A Video Review of The Super Scouter Trail, Hunting and Wildlife Camera

A Hunters Review of the Super Scouter Trail, Hunting and Wildlife Camera

As the age old maxim goes, “knowledge is power”. For a hunter, knowing where and when your prey is most likely to be, can mean the difference between success and failure. Sometimes, 'luck' will be a factor, but more often than not, it is surveillance that reaps the greatest rewards.

If we look to nature, we see that the most successful predators are able to gain their prize with the minimum of calories expended. How? A big part is knowing the habits of their quarry and placing themselves in the right position at the right time. This has long been my objective, and so far, like all of natures carnivores, it has meant keeping my eyes and ears open as I wander my hunting grounds and being sensitive to the changes in the habits of the quarry around me. In this way, I have built a picture (albeit approximate until now) of their locations and tendencies.

But there is a limit. I only have one pair of eyes and ears. I can only be in one place at any one time. I also need to sleep.

But what if I could change that?

What if I had an extra set of eyes? Imagine if those ears could be placed, camouflaged in a location where my prey is known to frequent. Consider the possibilities if those instruments of observation need never rest!

Subscribers to my YouTube channel, visitors to my blog, and members of the forums I contribute to will know I live what could be termed a 'simple' life. But living 'simply' does not necessarily dictate 'primitively'. The renunciation of modern aids is not an obligatory requisite. We live in a technological age, our ancestors very quickly grasped the potential, and benefited from, the advances of the inventions of their era. So I have done the same.

What is this device that satisfies the aforementioned desire? What piece of magic could possibly grant me such incredible powers?

I believe it is the Super Scouter Trail Camera 2.0C model from Global Egrow (stores.ebay.co.uk/globalegrowinc).

I came across this product after doing a fair amount of research into remote cameras suited to my purpose. I noted the features of the branded examples and set about finding one with all those benefits but minus the inflated price tag.

At just £109.99 versus the £245.40 of the branded equivalent, I believe I was successful. But my triumph was two fold, not only had I found a product that was over half the price, the features were not just equal, they were in cases superior!

The Super Scouter has a 12 mega pixel camera over 8 mega pixel,

Both record 720 HD video 1-60 seconds,

Both with colour TFT screens.

Both have expandable SD slot upto 32GB.

Both have IR LED's with a range over 50 feet.

Both claim battery lives of over 6 months.

With the seller having a UK distribution operation, I had the product in my hands within 24 hours of ordering. I got in touch with the seller to enquire about the differences in models and features as well as to express my thanks. I had an equally prompt response. I could certainly see now how they had acquired their 99.5% positive feedback! Impressive indeed.

Neatly packaged in a sturdy box with an adjustable mounting strap, USB and AV cable, I very quickly had the Super Scouter Camera out and gave the well written and worded English instruction manual the usual 'male' scrutiny. As suspected, it was very simple to configure and operate as anyone who has owned a digital camera will quickly see. Insertion of batteries is a simple procedure, a handy loop assists in lifting the panel that opens out and allows for 4-8 AA batteries, dependant on how long you wish to run the unit.

I was most taken with the effective camouflage pattern printed on the very solid feeling shell. The unit opens and closes via two clasps that compress a rubber seal which ensures the internals are kept dry and protected.

Can you tell where it is yet?

The rear of the camera has moulded, toothed grips that do a very good job of providing a positive contact to the bark of the host tree and keep the camera exactly where positioned. When elevation has required adjusting, the sliding of a stick under one of the grips works nicely. 

The use of the black adjustable strap is not your only option for mounting however, with a discreet thread mount (standard camera size) located on its underside, the camera can be mounted on a conventional tripod where trees are scarce, or even on a flexible mount up in the branches.

Outlets are covered with rubber plugs to maintain water tightness.

Hunting is not the only application for this product of course. For a man living in the woods, security is a consideration. Thoughtfully moulded into the main body is a receptacle that allows for a lock to be installed, deterring unauthorised access and theft. Set to video function with audio, I can rest easy knowing my sentinel is watching over my belongings and home. For a landowner or gamekeeper, posting these look outs discreetly on the borders of your property could pay dividends in many ways. It is worthy of note that the upgraded 2.0CM model has a GPRS function and allows the insertion of a SIM card which, in turn, means images and videos can be immediately sent via MMS and uploaded to the web by email. Poachers beware!

The unit is fully programmable to suit your application. A timer can be set to give time lapse results, photo interval (time between shots) can be set, burst mode (1-3 pictures), video duration (1-60 secs), quality can be adjusted to 5, 8 or 12 Mega pixels, date, time and temperature can be stamped on the photographs, you can even add a 6v solar panel/power supply or plug in an external microphone if desired.

A very useful feature has been the 2.4 inch colour TFT screen which has enabled me to preview photographs and footage in the field prior to downloading. 

 

In all, this product has proven itself to be a genuine asset and aid in delivering intelligence on the activity of the species that share my environment. A bonus has been the images captured of animals that have proved most elusive (not just prey, but other predators!). 

The thief responsible for the disappearance of two of my chickens?

The time stamps enable me to see when creatures are most active and this, in conjunction with noting the location the unit was in, is rapidly resulting in an accurate and detailed map. Consequently my hunting forays are set to be far more productive with the most efficient and effective use of my time thanks to this camera. I will certainly be grateful in the winter months!

Thankfully, you do not need to be a master of tracking, just have the ability to see the trails on the ground and identify a good vantage point to mount and place the camera. I have found the best results have been gained when the setup was angled with the subjects approaching thus providing maximum exposure to the lens.

If you find yourself in the market for such an item, I strongly recommend you purchase The Super Scouter Trail Camera and buy it from Global Egrow Inc, a seller who has proven themselves to be reliable, trustworthy and most helpful and co-operative. The camera's versatility is a quality that means this will earn its keep in very little time at all. Like me, you'll quickly wonder how your ever managed without it!

The Super Scouter Trail Camera

Hardcore Bargains - Sunday 27/02/11

Have given up on the boiler. All looked promising until a drip developed and increased in frequency at an alarming rate. So far just having cold running water is luxury enough. My proposed alternative water heating project is on hold due to lack of funds. Costed the entire job and it came to £72 odd. That total was a combination of eBays cheapest and ScrewFixs. Hardcore bargain hunting. Still, £72 is £72 more than I can afford. I could buy the parts solely off eBay in dribs and drabs, but of course it would cost more overall.
I could save, however life finds a way of presenting other expenses of seemingly more importance.
The weather has been poor but forecasted to improve. Will be refreshing to return to the numerous outdoor projects requiring my attention.

The Hub, steadily progressing.

Life emerging all around us.

Garlic - The first of our seedlings poking through.

M Jones

Ze Germans - Wednesday 23/06/10

My parents father. Right i'm tired. Not done much though. My dad picked up Emma and Fran in the morning which left me free, and bored, having to stay housebound to wait for some estate agent to inspect the house. The very same agent who didn't bother to turn up. So now i have another day of lonely idleness to look forward to.
Disco Stu's cylinder was warped! had obviously been allowed to overheat in the past to such an extent that not only did the temperature deform solid metal but also melted a sensor and knackered the heat plugs. Still, i've been assured the whole lot will amount to no more than £400 so have relisted him on eBay at £1294. I hope i can make another £300 as i did on the Galant but if someone offers a grand i'll cut my losses and take it.
Watched England scrape a 1-0 victory against Slovenia. Bad news is it means we face ze Germans this Sunday. We're buggered in my opinion.
Watched a program called 'Erasing David' all about the information collected on us by corporations and the government. Scary shit man. He was a pillock though. He went 'on the run' from two private eyes he'd hired to track him down. His aim was to last 30 days... he lasted 18 after his wife called him and made him attend a baby scans which the P.Is knew about through some sneaky tactics. Typical. Brought down by a woman. So many great men have fallen that way. If the Creationists are to be believed the first was Adam... Samson's up there too, along with Greek and Roman heroes. Poor Bastards.

M Jones

Disco Stu - Tuesday 22/06/10

Disco Stu, for that is his name, is very poorly. So poorly in fact, i've replaced him. Instead, with the kind help of the mother in law, we have a Vauxhall Monterey aka Isuzu Trooper.
Disco Stu had a Pre-MOT which he passed, however, he has a indeed blown a head gasket. The cylinder head has been sent off to be inspected for cracks. Poor Stu.

The Monterey had a most interesting owner. An 80 year old gentleman, who certainly knew his stuff, and whose business was selling law books on eBay. His wife loved our daughter and whilst the women chatted, i was led to the bottom of his house to a porta cabin wherein was stored an extraordinary record of British legal heritage. Handwritten and bound in leather, were many many volumes recounting writs of the king as far back as 1475! He had in fact purchased the collection from Earl Spencer,m Princess Diana's brother, keen to flog the families treasures, apparently to "Live it up with some crumpet in Wales..." . Interesting.

M Jones

Discovery - Tuesday 15/06/10

Boy am i pooped! Been a hectic few days. Am doing my best not to let days go past unrecorded but it seems i need to be a bit more disciplined.
Handed my notice in Friday, with no intention of serving the one week required. I did warn the boss i would contract a "mysterious and intense" 4 day long illness that might dent my attendance record. The message obviously wasn't communicated judging by the phone call today from my rather annoyed supervisor. I did consider going in but soon thought better of it when i realised my core motive for doing so would be money, NO. I refuse to sell out to the system.
When I handed my notice in i'd calculated that the days I'd worked plus the holiday accrued was enough to fund my direct debits which i shall soon be cancelling.
To have gone in and suffered because of greed for gold would have been negating the point of this entire exercise.
That said, i am prepared that should the shit hit the fan and the money raised from the sale of our belongings not be, I would work a short period. But that scenario is exceedingly unlikely if we stick to the plan...

Saturday was supposed to be spent preparing for the car boot sale Sunday. Instead we bought a caravan i'd seen with a FOR SALE sign and £200 pegged to a curtain. The owner randomly, and very kindly lowered the price to £150 and we were in for one hell of a bargain!
4 berth, good condition, WITH awning and poles!

Home - For the foreseeable future...

Turns out it was her late fathers, but get this, when i mentioned to her brother i was after a 4x4 he gestured over his shoulder to a rough and ready looking Land Rover Discovery! He initially said he wanted £800/£750 for it but admitted it needed a new water pump. I text later on the Monday and lied i'd only been offered £500 for my car so could he meet me at £600, he agreed!
Got £600 for my Galant on eBay and better still, found a water pump for a Discovery for £15! The gods appear to be on my side (at present)

Now whilst the sale of my car has gone pretty smoothly so far (being paid for and picked up Friday i hope) Emma's car has been a different story... hopefully it'll sell for £250 a snip considering we paid £750 barely a year ago for it!

The car boot sale went okay i suppose. Overslept which didn't help but got rid of perhaps half the stuff we took and made £32 profit, promptly swallowed at the petrol pump along with £19 more of my meaningless currency. Took all the unsold stuff to the charity shop....

Anyhoo. Solar panels arrived today from Maplin god bless em. £199.99 60watts. Just need a proper battery for it Also need to work out how the electrics go together in the caravan. I have a hunch i know where the switch is...

M Jones

Deeper Pockets - Thursday 10/06/10

Went to work. Bloody tough day. Also finding it really hard to keep focussed. I JUST WANT TO QUIT AND GET ON WITH THINGS!!!!!
Spoke to Parents who seem really quite supportive, which i definitely did not expect. They advised us to buy a caravan rather than a camper van. Bid on one on eBay for £200 with awning, trouble is it had a buy it now of £350 which we wanted to do, but now that option has now disappeared, so either we save £150 or we lose it to someone with deeper pockets.
Emma's Mum is now on board and she says her Nan is willing to help financially. Have a fair few concerns. Lots of thoughts flying around right now, doubt i'll sleep well.

NOT looking forward to being pissed about at work tomorrow. Hate my job now. Stops me doing what i need to do to get on with my life.

M Jones