10+ Hacks ▶ How to Hide a Trail Cam For Home Security?
Updated on Feb 16, 2023
11 Minute Read

How to Hide a Trail Cam For Home Security?

Make your home even safer with our simple and useful tips

Everyone wants their home to be the safest place on Earth for their families! For this very reason we spend so much time, effort, and money on installing various protection and alarm systems, as well as cameras.

However, quite many of you might face a rather frequent issue of hiding a trail camera for security so that it was not easy to spot by a stranger. And if you still find it a complicated task, we are here to assure you: nothing is impossible! Today we will teach you how to hide a trail camera so that nobody (except for you!) could find it.

How to Hide Trail Camera From Humans

There are several ways of disguising a trail camera so that the possible intruders will not be able to spot it even if they look for it hard. Besides, hiding your security trail cameras will also protect them from vandalism which is pretty hard to do with the cameras that are exposed to everyone’s view!

How to Hide Trail Camera From Humans

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So to disguise your cameras, feel free to make use of one of the following methods (or opt for several if not all of them in case you have to hide several devices around your territory).

  • Place it below your eaves or ceilings
  • Hide it inside the bushes or trees
  • Disguise your camera as a bird’s nest
  • Place it into a tree trunk
  • Hide it in a hanging basket
  • Shift to wireless cameras
  • Install a decoy camera to distract the intruders’ attention
  • Buy a sturdy mounting box for extra protection
  • Lock the camera using a python cable
  • Consider buying non-glow cameras

And now it is time to take a closer look at each of these tips to figure out why exactly this is a particularly good solution. So let’s start from the very beginning of the list and slowly move till its end.

Locate Your Cameras Below the Eves Or Ceilings

Unlike the common belief, it is not always necessary to install cameras outdoors of your home only, or place them outside the house around the territory. On the contrary, you can get even more use from the device by placing it under the ceiling where it will still be invisible to any intruder!

In addition, to hide it even better, you can paint the cam the same color as the ceiling. However please note that such a method will work best of all with the small cameras.

How to Hide Trail Camera From Humans

Elnur, via Canva.com

Disguise Them Inside the Trees Or Bushes

If you have lots of thick bushes outside, or you have a garden, you are lucky, and not only because you can enjoy the view every day from your windows! Your bushes and trees can serve as perfect disguise spots for the hidden trail cameras!

Basically, any green vegetation around your house that is thick enough can serve for camouflaging cameras. Moreover, this method is perfect since it works well for both mini cameras and their larger alternatives. Any bush or a tree with large enough leaves will disguise the bulk part of your cam easily making it completely invisible for the intruders.

Only ensure that the leaves and branches do not cover the lenses, otherwise, you will not get the sharp picture of what is going on around your house.

Camouflage a Camera As a Bird’s Nest

Hiding a trail camera inside of another object is probably the most popular and one of the best known ways of hiding it! For instance, you can put the device into a bird’s feeder or a bird’s house. Only make sure that the feeder (or the bird house) is old, otherwise, a brand new object will easily attract the attention of an intruder!

There is one more variant of how such a camera can be hidden, and it requires using either a fake rock or a nesting box. The only nuance that must be taken care of is that the box (or whatever you use for hiding your cam) has an opening so that the device could record videos and take photos!

Locate Your Cameras Below the Eves Or Ceilings

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Hide It In a Tree Trunk

A tree trunk is an ideal place to hide your security cams since it will hardly attract somebody’s attention. Just cut a small opening so that the device has no barriers when recording videos and taking pictures, and your hidden cameras will be ready to view the whole property when being tucked inside the dummy trunk!

Hide It In a Hanging Basket

Who would ever think of suspecting a lovely hanging basket, this sweet garden decoration, in being a hiding spot for a small mechanical observer? However, this is one of the simplest and finest ways of concealing your trail security cams!

Hide It In a Hanging Basket

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Since such baskets can be hung anywhere around the property, it makes them an ideal solution for monitoring the territory. Also, they are cheap and need no specific installation procedure. And besides, as an additional bonus, you get nice decorative elements in your garden! All benefits, no flaws.

Consider Shifting to Wireless Cameras

If you have been using large cameras until now, we recommend you think of shifting to the mini wireless game cameras instead. See, they are smaller which means it will be more difficult for an intruder to spot them. Also, they can easily be hidden literally anywhere both due to their size and thanks to the absence of wires!

Just remember to change the batteries regularly, and your little helpers will protect your property better than any guarding dogs.

Use Decoy Cameras

To distract the intruders’ attention from the actual cameras, it is a good option to install decoy cameras. Only buy the cheapest ones so that in case of breakage or vandalism, you will not feel sorry for the lost money.

As a variant, opt for old or non-working cameras to make use of them as decoy ones (that will be even cheaper!).

Protect Your Cameras

Cameras protect your property from intrusion and vandalism, but they also need protection. To save it from being damaged or dismantled by the thieves, consider buying a sturdy protection box for your little observer.

When being secured with such a box, your camera will become way more difficult to get to!

Protect Your Cameras

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Lock the Trail Cams With a Python Cable

It is another way of securing and protecting your trail cameras. Python cables are very durable and strong which means that it will not be so easy to break them. As a result, your cameras will be kept safe up to a distance of one to six feet high.

Shift to Non-Glow Cams

The most frequent reason why cameras get damaged by intruders and thieves is that they have that flashing light for taking pictures at night which is pretty hard not to notice.

This is why, in order to make your trail cams even harder to spot than they already are, shift for the non-glow alternatives. Yes, they are pricier, but in return, you will get a device that will still be able to take pics at night, only this time using the infrared realm. And moreover, they will be way harder to notice.

How to Use a Trail Camera For Security

To be able to make the most out of your cameras, it is important to install and place them correctly so that the devices will be maximally effective when doing their job. In terms of this, check out the most essential suggestions on your camera installation and usage.

First of all, take the placement of the camera into consideration. Security trail cameras are already able to record videos and catch images at wide angles which means that you can install them anywhere around your property, and they will still be out of the line of sight of a thief or an intruder. However, a camera will still be within the range.

The trail camera deters thieves

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In connection with this nuance, always pay attention to where exactly your camera or cameras will be installed. For instance, always have one inside your garage since most thieves start from this building. One more can be hidden among the tree branches or within the bushes to point straight at the house.

To scare the possible thieves off your home, install a camera with a flash light at the doorway or windows. Like this, it will work when detecting movement and deter the intruders.

Finally, opt for placing your security trail cams out of direct sunlight in shady areas since it will help to get sharp and clear pictures and videos, especially on sunny days.

Except for all this, you will also have to make sure that your camera (or cameras) cover all the territory they are supposed to observe. Because of they do, then their sensors will easily catch the motions within that range and alarm you if needed. But if a camera is not able to cover the whole range, then you will have problems with your property protection and safety.

How to Use a Trail Camera For Security

Elnur, via Canva.com

What Are Trail Cameras?

Indeed, what makes these rather small devices different from the common security cams that are usually bigger? Well, shortly speaking, trail cams are the devices that were initially made for observing the wildlife in the woods. However, they also proved themselves to be ideal for protecting our homes from thieves and unwanted “guests”!

They all have installed motion sensors that make the device take pictures of the moving objects once they are captured by the camera lenses. In addition, many of these cams can send you those pictures right to your smartphone!

The Benefits Of a Hidden Trail Camera

Using trail cameras for security instead of the ordinary security cameras have certain benefits that most of us definitely have not even thought of. Since quite many people do not take trail cams seriously enough, these small ones have quite impressive abilities when it comes to detecting the intruders.

To help you see the major distinctions, we have prepared a comparative chart. Here you can check out why using trail cameras for security purposes can be even more preferable than holding to common security cams.

PriceInstallationVisibility of the deviceTechnical characteristics
Trail camera50-500 dollarseasy to installhard to noticeclear pictures&video, wide detection range, fast trigger speed, long battery life. Can work both indoor and outdoor
Security camera100-300 dollarsrequires professional assistanceeasy to noticemay take blurred pictures, some models work when plugged in, not all cameras can work both indoor and outdoor

So as you can see, a hidden game camera is more versatile in comparison to its security alternative. Even though it is more expensive, it works longer, takes better pictures, can be used anywhere around the property, and it’s able to work day and night. So before buying this security appliance, think twice what exactly it will be used for and what characteristics it must possess.

The Benefits Of a Hidden Trail Camera

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Tips For Buying a Trail Cam For Home Security

If you have never had security cameras installed, it may seem to be difficult for you to figure out what sort of device will suit your needs better than others. Indeed, today there are numerous types of different cameras on the market which makes such a choice almost an impossible mission!

This is why we recommend you consider several useful nuances that are good to keep in mind when heading to the store for buying your first security cam.

  1. Consider the quality of images the camera takes. Usually, wireless cameras take better pictures whilst the conventional CCTV cams tend to produce them blurred. Simply saying, the higher the megapixel, the better the quality of image.
  2. Camera lighting is also important. For better security qualities, opt for a non-glow camera since it produces no visible light. That is especially important at night.
  3. Check the battery life of a camera since it influences the strength of the signal and the quality of the connection.
  4. Consider its trigger speed which is the time needed for the camera to take a picture once it detects motion. To avoid unclear pictures, buy cameras with the trigger speed of less than half a second.
  5. Mind the detection range of the camera since its scope must be able to cover all the areas you are interested in.

So now you know what makes trail cams and security cams different, and why trail cameras are somewhat more preferable.

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Frequently Asked Questions

⭐ How to find trail cameras in the woods?

The easiest way is to spot it by the strap around the tree.

⭐ How to catch trespassers at night?

The most effective way is to install a night-vision camera.

⭐ How do wireless trail cameras work?

It works via the wi-fi connection.

 

8 thoughts on “How to Hide a Trail Cam For Home Security?

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  1. Anthony says:

    I think that  hiding trail cameras in birdhouses is a good method for a private house. It’s almost invisible! Trail cams are considerably superior to traditional home surveillance camera systems.

    1. Amanda says:

      Totally! It’s also one of the safest things to do. My neighbors use this method and it’s quite beneficial. You can easily cover and conceal trail cameras both inside and outside your home in a variety of locations.

  2. Jennifer says:

    For home security, look for trail cameras with a long range, a long battery life, good association quality, good picture quality, and fast processing.

  3. Andrea says:

    How to hide a trail camera so the potential criminals won’t find it? I can’t come up with an idea that can really work, to be honest. And also, any tips for finding a good trail camera?

    1. Sadie says:

      There are several hacks to do it including trees and bushes, or below your eaves and ceilings. Consider what points are mostly visible to the bad guys and hide the camera so the criminals won’t find it.

  4. Anastasia says:

    Can trail cameras be used for home security? I was thinking about buying one for my winter chalet house.

    1. Lea says:

      Yes, it’s a good option to choose if you want to provide a good protection for your house. Trail cameras for security are available in a number of setups and programming choices. The majority of models can take both still and video images. Many people record audio to go with their videos.

  5. Dulce says:

    What is the best trail camera for home security? I’ll be buying it for the first time and I’m already lost among all these options and models!

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