How to Lock a Trail Camera to a Tree (Guide) Prevent Theft

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Rob Johnston

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How to Lock a Trail Camera to a Tree

In this guide I take a close look at how to lock a trail camera to a tree and some of the ways to prevent your trail camera from being stolen.

There’s no totally effective way of course. These methods will however greatly lower the chances of your trail cam succumbing to opportunist thieves.

Any thief that is determined enough will take even the most securely fixed trail camera. The solutions in this article will stop almost all thieves unless they’re carrying a bunch of power tools with them.

Prevent Trail Camera Theft

Let’s now take a look at some of the most effective ways to secure your trail camera to prevent theft. I’ve selected a number of methods, from solo camera set ups to large scouting trail camera networks with over dozen cameras.

Each method comes down to cost at the end of the day, as it can get expensive with a tonne of cameras out there on public land.

Trail Camera Lock Boxes

This is almost certainly the most secure solution to locking a trail camera to a tree.

If you have skills in steel fabrication then it wouldn’t be too difficult to make a bespoke lock box for your intended trail camera.

Camlockbox

An alternative is to buy a purpose made lock box off the shelf. Camlockbox [1] are a company that do just that. Browsing their website you’ll soon discover they have almost all the major trail camera brands covered.

Additional boxes are added to their range all the time to meet the ever increasing expansion of new models to the market.

The quick reference guide is very easy to use, just selecting the brand and then choose your particular trail camera model.

They’re not too expensive either, typically around the 30 to 40 dollar mark. A good investment that I would suggest for lower number trail camera scouting. Especially when some of the latest trail cams are well over 200 bucks these days.

It could get expensive if you’re putting out dozens of trail cameras on public land though, so it’s probably best to use some of the other methods later mentioned in the article if that is the case.

Budget trail camera security boxes

A budget trail camera lock box option would be DABAO. They’re definitely worth taking a look at if your thinking of the metal security box solution for multiple cameras.

Attaching a trail camera lock box to a tree

In the video below it shows you how easy they are to set up using just 2 lag bolt to attach to a tree. You can also add a Python lock or similar threaded through the steel case and around the tree for extra security.

The downside of course is that your going to have to carry a cordless drill and a socket wrench to attach the box to a tree.

Trail Camera Placement

The ideal height for deer scout is around 3 feet off the ground for deer trails. If you’d like to know more about how to set up a trail camera then I have written an article on trail camera detection zone and placement.

Trail camera height

Having said that, if your set up is next to a food plot and you think there’s a chance of your trail camera being stolen, placing the camera high up in tree may offer an easier solution.

I would suggest around 15 feet off the ground is about high enough to stop most opportunists from taking your camera.

If you can carry a ladder to gain height over a food plot then that makes life easy. Most locations require a bit of a hike to get to and carrying a ladder is not ideal.

Tree climbing sticks such as the Lone Wolf are lightweight, quick and easy to use. The stick will allow you to set the trail camera high enough out of arms reach and most importantly, the eye line of humans.

Trail Camera Holders and Mounts

All modern trail cameras come with a tree strap provided. In order to angle the camera lens to a suitable angle it most often requires a stick or some sort of wedge placed behind the camera body to achieve the desired angle.

HME products make a very popular screw in trail camera mount that lets you rotate and tilt the camera with ease.

This makes placing a trail camera at height as mentioned earlier a lot easier to get the desired angle looking down over a food plot.

For more trail camera mounts check out my post that takes a look at 5 different types of mounting brackets.

No products found.

If you don’t want to spend money on a purpose built mount this article on the QDMA website shows you how to make a DIY trail camera mount.

Incidentally, I have written a review on a QDMA publication “Deer Cameras the Science of Scouting” which is a must read for anyone interested in the subject.

The only camera brand that I can think of that include a way of adjusting the “rake” or angle using the purpose built steel tree bracket at the back of the camera is Browning.

Trail Camera Python Locks

Probably the most common solution for locking a trail camera to a tree is the good old Python lock.

Last update on 2024-10-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Guardian Game Cam Tree Mount

Of course Python locks are easily cut off with a bolt cutter.

Guardian Hunting have come up with their own unique method of trail camera security and thats the steel band locking strap (see picture opposite).

This ingenious device is going take one hell of a determined thief to remove a camera secured with this method without specific tools. Check them out below.

Last update on 2024-10-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

There’s no doubt that a simple Python lock or similar will deter the passing opportunist thief. As in the case with my Moultrie trail camera some months ago.

The cable loops through the hole at the back of the trail camera tree bracket and wraps around a tree trunk or a thick branch.

I suggest a lock with a 5/16 inch diameter cable at least.

Summary

Hopefully I’ve covered the most common and easiest ways to secure a trail camera to a tree.

Making the camera less easy to spot also helps and the use of camouflage will blend the camera in with its surrounding environment.

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, if someone is determined enough to steel it then they will. Perhaps a combination of both camouflage and security is the answer.

Have a read through an article I wrote on how to hide trail cameras from humans for further tips on trail camera concealment.

In some cases the would be thief is known to the owner of the trail camera. Some folk place what they call a “minion” trail camera overlooking the more expensive camera.

If the more desirable camera is stolen, the “minion” camera has a record of who was responsible.

Whichever method you use to prevent trail camera theft. I hope this guide will help lessen the chance of you loosing not just a camera, but important scouting data stored on the SD card as well.