Best Trail Cameras 2024
Those who are not ready to spend much time learning the differences between a host of trail cameras can skip reading our review and use the table below to jump to the best gear in the target category. But if you don?t want to cut corners, explore our tips on choosing game cams for various needs, complemented with a more detailed description of options deserving your attention.
| Best Trail Camera | Category | |
|---|---|---|
| Vikeri B1 Trail Camera | Trail Cameras Under $50 | See it |
| Vikeri 4K Trail Camera | Trail Cameras Under $100 | See it |
| Browning Recon Force Patriot FHD Trail Camera | Trail Cameras Under $200 | See it |
| CAMPARKCAM 2-Pack Trail Cameras | Trail Cameras 2 Pack | See it |
| Spartan GoLive2 4G LTE Trail Camera | 4G LTE Trail Cameras | See it |
How to Choose a Trail Camera
Basically, you have two ways to choose from ? bury yourself in technical details and figure out the best combination of features for your needs and budget on your own or rely on reviews and ratings created by users and experts. If you prefer the first approach, you need to consider things like:
- Resolution. A higher resolution is required if you need detailed images.
- Trigger speed. A fast trigger speed is important when you track fast-moving animals.
- Detection range. A wide detection range helps to capture more activity in large areas.
- Night vision technology. You have to choose between white flash, low glow, and no glow cameras.
- Storage. Images can be stored on a memory card, sent to cloud storage, or delivered to your mobile device via Wi-Fi or a cell network.
- Power. Game cams are generally powered by AA batteries but can be designed to connect to solar panels and battery boxes.
If working through technical specifications is not your cup of tea, you can try and find what you need among the devices hand-picked for our list.
Best Trail Cameras Under $50
WOSPORTS Mini Trail Camera
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WHAT WE THINK
Although it cannot boast an impressive distance range, a fast recovery rate, and crystal-clear pictures, the WOSPORTS camera is a good pick for those who need a compact, reliable, and easy-to-use cam with no bells and whistles. Given the attractive price, you will be able to pack your hunting area with a handful of WOSPORTS cams for the cost of one high-end device.
Wildgame Innovations Terra Extreme Trail Camera
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WHAT WE THINK
Since this cam comes with few customization opportunities, some of its users might be disappointed, while others will enjoy a fast and simple setup process. The narrow field of view and low sensitivity of the motion sensor make this cam somewhat clumsy, and the pictures are often overexposed and pixilated, yet they are good enough for you to see what wildlife is in your area.
Vikeri B1 Trail Camera
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WHAT WE THINK
Falling in the same price range, this cam offers an extended set of features, including burst shooting of up to 10 pictures, no-glow infrared LEDs, and audio recording added to videos. You should take notice of a micro SD card used instead of the standard one and the power module, which is divided into two groups (for 4 and 8 batteries), but aside from that, it is a user-friendly gear that produces pictures and videos of very good quality.
Best Trail Cameras Under $100
Vikeri 4K Trail Camera
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WHAT WE THINK
Similar to its cheaper version, this Vikeri cam has audio recording, a time-lapse feature, and a long standby time of up to 180 days, but delivers pictures and videos in higher resolutions. It can work flawlessly in any weather conditions with temperatures ranging from -22 ?F to +158 ?F and is praised by users for impressive durability.
WOSPORTS 4K Trail Camera
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WHAT WE THINK
Despite the claimed parameters, WOSPORTS G600 fails to produce clear pictures and videos at all times and its motion sensor is far from perfect. However, it can be set to shoot just photos, 3 continuous photos and a 30-second video, or one photo and a 30-second clip, has a good battery life, provides a screen for viewing content right on the spot, and covers all basic needs for little money.
Vikeri A1 Trail Camera
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WHAT WE THINK
The A1 cam leaves mixed feelings since it outperforms many competitors in this price range, but delivers almost the same set of features and quality of pictures as Vikeri?s B1 version, which, by the way, has three PIRs and costs nearly half the A1 price. Still, it is a budget-friendly and dependable option, which will surprise you with good sensitivity and a wide field of view.
Best Trail Cameras Under $200
Browning Recon Force Patriot FHD Trail Camera
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WHAT WE THINK
Having a fast trigger speed even for videos, a recovery time of 0.35 seconds, 2 lenses for better night images, a 110-foot night illumination range, and a 90-foot IR detection range, the Browning Patriot is capable of capturing pretty much everything that can be caught in the lens. Although not free from glitches, these cams deliver excellent pictures and videos most of the time and are definitely worth the money.
Browning Dark Ops HD Pro X Trail Camera
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WHAT WE THINK
This cam ensures an equally great quality of pictures day and night and offers plenty of adjustable features to get the best result in different conditions. Although its detection range and angle are somewhat narrow, which often leads to delays in recording, the same limitations turn into fewer false triggers. All in all, the good battery life and smart IR make all the difference and put the cam on our list.
Browning Patriot Trail Camera Bundle
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WHAT WE THINK
Those wishing to be armed at all points will be glad to get this set of accessories added to a great camera. You will be able to use either the cam?s 2-inch color screen or a card reader from the pack to enjoy pictures and videos of superb quality consistently delivered by the Patriot gear. It particularly excels in night shooting, thanks to the combo of the military-grade night vision sensor and automatically adjusted night illumination.
Best Trail Cameras 2 Pack
BlazeVideo 2-Pack Trail Game Cameras
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WHAT WE THINK
This pack of game cams is easy on the pocket and surprisingly feature-rich, offering a programmable time-lapse function, customizable PIR sensitivity, video length ranging from 3 sec to 5 min, 3 continuous shots, support for an SD card of 512GB, and other bounties. It might be not the fastest option in terms of trigger speed, but it still manages to shoot clear pictures and videos.
CAMPARKCAM 2-Pack Trail Cameras
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WHAT WE THINK
If you are after a set of decent game cameras at a bargain price, look no further than this CAMPARKCAM offer. Obviously, you cannot expect flawless performance and extended durability from the cams costing about $35 each, but you really can be sure of the good picture quality and the cost-effectiveness of this equipment. Plus, it comes with nice bonuses available mostly in more expensive cams, such as audio recording and a 2-inch display.
SPYPOINT LINK-MICRO-LTE TWIN PACK Cellular Trail Cameras
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WHAT WE THINK
This SPYPOINT pack is a perfect choice for outdoorsmen just dipping their toes into the world of cellular trail cams. Although the cams lack a video recording feature, they shoot clear color daytime pictures and black-and-white night photos in JPG format and send them to a mobile device via a chosen cell network. The images and cameras? settings can be easily managed in SPYPOINT?s mobile or web app.
Best 4G LTE Trail Cameras
Spartan GoLive2 4G LTE Trail Camera
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WHAT WE THINK
Spartan GoLive comes with an impressive 96? field of view, which is great for both security purposes and use in an open area. It boasts a short recovery time of 1.8 seconds, can take 1-3 photos in a single trigger, can be set up to record a video with or without sound, and has numerous other settings. However, its main advantage is flawless 30 FPS live streaming coupled with convenient remote management via an app.
Spartan GoLive 4G LTE Trail Camera
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WHAT WE THINK
This older GoLive version stands out for lag-free live streaming capabilities, multiple trigger options, great picture quality, and an anti-theft GPS feature that can help you detect your gear even if batteries are removed from the camera. The real-time photos and videos sent to your mobile device are accessible through a sleek app, which will notify you about incoming images and status reports and let you adjust any settings remotely.
Spartan GoCam 4G LTE Trail Camera
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WHAT WE THINK
Costing half the price of the above options, GoCam lacks live streaming and a GPS module, yet shoots excellent pictures and videos to deliver them to your smartphone or tablet either immediately or as scheduled. It uses the same user-friendly app, intuitive even for technophobes, but also has a 2? LCD display for content viewing and can store images on an SD card of up to 32GB.
Cell Camera or Standard Trail Cam?
Since cell cameras send pictures directly to your mobile phone and can be managed remotely, they don?t require you to visit your hunting site frequently, which is definitely a plus. You can monitor wildlife in real time, adjust camera settings and trigger photo shoots right from your device, and save much time and effort on traveling to hard-to-access locations for your data retrieval and battery checks. Besides, less frequent visits mean reduced intrusion into wildlife and fewer chances to scare game animals off. However, you will need a stable mobile network in your hunting area for these cams to pay off, more so that they are generally more expensive than traditional game cameras and often require paying data plan fees.
Cellular Trail Cameras and Hunting Ethics
Both the Boone and Crockett Club and the Pope & Young Club, renowned USA conservation organizations advocating fair chase hunting, consider the use of trail cams that transmit images in real time unethical and disqualify trophies taken with the aid of this technology. Besides, Montana, Kansas, New Hampshire, and Alaska prohibit the use of wireless or cellular cameras during hunting season. However, if you don?t use real-time pictures or live streams for spotting game animals, the fair chase ethics and the state laws won?t be violated. Also, keep in mind that any trail camera is banned during the season in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona.
What?s the difference between a Wi-Fi trail camera and a cellular trail camera?
While both gear types can send photos and videos to a remote device rather than storing them on a card, they use different technologies for transmitting the data. Since Wi-Fi cameras use a wireless local area network, they need a router nearby to capture the signal and are better suited for installation close to homes, namely, for security purposes. Cell cams deliver data via a mobile network and need a cellular data plan to function, but they work fine for remote locations.
How to choose the best trail camera for YOU
Apart from your budget, you should think about how and where you are going to use your cam, as some parameters may be less important in certain scenarios. For example, you don?t need a super-fast trigger speed when placing a camera near a food source, but you?ll want a gear with a quick trigger speed and small recovery time if hanging it over a game trail. Similarly, longer battery life can be crucial for cam installation in distant locations, while it?s not the number one factor when you have easy access to the equipment.
Tips for setting up your trail camera
- Get your camera completely ready for work by formatting an SD card, checking the gear?s settings, and changing batteries.
- Process the equipment with a scent-free cleaner and stay concealed all along the setup like you would when sitting in a tree stand.
- Hang your camera 5-7 feet high and tip it by placing a stick between the gear and the tree for the lens to shoot down on an animal.
- Use an attractant legal in your area to make wild game pose for good pictures.
- Position the equipment so that it faces north or at least doesn?t look directly at the sun.
- Turn the sensitivity and picture frequency down when the cam is hung over bait, and raise them when it is placed on a run or creek crossing.
Final Thoughts on the Best Trail Cameras
The good news is that you don?t have to spend a fortune to get a cam that perfectly suits your needs. Understanding how you are going to use the equipment and which features will serve the purpose is the key here, saving you from overpaying and disappointment. You can use our guide as a reference to navigate through the massive number of game cameras available on the market, yet feel free to explore the technical side of the question to find the best value for your money.
FAQ
How do trail cameras work?
This equipment has infrared motion sensors that trigger photo shoots or video recordings based on settings configured by the owner. The pictures and videos are either stored on a memory card or sent to a mobile device or PC via Wi-Fi or a mobile network. The gear is usually powered by standard or rechargeable batteries, although there are also solar panel options.
How to use trail cameras?
In hunting, game cameras are used to scout areas frequented by wild animals, most often deer. This equipment allows outdoorsmen to study animal?s behavior and spot the best setups for their hunt. Alternatively, the gear is utilized by wildlife watchers, researchers, photographers, reserve managers, farmers, and even ordinary residents of distant locations who want to protect their homes from dangerous animal visitors.
How often to check trail cameras?
The frequency depends on the camera type, memory card capacity, battery life, season, the specifics of the area under surveillance, your monitoring objectives, and some other factors. For example, if you use a traditional cam that cannot send data right to your device in real time, you may want to check it every 1-2 weeks to keep your finger on the pulse and free storage space for new pictures.
Where to place trail cameras?
Obviously, you need to focus on areas with lots of animal signs like bedded-down grass, animal scat, and roughed-up ground. Food and water sources are also natural hot spots, so you need to learn the habits of the species you are chasing and think about where they may turn up. If you plant food plots or run feeders on your property, you?ll want to monitor animal activity around them too.
How many trail cameras do I need?
A good rule of thumb is to mount at least one cam per food plot, feeder, water source, travel corridor, or bedding cover. If the sites are rather extensive, you may need more cameras to cover different access points. Another approach is to allocate one cam for every 50 to 100 acres of hunting property.