primos32
Well-Known Member
BSK said:Want to see some IR scare? Watch the first few frames of this video:
I have too many videos just like that one BSK from an IR cam! Thinking about saving up for a black flash.
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Proof of White Flash Scare
- Thread starter gil1
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I have too many videos just like that one BSK from an IR cam! Thinking about saving up for a black flash.
BSK
Well-Known Member
DaveB said:
Just remember that there is a big difference between flash "spook" and flash "avoidance." I have seen many instances when visible flash does not "spook" deer (does not make them jump away from the camera). Yet those same deer still display camera "avoidance" (learn not to walk in front of the camera over time). Start using a black-flash camera in those situations, and camera avoidance declines dramatically.
Until a person has tried one of the better black-flash cameras, they generally don't realize how much camera avoidance they are experiencing. Of those I've talked to, 95+% of the people who actually try a good quality black-flash camera admit they make a difference.
BSK
Well-Known Member
primos32 said:
Although they are still not "cheap," there are some darn good black-flash cameras on the market this year in the $175-225 range. I suspect we will see even better (and cheaper) black-flash units on the market next year.
Crosshairy
Well-Known Member
I haven't noticed any deer spooking on all the IR pictures I took last year. Perhaps it helped that I put the mineral spot on the off side of the trail from the camera...basically the deer turn slightly away from the camera as they come down the trail towards the mineral lick.
I got lots of side-to-side pictures of deer, but only 1 or 2 small bucks ever noticed the camera enough to look directly at it, and they didn't spook.
Beats me. Strangely enough, I haven't run a single trail cam this year, as I started hunting some out-of-the-way public land a lot more and obviously don't want to leave them out there.
I got lots of side-to-side pictures of deer, but only 1 or 2 small bucks ever noticed the camera enough to look directly at it, and they didn't spook.
Beats me. Strangely enough, I haven't run a single trail cam this year, as I started hunting some out-of-the-way public land a lot more and obviously don't want to leave them out there.
Crosshairy
Well-Known Member
To build upon my previous post...
My particular camera site had a single good trail running past it. I took a hand saw in the early season and cut several saplings alongside the trail to make sure they "stuck to the path" a bit more before hitting the mineral lick and rub tree.
The lick itself was placed beside a small sapling that appeared to be used for scent marking, rubs, and scrapes (my hope was that they would hit that spot for that reason during deer season, even if they had no use for the mineral lick).
The "mini" Moutrie IR came was placed on a tree of diameter greater than the camera, and I picked a tree with a couple of saplings on either side that obscured the side view (in case approaching deer would see it triggered by another deer in front).
I got pictures of deer of various ages, including one buck that appeared to be 3.5 years, a few coyotes, armadillos, skunks, foxes, and "something else" (maybe a mink or weasel?). I got about 70% nocturnal pictures, and none of those appeared to be startled by the camera. Only the coyotes and the young bucks ever even faced the camera to show any interest.
With my luck, next season it will probably run every deer in the area out of there...
My particular camera site had a single good trail running past it. I took a hand saw in the early season and cut several saplings alongside the trail to make sure they "stuck to the path" a bit more before hitting the mineral lick and rub tree.
The lick itself was placed beside a small sapling that appeared to be used for scent marking, rubs, and scrapes (my hope was that they would hit that spot for that reason during deer season, even if they had no use for the mineral lick).
The "mini" Moutrie IR came was placed on a tree of diameter greater than the camera, and I picked a tree with a couple of saplings on either side that obscured the side view (in case approaching deer would see it triggered by another deer in front).
I got pictures of deer of various ages, including one buck that appeared to be 3.5 years, a few coyotes, armadillos, skunks, foxes, and "something else" (maybe a mink or weasel?). I got about 70% nocturnal pictures, and none of those appeared to be startled by the camera. Only the coyotes and the young bucks ever even faced the camera to show any interest.
With my luck, next season it will probably run every deer in the area out of there...
primos32
Well-Known Member
BSK said:
If you don't mind, which ones do you believe are decent cams in that price range?
BSK
Well-Known Member
primos32 said:
The ones I'm recommending right now are:
Moultrie M-80 Black
Covert Black 60
Uway VH200B
Now much of that recommendation comes from other users' reviews. Of the three, I have only used the Uway VH200B (and absolutely love it; I will be buying more of these). I've not been a fan of Moultrie products in the past (poor reliability and poor customer service), but from what I'm hearing, it sounds like Moultire has greatly improved both with the M-80 model. The Covert is of the same quality and reliability as the Bushnell Trophy Cam, although I've heard the Covert's battery holder comparment has some problems and, in my opinion, the pictures from the Covert are a bit fuzzy. The pictures from the VH200B are grainy, but sharp (not fuzzy). Of the three, the Moultrie definitely takes the best pictures with the best illumination. However, another thing I like about the VH200B is the ability to plug in a black-flash flash extender to the camera (and the flash extender is controlled by the settings of the camera). That adds another $80 to the total price, but I'm getting well over 100 feet of illumination using the flash extenders with the VH200B (great for pointing into food plots).
I didn't include the Bushnell Trophy Cam HD in my list because, from what I'm hearing, I believe deer can see (and will react to) the low glow of that camera's illumination.
Do you guys that are having problems with deer spooking from cams ever try to put cams above the deer's line of sight??? Also need to make sure your cams arent making audible sounds when they take pics. The old truthcams were bad about making a "clunking" sound.
primos32
Well-Known Member
BSK said:
Thanks BSK! I have had the Moultrie M-80 IR since it came out and it has been reliable so far. The deer just see the flash. May have to look into purchasing one of those 3 this spring! Thanks again for the info!
Roost 1 said:
This past season, I started putting my red IR cameras about 6 ft hight and tilting them down slightly. I had zero pictures of deer spooked, and only a very few of them even noticing the light. IF you use red IR cameras, that is the way to go imo.
As much as folks are bashing red IR cameras - they do have their upside - inexpensive and excellent battery life are among the upside.
BSK
Well-Known Member
pastorbmp said:
I wholeheartedly agree with that pastorbmp. I bash them as a primary camera, but I still have a couple of old ones that work great (Bushnell Trophy Cams, SG550 Scoutguards, etc.). I use them for short-term placement in small food plots. Yes, deer learn to avoid them fairly quickly, but then I move them "somewhere else."
BSK
Well-Known Member
Roost 1 said:
That technique (mount high and point down) absolutely will work to reduce camera spook and avoidance with visible flash cameras. But the problem with it is reduced trigger area. Once the camera is pointed downwards, you are basically only covering a "spot on the ground" the deer have to walk through to trigger the camera. Now in certain circumstances that's fine, such as a salt lick, bait pile, or scrape. But it doesn't work so well for covering an "general area" of deer activity.
Rick Dillard
Well-Known Member
BSK said:
BSK,
I became part of that 95+% when I starting using a Covert Extreme Black 60 camera a few months ago. The increase in the number of photos I was getting over scrapes was phenomenal. With white flash cameras I typically would get one photo of a particular buck and it would disappear. With the black flash camera, I get numerous photos of a buck at a scrape, and the bucks revisit the scrapes. In all the photos the deer seem completely relaxed. I'm convinced!!!!
Rick Dillard
Well-Known Member
BSK said:
One of DLC Covert's new models for 2013 is the MP6 Black (black flash) camera. It is a smaller, economical version of the Extreme Black 60. The retail price for this camera is supposed to be around $159. If the features and picture quality are similar to the Extreme Black 60, I plan to get several later this year. My goal is to phase out my white flash cameras for scrape surveillance and only use them for census surveys over bait.
BSK
Well-Known Member
Glad to hear about the cheaper-priced Covert Rick. The lower the price the better.
Walmart in Rockwood, TN has several Primos black flash cameras on clearance for $99.
Solo Hunter
Well-Known Member
I went to the smaller IR cameras to try and conceal them from tresspassing night time hunters seeing the white flash go off and taking them. I sold all of my huge flash cameras to buy smaller IRs. I never had a flash camera stole but had 2 IRs stolen this first year. What luck!
