100% new to trail cams - looking for coaching

[ASH556]

I've never used cams before. Had to start hunting a new place this year and put my first cam up this past Saturday. Fortunately the place is only 20min from home. I bought a $29 Muddy from Academy, some AA batts, and a 2 pack of 16Gb cards. I went last night (Wed) and pulled the card because I was going there anyway to put out corn and start a mineral site.

This is the first pic I got. Looks to me like a buck facing away from the camera, maybe moving?

Then a couple days later I got several pics of this doe:

Questions:
1. Thoughts/feedback on the first pic?
2. How long will the batteries last? I have this camera (https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/muddy-outdoors-mtc100x-140-mp-trail-camera). I have it set on the first "Q1" setting, which I think is a pic every 9 sec maybe? From Saturday afternoon until I pulled the card last night I only had maybe 15-20 pics and several of them were of just blank woods. Maybe caused by a bird or squirrel?
3. I noticed that the shutter noise is fairly loud. Will this scare deer from using the area? Are there quieter cameras?

 

[Sixes]

1. Small buck looking away
2. Depends on the camera. Batteries will go quicker over a feeder or bait site. 9 second interval over a feeder is going to be very boring going through pictures of the same deer for 100 pics or more at a time (average of 6 per minute). 2 minute interval is plenty over a feeder. . Memory card will fill up very quickly over a feeder, so the longer delay allows more time between trips. Over a scrape, shortest delay is advised.
3. Never face due east or west due to sunrise and sunset. Birds, squirrels, wind blown sapling can all trip the camera to go off. If it is a problem, reduce the sensitivity, especially over a feeder. I've been running cameras since the 35 mm Camtrakkers and can count on one hand the number of times that I have seen what I felt like were deer spooking to the shutter sound, I run video about 80% of the time and have only seen a negative reaction once and that is because I put the camera right on the tree a scrape was under and when the cam lit up to record, the buck freaked out. But, he was back an hour later.

 

[antharper]

I agree with sixes . I did buy a couple muddy cams a couple years ago and wasn’t impressed , but several people on here use them and like them

 

[James12]

Great advice above!

Just don’t buy Moultrie’s Delta cell cam, love them folks but the camera is junk. App is sweet though.

As for your cam, looks clear! Love my standard Muddy cams, but have seen horrible reviews on the cell versions. I think you have a winner.

On my standard Muddys I’ve had the same 8 AA batteries in since June over corn. The battery is only an issue on my cell cams, I now set them to send once or twice a day and they last. When I hunt a spot I change it to immediate transfer so I’m aware if I’m walking in on deer or not.

My $.02

 

[ASH556]

Great advice above!

Just don’t buy Moultrie’s Delta cell cam, love them folks but the camera is junk. App is sweet though.

As for your cam, looks clear! Love my standard Muddy cams, but have seen horrible reviews on the cell versions. I think you have a winner.

On my standard Muddys I’ve had the same 8 AA batteries in since June over corn. The battery is only an issue on my cell cams, I now set them to send once or twice a day and they last. When I hunt a spot I change it to immediate transfer so I’m aware if I’m walking in on deer or not.

My $.02

Very helpful thank you!

 

[James12]

Very helpful thank you!

I should clarify that I’m only taking photos on my Muddys, not video.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I have 2 stealth cams that have not needed batteries nor show any sign of diminishing battery life since I put them up in March.

They are not cellular though.

 

[ASH556]

Muddy still seems to be doing well. Finally got some daytime pics of deer last week; looks like a doe and her 2 fawns. Also another nocturnal doe. I hunted the stand 20yds behind this camera Saturday afternoon and saw a lone doe. Gonna try to stay out for a couple weeks after putting up a ladder stand in there on Sunday afternoon (I was in my climber, but in the same tree on Saturday).

 

[Thunder Head]

Something i always do.

I make the camera take a picture of me before i leave. And when i come back. Shows that it worked the whole time.

 

[SouthPaw Draw]

If this is on a feed site i would recommend putting the cam lower on the tree. I have found most the time when pics are taken the deer have their head down, that way you get head shots included in the pic, and like was mentioned before place the cam facing north, this time of the year the sun is rising more from the southeast and setting in the south west, I have 2 of the $29 Muddys and have been really impressed by the cam.

 

[Bigbendgyrene]

Have watched many YouTube videos on the subject, been actively using cameras year-round for almost 10 years, and think THIS video I found early on has GREAT evidence based advice.

 

[trial&error]

they sell card readers for $5-$10 on amazon that you use with your phone. I usually swap it out starting my evening hunt. There's sunlight should you drop it and it gives you something to do when you get set up in the stand.
If it's a long drive a cellular camera will save you lots of gas through the week. Spy points are about $100 right now and they come with a free subscription for 100 free pics a month. Mine is 4 years old, probably a record for them but it is still going.