Critters ATTACKING your game cameras?

[windymtnman]

Just curious how many others are having game showing a big interest in your game cameras? I have a consistant history of Elk and Bear approaching my camera, and knocking it around. I mostly set my camera on video, rather than still pics. So, I have Bear and Elk frequently pushing & prodding the camera a great deal of the time. I figure that on night encounters, they probably see the LED's glowing and are curious about that, but I have it happening in the daytime too. So, I'm wondering how they even know the cameras there? I don't even hear a click when it turns on, and I doubt if game does either, especially when they're not necessarily near it when it clicks on. I wonder if there is an energy field they sense from it?
Does anyone have any like experiences, or know why game is sensing and then curious about this?

 

[ChrisS]

All of my cameras have tooth marks from bears. I don't clean them in between putting them out, so I think they just smell something different, investigate and take a bite to see if it's food. Daytime, deer are curious about their surroundings and typically I put my cameras at or close to eye level of animals.

 

[Schaaf]

Cattle always screw mine up. Last year they got one off a tree and kicked it around until I found it 50 yards away. Dicks.

 

[AZBridger]

horses, cattle elk and bears are hell on mine. i started putting them all 8-10' up in trees and haven't had a problem yet. People don't seem to notice them either when they are up off the ground.

 

[SG25]

Happens a lot. I had 3 or 4 cameras destroyed by bears last year.

 

[Chad Gus]

Damn woodpeckers have pounded a few holes in a couple of my cameras.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Coons always crawling all over mine. They turned one upside down 180 degrees and I got an upside dwon picture of the biggest buck of the season. I rotated the picture around lol.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Moose and wild horses are obsessed with mine on the bottoms. The mountains bear and moo cows are the worst.

 

[MTelkHuntress]

Squirrels...dang things chew my solar panel wire. Cattle are the worst....dont know how but one smeared some poo on my camera a couple years back...yuck. At least the bears and elk just lick the camera and leave it be...at least on my cameras.

 

[Mainer207]

Had two of mine ripped down and stomped by bears last year. One of them actually ripped it down then a couple days later came back and messed with it and stomped it into the mud.

I’ve found if you put them up 6-8’ or so it makes a difference. They don't seem to notice them as easily as when they’re right at eye level.

 

[Jim/Wa]

Had enough problems with bear and elk that I usually place them pretty high. Sometimes not though...

 

[EYJONAS!]

The elk kick the living shit outta mine, that's why they're high on the hit list........

 

[windymtnman]

I have the same issues as mentioned in the comments, but wondering how they find the camera in daytime hours when there is no glow from the LED lights? Is there a energy or electrical field they sense?
As for mounting the camera high in a tree, I've done that too, but find it lessens the field of view if really high up, and then more problematic to mount when it's up in the air.

 

[tarheel]

I have the same issues as mentioned in the comments, but wondering how they find the camera in daytime hours when there is no glow from the LED lights? Is there a energy or electrical field they sense?
As for mounting the camera high in a tree, I've done that too, but find it lessens the field of view if really high up, and then more problematic to mount when it's up in the air.

I suppose it's possible that the circuitry in the cameras emits a frequency which is out of our audible range but within that of animals. I'll go ask my friend Google and see if he has the answer.

Well, that didn't take long, and the answer is YES, they do emit audible frequencies and often light which is perceptible by some to most mammals.

 

[dgc1963]

I had a issue with bear here in Pa they just love my cams so instead of the $40 dollar metal boxes I buy $7 electric quick disconest boxes and use my grinder to cut the hole in the face as needed for the cam
and lock em up took care of the issue and less $ esp since I run 15 or so for bear every year

 

[sapperJ24]

Finally got around to uploading some videos. I've previously (in other threads) posted some stills from this young griz going after the camera, but if anyone is interested:

 

[MITCHMO]

you eyeballing my camera?

 

[Happy Myles]

While i was Sitatunga hunting deep jungle in Cameroon a cow Forest elephant tore a camera off a tree and stomped on it. Recorded by another camera.

 

[bullbugle307]

I figure the thing that makes em the most curious is the smell on the camera. I've got loads of deer and elk pictures smelling and kicking the camera

 

[Dunning Kruger]

I have the same issues as mentioned in the comments, but wondering how they find the camera in daytime hours when there is no glow from the LED lights? Is there a energy or electrical field they sense?
As for mounting the camera high in a tree, I've done that too, but find it lessens the field of view if really high up, and then more problematic to mount when it's up in the air.

It actually increases the field of view being further away. I mount all mine 10-12ft up, easy to do with slate river ez aim mounts. Bears will still find them though. Ive had plenty of bears screw with cams that are up 12+ft. But i like them up that high so they wont get noticed by people.