Best Trail Camera for Deer Hunting: Setting up trail cameras can improve your odds of finding a prized buck. So we reviewed some of the top trail cams to find you the Best Trail Cameras for Deer Hunting.
If you are in a hurry, here is our pick of the best deer hunting cameras:
Last update on 2021-02-18 / Paid links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Now, let us move on to our in-depth reviews.
Campark T45A
Campark T45A captures high-quality images up to 16MP resolution and 1080P HD videos at 30FPS. It has a fast triggering speed of 0.3 seconds and a triggering distance of up to 65 feet.
The infrared flash comes with 42 low glow LEDs and a detection range of up to 20m. The sound recording range is also said to be similar. The lens comes with an auto IR filter, and a 16MP CMOS sensor. The auto IR filter makes this trail camera ideal for capturing images and videos at night without disturbing animals. It is ideal for surveillance and security as well.
Campark T45A trail cameras come with an inbuilt 3 zone IR sensor for a wide 120° detection angle. It captures colorful images during the day and clear B&W photos at night. It can also record 1080P HD video with crystal clear sound. It uses 8 AA batteries for a standby time of up to 6 months and supports Micro SD cards for storage up to 32GB.
Key Features:
- Fast 0.3s trigger speed with a trigger distance of up to 20m (65ft).
- Excellent sensitivity as the 3 passive infrared sensors detect deer fast.
- A wide-angle lens with a 120° detection range for an excellent broad view.
- IP56 waterproof to track wildlife even on rainy days.
GardePro A3
GardePro A3 comes with many functions and capture modes. It is suitable for different needs and requirements. You can set up this camera to either shoot images or videos. Then there is a Hybrid mode which allows this camera to capture images and record videos. It supports different modes like Photo, Video, and Photo+Video. It comes with functions like timestamp, time-lapse, burst mode, and interval recording.
You can watch this video for specs and setting to help you setup Gardepro A3 Trail Camera.
GardePro A3 trail camera weighs only 1.2 lbs. It is one of the most lightweight and portable trail cameras on the market. It comes with a 2.31″ LCD display, which allows you to preview in real-time. The trail camera has an IP66 rating making it waterproof and dustproof. It comes with a USB cable, a tree mount, belt, screws, and a user manual.
Key Features:
- 20MP camera with 100 feet night vision flash range.
- 1080P Full HD videos with great sound quality.
- 940nm No Glow LEDs with infrared night vision.
- Easy to use TV remote style buttons.
Apeman H45 16MP
Apeman H45 is a high-quality camera that captures 16MP photos and 1080p videos with clear audio. It comes with motion detection which can take up to 3 images each time it detects any movement. The fast trigger speed of 0.5 seconds ensures images get captured quickly when there is any motion. The side PIR sensors help narrow down the trigger time to capture deer images in realtime.
Apeman H45 trail cameras come with an automatic infrared filter to take photos using an invisible flash. It can capture great images of passing animals even in complete darkness. It features multiple functions like timestamp, timer, interval recording, and real-time replay.
Key Features:
- 2.4” LED screen with easy navigation.
- Detects movement and captures deer images in realtime.
- Fully automatic infrared technology with 26 no glow IR LEDs.
- IP66 rating and waterproof design ideal for wildlife tracking and hunting.
Victure HC300
Victure HC300 trail camera comes housed in an IP66 rated plastic case. Thanks to the sturdy build quality, it is waterproof, drop-proof, and dustproof. It can withstand harsh environments, such as tropical rain forests or deserts. Combined with low power consumption, it offers longevity and reliability for an entire hunting season.
Victure HC300 trail camera comes with 38 pcs no-glow LEDs. It can silently capture detailed black and white images of wildlife so that you never miss a shot. It supports SD/ SDHC memory cards for storage up to 32GB. You can use 8 AA batteries or the power port for an external supply.
Here is a video showing unboxing, review, and field testing. You can also watch a few sample pictures taken using the Victure HC300 trail camera.
Key Features:
- 20MP camera that takes up to 3 images per detection.
- 1080P Full HD resolution videos with sound recording.
- 0.3 seconds fast trigger speed for the PIR sensor.
- Time-lapse feature to capture images at pre-set time intervals.
Toguard H70 1080P
Toguard H70 trail camera captures high-quality 20 MP images and 1080P HD resolution videos. It captures color photos during the daytime and B&W images at night. It has a fast trigger speed of 0.35 seconds, and a trigger distance of up to 20m. The trail camera comes with many different functions. It supports Time-Lapse, Interval Recording, Timer, Low Battery Alarm, and Time Stamp. It can capture up to 3 images per detection.
It comes with auto IR technology and 42 low glow infrared LEDs. It doesn’t produce bright flashlights at night. The PIR sensor can detect any changes to the temperature within the detection range. It is an ideal feature for finding deer, recording wildlife. You can also use this camera for monitoring your hunting property.
Toguard H70 trail cameras are ideal for deer hunting and wildlife monitoring. You can also use these trail cameras for property surveillance, and home security. It has an inbuilt 2.4″ LCD display which allows you to check out photos and videos. It comes in an IP56 rated housing making it water-proof, drop-proof, and dust-proof.
It is a surveillance and wildlife camera which comes with a PIR sensor.
Key Features:
- 20MP camera for high resolution and crystal clear images.
- 1080P Full HD video with sound recording for wildlife monitoring.
- A motion-activated trail camera for deer and other wildlife monitoring.
- IP56 waterproof housing for protection from rain, dust, and drop.
- Amazingly fast 0.3s trigger speed with 3 PIR sensors and a 130° detection range.
- 42 Pcs low glow infrared LEDs, which don’s produce a bright flash.
- Up to 65ft/ 20m night vision range for detecting wildlife even at night.
Bushnell Trophy Cam HD 20MP Low-Glow
Bushnell Trophy Cam HD 20MP is a high-quality trail camera. It provides exceptional reliability and performance. It comes with excellent features and a lightning-fast 0.2-second trigger speed. Bushnell Trophy Cam captures high-resolution 20MP images and 1080P HD quality videos. It also allows you to program video recording length from five seconds to sixty seconds.
You can watch this unboxing video to help you set-up your trail camera in under 4 minutes.
Hyper night vision technology captures bright and crisp images at night. Bushnell’s night vision system is a quantum leap in brightness and detection range. It captures sharp after-dark images.
Bushnell Trophy Cam comes with multiple functions. It can timestamp each image with the date, day, temperature, and moon phase at the time of capture. The time-lapse function can snap images at preset intervals ranging from one minute to sixty minutes.
Key Features:
- High-quality 20 MP images with automatic day/ night sensor.
- Adjustable trigger settings to capture one to three images.
- A lightning-fast 0.2-second trigger speed.
- A single set of batteries lasts up to 12 months.
- PIR sensor for motion detection to 100 feet.
- Records up to 30 seconds of 1080p video while the buck is in the frame.
Moultrie A-Series
Moultrie A-Series Trail cameras are available in 4 basic variants A-25, A-25i, A-40 Pro, and the A-40i Pro. Both A-25 and A-25i come with a 12MP image sensor, whereas A-40 and A40i both come with a 14MP camera. All four variants can record videos up to 720p resolution and come with an inbuilt LCD display.
All four variants support SD cards up to 32GB for storage. All the variants come with a power port for an optional external power source. Moultrie trail cameras are reliable, durable, and sturdy. The infrared system works well under night and harsh climatic conditions.
Key Features:
- Power-packed LEDs for a long-range flash
- High-quality photos and videos
- Power port for the external power option
- Multiple modes and functions
- 2-year warranty
Now, let us look at how we picked our winners.
How to Find the Best Trail Camera for Deer Hunting
A trail camera is useful for monitoring the hunting area to track the deer movement. You can mount it using mechanical arms, clamps, or other such fixtures. Once mounted, you can operate most trail cameras remotely. Many top-rated trail cameras use laser and infrared technologies for capturing images and videos.
Here is a video explaining some of the top things you need to know when choosing a trail camera.
Picture & Video Quality
Image quality refers to clarity, coverage (field of view, focal length), and sharpness.
The image resolution is stated in megapixels, bit depth, dynamic range, and color depth. HD trail cameras usually have image resolution in the range of 12MP to 30MP. Sometimes an increase in the number of pixels results in a smaller pixel size. This can reduce the image quality. A top-rated game camera should balance the number of pixels and the size of the pixels.
High Definition video is in the range of 720P to 1080P. The depth, brightness, and contrast are other important factors that impact video quality. The infrared technology helps in recording quality videos during the night.
Here is a video with some tips that can help you get better pictures and videos from your trail camera.
The trail camera can have two audio sources i.e. internal and external. The external device is usually connected to the XLR input. Whereas the internal device is usually an inbuilt microphone. A good trail camera should also be able to adjust the audio level within the peaking and lower points.
While using external sound input, the audio should match with video sequencing. Otherwise, the audio and video may lag each other. Do remember, the sound quality depends on the detection zone as well.
Detection Range
Detection range is the distance between the subject and the trail camera. A long-range shot can reduce video quality due to environmental factors and distortion. The detection zone is the max distance at which the image or video recording can get activated.
Usually, the flash range matches the detection range. Otherwise, the image and video quality could be much lower. Some of the trail cameras use infrared technology for shooting images and videos at night without spooking the deer or other animals.
Trigger and Recovery Time
Trigger speed is the time between motion detection and the start of the image or video recording. The field of view, range, and recovery speed impact the trigger speed. Recovery speed is the time for re-activation after one session. Good trail cams balance all these parameters to deliver optimal trigger speed.
You can watch this Cabela’s video on trail camera interval and trigger speed settings.
Video quality varies with FPS, recording speed, and trigger speed. If a trail camera with high FPS has a low recording speed, then it may result in poor video quality.
There are times when the animal (e.g. deer or buck) moves randomly within the detection range. This makes it difficult for the trail camera to capture quality images. But the best trail cameras have inbuilt settings to optimize range, resolution, quality, and speed.
Durability
The durability depends on the build quality. A waterproof body with impact resistance and IP rating are some key features to look for when assessing durability. Most of the hunting trail cameras offer protection from dust, moisture, humidity, and heat.
Battery Backup
The runtime depends on battery backup, recording time, and idle time. Lithium batteries have longer run times as compared to alkaline batteries. A good lithium battery should work in temperatures from -30 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of the top-rated game cameras come with an external power option.
Most trail cameras come with inbuilt storage. They also support external storage options like SD cards, USB drives or flash drives. Once the internal storage is full, the trail camera switches to the external storage.
Which Trail Camera to Buy?
Again, here is our pick of the 7 Best Trail Cameras for Deer Hunting:
- Campark T45A
- GardePro A3
- Apeman H45
- Victure HC300
- Toguard H70 1080P
- Bushnell Trophy Cam HD 20MP
- Moultrie A-Series
Campark T45A is the Best Deer Camera as per our reviews. It comes with all the essential features that I look for in a trail camera. 16MP images, 1080P videos, 42pcs low glow IR LEDs, the IP66 rating, and a fast trigger speed of 0.3 seconds.
At times, I have experienced an even faster than 0.3-seconds recovery rate. It comes with multiple functions like Time Stamp, Interval Recording, Timer, and Realtime Replay.
We hope you liked our pick for Best Trail Cameras for Deer Hunting. If you would like to recommend any other trail camera, then please let us know via the comments section. We will try to include it in our next update.
References and Further Reading
- Trail Camera Placement Strategies
- How to Get the Most Out of Your Trail Cameras
- Trail Camera Plan for Deer Hunting
Last Updated on February 18, 2021 by Marty Prokop