Alright I am looking to buy at least one but hopefully 2 or 3 trail cams. I used to have 2 stealth cams that I used in Oregon but whenever a deer or elk came by my camera at night the flash scared them(blacktails are very skiddish) and I never saw whatever came by at night ever again. With that being said everything that came by during day always showed up numerous times.

So my questions are what is the best trail cam on the market?
Does the flash (non infared)on cheap cameras scare whitetails away? ( im in mississippi now not in oregon)
And also will a bear safe stop a human from stealing my camera because one of my stealth cams ended up getting stolen right off my tree?

any help would be greatly appreciated. I am really looking in the 100 to 200 dollar range for a good cam.

When you say what is the best trail cam, It would have to be reconyx or buckeye. But since your price range is 100-200 we can count that out. These cams are expensive. Great, but expensive. Flash shouldnt scare whitetails away. But you never know. I see countless flash pics of that. The cuddeback capture with flash gets overall good reviews from customers but not the IR model.

As for the bear safe or security box, it is not theft proof as nothing really is. It just makes it harder on the thieft to steal. More work. If you can lag bolt it to a tree and lock it up with a cable or chain lock, that is pretty much as far as you can go. That and placement for hiding it. For that, its better to go with a small cam.
In that category, a scout guard or trophy cam would be a good choice. (IR). The cams listed puts you in your price range.
For IR cams, I like to place it just above eye level slightly angled downward. That avoids the straight line of view to the IR leds. Once you angle up, down, left or right, the glow goes away.......

Hope this helps.........

Joe

So would you recommend the flash instead of infared for whitetails?
I still have one of my flash stealths but I dont like it because it is not digital and the film developement is even more extra money.

crbaker, As BBO said nothing is really theft proof. I have a cuddeback IR butthey do not take very good night pics. I also have a moultrie I40 which I think takesreally good night pics. Both of these cameras have good battery life, (the I40 is a little better) The cuddeback has alot quicker trigger speed and is quite a bit lighter. The I40 allows you to take 1-3 pics or videos where the cuddeback only lets you take 1-pic. But I honestly believe the deer see the (IR)flash on the camera when it takesa pic.The cuddeback costs about 20-$30.00more than the Moultrie I40.I hope this helps you out. Good Luck.

I use Reconyx cameras. If it were not for them. I would go with scout guard cameras or Moultrie cameras.

For the price range you listed i would recommend the Cuddeback Capture (Flash version) or the Scoutguard.

In that price range there are alot of good cameras. I don't think I would worry about the white flash. I have three IR cameras and the deer seem to stare at them as much as they do my white flash cams. I don't think I will ever buy another cam soley based on the fact that it is an IR. Some good choices in your price range would be the Bushnell Trophycam, Scout Guard, Moultrie I-40, Moultrie M-40, Cuddeback Capture (not the IR version), or Stealthcam I-590. Whatever you choose, I would invest in a security box made specifically for your camera. They are only about $35.00 and well worth it for alot of reasons. Hope this helps with your decision.

Blessings.....Pastorjim

My personal preference is the Cuddeback Capture,

I have owned Stealth Cam I590's, I550's, I450's a Moultrie 4.1 a Deer Cam and a Cuddeback Capture. The Capture is the best, then the I550. I haven't had enough time to evaluate the I590.

I would like some information on the SMART SCOUTER camera

Hungryeye,

Welcome to the forums, hope you enjoy your time here. I have had no personal experience with the smart scouter but this is what I've read. First of all they are expensive, in the $600-$650 range I believe. Secondly I have read that the picture quality leaves a lot to be desired. And thirdly, they have to be in a place that gets cell reception, since that's how they send their pics. You also have to pay a monthly charge to subscribe, just like a cell phone, and you get charged per picture. Moultrie is coming out with a similar system for a lot less money this July. Go to their website, www.moultriefeeders.com and check them out. Hope this helps.

Blessings.....Pastorjim