Hey guys. I was hoping to get a couple of trail cameras out over water in the next week or two. I'm looking for ideas of how to mount them as there is only a scant amount of sagebrush around the two spots I was hoping to check out. What have you used in the past? How do you protect against weather? Other hunters? What has or hasn't worked for you? I have a few ideas like a fence post or rebar but figured I would throw it out there. Thanks!
Waterhole Trail Cams
- Thread starter AmbushID
- Start date
Hilltop
Veteran member
On private land I have just used a t post if nothing else is available. If cattle are present you need to make sure it is secure as they will rub against it. I have also made a pile of brush/logs and hid the camera on a few occasions. I love water hole sets as you get a wide variety of wildlife showing up.
If your on public land you need to get creative in hiding it if you want it to be there when you show up to check it...
If your on public land you need to get creative in hiding it if you want it to be there when you show up to check it...
laxwyo
Very Active Member
I think I had a thread on this same thing. Ended up with a T stake from murdochs. They aren't all that tall but the has a clip where the strap fits nicely into so it doesn't slide down. Cheap too
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Thanks for the input. I will play around with some of your suggestions and see what I can come up with. I'll let you know when I do.
Still leaning toward the t post but I did notice Cabelas and others have mounting posts made specifically for trail cams. Does anyone have any experience with these? I'm thinking the cheapest route might be the way to go on public land.
Long overdue update, I ended up using an electric fence post. Set up three cameras, long story short one was stolen the other two made it about five days before the animals knocked them down. Not sure what to do this year, may set up on trails leading into the most productive spot rather than on the water itself. Live and learn. Thanks again for the advice, it was much appreciated!
colohunter
New Member
- May 25, 2016
- 26
- 1
Only time I felt comfortable with it on public land was setting it up over a windmill fed hole. I mounted it high up pointed down at the hole and put a lock on it. Someone would have to find it first and then come back, climb a rickety windmill, cut the cable lock, and then find out mine are password protected to steal it. Got some real cool photos and ended up setting up a treestand on the tower to shoot my Buck from. made for a cool hunt.
I've piled big rocks around my cams before. Maybe take a steel fence post with you that you can hammer into the ground and mount your camera that way.
BATTLEBORNHUNTER
Member
I mount mine onto trees higher then eye level with plenty of branches and other stuff to break it up but not infront of the camers or sencer. I have also mounted them to thick sage brush i dont like my cameras being naked they stick out like sore thumbs and will walk away ill stuff brush down in the mounting strap to break up the box look. The higher you can mount it the better.
Yeah I knew it would be risky. These waterholes are in open desert country with sagebrush less than two feet high surrounding them. I was hoping to be remote enough that they wouldn't be messed with. Only one out of three taken, the other two molested by wildlife. I did get enough photos to know what I was dealing with though, so successful that way. Nothing exciting enough for me to put up a blind. Maybe this year. Thanks again for the additional ideas.
I use bear boxes on all of my cams. They have holes in the back to run screws through. For places without trees I used angle iron (varying lengths depending on how far I want to drive them in). I drill holes near the top to run bolts and nuts through to attach the bear box to the angle iron. Since the bear box isn't a theft deterrent as the can just pull the whole works out of the ground, I usually secure the box with a caribeaner or something to still keep the Bears or cows from getting the box open and smashing the camera.
I take a couple concrete stakes (they fit in the rhino bed nicely ) and just zip tie the camera between two of them, I have brushed them in or placed where they are too low to the ground for cows and horses to scratch on them. Have seen a couple of cameras just set up hill from the spring on the ground with rocks placed around them to hide and protect them somewhat. Only issue I ever had was when someone I know finds one of my cameras and leaves selfies of the moon on them LOL