Are you worried about your trail camera getting stolen or vandalized? With night vision and thermal imaging, trail cameras are bound to be expensive. So if you fail to hide your cameras properly, you might have to witness them being jacked by somebody. Whether you use a trail camera for home security or wildlife spotting, nothing changes the fact that they are susceptible to theft.
Having said that, it becomes essential for you to hide your trail camera well enough to avoid such a nerve-racking experience. If you’re wondering how to hide trail camera from humans and trying to understand what you should consider before installing one, this guide is just for you.
What is a Trail Camera?
Before we get to the ways of hiding a trail camera, it is essential to understand what a trail camera is and how it works. Trail cameras are high-quality devices that you can leave unattended to click pictures or record videos.
They can easily be left outdoors as they are capable of seamlessly blending into the surroundings you place them in. a trail camera, also known as a game camera or remote camera, is designed to have a camouflaged effect. Such cameras can be used for tracking wildlife creatures and ensuring home security.
What Factors Should You Consider Before Installing a Trail Camera?
1. Placement
Before installing a trail camera, there are a number of factors you need to consider. By taking these aspects into account, you will be able to hide your camera more efficiently. The most important factor to consider before installing your trail camera is its placement. Whether you install a trail camera for home security or tracking wildlife, it is capable of capturing pictures from various angles.
That being said, you can easily place them unattended and out of sight in a way that humans don’t spot them. You have to make sure that you place them strategically out of the sight of burglars while also keeping them within range.
2. Type of trail camera
Out of all the different types of trail cameras that offer various distinct technological features, you have to pick the one that satisfies your purpose the most efficiently. You might want to choose a trail camera with cellular connectivity. Such a cellular trail camera transmits pictures to a cloud-based system and lets you view them instantly on your smartphone.
If you want your camera to save images so that you can view them later, getting a trial camera with an SD card would be appropriate. There are also the kinds of trail cams that come with camouflaged exteriors to make it easier for you to hide trail cameras.
3. Range
Make sure to keep a check on your trail camera’s specifications to get a clear idea about the detection range and place it accordingly. The range of your trail camera is quite crucial. You can even check the range of the motion sensors of your trail camera after installing it. Most trail cameras or game cameras come with a detection range of 40 feet, but some can definitely go further.
7 Ways to Hide Trail Camera From Humans
1. Use natural foliage to camouflage your camera
An excellent way to hide your trail camera is to simply camouflage it. Any mismatched spot will draw the attention of other people to itself, and it is best to apply matching foliage to your trail camera in order to prevent that from happening.
Wherever you decide to install your trail camera, look for leaves, flowers, or branches that go with that area to hide your camera. Using natural foliage will disguise your trail camera efficiently and make it harder for other people to spot it.
But one thing to keep in mind is that those natural leaves and foliage will eventually turn yellow or brown and start to look odd. To avoid this, you can simply look for fake foliage which matches the area in a local craft store.
While camouflaging, you need to ensure that the lens of your trail camera is not covered by any foliage. As an alternative, you can also opt for a trail camera that comes with a camouflage print or a mounting box with a similar pattern.
2. Mount your trail camera higher
Mounting your trail camera within arm’s reach will only make it susceptible to theft. Any thief or trespasser will be able to reach it if the trail camera locations are easy to access. So if you’re trying to hide your trail camera from humans, make sure to elevate it higher.
By placing it at least 10 feet higher, the thieves will not be able to spot it, let alone steal, because people do not usually look up while walking. Mounting your trail camera slightly higher will not just protect it from humans but also give you a better view, which will be wide enough to analyze things better.
3. Avoid placing your camera in high traffic
You might want your trail camera to point to an area taken by a lot of people to record and observe relevant clips. However, to fulfill this purpose, you do not necessarily have to mount your camera in a high-traffic area.
You can fix your trail camera in a low-traffic area where people cannot easily reach it and let it point towards the high-traffic area you wish to record the movements of. Avoiding areas where heavy foot traffic originates will be one of the best to keep your camera away from human hands.
Furthermore, it will be best to choose a spot that will be inconvenient for people to access. In order to not invite unnecessary nuisance, people will avoid a spot like that. For instance, if humans have to climb a thorny tree or go through a cactus to get access to your trail camera, they might not just bother to go through that trouble just for a camera.
4. Use a camera that does not glow
At night, trail cameras tend to use the LED flash to capture better images. Although security cameras are difficult to spot at night, the flash might confirm their presence and lure thieves into finding them.
To avoid this situation and hide a trail camera from humans, you should opt for no-glow trail cameras that can click photos in the infrared range at night without revealing their presence. Such cameras do not glow at night and are clearly difficult to detect.
However, their expensive rate is definitely a downside you cannot overlook. Even though such black flash cameras cost more than regular trail cameras, investing in them is worth as they do not give off their location to trespassers.
5. Mount your camera inside something else
There are many ways to disguise your trail camera by putting it into something that has already been present at a particular place. For instance, you can hide your trail camera inside a bird feeder to avoid people spotting it.
Even using a trail camera mount to place it inside a fake rock lying near a tree would work effectively. The lens of your camera should not be obstructed while you try to hide it. You can even monitor a particular area by mounting your trail camera inside of a nesting box, as it will hide it perfectly.
Furthermore, utilizing padlocks and lockboxes for your camera is another alternative to hide it. An unsecured camera is more likely to be stolen or destroyed if it becomes visible instead of a camera backed by a lockbox.
6. Secure your camera with sturdy mounting brackets
What if a trespasser manages to spot your trail camera? In such a situation, you should be ready with a backup plan that keeps your camera secured even if it is found. By choosing sturdy mounting hardware and brackets for additional security, you can further boost the chances of your camera being unaffected in case someone attempts to steal or destroy it.
Consider opting for a strong and secure mounting bracket that is capable of keeping your camera safe if a thief tries to remove it. The chances of a passerby, especially the one who randomly came across your camera or any thief carrying equipment and tools to dismantle the bracket, are quite low. With robust locking brackets, the chances of your hidden trail cameras remaining safe from humans will be more.
7. Make use of a decoy camera
Another tip to prevent your trail camera from getting spotted and eventually stolen is to install another inexpensive decoy camera in a spot that will be quite obvious. This would definitely be more expensive, but if you are really concerned about your camera getting destroyed, you can definitely make use of a decoy camera to keep your original trail camera hidden.
Using a camera that does not work as a decoy would be much more clever. You can place your rear trail camera a little farther on the top to get a clear view of the obvious trail camera as well. In case the decoy camera gets stolen or vandalized, your real trail camera will be able to capture everything.
You don’t have to purchase an expensive trail camera only to make it act like bait. You can just go for a camera that does not cost much or an old trail camera that does not work.
Conclusion
Your concern regarding your trail camera getting stolen or destroyed is genuine. Having someone walk up to your unattended and expensive camera to take it away or destroy it could actually be more aggravating than it sounds.
But fortunately, it isn’t too difficult to hide your trail camera from humans. The ways listed in this guide are excellent for keeping your trail cameras safe from the hands of trespassers. Furthermore, making use of maximum ways will improve the chances of your trail camera remaining secured.
You can simply mount your camera slightly higher, camouflage it with natural or fake foliage, avoid high-traffic areas, use strong mounting brackets, and even use decoy cameras as bait.
FAQs
Can humans see trail camera flash?
If you choose a camera with an LED flash that glows at night, humans will be able to see the flash and confirm the presence of a trail camera. However, the flash of a trail camera with no glow feature that utilizes black flash will be invisible to humans.
Where can I hide my trail cam?
You can mount your camera slightly higher to avoid having people notice it. Most people do not look above while moving, which gives you a great advantage if you choose to hide your trail camera high up in the trees.
Even if trespassers spot your camera, they will not bother to invite any inconvenience and steal it if it requires them to climb a huge tree with thorny branches. So a place that is not easily accessible to people would be appropriate for hiding trail cameras.
Do trail cameras record all the time?
Mostly, trail cameras use infrared motion detection and time-lapse modes. So whenever their sensors detect a movement or a motion is triggered, your trail camera will capture the picture or record the footage. Alternatively, your trail camera can also shoot at specified time intervals.
How far can trail cameras see?
The detection range of a trail camera depends and varies on the camera you own. Some trail cameras might just have a range of 40 feet, while the average distance is 80 feet for most trail cameras. Nevertheless, there are a few high-end trail cameras that can go up to 100 feet.