On any given day in Monrovia, California — outside of winter, perhaps — residents may catch a glimpse of black bears, rabbits, coyotes, deer, and even the occasional mountain lion ambling about in their backyards or front gardens.
The city, located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, is the ideal location to set up trail cameras: remote, motion-detecting devices that can capture the daily escapades of wildlife in their natural habitats, which just so happen to be shared with humans’ natural habitats.
But while the small town may not represent the norm for volume of large mammals strolling around, it’s actually not so different from anywhere else when it comes to animal-human coexistence.
“There is wildlife all around us, whether you live deep in the woods or on an urban edge,” Sally Naser, the conservation restriction stewardship director for the nonprofit Trustees of Reservations, explained to The New York Times. “In back country and in front country, if you want to get this window into the wild, it’s out there for the camera to record.”
During the COVID-19 lockdown, writer Hilary Hattenbach did just that. The self-proclaimed “city person” noticed that finches had nested on her Los Angeles balcony, and decided to set up a basic trail camera she bought online. “In a matter of days,” she wrote in an article for the BBC, “I’d plunged into the lives of my neighborhood skunks, squirrels, and possums, a nature-made reality show unfolding in the bushes of my own garden.”
Her experience is far from isolated. Across the country, as camera quality has improved and prices have dropped, a growing number of people are tuning in to the zoological scenes outside their homes. And doing so offers much more than merely viewing material.
Benefits of Setting Up a Wildlife Camera
As Naser said, anyone can get that “window into the wild” by setting up a simple trail camera on their property, be it a fourth floor apartment or sprawling homestead. The cameras provide an exciting new project to focus on, as well as the opportunity to learn about the world around you and develop a stronger appreciation for and connection with nature.
That last element has some serious benefits. It’s fairly well-known that spending time among flora and fauna can improve mental health, but a 2023 study found that watching short nature videos also had a significant positive effect.
“These animals are just out there surviving, and they don’t care about me,” Los Angeles-based trail cam user Caitlyn Montgomery told the BBC. “There’s something really grounding about that. I can be kind of an anxious doing-a-million-things kind of person, and it just slows me down to go out there in the morning and see who’s stopped by.”
And if you opt to share what your trail cam records, you may unlock additional perks.
“My game cams bring me closer to the animals with whom I share this ecosystem,” said Tucson, Arizona, resident Eric Aldrich, who runs an at-home trail camera account called Lo Fi Outdoors. “And when I share what my cameras capture with others — on social media, in meeting halls, in the desert and the mountains — my human neighbors feel closer, too.”
Choosing the Right Camera
There are a plethora of cameras available online, ranging from under $50 to over $500. According to Naser, though, the very low-end may not be your best bet.
“It’s probably better to spend a little more,” she told the Times, “like $125 to $175 per camera, rather than the $50 models whose results won’t be as satisfying, and that aren’t as durable.” She prefers models by Browning, Bushnell, and Suspect. GardePro, Wildgame, and Meidase are other trusted brands.
Once you’ve decided on your budget, you’ll want to take your desired purpose into consideration and then check whether the camera model meets your needs.
For example, does it take video, photos, or both? Is it infrared, so it can capture content at night? Is it weatherproof? Does it store data on a memory card (some models link up to devices over WiFi), and if so, can your computer read that kind of card? If not, you may need to purchase a card reader or adapter.
Take this quiz on TrailCamPro.com for help deciding which kind of camera is right for you.
Choosing the Best Location
You’ll want to place your camera where you think the most animal activity is. Avoid areas with heavy human foot traffic or rustling foliage that may activate the camera frequently.
Next, consider the species: If you suspect the majority of animals that visit your yard are on the smaller side — like rabbits, raccoons, or foxes — make sure you place the camera low enough to the ground to capture them, wildlife specialist Stuart Edmunds recommended in an article for The Wildlife Trusts. “I find that aiming a camera along the edges of flower beds and the lawn work well and have recorded a variety of birds and mammals in my urban garden,” he wrote.
Researching which animals live in your area, and then learning a bit more about their behavior on a site like Animal Diversity Web, can help you decide where you have the best chance of seeing them.
Per Naser, positioning your camera facing north or south is best as “you can get sun triggers at sunset or sunrise” if it’s pointed west or east, she told the Times.
Try out one location for a week or so — if you’re catching only the tops of heads or bottoms of paws, you’ll know to raise or lower your camera. Likewise, if your subjects appear out of focus or blown-out, you may need to move the cam farther away.
Positioning the Camera
You can use a wooden stake, tree, deck post, or bench to mount the camera. Most come with straps for doing so; just make sure they’re secured tightly so you don’t miss anything from the device slipping down on a windy night!
A cable lock is a good idea if you’re worried about theft — either of the human or animal variety.
Sharing Your Discoveries
This part is up to you: You could create a dedicated social media or YouTube account for your images and videos, or even set up a blog where you share notes along with your uploaded content.
The Reddit forum r/trailcam is another great option for connecting with other like-minded trail cam-ers. Once you’ve established a username, you can start sharing snapshots and footage with others around the world. The comment feature allows you to discuss your posts and ask for help identifying species or tips on getting better images.
Interacting With Animals
Seeing the (not-so-) secret lives of the animals in your backyard might induce you to get involved in those lives, but it’s important to respect their boundaries and watch from afar.
While leaving food out is generally discouraged, if you’re wanting more garden visitors, consider adding a bird bath or other small water feature, as H2O is a big draw for birds and mammals.
If you notice that a critter appears to be limping or otherwise injured, you should in most cases resist the urge to interfere, according to Carolyn Wilder, president of the Wildlife Rescue League in Virginia.
“The rule of thumb is if the animal is moving in and out of your cam range, it’s probably OK,” she told The Washington Post. “Wild animals are adapting to urban life, trying to coexist with us, and we want to figure out ways to live peacefully with them.”
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