to Flash or not to Flash

[Kyle]

Im going to purchase a trail camera. I cant decide if I want one with a flash or infrared. Reason being, if it gets stolen or smashed, flash cameras are alot cheaper and I wouldnt be as deep in the hole. My question is, does a flash spook deer or not? some think it does and other think it doesnt. Does anyone have any experience with this? Let me know what YOU think.

[Scott K]

One advantage of IR is that people wont see the flash and look for a camera!

[Mark Christianson]

Not necessarily true.

Most IR cams have an LED light. I am looking for the proper term, but there are only a few cams on market that are dark IR cams.

[slimngrizzly]

I like the flash cameras because I love getting quality photos! As far as spooking them..... Its diffent with different deer. Some deer are very tolerent, some are not. Ive got over 700 pictures of a big drop-tine buck now and he could care less of the flash, he loves it. Theres a big old 4x4 that comes around too, he gets flashed once or twice and hes gone. Its been this way for years and years for me. Some deer like it, some hate it.

Keep in mind, people dont think about this, but its often your scent and human activity in the woods that can spook deer far more than the camera. Flash or IR, your walking into their home!

[vister]

I would opt for the IR. I've got a moultrie outfitter 5.0. takes excellent pics, day and night. and i do believe the moultrie IR has more megapixels than a cuddeback IR at night or low light shots. Also, IR gives you much more battery life because it doesn't have to recharge the flash bulb. My camera is IR, taken 1800 pics this year, been out since memorial day weekend, never had the batteries replaced, and as of last weekend still had 79% of its battery life. With that said and the quality of pics, I don't think 230 bucks gets a better camera!

Also, if ya look at my avatar photo, this guy was in multiple pics this summer. who knows, a flash may have scared him running to the hills.

[1runhotshot]

I have a Moultrie with a flash but an becoming a huge believer in the IR cameras, IMO, the way of the future for all of these cameras is IR and Email the photos directly to you (That's about 5 years down the road though).

"IF" a flash does scare a buck from the area it may not be a chance to take. Your call.

[Mark Christianson]

You can get a camera that emails photos today. No need to wait 5 years.

Here is my take on flash versus IR.

I can say I have several dozen pics of a particular buck, and other bucks that I get one pic of.

I dont feel a flash is going to make much difference. But others feel it can.

I think it depends a lot on the area you hunt.

If you are in the big woods, where deer have little human contact, then yes, I could see it spooking them. They wont leave the county, I am sure. But it might cause some grief with them.

A camera flash in an area where deer have contact with people or activities, I just dont think is going to bother them much, if at all.

[1runhotshot]

I know you can get that now. I'm saying in 5 years or so year that will the way they will all be.... Hopefully at a MUCH LOWER COST....

Cost is one issue the other major one is many people hunt in an area that does not get cell service. Now it is a monthly service charge and a per pic charge. Ishhh...

[Christopher Quast]

I've had several bucks on mine last year and quite a few does numerous times but didnt seem to bother them and the farm I hunt on is very very small. Here's the kicker though last year I put alot of time in hunting and quite a bit at this place and I never laid eyes on a deer while hunting and other years before I had a camera I usually shot my deer by the second or third time I sat it.

I know there is going to be alot of comments about my post, but I think the biggest key to sucess is staying out of their area as much as possible and this year I put that to the test by not putting it out at all.

The deer definately changed their travel routes this year I can tell that much by where the sign is out there this year.

I have a Moultrie 4.1 flash model and it takes excellent pics day and night and also does video clips which wear down the battery very fast. I think I'm going to take Vister's advice and invest in an IR cam next year.

[Quackaddict9]

Quote:

Ive got over 700 pictures of a big drop-tine buck now and he could care less of the flash, he loves it.

slimngrizzly- Let's see one or two of the 700 pics you have on that drop tine buck!!

[Scott K]

Quote:

Ive got over 700 pictures of a big drop-tine buck now and he could care less of the flash, he loves it.

slimngrizzly- Let's see one or two of the 700 pics you have on that drop tine buck!!

I believe there is a picture of it in his avatar!

[harvey lee]

I agree with BLB as where we hunt it is very remote. The flash cameras do spook the deer some as one can see it in the pictures and the no flash we don't see that nervous jerk from the deer. I don't think it affects them that much as after the first photo, we do get more of the same deer. I think it just confuses them for a few seconds.

[slimngrizzly]

Here you go! He just shed his velvet on the night of the 16th. I was hoping to get him with it hanging but no luck!

[slimngrizzly]

That big 8 pointer in the back of photo #3 is a 6 1/2 year old, he will not get flashed more than once or twice and hes gone. He didnt get that old bey taking chances!

FYI- I love the quality of the pics of a flash camera, but I would never put one near one of my stands. Whether they spook deer or not, why would you want to chance it.

Its obvious this big guy dont care at all!

(By the way, the velvet pics are with a Moultrie 4 MP and the hardhorn pics are with a Cuddeback Expert. And no... like everyone on here says... nice pics, but the Cuddes are not worth the money.)

[harvey lee]

One needs to get in the stand with a bow and not the camera. Dude, you have some dandy deer there.

[1runhotshot]

VERY SOLID!

[Deitz Dittrich]

My mom has a feeder in the back yard... I bought her a trail cam to take picts of "her' deer. I can tell you without a doubt, that there are some deer that will still come into the area, but will not walk in front of the camera because of the flash. And you should see the things jump when it does flash. Try it yourself. Get your eyes set in perfect darkenss and then hit a flashlight. Its no fun!

I got her an IR camera now, she loves it and we are getting a lot more picts with it!

[sticknstring]

Awesome deer. Love that bladed g2. A 3 day window to get him in velvet too... how cool would that of been. This was the year for velvet bucks with the early opener. A buddy of mine got one last Wednesday. I've never seen one from stand. I've been running no flash IR cam's and haven't had the deer spook at all. Maybe 1 or 2 pics were of running/startled animals which necessarily weren't due to the cameras.

[mrklean]

I just checked my cam and there is a pic of the deer looking right at the cam after the flash, then it ran off you can see the eyes back aways, then it came back to look at it again, then it ran again.

[Quackaddict9]

what a dandy for sure! hope you get your chance at him this fall and good luck!

[Tippman]

I agree what many have said about it depending on the particular deer or area whether a flash will spook them or not. I've been using trail cams for 4 yrs and find that very few of the deer will spook from the flash.

This year I did get an IR camera. Its a stealthcam model and you can actually hear it click when it senses at night and see the IR light up dull red. I have it set to take video and have some interesting videos of what the deer do when they hear this. Most just stop and look at it then continue on. Some ignore it and have had a couple just bolt.

[USDA3]

I have never used cameras that have a flash, but use the IR cameras preatty extensively. Although the deer don't seem to spook with the so called IR, they do realize it's there. In many of the pictures taken during night/IR mode, deer will be looking directly at the camera. I don't think any trail cameras I have come across are true IR.