Cellular game cameras: good, evil, or ok?

[DanSanDiego]

Before this deer season I bought 2 cellular game cameras. Both less than $100 with a monthly plan under $8/month.
Now I’m looking back and wondering if cellular cameras are a good thing.
I had a G13 tag, and from watching does last year I knew to be wary of fawns. That was helped by my cellular camera. I knew my area had 2 doe and 1 fawn. When I hunted I was able to harvest the doe who did not have the fawn.
I had a D16 tag, and one morning as I exited the truck my camera sent an image of a buck. It was a spike, so not huntable, but it made me realize how the camera was real-time. If it had been a forky then it could have been an advantage.
My other camera was in a distant hunting spot that I never went to during D16. But maybe if I didn’t have the camera there I would have hunted the area.
What are your thoughts on cellular game cameras? Good, Evil, or something else?
pic 1 is me knowing there was a fawn in the area.
pic 2 is me knowing the fawn was fine after harvesting a G13.
pic 3 is a spike triggering my camera as I walked in one morning.

 

[TJD123]

I’d say double edge sword! What cameras are less than $100?

 

[ilovesprig]

Very disappointed in my Stealth cellular cam...It's blowing thru batteries and pictures are only fair at best...Dropped the service to $5.00 a month (650 pictures a month) from $20.00 a month...MB card stated it was full and it wasn't...I pulled it for now.

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[Rocked and Loaded]

Very disappointed in my Stealth cellular cam...It's blowing thru batteries and pictures are only fair at best...Dropped the service to $5.00 a month (650 pictures a month) from $20.00 a month...MB card stated it was full and it wasn't...I pulled it for now.

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Are you able to clear the memory card remotely?

 

[DanSanDiego]

Tactacam Reveal X is the world’s best (my opinion) cellular game camera. I’ve had one out since late July and it’s still showing 80% battery left (12 Duracell alcalines AA). They typically sell for $120 but with coupons/promo codes can be found for just under $100

My other camera is a MoultrieMobile Delta. At first I hated this camera. It ran through 12 Duracell alcalines in 8 weeks (in an area where it only had a few pics per week). Then I put in Dollar store AA batteries and those last less than 3 weeks. Lastly, I put in Energizer Lithium AA batteries and those are showing 99% left after 2 months. So if anyone buys this camera you MUST use lithium AA batteries (non-rechargeable) that are about $1.25 per battery.

Look up the picture plans at their websites.

I have an annual plan of 100 pictures/month on the MoultrieMobile and then add 500 pictures for $5 when I run low. At one point I put this camera on a natural spring and blew through pictures because of birds, squirrels, etc hitting that spring every hour of the day. When I put it in the woods the pictures were all deer (probably 5 pictures every other day).

On the Tactacam I have an annual plan for $80 that gives me between 600 to 1000 pics per month (I’ve never come close to the max so I’m not sure if it’s 600 or 1000/month). This camera I have not visited since outing it out there in July. As soon as I placed it, the camera started sending pictures every minute because of wind. Fortunately, both of these cameras let you change the settings remotely. So I lowered the sensitivity and it has been fine ever since (it does send a few pictures on hot/sunny days and I think that may mean it’s sensor is infrared.

One of my cameras was seen by another hunter and he just waves to it (Twice). That guy has a serious backpack and I think camps in the area while hunting. Fortunately he didn’t mess with the camera. But if either camera is stolen it won’t be useful to the thief because it has already been registered in my account. During hunting season I set the cameras to send a picture immediately. Outside of hunting season I set the cameras to send images twice per day.