Lookin' out my backdoor

[Tailgate]

We live next to a greenbelt area and the #3 fairway of one of the 3 golf courses in the community. Lots of wildlife pass right behind out back fence which is only 50 feet from our patio door. We have 2 trailcams (Bushnell and Browning) on the back fence to see what's happening, especially at night. I put together a little montage of the various critters it's caught over the past year or so. We see most of these regularly although a lot fewer deer since their trapping program removed quite a few of them during February.

The coyotes are fairly elusive... fox, skunks and raccoons are like frequent flyers... The guy with the bb gun is my neighbor who, under the influence of some nice red wine, decided to have a little fun. The 'trash can lid' deer was a fixture for a long time..she stuck her head in one of the golf course trash cans and came away with a necklace. Didn't slow her down, but she disappeared some months later. Calls to the Game Warden to get her some help were rebuffed and we were told it would be more harmful to catch and sedate her than to let her continue with the bling.


Backdoor Critter Cam
best with sound up

 

[Walt34]

Well done, and interesting!

 

[Montecfo]

That was fun for sure.

 

[COZICAN]

Really cool

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

We have quite a bit of wildlife in out back yard (backs up to a very large chuck of undeveloped land) much to our dog's disapproval. The deer will wonder off if the dogs get too excited, but the 10 wild turkeys that come around every few days could care less about the dogs.

I have thought about getting a game camera to see what else creeps in the night that we can't see.

 

[aja8888]

Very cool!!

 

[NYEXPAT]

My backdoor is the Pacific ocean. On several occasions I have watched the schools of spotted hound sharks swim down the coast.

 

[Tailgate]

We have quite a bit of wildlife in out back yard (backs up to a very large chuck of undeveloped land) much to our dog's disapproval. The deer will wonder off if the dogs get too excited, but the 10 wild turkeys that come around every few days could care less about the dogs.

I have thought about getting a game camera to see what else creeps in the night that we can't see.

You would enjoy a trail cam... lots of fun..neighbors who had lived here for years had no idea what wildlife was in their backyard until I started posting the videos... a handful of them have bought cameras since..

 

[Dtail]

Very nice. Thanks.
We get wildlife from time to time.

 

[RunningBum]

A few from my backyard.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Very cool!

 

[MRG]

You would enjoy a trail cam... lots of fun..neighbors who had lived here for years had no idea what wildlife was in their backyard until I started posting the videos... a handful of them have bought cameras since..

Very nice, thanks for posting.

Any must have features on a cam? We live on the edge of a national forest, there is a lot of creatures I've seen. Sadly the most aloof, lions, have escaped my camera. I'd love to get one on camera.

 

[RunningBum]

Any must have features on a cam? We live on the edge of a national forest, there is a lot of creatures I've seen. Sadly the most aloof, lions, have escaped my camera. I'd love to get one on camera.

Motion+heat sensor, so you don't just get pics of leaves fluttering in the wind.

Decide if you care about still photos or video. I have 3 cameras, the one I like best takes 3 shots then 10 seconds of video.

Look for good night vision. Not sure exactly what terminology or what would be specs for that.

Read reviews about battery usage. You don't want to be replacing batteries every week, or finding you missed weeks of action due to dead batteries. I use rechargeables and generally change every month but could probably go 2.

 

[Tailgate]

awesome bobcat and bear....I'm glad we don't have those guys...We have small dogs and I'm already concerned about coyotes.. also about our dogs getting 'skunked' ...

 

[Walt34]

also about our dogs getting 'skunked' ...

A BIL had a beautiful collie, but at times could be a bit dim-witted, she got skunked twice.

 

[SumDay]

Thanks for sharing. We also live on a course and are amazed at the nocturnal happenings.

 

[MissMolly]

We had a rat terrier - smartest dog I ever saw, but extremely territorial. She got skunked twice in the same week. Didn't slow her down for a second.

 

[Calico]

Very enjoyable - thanks for sharing!

It makes me wonder who/what is prowling around in my back yard at night.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Our biggest concern is coyotes in town. Now that our big guy has died I always go out with the little ones day or night.

 

[robnplunder]

The guy with the bb gun is my neighbor who, under the influence of some nice red wine, decided to have a little fun.

That was the highlight of the video. How much did you pay him to act like that?

 

[pacergal]

Enjoyed the video and pictures.
thanks for posting!

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Motion+heat sensor, so you don't just get pics of leaves fluttering in the wind.

Decide if you care about still photos or video. I have 3 cameras, the one I like best takes 3 shots then 10 seconds of video.

Look for good night vision. Not sure exactly what terminology or what would be specs for that.

Read reviews about battery usage. You don't want to be replacing batteries every week, or finding you missed weeks of action due to dead batteries. I use rechargeables and generally change every month but could probably go 2.

Would you mind sharing what model you use? Looks like it works very well, but there are a LOT of Bushnell's to choose from!

 

[RunningBum]

Would you mind sharing what model you use? Looks like it works very well, but there are a LOT of Bushnell's to choose from!

I think all of those pics were taken by https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AU6DWPO, no longer available (at least thru Amazon).

I also have https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XQMBZ65. I'd like it better if it was hybrid (photos+video instead of one or the other), but it's fine.

And I bought https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FN7LQSS because it was on sale for $30 over the holidays. It's not bad if you want to go cheap. Haven't had it long enough to really evaluate.

I helped with a Smithsonian project a few years ago https://emammal.si.edu/ and they had some $600 cameras. I asked what they recommended and they said the Bushnells were probably the best for the price. I think Moultrie has a good rep too.

I think there are also some features where you can view pics onsite, or maybe even retrieve them via bluetooth or some other wireless method, but that's not important to me. I keep mine near home and I'm fine taking out the card to view on my computer while I'm recharging batteries. I can see how someone using it as a remote game camera might want to do that.

 

[Tailgate]

Would you mind sharing what model you use? Looks like it works very well, but there are a LOT of Bushnell's to choose from!

Bushnell Trophy Cam HD. Browning Strike Force. Both have their pros and cons. I’d give the Bushnell a slight edge for night shots.