How to Place a Trail Camera
Trail cameras are great tools to use for capturing wildlife images. You can use trail cameras for scouting deer, bear, turkey or other animals for hunting or simply for photographic purposes. Trail cameras are often easy to use, but some care should be taken when placing and checking them so that the animals aren't scared away from the area.
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Instructions
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Make sure the camera has good batteries and a card inside that will hold several pictures. This way you won't have to check it every couple of days, possibly scaring off any animals that are nearby.
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Wear clean clothes and make sure you aren't wearing cologne or smell of any other fragrance, such as those from shampoo or deodorant. Your scent can linger in the area for up to 36 hours, scaring away any animals or preventing them from entering the area near the camera.
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Locate an area frequently occupied by the animals you want to capture on the camera. For deer, the best place for the camera is near a food plot that deer frequent. Watch for tracks and signs of animals. A trail is also a good location for the camera.
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Find a sturdy tree near the location that is slightly obscured behind limbs or other trees. This makes the camera less noticable. Make sure the camera has a clear shot of the area.
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Place the camera against the tree and take a picture. Look at the picture to make sure the camera sits at an appropriate height.
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Use the supplied straps and mounting hardware to secure the camera to the tree. Sometimes a curious animal may actually touch or rub the camera, so make sure it is fitted snug against the tree.
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Check the camera once a week at the most. The more often you go to the camera, the more likely you are to be seen or smelled by the animals, causing them to leave the area.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a digital trail camera instead of a film camera. Digital cameras can take and store thousands of pictures while film cameras are extremely limited. Some expensive digital trail cameras can email you every picture taken from the trail.
