Phade.................

[Lawdwaz]

The recent thread concerning camera delays has me wondering...........what do you set yours for?

 

I'd imagine different settings in different scenarios?  

 

How about burst modes?

 

Thanks!!

 

 

(anybody else wants to chime in with their thoughts, please do)

[G-Man]

I keep mine on as fast as possible..on all trails. I don't usually set up cameras on feeding areas, but would set it much higher maybe up to. five min.

[BizCT]

I will chime in regarding burst modes. I don't have expensive cams because I don't have my own land. Although I've never had a cam stolen, it's always a concern. I always used wgi cams with good results, then I got a primos with burst mode and I love that setting. I use the 3 shot burst mode and when I upload the pics to my computer, I can flip through then quickly and it's like a picture book. I see wheeling direction the deer are heading and sometimes catch a second deer following. Also sometimes I get a pic of deer but can't make out the head but the 2nd or 3rd pic is a clearer view.

I wish all my cams had burst mode.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[phade]

It depends is indeed the correct answer - trails, fields, scrapes, crossings, etc. Also, the camera can be a factor. It's a very in-depth topic, which I'll try to avoid getting into. And, that's the problem, because most people don't really think about the implications of your trail cam sets and cam settings.

 

With that said, here's the relatively short (not short at all, but shorter than the long version) of it:

 

75% of my cams are set between 10, 15, or 20 second delays when inventorying. Remember, this doesn't include refresh time. Rarely does a camera with a set delay actually re-arm itself in that time period. Usually you have to add some time to it. The delay in theory starts after the pic series is taken, written to the card, and the electronics are ready to go again. Then the countdown begins. Some cams are better at this than others and cams within the same manufacturer can vary greatly.

 

My cameras take between 8,500 and 13,000 for the cheaper model I use and my workhorse model takes between 35-50k on lithiums. Generally I use Utilitech alkalines and average around 20k. I'm no longer worried about battery life or pic count. It's just not a worry for me. Therefore, I opt for more pics at a higher frequency.

 

Situations where I stray from that time:

 

Fields - 30 seconds to one minute are fine if it is a field where deer graze. Reduce pic series to two to save battery life or card space if need be.

 

Scrapes or fruit trees - I really enjoy scrape sets. I'm a user of trail cams for hunting 95% of the time - the other would be enjoyment for scrape sets and crossings (such as a creek). Still, scrapes are the best place to really get info on the buck's particulars (age, rack size, etc.) because they spend a bit of time there. I like to use a 10 second max. Lower if possible. More pics gives me more information on that buck. Same goes for fruit trees that are well hidden - bonus points for scrapes under fruit trees.

 

Buck trails - ones you know a buck is using. I'll do zero or 5 second settings on my cams. Usually they are comforable here, moving slowly but with purpose. More pics = maybe an added clue, such as seeing the buck's walking trail from afar and all the way across the field of view. Direction of travel and time information can be critical to start mapping out when and why the bucks uses the trail.

 

Doe trails - I reduce to 20 to 30 seconds. Occassionally you'll get a decent buck here outside of the rut. But you'll get the up and comer bucks on these sets. The 1.5s and 2.5s. Good to know long-term. I reduce this when seeking starts.

 

Trails between doe beds or scrapes along bedding. I prefer to use my Code Blacks which require a one minute delay for transmission purposes. In reality, it's 90 seconds to 2 minutes. I'd do lower if possible, but that's technology right now. I value the ability to get pics in this manner without the need for intrusion. I only need one pic to tell me the bucks are crusing doe bedding. This setup does have its limits - it can work so well it is scary. But it also can cause you to miss a deer if not careful. I learned a valuable lesson at the cost of "Bases" the large non typical that we let slip through our hands this past year because of that delay. It was a tough pill to swallow to let a lifetime buck slip through because of a perceived confidence in the cam set. We had all the clues from the cam, but we failed to recognize it, unfortunately. We mapped out an encounter with "the resident" darn near to the day based on cam info we had the year before at this spot. He started showing up in late October on the cam in the afternoons. Historically, he was really active Nov. 4-8th in this spot, checking does. Nov. 4th rolls around and the wind is right. So, a friend hunts the set. I get a text of the buck at the cam, a mere 40 yards from the stand. A poor shot at 20 yards kept that buck alive, despite some bloodloss.

 

Fast forward to Nov. 6 - the day after we spent hour and hours and hours tracking the above buck in that area. We totally disregarded a doe moving super fast across the cam an hour before light. I looked at my phone, and we all said, let's go elsewhere since we stunk up the area. I should have known better. Bases was chasing that doe all around that area for several hours. I had hung a second regular cam set at a 10 second delay about 20 yards from the Code Black and I got some magical chase sequences of this giant bumping her all around that morning. Unfortunately, every pic triggered by the Code Black was of the doe as she would trigger it and him trailing, was never picked up. We literally should have known better. But, that's life. It's a prime example how delays can be your worst enemy. We never got a pic of Bases on the Code Black because of the delay. Some day I will post the pics when I am bored. Magical to see and frustrating at the same time given what happened to the buck.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

 

[phade]

I forgot to add I always set for three pics per trigger.

 

Cams equipped with standard burst or fast burst need to be experimented with to see what works best from an exposure and timing POV and also illumination. Some models in each mode will either have the IRs fire and stay on or blink on and off. Faster, shorter blips are better. No blips even better. Black Flash FTW!

[dbHunterNY]

I didn't know any of the back story of that buck and your trail cam deal but now that you layed it all out, I can say I've had the same thing happen to me.  It was observed with eyes though and not a second cam.  I don't have enough cams to keep two close together like that.  also it sounds like it wasn't a buck that big! lol  good info though.  I'd add that it's shocking how many put a cam looking at the trail instead of down the trail and then get pictures of the scenery, especially during chasing phase.  also big open hardwoods with cams pointed to the east people can't seem to figure out.

[nyslowhand]

I don't have the option of putting cams in fields, so I'm referencing my cam use mainly in wood/brush lots and ATV paths. But. the trade-off for using multiburst mode along with shorter delays is many photos of squirrels, coons, birds, etc. BUT...When that nice buck poses, it's all worth it! Remember in summertime they are in bachelor groups, so a single photo with a longer delay might not tell the whole story! This is one reason I got hooked on video clips.

[Lawdwaz]

Thanks phade.  That is good info I'll play with and put to use this summer.  4th of July is when I start to hang mine and get a peak at all the young fawns, doe and velvet horned bucks.

 

You take it to a much higher degree than me and most others here and I and I hope others appreciate the tips.

 

I've always used the 60 second setting with a three shot burst and can totally see (THAT doesn't make sense ) what I could be missing.

 

 

[phade]

No problem.

 

If you have a cam with good quality video, I'd suggest using that in areas where bachelor groups roam in July/August. Video delay is a bit longer for every cam as compared to pic trigger speed, but usually groups are slow moving at that time of year.

 

The video set at 10-15 seconds on a one minute delay will give you better info (again if the video is HD quality). You get a better look at the rack and can make up age guesses better.

 

I do video for July /August on a few cams, then move over to pics. Videos in season are on scrapes or small plots, areas where they will stay there for a while or be moving slowly. Trails, unless I can aim down the trail far, I opt for pics.