Solar power is becoming a must-have trail camera feature for many hunters, and for good reason. Whether you choose a trail camera with an integrated solar panel or add an external solar panel to an existing camera, the extra cost can be nominal and is quickly offset by some serious advantages that can improve your chances for success—all because you no longer need to rely on conventional batteries that can let you down.
1: Wildlife won’t see you coming
Are your trail cameras placed near your tree stand or hunting blind, or on the game trails leading to these areas? Every time you visit, it is another opportunity for the wildlife to hear, see, and smell you—to know where you’ve been and, potentially, what to avoid. In the worst scenarios, wary game may begin checking for you before they enter the area, or even change their patterns to avoid it altogether. That can lead to major disappointment when it’s time to sit in the stand.
Solar power reduces this risk by cutting out the need for frequent camera visits to change batteries—providing reliable power for months longer than conventional batteries. And if solar power is paired with cellular connectivity like it is with the FLEX-S, your target bucks, bulls, and boars may never know you’re coming.
The FLEX-S cellular trail camera.
2: Eliminate camera outages
When your trail camera runs out of power, or the batteries freeze from extreme cold, you are truly left in the dark. Anything that happens in front of the camera before you can visit it to replenish the power supply is lost. If you’ve ever had this happen right before—or even during—your hunt, you know how frustrating it can be to lose valuable information when it’s time to pattern your game and fill your tag.
Cellular trail cameras allow you to monitor your power supply from afar and intervene before this happens. But what about non-cellular trail cameras that don’t transmit information to an app? Unless you’re using a solar-powered camera like the FORCE-PRO-S 2.0, your cameras could be down for a long time before you have the chance to check on them.
A FORCE-PRO-S 2.0 is set up on a tree.
3: Save time and money you can invest back into your hunt
Every hunter has a limited amount of resources available to prepare for the season. For many, decisions about how to spend time and money are made carefully, prioritizing whatever provides the best chances for success.
Even though the initial purchase price may be a little higher, solar-powered trail cameras pay for themselves by putting time and money back into the bank. It doesn’t take long for the savings to add up when you remove “AA battery bulk pack” from your supply list and remove “check trail camera batteries” from your to-do list.
Now, think about what you could do with some extra hours and money in your hunting budget. Maybe you could add an extra day or two to your hunting trip. Maybe you could hang a new tree stand in that area you’ve always wanted to try. Or maybe you could invest in an external solar panel with lithium battery, like the SPLB-22, to upgrade one of your battery-powered cameras for another opportunity to save over time.
The SPLB-22 hanging next to a FLEX camera.
While there are never any guarantees in hunting, you can improve your chances for success by making smart decisions and choosing tools with proven advantages. In the current era of hunting techniques and technologies, solar power is undeniably one of the best ways to tip the odds in your favor.
