Trail Cam Security

[IrvJr]

Hi All,

I bought a pair of relatively inexpensive ($60 apiece) trail cams from Dick's sporting goods. Instead of buying one very expensive camera, I got two cheaper ones. I've done some testing and the picture quality is acceptable to me.

Deer season is over here in NH, but I've found some spots recently where there is evidence of a lot of deer activity (scrapes, poop, pee, tracks, etc.). I'd like to set up my trail cams to get some photos of these deer.

I was wondering if it would be worthwhile to purchase lock boxes for these trail cams. The lock boxes would cost almost as much as the trail cams if I include shipping. They are about $42 shipped per box.

How do you secure your trail cams? Do you lock them to the tree? Do you try to camouflage them? Do you just leave them be?

Thanks in advance!\

[Gbro]

What ever is comfortable to you is my answer.
I have a Cuddybac that cost me over $400.00 and it has a place to hang a lock but what good would all that do to someone who is of a mind to steal it? It would probably be shot or smashed in anger anyway.
Then I have a neighbor at the lake that locks "EVERYTHING", but he was a security gauard and that is what was comfortable to him.
What is the old saying? Locks only keep what??

[wpcexpert]

I finally got a Cuddeback this year. Not the $400 one. But I was just strapping it to the tree. Then I went to change out the SD card. The card was gone and one battery. I figure that someone had walked past it, realized they had their picture taken and removed the evidence. Like I really care if someone walked past it on public land.

I got the Bear safe box for it. Now someone would have to have equipment on the spot to mess with it.

The boxes may cost almost as much as the cameras, true. But you've also got $15-20 in SD card and batteries. Also, how much is your time worth. You take the time to scout and hang your camera, leave it for a week and go back. If it's gone, you've lost not only the materials but the time as well. And someone will have your hard work sitting at the house.

[cnimrod]

depends on your risk tolerance and how accessible the area is, who hunts the area and such, but I'd say if you're willing to buy lock boxes which cost (almost) as much as the cameras. I'd take the risk. One gets stolen replace it and set up the other one, well hidden, to watch it. ( there was just a case on F&S I think where they caught a slob hunter this way)
I have one on private property but accessible off a "public" power line never had a problem. But other areas I hunt I've "lost" ground blinds I've left out. It comes down to numbers, the more hunters you have in an area the greater the odds of a bad apple.