Best stealth cam for foxes and deer?

I have 2 older model Bushnells and they are great but my understanding is that the newer model Bushnells aren't so good in terms of reliability or image quality and flash range. I suspect that some of the other makers may, currently, have passed Bushnell by.

Trail cameras seem to be "fashion" items in many respects and so it is worth considering buying "last year's model" as you can save a lot of money and, certainly with Bushnell, actually get a better camera. They are, however, disposable items in the sense that there is a lot of sensitive electronics in a cheap plastic box so they have a finite life and in that respect I don't think a second hand one is a good idea.

One important factor is the trigger speed - some cameras are very slow indeed and this can mean that you get a lot of "empty" photos because the animal has moved out of shot before the camera actually takes the photo. For me I'd say this is about the most important factor.

Also a lot of cameras proved not to be too reliable in terms of triggering - i.e. they didn't always detect an animal walking in front of them and so gave a very distorted impression of what was moving about. Again Bushnell had a great reputation in this area.

The other factor that won me over to the 2012 Bushnells was a genuine one year battery life. Apart from reducing running costs it is handy to put the camera out and not worry about it for a while plus I did some "time lapse" videos where I took 3 images every minute and put them together to make a video of a forest over a period of months. This was tens of thousands of images so it was handy not to be changing batteries.

It is worth understanding that trail cameras are, basically, a short range device and so to get the best out of them you need the camera to be about 10 - 20 feet from the animal you are capturing. If you place the camera looking at a huge field you will be disappointed as they tend to do better in confined places where the animals are "funneled" in front of the camera either by bait (food) or on a game trail.

Take a look at the chasing game trail camera forums as these people take their cameras very seriously indeed and always know what is currently considered reliable while getting the best images:

Chasingame.com discussion forum Index page
 
I have used several models of older Bushnell Trophy cams but have now settled on the 119676 (2014) model with a quoted 0.3s trigger speed. I have a number of very clear pictures of flying jays and crows that have triggered the camera. This model seems to be better than the older models I've used with regard to picture quality and flash range although I have had one of mine break at the new 'stronger' snap shut hinge! And I thought the new design was meant to be better. I'm very pleased with mine and have not come across another cheaper trail cam that beats this model.
 
+1 for Bushnell. Had mine for 5 years, very handy at bait points. Saves a great deal of time sitting out for problem foxes.
 
What's the best one I can get for hubby's Christmas?

Hi I have quite a few Acorn cameras that have been working 24/7 now for almost a year, they don't cost the earth and will take still shots and videos, they are very simple to use and have loads of features. I put mine in steel security boxes wrapped in CAMO tape and secured to a tree with a sturdy cable lock. So far I have been very pleased with both the performance and the photos.

regards WB
 
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