Four Ways You Can Prevent Your Trail Cameras From Getting Stolen

Hunt long enough and it will happen; your trail cam (along with your hard-earned dollars) will walk out of the woods. It’s an unfortunate fact of life, but there are things you can do to minimize the risk of your trail camera disappearing. Here are four simple steps that’ll make it less likely your trail camera goes missing in action.

 

1.  Mark Your Territory —  This tactic is more of a psychological deterrent than a physical one. Scratching your name and phone number, or writing it in permanent marker in various places (including inside the case) will make a would-be thief think twice about possessing gear so clearly marked as someone else’s (except if your Homer Simpson and your neighbor are Ned Flanders).

2. Out of Sight  —  Humans most easily pick up on objects that are at head height. It’s most natural for us to scan the area around us at that level. Placing trail cams above or below average height makes it less likely they’ll be noticed by a dishonest person walking through your hunting area.

3. Match the Strap  —  The one component that can be seen on all sides of the tree your trail cam hangs on is the strap. A coal-black one-inch band strapped to a light grey tree trunk might as well be a sign reading, “Take Me.” Keeping a few different colors of straps in your pack will help you match the strap to whatever the camera is being attached to. Black, grey, brown, and olive green are good choices and will cover most of the trees you’ll encounter. ​

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