I am lucky enough to be trialling the latest model of Bushnell Trail Cam… in fact, I think that this may be the first one in the UK! This camera is not yet released and is still in post-production, but I was delighted to be asked to give it a go and report back to Bushnell in Kansas, USA.
Over the next few months, I will be trying this camera out in a variety of locations and reporting on my findings here on my blog and on my website at www.wildlifekate.co.uk. I will also be making suggestions for features that we might like to see here in the UK. These cameras were originally designed for hunting purposes… to scout for potential game. In the UK, they are increasingly being used for remote monitoring of wildlife and by wildlife enthusists, such as myself. I feel that with minor tweaks, these cameras would be ideal for the monitoring of UK wildlife, which is often smaller than the game it was originally designed for.
The new model is a little larger than the Bushnell XLT that I already have, but it looks pretty similar.
The major difference is that this model has what is known as ‘black’ IR.
Most Infra-Red LED emitters are around 850nm and glow, that is although you cannot see the light they emit, the LEDs do glow red. This is the case with my other Bushnell. This red glow does seem to be within the visible range for some mammals and my foxes could definitely see it.
IR LEDs of 940nm or more DO NOT GLOW and are known as ‘invisible’ or ‘black’. The obvious advantage of this is that the animals can see nothing and are less likely to be spooked by the camera.
This model also has a motion and low battery indicator on the front.
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For a more detailed report and information about my trials of this camera, visit my www.wildlifekate.co.uk website.