Aug 24, 2010

Using trail cameras to control deer and other wildlife

By Derrek Sigler, Assistant Editor

One of the first steps in controlling wildlife and varmints and stopping them from damaging your crops is having a solid handle on what is doing the damage, when they are doing the damage and how they are gaining access to your crops. One of the easiest and most effective ways to do this is a trail camera.

Trail cameras are popular with deer hunters who want to know if and when bucks are coming around the area they intend to hunt. They also let hunters know everything that makes movement around that area. These cameras are outfitted with a motion sensor that triggers the camera whenever there is a set amount of motion within the range of the sensor. A gentle breeze fluttering leaves will not generally trigger the camera, but a raccoon, skunk or deer walking by would.

Costs?

Cameras range widely in price, mostly due to manufacturers and features. They can be as little as $50 and as much as $500, depending on what you want the camera to do. Most work as a digital camera, offering different clarity ratios from less than one megapixel to past eight. Some have no flash, some have a regular flash and others still have an infrared flash that cannot be seen by animals. Others offer the option of shooting in video, for various lengths of time.

As an example, there’s the Bushnell Trophy Cam. This camera captures both photos and video footage of the deer and other animals in the area for around $200. There is an SD card slot with a 16 GB capacity for storing as many pictures as you can look at. The 32 infrared night vision LEDs allow the PIR sensor to activate out to 45 feet.
You can choose from three megapixel settings. Select 3.0 megapixels store the maximum amount of images. Go with 5.0 megapixels for a combination of storage capacity and great resolution. The 8.0 megapixels setting will provide for the greatest image clarity.

Programmable video lengths from one second to 60 seconds allow you to get good footage of that buck and study him from every angle. The interval trigger is programmable for between one-second and 60-minute shots. Other features are a day/night auto sensor, a time-lapse mode and a date and time stamp to let you know when the critters are coming around. It comes with an adjustable web strap for securing it to a tree or post. There is an available security box to keep it safe from bears and from those who might steal it.

Why do you want one?

If you intend to manage the wildlife on your property, you need to know what you’re dealing with. That information can help you apply for a crop damage permit to eliminate part of the population, or it can help you select tools such as fences or gates.

A game camera is an efficient and easy way to know what pests on your land, when they are there and what they are doing. It can silently report population numbers and activities without disrupting the normal behavior of the animals it records. This is a key element of the game camera. If you disrupt the animal before you take action, you cannot accurately control it.

A game camera can provide clear evidence of damage being done to your crops. This can make control decisions much easier. If the camera you select has this feature, you can have the date and time stamped on the image. This is great information to have when planning an elimination hunt, a regular hunting season or doing something as simple as setting your spray timer for irrigation.

Game cameras are available just about anywhere sporting goods are sold. Shopping around some will get you the best price for the type of camera you’re looking for.