Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

Hi all,

I am looking to get a couple new trail cameras.  I have had experience with a few brands:

- Browning - 9+ years without fail, still going strong. Not cellular so I have to go out and collect the memory card. 

- Cuddeback - 8 years without fail, still going strong. Not cellular so I have to go out and collect the memory card. The picture quality and timing of the picture are great. 

- Stealthcam - On a whim my wife got me a two pack as they were on sale for something like $99 for the two. Not cellular so I have to go out and collect the memory card. I had very low expectations given the price. I have had them deployed for 2 years and they work surprisingly well, with one big exception. They don't work at all in cold temperatures. I didn't track the exact data but something like around 25 degrees and under they just flat out don't take any pictures. So they are my warm weather extra cams. 

- Spypoint - My first experience with cellular cams. I own 2 and they are constantly having issues. I have had 3 dead units in less than 2 years. Most of the time I have had one deployed in the field and the other inside for factory reset and firmware updates to solve one problem or another such as not transmitting, not taking pictures, or eating batteries within a few days. Yesterday I was told there was a fix for my unit not taking pictures if I were to send it in, but because I was no longer under warranty it wasn't an option for me. Instead they wanted me to buy a new camera from them and they would give me $15 off the purchase for my trouble... whoopee. I told them no and to cancel the subscription for my working camera as well. I will just go collect the data card from it until it fails, which I'm sure will be weeks to months

I'd like to get back into cellular cameras and am looking for recommendations. I really like my Cuddback and would lean towards that brand based on my experience, but I'm not seeing much of anything for current reviews. I'd hate to learn the hard way that their quality has gone down over time.

I've used SPYPOINTs and moultire mobile
I don't recommend SPYPOINTs
Moultire cameras work well but I have noticed they don't trigger on movement right in front of them sometimes and then sometimes they will trigger on a butterfly or trees blowing
Moultire is $10 a month per camera
I think once you get to a certain number you can do an unlimited


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I own 2 Tactacam Reveal X cameras and I've been very pleased with them over the last year. 2 cameras and unlimited pictures is $25/month so I'm pleased with the service plan pricing too.

I have nine of the Cuddebacks.  Going on year three with zero issues.   The only complaint I have is the pictures that are sent to your phone aren't the best quality, but they do that because of the data usuage.  The pictures on the cards are great.    A big advantage with Cuddeback is their  cuddelink system.   All nine of mine are under one cell plan.    You have one home camera and up to I think 23 remote cameras.   The remote cameras send their pictures to your home camera, and then the home camera sends them to my phone.   My cell plan runs $20 a month for 2000 pictures, and if it goes over that I pay $5 extra for another 2000.   And you can have the pictures sent to 10 different phones that doesn't go against your monthly count. 

If you wanted to see some test pictures, pm me your cell number and carrier AT&T, Verizon etc. and I would be happy to add you to mine for a couple days.   Good luck

I have used spypoint and covert wireless cam's. I had too many problems with the spypoint. I fully recommend covert. The AA batteries don't last long if you are taking a lot of pics. You can add rechargeable batteries and a solar panel to the covert cam for longer life.

Tactacam reveal. Best camera at a reasonable price point. You're welcome :)

Spypoint is garbage. I would use Walmart cheapies and go in and out pulling cards often way before ever buying  a Spypoint.

Get a Tactacam Reveal, or two, or three, or how many ever you need.

They will replace camera's that have issues and have great customer service.

I sell trail cams in retail. That being said, for conventional cameras, I recommend Brownings and get on trialcampro.com for the reviews. They field test trail cameras and they have all the information you need. Cellular? stay away from Spypoint. I only know one person that has had no issues. So far any of the tatacams are the best for the money.

Quote from: guesswho on August 02, 2022, 08:49:30 AM
I have nine of the Cuddebacks.  Going on year three with zero issues.   The only complaint I have is the pictures that are sent to your phone aren't the best quality, but they do that because of the data usuage.  The pictures on the cards are great.    A big advantage with Cuddeback is their  cuddelink system.   All nine of mine are under one cell plan.    You have one home camera and up to I think 23 remote cameras.   The remote cameras send their pictures to your home camera, and then the home camera sends them to my phone.   My cell plan runs $20 a month for 2000 pictures, and if it goes over that I pay $5 extra for another 2000.   And you can have the pictures sent to 10 different phones that doesn't go against your monthly count. 

If you wanted to see some test pictures, pm me your cell number and carrier AT&T, Verizon etc. and I would be happy to add you to mine for a couple days.   Good luck

How does the cuddelink work for you?  I'm looking into them and the reviews aren't positive for the link distance between cameras?  Some say they don't go much further than 100 yds in wooded areas.  My property is wooded and in the hills so connectivity is a concern.

My property isn't flat, but it's not big hills either, and mostly big mature hardwoods.    The farthest camera from my home camera is about 3/4 of a mile, and about 300 yards to the next camera.  I've never had any issues, the farthest I've had one camera send directly to the home camera is probably 600 yards.   They will send pictures directly to the home camera if in range, if not they will piggy back off another camera closer by.  I honestly haven't had any issues, but have read where some have had connectivity issues in some situations.   If you just had a home camera and one remote camera I can see where hills and thick vegetation may hinder the performance.   But I run 9 so I can cover a large area no problem.  If you have cell coverage on your phone your home camera should work.   

Quote from: guesswho on August 02, 2022, 07:44:37 PM
My property isn't flat, but it's not big hills either, and mostly big mature hardwoods.    The farthest camera from my home camera is about 3/4 of a mile, and about 300 yards to the next camera.  I've never had any issues, the farthest I've had one camera send directly to the home camera is probably 600 yards.   They will send pictures directly to the home camera if in range, if not they will piggy back off another camera closer by.  I honestly haven't had any issues, but have read where some have had connectivity issues in some situations.   If you just had a home camera and one remote camera I can see where hills and thick vegetation may hinder the performance.   But I run 9 so I can cover a large area no problem.  If you have cell coverage on your phone your home camera should work.

Thanks for the info.  I'm gonna give it a shot, I've got big hardwoods but also big hills.  In the hollers I get no reception.  Up top 2-3 bars of Verizon LTE but for whatever reason it doesn't work well.  Planning on the ATT option.

We've started using spartan cellular cameras and they are very good. Great pictures and using lithium batteries they last a long time.

Quote from: cuttinAR on August 02, 2022, 07:53:23 PM

Quote from: guesswho on August 02, 2022, 07:44:37 PM
My property isn't flat, but it's not big hills either, and mostly big mature hardwoods.    The farthest camera from my home camera is about 3/4 of a mile, and about 300 yards to the next camera.  I've never had any issues, the farthest I've had one camera send directly to the home camera is probably 600 yards.   They will send pictures directly to the home camera if in range, if not they will piggy back off another camera closer by.  I honestly haven't had any issues, but have read where some have had connectivity issues in some situations.   If you just had a home camera and one remote camera I can see where hills and thick vegetation may hinder the performance.   But I run 9 so I can cover a large area no problem.  If you have cell coverage on your phone your home camera should work.

Thanks for the info.  I'm gonna give it a shot, I've got big hardwoods but also big hills.  In the hollers I get no reception.  Up top 2-3 bars of Verizon LTE but for whatever reason it doesn't work well.  Planning on the ATT option.

Put your home camera up top and you should be fine.   The remote cameras aren't dependent on cell coverage, just built in WiFi to communicate with each other.

RECONYX pricy but worth every penny.  5 year warranty, made in the USA and performance is flawless. Plus if you ever do need anything you can get them on the phone.

Whichever brand you pick has to be better than Campark. I chose them because of small size and only using 4 AA's. They worked great and took good pictures...... INITIALLY.
Then the rainy season came and they started leaking. The water that got in ruined 2 of the 5 cameras I purchased. The other ones suffered from fogged up and pixelated pictures. I contacted Campark because the cameras were only 6 months old.
I emailed them and they sent me back a detailed list of questions they wanted answered before they would warranty the cameras.
I sent them a reply email with as much information as I could provide. To make a long story short the email exchange dragged on for 7 months, and the contact person changed 3 times. Each time the process started anew with the exact same set of questions.
They dragged it out until a year had elapsed and they stated the warranty had expired, and told me there was nothing they could do. They refused to warranty their defective product.
DO YOURSELVES A HUGE FAVOR AND STEER CLEAR OF CAMPARK GAME CAMERAS!!

Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk

Quote from: guesswho on August 02, 2022, 08:49:30 AM
I have nine of the Cuddebacks.  Going on year three with zero issues.   The only complaint I have is the pictures that are sent to your phone aren't the best quality, but they do that because of the data usuage.  The pictures on the cards are great.    A big advantage with Cuddeback is their  cuddelink system.   All nine of mine are under one cell plan.    You have one home camera and up to I think 23 remote cameras.   The remote cameras send their pictures to your home camera, and then the home camera sends them to my phone.   My cell plan runs $20 a month for 2000 pictures, and if it goes over that I pay $5 extra for another 2000.   And you can have the pictures sent to 10 different phones that doesn't go against your monthly count. 

If you wanted to see some test pictures, pm me your cell number and carrier AT&T, Verizon etc. and I would be happy to add you to mine for a couple days.   Good luck

Ronnie, how's your history dealing with Cuddeback customer service? I used to use their cams exclusively, but their customer service sucked to the point that I gave up on Cuddeback.

Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk

Years ago when the were Nontypical I had horrible experiences with them.   I refused to own another for a lot of years.   Then decided to give cell cams a try.   I knew I wanted multiple cams but didn't want to pay for multiple plans.   A buddy of mine got three of the Cuddebacks.   I waited to see how his worked.  After about six months a d no issues I decided to give them a try.  During to six months of watching his I gave their customer service several trial (fake) phone calls.   They were always helpful and English speaking.   I even told them on one of the calls that I had a camera six months old and it quit taking night pictures.   They emailed me an RGA and said they would either fix that camera or send a new one.  So I decided to give them a try.   I bought the starter kit that has a home camera and two remote cameras to try.  They worked well, so now I'm up to nine cameras and so far no issues other than the quality of the pictures that come to your phone.   They aren't bad, but not near as good as what's on the card.   I called them about that and they said they do that to cut down on the data usuage.   What comes to your phone is a lot smaller file than what's saved on the card.   PM me you cell number and I'll send you a couple sample pictures if you want to see them. 

Quote from: guesswho on August 03, 2022, 08:30:28 AM
Years ago when the were Nontypical I had horrible experiences with them.   I refused to own another for a lot of years.   Then decided to give cell cams a try.   I knew I wanted multiple cams but didn't want to pay for multiple plans.   A buddy of mine got three of the Cuddebacks.   I waited to see how his worked.  After about six months a d no issues I decided to give them a try.  During to six months of watching his I gave their customer service several trial (fake) phone calls.   They were always helpful and English speaking.   I even told them on one of the calls that I had a camera six months old and it quit taking night pictures.   They emailed me an RGA and said they would either fix that camera or send a new one.  So I decided to give them a try.   I bought the starter kit that has a home camera and two remote cameras to try.  They worked well, so now I'm up to nine cameras and so far no issues other than the quality of the pictures that come to your phone.   They aren't bad, but not near as good as what's on the card.   I called them about that and they said they do that to cut down on the data usuage.   What comes to your phone is a lot smaller file than what's saved on the card.   PM me you cell number and I'll send you a couple sample pictures if you want to see them.

Thanks Ronnie!!

Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk

 Alot of you are recommending the Tactacam Reveal. My question is which one do you like of the four available?

Will these cameras work A MILE from my house in small but very steep mountainous terrain (elevations of no more than 1600 feet)? And here is a stupid question but sincere question, what do I need besides the camera/ card (which card by the way?) and cell service to make this work from a remote location so that I don't have to disturb the area so much? I want to use these to monitor both turkeys and deer.

I see they have a reveal XB, a reveal x-pro, a reveal x, and reveal x generation. 2.0. Which ones of these do you guys like the best? Thanks - as this type of thread is awesome and I wish there were more topics like this on here on a regular basis.

I'm no expert, but the cameras come with a SIM card from a cell company you pick.  Choose one from a cell provider that works in your area.  Seeing as it works off cell signal, you could be in another state and it would send them to you.
It uses the cell data package you choose (based on the number of pictures it sends each month) and the unlimited costs about $20 per month.  The pics it sends aren't very big or high quality but they let you get a look at what's out there.  The camera also saves the pictures to a removeable SD card in the camera so you can pull that occasionally for a better look at pics and videos.

Reveal Tactacam!

Had two until one was stolen.

Plan on buying two more with GPS trackers.

I use Spypoint, Stealthcam and RevealX. I have by far the most Spypoints. They are a royal PIA I do like them. #1 reason is I can get the HD photos right to the phone I don't have to go in and pull the card to get them. Spypoint for me once you get them working right they're pretty good. Stealthcams are good but the photos are very low res so if you're looking at them on anything other then your phone the pictures are very grainy. Reveals I like but you have to pull the cards to see the HD pcitures. I will probably start converting over to the Reveals though. I thought about the cuddebacks and might go that way. Bubba

Have tried all the mid price brands: Brownings have been the most reliable for me. Got a cellular Browning last year so can't say much yet....
Lithium batteries are the way to go
Change them as soon as they start to % dip( I actually spend less on batteries than when I used alkaline)
For deer, especially pressured bucks, hang at least 6 ft off ground and angle. You lose almost no coverage and you'll stop getting every pic of the deer looking at cam... if you don't have this problem then you aren't hunting pressured deer lol. Even with dark sight IR cams they hear it... why 6-8 ft up makes a difference I don't know but it does....

On a budget I would say Browning, otherwise Reconyx.

I managed properties for a while and had 35 or so Reconyx, only ever had a couple issues which were the LCD read outs not working, sent them back and they were repaired and good as new for 50$.

Had several cameras from 2007 that were still working as new! 

I'm a big fan of Bushnell. I started using them in 2018. I run 5-6 of their cameras a season and get fantastic pics and reliable cameras. I also bought a cabellas camera last year and loved that as well. This is strictly non-cellular.