Best Trail Camera for Deer Hunting: Setting up trail cameras in your target area can significantly improve your odds of hunting a prized buck. So we reviewed some of the most popular deer cameras out there to find you the Best Deer Cameras. If you are in a hurry:
Campark T45A is the Best Trail Camera for Deer Hunting.
Now, let us move on to our in-depth reviews.
Best Trail Cameras for Deer Hunting Reviews
Here is our pick of the Best Deer Cameras:
Last update on 2021-01-15 / Paid links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Campark T45A Trail Camera
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 an exceptionally 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 is powered by 8 AA types batteries, with 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 quickly.
- A wide angle lens with a 120° detection range for an excellent broad view.
- IP56 waterproof to monitor and track wildlife even on rainy days.
GardePro A3 Trail Camera
GardePro A3 comes with multiple functions and capture modes 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 multiple modes like Photo, Video, and Photo+Video and functions like timestamp, time-lapse, 3 pics 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, which makes it 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. This trail camera is rated IP66 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-performance deer 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 are captured quickly whenever any motion is detected. The side PIR sensors help narrow down the trigger time to capture deer images in realtime.
Apeman H45 trail cameras have an automatic Infrared filter to take photos using an invisible flash. It can capture great images of passing animals even in complete darkness. The trail camera supports multiple modes and 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. It is waterproof, drop proof, and dust proof. Thanks to the sturdy built, it can withstand harsh environments, such as tropical rain forests or deserts. Together with a low power consumption system, it offers longevity and reliability throughout the 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, 8x AA batteries, and an external port for an optional power supply.
Here is a video showing unboxing, review, field testing, and few sample pictures of 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 supports multiple functions such as Time-Lapse, Interval Recording, Password Protection, 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, which don’t produce bright flashlight 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, or monitoring your hunting property.
Toguard H70 trail cameras are ideal for deer hunting, wildlife monitoring, 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 that is considered 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
Bushnell Trophy Cam HD 20MP high-quality trail camera that provides exceptional reliability and performance. It comes with excellent features, high-resolution 20MP images, 1080P HD quality videos, and a lightning-fast 0.2-second trigger speed. 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, which captures sharp after-dark images.
Bushnell Trophy Cam comes with multiple functions, such as timestamp where each image gets stamped with the date, day, temperature, and moon phase automatically at the time of capture. It also comes with a time-lapse function that snaps images automatically 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 namely 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 are capable of recording videos up to 720p resolution and come with an inbuilt LCD display.
All four variants support SD card up to 32GB for storage and come with a power port for an optional external power source. Moultrie trail cameras are reliable, durable, and sturdy. The infrared system is known to work 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 Cameras
A trail camera is used for monitoring the hunting area to track the deer movement. You can mount it using mechanical arms, clamps, or other such fixtures and then operate it remotely. Most of the top-rated trail cameras use laser, infrared, and sound technologies for shooting and recording 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, and focal length), and sharpness of images captured by the trail camera.
The image resolution is stated in terms of 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 absolute number of pixels could result in a smaller pixel size which negatively affects image quality. A top-rated game camera should balance the number of pixels and the size of the pixels.
High Definition video is stated to be in the range of 720P to 1080P. The depth, brightness, and contrast are other important factors that impact video quality. Similarly, the infrared technology used in trail cameras helps in recording quality videos during night times.
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 sources for audio i.e. internal and external. The external device is usually connected to the XLR input while the internal device is usually an inbuilt microphone. A good trail camera should also be able to auto adjust the audio level within the peaking and lower points.
While using external sound input, the audio needs to be matched with video sequencing so that audio and video don’t lag each other at any moment. Do remember, the sound quality depends on the detection zone as well.
Detection Range
The distance between the subject and the camera is called the detection range. A long-range shot can reduce video quality due to environmental factors and distortion. The detection zone of the trail camera is the maximum distance at which the image shooting or video recording can get activated.
Usually, the flash range is supposed to match the detection range. Otherwise, the image and video quality could be considerably 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 (time for re-activation after one session) impact the trigger speed. Good trail cams are able to 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 subject (e.g. deer or buck) could move randomly within the detection range, making it difficult for the trail camera to balance quality. But the top-rated trail cameras should have the inbuilt settings to auto-optimize range, resolution, quality, and speed.
Durability
The durability depends on the build quality. Waterproof body with impact resistance and IP ratings are some key features to look for when assessing durability. Most of the deer hunting trail cameras come with additional protection for preventing dust, moisture, humidity, and heat.
Battery Backup
The runtime depends on battery backup, recording time, and idle time. The lithium batteries used in most trail cameras have longer run times as compared to alkaline batteries. A good lithium battery should be able to work in the temperature range from -30 degrees to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of the top-rated game cameras come with an external power option.
Most trail cameras come with inbuilt storage and support external storage options like SD cards, USB drives, flash drives, etc. Once the internal storage is full, trail cameras usually switch to the external storage automatically.
Which Trail Camera to Buy?
Again, here is our pick of the 7 Best Trail Cameras for Deer Hunting:
- Campark T45A Trail Camera
- GardePro A3 Trail Camera
- Apeman H45 Hunting Camera
- Victure HC300 Trail Camera
- Toguard H70 1080P Deer Camera
- Bushnell Trophy Cam HD 20MP
- Moultrie A-Series Trail Camera
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 January 15, 2021 by Marty Prokop