I recently received a question asking if I ever used my game cameras to try to get pictures of turkeys, and where the best place to put them is.   I have on several occasions used my game cams to help scout out new pieces of property that I have been given permission to turkey hunt on.

It is more difficult to pick up turkeys on a game cam than it is to pick up the deer.  Deer are notorious for using well established trails.  Deer trails are easy to find, and I often place cameras in these locations when scouting for deer.  Turkeys on the other hand tend to roam more through the woods and don't work established trails like deer do.  Because of this, turkeys are not as easy to pattern for camera placement.  I can tell you, that if you are picking up any turkeys on your game camera, then the number of actual turkeys in that area is most likely substantially larger.

So where are the best places to set a game camera for turkey pics?

Feeders are a no-brainer, but be informed of your local hunting laws.  Some states do not allow the use of bait for turkeys.  If your local laws allow it, then a bit of corn can go a long way for bringing turkeys in front of your game cam.

I often opt for the edges of fields.  Fields along the edges of woods are a major draw for turkeys.  These fields are often strutting zones that bring turkeys in regularly.  If you can locate a 'hump' or high section in the field, the big gobblers will often strut on the higher points of the field.  Game Camera Pole Mounts are a helpful aid for being able to get your camera in the right position.

Clearings in the middle of the woods can often be a good location for capturing turkey images.  As turkeys work through dense sections of woods, they often seem drawn to clearings or other open areas.

One trick I have used that has been very successful in the past is to make use of a decoy with your game camera.  I have some old Feather Flex hen decoys that had been gathering dust in the garage.  I placed a few of these decoys in a small clearing near an area that I was told birds often roosted.  I found that these decoys worked well for drawing turkeys within range of my game cam.

Cheap Memory = Poor Quality

If you aren't getting the quality you want out of your game camera video, it might not be the fault of your game cam. Take a look at your memory card first. Most game camera manufacturers will recommend memory cards from specific manufacturers, like Kingston or PNY. They don't do this because they are showing any special favoritism to these manufacturers. They do it because some cheap memory cards are known to cause issues with image or video quality in their cameras.

I personally had this experience with some Dane-Elec memory cards I was using in my Scoutguard SG550. The video would appear to pause periodically, and was just not smooth. Replacing the Dane-Elec memory with a Kingston card resolved my issues.

But before you run out and buy new memory cards, try this little trick. If your game camera comes with internal memory, then remove your memory card and and capture some images on the internal memory. If the quality of the pictures is good on internal memory, then your issue is most likely related to the external memory card you have selected. You should always format your memory card from your game camera to ensure that it is using the most compatible format.

Keeping your game camera lense clean of dust and debris is an important preventative maintenance step that you should perform each time you check your game cam in the field.  Dust and debris can lessen the quality of the pictures that you work hard to get.  So carry a soft cloth in your pack that can be used to clean your lense without scratching it.

And if you ever have issues with your game camera lense fogging up, then give this trick a try.  Pick up a little bottle of spray cleaner for reading glasses.  If you can't find this, then try a little Rain-X.  Not only do these solutions help to keep dust from adhering to your lense, they deter fogging.  This can also help to keep water from settling on your lense and later freezing and obstructing your pictures.

Bad effects of moisture

Game cameras typically have fairly good water resistant housings.  Some are better than others, and we all understand the importance of keeping moisture out of the internal game camera compartment.  It can be difficult to combat the effects of moisture, when our game cameras get submitted to the worst elements that the environment throws at us.  While nothing may be fail-proof, there are some steps you can take to help control the effects of moisture.

Keep several dry cloths with you when visiting your game camera to swap out batteries or memory cards.  Inspect your camera for any signs of moisture, and wipe the interior down to make it as dry as possible.

Consider using small dessicant packs.  These are the same little pellet filled packets that you typically find in the box of any electronics component you may purchase.  You can usually find these at any electronics store, or at online websites such as eBAY.  These packs promote dryness by absorbing moisture.  Used inside of a game camera housing, they can be helpful in removing moisture from the inside of your game camera housing.

Avoid changing batteries and memory cards in rainy weather if possible.  If this isn't an option, use the options listed above to combat moisture.

When changing batteries, make sure that the batteries are at the same temperature as the camera itself.  Batteries carried into the woods in an inside pocket will be warmer than the outside air temperature, and can tend to sweat as they cool inside the game camera.  Try carrying them into the woods in an outside pocket or mesh pouch.

I own many game cameras, and this gives me the option to periodically swap out entire camera setups.  I like to bring my cameras indoors from time to time to inspect them for damage or worn weather seals.  This also allows me to completely dry my camera indoors where I typically have a lower humidity level than outdoors.  I can then swap in my dry camera for another game cam in the field.

If you ever see excessive moisture inside your camera while checking it, pull it down.  Bring it indoors and inspect it for signs of a leak.  Game cameras are an investment and can be used over a long period of time if they are properly protected and cared for.

Cheap Game Camera Camouflage

Many game camera enthusiasts go to great lengths to camouflage their game cams. We buy cameras with camouflage patterns, and game camera lock boxes in camouflage patterns as well. We do this in an effort to keep our game cameras from being easily seen and potentially stolen or vandalized.

So why does every game camera manufacturer ship a solid black game camera strap with each camera they sell? There is nothing that makes your camera stand out more in the woods than that horizontal black stripe wrapped around the tree.

So until the game camera manufacturers realize this, and start shipping camo game camera straps in the box, consider the following solution. Wrap your strap in camo tape. You can pick up a 2 inch wide, 144 inch long roll of camo tape from under $10.00. Use this to cover your strap, strap buckles, and any other portion of your game camera or security box that stands out like a sore thumb. It is a cheap solution that is easy to implement.

If you are using a trail camera to survey a piece of land, focus on high traffic areas.  I like to walk a piece of property with my GPS in hand and look for signs of activity.

1. Those 'highway' trails.  Trails that are just tore up from traffic.
2. Places where trails intersect.
3. Downed fences used a crossing points.
4. Crossing points on creeks and ditches.
5. Rub patterns.

Walk the active trails.  Determine where the deer are coming from, and where they are going?  You can typically find bedding areas and feeding areas on either end of a hot trail.  Determine which is which.  This can help you determine the deer's direction of movement depending upon the time of your hunt.  Placing a scouting camera on a hot trail can help you figure this out.

Areas where deer trails cross are ideal for game camera placement.  These intersections increase your opportunity to score with your game cam.

Crossing points at downed fences, ditches, and creeks are an ideal location for a trail camera.  These crossing points serve as funnels, and can draw numbers of deer right past your camera.

While scouting, watch for rub patterns.  Dominant bucks can mark territory with rub lines.  They can work these areas repeatedly to make these presence known.  These areas are a great place to get an image or clip of that big buck.

Honeysuckle

Watch for natural food sources.  Areas of oaks dropping acorns can bring deer to feast in that area.   Keep your nose peeled for honeysuckle.  This is like candy for a deer.  The same goes for persimmon.

Survey the land for these type of spot, and then place your game cameras accordingly for increased success.