Trail Cam

[SWWASAS]

I found and took a picture of a large fungus growing on a dead tree near the Oregon coast.   Lost the picture when my computer was hacked.    What interested me was that it was large enough to hide a game camera in.    Intended to make a plaster of paris or styrofoam replica and hide a game camera inside.      Would be limited to coastal rain forest areas because that is the only place I have seen large fungus like that.   

 

I found a Brinno constructtion camera that basically functions like a Plotwatcher in that it takes pictures at set intervals.    The advantage is that it is much smaller than a Plotwatcher.   I have a Plotwatcher too.   .     Images are 1280 by 720 P      Intervals can be set from 4 pictures a second to 1 per 24 hours.      It will fit inside a 4 inch diameter hole in its waterproof container.     Diameter allows a 4 inch hole saw to be used to hallow out a stump or large branch so the camera can be inserted and take images out of a 1 inch hole drilled at 90 degrees to the 4 inch hole.     The camera in its waterproof case will fit into a 4 inch diameter 5 inch long hole.     The branch or stump creates a natural camo and liitle chance of plastic smell since the case is clear acrylic rather than a softer colored plastic.    I got it about the same time my research area went cold so nothing noteworthy captured so far.      Another option would be to get a concrete hole cutting company to drill holes into a basalt rock and just set it on a hillside someplace.     I got a fiberglass rock for that but the colors are all wrong for this area.      My theory has always been that BF can detect IR light so IR triggers and flashes are one of the reasons we don't have game camera pictures of BF.      The other reason is that most bigfooters either do not give BF enough credit for intelligence or factor in the possibility they might be able to see into the IR spectra.    Most do not camouflage the cameras.   My answer to that is that if someone hung a game camera on the trees in my back yard, I would notice it immediately.  The forest is BF's yard and an un-camouflaged camera would really be obvious.   In my way of thinking if you have trouble finding the camera to change batteries or check the SD card it is camouflaged pretty well.    

[wiiawiwb]

Here is the finished trail cam. Not great but it will at least give it better cover than not attempting any camo deception. Once the glue odor stops, I'll put it out in the field and see what I get. I have a zip tie in the back and will use a screw on which to hang it.

 

Having a swinging door and a latch release makes it tad difficult to cover all of the seams.

 

 

Edited May 3, 2018 by wiiawiwb

[SWWASAS]

Looks good.   Maybe you could break up the gray plastic shapes with some organic materials too?  Get rid of straight lines.   

Edited May 4, 2018 by SWWASAS

[wiiawiwb]

Good thinking. I was going to do something with the gray plastic but didn't want to impair the IR lights in the black area or camera in the circular area.  I just don't know what plastic space I can cover and what space I can't.

[SWWASAS]

I suspect all the holes are functional.  The camera lenses of course cannot be covered.   Are those the small round things top center?   The rectangular thing below them is likely the motion sensor.  Looks like the one I have on my garage light sensor.   For sure they cannot be covered.    If you decide you do not want night pictures or have the flash give away the location,   I suppose the flash elements are behind the other openings and could be covered with bark also so they can be uncovered when you want.   Velcro?       Unless BF can see way better in the dark that we do,   and that may be true,   I wonder if BF sees in the dark well enough that it does any good to camouflage a game camera at night anyway?    Maybe you could do removable covers for the flash openings and cover them for day work.    Then try it at night with the flash openings uncovered?     I have really tried to encourage someone to do experiments to determine of BF can see the IR motion sensor and flash.    Picture or not that is valuable data that tell us a lot about BF.   In my experience in remote areas with few humans, BF spends a lot of time running around in daylight.   Too much emphasis is put on the unproven fact that BF is primarily nocturnal.  That may be true in areas where humans are commonly present in daylight hours or when BF will approach a human camp but I do not think everything they do is at night.  .   I have had enough daytime contact that I think they operate when they feel it safe.   

[wiiawiwb]

If I didn't care about getting a night time picture/video, I could cover most of the camera. The area under the black contains 45 IR illuminators, which are no-glow or black IR, and are necessary for getting a night time picture/video. From what I've read, a black IR or no-glow IR camera doesn't give away it's location because there is no faint red glow to an illuminator. You do this at the cost of less light and therefore not as good a picture.

 

I think I will try it first by not covering the IR illuminators and allowing night capability. If it is not capturing as much as I want, then I will cover the IR illuminators and go with day-time video only.  In that case, the trail cam can be really concealed like the ones in this video. It's his work that was the inspiration to camo my trail cam.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye18WnrKMpY

 

I think you are right about night time being over rated. This trail came has very good audio so I should be able to pick up wood knocks as well.

[SWWASAS]

Suggestion:    If you deploy it with the IR illuminator openings not covered,   try that for a while, but move it to another location to try full camouflage.    I think once they spot a camera they just note the location and avoid it.   I also have wondered if they simply watch us hang the cameras on trees, note that location, and avoid it.   I would suspect that when a human enters their active area,   we are watched.   If you know where a human is, it fairly easy to avoid them.   Their danger is blundering into a human or camera someplace they did not know was there.  Happened to me once,  I nearly got run over by one, when I was right in its path of travel. Like an idiot I stood right out in the open in the middle of a trail when I heard it coming.    I should have hidden behind a tree and could have watched it go by.  That is what it would have done if it heard me coming.  That suggests to me that we need to start thinking like they do,  and copy them as much as possible.   They have far more experience in the woods than the best of us.  

[Catmandoo]

wiiawiwb, nice bark job.  I have not used a mesh approach to hide lights. In my areas, the spiders leave filaments that cause back scatter of IR light to the lens. Wire mesh/nylon stocking may work in your area(s). For camera camo, I have used ASAT 3D Leafy headnets. Fit well on Reconyx Rapidfire cameras and are a lot of material for smaller cameras. Gave a texture and 3 dimensional appearance and reacted to wind. I just ordered trail camera camo to try out. It is called a 'Ghillie suit' for your camera and is available from:

https://cambushcamo.com

 

The image is a Reconyx RC55 with ASAT camo. This model has the LED's visible and I covered them with a Gamcolor illumination filter. The PIR is also covered. All illumination filters are designed to pass infrared, otherwise they would melt.

[gigantor]

We use this...

 

 

This year, I'm gonna try this...

 

 

 

[wiiawiwb]

The Cambush looks really good. I had to smile because I have an ASAT Pro Vanish 3D suit.

 

The unit I have has a lot of camera eye space. I think it has to do with the 4K capability. I thought about painting the circular are around the lens flat black or flat dark brown mottled with a lighter brown. Also went to AC Moore and they have a good selection of natural looking materials I can layer on top of the squiggly plastic lines around the IR emitters. Maybe dry moss (real or fake):

 

https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1cbdJQFXXXXbOXpXXq6xXFXXXV/2017-10g-Bag-Keep-Dry-Moss-Decorative-Plants-Vase-Artificial-Turf-Silk-Flower-Accessories-For-Flowerpot.jpg

 

The open circular expanse around the two camera lenses is the Achilles heel that I have to work on because it is easy to see whether I cover over the IR emitters or not.

[gigantor]

You can use a remote IR illuminator... Spypoint makes one.  I have two.

 

Its a sensor you place on the camera LED and when it turns on, it sends a wireless signal to the remote emitter. Works good.

[SWWASAS]

Gigantor:    That sounds like a really good tactic.   My theory is that BF is intelligent enough to know to avoid the cameras.  They may not know what they are but know human stuff should be avoided.    I can never imagine a BF game camera photograph of it right in front staring at it like we see deer do so often.     So a remote IR illuminator may make BF avoid the illuminator as the threat and show itself to the camera.  I think we have too many years of bigfoot researchers assuming that BF is a big dumb ape and just strapping cameras on trees without camouflage or well thought out tactics.   Much of that is from the opinions of a few well known researchers who cannot reject the dumb ape concept. .    On the other hand,   I doubt that BF is more intelligent than humans.   If it were, it would have already used our legal system against us to prevent loss of habitat.    So that means that BF is as or nearly as intelligent as humans or is a dumb ape.   I see more evidence of intelligence than I do the dumb ape choice.   Therefore the logical choice of research tactics is to assume near human intelligence and proceed with research with that in mind.     I think a good goal with an experiment or camera trap would be a situation that would confuse a human encountering the same thing.   Should it be obvious that BF is smarter than that and can avoid the trap,   the challenge becomes more difficult.        

[wiiawiwb]

Gigantor...great thinking.

 

Do the remote IR illuminators come in no glow? I went to YouTube and couldn't find anything about them. Can you suggest a place I can go to read more about this, what to get, and how to connect it?

[NathanFooter]

4 hours ago, wiiawiwb said:

Gigantor...great thinking.

 

Do the remote IR illuminators come in no glow? I went to YouTube and couldn't find anything about them. Can you suggest a place I can go to read more about this, what to get, and how to connect it?

 

This is a fantastic resource for the information you are looking for.      https://www.trailcampro.com/

[gigantor]

9 hours ago, wiiawiwb said:

Do the remote IR illuminators come in no glow? I went to YouTube and couldn't find anything about them. Can you suggest a place I can go to read more about this, what to get, and how to connect it?

 

They make both kinds, visible and "invisible" no glow units.

 

https://www.spypoint.com/EN/products/wireless-infrared-booster/product-irb-w.html

 

 

 

They also have wireless motion detectors which can be placed up to 1000ft away. The receiver will flash an LED which can trigger the illuminator... 

 

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1318198-REG/spypoint_wrl_motion_detector_system_kit.html?ap=y&gclid=CjwKCAjwlcXXBRBhEiwApfHGTVvO5x9359P46334s1MlKTLFznizda04xVdRi9pGcuDGNjB4TWaaWRoCb9YQAvD_BwE