I am going to get into some analysis of game scouting cameras here today and in some future posts. I know that monitoring your deer herd or other game is becoming a year round adventure. The game cameras have evolved into giving you more information to analyze and figure out what your game is doing, so when the short hunting season comes, you can process this data and put yourself in the best position to harvest the trophy you have been monitoring all year. On top of that, looking at images from a game camera is fun, lets face it, you just can’t wait to see if that big 10 point has come by your camera.

I want to start today by talking more about the Primos Reconyx Silent Image Infrared Game Camera. I have mentioned in an earlier post that Reconyx would be coming out with a couple of new models this year. I realized after I wrote the post that many of you were not familiar with their existing Reconyx RM30 model. This is a true reconnaissance tool, it is quite a bit more pricey than a lot of the game cameras out there but it does what it promises, unlike many on the market today.

The game camera does not offer high resolution or color pictures (although the two new offerings available in mid 2007 will offer both). The resolution is around .3 mega pixels but this is where it gets interesting, this enables the game camera to record more images to the compact flash card (it will hold up to a 2GB CF card), and with its Near Video Technology you need the room on the card. A 2GB compact flash card will hold up to 40,000 images. This camera will take its initial picture from the time it wakes up in 1/10 of a second and will continue taking pictures at up to 5 frames per second, so when you view the frames in sequence it looks like video.The images also give you a time and date stamp, moon phase,and temperature. The only negative is the game camera does not have a battery meter on board, but the software does enable you to check the battery level, so if you have your laptop afield you can check it this way.

I met these guys a couple of years ago at SHOT Show and still remember, they were the only one of the camera makers that would put a card in the camera take a sequence of pictures, pull the card out and show you the images it recorded on the computer, right there on the show floor. I knew then that this game camera would be a true player in the market.

These guys at Reconyx have been building these cameras right here in the USA for several years, but have been marketing them to wildlife agencies and universities for study purposes, in 2006 they decided to make the leap into the recreational market.The game camera is infrared not flash, so there is no need worrying about spooking the deer at night. The infrared LED cluster is probably the biggest on the market and really lights up the area, the range is around 60 feet at night, which by all standards is great. The game camera comes in a rugged air tight, water proof case, that offers a threaded block on the bottom so it may be screwed into a tri-pod.

The camera operates on 8AA batteries that provide power for up to one month, you can also opt for a C cell battery upgrade (sold separately) that will give you up to three months of battery life. The camera will operate at extreme temperatures of up to -20 degrees fahrenheit with no issues. There is a bright red LED on front of the camera to help you set it up initially after mounting.

The game camera also comes with management software that lets you format your compact flash cards and load images into specific locations on a topographical map, that can be downloaded, of the property you are monitoring. This enables you to stick the compact flash card in its slot and flip a toggle switch and the game camera is ready to take pictures. It really is a simple and very easy to use tool. The Reconyx offers CodeLoc for security, the user programs a PIN into the camera, therefore if it is stolen, the company would have to reset it, reporting the camera stolen to the company could help in recovery.

This game camera will help you gather information like no other, although the camera can be set to delay between pictures, I don’t know why you would want to do that. The information you may be missing in a minute delay could be that big 12 point just easing through your area. The Reconyx is able to get images of animals running by it, and I’m not talking about the rear end of the animal, it will get the whole animal. Even though the image resolution is not as high as other cameras, the constant snapping of images gives you more angles and views to get a better grip on the animals’ score or other characteristics.

In closing I would just like to say that I am most impressed with the Reconyx because it just plain works, and is as advertised. Like everything else, it is man made, but I have found the guys at the factory are easy to get ahold of and easy to deal with, if you do have issues. They will turn around the camera quickly if you do have to send it in. You can click here to see a preview video of how the camera works if you would like. I will also attach some images.

Outfitters should really take a long look at these game cameras, they will give you the information you need to get your clients on the game and bring them back year after year.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 30th, 2007 at 4:14 pm and is filed under Game Scouting Cameras. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.