The hunt before the hunt: Trail cams offer a window to the wilderness

Derik Henderson of Basin started putting up trail cams around 2002, before they were widely popular. At that time, the motion-triggered cameras still used film. Since then, the technology has progressed to allow faster trigger speeds, storage of thousands of photos, use of side motion detection and utilize external batteries that can be attached to a solar panel. 

“It’s like Christmas morning every time you check your trail cameras,” Henderson said. 

Henderson grew up in Wyoming, and has since used trail cams in Montana, Washington and other states for both hunting and leisure. He began placing one camera in a Big Horn Mountain drainage around 2015 and captured a massive black bear. After a roughly decade-long break, he put the trail cam up again this year and found the same boar still frequenting the area, identifiable by a mark on its muzzle. 

Henderson, a board member of the American Bear Foundation based out of Cody, swears by trail cameras for bear hunting. 

“The best way to identify bears is with trail cameras,” he said, with short, quota-based seasons in Wyoming making it all the more important to know the sex and size of bears in an area before going out to hunt. Henderson says he has taken hundreds of photos of bears on his cameras. 

TIPS AND TRICKS

In Bighorn National Forest, it is illegal to use any real-time video photography equipment, thermal or infrared imaging device or other imaging device outside the normal visible light spectrum with the intent to spot, locate and aid in the taking of any big game animal, trophy game animal or wild bison. This means no cellular-equipped cameras capable of communicating real-time images. However, a trail camera or similar device that can only store an image, picture or video inside the device is permissible.

To capture bears, Henderson puts his cameras out in-season with his bear baits. He has built custom wooden bear boxes to protect his cameras from curious bears. For deer, his cameras are out around May to June to monitor antler growth, through December or January. Some he leaves up year-round, with a camera on his grandparents’ property in place for five years. 

Henderson emphasized the importance of location, location, location. Intent when placing a camera is pivotal. Pointing the lens toward the east or west can produce a glare from the sun. Since trail cams are generally equipped with a wide-angle lens, placing the camera too high or low can cause distortion -- putting the camera too high might make something with antlers seem a lot larger than it is. Henderson suggested placing the camera at about the height of the target animal. When photographing deer and herd animals, point the lens down a trail for the most quality pictures. 

Henderson has had several cameras stolen over the years. He tries to put them in hard-to-find spots that would not be worth the hassle to steal from. His deer cameras are out in the brush, and bear cameras a couple miles’ hike. 

On which trail cam to buy, Henderson suggested doing your research. The ones he uses are about $60 apiece and can shoot 4k video and take 42-48 megapixel photos at the same time. To prevent batteries from expiring, Henderson said to go name brand, which can mean the difference between one month and six months of photos. If you’re planning on leaving the cameras out a long time, an external battery and solar panel may be the move. 

For settings, Henderson uses a “burst and delay” to take several photos at once, then pause slightly before continuing to capture. This can save storage space on your SD card, especially if a blowing branch or other non-animal movement is triggering the camera. 

“Just get out there,” Henderson said. “It’s just one more excuse to be outside ... and be able to see what’s there when no one else is.”