I've been an avid nature photographer for nearly 30 years. Usually, every weekend I am out on some nearby trail discovering interesting plants, creatures, and their surroundings. Sometimes it's a patch of mushrooms; other times it's colorful fall leaves that look like stained-glass. Or a blue five-lined skink resting upon a hollowed log. Whatever my subject, I carefully position my camera at multiple angles, take several photos, and move along the trail when I feel I have captured something worthy.
But what happens when I'm not there?
This is where trail cameras entered my life, circa October 2017. That is when I purchased the Adventuridge Trail Camera at Aldi, marked down from $79 to $49. Now, I'm not a hunter. That saga ended on my first outing when my father told me to retrieve the rabbit he just shot in a nearby field. Watching him gut Thumper right there on the snow-covered ground—blood staining the snow in large splatters—and feeding the entrails to the dogs pretty much told me that that was not going to be my thing. I distinctly remember telling him that I needed to sit down under a tree. It made me sick.
But what I did like, and still do today, is learning about animals in their natural habitats. Watching how they go about their day. And studying small patches of woods among suburban settings to see how bountiful they become with wildlife when day turns to night. Infrared vision lets you spy on their nighttime rituals, albeit in my experience, I've found that they are more curious than spooked by the subtle glare of the red LED lights. Raccoons seem to be most interested.
Now it is 2026, and I am upgrading my Adventuridge to a model with 4K video and bluetooth/wifi file transfers. The prices have come down substantially, although I am finding out that the market is flooded with similar-looking, China-produced models with different manufacturers' names stamped on them. As I type this, I've had to return two defective units.
Nothing can accurately describe the mix of emotions you have when you go to retrieve your trail camera from public land. There's the anxiety of wondering if it's been stolen or damaged, and the elation from discovering that you may have captured something fantastic. I think that's what makes them so addictive.
To date, I've only had one incident where someone wrapped my camera in orange tape. And this was way off the trail where I thought no one would ever walk. I keep it locked up at all times with a thick cable wire. But, you never know what people might do. That's why I'm glad they aren't overly expensive.
Below is a video of what I captured on one of my outings. You can also peruse my TrailCamVic channel on Youtube.
