Trail cameras

[Walnut Beast]

Yes. Hopefully I'll get some better looks at his one side and see what's going on there. That Camera is off the Reconyx Hyperfire 2. I took the picture with my phone onto the big screen tv so it doesn't come in very good

[Wlmedley]

I don't have a trail camera but my neighbor does.He sent me these pictures.He must have a pretty good camera.

 

  

[beenthere]

Wlmedley
Those phone pics from a TV monitor too?

Here is a screen shot from a short video of a trail cam event. Have to recover the SD card to see the 20 sec. videos of each trail event.


 

[Wlmedley]

I don't know much about them except he sent them from his phone to mine saying I might want to know what's in the woods behind my house and that he got them from his trail cam.

[DDW_OR]

A funny tree 12 miles north of Glendive Montana

I call it the star wars ewok AT-AT

[kantuckid]

I enjoyed the game pics here but have a different purpose in mind with this thread.
Our home is far from the public road and thus any buggerman has a free shot when nobody is home. Probably helps some that my paved road "neighbor" is a state cop with his SUV cruiser parked across the road from both of our mailboxes. All locals know his home too and his 5 kids are typically there when not in school. 
I've been putting this idea off, but security cameras make good sense and has been suggested as my better solution by people I know. FWIW, I don't have or desire to own another dog and if we did travel it would not get easily fed on site as we have no family here.
 
I'd rather not spend big bucks or get involved with lots of cameras and too much techy stuff but envision a camera down at our private road entry gate (well above the initial entry point) and another focused on the homes door entryways. They'd be mounted on a tree not easily seen.
Ideas? Thanks! 

[Walnut Beast]

Reconyx are known for their cameras and video ones for security, research and game cameras all over the world. They have a few special models that are license plate ones and select models that differ from the trail cam models. I've tried all the cameras out there and Reconyx is the best hands down. Easy to operate, longevity, just a quality product that you can depend on for years with excellent pictures and video 


https://www.reconyx.com/product/Security_Series?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsL_anLyo-gIV2xatBh0O_QVGEAAYASADEgK3A_D_BwE

[Walnut Beast]

You are thinking high location that's great but don't rule out low locations that could be a ornament with a camera in it or a fake rock. Think creative! A old trash can with a cutout in it for camera for instance

[beenthere]

Ideas?

So assume you have a trail cam up. And you get pics of who drives in and out of your driveway.  
I have such a cam set up, and once in awhile a vehicle shows up that I don't recognize. If in the daytime, some features of the vehicle (SUV, color, pickup, van, etc.) are distinguishable. License plate usually not readable. If at night, then only can see the lights shining, and no distinguishable characteristics.

Now, what can be done with that information? I've decided "not much". I make a note on my calendar of the date and time a "ghost" vehicle uses the drive, but that is the extent of my reaction.

What would you do with that info?

I've concluded the best defense is to rely on motion detectors that turn on lights at night to let "visitors" know they have been "detected". What they do with that info will depend on their intentions. I don't have a "security light" that burns all the time, as don't plan to light an intruders way around my property.

[kantuckid]

I get you point with the lighting and cameras-was hoping there's a camera that would work for this situ. I tried the motion sensor lights for several years, long time back. Living deep in a forested area the deer come out to play often and set off the lights constantly and the motion settings become a pesty effort that we finally took them down. When at home I'm not gonna wake up when the lights come on(I sleep soundly between pee sessions ;D and if we're still up watching TV evenings, I'm not gonna grab a 9mm every time a light flashes like we experienced with them previously.
I guess I thought if they could show animal face they could allow a human identity too.
We have a neighbor who checks on our place during winter snowbird travel but far from timely, day to day checks overall.
The boogerman can easily take whatever they want here when nobodies home, and truth be known thats the same for many in my rural area as homes are hidden from view. It helps that most crimes here are person to person domestic stuff or drug transactions combined with an extremely low population.
Living here nearly 50 years now I've been on ONE trial on jury duty and past year of jury duty zero trials. Court news is vehicles stuff and domestic. Many here don't lock even there homes or bother with car keys etc..  
I/we dislike security lights! If I had my way they would be mostly illegal unless it's a farmyard situation or a business property. 
My mind remains open to ideas.

[Walnut Beast]

Just get a Reconyx security cell camera! Have it out in the open! Secured or unsecured. If they rip it off either way you will have all the footage and instantly call the sheriff or have it monitored by them

[barbender]

Someone suggested a bird house on a fence post along the driveway for a place to hide a trail cam to me once, seemed like a good idea.

[Walnut Beast]

Good call Barbender!

[beenthere]

My point with a motion sensor light was not to be alerted to an intruder, but to let the intruder know that their movement has been detected.. thus the area lights up.

I don't run to get a gun when the yard light comes on in the middle of the night. If I'm up, I may step to the window to see if it is a deer, a bobcat, or a coyote that set it off.

There are drive alarm sensors that are cheap and solar powered that let me know if they are tripped at several points along my drive. If one goes off, then likely is the mail delivery. If the second one goes off then something is partway up the drive, and if the 3rd one rings, then likely a vehicle has made it past the mailbox, around the curve in the drive, and nearly at the house.
Few surprises finding someone at the door for a visit and not already knowing they are there.

The alarm system is eMacros driveway alarm. Has been very reliable. Even used it on a deer trail that I couldn't see from my blind, but would alert me to movement along that trail while sitting in the blind. Works great too.

https://www.emacros.com/products/emacros-no-diy-security-alert-system-monitor-wireless-solar-driveway-alarm-no-need-to-replace-battery

[Old Greenhorn]

I like those motion sensor lights a lot. I have one across from my side door now that goes on when we open it and lights the way to the garage where the freezer is, then another if you turn right and head to the shop, it also illuminates the wood pile for night fetching of wood. If you continue toward the shop, about halfway across the yard another one on the front of the shop comes on to light the rest of the way, but it casts a shadow around the side door, so I put a small battery powered one it the corner of the door frame to just light that area. If I go out the back door of the shop I have another battery one on the shed that will provide light so I can fetch in the firewood there. Somehow it comes on as soon as I turn the door handle. ;D
 The two by the house are solar, the one on the front of the shop is wired, and those little battery ones on the shed and the shop door take C batteries that last at least a year out in the weather. I have to change the one on the shop door, that is 2 years old. All these lights are more for safety and convenience than security. I have to fill the shop stove every night, so I can walk out there without a flashlight or flipping switches and see the ground when it's icy. They are hands free. If they do go off in the middle of the night, it's wildlife mostly. The one on the shop though, I will get up and check to make sure because I do worry about that. Most times though, it is Bill's wife who pulls into the front of my shop to borrow our WIFI when they lose it at their house. She can work from her car. :D ;D
 The next solar one I get will replace the battery one on the shed, I think. I could use a brighter one there. I get the ones from HF for less that 30 bucks, pretty bright.

[kantuckid]

I tried two different motion sensors both of which were impossible to adjust to not come on during windy weather and they came on way too often. 
I'll pass on the $4-500 bucks cameras. 
The suggestion that I "run for a gun" is off the mark for my temperament. :D 
My point was that it is part of our ability to protect ourselves. We both worked in corrections and juvenile treatment so are well aware of the scarier ones of our worlds inhabitants. 

[Walnut Beast]

Well look what we got Mr Bob

 

[Mooseherder]

That's a big kitty.

[terry f]

Here is one of my security cams, this one doesn't send video, but takes it. This was a couple hours ago and sixty miles away, bears love to mess with the skidder 😊I have videos of them crawling all over it

 

[barbender]

They are a curious critter for sure!

[Walnut Beast]

Terry you could put a little care package of goodies for them on the machine for a nice little surprise snack while the camera is on them

[terry f]

Walnut Beast, haha, they don't need any encouragement, I left a soda on the hood once and a little guy got up to get it, knocked it off, and didn't even get a taste😊

[terry f]

Couple hours ago, little guy😊🐻

 

[Walnut Beast]

Keep them pictures coming 🐻 👍

[DDW_OR]

. ......I guess I thought if they could show animal face they could allow a human identity too.
.........My mind remains open to ideas.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=115428.msg1832567;topicseen#msg1832567
i have a Reolink system in Oregon.
it has options for human and vehicle detection.
that said, it will still show a bug flying in front of the camera as a person or as a vehicle
but it does eliminate the 4 legged critters
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=115354.msg1823798;topicseen#msg1823798