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deer cameras

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,943
139
Ok I have a couple primos and bushnells behind the house.

These cameras were working great, taking pictures, etc. I have only ever used 1 set of cards per camera. All of a sudden my cameras are not taking pictures. Do I need to reformat the cards?

IF so why the F do they randomly do this? I am ready to through them in the creek!
 

OhioHunter88

Junior Member
270
68
Perry County
Ok I have a couple primos and bushnells behind the house.

These cameras were working great, taking pictures, etc. I have only ever used 1 set of cards per camera. All of a sudden my cameras are not taking pictures. Do I need to reformat the cards?

IF so why the F do they randomly do this? I am ready to through them in the creek!
Could be cards, also what batteries are you running? I've had problems with cheap batteries in the cold. Warmer months you can run the cheaper batteries, when it starts to get colder you better have good batteries otherwise the cameras do nothing.
 

Spencie

Senior Member
5,051
145
Constitution Ohio
Try formatting the cards. If that doesn't work bring them home and test them in a warm enviroment. Just curious, what model are the Bushnell's?

SD cards can also go bad. That may be the issue.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Try formatting the cards. If that doesn't work bring them home and test them in a warm enviroment. Just curious, what model are the Bushnell's?

SD cards can also go bad. That may be the issue.

This.

Here's what I've done to help eliminate issues over the past few years: Start with good batteries. I have success with Rayovac in my Browning and Bushnells. Second, I always turn the cam off before removing the card. Third, I always use a card that has been formatted. This is a big help in keeping things working smoothly. Lastly, troubleshoot at home in a warm, dry environment when things are funky.

My Bushnell Aggressor does not like it when I put a card in that's not been formatted.
 

jlane

Junior Member
523
0
dunn nc
i have bushnell and moultre cams, bushnells are a bit finickey, i always format the cards everytime i set a new card in them don;t have issues if batteries are good, wireless will eat batteries up, non wireless batteries lasts for several thousand pics even in cold weather, i try to use duracell bat, bushnells take better pics, i also clear cards with the cams itself
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,943
139
I am wondering if I cleared the cards and it caused the SD cards to not be formated to the camera anymore?

I had an issue with a bushnell and a promos recently.

Bushnell is a trophy cam HD. They are pretty nice cameras. Ok dumb question, how do you format a SD card?

I got the cams in the house and I plan to screw with them tomorrow.
 

Fluteman

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,094
146
Southeast Ohio
I am wondering if I cleared the cards and it caused the SD cards to not be formated to the camera anymore?

I had an issue with a bushnell and a promos recently.

Bushnell is a trophy cam HD. They are pretty nice cameras. Ok dumb question, how do you format a SD card?

I got the cams in the house and I plan to screw with them tomorrow.
On the bushnell, just scroll through the menu until you see an option to format. Not sure on the Primos, but you can always do it on the computer as well.

Insert SD card, find it in your file folder, right click on the card, and hit format.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Like Jesse said.

1. Good batteries. I always use either Energizer or Duracell.

2. Format the cards after pulls before sticking them back in the cam or another cam.

3. Always turn the cam off before changing any settings if it's selector switches. If it's a digital menu turn it to off before turning it to on. Don't go from menu to on.

4. Turn the cam off before swapping the cards.

5. Use quality name brand cards like Sandisk. I've never had luck with the micro sd cards inside the standard sd cards.

6. Before season take a qtip with white vinegar and clean the contacts on the SD card.

7. About once or twice a season push the card in an out about 20 times real fast to scrape the internal slot contacts and the card contacts.

8. Always wait for the cam to become active and waive your hand in front of it to make it take a picture before locking it up. I wish I could disable the stupid wait time. It was only useful back in the 35 mm days.
 
The first time we started having problems with pics not saving to cards was when we used a card that had been in one brand camera into a different brand camera. Then I started having problems with a couple specific cameras that seemed temperamental even if I used the exact same card that had been in it just before. The best way I found is what others have said, quick reformat them on a PC to clean them off. I have found bad cards that way too when trying to do a quick format and get an error. Into the garbage they go when that happens. I was doing the reformat on the cameras but had several times when it must not have worked and had to go through a bunch of pics I already downloaded, or worse yet the camera wouldn't save to the card again.
 

ChasinTheTrophy

Junior Member
72
0
Western PA
I have had issues rotating cards in different cameras . if I pull one from say a Moultrie take it home and check it and then put it back out in a WGI sometimes it wont like it and not take any pics . So I try to keep my cards separate for the manufactuers as best I can . Seems to work better that way .
 

Dustinb80

#FACKCANCER
Supporting Member
18,172
187
S.W. Ohio
I just bought 6 pairs of 8GB Sandisk memory cards. Ill be starting over with all of my cameras and marking which camera takes which card. Im hoping this helps b/c I have formatted all of the cards and I have 2 brand new cameras and one of them has decided not to take any pictures. It was the one I was hoping for pictures from the most too. Time to strategize for the spring and summer.
 

Just 1 More

Junior Member
796
0
Bushnell and Primos are the same company when it comes to trail cams,, If you have to return a Primos, It goes to Bushnell
 
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Spencie

Senior Member
5,051
145
Constitution Ohio
I have 5 Bushnell's, all older...1 Trophy Cam, 2 Bushnell Security cams from SAMS and 2 X-8s (possibly the best cams Bushnell has ever made and I only found them on one website). I never format the cards and never try to keep cards separate from my other makes of cams. I delete the card entirely each time I check it. I don't have any issues with any cards.
 

angelzd28

Junior Member
Good info guys, lost a lot of pics this winter for all reasons mentioned above. Next year I will be sticking with one card per camera and reformatting the cards each time. I just removed all my cameras this past weekend so no more pics for me..... Till next year
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,943
139
I have used the formatting tips, and it has made all the cameras work again. IDK how the cards got screwed up as I only used 1 card per each camera but after reformatting all the cameras seem to be working again. WAHOOO!

thank you all!