How To Detect Trail Cameras in Woods

How To Detect Trail Cameras in Woods [Tips For Finding in 2023]

Trail cameras are highly practical tools that are not only used in woods to plan your next hunting, or monitor wildlife but are also used for research and protection of your large properties.

This post is for you if you’re going to utilize a trail camera for the first time or always have issues and can’t easily reposition it. Do not skip any sections of this guide, as it will provide you with the information you need to figure out how to detect trail cameras.

How To Find Trail Cameras in The Woods

1.      Start From the Most Obvious Places

Trail cameras are usually placed at an angle where they can get maximum coverage of wildlife. That makes higher branches of trees most suitable place to detect them. Therefore, when you start your hunt for finding your trail camera, start by looking at the high branches of trees.

Trail cameras are also hidden by tree twigs, dried leaves, and anything else that will help them camouflage them easily. Therefore, look for it in shrubs, on top of leaf-covered limbs, and in gloomy areas.

Because the animals will quickly become aware of trail camera if it is maintained in a location where sunlight can enter woods and they will flee. For this reason, camera is positioned higher than animal’s line of sight, where it is perfectly concealed and out of the animal’s field of vision.

2.    Always Maintain A Landmark

As difficult as it may sound, keeping a landmark of the place where you are going to place your trail camera in woods will be extremely helpful. You can easily detect trail cameras in your preferred areas with their landmarks set in your mind.

3.      Keep Its Shape And Color In Mind

Most trail cameras come in different green shades that make it hard to spot by wildlife as they usually can not see different shades of green. Start your search by remembering that exact shade of green in your mind.

Also, lens and straps of trail cameras cannot be covered by any means, so you can also look for them on top of higher branches of trees where you might have placed them.

4.      Find It Out by Detecting Its Flashlight

Trail camera’s flashlight can help you find trail camera if you go looking for it at night or in low light. As trail camera takes a photo or records a video, light is emitted. So that it will begin recording your video and generating light when you arrive at the precise area where you set it. You can see light, even if it is not very bright because of low battery. Its faint, low glowy light also makes it easy to identify.

NOTE: This tip is only helpful if your camera is equipped with a low-glow flash.

5.      Identify By the Sounds

There are several cheap trail cameras that make sounds while capturing pictures or shooting a video. Though the sound is not intense enough to alert animals or thieves, you can spot by detecting its sound when you are near to trail camera. Even if you haven’t seen a trail camera before, you would not face difficulty in spot it by detecting mild sound.

Though this type of noise-making camera is not suitable for hunting.

6.      Making Use of GPS Tracker

Although, expensive trail cameras come with their own GPS tracker. You can also purchase one if yours do not have one. Utilizing a GPS tracker is most efficient way to find trail cameras in woods whether it is day or night.

But before placing your trail camera in wood make sure the GPS tracker is weather resistant and well connected with your smart device.

How Often to Check Trail Cameras

Checking trail cameras too often might be a bad idea especially if you want to capture wildlife going by their routine. Because doing so will leave your scent behind you and wildlife will start to avoid that place.

Location Matters

Location plays an important role in determining how often to check trail cameras. For example, if your camera is located at a place that can be visited through a well-developed road then checking it too often will not going to do any damage.

But, as mentioned earlier, if you are using trail cameras in woods to record or hunt wildlife then checking it too often will disrupt your success.

Verifying Trail Cams Online

Capability of some cameras to send images via a cellular network is a fantastic feature. If you live far from your land and it is not practical for you to check them as frequently as you would like, the cell-capable cameras function nicely. For absentee landowners or cameras installed in difficult-to-reach places, cameras that convey photographs via email or text messaging might be quite helpful. It can be quite alluring to check cameras every few days, but keep in mind that doing so too frequently and leaving a human scent behind can be detrimental to your hunting and land management efforts.

Frequently Asked Questions About To Detect Trail Cameras in Woods

How High Off the Ground Should A Trail Camera Be?

Although there isn’t a standard height, it’s normally ideal to maintain cameras at a deer’s height, or around 3 feet tall. Place the camera 6 to 7 feet higher and out of deer’s line of sight if you believe animals will be startled by presence of trail camera.

What Is the Best Direction To Point A Trail Camera?

Worst position to point your trail camera is East or West, where all photos will be blurred due to presence of Sun. Therefore, it is safe to say that North is best direction to face your camera. This way you will not face Sun directly and will receive clear photos.

Will Birds Trigger Trail Cameras?

Due to their speed and small size, birds can only be photographed using a trail camera that can detect small, swift movements. And it depends upon sensitivity of motion sensor, shutter speed, and the resolution of camera.

How Can I Hide My Trail Camera?

Start by hiding your camera at a height as people rarely look up while walking. You can also make your camera disappear by using leaves and twigs.

Other options are to use decoy cameras or no-glow cameras. Installing them in low-traffic area can also work in your favor.

How Far Can A Trail Camera Take A Picture?

It depends upon the range of trail camera. Range of a trail camera usually varies from 20ft to 80ft.

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