Remote Trail Camera

http://www.bing.com/search?q=wifi+Remote+trail+camera&src=IE-TopResult&FORM=IETR02&conversationid=

Wow, that's a dedicated thief! Have you considered a cable to lock the camera in place? Obviously that will be ineffective if your trespasser carries something to cut it with. I'm not sure if you can try to disguise or hide the camera so it is less visible. I wonder if it could be hidden in a bird house, for example? There are also lock boxes for trail cameras.

I ran a quick search and found some information about cameras that work on cellular networks. Here's a site that lists several options. They seem to have mixed reviews and many limitations. And you will need a data plan for the device. But if you are looking for a short term solution (to simply catch the thief and discourage future behavior) then it might work.

If the area is within range of your wi-fi network, you could consider using a security type of camera that uploads to the internet.

Good luck! I recently discovered a trespasser on my property and am considering using my trail camera to catch him in the act. (I have a good idea what he's up to, and it might be illegal.) But I too want to make sure that my camera is secure before placing it in the area he visits.

I actually hollowed out a log which I split in two and placed the camera inside. I thought it was virtually invisible..........but not. Thanks.

Wow! Someone has too much time on their hands. I hope you find something that works. Please report back to us... I'd love to hear the outcome. And see if there are any camera alternatives I can try, too.

Sounds as if your interloper might have an infrared vision device of some sort. If he does, he can go straight to your IR illuminated camera.

Most likely all you need is a cell phone camera. They "see" IR quite well. Have someone stand across the room and aim the remote at you while you look at them thru the camera. You will be surprised by how "bright" the IR light is.

Invisible logs are not a good idea!

Post a sign at the location of the theft for help wanted, person to work surveillance of this area....make it high paying, offer $50 an hour....the guy that answers the ad is your guy.....take down all his contact information and address and DL id number ...take a picture of the guy with your phone....tell him you'll be in touch....pass the information along to the police with your suspicions....let them catch him in the act with some enticing bait....

Depending on how remote the area and how much land you own it may be difficult to catch and prosecute the trespasser.

A threat is no good unless you're prepared to back it up....

If it's in range of your wifi...

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=remote+camera

Consider adding a loud percussion device in a nearby tree that is set to go off when the camera or whatever is tampered with. in addition to alerting others .they might run off before removing the real or decoy camera etc. Good luck. Be safe with this promlem and whoever's behind it

Could always rent some bloodhounds...track 'em down...

http://bloodhoundsincorporated.com/

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1329068&p=1058965703#post1058965703

Can't offer a solution but I will be following this. I've been looking for ages for a security camera to cover a remote store. No on-site power, no wi-fi cover but there is good mobile phone cover. I need something, perhaps solar powered, that can be left for months at a time possibly accessing remotely from time to time by phone.

Kodiak makes one with WiFi. Transmits 100 ft or so.

Most trail cameras will produce a glow when they flash. There are some that are no glow. They leave no tell tail sign when they go off. I suspect that the type you used gave away it's position even in the log.

Instead of hiding it in a log. Next time place it in a tree up over head where the thief will have to climb to get to it. And need some type of climbing gear to do so.

Then again a motion sensor connected to some bright lights and sirens. Should get he's attention and leave the camera alone.

How have you been fastening these signs, or posting these signs?

Could you make the signs more difficult to remove? by using security bolts or something similar?

Are you in a wooded area? Could you have posted the camera way high up in a tree?

No camera is going to help if the intruder is wearing a ski mask or something to hide their identity . They already know you are trying to use cameras . Camera might help if a vehicle is involved

Unfortunately cameras are too easy to defeat, you're going to need some type of perimeter protection system that can't be detected. As others have pointed out, IR is too easy to view with night vision goggles, so you might try 30-40kHz ultrasonic or passive IR motion detectors that remotely trigger your well-hidden camera, but that won't solve the face mask issue.

You might try some solar powered LED security lighting mounted high enough to avoid destruction, your goal is to make your property less inviting than your neighbors'.

Hmmm. Stealing your "signs" eh?

What an odd and cheap thing to steal.

I do have ideas, but first idea is that you might not be protecting your signs, but rather another, shall we say greener cash crop? Am I on the right track here?

Clues: 1) You live in California. 2) You posted this on 4/20 3) As mentioned above, the economics just aren't working out here. You want to spend hundreds on an advanced remote trail camera to stop people from stealing $10 signs? 4) Someone mentioned that the thief may have had IR sensing goggles. That's a smart thief! Almost like they know what they are doing and looking for something other than signs! And are well-aware of methods to stop them from stealing what they are trying to steal.

Anyways, I don't care one way or another what it is you want to protect, but I will put in a word here to strongly advise against putting in any countermeasures that physically harm, maim, or inconvenience (dyes, etc) the thief. I'm sure you've heard all the stories of how dangerous the poachers and growers of certain crops-whether you are protecting such a crop or not-can be. People with guns. People with networks of criminals who will find you, etc. Don't count it out. Hikers in the Sierra's are getting fishooks in the eye as soon as they wander off-trail. I wouldn't risk it my friend.

On to my thoughts!

First, it's relatively easy to disguise a camera so that it's virtually impossible to see. The log idea sounded OK, I don't know how well you executed though. Maybe try taking a piece of Ghillie suit fabric and hiding it that way? http://www.ltdcommodities.com/Garden--Outdoor---DIY/Outdoor/Camping---Hunting/5-Pc.+Woodland+Ghillie+Suits/prod1750277.jmp

If the thieves are using IR goggles, and thieving at night, that won't do much good. The camera is simply emitting copious amounts of IR and near IR which are easily detected and show up like a lighthouse on an IR sensitive sensor. I would look for TRUE "night vision" cameras. That is, cameras that amplify ambient light ONLY, rather than introducing a source of sub-visual light into the environment. IF such cameras are not available, look for "Generation 2" or "Generation 3" night vision optics, and figure out a way to interface your camera with the image on the groundglass/projection screen of the night vision scope or device. May involve additional optics and/or adapters, but then again it may not. I routinely take acceptable photographs with my iPhone by carefully aligning it above the reticle of my microscope.

Second idea, depending on how large of an area we're talking about, and how advanced your knowledge of engineering and code is, it may be economical to bury a loop of radiating coaxial cable in the ground and measure changes in the capacitance of the system, which will change if something passes over the top of the cable interacting with the electrical field.

Code Logic: if capacitance changes by N, trigger camera record.

If the cam uploads wirelessly, even if they see the cam once it turns on, and come over and destroy it, it will be too late.

Radiating coax is only one type of underground line sensor, but I think it might be the best bang for your buck.

http://www.themetalith.com/electronicsecurityfaqs.html#q10

-Sylvester

I agree that measures that would cause physical harm are not a good idea. You are setting yourself up for a lawsuit - even if the injured party is trespassing. A snowmobile rider drove through a field owned by my family. He rode through a barbed wire fence and got hurt. This happened at night. He was in the process of suing, but it was later determined that he was intoxicated at the time, so we were lucky.

I think the comment about what's being protected is a little out of line. It's also irrelevant. There are plenty of reasons why I am interested in knowing who's on my property and what they're up to:

• Doing something illegal - underage kids drinking, for example
• Causing property damage
• Hunting in an area where my animals are roaming
• Safety and liability concerns in an unsafe area
• Question of property ownership - if there hasn't been a recent survey of the land, someone else might think they are the owner
• Stealing posted signs - expense of replacing them and the time to do so

Savvy, Don,

My apologies if it was out of line. I don't want my first post to get me kicked off, and I am a longtime user of online forums so I want to respect the guidelines of this forum which I'm not yet totally up to speed on.

I think my tone may have been more out of line, than the information.

I do hope you leave the post up, and these following replies can temper and make up for whatever might have been inappropriate about the first few sentences of my last post.

I'd like you to leave it up, because, while I was poking fun a little bit, when I shouldn't have, I spend 30% of my time in rural California, and if OP doesn't know already, because of the drug smuggling routes that run through Cali, as well as the rampant epidemic of illegal Cannabis cultivation on public, private, and wilderness lands, there are indeed some very dangerous people who might be crossing your land at night that you don't want to mess with, without the assistance of well-armed of authorities.

And Savvy you bring up an excellent point about the legal ramifications of engineering countermeasures that cause harm or inconvenience to trespassers.

California isn't Florida. I don't know the exact laws, but it is totally possible in many states for illegal trespassers who are harmed on private property to sue, or, in certain states I believe if the landowner intentionally or unintentionally kills someone, they can be prosecuted for 1, 2, 3 degree homicide by the state.

That's why all of my suggestions are passive, non-harmful solutions to whoever is stealing your signs!

No worries - and welcome! I am the community manager here and I can assure you won't be kicked out for your comment. As someone who has my own camera on my property, I guess I got a little defensive about my reasons for doing so.

Thanks for providing lots of helpful suggestions in your comment. I look forward to seeing more from you in the future!

Maybe you could just install detectors that would contact your phone, then launch a surveillance drone for footage of the trespasser (s)....?

RLWatcher is a cool surveillance app for a phone....the phone will call you if it senses movement or is moved itself....

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-effective-cell-phone-surveillance-apps/

Thanks everyone for your questions and suggestions. Actually, I'm in Louisiana, LA, not L.A. I have actually put up several sets of signs in the past 3 years, and they have all disappeared. I'm 99% sure of who it is. I just don't want to get into accusing the guy without proof. I have made a couple of police reports and have advised the PD of an on-going feud: About 4 years ago I was in the process of installing about 500' of sprinkler pipe when my back gave out. I was only able to walk with a cane for 3 days. A few days later my ex-friend came over and, through a lot of cursing, told me that I was not being a "good neighbor" because of the pipe laying in my yard. Then he started a land dispute related to me acquiring a section of land between his property and mine. That is when I put the signs up. Sorry if this is way too much information. I know it sounds like "Old Grumpy Men".

Anyway, the land that I want "Joe" to stay from is a canal running along my property and bordering his. I used 2X4's with the signs attached to plywood and attached them to the 2X4's which I pounded 3' to 4' into the bankside mud. After the 1st theft I attached a spring loaded anchor to the bottom of one post. It still went missing. Then I attached a string, buried in the mud, to a remote audio alarm. That went missing also. But, I would have to have been home to hear the alarm. The area in question is about 300' from my home so most remote/wireless, wifi systems would not work. In my area, trespassing is only gets a $25 fine. However, theft is a different story. I just want to guy to stay off my property.

Thanks again,

Don

You could paint the back of the next signs with non-setting anti-climb paint. It won't stop the thief but at least it will mess him up a bit.

Yea, I was thinking about doing something like that. There's a product for birds that remains sticky.

Well this all sounds just silly now....

I totally agree. It is surprising what some "friends" will resort to without getting better information.

Your story with "Joe" reminds me the Road Runner / Coyote and Spy vs. Spy cartoons... cause both of you are engaged in pissing your neighbor off. Let me give you an advise: if you get a bit less obsessed with this situation, you will save a lot of money, and "Joe" will eventually get bored of doing things to piss you off without having the reward of your reaction

I understand what you're saying and point well taken. But, it is not just him that the signs are put up for. Since I acquired the property, including the canal, I need to stop boat traffic (including Joe) coming up the canal from the connecting river. There is no place for the boats to travel without just having to turn around (dead end) and the boats cause erosion along the canal banks.

Hi, I live in a Delta and understant your point about erosion of the banks, cause we have the same problem down here! In my country, -by law- every spot of water (no matter if a pond, river or creek) belongs to the state and each has to have a 5 ft wide towing path open to the public on each riverbank. Should a there be similar law in the US, let me tell you, you have no chance on controlling anything on your dead end river. So: buy yourself a beer, read a good book ... and relax!

Build a "trip wire" using mono filament line. Connect it to a device that can send a signal to a pager. Have the local cops monitor the pager freq. We did something like this for a guy that had people moving HUGE rocks to get into his sand pit to party (and mess the place up). It worked very well and the perp couldn't figure out how the cops got there so fast! I can't disclose the details since it worked so well that the local law has now built several for use in surveillance situations and have asked us not to disclose it.

I'm not sure how badly you want to catch this guy, but here's an idea - it'll cost you a little time and money.

1. Buy two cameras - one a cheapo model and the other a pretty nice one.

2. Point the cheapo camera toward the sign. Make it look like you're trying to hide it and even put it high enough so it can't be grabbed easily. Add a small circuit inside the camera that has a low power flashing LED light to make the guy think the camera is "watching" him.

3. Hide another camera that points toward where you think the thief will be in clear view as he's stealing the dummy camera. If you think it'll be a while, place a small solar panel somewhere out of sight and use it to power the camera. If you want to go one step further, you can hide a cell phone (powered by solar) nearby, which will be the source of wifi for the camera.

Sit back and wait, because you know the thief will be back.

Sorry about your problem. Others have mentioned some good solutions. Hope you catch them.

Thanks to everyone for your comments. I will be "off the net" for a while. I've had to bring my 89 YO mother to the hospital twice in the past week. If and when I do something about the trail camera I will let you know.

Don in LA (Louisiana)

How about staking a pit bull dog on a tether in the vicinity of the camera with appropiate warning sign; "beware of dog" or similar. Leave food and water for the dog.

I'd go with punji sticks & a couple of M18A1's just be sure the "right" side faces the "enemy".

How low can you sink?

Any middle-priced camera should be OK

Agree with dkeegan's opinion, any modern middle-priced camera should be fine for surveillance purposes. Nowadays software plays an increasing role, just take a look at this biometric software for the identification of a person by face image. ATM cameras are not that good usually but the software works well and identifiable person's face.