to destroy it they will do just that. Same with critters. When I stumble onto someone else's camera, I don't go in there anymore and avoid the camera site BUT I use the new knowledge that there is a camera there to place my own cameras at access points around where that camera is placed. This gives me not only animal traffic but also human traffic data. Generally, if there is a camera, there's a reason why it is there.

Concerning the abandonment issue, I have many times stumbled onto other scouts who ask about where my cameras are and because I put so many out for pure entertainment, I'm more than willing to share some of my captures. My cameras go in just as the snow melts and come out the end of November. Most sportsmen know the value of the cost of equipment and understand the work involved in placing, maintaining, and then retrieving cameras. Destroying them (public land or not) I believe is less of an action of fellow sportsmen and hunters but more of a jerk with something to hide. My camera that was stolen, turned up in a marijuana grow (all my cameras are numbered with a metal barcode sticker inside). They weren't smart enough to think there might be more cameras watching that access point.

That said, you have to anticipate that eventually, someone will likely take, cover, destroy, or poop on your camera or at least steal your sd card. Accept that nugget of knowledge and you'll be pleased each time you swap out cards and find your camera is still there. Have fun!


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

along with my trail cams, I also setup my pop-up blind in the area I plan on hunting well in advance -- like in the early spring. That way, I claim my hunting spot (on public ground) before anyone else can beat me to the spot opening day of the hunt.

We do this with our camp trailers as well.





Most importantly, DON'T EVER put your name and date that you installed the abandoned equipment -- you don't want anyone to know exactly how long you've left your junk in the forest.


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

As long as people who use them don't have the mentality that a trail camera in the area reserves them that spot, than I'm ok with them. I ran into a couple guys who were placing them and they asked me, "you don't still plan on hunting this area now, do you?" same thing with guys who try and place their treestands in prime areas early and hoping that reserves them the area. I wish they could enforce the time limits on stuff left out there but oh well. get your bait and cams up and start "scouting" as soon as possible! looking at sign, hiking an area and glassing animals is lame anyways ;-)


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