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Text Cam Can Kill

1K views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  fanninland 
#1 ·
A cell tower went up next to our ranch a couple years ago, so we invested in a game camera that texts/emails photos to us (me, my dad, my son). Great fun when we can comment, group text style, on pics instantly sent of deer, turkeys, hogs, my dad's unintended selfie when checking the game cam, etc. Last Saturday just as my neighbor and I had finished filling feeders and were about to crack open a cold one, I got the following text:



So we grabbed my scoped 16" 6.8 and 12.5" 6.8 SBR (sans PVS-14), hopped in the Ranger and sped the mile or so down FM 100 to the feeder. Parked a couple hundred yards away and stalked to within 80 yds or so of feeder, hiding in a grove of trees (just outside & right of the photo frame below). No pigs. We waited in silence about 20 minutes until it was almost dark and the mosquitos were about to carry us off. Finally, the loan boar appeared from the direction he was headed in the first photo.



My son had already headed to town, and my phone was in the Ranger, but I later noticed at that moment he had sent a text: "Choot'em !!"

I motioned for my neighbor to take the shot as he was positioned a little in front of me. I saw dust kick just behind the pig as his first shot with a black rifle hit a little low (later we learned it grazed the pigs front leg). The hog took off straight towards the trees we were in, and then at about 15 yards in front of my neighbor he swung to our right. I waited for him to appear in an opening between trees, put the Eotech dot on him, both eyes open, and dropped him with a 120gr SST about 20 yds away. As you can see in the photo, he had gone to take a mud bath before coming back to have dinner at the feeder:



My neighbor, a long-time hunter and bolt gun guy, is now hooked and now wants me to build him a 6.8.

Here is the cell game camera we have: Covert Special Ops Code Black 3G Cellular Trail Camera http://covertscoutingcameras.com/products/cameras/special-ops-code-black/

I ordered it new from Ebay last year for $220, but the best current deal I found is on Amazon for $300. It costs us an additional $10/month for the ATT service, but there is no contract so we turn it off after hunting season. If you have a strong enough cell signal where you hunt it is pretty cool technology - check it out. If anyone else has experience/impressions with these types of game cams, please share….
 
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#2 ·
Good job! On the pig and the new recruit.
 
#4 ·
When I read your title, I thought you wrecked your car while looking at text cam photos! Nice play on words. Good hunt. That's cool that you are relatively close when it goes off. Not sure I'd want to see the text cam pics if I was a couple hours away. I'd just get frustrated, especially if the pigs showed up 20 minutes after I just left.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Yep, since it was my first kill utilizing the text-cam and my new Templar Tactical suppressor, I thought the play on words title appropriate. And you are correct - it can be frustrating at times. I live 30 minutes from the ranch, but just happened to be out there on this day. The week before I was at my son's varsity football game and got a game-cam text of about 10 hogs in front of the feeder - the thought did cross my mind to run out there at halftime but I was too far away.

Very nice!
My hunt club has a cell tower on property. My hunt club is also 5 minutes from my job. This may not end well for me and my family!

On a more serious note, I didn't realize you could get no-contract cell plan for $10/mo for these things? That kind of changes things for me. Anything special you have to request to get this or are you doing a prepaid plan of some sort? I figured the pictures would be big enough file size to require a more expensive data plan than $10.
I'm also interested in this. Can you share a little more info on the cam used and the service you have for it?
Does the camera require it's own phone plan?
We have an ATT FamilyTalk plan with a certain number of shared talk minutes at a set base charge, and also Family Messaging Unlimited (includes unlimited text/picture/video to any domestic phone) for another $30/mo. We were paying for these features on our account before adding the game-cam, so these costs did not figure into adding it. Additional lines can be added to the FamilyTalk plan for $9.99/month (I just checked our bill - taxes/fees brings this to $13.73/month). Since the game-cam needs only a sim card and doesn't require a phone purchase, there was no contract committment for adding this number. With the Family Messaging Unlimited feature, there are no text/data charges for sending texts/photos to any other domestic phone, so no additional charges are incurred for sending/receiving the game-cam photos.

Looking at the Covert website, it appears that in addition to adding the game-cam to an existing account there are other options that cost about the same:

"*To purchase the correct SIM card and plan for your 2014 Code Black*

To have your Code Black send pictures to your cell phone or email address, you will need to get a standard size SIM card from any GSM provider. The SIM card must be set up with the proper plan in order to work so follow the instructions below:
If Purchasing from a GSM network store:

The camera will send to any provider's phone, but you must have a SIM card installed from a GSM provider. There are several options for choosing a plan for your Code Black camera. 1. The go-phone 10 cent a minute plan from AT&T is an economical choice, (note the camera will never use voice minutes, nor is a data package required), with the text message feature plan of either the 1000 texts at $9.99 per month or the unlimited at $19.99 per month. There is no contract involved with this plan. Please stress that auto-renewal be placed on the message plan chosen when activating your account. (If your 2014 Code Black 3G camera does not have the firmware version 3.00.25.08, then please update to this FW to ensure compatibility with the AT&T's plan.) Check your camera firmware version by going to the menu, SYS tab and select FW. An IMEI number is not required, but if needed use 999999999999999 (15-9′s). 2. You may also purchase a sim card at other retail stores, such as Wal-Mart and follow the instructions on the package for activation, using the above (Item 1) instructions. 3. You can also add a line to your current plan if you are using a GSM network. If doing so set up the camera as a basic phone, if an IMEI number is required use 999999999999999 (15- 9′s). Please make sure that you have MMS capabilities turned on as well as voice minutes activated on your plan. You do not have to have data for the camera to work."


Here's the link to their website which has more info.

http://covertscoutingcameras.com/2014-code-blackspecial-ops/

I think the main thing is to have a good cell signal. After years of no cell service at the ranch (which was good in some ways) now we are right under a 4G tower.
 
#5 ·
Cool!

Very nice!
My hunt club has a cell tower on property. My hunt club is also 5 minutes from my job. This may not end well for me and my family!

On a more serious note, I didn't realize you could get no-contract cell plan for $10/mo for these things? That kind of changes things for me. Anything special you have to request to get this or are you doing a prepaid plan of some sort? I figured the pictures would be big enough file size to require a more expensive data plan than $10.
 
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