Two climbing sticks up. That is how high James hangs trail cameras on Michigan public land, because a camera that is not up high gets stolen. In this vlog he hangs summer cameras with a new tool for the job, Latitude's Carbon Synergy climbing sticks, at 14.9 ounces per stick.
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1. Why Hang Cameras High
James hunts public land, and he says you have to get your camera high or it gets stolen. That happens to him at least once a year. For the past few years he carried his Carbon SS sticks for the job. For this round of cameras, he picked up the new Carbon Synergy sticks.
2. The Synergy Sticks at a Glance
- Weight: 14.9 ounces per stick, the main reason James was excited about them
- Stack: four sticks this time, up from three, and they stack well with no strap holding them together
- Noise: rubber where the sticks connect keeps them silent
- Attachment: Amsteel and a Versa button, covered below
3. Prep the Sticks Before You Head Out
Before going to the woods, James puts stealth strips on the shafts. He also adds illumination stickers, which made a bigger difference than he expected. In sunlight they pick up a lot of light, so when it gets dark the sticks are easy to see. With his Amsteel in place, he also added an aider to the bottom step.
He carries the sticks and cameras on a small pack that breathes well, one he uses a lot for scouting and turkey hunting. He calls the whole load sturdy, lightweight, and easy to walk around with.
4. Find Where Low Pressure and Good Habitat Overlap
Michigan public land gets a lot of pressure. James is trying to get away from people and find good deer habitat, and when he finds those two things overlapping, he has a good spot.
The camera in this video sits on that kind of overlap:
- Bedding: a swamp with thick, grassy cover where deer bed down
- Water: easy-to-reach water over a small hill, a spot deer like because it is easy to get to and has cover
- A funnel: a plateau of ag fields and private land behind the camera, with deer funneling through and forking off around the ag
- Sign: deer stop and paw here, there are a few oaks, licking branches get used all year, and scrapes open up in the fall
That makes it a great spot for summer inventory, and great in the fall too. This camera will probably stay, though James expects to move his cameras quite a bit over the next few months.
5. Two Sticks High
Even this spot still has people around, so the camera goes up high. James hangs his cameras two sticks up. Someone who really wants a camera will probably get it, but climbing two sticks high to steal one is unlikely. It has worked well for him, though he still loses one or two cameras a year.
6. How the Stick Attaches
James always wears a harness in the woods, and it helps here because he can use it to hold a stick on the tree. Each stick attaches with a Versa button and a pair of slots. The wrap goes around, through the bottom of the Versa button and around it, back up through a slot, then under and over. James admits it might sound complicated, but he says it is intuitive once you do it, so save the video and remember that it is easy to do.
Your Turn
James wants to know: do you hang your cameras high, do you have cameras out yet, and have you had any stolen? He suspects that half the time he thought a camera was stolen, he lost it himself, and that a handful of his cameras are still in the woods where he forgot he hung them. Tell us in the YouTube comments.
FAQ
How high should you hang a trail camera on public land?
James hangs his two climbing sticks up. Someone set on stealing a camera can still get it, but he finds it unlikely anyone climbs two sticks high to do it. He still loses one or two cameras a year.
How much do Latitude Carbon Synergy sticks weigh?
Each stick weighs 14.9 ounces. James carries a stack of four, and rubber where they connect keeps them silent.
Do reflective stickers on climbing sticks help?
James did not expect them to make a big difference, but they do. They pick up a lot of light in the sun, so the sticks are easy to see after dark.
Watch or Listen
This vlog also runs as episode 306 of The Fair Chase podcast.
For more scouting and trail camera videos, subscribe to The Fair Chase on YouTube.