So you've heard all about the brand new game camera that your buddy bought for his deer hunting stand. But did he tell you how many photos he missed because it was too dark, or the camera wasn't fast enough?
Buying a new game camera for deer hunting or bear hunting is an important decision. Of course the cost is important, but most hunters will tell you that the real cost is when you miss that once-in-a-lifetime photo of the 16 point buck that's roaming around your hunting grounds. Dark or blurry photos won't do you any good come opening day of deer hunting season.
There are a number of things that you should consider before purchasing your new game camera. Without getting too technical we'll try to review the important points so that you can purchase the best game camera to suit your style of hunting and territory.
Things to investigate before buying a game camera:
* Digital vs. Analog
* Color vs. Black-And-White
* Quality Of Picture And Resolution
* Infrared vs. Flash
* Battery Life
* Theft Deterrent System
* Trigger Speed and Wake Up Speed
* Ease-Of-Use
* Cost
Most people would agree that the only type of camera to buy today is a digital game camera. Digital game cameras are so much easier to use and you can simply download the photos to your computer instead of having to get a film developed and reprints made at the store. Also, color is almost always the answer since there is very little reason to purchase a black-and-white camera unless you are trying to achieve some sort of artistic photography.
The quality and resolution of the pictures from your game camera will vary depending on the model. Most game cameras today provide anywhere between 2 and 7 megapixels resolution. If you want to take high quality photos that might be enlarged someday you should purchase a game camera with a minimum of 3 megapixels.
Infrared game cameras allow you to take photos at night without frightening most animals. Instead of using a flash, the infrared digital game camera will take a photo in almost complete darkness without frightening the game. As you know most animals are nocturnal and most active just before dawn or throughout the night. As a result, many of your best photo opportunities can be late at night or just before daybreak.
Battery life is an issue with many game cameras. Since your trail camera will sit outside in cold and extreme weather for long periods of time, the environment is very harsh on the batteries. Most manufacturers make up for this with either reduced numbers of photos per charge, or large batteries.
A very important feature that you need to investigate is the trigger speed and wake up speed of a digital game camera. To conserve power most trail cameras go into a sleep mode until an animal triggers the camera. Since deer and bear and other animals can move very quickly, you want to purchase a game camera that can wake up extremely fast and also has a very fast shutter speed. The faster the shutter speed the less blurred the photo will be with a fast-moving animal.
Most good game cameras today will have some sort of theft deterrent system and locking mechanism so that you can lock the camera to your tree or mount. Unfortunately, one of the main problems with game cameras is that they are easy prey for thieves since there is usually no one in the remote area to watch them.
Of course ease-of-use, simple menu features, and reasonable cost are also factors that you need to consider. The cost for game cameras runs between $200 and $600, depending on speed of the lens, features, and popularity. There are a number of brands to choose from, including Moultrie, Cuddeback, Reconyx, and Bushnell. Each of these brands has its own advantages and disadvantages and some are more costly than others.
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